Winning the prize of Best Asian Film in the Fant*Asia '97 Film Festival, Perfect Blue has yet to stop getting rave reviews ever since its theatrical release in February of 1997. The animation was handled by the same producers of X and Memories (Madhouse). In fact, the creator of Akira and Memories (Otomo Katsuhiro) held the title of special advisor for Perfect Blue.

Perfect Blue clocks in at 81 minutes and is directed by Kon Satoshi. The movie itself is based on the book by Takeuchi Yoshikazu and paints a real picture of the otaku culture in Japan.

This movie is not for the faint at heart. Many reviewers have placed the film in the category of a psychological thriller. The story follows the beginning career of Kirigoe Mima. She has decided to break away from her idol group (Cham) right before they debut with their first album, in order to pursue a career in acting. Soon after starting her first job, weird things start to happen. People around her start dying, and Mima finds herself being stalked.

This is truly an awesome film. You haven't seen a thriller until you have seen Perfect Blue. I must warn you, though, Perfect Blue does contain material which may be offensive. If you are offended by realistic crime scenes and adult themes, then you might want to consider visiting Collegetown Bagels for an hour and a half or so. For those staying, don't be too unnerved. These subjects are handled very seriously in the film and are shown in a truthful and realistic sense.

Perfect Blue should leave you with a lasting impression. The story of Mima asks the viewers some serious questions. How far should one go to obtain stardom? How well do you know the people around you? How well do they know you? How much of one's private life is really private? If you think that you can answer these questions now, then you certainly haven't seen Perfect Blue.