Spoiler Alert 

There is always a great sense of admiration to be had when an older film holds up in its quality throughout the years. There is a greater sense of awe that stems from a film gaining relevance over the years. These kinds of films remain as a testament to what art reveals in humanity’s soul, and how it can, at times, be the greatest tool there is in helping one understand how fragile the mind can be when placed under distress. Perhaps one of the greatest examples that can be made for this kind of film is  Satoshi Kon’s 1998 animated project “Perfect Blue.”

Based loosely on Yoshikazu Takeuichi’s novel of the same name, “Perfect Blue” shows the story of a pop idol named Mima Kirigoe, who is pressured by her agents to make a career transition into acting. The film follows Mima as she faces demands from her managers, slowly starting to lose a grip on her identity, all while a devoted fan stalks and attempts to kill her. 

The synopsis is scary enough on its own, and the film delivers on that in many ways, making for an existential nightmare that remains unforgettable to those who are willing to sit through it. The themes conveyed through the masterful writing and the brilliant animation are too many to count, but there are two in particular that stick out as being incredibly relevant: the dark sides of fandom and the objectification of celebrities.  

While it is true that there are films that have tackled the concept of how far a person will take their love of an artist’s work to delusional levels, “Perfect Blue” may have been the first to tackle how that insanity may be conveyed through the anonymity of the internet. At a certain point in the film, Mima’s manager helps her with installing a computer and a fax machine in her apartment, which at first comes off as a funny moment since Mima is being taught what a mouse and a clicker are. Only a few moments later, the film shows her dealing with death threats being sent to her through her fax machine and a website online where the stalker pretends to be her. This puts her and the audience in a deep state of paranoia, as she struggles with the idea of who she really is while constantly being scared for her life.

The idea of somebody anonymously attacking a celebrity online is so much more commonplace now than it was in the 90s that the film can come off as a prophetic warning for how online anonymity can lead to people being able to show malicious intent without suffering the consequences for it. 

Another part of the film that seems largely relevant is how it depicts the dehumanization of idols and celebrities. A big part of the reason that Mima goes into a spiral of doubt and insanity as the film progresses is due to how she begins to lose perception of herself. She becomes lost in what she wants to do versus what those who surround her want her to become. 

 Her managers force her to nude photoshoots and to even participate in a TV series where her character gets sexually assaulted, while her previous pop group achieves greater success in her absence. Audience members feel nothing but dread and sympathy as she breaks down in her apartment because she is being taken advantage of by an industry that sees her only as a money magnet rather than an aspiring artist. This idea rings true today as many artists have to endure fans who forget that they are not the gods that they may idolize them to be nor are they the sex objects that will bend to the whims of their fans. It is a good lesson shown through a brutal story. 

“Perfect Blue” is admittedly a film that is hard to watch, but it is also an essential one. The fact that its anime does not get in the way of its execution whatsoever and has even been the source of inspiration for many filmmakers is amazing. The most notable of these filmmakers would be Darren Aronofsky, who used it as inspiration for the films “Requiem for a Dream” and “Black Swan.” It is a work of art that deserves to be preserved for the coming decades. A new 4K restoration of the film will be hitting theaters on the weekend of Oct. 3, bringing more attention to this flawless masterpiece.