Events

Come see Perfect Blue presented with 4K Laser projection on the big screen in L3!

Mima Kirigoe, a young aspiring entertainer, has been part of J-pop idol group CHAM! for two years, enjoying modest success and devoted fans. At one concert, to the confusion of the fans, she announces that going forward she will be leaving CHAM! and pursing an acting career. Along with her manager, Mima is determined to forge a new path in the world and become a TV star, landing a role in a mature crime drama.

However, things turn out not to be so simple, and she finds her past image as a pure and innocent idol at odds with her new, risqué acting career. Mima is haunted by obsessed fans, her abandoned identity as an idol, CHAM!’s success without her, and demanding exhibitionism as an actress. Her world becomes more and more disoriented, as reality and fiction coalesce in terrifying and violent ways.

Satoshi Kon’s debut film, Perfect Blue, takes us on Mima’s psychological journey as she discovers the difficulties of self-transformation and stardom. Already, Kon’s signature style is here: detailed backgrounds, expressive use of colour, surreal sequences, and mind-boggling transitions. Perfect Blue is a visually striking exploration of identity and an exposé on the exploitative practises in the entertainment industry. The horrific and grotesque animal that is one’s past, the dangers of those who wish to stop you from changing, and also of those who are all too willing to take advantage of you as you do.

Tom Leigh