⚡ CLASSIC SPECIFICATION • ERA: 2001

Perfect Blue

Name: Perfect Blue Anime Review
Item: Perfect Blue
Rating: 66
Author: Ayukawa

66%

ARCHIVIST: Ayukawa

LOGGED: 2001-06-08

📊 Production Parameter Matrix Scale 1.0 – 10.0

B [STR] Story & Narrative Direction 7 / 10

C [AGI] Animation & Cel Craftsmanship 6 / 10

C [INT] Character Dynamics & Cast 6 / 10

A [SYN] Voice Acting & Soundtrack 8 / 10

Consensus: Aged Like Wine 🍷

CLASSIFICATION C-TIER

[+] Strengths & Highlights

The story was complex. This is one of the few true mystery animes that I've been able to find. It was much darker than I'd expected, which was a pretty cool surprise.

[-] Vulnerabilities & Flaws

At times, it was pretty confusing. As stated above, Mima's reality and hallucinations merge, and until the very end, it's difficult to draw the line.

⤢ Fullscreen • Hover 2001

Aged Like Wine 🍷

Modern Consensus: Satoshi Kon's psychological thriller is now recognized worldwide as an unparalleled tour-de-force of editing and psychological dread.

📖 Overview

I first heard of this anime when I stumbled across a video that somebody made of it to Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn". It intrigued me, and I finally picked it up. I guess it was pretty good, but I dont' think it has much of a re-play value.

🎬 Storyline & Narrative

Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol has quit her trio to become an actress. She finds herself in a murder mystery, and her life is falling apart. Her reality and hallucinations merge together into a netherworld. She starts disovering websites which contain every detail in her life. She watches, afraid, as her friends are threatened and killed by a stalker.

👥 Characters & Dynamics

Mima Kirigoe is the main character, a pop star turning into an actress. The focus is mainly on her, and I honestly didn't pick up many other names that I have a good memory of. Mima however, was intriguing, if not disturbing at times.

🎨 Animation & Visual Direction

I've seen far better anime graphically, but it wasn't too bad. The animation was pretty decent, and character detail was great, if a bit stereotyping.

🎵 Voice Acting & Soundtrack

So far I've only watched it subtitled. The voices are really good in Perfect Blue. There wasn't anything that I found annoying, and overall they did a great job with it.

🟢 What We Liked: The story was complex. This is one of the few true mystery animes that I've been able to find. It was much darker than I'd expected, which was a pretty cool surprise.

🔴 What We Disliked: At times, it was pretty confusing. As stated above, Mima's reality and hallucinations merge, and until the very end, it's difficult to draw the line.

💬 Early-2000s Fandom Pulse Community Rating: ★ 3.8/5 (4 historical responses)

• Community Praise: Finally! I was beginning to think it was just me. Perfect Blue was an awesome watch, but you hit the nail on the head; once you've seen it, you don't need to see it again. I bought it on DVD, and I kinda regret it, it's definately a renter if you can find it. It's a fantastic watch, brilliantly done psychological thriller, the ending was well done, and there's quite a few good "whoah" moments. But once you've know the story, it's hard to get up to watching it again. I've had it 6 months and only watched it once. Great review, Ayukawa, I agree wholeheartedly. • The combination of good graphics, excellent voice casting and a very intresting story line makes Perfect Blue one to watch! The way the viewer gets dragged into the conflict between fiction and reality really fascinated me, too bad, as in the review, the re-play value is low.

• Contentious Points: Just a 66 please stop reviewing

More Reviews by Ayukawa

Kimagure Orange Road 90% Bubblegum Crisis: Megatokyo 2040 80% End of Summer 23%

← Pokemon (65%) Serial Experiments Lain (91%) →