Just watched Perfect Blue but god I don't understand much apart that the main girl Mima is fucked up lol. But I still have an ask regarding the rape scene because it was really disturbing...like was it "real" or not ? I know the man say "sorry" at first but idk it really was just weird and so disturbing that idk. And who kill the men anyway ? lol yeah I didn't understand much I guess
Hi!
I love Perect Blue :) It has been a while since I watch it, but I wrote an analysis about it back then, if it can help: https://www.tumblr.com/aspoonofsugar/183221009287/perfect-blue-finding-ones-identity-between?source=share
In any case, long story short:
1- The rape scene is not real in the sense Mima is not being truly raped. It is a scene in the series Mima is playing a character in. However, Mima still perceives it as violence because it is a very strong scene that Mima feels deep down forced to do if she wants her career to advance. In general, the point of Perfect Blue is that Mima has a very weak sense of identity and she "becomes" her character. She starts as a pure and naive girl (the idol), she becomes lost as she changes careers (she plays a minor role without real character), she becomes "corrupted" by the industry (the rape scene) and becomes "dirty" (the sexy pics). Finally, Mima starts believing she may truly be a killer because she is playing the big bad in the TV series. However, that is not the case, 'cause Mima is not her character. By the end Mima realizes this and is able to catch the real culprit.
2- The real culprit is Mima's manager, who has been reliving her younger years through Mima. She projects on her and by the end she believes she is truly Mima. Mima stops her and by the end she is in a hospital. Someone could argue the story may leave it ambiguous if Mima is truly the real culprit and the manager is the scapegoat, but thematically I think it works more if Mima is innocent and appehends the real culprit. All in all Perfect Blue is a story about a child growing up and finding her own identity outside of society's pressure (the different roles Mima is asked to play).
Thank you for passing by!
