Perfect Blue was shown in theaters in a 4K remaster recently. Seeing it again proved that it stands the test of time and is still better than most animated and live-action films made today.
Perfect Blue (1997) is one of the more influential animated films of the 90s. Black Swan took a ton from this movie. So much so that many of the shots in the film are similar, thus serving as a tribute to the original masterpiece.
This isn’t the only film the director made that went on to be massively influential for future films. Satishi Kon, the director of Perfect Blue (1997, also directed Paprika, or KonPaprika, which very much influenced the movie Inception. Both films have scenes that are very close in design and ideas. Kon’s films are highly regarded in the animation film world.
Perfect Blue (1997) is a great mix of psychological thriller and horror. The movie has some genuinely scary moments. I think a lot of that comes from the score in the film. It’s very unique and unsettling, and I definitely had a great time hearing it on the big screen. The animation might be dated for some, but I believe that adds to the great look of 90s animation. The ’90s animation look is supremely nostalgic because that’s what I grew up on.
Perfect Blue (1997) has a distinct cinematic animation style compared to television animation. But at the same time, it still has a lot of great charm. The movie itself might not be as lavishly budgeted as animated films go. But the story and style are so good you forget those things.
This is back in an era when we had a lot of great animated films coming out, whether it was Perfect Blue (1997) or Spirited Away. A lot of people talk about the golden age of anime. But I really believe that it was in the 90s and early 2000s. So many memorable and influential works came out around that time.
Animation has been around for a very long time, but I don’t think it has reached the height it did in the 90s and early 2000s in either anime films or shows. I think what makes Perfect Blue (1997) so good is that it is a good gateway animation movie. Meaning that it’s a good animated movie to start with if you haven’t ever seen one before.
Especially if you like horror and would like to start with this, Perfect Blue was one of the first mature, R-rated animated films I had seen before. It definitely left an impression on me, and I still think it’s one of the best ones out there.
We all have animated films we saw as kids that were meant for kids, but this is definitely top-notch when it comes to R-rated, adult-themed animated movies. Perfect Blue (1997) takes the age-old story of someone famous dealing with an identity crisis. But with Perfect Blue (1997), it’s definitely how it’s filmed that makes it unique.
The movie itself gives answers at times for what the story is trying to tell you, but it’s not necessarily until you’ve had time to think after the movie that the dots are connected. There’s a lot up to interpretation, which I believe is a mark of a great movie with a distinctive psychological aspect.
Perfect Blue is also very short, which is a big plus for me in movies. I have nothing against longer movies, but I think short movies can still deliver the same experience as a longer one. Perfect Blue (1997) is a little over an hour and 20 minutes, which is extremely short by today’s standards.
A lot of animated films run a bit shorter than other styles of films. But the character work and the storytelling in the Perfect Blue (1997) style are just as good as any two-hour-plus movie. The movie doesn’t drag at all; it gets straight to the point, yet we still have plenty of time to let the characters breathe. The movie also leaves plenty of aspects to analyze, making it highly rewatchable. This is my fourth time watching the film, and I still catch things I didn’t see before.
So many scenes in Perfect Blue (1997) have moments replicated in other movies, especially American ones. Perfect Blue (1997) is a major influence on American psychological horror. There are moments in Perfect Blue (1997) that you will see and be surprised come from a film, not a live-action one.
Perfect Blue (1997) will still find a way to get under my skin in parts. I think it’s super hard for a movie to scare me nowadays, but I do believe this one had some pretty nerve-racking moments. I think a lot of it is due to the near uncanniness of some of the animation.
This is still the era of hand-drawn animation. While modern animation is still good, nothing beats hand-drawn. So some of the drawings themselves look extremely beautiful. And a time, sometimes horribly horrific. There’s something about someone being able to draw something horrific compared to a computer making it.
I think a lot of that goes into the details a real person can add. So when the movie gets scary, it’s pretty freaking scary, and that’s saying a lot for an older animated film. You would think that an older movie would then influence newer movies, and thus, the new movie would be done better. For example, an older black-and-white movie that might not age well.
That movie inspires a modern film with better effects and a better look, so you think the contemporary movie does it better than the original. Sometimes that is the case because filmmaking is progressing so rapidly. But Perfect Blue (1997) still is the best of its kind, even though it inspired great movies like Black Swan.
The film contains numerous scenes that will remain with me for the rest of my life. I believe one of the film’s more iconic moments is seeing Mima, the lead, confront her “former self” as it attacks her “modern self.” In those scenes, Mima’s former self is an idol in an idol-style outfit. She skips around, defying gravity, looking like a demented fairy dancing across the screen. With that ’90s animation, it’s something truly awesome to see.
This is just one of so many great scenes this movie created that will live in film forever. I am glad Perfect Blue (1997) received its 4K remaster and hope more classics get the same treatment.
