Perfect Blue (1997) | No, I'm the Real Thing...

Clever Ghouls

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On this episode, the Clever Ghouls discuss Perfect Blue, the 1997 horror anime film by Satoshi Kon. This movie follows a member of a Japanese idol group, Mima, who retires from music to pursue an acting career. As she becomes a victim of stalking, gruesome murders begin to occur, and she starts to lose her grip on reality. Mima, member of a J-pop idol group named "CHAM!", decides to leave the group to become a full-time actress. She gets stalked by an obsessive fan named Me-Mania, who is upset by her change from a clean-cut image. Following directions from a fan letter, Mima discovers a website called "Mima's Room" containing public diary entries written from her perspective, and which has her daily life and thoughts recorded in great detail.
Join us as we take a closer look at this film and talk about themes such as the schism between artist and identity, voyeurism, fandom and celebrity culture, the relationship of humanity and the internet, parasocial relationships, and what it means to navigate the entertainment industry as a woman.
This film is rated R for language and nudity; but is a heavy and dark film that has graphic rape scenes, and touches on stalking, murder, mental illness, psychosis and hallucinations, violence, and mental facilities. For more information we invite you to visit Perfect Blue’s page on DoesTheDogDie.com!

The Clever Ghouls podcast, hosted by Maegan and Blair, is a show dedicated to watching, analyzing, and discussing the movies that make us think about them long after we’ve left the theater or turned off the TV. We bring quick wit and unique perspectives from backgrounds like art history, cinematography, psychology, analysis, public education, mysticism, mythos, and more to create a curated, inclusive conversation around the spooky movies we love. Tune in on your favorite podcast hosting platform to listen along, join the conversation, and chime in with your own observations!
Our intro and outro music was created for us by Josh Marshall. For more episodes and other spooky content, find us on your favorite social media platform through our handle: @CleverGhouls. Don’t forget to subscribe and share, and if you really like our content, please leave us a review. Or we’ll haunt you forever. Thanks for listening!