perfect blue is a wretchedly beautiful simulation of what it is like to be young in an environment that controls everything, encouraging obedience to the point of damaging things like your identity, self esteem, and destiny. I'll never forget the part of the movie where Rumi says something along the lines of "but what about Mimas feelings!?", while she exhibits no consideration to understand Mima's feelings in the first place.
I'm really scared to watch this film, as I have PTSD from when I've was psychologically abused by my peers in High School. They used my Autism as a scapegoat to gaslight me into thinking that my mental disorder was making me hallucinate their abuse. Whenever they would call me a "retard", beat me up, or steal my possessions, or even sexually assault me...they claimed it never happened, that my mind was making me see things that were never there, or that which was there, my mind was simply making it seem like something else. In a few instances, they even went so far as to use the staff's own mental illnesses to their advantage to set me up to get into trouble with them. And when the adults did nothing to help me, no matter how much I cried to them for help, I thought I was going completely insane. Is it okay to feel scared of this movie? Sometimes I can't help but feel weak...
@@hawkeyenextgen7117I’d be careful with how much of yourself you share in the comments section, but, yes it’s okay to be scared of watching this movie. I too have been diagnosed with PTSD and it is a very hard / dizzying watch as I felt myself empathising extremely hard with Mima (the main character). It especially messes with your perception of reality through how it is cut together - if that’s something that will bleed into your real life I would avoid watching it. It pulls you into that characters world and makes you question her reality as you do not know what did or did not happen. I’m glad I watched this movie. It’s extremely good, but, it’s hard. If you’re not in a good place, don’t watch it until you feel confident in your own mental state and grip on reality.
@@hawkeyenextgen7117 "Is it okay to feel scared of this movie?" - you're never under any obligation to see any work of art, movie or otherwise. And sometimes they can still affect you even if you've never seen them, as in this case with how you're feeling about it. That in itself is something to reflect on, and potentially has value if it leads you to some realization. Yes you're okay not seeing it. Also it's not going anywhere. You can always see it another time if you change your mind.
Funny you should say that, because many people in the Eva fandom said I was obligated to watch End of Eva if I was to be ever cured of my depression following the suicide of my childhood friend.@@ArawnOfAnnwn
The biggest payoff in this movie, for me, was near the end, but slightly before the climax. Where Rumi and Mima are fighting and Mima shouted "I am who I am". That line right there was just the essence of her entire character arc. She defines who she is, not fans or stalkers or managers or her job. When she said it, I immediately burst into tears because it made me so emotional. I'm just sad that I've watched several videos and commentaries about the movie and no one really talks about that line or scene since it's right before the big payoff.
Bjork’s stalker, and Japan’s Idol culture and stress and pressure that comes with it came to mind. Especially with the former, as the dude became disillusioned and crazy before he terminated his own life and planned to take Bjork with him so that they could reunite in heaven until police intervened where they found him dead. Unsettling and disquieting to say the least
@S. G. Thanks for that interesting woo analysis of the Bjork stalker. Your last part gave me a nice laugh. It makes sense. I guess stalkers don't have an identity beyond their heavily misguided ideals and the role they play. The dude was bound for failure and prevented a correction of injustice by refusing to be arrested or sh0t by an officer
Knowing that your perception of others doesn't correspond to how they really are, and that they could make the same mistake with you, can be sad, confusing, unnerving. However, despite being painful, we all must accept this truth in order to have mature and complex relationships with other human beings.
I've never understood other people I barely understand myself My own self feels like falling into an infinite black void void filled with mirrors reflecting distorted images of myself
that stalker is disturbingly reminiscent of how I felt when certain people disappointed me. even being fully aware of how trivial something is from an objective standpoint doesn't help. if you let something become a part of the structure that keeps you from falling apart, taking it out will cause serious damage. and pain, which you can't reason away. you can't escape it. all you can do is not let the rest of you follow that dying part into nothingness.
My life breaks me pretty often. That's why I consume darker media to remind me of how bad things can be and how they can be dealt with, changed, or accepted. Some ideas can bring me to tears every time when portrayed in the right way no matter how many times I see it. I try to find some sort of insight or wisdom through the works of others. Sometimes it helps me. At least for a moment
This is why I despise untrue accusations. Throughout my childhood, I've had a few bullies, and they all attempted the same thing: to make me look bad, and warp how people perceive me. Of course, that was small-scale, but I always knew where that behavior could lead, and its not good. People like to say "the truth hurts", I assure you, many times the opposite is true, lies hurt.
same, it fucks with your perception & makes you rethink about your likes, dislikes & whether your life choices are right or wrong. You start to see things through there worldview which makes you feel dirty & worthless! believe me, I know what that feels like.
Same here! What's also scary to me is when there is some kind of wrong that is committed (sometimes when it's a mild wrong) and people punish the person that committed that wrong disproportionately (which is unfortunately a common scary thing to happen, considering how cancel culture is often mishandled, and when things go into messed-up mob justice territory)... 0_0 Scapegoating is also a scary thing (as the infamous Witch Trials throughout Europe and New England has shown)...
They're just trying to force their own warped identities onto their victims to convince them that their own problems aren't theirs "When the reflection distorts the face, why blame the mirror?"
I sincerely do hope you ARE okay. ❤ Although just a viewer/follower, most of us are keenly aware what a toll some projects may take on you. Just remember your health is the most important thing to worry about-- even if videos get placed on hold or take a while to create. Take care and thank you for this deeply personal video ~
@@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh yeah I get your point, I also have a certain cinycal anti wimp mentality at times but step out of your self centeredness at times and listen to what others might really be going through not just what we think about it. For example the point here is not that watching a show might break someone.. but that it might trigger them to see they we’re already broke and suddenly they start spiraling.. that’s when others need our support.. just like we might need theirs at a point
@@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh But isn´t that what art does? Offering new perspectives and a chance to reflect on how you view yourself and the world around you? When you are confronted with something that resonates so deeply that it changes your way of thinking, then isn´t it understandable that it creates discomfort? Especially when it´s about such existential topics as identity and perception. Growth is often quiet painful so it´s no wonder that powerful art can elicit such intense feelings.
Void gazing is definitely a pass time that leaves you with... a lot of interesting self perceptions. Good to hear you're doing well after gazing at yourself for a while. Lots of people avoid it due to how unsettling it can be.
As a child, I would secrete myself into the narrow alcove of my back yard between the shed and the fence and just stare intently at everything around me The wooden fence posts, the shed or the sky Sometimes, the patterns in a leaf I silently whispered into the unseen infinite void of existence longing to hear a response to all my existential questions Life felt like a cacophony of activity driving me mad I felt like a disjointed, surreal being alone in the sea of humanity Alas, the Abyss only echoed back the emptiness inside me If only someone understood me rather than ignorantly judging me I feel as though I should have been born as something other than human
@@SamuelBlack84 Not there yet, but you are on the path. Keep gazing, "Drink deep and descend". Remember. Depression is momentary, Madness is temporary, Life is transitory. You should be able to get the last bit on your own.
I like how you always freely share aspects of your insecurities. It's a sign of strength, not belittling yourself, but recognizing your reflection. Metacognition is self-medicating and necessary for any kind internal improvement. Very thoughtful content.
I’m now realizing why I love this film so much, and why it terrified me my first couple watches: I was living that “reality” at the time, and I didn’t quite realize it. My family pushed their perceptions of me onto me to the point where I broke. And it’s hard to be in public spaces because people look at me and see someone I’m not.
Damn man. Your self honesty mirror us in such a profound way. I felt hurt by this video and can't even figure out why. More to integrate. This is good.
I completely agree with the difference between how a person sees themselves and how others see them, a good example is what happened to Hannah Montana from the Disney star to how she changed dramatically.
I've only seen Perfect Blue once, a few years ago, but I still think about it a lot. I still can't even tell what really happened because of the baffling last shot in the car, as if it was all just an act again. As if the entire movie was just, well...a movie that mima was acting in. The soundtrack is appropriately haunting too.
Hey Max, I went through that same experience of what you described at 9:55 someone who I once considered my best friend did not see me in the same light. Over the course of ten years I started to catch on to him. And it broke my heart but not only that, I slipped into a downward spiral. For years he molded me into someone I'm not. I wasn't allowed to enjoy my things, and I would be mocked for it and constantly bullied by him and my other friends. Being on the ASD spectrum did not make it easy to understand what they were doing. It was when I started to find out he was telling other people who I never met these horrible lies and disturbing perceptions he had of me. One that sticks with me in particular was when there was a bonfire of which I did not attend. My true friend told me that he overheard him telling the whole group of people that "He's gonna be one of those shooters." Villafying me, warping their perception of who I am without ever knowing me. What's even worse is that he uses his good looks wealth and charm to get others on his side. He would do this to every new person, say these lies about me. Sometimes he would talk down to me for no reason randomly getting a text saying "You're not worth Jack shit." Or tell me how stupid I am. I almost started to believe that he knew me better than I know myself. I became suicidal and turned to alcohol, pain relievers and self harm and developing insomnia and eventually lost my grip with reality constantly having the unnerving feeling that I wasn't real. I finally gained my bearings after my family begged me to go get help admitted myself to a mental hospital. One of the best decisions I have ever made, I probably wouldn't be here writing this message if I hadn't. Recently I heard he's doing it again and quite possibly sabotaged a friendship and further connections I could have made. I just want to move on with my life.
I think two of the most interesting aspects of the movie for me that you didn't cover (they might differ from your own interpretations/understanding or you might not have had the time to do so!) are that 1, Mima's stalker, Me-Mania, actually did very little of what one is led to think he did in the movie until the very end, and 2, the projections and incorrect views of Mima are coming not only from those refusing to allow her to leave her pop idol persona but also those trying to force her into/see her as the adult actress. Let me explain a little more clearly what I mean: 1. Me-Mania does not, I believe, send Mima the TRAITOR fax or the letter bomb, or run the Mima's Room website. It's easy to assume the first two are him and the movie implies that the later is him through some very clever framing; however, the fax and the letter bomb are too immediate and before she's done any of the things that really "betray" Me-Mania's image of her and before Rumi starts really interacting with and manipulating Me-Mania. By the end I think it's very heavily implied that Rumi was running the Mima's Room website from the start and was exchanging emails with Me-Mania encouraging him to believe that only she could be the real Mima. Part of what really fascinates me about this is that Rumi was committing the murders and doing most of the lashing out at and gaslighting of Mima, while simultaneously gaslighting and manipulating Me-Mania. This is not to say that Me-Mania was an innocent person -- he was still a stalker, and he would have been the one who hit the one thug at the concert with his car, and he did try to rape and murder Mima at the end. But he was also pushed and encouraged and his own view of reality was further frayed by Rumi, and so much of the scary things that happen in the movie that would be easy to assume Me-Mania did were actually done by Rumi right up until that attack on Mima. 2. Even more interesting to me from a psychological standpoint, Mima is struggling so much to understand who she is as a person while people on ALL sides are trying to manipulate her and tell her who and what she is. As you cover, Rumi and Me-Mania are unable to accept her changing from the pure and wholesome pop idol; it's implied that her other fans from CHAM's days and her family are also resisting letting that go. And I do 100% think that Mima wasn't lying when she told her mother that the pop idol image was smothering her. However, the argument between her agent and her manager about whether she should be a pop idol or an actress is going on entirely over her head, to either side of her, with neither really looking to her for what she wants; she's told that pop idols simply don't make money and that it'd be so much better for the agency for her to be an actress, she's told that it's better if she sheds pop idol and those restrictions to fully change her image; she's told it would be too much trouble to argue against a rape scene (and as she breaks down after she admits she didn't want to do it but she didn't want to disappoint the people she owed her career to). More than that, when she's talking to her pop idol image, I don't think it's just the image others have of her, but that part of her IS being honest about not being comfortable with these things. On the one hand, societal pressures are telling her she's sullied and filthy now, but "I refuse!" is what she wanted to say and "that was the pits!" reflects her own feelings. Other people wish she was still a pop idol but part of her does seem torn about having left it. More than that, two little details that lead me to this particular read are CHAM and the press. One of her friends in CHAM jokes about how she's probably happily stripping for the cameraman and showing it all off because she's good at it now and into it. The press rushes her after the photographer's murder to inundate her with questions and insinuations that she was in a love triangle with the (murdered) screenwriter and photographer, posing her as sexual/a seductress in these professional relationships. I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this. I don't mean to fully villainize Rumi in my first point; I think that's an easy response and just as much of a mistake as projecting onto Mima in the movie. Rumi was likely also under pressures during her own career as a pop idol, during her career as an agent, and from society! She also seemed to develop a mental illness at SOME point and despite everything, she came across as sympathetic to me by the end. Her own understanding of herself was fully subsumed by her image of pop idol Mima. As for my second point... I like it for the implications of the final line, honestly. I feel like through the movie Mima was struggling with who she was and who she wanted to be, and neither Pure Pop Idol nor Provocative Sexy Adult Actress were roles she felt quite right in or ones she chose without pressure. It feels like the final "I'm real," to me at least, implies that she's figuring out who she is, what she wants, and how she wants to approach it a bit better now that she's not under anyone's thumb or listening more to outside opinions and pressure on who she is. It's just nice. I did love this video and the way you broke down the themes. I do hope you're doing okay!
This reminds me of Mars Argo so much, and of myself. I think the whole world has become more isolated. Great video Max. You strike me as someone who is always willing to try and grow, to change your opinion if you get convinced, and I think that's more than most people on earth are willing to do. Major respect for that.
Agreed “You are making me uneasy. You make want to scream. I wish I was a dumb popstar so the words wouldn’t matter to you.. I guess I fear the fear of consequence. You say you need me, but you’ll be sorry.” (Back to You) Hopefully, Mars Argo is better off without Titanic Sinclair As for Poppy, I don’t know.
I have a rule in my life that is to read people's actions before judging them. In the past I used to believe what they say they were, I gave them that chance, but "words are wind". Now I pay attention to their actions, even a lier can't help but reveal themselves in their attitudes. That's how I try to fill the gaps.
Sometimes even actions aren't enough to make judgement on someone. We don't really know what someone goes through and how they arrive at point where they do something we deem "disappointing". What I learned is people really value personas and images, but we need to limit those because we will end up damaging both ourselves and the other person
The thing I loved most about the movie was the sttle things. Like how they used red to show mimas slow insanity and mental break. I only noticed this when I read a comment on another video but as the movie progresses red becomes A LOT more noticable and towards the end theres almost none to be seen.
This was a fantastic interpretation Max. One thing I feel isn't acknowledge enough is the images we project on ourselves as people. Not only our real selves but what we wish we were or aspire to be and how detrimental that can be when we don't reconcile or regnize the dissonance between the two.
I’m obsessed with this channel rn. All the topics are relevant to my interest and this one is no different. This is one of my fav movies if not my fav and I say movies in whole, not just anime movies. The music, the vibe, the way you can rewatch it countless times and notice new things, it’s true art house cinema. It haunts me in a way that keeps me thinking.
Actually having seen Perfect Blue and going through the pain and strangeness in that moment actually inured me against the future, and helped me to recognize when I was dealing with a personal projection rather than the person themselves.
This movie recks people because of the psychological torment in it. It really barely touches on a "Horror" aspect, but it wants to mind melt you into wondering what is and isn't real. The way it's presented from the main character view, makes you wonder how sane she is... when she seems to be the only normal person we have to watch over the entire film. The tiny narrative you get off the Salker/Agent whiplashes you into the perspective of others looking in, and torn by the choices the Main Character makes to become greater then they already are. Wanting nothing more then what they knew, and not about what they will become. As well as the length they will go to try and keep that golden image. This movie did me in when I was a teenager. I seen it around 2000/2001, and it instilled an overlooming fear that still slightly haunts me to this day. And I've tried to explain it to others. But its really hard to put across when it's easy to explain, and even greater as an experience. Good job with this though! I understand how it's hard to really put out there with how this movie is, but you did an amazing job. This is why I subscribed months ago! Lol
I watched Perfect Blue for the first time recently only after mildly hearing about it for a couple of years now. I only started noticed it when for some reason I had a dream about a unique anime movie director who created some of the weirdest yet imaginative movies, yet sadly only created four before passing away. Then I woke up and realized I had a dream about Satoshi Kon. I watched Perfect Blue because it looked so disturbing yet interesting and I was not disappointed. I have never seen any movie in my life use visuals and cinematography so well like this. As well as having a film make you think and reflect so hard and so long after viewing it. Satoshi Kon was truly a gifted film maker and it's so sad we lost him so soon. At least he left his short yet incredible filmography behind to remember him.
What I love the most about your videos Max is the amount of content you cover that I can honestly relate to and get an emotional impact out of. Your videos also undoubtedly fueled my creative process with the analysis of different medias through your connections to historical and mythological sources, and even something like this was enough to power up that grey matter in my brain. While I cannot relate to everything you have said in that video about yourself, since I'm just a simple viewer, it still made me all the wiser on the judgment of people and how everyone's got their own individual things that make them tear up. Many medias broke me too, like SOMA, or Jacob's Ladder. I want you to know that I sincerely hope you're doing alright at this moment, and that no matter how much you change in the near future, even if you stop at any point your content in general, your libraries of knowledge will remain here to inspire others in the future. You've pointed out something very important, that something very important being the acknowledgement of even UA-camrs like you as human beings. If you will continue making the art that you give us, then praise be, but what should be considered when changing or abandoning your profession is that you've already left a mark on this platform and a mark for the future generations to come, and that, to me, is more important than any projections of you that exist in all of us.
I love this film, watched it multiple times coming away with something new each time, and it holds some of the same themes as Pink Floyd's The Wall! This is definitely one of my favourite films and I don't think I've ever seen anything that is quite as beautifully disturbing as Perfect Blue.
On 12:03, I feel the same way as you Max. I try to see the truth behind people's opinions on me, because I've discovered that there is undoubtedly a piece of reality that I expose to them unconsciously and that they pick up on. It wasn't until a piece of a saying that was first introduced to me via Netflix's Dark, called the serenity prayer, that made me truly have a different outlook when it comes to opinions and meeting expectations: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference." Dark is a great series, big recommendation.
I just watched the movie before going to bed... worst decision ever. i thought I was going to watch a depressing anime, but didnt think it was going to hit me this hard. Its been a long time since I felt scared and unconfortable watching something.
After watching this movie, it resonated with things like BoJack Horseman Season 5, and the fear of reality cracking around you is something that’s rarely touched on
The dark side of para-social relationships/interactions and the destruction of one's identity as a consequence of it. It is already pretty bad when people gaslight someone and spread lies about them, but I can barely imagine what it must be to be destroyed to such an extend (because people force their public persona on them) it must be mind crushing.
I never like movies showing a person becoming crazy, hallucinating things, and stuff like that... I often don't like movies that require multiple viewings. I will rewatch a movie because I like it, not because I have to.
This is an amazing interpersonal parallel which you described about I a movie that I’ve heard amazing things about, even though I have yet to see it for myself. I’m sure (most) everyone has to confront at some point the fear of bridging the gap between the way others see us and the way we see ourselves (and how the same can even apply to us, much as we may be afraid of that being the case).
4:02 this phrase almost made me cry. Not because of the phrase in itself (obviously), but because it made me understand the core emotional drive of the movie (which I watched yesterday), and it hit me like a truck ( pun not intended?). I watched it and had a detached interpretation, about public personalities, the internet and parasocial relationships. This interpretation left me scratching my head at the ending. Now, what you said brings the movie to a more personal level, and explains why the only person relatively close to Mina is the big villain at the end. It really is a movie about identity and perception. About the dialectical way we build our identity while others project their perception into us. And finally, more than just that, how damaging and delicate this dialectical relation can be. This movie is perfect
It's always interesting hearing emotional people talk about things. My thought process was quite similar to Max's, except I didn't feel anything. I thought about a lot of the ideas and concepts and they had no impact on me. Perhaps it could be that I am just some nobody and I am not invested in being someone known by others, and as a result, I simply can ignore criticism. Or Max could just be too agreeable in terms of personality.
It is painfully beautiful when a virtuous peace of media leaves so affected at your inner self. It is like if you were to swim and then a series waves streams pushed you in a place where you are at your expense, with yourself and the weight of what you feel. This happened to me when I saw Neon Genesis Evangelion series and movies, both times that I saw them. This is one of the big reasons that I still watch/play and firmly want to watch/play anime, videogames, other animations and many other non traditional types of content even though that I am a 27 year old grown man. Peace and growth to all of you guys 🙏
When I saw Perfect Blue years. This is the only movie that got me into so much thinking that how much it effects people in their daily lives,especially when it comes to pop idols. It does shows how much stress and mental breakdowns they have to go through. It’s sad that how broken our world is,because of people like them who can’t except the choices their idols make to pursue their future careers. Which involves hate and malice towards them. That creepy stalker guy is a good example of toxicity that guy has towards Mima’s future career. Which led them towards homicidal murder. This truly is one of a kind horror movie that everybody in the world needs to see.
I also boast about never have been scared by horror media since when I was 9 years old and watched Halloween by myself. Perfect Blue changed that. It's the only piece of media that has affected me (made me feel fear) this way. I love horror media, but more for the depth of the characters in psychological horror, or for laughs and kicks, in slasher and b-movies, than for the scares, which I never get (save some jumpscares). Perfect Blue made me feel fear because it made me feel, by proxy, and only as far as me, a man, can, what women that are victims of sexual and psychological abuse feel. And it's the worst sensation! Not even Silent Hill 3 made me feel that way, maybe because Heather's personality is more rebel and belligerent than Mima's. This must be your best video so far. I truly prefer when you talk about psychological interpretations, than metaphysical or Jungian (which are also metaphysical).
@@RYMAN1321 I didn't get the sexual undertones, maybe it was a censored version I watched, which was common practice on public TV in Mexico. It scared me a lot, yes, but when nothing happened to me, I understood, for a child, that movies are not dangerous, that monsters are not real. I think horror movies I watched as a child, Halloween in particular, worked as shock therapy, exposure to a stimulous until it stopped causing displeasure.
Perfect blue is a top 5 for me, moreso when I reflect upon people I've known that no one else knew - not even the flesh that claimed thier name. When I've had the opportunity to show them who they could be (from what shows itself to me) it has been positive in some instances - but I've only done that when I can see this other self could grant them strength countering damaging weakness - the last episodes of evangelion kept with me that who I am is not the person anyone knows. Seeing the many tales of serial murderers shows how different the internal person can be to those how "know them" .....but that could also be the sleeping pills kicking in.
crazy dude u are so effin honest and smart - love how u start by almost downplaying and saying this gonna be a bad episode.(which never is)... thens just drops fire, I love how you always manage to link real introvert feelings we as humans have and human psychology to things like video games and even anime but in a different level of understanding - its like ur own deep dive without calling that. ty for your hard work!
Blue perfection changes your thinking about it and your opinion about it over the years. I watched it for the first time and it was excellent, but I did not think about it much. I prepared it a little while ago. It was a terrifying thing for these immortal thoughts in the selves and thoughts of people every time you think about the film in a different way and it explains about how difficult life is and how with progress With age, things start to take a completely different turn, I hope you are fine, Max
Good introspection, it felt like you where going throughly understanding a complex its implications and to let go. Its always a painful process since it causes distress depending on how attached one is to the complex.
What comes to mind as I watched this film was the Selena Quintanilla Pérez case. Many women project their self-loathing onto other beings who interact with them. As a result, they will subconsciously affect others and the atmosphere). Even praising one's talents in public, while secretly wishing for their destruction, because they (have no authentic individuality) and wish they were YOU. Loss of IDENTITY is indeed the result( as shown at the end of the movie) of such psychological self-projection. It's like a form of black magic. Abnormal psychology is as omnipresent as HATE. Hope I make sense...
Thank you for the nod in your video. I am glad you enjoyed my video. ^_^ Trust me, when I first watched Perfect Blue, I went down the rabbit hole too - of how we view ourselves, how others view us, and personal traumas. I enjoyed listening to your video.
So I believe that rumi was the true stalker she sent the hateful fax she killed everybody by stabbing their eyes out. Rumi used to be a pop idol and was living through mima and when she started her acting career she was no longer the real mima and rumi took over created mimas room, who else but her would know what she was doing. she even says in the car ill take you to mimas room and when mima woke up she wasn't home she was at rumis house! Rumi was the mastermind. The weird guy never even admits to killing them mima was just jumping to conclusions.
I watched the movie last night prior to watching this video and I must say the different analysis point people have here is fascinating, a true testament to Satoshi Kon's craft. To me the most frightening element of the movie was feeling like you (Mima) are always watched, spied on. Having a fear of being starred at and spied on really made this show terrifying for me at times. It is like one never really knows what is true at time. There's is one thing I know for real though: Max Derrat is yellow! :D
Many thanks for referencing this movie in your paranoia agent video, if it were not for you I would of never watched this movie, I've even seen it in passing when looking for other animes and completely (and I now know stupidly) overlooked it. I actually really appreciate it because I love the movie itself, and "angel of love" is now my new favorite theme next to "unravel"
One of my top 10 movies ever and I would put this up there with Halloween 1978 as the best horror film ever made. This film preys upon the viewer and their perception of reality and makes you insure of what you are seeing or who to believe. It predicted through a distinct Japanese but relatable lens the parasocial relationships that exist today between certain fanbases and the celebrities they worship. One where the boundaries are crossed frequently to disturbing levels where they want to live through you (2 years after Yolanda Salvador murdered Selena) and how once you are no longer perfect in their eyes, they will tear you down (the Japanese idol culture and the same year as Princess Diana’s death where the British public mourned her even after eating up the tabloids that savaged her reputation).
Just walked out of a PACKED theatre showing of PERFECT BLUE as part of AX Cinema Night. It's is one of the most well produced animated film I've ever seen.
I watched Perfect Blue like years agooo and I still remember the anxiety, depressing, terrifying feeling I felt when I watched that movie. This seem might an exaggeration but it has that "feel". I remember feeling so dark after a week of watching it, I tried my best to stay away from anything that will remind me of that movie on the internet lol. Years passed seeing this analysis, I still remember that feeling and I know I won't have the courage "again" to rewatch it. But I appreciate the message its trying to portray, no matter how hard it is to watch.
When we are thought to he left broken, it's a part of us that dies. The part that has crippled us or held us back from understanding ourselves to move forward. That's what self destruction ultimately is. Our darkness coming to the surface for us to recognize and kill for it/we are ready to live without it. My opinion by my perception of my experiences. Love your pain for it helps you learn what's wrong. Starve your fears by facing them for they are cannibalistic feeding on itself. MAX, what we do here on UA-cam is put out pieces of ourselves for ourselves and others to measure our own perception of this existence. Never fear hurting someone here for we choose to click play. And by now you know your great understanding of the human helps more than, if ever, hurts. Again, my perception of my experiences with you and this channel. My best to you and yours.
I think the core theme of the movie is the multiple identities that a person and the conflict that Can happen among them and the consequences it may have on the person
Hi Max, as someone who thoroughly enjoys and watches your perspective on media, i will, again, recommend Texhnolyze, if you research too much about it, most of opinions are that its nihilistic and existential dread, seems like most of the people just forget about the ending of the anime, i would like to see your video on it, but i'd be perfectly happy just knowing that someday, you will, eventually, watch it, and maybe give us short update or story. For now i will enjoy this one, also one of the best pieces of anime :) Best regards mate!
@@maxderrat Oh man, we are in for the treat then, just take care of your health, and your time, it will be a hard watch, probably more then one, but i'm so happy you'll finally go through that, let's call it, experience. All the best!
@@maxderrat you will not regret texhnolyze...also,if you have time,shigurui please... it's made by the same director and it's....damn!.. really dont know how to do these two justice!...i saw these two by chance and after i was in a continous hunt for anime similar to these..found some but not at this quality.....lucky my journey brought me to perfect blue!..one of my all-time favorite movie
Damn, this movie sounds like a real psychological thriller. Like the very definition of it! I should maybe watch it, although I already have so much to catch on, in terms of movies! 😜
I developed Limerence for my MBTI shadow and I had that sort of gaze/projection you're talking about. It threw me into primal panic, it was an extremely disturbing experience that I wouldn't wish on my worse enemy.
Damn...I should watch the movie later. Projection is something I deal with and listening to this was like making a statement on myself and how people project certain things. I do have thoughts like this in the past and it does scare me too. Nice video.
Just realized you said "unlike David Lynch's work," I have to suggest the hours-long explanation of Twin Peaks by Twin Perfect that people downtalk because of the nature of the presentation. But the validity of the interpretation about the meta of interpretation is impeccable. Worth sticking through to the end, if you've seen the movie and entire show.
For me this "looking in to abyss" happened with story of one game, RETURNAL. I always thought I haven't fear, but returnal showed me that I have one, a deep one. I look at my self in 10 years ago, to find out that I became a better person, but I'm afraid someday he looks back at me and says "I was better, wasn't I?" One of me is in past, in apollo era astronauts suit. one of me is here, in modern suit. My mission is to discover home, his mission is returns to home. A HELL WHICH CONSTANTLY RETURNS. That was my abyss, and returnal broke me with it. Now I know why I has depression from age 12 to now, why I never think about specific 5 years of my childhood (because it was best years of my life), and why I became a author.
When people see you as selfish and tell it to you in such a convicted tone where it makes you feel almost like you are being selfish... Yeah I can empaphise with the dissociation that comes out of being mislabeled as something you aren't, or can rationalize as yourself being because not being that thing still can be perceived as that thing by our minds.
Perfect Blue sounds like it has a lot of similarities to Lynch's last feature film (I think) Inland Empire. I wouldn't say his work isn't meta, considering Twin Peaks The Return arguably reaches the point of being meta.
Am I wrong for picturing this as an example of Jung's idea of persona possession? That, and the idea of her agent trying to constrain the main character to her own idea of who she is supposed to be in her mind. This feels like the archetype of the overprotective mother trying to keep the metaphorical bird within her cage of purity and innocence. I admit that I have never watched this anime so I understand if I am missing the mark, but if anyone else felt this too let me know.
Another banger of a video. I am in constant fear of doing this to someone else actually. I've done it to a friend who made me aware I was doing it back in my early 20s and since then I'm very conscious to it. He felt like I was projecting a false image of him to other people and though I never said anything negative he still felt as if it wasn't really my place to do so.. And it wasn't. We're no longer friends due to a different reason but I'll never forget him and how much he helped me evolve. I hope I don't ever make you feel this way either. But bro keep it up. I'm actively writing brainstorming right now but I'm still nowhere. You as well as a few other UA-camr's have inspired me to do so. If you ever have time, which I'm sure is difficult, it would be so cool to pitch my idea and either get feedback or just discuss. Wishful thinking but anyway keep up the good work. I love this channel
This video is great. It made me think of what you could do to not get into that extreme, and that is as simple as not getting too much of something. Although when what you are doing is most what you think is harder to know when you are doing too much and hurting your body and mind. Especially if you got persons close to you provoking even more hurt into your mind. If you do get out of the loop though, you learn being mindful of your environment (if its good for you or not) and learning when to not do too much of something, which is something great to try to master.
Great analysis, Max! I recommend you check out Paprika sometime, even just to watch with no plan for a video. With any Satoshi Kon film, you can't go wrong.
I feel like the movie is a perfect showcase of how damaging identity can be for a person which also showcases how truly worthless our identities are because of it. It's beautifully ironic because it tries to keep you alive and by doing so causes almost all of our suffering and when you let go of it all that remains is the daily practicalities
perfect blue is a wretchedly beautiful simulation of what it is like to be young in an environment that controls everything, encouraging obedience to the point of damaging things like your identity, self esteem, and destiny. I'll never forget the part of the movie where Rumi says something along the lines of "but what about Mimas feelings!?", while she exhibits no consideration to understand Mima's feelings in the first place.
people tend to talk about self-esteem as if it has value in and of itself, but it's simply a reflection of one's state of being.
@@arsenii_yavorskyi interesting
Dude, your parents saying you need to go to school as a kid is not psychologically damaging lmao
@Isaiah Comfort I know exactly what you mean, but take comfort in the fact that you're not alone.
@@drabnail777 Why are you laughing?
They never said that!
it's incredible when a piece of media can invoke such an intense response in people. it's a sign of just a really good movie
Yeah but couldn't help but lol when max said she "wanted to break the bounds and be a daring actor" . That's a lot of words for doing porn
Indeed.
@@drabnail777 🙄
@@dlbyrd-gasca2730she broke the bounds and became a daring actor by suckie suckie and f uckie f uckie. much stronk.
@@drabnail777 😅
I feel like in an age where para-social relationships are seemingly worse than they've ever been this movie is more relevant than ever
True
I'm really scared to watch this film, as I have PTSD from when I've was psychologically abused by my peers in High School. They used my Autism as a scapegoat to gaslight me into thinking that my mental disorder was making me hallucinate their abuse. Whenever they would call me a "retard", beat me up, or steal my possessions, or even sexually assault me...they claimed it never happened, that my mind was making me see things that were never there, or that which was there, my mind was simply making it seem like something else. In a few instances, they even went so far as to use the staff's own mental illnesses to their advantage to set me up to get into trouble with them. And when the adults did nothing to help me, no matter how much I cried to them for help, I thought I was going completely insane.
Is it okay to feel scared of this movie? Sometimes I can't help but feel weak...
@@hawkeyenextgen7117I’d be careful with how much of yourself you share in the comments section, but, yes it’s okay to be scared of watching this movie.
I too have been diagnosed with PTSD and it is a very hard / dizzying watch as I felt myself empathising extremely hard with Mima (the main character). It especially messes with your perception of reality through how it is cut together - if that’s something that will bleed into your real life I would avoid watching it. It pulls you into that characters world and makes you question her reality as you do not know what did or did not happen.
I’m glad I watched this movie. It’s extremely good, but, it’s hard. If you’re not in a good place, don’t watch it until you feel confident in your own mental state and grip on reality.
@@hawkeyenextgen7117 "Is it okay to feel scared of this movie?" - you're never under any obligation to see any work of art, movie or otherwise. And sometimes they can still affect you even if you've never seen them, as in this case with how you're feeling about it. That in itself is something to reflect on, and potentially has value if it leads you to some realization. Yes you're okay not seeing it. Also it's not going anywhere. You can always see it another time if you change your mind.
Funny you should say that, because many people in the Eva fandom said I was obligated to watch End of Eva if I was to be ever cured of my depression following the suicide of my childhood friend.@@ArawnOfAnnwn
The biggest payoff in this movie, for me, was near the end, but slightly before the climax. Where Rumi and Mima are fighting and Mima shouted "I am who I am". That line right there was just the essence of her entire character arc. She defines who she is, not fans or stalkers or managers or her job. When she said it, I immediately burst into tears because it made me so emotional. I'm just sad that I've watched several videos and commentaries about the movie and no one really talks about that line or scene since it's right before the big payoff.
That + her choosing to save Rumi after everything she's done
Bjork’s stalker, and Japan’s Idol culture and stress and pressure that comes with it came to mind.
Especially with the former, as the dude became disillusioned and crazy before he terminated his own life and planned to take Bjork with him so that they could reunite in heaven until police intervened where they found him dead. Unsettling and disquieting to say the least
@S. G. Thanks for that interesting woo analysis of the Bjork stalker. Your last part gave me a nice laugh. It makes sense. I guess stalkers don't have an identity beyond their heavily misguided ideals and the role they play. The dude was bound for failure and prevented a correction of injustice by refusing to be arrested or sh0t by an officer
Knowing that your perception of others doesn't correspond to how they really are, and that they could make the same mistake with you, can be sad, confusing, unnerving. However, despite being painful, we all must accept this truth in order to have mature and complex relationships with other human beings.
That I agree
I've never understood other people
I barely understand myself
My own self feels like falling into an infinite black void void filled with mirrors reflecting distorted images of myself
that stalker is disturbingly reminiscent of how I felt when certain people disappointed me. even being fully aware of how trivial something is from an objective standpoint doesn't help. if you let something become a part of the structure that keeps you from falling apart, taking it out will cause serious damage. and pain, which you can't reason away. you can't escape it. all you can do is not let the rest of you follow that dying part into nothingness.
My life breaks me pretty often. That's why I consume darker media to remind me of how bad things can be and how they can be dealt with, changed, or accepted. Some ideas can bring me to tears every time when portrayed in the right way no matter how many times I see it. I try to find some sort of insight or wisdom through the works of others. Sometimes it helps me. At least for a moment
Any recommendation you have ? Be it anime movies anything goes for me
Your life doesn't break you.
You break your life.
Drop her yo te curve asap
To the curve
The problem is with darker medeir is that the characters are not very good knowing how bad things can be dealt with.
“Excuse me, who are you?
Excuse me, who are you?
Excuse me, who are you?”
Famous quote
@@rickmartinez3268that line gives me chills now...
It's crazy how relevant Perfect Blue is in this day and age of para social relationships people have with their favorite content creators.
This is why I despise untrue accusations. Throughout my childhood, I've had a few bullies, and they all attempted the same thing: to make me look bad, and warp how people perceive me. Of course, that was small-scale, but I always knew where that behavior could lead, and its not good. People like to say "the truth hurts", I assure you, many times the opposite is true, lies hurt.
same, it fucks with your perception & makes you rethink about your likes, dislikes & whether your life choices are right or wrong. You start to see things through there worldview which makes you feel dirty & worthless!
believe me, I know what that feels like.
Same here! What's also scary to me is when there is some kind of wrong that is committed (sometimes when it's a mild wrong) and people punish the person that committed that wrong disproportionately (which is unfortunately a common scary thing to happen, considering how cancel culture is often mishandled, and when things go into messed-up mob justice territory)... 0_0
Scapegoating is also a scary thing (as the infamous Witch Trials throughout Europe and New England has shown)...
They're just trying to force their own warped identities onto their victims to convince them that their own problems aren't theirs
"When the reflection distorts the face, why blame the mirror?"
I sincerely do hope you ARE okay. ❤ Although just a viewer/follower, most of us are keenly aware what a toll some projects may take on you. Just remember your health is the most important thing to worry about-- even if videos get placed on hold or take a while to create. Take care and thank you for this deeply personal video ~
Thanks brother. I am okay, don't worry. This video was just a tough one for me.
@@maxderrat maybe one day u can talk about vampire hunter d
Lol. He watched a show. I don’t know if his health can take it…jesus
@@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh yeah I get your point, I also have a certain cinycal anti wimp mentality at times but step out of your self centeredness at times and listen to what others might really be going through not just what we think about it. For example the point here is not that watching a show might break someone.. but that it might trigger them to see they we’re already broke and suddenly they start spiraling.. that’s when others need our support.. just like we might need theirs at a point
@@HuhWhatHuhwhatHuh But isn´t that what art does? Offering new perspectives and a chance to reflect on how you view yourself and the world around you? When you are confronted with something that resonates so deeply that it changes your way of thinking, then isn´t it understandable that it creates discomfort? Especially when it´s about such existential topics as identity and perception. Growth is often quiet painful so it´s no wonder that powerful art can elicit such intense feelings.
This video and Perfect Blue itself should be required viewing for any up-and-coming social media influencer/youtuber.
Void gazing is definitely a pass time that leaves you with... a lot of interesting self perceptions.
Good to hear you're doing well after gazing at yourself for a while. Lots of people avoid it due to how unsettling it can be.
Any idea as to how I could void gaze too?
As a child, I would secrete myself into the narrow alcove of my back yard between the shed and the fence and just stare intently at everything around me
The wooden fence posts, the shed or the sky
Sometimes, the patterns in a leaf
I silently whispered into the unseen infinite void of existence longing to hear a response to all my existential questions
Life felt like a cacophony of activity driving me mad
I felt like a disjointed, surreal being alone in the sea of humanity
Alas, the Abyss only echoed back the emptiness inside me
If only someone understood me rather than ignorantly judging me
I feel as though I should have been born as something other than human
@@SamuelBlack84 Not there yet, but you are on the path. Keep gazing, "Drink deep and descend".
Remember. Depression is momentary, Madness is temporary, Life is transitory. You should be able to get the last bit on your own.
I like how you always freely share aspects of your insecurities. It's a sign of strength, not belittling yourself, but recognizing your reflection. Metacognition is self-medicating and necessary for any kind internal improvement. Very thoughtful content.
I’m now realizing why I love this film so much, and why it terrified me my first couple watches: I was living that “reality” at the time, and I didn’t quite realize it. My family pushed their perceptions of me onto me to the point where I broke. And it’s hard to be in public spaces because people look at me and see someone I’m not.
Damn man. Your self honesty mirror us in such a profound way. I felt hurt by this video and can't even figure out why. More to integrate. This is good.
I completely agree with the difference between how a person sees themselves and how others see them, a good example is what happened to Hannah Montana from the Disney star to how she changed dramatically.
Satoshi Kon's work was so amazing... Anime honestly hasn't been the same since he died.
Yes it was a terrible loss.
I've only seen Perfect Blue once, a few years ago, but I still think about it a lot. I still can't even tell what really happened because of the baffling last shot in the car, as if it was all just an act again. As if the entire movie was just, well...a movie that mima was acting in. The soundtrack is appropriately haunting too.
Hey Max, I went through that same experience of what you described at 9:55 someone who I once considered my best friend did not see me in the same light. Over the course of ten years I started to catch on to him. And it broke my heart but not only that, I slipped into a downward spiral. For years he molded me into someone I'm not. I wasn't allowed to enjoy my things, and I would be mocked for it and constantly bullied by him and my other friends. Being on the ASD spectrum did not make it easy to understand what they were doing. It was when I started to find out he was telling other people who I never met these horrible lies and disturbing perceptions he had of me. One that sticks with me in particular was when there was a bonfire of which I did not attend. My true friend told me that he overheard him telling the whole group of people that "He's gonna be one of those shooters." Villafying me, warping their perception of who I am without ever knowing me. What's even worse is that he uses his good looks wealth and charm to get others on his side. He would do this to every new person, say these lies about me. Sometimes he would talk down to me for no reason randomly getting a text saying "You're not worth Jack shit." Or tell me how stupid I am. I almost started to believe that he knew me better than I know myself. I became suicidal and turned to alcohol, pain relievers and self harm and developing insomnia and eventually lost my grip with reality constantly having the unnerving feeling that I wasn't real. I finally gained my bearings after my family begged me to go get help admitted myself to a mental hospital.
One of the best decisions I have ever made, I probably wouldn't be here writing this message if I hadn't.
Recently I heard he's doing it again and quite possibly sabotaged a friendship and further connections I could have made.
I just want to move on with my life.
I hope you're doing fine
@@hyemster2274 I'm still having ups and downs but overall I'm doing well. Thank you, I appreciate it.
Thank you for aharing your story. Indeed for you to have written this message, you have managed to persevier through it. I hope you are doing well too
How you holding up?
Mental hospitals only made shit worse for me
This is still my favorite anime movie ever made. Satoshi Kon never missed, RIP
I think two of the most interesting aspects of the movie for me that you didn't cover (they might differ from your own interpretations/understanding or you might not have had the time to do so!) are that 1, Mima's stalker, Me-Mania, actually did very little of what one is led to think he did in the movie until the very end, and 2, the projections and incorrect views of Mima are coming not only from those refusing to allow her to leave her pop idol persona but also those trying to force her into/see her as the adult actress. Let me explain a little more clearly what I mean:
1. Me-Mania does not, I believe, send Mima the TRAITOR fax or the letter bomb, or run the Mima's Room website. It's easy to assume the first two are him and the movie implies that the later is him through some very clever framing; however, the fax and the letter bomb are too immediate and before she's done any of the things that really "betray" Me-Mania's image of her and before Rumi starts really interacting with and manipulating Me-Mania. By the end I think it's very heavily implied that Rumi was running the Mima's Room website from the start and was exchanging emails with Me-Mania encouraging him to believe that only she could be the real Mima. Part of what really fascinates me about this is that Rumi was committing the murders and doing most of the lashing out at and gaslighting of Mima, while simultaneously gaslighting and manipulating Me-Mania. This is not to say that Me-Mania was an innocent person -- he was still a stalker, and he would have been the one who hit the one thug at the concert with his car, and he did try to rape and murder Mima at the end. But he was also pushed and encouraged and his own view of reality was further frayed by Rumi, and so much of the scary things that happen in the movie that would be easy to assume Me-Mania did were actually done by Rumi right up until that attack on Mima.
2. Even more interesting to me from a psychological standpoint, Mima is struggling so much to understand who she is as a person while people on ALL sides are trying to manipulate her and tell her who and what she is. As you cover, Rumi and Me-Mania are unable to accept her changing from the pure and wholesome pop idol; it's implied that her other fans from CHAM's days and her family are also resisting letting that go. And I do 100% think that Mima wasn't lying when she told her mother that the pop idol image was smothering her. However, the argument between her agent and her manager about whether she should be a pop idol or an actress is going on entirely over her head, to either side of her, with neither really looking to her for what she wants; she's told that pop idols simply don't make money and that it'd be so much better for the agency for her to be an actress, she's told that it's better if she sheds pop idol and those restrictions to fully change her image; she's told it would be too much trouble to argue against a rape scene (and as she breaks down after she admits she didn't want to do it but she didn't want to disappoint the people she owed her career to). More than that, when she's talking to her pop idol image, I don't think it's just the image others have of her, but that part of her IS being honest about not being comfortable with these things. On the one hand, societal pressures are telling her she's sullied and filthy now, but "I refuse!" is what she wanted to say and "that was the pits!" reflects her own feelings. Other people wish she was still a pop idol but part of her does seem torn about having left it. More than that, two little details that lead me to this particular read are CHAM and the press. One of her friends in CHAM jokes about how she's probably happily stripping for the cameraman and showing it all off because she's good at it now and into it. The press rushes her after the photographer's murder to inundate her with questions and insinuations that she was in a love triangle with the (murdered) screenwriter and photographer, posing her as sexual/a seductress in these professional relationships.
I'm not 100% sure where I'm going with this. I don't mean to fully villainize Rumi in my first point; I think that's an easy response and just as much of a mistake as projecting onto Mima in the movie. Rumi was likely also under pressures during her own career as a pop idol, during her career as an agent, and from society! She also seemed to develop a mental illness at SOME point and despite everything, she came across as sympathetic to me by the end. Her own understanding of herself was fully subsumed by her image of pop idol Mima. As for my second point... I like it for the implications of the final line, honestly. I feel like through the movie Mima was struggling with who she was and who she wanted to be, and neither Pure Pop Idol nor Provocative Sexy Adult Actress were roles she felt quite right in or ones she chose without pressure. It feels like the final "I'm real," to me at least, implies that she's figuring out who she is, what she wants, and how she wants to approach it a bit better now that she's not under anyone's thumb or listening more to outside opinions and pressure on who she is. It's just nice.
I did love this video and the way you broke down the themes. I do hope you're doing okay!
woah that makes a lot of sense about some parts I was confused on.
This reminds me of Mars Argo so much, and of myself. I think the whole world has become more isolated.
Great video Max. You strike me as someone who is always willing to try and grow, to change your opinion if you get convinced, and I think that's more than most people on earth are willing to do. Major respect for that.
Agreed
“You are making me uneasy. You make want to scream. I wish I was a dumb popstar so the words wouldn’t matter to you..
I guess I fear the fear of consequence. You say you need me, but you’ll be sorry.” (Back to You)
Hopefully, Mars Argo is better off without Titanic Sinclair
As for Poppy, I don’t know.
great video. the need for identity and self actualization is difficult when everything and everyone around you seems to already know what you are.
I have a rule in my life that is to read people's actions before judging them. In the past I used to believe what they say they were, I gave them that chance, but "words are wind". Now I pay attention to their actions, even a lier can't help but reveal themselves in their attitudes. That's how I try to fill the gaps.
Sometimes even actions aren't enough to make judgement on someone. We don't really know what someone goes through and how they arrive at point where they do something we deem "disappointing". What I learned is people really value personas and images, but we need to limit those because we will end up damaging both ourselves and the other person
Just the kind of analysis I'd expect from a modern alchemist. These are some really eye-opening insights.
The thing I loved most about the movie was the sttle things. Like how they used red to show mimas slow insanity and mental break. I only noticed this when I read a comment on another video but as the movie progresses red becomes A LOT more noticable and towards the end theres almost none to be seen.
This was a fantastic interpretation Max. One thing I feel isn't acknowledge enough is the images we project on ourselves as people. Not only our real selves but what we wish we were or aspire to be and how detrimental that can be when we don't reconcile or regnize the dissonance between the two.
"Excuse me, who are you?"
I’m obsessed with this channel rn. All the topics are relevant to my interest and this one is no different.
This is one of my fav movies if not my fav and I say movies in whole, not just anime movies.
The music, the vibe, the way you can rewatch it countless times and notice new things, it’s true art house cinema.
It haunts me in a way that keeps me thinking.
Actually having seen Perfect Blue and going through the pain and strangeness in that moment actually inured me against the future, and helped me to recognize when I was dealing with a personal projection rather than the person themselves.
Fun fact this is the rarest anime ever released on umd for the psp
This movie recks people because of the psychological torment in it. It really barely touches on a "Horror" aspect, but it wants to mind melt you into wondering what is and isn't real. The way it's presented from the main character view, makes you wonder how sane she is... when she seems to be the only normal person we have to watch over the entire film.
The tiny narrative you get off the Salker/Agent whiplashes you into the perspective of others looking in, and torn by the choices the Main Character makes to become greater then they already are. Wanting nothing more then what they knew, and not about what they will become. As well as the length they will go to try and keep that golden image.
This movie did me in when I was a teenager. I seen it around 2000/2001, and it instilled an overlooming fear that still slightly haunts me to this day. And I've tried to explain it to others. But its really hard to put across when it's easy to explain, and even greater as an experience.
Good job with this though! I understand how it's hard to really put out there with how this movie is, but you did an amazing job. This is why I subscribed months ago! Lol
I watched Perfect Blue for the first time recently only after mildly hearing about it for a couple of years now. I only started noticed it when for some reason I had a dream about a unique anime movie director who created some of the weirdest yet imaginative movies, yet sadly only created four before passing away. Then I woke up and realized I had a dream about Satoshi Kon. I watched Perfect Blue because it looked so disturbing yet interesting and I was not disappointed. I have never seen any movie in my life use visuals and cinematography so well like this. As well as having a film make you think and reflect so hard and so long after viewing it. Satoshi Kon was truly a gifted film maker and it's so sad we lost him so soon. At least he left his short yet incredible filmography behind to remember him.
What I love the most about your videos Max is the amount of content you cover that I can honestly relate to and get an emotional impact out of. Your videos also undoubtedly fueled my creative process with the analysis of different medias through your connections to historical and mythological sources, and even something like this was enough to power up that grey matter in my brain. While I cannot relate to everything you have said in that video about yourself, since I'm just a simple viewer, it still made me all the wiser on the judgment of people and how everyone's got their own individual things that make them tear up. Many medias broke me too, like SOMA, or Jacob's Ladder. I want you to know that I sincerely hope you're doing alright at this moment, and that no matter how much you change in the near future, even if you stop at any point your content in general, your libraries of knowledge will remain here to inspire others in the future. You've pointed out something very important, that something very important being the acknowledgement of even UA-camrs like you as human beings.
If you will continue making the art that you give us, then praise be, but what should be considered when changing or abandoning your profession is that you've already left a mark on this platform and a mark for the future generations to come, and that, to me, is more important than any projections of you that exist in all of us.
This is such a profound and beautifully crafted film. Anime or not it is one my favorites!
I love this film, watched it multiple times coming away with something new each time, and it holds some of the same themes as Pink Floyd's The Wall! This is definitely one of my favourite films and I don't think I've ever seen anything that is quite as beautifully disturbing as Perfect Blue.
On 12:03, I feel the same way as you Max. I try to see the truth behind people's opinions on me, because I've discovered that there is undoubtedly a piece of reality that I expose to them unconsciously and that they pick up on. It wasn't until a piece of a saying that was first introduced to me via Netflix's Dark, called the serenity prayer, that made me truly have a different outlook when it comes to opinions and meeting expectations: "God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, The courage to change the things I can, And the wisdom to know the difference."
Dark is a great series, big recommendation.
Perfect Blue is one of my most favorite anime movies of all time. Right up there with the Ghost in the Shell movies.
I just watched the movie before going to bed... worst decision ever. i thought I was going to watch a depressing anime, but didnt think it was going to hit me this hard. Its been a long time since I felt scared and unconfortable watching something.
Same bro same
Love how the word META, became a word...... Most Efficient Tactics Available, now it just means surreal lol
It's stunning how prescient this movie is. It has aged like the finest wine in the digital era.
I recently just saw this movie, and yeah, it's one hell of a ride and really intense and emotional. Perfect Blue is a masterpiece.
The stalker looks like a Japanese version of Jason Vorhees from part 2 , unsettling and somewhat fish like.
My girlfriend and I sat down last night and watched this masterpiece. Damn, I haven't felt like this after a movie in years.
That "I'm okay by the way" at the end was gold comic relief (:
After watching this movie, it resonated with things like BoJack Horseman Season 5, and the fear of reality cracking around you is something that’s rarely touched on
Man, I saw your thumbnail and went to read the premise of the movie. I am sure it will break me too.
I have the feeling this movie is about someone that is haunted by her own dopplegänger.
Powerful work Max! Perfect Blue is a piece of work that stays with you for ever, i haven't watched it in 18-20 years, and i still think about it.
The dark side of para-social relationships/interactions and the destruction of one's identity as a consequence of it. It is already pretty bad when people gaslight someone and spread lies about them, but I can barely imagine what it must be to be destroyed to such an extend (because people force their public persona on them) it must be mind crushing.
I never like movies showing a person becoming crazy, hallucinating things, and stuff like that...
I often don't like movies that require multiple viewings.
I will rewatch a movie because I like it, not because I have to.
I wanna rewatch it but I am scared 🙂
This is an amazing interpersonal parallel which you described about I a movie that I’ve heard amazing things about, even though I have yet to see it for myself. I’m sure (most) everyone has to confront at some point the fear of bridging the gap between the way others see us and the way we see ourselves (and how the same can even apply to us, much as we may be afraid of that being the case).
Yeah we all do. Often it comes when we least suspect it, like Perfect Blue did for me. :/
4:02 this phrase almost made me cry. Not because of the phrase in itself (obviously), but because it made me understand the core emotional drive of the movie (which I watched yesterday), and it hit me like a truck ( pun not intended?). I watched it and had a detached interpretation, about public personalities, the internet and parasocial relationships. This interpretation left me scratching my head at the ending.
Now, what you said brings the movie to a more personal level, and explains why the only person relatively close to Mina is the big villain at the end. It really is a movie about identity and perception. About the dialectical way we build our identity while others project their perception into us. And finally, more than just that, how damaging and delicate this dialectical relation can be. This movie is perfect
It's always interesting hearing emotional people talk about things. My thought process was quite similar to Max's, except I didn't feel anything. I thought about a lot of the ideas and concepts and they had no impact on me. Perhaps it could be that I am just some nobody and I am not invested in being someone known by others, and as a result, I simply can ignore criticism. Or Max could just be too agreeable in terms of personality.
Why did the creators make the 2 villains look like they both had an extra 21st?
It is painfully beautiful when a virtuous peace of media leaves so affected at your inner self. It is like if you were to swim and then a series waves streams pushed you in a place where you are at your expense, with yourself and the weight of what you feel. This happened to me when I saw Neon Genesis Evangelion series and movies, both times that I saw them. This is one of the big reasons that I still watch/play and firmly want to watch/play anime, videogames, other animations and many other non traditional types of content even though that I am a 27 year old grown man.
Peace and growth to all of you guys 🙏
When I saw Perfect Blue years. This is the only movie that got me into so much thinking that how much it effects people in their daily lives,especially when it comes to pop idols. It does shows how much stress and mental breakdowns they have to go through. It’s sad that how broken our world is,because of people like them who can’t except the choices their idols make to pursue their future careers. Which involves hate and malice towards them.
That creepy stalker guy is a good example of toxicity that guy has towards Mima’s future career. Which led them towards homicidal murder. This truly is one of a kind horror movie that everybody in the world needs to see.
I also boast about never have been scared by horror media since when I was 9 years old and watched Halloween by myself. Perfect Blue changed that. It's the only piece of media that has affected me (made me feel fear) this way. I love horror media, but more for the depth of the characters in psychological horror, or for laughs and kicks, in slasher and b-movies, than for the scares, which I never get (save some jumpscares). Perfect Blue made me feel fear because it made me feel, by proxy, and only as far as me, a man, can, what women that are victims of sexual and psychological abuse feel. And it's the worst sensation! Not even Silent Hill 3 made me feel that way, maybe because Heather's personality is more rebel and belligerent than Mima's.
This must be your best video so far. I truly prefer when you talk about psychological interpretations, than metaphysical or Jungian (which are also metaphysical).
Oh man, you saw this film at that age ?
@@RYMAN1321 Oh, no! I watched Halloween at 9, I watched Perfect Blue at 22, if I remember correctly.
@@vagabundorkchaosmagick-use2898 But for Halloween, it didn’t scar or give you nightmares?
The sexual content and violence didn’t scar you ?
@@RYMAN1321 I didn't get the sexual undertones, maybe it was a censored version I watched, which was common practice on public TV in Mexico. It scared me a lot, yes, but when nothing happened to me, I understood, for a child, that movies are not dangerous, that monsters are not real. I think horror movies I watched as a child, Halloween in particular, worked as shock therapy, exposure to a stimulous until it stopped causing displeasure.
Perfect blue is a top 5 for me, moreso when I reflect upon people I've known that no one else knew - not even the flesh that claimed thier name. When I've had the opportunity to show them who they could be (from what shows itself to me) it has been positive in some instances - but I've only done that when I can see this other self could grant them strength countering damaging weakness - the last episodes of evangelion kept with me that who I am is not the person anyone knows. Seeing the many tales of serial murderers shows how different the internal person can be to those how "know them" .....but that could also be the sleeping pills kicking in.
1990’s anime for what’s it’s worth, was golden era to me
crazy dude u are so effin honest and smart - love how u start by almost downplaying and saying this gonna be a bad episode.(which never is)...
thens just drops fire, I love how you always manage to link real introvert feelings we as humans have and human psychology to things like video games and even anime but in a different level of understanding - its like ur own deep dive without calling that. ty for your hard work!
I will definitely be checking this anime out
Blue perfection changes your thinking about it and your opinion about it over the years. I watched it for the first time and it was excellent, but I did not think about it much. I prepared it a little while ago. It was a terrifying thing for these immortal thoughts in the selves and thoughts of people every time you think about the film in a different way and it explains about how difficult life is and how with progress With age, things start to take a completely different turn, I hope you are fine, Max
Thank you for existing!
I thank you for the same thing!
Good introspection, it felt like you where going throughly understanding a complex its implications and to let go. Its always a painful process since it causes distress depending on how attached one is to the complex.
What comes to mind as I watched this film was the Selena Quintanilla Pérez case. Many women project their self-loathing onto other beings who interact with them. As a result, they will subconsciously affect others and the atmosphere). Even praising one's talents in public, while secretly wishing for their destruction, because they (have no authentic individuality) and wish they were YOU. Loss of IDENTITY is indeed the result( as shown at the end of the movie) of such psychological self-projection. It's like a form of black magic. Abnormal psychology is as omnipresent as HATE.
Hope I make sense...
Thank you for the nod in your video. I am glad you enjoyed my video. ^_^ Trust me, when I first watched Perfect Blue, I went down the rabbit hole too - of how we view ourselves, how others view us, and personal traumas. I enjoyed listening to your video.
So I believe that rumi was the true stalker she sent the hateful fax she killed everybody by stabbing their eyes out. Rumi used to be a pop idol and was living through mima and when she started her acting career she was no longer the real mima and rumi took over created mimas room, who else but her would know what she was doing. she even says in the car ill take you to mimas room and when mima woke up she wasn't home she was at rumis house! Rumi was the mastermind. The weird guy never even admits to killing them mima was just jumping to conclusions.
YES! I watched it,but I never thought that you could cover it.
I watched the movie last night prior to watching this video and I must say the different analysis point people have here is fascinating, a true testament to Satoshi Kon's craft.
To me the most frightening element of the movie was feeling like you (Mima) are always watched, spied on. Having a fear of being starred at and spied on really made this show terrifying for me at times. It is like one never really knows what is true at time.
There's is one thing I know for real though: Max Derrat is yellow! :D
Many thanks for referencing this movie in your paranoia agent video, if it were not for you I would of never watched this movie, I've even seen it in passing when looking for other animes and completely (and I now know stupidly) overlooked it. I actually really appreciate it because I love the movie itself, and "angel of love" is now my new favorite theme next to "unravel"
I liked this movie a lot. Like experiencing a psychotic break. Reminded me of memento also
Sounds like Miley Cyrus later in her career.
I didn't know what I was getting myself into. Definitely surprised me.
One of my top 10 movies ever and I would put this up there with Halloween 1978 as the best horror film ever made. This film preys upon the viewer and their perception of reality and makes you insure of what you are seeing or who to believe. It predicted through a distinct Japanese but relatable lens the parasocial relationships that exist today between certain fanbases and the celebrities they worship. One where the boundaries are crossed frequently to disturbing levels where they want to live through you (2 years after Yolanda Salvador murdered Selena) and how once you are no longer perfect in their eyes, they will tear you down (the Japanese idol culture and the same year as Princess Diana’s death where the British public mourned her even after eating up the tabloids that savaged her reputation).
I know it broke me. It made me question just how true some of my memories are.
Just walked out of a PACKED theatre showing of PERFECT BLUE as part of AX Cinema Night. It's is one of the most well produced animated film I've ever seen.
I watched Perfect Blue like years agooo and I still remember the anxiety, depressing, terrifying feeling I felt when I watched that movie. This seem might an exaggeration but it has that "feel". I remember feeling so dark after a week of watching it, I tried my best to stay away from anything that will remind me of that movie on the internet lol. Years passed seeing this analysis, I still remember that feeling and I know I won't have the courage "again" to rewatch it. But I appreciate the message its trying to portray, no matter how hard it is to watch.
When we are thought to he left broken, it's a part of us that dies. The part that has crippled us or held us back from understanding ourselves to move forward. That's what self destruction ultimately is. Our darkness coming to the surface for us to recognize and kill for it/we are ready to live without it. My opinion by my perception of my experiences. Love your pain for it helps you learn what's wrong. Starve your fears by facing them for they are cannibalistic feeding on itself. MAX, what we do here on UA-cam is put out pieces of ourselves for ourselves and others to measure our own perception of this existence. Never fear hurting someone here for we choose to click play. And by now you know your great understanding of the human helps more than, if ever, hurts. Again, my perception of my experiences with you and this channel.
My best to you and yours.
I think the core theme of the movie is the multiple identities that a person and the conflict that Can happen among them and the consequences it may have on the person
Hi Max, as someone who thoroughly enjoys and watches your perspective on media, i will, again, recommend Texhnolyze, if you research too much about it, most of opinions are that its nihilistic and existential dread, seems like most of the people just forget about the ending of the anime, i would like to see your video on it, but i'd be perfectly happy just knowing that someday, you will, eventually, watch it, and maybe give us short update or story. For now i will enjoy this one, also one of the best pieces of anime :) Best regards mate!
Technolyze is definitely on my radar. Do not fret. :)
@@maxderrat Oh man, we are in for the treat then, just take care of your health, and your time, it will be a hard watch, probably more then one, but i'm so happy you'll finally go through that, let's call it, experience. All the best!
@@maxderrat you will not regret texhnolyze...also,if you have time,shigurui please... it's made by the same director and it's....damn!.. really dont know how to do these two justice!...i saw these two by chance and after i was in a continous hunt for anime similar to these..found some but not at this quality.....lucky my journey brought me to perfect blue!..one of my all-time favorite movie
Damn, this movie sounds like a real psychological thriller. Like the very definition of it! I should maybe watch it, although I already have so much to catch on, in terms of movies! 😜
the guy sold the story to the guy who made the black swan
I watched it on UA-cam for free and it is well worth it even if you know what happens!
I developed Limerence for my MBTI shadow and I had that sort of gaze/projection you're talking about. It threw me into primal panic, it was an extremely disturbing experience that I wouldn't wish on my worse enemy.
Dude you are like the master of introspection. Great video as always
Damn...I should watch the movie later. Projection is something I deal with and listening to this was like making a statement on myself and how people project certain things. I do have thoughts like this in the past and it does scare me too. Nice video.
Just realized you said "unlike David Lynch's work," I have to suggest the hours-long explanation of Twin Peaks by Twin Perfect that people downtalk because of the nature of the presentation. But the validity of the interpretation about the meta of interpretation is impeccable. Worth sticking through to the end, if you've seen the movie and entire show.
For me this "looking in to abyss" happened with story of one game, RETURNAL.
I always thought I haven't fear, but returnal showed me that I have one, a deep one.
I look at my self in 10 years ago, to find out that I became a better person, but I'm afraid someday he looks back at me and says "I was better, wasn't I?"
One of me is in past, in apollo era astronauts suit. one of me is here, in modern suit.
My mission is to discover home, his mission is returns to home.
A HELL WHICH CONSTANTLY RETURNS.
That was my abyss, and returnal broke me with it.
Now I know why I has depression from age 12 to now, why I never think about specific 5 years of my childhood (because it was best years of my life), and why I became a author.
When people see you as selfish and tell it to you in such a convicted tone where it makes you feel almost like you are being selfish... Yeah I can empaphise with the dissociation that comes out of being mislabeled as something you aren't, or can rationalize as yourself being because not being that thing still can be perceived as that thing by our minds.
Perfect Blue sounds like it has a lot of similarities to Lynch's last feature film (I think) Inland Empire. I wouldn't say his work isn't meta, considering Twin Peaks The Return arguably reaches the point of being meta.
Also, another Perfect Blue-like movie (though I think the similarities were somewhat intended) is Black Swan by Darren Aronfonsky.
This movie really fucked me up for a fee months i kept watching it over and over trying to grasp the concept of it only to have it haunt me in the end
Am I wrong for picturing this as an example of Jung's idea of persona possession? That, and the idea of her agent trying to constrain the main character to her own idea of who she is supposed to be in her mind. This feels like the archetype of the overprotective mother trying to keep the metaphorical bird within her cage of purity and innocence. I admit that I have never watched this anime so I understand if I am missing the mark, but if anyone else felt this too let me know.
that's actually pretty spot on. Watching the movie that never becomes apparent until the last 10-15 minutes or so though. It's a fun ass ride man
This movie is how I got my best friend into anime. Absolute classic.
ironically i just watched this movie happy to find this in my feed, love your content as a longtime fan
Another banger of a video. I am in constant fear of doing this to someone else actually. I've done it to a friend who made me aware I was doing it back in my early 20s and since then I'm very conscious to it. He felt like I was projecting a false image of him to other people and though I never said anything negative he still felt as if it wasn't really my place to do so.. And it wasn't. We're no longer friends due to a different reason but I'll never forget him and how much he helped me evolve. I hope I don't ever make you feel this way either. But bro keep it up. I'm actively writing brainstorming right now but I'm still nowhere. You as well as a few other UA-camr's have inspired me to do so. If you ever have time, which I'm sure is difficult, it would be so cool to pitch my idea and either get feedback or just discuss. Wishful thinking but anyway keep up the good work. I love this channel
This video is great. It made me think of what you could do to not get into that extreme, and that is as simple as not getting too much of something. Although when what you are doing is most what you think is harder to know when you are doing too much and hurting your body and mind. Especially if you got persons close to you provoking even more hurt into your mind.
If you do get out of the loop though, you learn being mindful of your environment (if its good for you or not) and learning when to not do too much of something, which is something great to try to master.
I saw that complete red line on Super Eyepatch Wolf's vid. My man has good taste in youtubers :)
His video on Garfield is my all-time favorite UA-cam video. No joke.
Great analysis, Max! I recommend you check out Paprika sometime, even just to watch with no plan for a video. With any Satoshi Kon film, you can't go wrong.
I feel like the movie is a perfect showcase of how damaging identity can be for a person which also showcases how truly worthless our identities are because of it. It's beautifully ironic because it tries to keep you alive and by doing so causes almost all of our suffering and when you let go of it all that remains is the daily practicalities