Blood-C episode 5 review

Developments!! I'm so excited about the episode I watched just half a hour ago I couldn't wait to post! I was never complaining about the pacing to begin with but Jesus was this the episode we've ALL been waiting for! I knew the show was just setting the scene, from peace to chaos, just slowly so when it happened the massacre had more emphasis and a larger impact on the viewer. But I didn't care for blood+ and this show from the beginnings been a favorite. Wish I would have blogged from the beginning! Was gonna put this in the section of foreshadowing of all anime I'm watching BUT I can't wait lol ^^

Starting off Saya isn't feeling too well and keeps having headaches. My thinking is this: shes having headaches because through the fighting shes having flashbacks and memories are re-surfacing. The whole show it seemed the father wasn't telling about some kind of secret. It feels the Fumito and Saya's dad are in cahoots, but over what? Well really its ALL speculation now but I can't shake the feeling they know about her past. Plus that coffee shop owner keeps narrating about very profound philosophy, if not a little dark. And it shows those little viles of blood hanging in a dark room. Something is go'n down but what!? Are they feeding Saya human blood or something sinister like that? BUT anyway her past is really nothing but speculation right now too.

The episode had some real good action only what? 5 min.'s into the show. Saya keeps coming into contact with these Japanese speaking beasts or demons or I suppose elder bairnes. They kept mentioning a contract not being fulfilled. What contract huh? And this person Saya is fighting comes because Saya keeps dishonoring this contract. I'm under the impression Saya has become noticed by the show's head honcho demons who sent this humanoid monk looking person to avenge her or its, fallen comrades and punish Saya. Still Saya doesn't know whats going on. This fight's sound effects had me cringe everytime Saya got the shaft....literally. The sound of Saya's bones breaking hurt me the most, but I guess Saya would disagree with that lol. Then we even see another civillian under attack! Lately people have been falling victim to these monsters. Like most I wondered why she let that one baker die BUT I dont think she knew the train was a demon, because since, she's tried saving all the innocent bystanders. Last time she failed and only because the stupid f*cks stopped running and took a little break on the shore just a hundred yards from the battle and got their asses eaten. This time she saved someone though! I was like yeah finally someone lived. I mainly was happy but immediately I was like"but uhhh didn't this person just get attacked by demons and now know Saya's secret???" hahaha. but still I was excited to see how this new dynamic would effect the story, about as excited as the endless eight finale episode in Haruhi. But the victim just runs off and I was thinking damn I wanted to see how a person knowing would effect the town and all that.

Anyway that happened after Saya awesomely went into sharingan mode and killed the monk creature who turns out to be a Giant Eye Ball thing which can talk with out a mouth, go figure, then again it IS a demon. The kill was cool. The demon had a string on saya's sword following her movement while it let fog out of its sleeve. So Saya put her sword down and ripped its pupil open barehanded.... Yea I know I got a little turned on too. lol but all joking aside( not joking) it was quite epic.

Then at school its story time. I've been wondering about that "nice" science teacher. When she told the story you could tell she knew some of the towns dark secrets too. The story she told was VERY familiar to Saya's situation. While telling the story Saya has flashbacks, at least I think they were. These flashbacks have very similar locales in terms of the original movie.

Anyone remember this scene from the original Blood movie!?

So what does that mean for Saya? Is Saya the same girl? Or is demon slaying passed down and the new hunter receives previous memories? I feel that less likely. I think Saya is the same saya from the movie. But then is the contract that the demons will only hunt in that small town and eat only to live as a deal with Saya not to kill too many or limit her hunting? Who can be sure? I really love where the story is headed. Oh yea and that boy Tokizane noticed Saya's interest in the teacher's story and acts like he knows something too. I don't know why but I think he might be that dog/cat who keeps showing up BUT don't hold that to me haha! just a hunch. Saya still doesn't know what the contract is but we are reaching a climax. If I could hardly wait for this episode, then next episode has me on pins and needles. With, I think its Nene, the twin eating her words( she said she hopes the teachers horror story happens to her because she's bored) and her about to discover Saya's secret I am almost sick with anticipation. The demon pops out and I can rest easy someone knowing Saya's secret is not a dynamic that will just go away like I thought since Nene is an "important" side character. At least I like her and her other twin especially duel sentence matching. We'll have to wait till next week to see whats going on!

-Relic P.S. I told y'all the show was just waiting for a good time for sh*t to hit the fan. And I'll still have my 'all the anime shows I'm watching, major events' blog later on. Oh yea and I listened to Dustz song Spiral on loop while typing this up lol.

This ending's song is perfect for the end of ep. 5 as it has this 'urgency' must go save everyone before its too late feel to it. Like Saya is about to turn and run down that road to the fight!

ikoku Meiro no Croiseé episode 5

 To start, I finally have the ability to take my own pictures and install them so the pics will be neater BUT this blog's pic set-up doesn't allow it to be done cleanly so I'll just continue the pic at top and bottom with pics in-between, but my own :) 

This episode as usual involves both Yune and Claude learning about eachother's culture and general affection for each other. Yune Still has separation anxiety, not wanting to be away from Claude, which good ol' Oscar explains as the Japanese tendency of working in a group dynamic. Still, Claude feels uncomfortable with Yune constantly chopp'n at the bit for direction and company. In order to get Yune out of his hair he sends Yune to clean the lamps which comes as a delight to the hard worker that she is. While working Yune meets and greets a customer who thinks Yune is too friendly for her own good, and the customer then retreats much to the dismay of Yune.  Claude then gives her a talking to. Basically he explains that in Paris people don't trust people they don't know especially when the put on a smile. Yune is conflicted with this because it contradicts her own ideals, that one should always be kind and put trust in the customer first.

After some consideration, and re-evaluation on her approach to life in Paris she meets that little boy whose been popping up in episodes here and there. She disregards Claude's advice instead warmly welcoming the little boy who in the very next second is hauling a*s away with a stolen candle holder in hand.

Yune instinctively gives chase though with her pampered upbringing, she never had a chance of catching a young thief who steals to survive. Even so she pursues deep into the labyrinths of the shopping center soon losing the thief and her way. Standing lost Yune wants to go home as person after person, even a little girl, snubs Yune as she asks for directions.

Then she meets a juggler who tries to cheer her up and a crowd then gathers. She realises, though surrounded by many, she is really alone and no one will help her. Claude's advice doesn't help Yune who is still adjusting to life in Paris. Then Alan, Claude's neighboring businessman and friend, tries to help Yune get home after hearing she is lost. But Alan approaches with a smile and grabs Yune by the hand when Yune tears away remembering Claude's advice. Alan is surprised and simply stands there thinking he was being helpful.

It isn't until Yune is caught by Claude, who was desperately looking for her too, that she calms down as he embraces her quite romantically may I add ;)

The cute little thing, that Yune is, even blushes a little being hugged by her 'man' lol. Claude and her then walk back hand in hand and Claude explains that he was worried more about Yune than the stolen merchandise, and elaborates on the people one can trust and when its acceptable to both accept their smile and give one back too.

Yune then meets Alan again and is embarassed at her behavior and Alan simply laughs and wonders if he really looks THAT scary. Alan offers his hand as a sign of friendship which Yune takes in her own and shakes to signify the friendship has been mutually accepted.


Yune looks at Claude thinking she never wants to leave his side as Claude tells her to remember the sign in front of his shop to show that it is her home to return to.

Oscar comes home later that night saying he couldn't leave on the trip he was going on worrying about Yune, which Claude says Oscar was simply refused by a mistress. Oscar fixes a lamp that was busted much to the happiness of Yune and Oscar also gives her flowers asking Yune to look after Claude.

Quite a happy end, and again everybody learns a little something but not before the all wise sage Oscar can set them straight. Sadly no Alice....BUT NEXT WEEK THERE WILL BE! And we'll have to see what happens with the little boy...

-Relic P.S. We'll see how this new post style is... I feel I wrote less in exchange for pics which that process in and of its self is quite strenuous.... Yet enjoyable. Maybe next time I'll write a chunk or arc and then squeeze the photos I take after in there that relate with the chunk and then at the end put in extra shots so I don't feel the pain I took to do it was for nought :0 Plus I'll start showing pics for the preview of next week :) and have a little next week preview spot. Also in the future expect MAJOR plot occurences, forshadowing, or just what I thought cool and interesting, over-views of ALL the anime's I'm watching or ones something happened in. I might do this every once in awhile since I want to blog more shows but between football practice, college preparation, job, and basically life, like friends and romance, can't humanly do or at least efficiently like I feel I have been on Ikoku, Kami-sama and Nichijou my three real favorites of different genre. So that way I can give snippets on Usagi, Yuru, Blood, Baka and most other shows that I really enjoy. I wish I could do pics different but...I'm currently only going to be able to do the way I will next episode of what ever. I'm trying my best and will keep this up for a long time I think, since I enjoy it even if no one reads it :) and maybe one day I'll achieve an illustrious blog with some, thank-God RELIABLE help. P.S.S. just watched Shiki, what a show! still emotionally and morally distraught from it. Heres to making progress one anime blog at a time.

Nichijou episode 18

All I can say is yet again a hilarious episode of Nichijou! I didn't imagine in my wildest dreams it would be funnier than the card house in the other episode where Yuko and Mio's hearts' come out of their mouths. I was immediately standing corrected when I saw Yuko doing the most realistic and human thing I've ever seen in the show. Such as thinking someone's talking to you and responding only to look like a schmuck, then she plays it off. Or performing an act of kindness like give up your seat for an old person and, them knowing what your doing, not accept before you can say anything. The way she got up acting like she was getting up for her stop is so humanly funny and I've done the same stuff! The train doors not opening on the side she was thinking opened killed me. Who hasn't done that!? Try pushing a door open and then when it doesn't budge you don't want to look stupid try muscling your way through before you read below the handle "pull". Then like the girl on  the train, there is always that one someone that sees and snickers behind your back. I can vouch for Yuko on the talking to a statue while your not looking thinking its a person, I related to that the most. To make matters worse the girl following, Misato's younger sister, keeps laughing or sweating from trying to hold in her laughter. I LOVED IT! I could relate in so many ways, as Yuko's animation and reactions were too human for their own good. Mai's terrible map for Yuko to Diaku Burger was also giving me a quick laugh. Trick-or-treating a week after Halloween! kids these days lol.

There are tons of funny snippets like Mio knowing how to order coffees perfectly unlike poor Yuko who is mixed up about the ridiculous sounding sizes and styles of coffee that one has to be a regular to be able to order.

I can't order either lol, I'm most like Yuko

Or the coffee isn't coffee coffee, but I will go through the main laughers or jokes, but I recommend you watch the show! The next long joke was men with numbered hats trying to appease the princess. A guard would call out lots and a person would try to entertain the princess but in failing to do so is dropped from a blimp and more than likely fall miles to their death. Some guys wouldn't be able to even finish their routine before being dropped. As the top tier routines and men fal to their demise the others wonder what chance they have if the others failed and they had better routines. They all say what they were going to do, the funniest being one guy is like "I was going to split chopsticks with my butt cheeks" LOL!!!! That had me really laugh hard in real life. Then the bada*s shows up all cool with a duck floatie around his waist who is confident he will succeed. As he walks up with an arrogant aura he is dropped from the floor with a bad fall as he hits his head, flips, it looked painful. Then the next lot is called... no-one goes up and then someone sees a lot with a number for the person supposed to go and looks around as everyone wonders what the next person's routine is or where they are. This person obviously doesn't want to go, keep in mind the bada*s just failed. Then a man steps out and you wonder will he succeed? he has a duck floatie around his waist and we just saw someone doing the saame routine die and this guy is like I know I can't win. lol everyone just thinks you poor bast*rd. Even the guard laughs where both he AND the victim fall. The guy with a cheer leader routine gets the f*ck out of dodge. He throws his cheer leader pom poms over the blimp, in a moment of rebellion. They fall on Mio's blue hair with the pigtails and flap her pig tails out of the way. yuko then wakes up... It was Yuko's dream! she IMMEDIATELY says " I'll go stand in the hallway!" when she might not have even got caught making a ruckus but she's so used to getting in trouble she knows the routine and just fusses up lol! Keep in mind i laughed this whole six minute skit, and then the ending credits.

I think in episode 7 or 8 there was the same kind of skit with the men in green and numbered hats, I'm going to go watch it again!

Episode had everything, helvetica standards, the works. We even see Misato get screen time with Kojiro and move her relationship forward, she even refrains from shooting him with the rockets in the pic at the top but instead vies for the fake tank cannon air soft pebble bullet with some affection. Misato's little sis also knows Misato is in love with Kojiro. This episode drove the main plots and relationships less and went more for funny skits which I don't mind at all! One of my favorite episodes easy, beside the mosquito and Yuko losing her money ones. In the coming episode it will probably delve into poor biscuit 2 who is ignored and the professor even eats his fuel source....biscuits. Go figure. For once it is as it seems. The teacher counting longer for the students really was sweet and i actually smiled and was like aaaawwwww! She was counting to ten to finish the test normally but then saw a cute little girl feverishly trying to complete and cut her a break, counting like "oooooooooooone", so instead of one its like three seconds, very cute! Oh Sakemoto got his scarf back! good for you but like When Kenny dies in South Park we don't know how he got back, or in the case of the scarf when it was returned but I'm the only one who even mildly cared so I'll excuse myself as I go get in a ball in the corner of my house and rock myself to sleep.

-Relic P.S. I will have to re-watch this as so much happens I don't remember all the good comedy for such a good show! Take it easy ;) and WISH your dreams were as funny or memorable as Yuko's, hell I wouldn't wake up again....wait that sounds like something I shouldn't jinx myself on. I'll be back again...hopefully.....after I find some wood to knock on.

Kamisama dolls-Here we go!

This is a quick, quick, QUICK, wrap up of whats happend, as I've been cranking out episode wrap-ups to make up for the last 13 days since Perfect Blue which I hoped kept your appetite at bay for awhile. So Aki has run-ins with Kyohei. We learn theres bad blood between them. Aki threatens Kyohei with hurting Hibino and what not. Then Koushiro hunts Aki down alongside someone that resembles Utao. Aki is captured by Hibino's friend who has the detective dad after he is knocked out in a fight. Utao and Hibino hang out. Basically character develpoment with Hibino showing care for Kyohei by stopping him from breaking his hand as he punches a wall. Utao trains with her doll Kukuri. Hibino's friend Kuuko is catching on to whats going on wanting a more exciting life and perhaps acting on the detective blood that runs through her veins. Aki is still trying to rub Kyohei the wrong way bringing up his old teacher which rersults in Kyohei beating the stuffing out of Aki in front of Hibino who realizes he's sort of manly. Things like that happen! O.K. next review will be WAY better I'm sorry but if I do in depth come back reviews I'll drown so The coverage will be better next episode. I'll walk through key scenes I liked with over-all better quality, FORGIVE ME! But at least I'm kind of caught up *sigh*

Kuuko interrogating Aki with an air soft gun.

-Relic

Ikoku Meiro no Croiseé-over view

Alrighty! So this episode(since I'm playing catch up) just gonna do a wrap up of the developments in the show thus far. To begin we receive some insight on the discrepancy between the cultures of J-pan and Paris. Japan was less industrial and more in touch with nature utilizing natural hot springs and such. Now Yune was used to bathing once a day in Japan but in Paris its more like once a week.  Otherwise its seen as a waste of water and is frowned upon by the community(go figure). NOW I'm not sure if in Japan only the aristocratic bathed everyday and then for the po' man it was once a week like in Europe unless wealthy. I wonder because Yune was rich sounding from the way Oscar described it. I imagine there was more bathing in Japan but...I don't know and I won't mis-lead you AND I also won't look up cultural standards through out history so find out for your self :P Anywho all this in regards to the fact Yune went to take a bath in the quiet of the night. Holy crap is she small...so delicate and cute! small enough to fit in a pan! Anyway Claude wakes up in the middle of the night to discover Yune much like in the picture at the top. Water spills and all that and we then see the next day with Oscar(all knowing as he is) enlighten the two on the cultural difference between Paris and Japan.

The whole bath thing sets up the premise of the show. Or is at least the harbinger of story and character development. We meet the young Alice Blanche, yes, of the nefarious Blanche family. Well nefarious from my man Claude's point of view. Alice, obsessed with anything, as the show coins it, orient, sets off to hunt down Yune. Claude wants to take Yune to the bath as a favor but not before they are discovered by Alice. Claude not liking the Blanches runs off with Yune to the bath. Alice continuously encounters them while on their way to which Claude tells Yune not to associate with Alice. Yune feeling bad since Alice has taken interest in her agrees to a tea invitation. Alice then tries to persuade Yune to stay with her with promises of a warm bath everyday, dresses, pampered life style AND her mother's(Yune's that is) kimono back, that Claude sold inadvertently not knowing it was a keep sake. Yune refuses and wants nothing more than to fulfill an agreement that her and Claude made.

The agreement

Particularly the part where Claude wants to get her kimono back. Plus earlier in the episode Yune ate cheese with soy sauce and Claude didn't like it, long story short Yune wants Claude to accept and like her culture so she promises to cook a japanese dish using soy sauce. So wanting to get home and explaing to Alice her life with the Claudels isn't so bad since they show affection for her, Yune rejects Alices invites, though Alice is just as stubborn. Then Claude after leaving with out Yune is seen back at home thinking Yune would be better off with Alice but Oscar(all knowing as he is) says thats up to Yune and HE knows Yune will come back(being as all knowing as he is). Claude is then surprised to see Yune home with Alice, making for a bitter-sweet reunion. The dinner is cooked, enjoyed and Yune will at least 'hang out' with Alice. Very heart warming after Claude wondered if she would even come back. On an end note I don't know if love will bloom or a stronger brother-sister relationship, either'd be fine but I'll take a love development :)

-Relic P.S. hope their business stays above the financial hell fire and that this is good enough to bridge the gap in my reviews!

Perfect Blue Movie Review

-------------> there are spoilers, this is a FULL review<-------------

Perfect Blue the movie, released in Japan 1998-02-28, was directed by Satoshi Kon. Some of his other notable works were Paprika(movie), Paranoia Agent(series), Millennium Actress(movie), and last but certainly not least Tokyo Godfathers(movie). More so than the others Paprika and Perfect Blue certainly go hand in hand and probably even Paranoia Agent. I have seen all of these movies and all are some of my favorites, in that they offer something new, an original take. Another characteristic of these works that I truly enjoy is the sense of almost not being able to trust the perspective of the character. In each work we will be watching and in a moments notice no longer is what were seeing true reality but a manifestation of a fantasy in the case of millennium actress, or a nightmare in the case of perfect blue, or in the case of Paprika a dream that takes on a life of its own and worlds seem to blur ever closer to one another, the boundary of real and distorted perspective ever blurred. In the sense of never truly having an idea of what's going on, always being on your toes I really have a love for anything by Satoshi Kon.


As for the art of Perfect Blue(really any of the above mentioned titles) the style i personally enjoy and find to be of fantastic quality. The art has a certain affinity for doing a kind of rounder nose, not sharp, and a more realistic face design instead of whackier character designs usually inherent in most anime titles. The eyes of the characters are able to evoke the emotion that character is feeling without these do-hickie sort of expressions >< ^^ OO XX or the upside down 'U' to express happiness. Not to say I don't enjoy those techniques but I found the more realistic portrayal of humanity in the design to be refreshing and perfect for the atmosphere and over-all design of the show. Especially for being a 1990's anime I found the art enjoyable. I have a preference for the newer kind of stuff and art styles, the digital coloring kind of thing. Berserk and older ghost in the shell, while not bad, I found to be less clean than Perfect Blue. Art never really bothers me but when its cleaner, more polished, usually found in movies rather than series, which while understandable, I find to appreciate more. I believe Satoshi Kon worked also in the art of Akira which also sort of has the more round nose, a correlation I found both interesting and relevant. I didn't find the movement of characters choppy but if I had any complaints, it would be more in the pan out shots with a lot of people on one screen. The art seemed to at some parts become a tad lack luster. At some parts people that aren't main characters may get a tad distorted also but i actually enjoy that as your eye automatically focuses on Mima or who ever. Nothing is perfect. Over-all looking good. Some scenes like when Mima is doing the rape scene really stand out in my mind. The dark shadowy scene before the director yells 'action!' with the rowdy males actors getting ready for the scene. The lighting shows their malicious grins, their shifty malevolent senpaku eyes all looking at Mima like a hot meal. As if nothing but barbarism and carnal desire lurked in their minds, if I was acting I'd have been scared sh*tless. That art sold the scene, not to mention the music.


Ah, the music. Creepy to say the least. It wasn't entirely abundant but I to be honest am more of a 5cm per second and Ano Hanna music guy. I don't like it going all the time in the back ground since only sub consciously do I hear it and then when its played to have effect I'm desensitized to it. I love it when its played at key points to serve as a catalyst to emotion, making the experience more intense, longer, and therefor better! One of the better places this was used is when Mima is being chased by EvilMima(Rumi) as the music perfectly sets the desperation Mima feels to escape from a gruesome death. Mima's J-pop songs aren't bad I suppose but then again I'll listen to anything. Sound effects like vicious stabs and things being knocked around were also well done. Movie sounded good.


Voice acting was ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC, albeit I watched the subbed version of course but again it comes down to personal preference. I have no idea how the dub is but I imagine it isn't as well done. Perhaps not bad but I more often than not find original voice actor better with the exception of Beck and Inuysha's japanese voice acting which to be honest I can't say I care for. Nothing like a good guttural scream from a person being savaged by some manner of weapon i.e. knife,screw driver.


Now for the meat and potatoes of the whole thing. I'll basically walk through the movie while elaborating on some scenes I found to be especially well done. It all starts with a power rangers/ transformers reference or so I imagine. Mostly adults are in the audience and none seem to excited with the show. I felt bad for the actors kinda awkward, and even the kids thought it was cheap lol. Then the real reason everyones gathered... CHAM! this is a pop idol group which by no coincidence Mima is a member of. While singing we notice a deformed man on security detail admiring Mima a little to much, referred to as ME-Mania. 

Then some people cause a ruckus, a food fight of sorts ensues and eventually the rowdy people leave after ME-Mania exhales on some dudes face and we learn this is Mima's last show with CHAM! and that she aspires to become an actress which Rumi, Mima's manager opposes but never the less Mima makes her decision. 


To start Mima seems a bit sad with her decision to leave CHAM! but she's also notably excited to have a fresh start on a new path in life. She goes about her daily life in a very cramped and small apartment, cramped but cozy. 

"Mima's Room"

She reads about "Mima's room" in a love letter, the person writing they're always on the site...freaky I know. Can you say foreshadowing? It doesn't help when you have people sighing heavily in your phone. Then a fax saying traitor over and over. I would have had been worrying too much about cleaning my feces off the floor after crapping myself, then worry about that scary a*s fax. But thats just me. All this is setting the voyeuristic atmosphere that Mima is being stalked by a die hard fan. This especially holds true when the music starts and camera immediately pans out of Mima's window. This is probably one of the scarier things that can happen to a person, not feeling safe or comfortable anywhere, and of all places YOUR home. She then repeats "who are you?" and the camera then cuts to her rehearsing lines on a set. I love it!! First you think she's thinking who are you? that is faxing me and stalking me. Then you think oh she's just rehearsing. Finally after the movie has been watched it foreshadows Mima will eventually lose her grasp on reality and be conflicted with the activities she takes part in that go against how she feels, what she wants to do, and who she truly is. Any who I love that cinematic technique. I find it funny that the computer wasn't what it is today in the setting of this film. Internet not being as prominent, Mima doesn't know what "Mima's room" is or what a link is even after Rumi tries describing it. 


The movie then shows for the first time how uncanny it is to see the alternate reality of a set with the feel of a waiting room, but then right off camera directors and TRUE reality. The operant word being TRUE. It shows how confusing things could be acting one moment, being for all intents and purposes a different person in a different world, and then flipping a switch as soon as the director yells "cut!" and be a different person again, who you truly are. Psychology has proven you are who you act like. Just the unnaturalness of it, acting, movies, gives me anxiety when I put myself in Mima's shoes. Almost as if while the movie is going, imagine if you didn't hear a "cut" and that movie became your reality. A trippy idea that Sotoshi Kon delivered very well. Gives me insight on some of the things Heath Ledger went through on his role as the Joker. After the acting who are you truly? Gives me shivers, but... let us move on!


Anyway a letter to Mima explodes when her manger guy Tadokoro opens it up. a piece lands saying the next one will be real. Pretty lucky that piece stayed in-tact lol! On a good note Mima gets a macintosh computer! Rumi helps the untech savvy Mima set it up. I gotta say that computer is old as sh*t! hahaha nice sponsor eh? Any way they get to talking about the exploding incident and Rumi plays dumb saying "oh that?" when Mima talks about what happend the other day. Rumi just plays it down saying don't worry it was a prank. I don't know... When i lose more than a soda cans worth of blood off a prank, I draw the line and say its more like attempted murder, BUT thats just me. Back then you had to type in whole URL's! Thank God for Y2K, everything regarding the computer since has been better ;) but Mima gets to the site Mima's room and at first what she thinks is flattering soon turns into HOLY SH*T THIS PERSON WATCHES ME 24 HOURS A DAY, after she reads on about how the author of the site knows even what foot she uses to get off the train and what groceries she buys, along with voice recordings of "who are you". yea... I know right?! Then a shot of a bloody body that is in the movie Mima's acting in currently, "Double Bind". After noticing she's only in three scenes with very little dialogue, Rumi and Tadokoro wonder if her leaving CHAM was worth such little attention and screen time. Tadokoro's argument is that Mima, though having a small role now, is still doing well in the critical period that will decide whether or not she can hack it as an actress. Rumi on the other hand wants Mima to refer back to being a pop idol, much like Rumi was so long ago(I smell bias!). Tadokoro says that the pop idol scene has changed since Rumi was in it. Ultimately Rumi is looking out for Mima's best interest and Tadokoro is money grubbing. Right then the two members of CHAM! walk in a conference room and low and behold have made it into the top 100 songs.


Some people walk into a store talking about "Double Bind" being a, coincidentally, boring psychological thriller, which is exactly what Perfect Blue is, minus the boring. Too bad for Mima. CHAM! does well and "Double Bind" not so much. Someone in the store says "somebody save Mima please!" and then a book previously concealing an eavesdroppers face, is shifted down to reveal...*lightning flash* ME-Mania, Mima's very own stalker. Quite a face I must say... Mima now aware of her probable stalker is now cautiously checking her surroundings, noticing people staring and then looking away, little things that before hand she would never have thought twice about. Like I always say(being a bit too weary of spiders) if you look for spiders your gonna find them, and the same can be said for anything. In a hysterical outburst brought on by fear she runs out of the sub-way. After hauling quite a bit of a*s she calms down takes in her surroundings and walks away. Though the camera in the department store front with the t.v.'s that shows who ever walks by on a multitude of televisions was very ominous just adding to that sense of being stalked that Mima already feels. She quickly brushes by her fans, waiting for a picture or a "hello", understandably, on her way into an office place. Though we know Mima is scared, her fans just think she's mean, not to mention her stalker was in the fray... so good move Mima. She then reads in the elevator that the person who caused the ruckus at her last concert was hit-and-run by someone. As you see Mima's look of concern and wonder "who the heck hit him?" we see the deformed man with duck teeth smile his over admiring smile and we immidiately know who the man's unknown hit-run culprit is. The elevator doors then close with Mima inside.

The next scene is a good one and is a prelude of things to come. While CHAM! celebrates getting 83rd on top 100 Mima asks whats going on. Rumi then tells her and we see everyone in CHAM! saying congrats and Mima is in the three person circle and I'm thinking WTF? Oh maybe its one of the songs Mima was in before she left the trio. Right? Mima says something and one of the members give her a reassuring tap on the shoulder...BOOM! Mima was just imagining it! This is just a first taste of how untrustworthy Mima's perspective is. Soon we won't now right from left, up or down :) but we'll at least have each other! and so we move foward! CHAM! is doing ok and Mima's next role has more dialogue and screen time. Happy times right!? We shall see. Next scene shes running around and boom! we find out that too was just a scene in the movie Mima's currently in. Like I said, a prelude of things to come....AND OH DO THEY COME!


There's some talking about what direction the movie Mima's in should take, where the director says he has a drastic idea that will change Mima's image if her agency allows it. A dirty smirk from him and then we find Rumi and Tadokoro arguing if Mima should do the scene. The scene in question is a RAPE scene. oh yes, we've seen them and they are for me some of the most uncomfortable scenes in a movie to watch. The forced carnal knowledge of a women. Very brutal, and in Perfect Blue it is no different. Except we get a different perspective. We get to see what happens when one is filmed. I imagine I'd be doing what the character in Perfect Blue does, which is apologize about what you are about to do beforehand. Even though its acting, in those seconds when the scene is going you really do have to become a savage and to the actress(I suppose maybe actor but I've never seen it) it must seem real enough, you get the feeling of being utterly powerless... Horrifying. And understandably this scene leaves Rumi in tears and even Tadokoro seems ashamed of what he's allowed face palming and feeling disgusted. Mima must have had no idea of what a rape scene truly entailed, thinking "I'm not really being raped" even laughing it off nervously to hide her disagreement. in fact I'd be so bold as to say no one had a real grasp on what was to come and how things after this point would spiral. After this point is when I start to loosen up my tie, crack open a cold bottle of Dr. Pepper, sit myself down in a comfy chair, open up my mind to over load setting and say What The F*ck is going on!? So bare with me. If you start to smell blood as this very lengthy review goes on, don't worry, its just coming out of my eye balls, YOUR fine.


But alas I've gotten ahead of myself. leading to the scene Mima sees her alternative inner Mima that says how Mima feels. OtherMima says I refuse to do the scene and she disappears as the train Mima's on, enters a tunnel. Right before the rape scene Mima wants to quit, it can be seen on her face but she continues on with it. As the strip club music starts Mima becomes a dancer seductively throwing her hips like Princess Peach in Brawl. Then the rape with the dirty music in the background creates a tension most palpable . During a "cut" while staff re-arrange the scene, with Mima's raper on top of her he says sorry and she says don't worry and the scene begins again with her screaming until tears roll down her eyes and everything mentioned above happens.


After the scene we see Mima unwinding in the what I can only imagine to be a make-up room. Tadokoro seems as though he is going to tell Mima she can quit but decides against it, or at the least say sorry. He then drives her home after a meal on him, and we the stalker ME-Mania as they drive by. Once home Mima, after holding in all her emotion up to this point seeks solace in her fish but upon going to feed them finds them floating.... belly up. This is the straw that breaks the llama's back. In one big flood of emotion she screams out her pain saying of course she didn't want to do it, but she couldn't let down those who were trying to get her to where she is. Then OtherMima rears her ugly head basically saying she knows what's best for Mima. Mima throws a pillow and OtherMima is gone and two of her fish swim joyously. No, I don't know if her fish being dead is a complete hallucination or if some really did die and some survive, I'll leave that up to you, I personally believe in the latter.


ME-Mania is blogging on "Mima's Room" again, much like I am without the stalking part, I am purely the teller of a tale ;) Mima is doing reviews on her movie she's in, in which she will become a key character. So she says it was a hurdle, the rape scene that is, that she had to jump to be a top tier actress. So she stays on the bright side. But her way of dressing is becoming notably more revealing and....sexy? I guess is the closest word to what I'm thinking, and she is definitely receiving a subtle image change that ME-Mania is none too happy about. Back on "Mima's Room" Mima is reading some of the stuff saying she didn't write that, to which OtherMima appears on the computer and says the true Mima did, her. Then music plays.... 


This music that plays at that moment sends shivers down my spine! Now I hate to get off tangent but... that music is some of the scariest and unnerving I've ever heard! Before even starting this beast review I for what ever reason recalled something about Durarara. If you don't want to read my ramblings by all means move on. Anyway on Durarara, I watched the whole series a week or two ago(late to the party I know) I heard that music when the red avatar joins the chat party writing scary stuff about cutting people. The setokai or what ever person, the possessed sword thing. I remember thinking I know I've heard this some where....and it was from Perfect Blue! all these years later it was in Durarara and boy is it OMINOUS! i just now after looking for the last three hours for this song i can finally put it here... I'm exhausted... after OMINOUS i looked for the song...jeeze. well I like it so I'm happy and total actual looking maybe an hour lol well I'm dedicated or crazy either way here :) baachiya mima perfect for perfect blue!ha!


After patronizing and condescending Mima, OtherMima makes her debut in real life(from Mima's perspective) as OtherMima steps out of the computer. OtherMima says a few more hurtful things and skips off in a very innocent fashion on some lightposts, she had hops! Then the director of Double Bind can be sween pulling into his parking place where a sign with double bind written on it, accompanied by some blood can be seen, covering his last name for his parking spot. He hears some Mima songs but due to echoes can't tell where from as he waits for the elevator in a parking garage. When the elevator arrives a boom box is sitting on the floor bump'n Mima music. When the elevator opens again...

Its a f*cking mess to put it LIGHTLY! lets just say that director won't get the chance to look himself in the mirror again to do soul searching. Then the siren and close up of a spinning red light, which one would think, oh an emergency ambulance or cop car in correlation to the murder which took place. Nope, a child's toy car siren, coulda fooled me, and they did. Some people joke about being the perpetrator in a crowd, then the real murderer takes a seat in front of them... small world. In a car ride Tadokoro tells Mima not to worry about the murder, and to smile. As she smiles OtherMima drives by and disappears in a white fog. As Mima runs after the car , traffic builds up and gets contankerous until Mima is forced to get back in the car and arrive at her photo shoot. Little does Mima know this is to be a nude photo shoot, very risque'. OtherMima taunts her and is then seen dancing with CHAM! as ME-Mania watches in delight, and films the show. I'm not sure if Mima and ME-Mania are now seeing the same delusion but lets not look to deeply into it :) yet... but I will say I like the look of ME-Mania's one twinkling little angel eye, like a child's on christmas morning. The contrast between the eye and his facial features is profound to say the least. Maybe a heads up to the fact that though he is a deviant, stalking, he has pure intentions in mind as he idolizes Mima and innocently adores and wants to protect her. Maybe he isn't so bad? Let's see.

"Bastards!"

Mima is then shown soaking in a hot tub after a stressful day at work. She then screams "bastards!" under water, noticeably perturbed at having desecrated her body and public image in the name of pursuing her acting career. Mima feels she is losing any say in what direction her life is tugged in, and rather than voice her feelings she bottles it up, and cooks in her misery. naked pic's of Mima appear in magazines to which ME-Mania reponds by buying the slanderous magazines so no one else can see them, a both gentlemanly and grossly obsessive move. He then chats with some person online saying they are Mima and that the other mima in the magazine is an imposter, to which ME-Mania says he'll take care of her. Maybe a bad guy after all? lol, we'll see.

Mima with her CHAM! friends

Mima is back on a set and some dialogue occurs that though is for the movie is actually what Mima is going through in real life. a very neat kind of paradox thing. Mima sees ME-Mania and forgets her lines. Tadokoro then takes Mima to see her two friends in CHAM! perhaps noticing she's feeling down and this will cheer her up. However as her friends notice Mima, Mima notices OtherMima in the studio who she pursues and everyone else is baffled. A minute long chase is triggered as OtherMima skips away with the weightlessness of a feather and Mima clumsily follows. Then as she runs into a cross walk a truck driven by ME-Mania slams into her, and Mima wakes up in her bed...... Have the last five minutes of the movie even happend? You tell me. At this point I'd like to ask you to please excuse me for a moment as I move my finger over my lips back and forth and make a "bubububububu" sound like spongebob in the misses puff steals his boat mobile episode.


Then Rumi stops by to console Mima. Mima wonders if the Mima writing on "Mima's Room" is more Mima then...well Mima is, who feels she's buried her true self deep in her heart and that this personality is manifesting itself in the real world as OtherMima. Rumi says illusions can't exist in the real world and offers a good ol' hand to the shoulder as a consolation. THEN MIMA IS BACK ON THE SET AS AN ACTOR IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCENE! That hand belongs to Mima's fellow actress. Mima says "Rumi?" and everyone on set is like what the heck? Mima apologizes for screwing up and Eri Ochiai, Mima's fellow actress, says the scene will become a nightmare which is coincidentally exactly what the scene is for Mima. Then a "take two!" can be heard and once again*drum roll* Mima wakes up in her bed. Have the last 10 min.'s of the movie been a dream inside a dream, inside a nightmare? I DON'T KNOW!! Or was one of the dream sequences real and a day or two has passed? was some real and some fake? I'm not exactly sure but this is what I meant by finding it hard to trust a protagonista(yes -ista) that can no longer distinguish reality from fantasy! damn you for being untrustworthy Mima!


But theres hope! maybe the next scene will clear some stuff up. it is the EXACT same few seconds as the previous Rumi visiting Mima arc but then the dialogue changes. Mima says the same thing but Rumi is like I was here yesterday, and Mima asks if yesterday really happened or was it all a dream/fantasy again? Hey at least Mima doesn't know what's going on either, so we aren't alone. In the next few scenes we see how far Mima has truly fallen. She breaks a cup in her hand cutting herself up and only acknowledges that the blood is real. Then while reading "Mima's Room" she reads she wen't shopping and figures since that is what it said she must have. Mima is living from what the Mima in "Mima's Room" does. We are given the perfect example of what a fragile psyche looks like and how much it takes to CRACK.


Then we see the movie Mima's acted in again, as Murano, the pornographer which took the nude pictures of Mima, watches it in his home. The events occurring in the movie are sequential with the events occurring in Mima's very own life in regards to personality disorders, people not knowing who they are, illusions taking control of people and murder. What a coincidence huh!? and then the fact Murano's watching it too, just as he's about to be murdered by*cough*... Lets back up. So as Murano watches it a door bell rings. He looks at the door with his perverted looking messed up pupils and greets the pizza man who he says is weird. 


as he goes to pick something up, a screw driver or something of that nature is driven into his eyeball to which for a split second his brain doesn't even register. While I'm surprised he didn't die I wished he would have, hell he wouldn't have suffered as much. He then screams and blood spews every which way as he is eviscerated by Mima. stabbed multiple times to the stomach, penis, a stab in the back as Mima stabs him through a glass door. And then as he fumbles for the phone is stabbed in the hand and then everywhere repeatedly. There are no words that I can write which would properly provide you with the same emotion as you would, watching this all too real portrayal of savagery. The sheer brutality alone as Murano, a seemingly perverted guy getting what he deserves, screams for mercy as he is stabbed to death, makes for one of the most disturbing scenes i've ever seen of anything. He was just trying to get by like everyone else, he didn't deserve that! As scenes of stabbing and Mima nude are flashed, sleaze and violence intertwine to create a sinister hybrid of nakedness, something supposed to be beautiful, seen in a deviant, perverse light, and stabbing a terrifying act being flashed in between scenes intended to sexually stimulate or arouse and then while feeling arousal, murder is shown almost as if to condition us to see violence as something that arouses us like nudity and sex does, which is something natural, then associate it with something taboo, like murder, until desensitized to see murder as natural as oh say sexual feelings. The same idea behind why rape is seen as something so evil, that sex which is something which should be beautiful is hand in hand with the negative act of over taking a person without their consent. At least thats my interpretation of what the director was going for or perhaps i read into it too much, lol, which is enirely possible. It could have been as simple as Mima seeing flash backs of what this man made her do, but in either case I found it to be a deeply disturbing scene and often results in my hair falling out, lol which is exactly what I want in A psychological thriller! Again, on key scenes I found especially important I thought I might elaborate on them.

Anyway after all this... Mima wakes up again *sigh* in her bed... Thank God she didn't really kill anyone right?! well the phone rings and we learn after Mima talks to Tadokoro that Murano WAS murdered. Well maybe Mima dreamt what she heard on the news? as she checks her closet bloody clothes fall out and the night before seems all too real. It doesn't help reporters barge into her room asking about a love triangle and at work on the set people spread rumors and glare, and she wonders if she really was hit by that truck driven by ME-Mania. Then to top it off in her scene she's acting in, she just murdered someone with a weapon that looks like the one she did Murano in with and upon "action!" hallucinates seeing Murano instead of an actor and she then, yes, wakes up again! in her bed. feels sorta like endless eight in Haruhi. lol


But its not her bed! she's on set and is actually playing herself in double bind! so fiction became reality!? or what? you may ask your self, was this whole thing of Mima being a pop idol/ aspiring actress in this crazy movie a frame story for the whole drama actually being REAL and the other crap FAKE? Well not even that is true. We then see what everyone else sees and Mima is just acting as someone else in the drama that is, by coincidence, playing out in much the same way Mima's real life is. But she seems aloof as everyone cheers, like Mima didn't know she was acting and that that drama was reality, convoluted I know. The room spins and she falls back into Rumi, I'm surprised she didn't wake up in her bed again! Well strap in.... SH*T is about to hit the fan! the next few minutes are finally reality.... for the most part, so all that madness for the moment is over and the story is follow-able again.


Mima runs into Eri Ochiai and some small chat then they part ways. Then Mima thinks its her again but its ME-Mania! after he woops on her the truth is revealed. Like we thought it was him who was murdering people. he was taking orders from the REAL Mima, who ever that could be. This is also the first time we hear him talk, very young and childish and scary sounding. He tries to rape Mima who beats him in the head with a hammer she saw laying around as she was straddled. This probably killed ME-Mania as he staggers off Mima and collapses. This her first murder is like that scene where the staff guy told her to pant heavily, and oh is she exhaling, just like the scene and then... she is in a scene with lights and cameras and applause. Rumi finds Mima waiting outside a door looking like shes seen a ghost. When Mima goes to find a body there is none and Rumi wonders if Mima is dreaming...its possible! Then Rumi driving, with Mima in the back seat, says I'll take you too "Mima's Room" and BAM! Mima is in her room. While Rumi is in the other room, Mima calls Tadokoro and we hear a phone ring. why doesn't Tadokoro pick up? He has gotten his eyes stabbed in and is freaking dead at the studio place! He topples over and lands next to...ME-Mania!? so then.... mima really did kill him. but who moved the body? Mima? and she killed Tadokoro? then the music bachiiya mima comes on and were like oh boy...If it wasn't Mima who did this... Who else would do this!? Who gave ME-Mania his orders, whose the RealMima? Well at least Mima is safe in her own house with Rumi in the next roo-........

wait those aren't Mima's fish...It's not Mima's Room its "Mima's Room".... Holy Crap!!!!!!! Mima is behind Mima but in the mirror we notice one mima is quite portly and robust, who could that be!? Rumi-Chan!!!! Ahhhhh suspense over.


Yes Mima has a red dress on, a little snug and believes she is Mima. That is scary. RumiMima now only has Mima in her way. After some ludicrous banter she takes some stabs at Mima who dodges and then gets stabbed as Mima kicks off RumiMima. Basically nimble, 100 pound Mima is hauling a*s to get away from RumiMima taking stabs at her. Now how that big women Rumi as RumiMima jumps around like she weighs nothing is beyond me but it sure adds to that sense of urgency and oh no I can't escape kind of terror. Now for me, for what ever reason, seeing a hefty person run really fast is pretty scary looking and I say this being a bit on the hefty side myself so take no offense. But when RumiMima looks all graceful and hops around and then you see a mirror of RumiMima and its just Rumi in a red dress....Holy F*cking Sh*t she looks scary as heaven! It shows her sprinting and breathing like a horse with this FACE, no emotion in the eyes! its indescribable, just imagine THAT coming after you with murderous intent and it won't stop even though Rumi shouldn't be able to keep up. You think your safe and then Rumi keeps coming, jumping off buildings, must have been horrifying for Mima! Reminds me of that Dawn of the dead scene.


Well RumiMima catches Mima after Mima's been screaming for help. Mima gets an umbrella stab and then the two talk. RumiMima says SHE is Mima and that Mima is an imposter and Mima is like I don't care what you say , I am Mima because I am Mima, you know? 

Rumi wiping blood on her self

haha anyway a wig gets ripped off, Rumi leans on glass, gets gut like a pig and steps out into a truck almost hit, but Mima saves her by pushing her out of the way. Rumi in the end is at a hospital and has dissociative personality disorder, many personalities. While she snaps out of it occasionally for the most part she believes she is Mima. Mima visits her and is appreciative in that, through the near death experience, she now knows who she is and accepts her self even the bad. Mima is Mima no matter what happens. She is now apparently an accomplished actress, as some nurses recognize her and make her seem a big deal, like she aspired to be, having come through so much adversity. Mima looks in her rear view mirror of her car, takes off her sun glasses and beaming with new found confidence and a new lease on life, says the closing line, "No, I'm real!", as happy music and drums start up, a most fitting end.


- I'm Done!!!! Oh man this pretty much scene by scene review has been a labor of love. I went through the movie again while doing the personnal review to preserve detail and accuracy. I thank any and all that have read through the entire thing or at least glanced at it! Thank you! It took a while but I feel a sense of accomplishment! I hope only that you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it up. thank you Satoshi Kon, for making this and many other great films that I enjoy to watch time to time and discuss even years later, May you rest in peace. I only hope other films like this can sprout from your influence on movies and the anime industry. Thanks to (ANN) for some of the info. Thank you fingers for allowing me to abuse you and type so much. thank you eyes for allowing me to strain you as i looked at a bright white computer monitor, typing late into the night. Thank you back for allowing me to hunch you. Thank you ending credits of Perfect Blue which I type to now. Might go rogue for awhile as this burnt me out. I will treat my self to a short hiatus but will be back soon ^^ until then keep watching anime and anime movies! Till then stay you! If there's anything to get from the movie, its that only you are you! ;) take it easy y'all!


-Relic

From all of us here at the Perfect Blue universe see yea!