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Perfect Blue

List Price: Unknown [Buy now and save at Amazon]

Review by Adam Tyner | posted July 15, 2000 | E-mail the Author
I am admittedly not a fan of anime, but I do enjoy the work of Dario Argento, and having heard that "Perfect Blue" was as close to an animated Argento film as could possibly be imagined, I was excited about watching this disc. In "Perfect Blue", singer Mima Kirigoe has left the pop trio Cham to pursue an acting career, but it turns to not quite be the idyllic life she imagined. Mima finds herself as part of a very racy mystery show and posing for photos which shatters her pop star image and sends her spiralling into depression. An obsessed fan, a disturbingly voyeuristic website entitled "Mima's Room", and (of course) the violent murders of her friends and associates aren't helping matters any. "Perfect Blue" is an incredible suspense film, and Manga Films has put together a sensational DVD to complement the movie.

Video: Simply flawless! "Perfect Blue" is very dark, but the image is always crisp and clear, and blacks are very accurate. The lack of an anamorphic transfer is a bit disappointing, but the quality of the letterboxed video is outstanding and as close to perfect as I've seen for an animated film.

Audio: There are enough tracks here to please everyone -- a stereo English track, a 5.1 English track, and a 5.1 Japanese track (for those who prefer subtitles over dubbed recordings). Sound is always of the utmost importance with suspense films, and the audio, like the video, is well-represented. The mix is pretty aggressive, and I was thoroughly impressed by how great the score sounded. Supplements: The supplements are arranged in the same form as the "Mima's Room" website in the film, and it's always great when it takes longer to go through the additional features than to watch the movie itself. There are a slew of interviews with voice talent from both the U.S. and Japan, an interview with the director, a pop trio recording Cham's songs in the studio, the usual still gallery, web links, previews, fan club info, etc., etc,. etc.

Conclusion: "Perfect Blue" is not just good anime -- it's a good movie and an excellent DVD -- and I very highly recommend it to fans of this style of animation looking for something more serious than than robot duels and scantily clad women as well as fans of Italian horror/suspense. Be warned that "Perfect Blue" is an exceptionally intense film and is definitely not for younger viewers or the faint of heart.
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