Perfect Blue (SPOILERS)

Finished watching Perfect Blue, and am left with more questions than answers!

At the end it's clear that Rumi thinks she's the "pop idol" personality of Mima, and we can guess she was responsible for the killings, including Mr. Me-mania. I'm still not clear why Mima sees Rumi as her former self and not as Rumi imitating her.

But what about all of Mima's delusions of murdering other people? Of course the intent is to mix her imagination, reality, and the TV show together to confuse the viewer, but in the end I didn't see how it added up. Was Mima cracking under the stress and imagning these crimes, that just so happened to really occur by Rumi's doing?

Like in the very ending, I thought it was part of the TV show; it seems that Mima sneaks out of the hospital (mental institution?) and leaves. If that's reality, then is Mima really (or was) crazy and has now snuck out, untreated?

Seeing that there's a book and live-action film of Perfect Blue (I haven't seen either) I'd love to know if they shed any more light on this.

And as a side note I watched the film before checking out the DVD goodies, and that it was pretty cool and screwed up that the you have the 'Mima's Room' website written from her perspective. Sure some of it was blatant advertising for Manga Corps., but it was a pretty clever presentation.

Funny though, all the reviews said this movie was supposed to be scary, likening it to Hitchcock's Psycho. It was entertaining and kept me at the edge of my seat, but was in no way frightening. I guess I was expecting (or hoping) to get the bejezus scared out of me. :-)

I haven't seen it for a few months, but I don't remember her "sneaking out" of the hospital at the end.  From what I remember, she was nicely dressed (not in hospital crap), and looked to be in good humour, and I thought she talked a bit to some of the staff.  I got the distinct impression that she was there visiting Rumi.  Also, yeah, I assumed that she saw Rumi as herself 'cause she was going a little crazy too.

>>2

Agreed. I also remember Mami visiting Rumi at the hospital in the end, not Mami being the one hospitalized (or therefore escaping).

Encore Action channel is showing this right now, subbed. Part of their anime newyears... action... thing.

Seen the dub a while back and I remember having some of the same questions. Maybe the sub will clarify some of that (or not).

I think you basically missed the point of it.
Psycho wasn't scary because of the blood. No hitchcock film was. It was scary because of the insanity and the skewed take on reality.

Perfect Blue is Anime on Hitchcock

Havent seen this film in a while but from what i could gather then hospital scene, IMHO, was of her leaving after visiting Rumi, as for her imagining/beliving herself to have been commiting the crimes, i think it has a similar feel to AMERICAN PSYCHO, as in her life is so empty and shes under so much stress that she belives her self to have commited the crimes as a form of coping and to pursude her self that her life has meaning... but what do i know lol.

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