EXCUSE ME, BUT WHO ARE YOU? Excuse ME, but who ARE you? Was that question EVER really answered? Maybe... if you're a smart cookie. If not, IMPROVISE, MAN!
Anyway, now that we have that out of the way (I think I'll be asking everybody I see that question for the next month or so), Perfect Blue is about an ex-pop idol named Mima. She quits being a member of her little group, CHAM, and there is where all of her problems begin. And those problems aren't so little.
Everywhere she goes, bad luck follows. She decides to become an actress. While practicing her line ("Excuse me, who are you?"), a bomb goes off. Turns out that it was meant for her, even though someone else opened the letter it came in. As her acting roles progress, murders begin. The producer, the script-writer, whoever. They all get sent to the slaughterhouse. Mima doesn't know who is doing this, even though the answer seems so clear.
A man follows her everywhere, a holographic image of herself that only she can see appears everywhere, people get killed left and right, lots of blood, violence, and nudity, and all that wonderful stuff combine with psychotic personas and intellectually stimulating stories and a GOO (goo=good) plotline to create quite a memorabe film.
There's a lot of gory killings. There is detailed nudity of both the upper and (BY GEORGE!) lower half of MIMA! There is swearing, (yeah, that includes the FREAKIN' 'F word!) and lots of sexual themes. Such as two rape things. Yeah, lots of fun.. *snores*
Storyline
5/5 It was psychologically effective. Yes, in making you wonder if YOU are real, and EXCUSE ME, but who are you?
Character Development
5/5 It was nice and good. Especially the multiple-personality peoples. They did a good job being more than one person.
Plot Depth
5/5 It was deep, confusing, and good.
Music
5/5 It was all CHAM-my and poppy. Kind of had a techno feel to it as well.. oh yeah, but they didn't play bubblegum songs as people were stabbed. Oh, no. They played songs with nutty nonsense words to them, the screeching sound in the background, and other freakish things.
Sexual Content
2/5 The rape scenes are detailed enough for ME.
Nudity
1/5 The nudity was uneccessary and detailed. So it was rather disgusting.
Violence/Gore
4/5 This is a psychological horror flick. It's not nice (kinda like that kid who used to live next door, you know, the one who used to pull up all of your tulips and feed them to his dog?).
Animation
5/5 It is GOO (goo=good)
Profanity
3/5 They swear some, and of course, use the effin eff word.
Overall goodness
5/5 I loved it! However, as with other gems such as X the movie and Ghost in the Shell, it is not one to test-screen at your child's FIFTH BIRTHDAY PARTY! But, if you really want to scare them (you could play the tape... or...), then just stare blankly at their faces and say, "Excuse me, but who are you?" I'm not serious... don't send me hate mail... GROO!
Totals: 40/50, very good! And all that wonderful crap.
To begin with, Perfect Blue is a lot like a horror movie. Lots of blood, bloody mangled people, psychotic people, the works. BUT! It's all in your head, as the infamous quote goes- "Excuse me, who are you?"
Mima is part of an idol pop-group known as CHAM. At their last concert, there was a big disturbance by some guys. They are back and cause yet another. This weird guy with a funny-looking eyeball gets in a fitsfight with them, after staring at Mima. Mima announces she's leaving CHAM to become an actress. As she leaves the concert, a man hands her a letter. It says he wants her to sing forever and he looks at "Mima's Room" all the time.
Mima's produer, Rumi, tells Mima about the letter. "Mima's Room" is a website, and she shows Mima how to use a computer. Mima is totally clueless. This is when the weird stuff starts happening... Mima starts seeing a double of herself. Who tells her she deserves what she gets, and she wants to be a pop idol, not an actress. Oh well. Soon enough, after a dirty scene in the soap opera she's in, murders start happening. WHO IS IT??? Dun dun dun.. And the question- Excuse me, who are you? I dunno. I was hoping you could tell me. It will linger like the question- WHY A PEANUT?? Til your dying day.
Storyline
5/5 Very good. Was weird and choppy, but that only added to the effect
Character Development
5/5 Too many Mima's.. ^_^ Also very good. It got a little WEIRD to follow, but lots of psychological deterioration (big words are fun) is shown and very well at that.
Plot Depth
5/5 YES. Oh, my god, yes. I was thinking too hard and hurt myself. just kidding. Was pretty deep and confusing.
Music
5/5 Poppy and bouncy goodness. Except during the murder-ee scenes. Then it was freakish and loud.
Sexual Content
2/5 Two rape scenes.Things like arms were stratigically placed, but sometimes things just POP right out. One was acting, one was not. The second didn't get too far... oh well. I was SURE disappointed.. *scoff*
Nudity
2/5 Someone posed nudee for the cameras. Nice lovely hair and breasts. *scoff some more*
Violence/Gore
2/5 Many stabbings. More than with a knife. We improvised and used unique objects- like an umbrella. And more unique places. Not just on the heart. Eye, hand, crotch, whatever! Anything goes here!! That was very cool!
Animation
5/5 Good. Unique and freaksh real-ish style.
Profanity
3/5 A few here and there, the god-forsaken "F" word.
Overall goodness
5/5 Very good and suspenseful. As a master of horror once said- There's no real terror in the stab. It's the anticipation. (that, my friend, is Alfred Hitchcock.)
Totals: 40/50, I don't want to give it so low. I really liked it! It was really good! Obviously not for kids, with the rape and nakees going on. The first (and hopefully only) anime I've rated so low, yet liked so much. *sigh*...
TOTALS: 40/50 Very nice, very goo.
***We rented it on DVD, professionally done, uncut. So we saw it some of the time, dubbed, and some of the time subbed. GROO***