Perfect Blue
Best Horror Anime
On the surface, being a professional actor might seem glamorous, as they’re portrayed as living a life full of notoriety, lavish gifts, and parties. But for Perfect Blue’s Mima Kirigoe, her decision to retire from J-pop to pursue an acting career is what turned her life completely upside-down.
Following an uncomfortable acting scene, the former J-pop star gets a fax from an enraged former fan. Going by the alias of “Me-Mania,” a terrifying-looking male stalker faxes her, accusing her of being a traitor for choosing to act instead of sing.
Not too long after the creepy fax, a nail-biting game of cat and mouse between the two commences, rife with suspense, fear, and death.
Yet, the most horrific thing about Perfect Blue isn’t even the four deaths that occur, which range from bludgeoning to eyes getting ripped out. Instead, the true fear comes from how realistic the situation feels.
Despite the amount of exaggerated blood, it isn’t hard to understand Mima’s fear, as stalking, obsession, and psychosis are all things that occur in our society. That fear that her situation could actually happen to any of us just makes this anime horror film that much more scary.
