Marie Delcy. R. Jimenez

Marie Delcy R. Jimenez Perfect Blue Perfect Blue is a 1997 Japanese animated psychological thriller film directed by Satoshi Kon. It involves the main character, Mima Kirigoe, who retired from being a pop idol in the group Cham in order to pursue an acting career. Upon pursuing acting career, she had experienced conflicts resulted from the changes occurred in the industry such as her role as an actress as well as interpersonal conflicts in which she had confusion in identifying the reality and dream, resulted from the treatment of the industry. While her secretary, Rumi Hidaka, can relate herself to the main character in terms of the feelings and struggles on turning down being the pop idol career. In this matter, Rumi Hidaka developed other self, Mima - the pop idol, the old self of Mima Kirigoe, and murdered people who pushes Mima Kirigoe to be an actress. Mima Kirigoe’s quitting from the J-pop Cham! is a decision of herself in order to become an actress because she uttered that being in the said industry is truly not a joke. It is evident that the producer makes the actress pick which of which saying “This is where Mima proves if she can be seen as a real actress” and they’re all concerned with the profile of the celebrity rather than skills and compatibility of the celebrity when the cam is rolling. At first, she had an obsessed fan, Memania, who always take risks for Rumi’s own persona, Mima. It evident that the Rumi portrays a mother figure to Mima in terms of deciding whether to take the pop idol or acting career, it shows a glimpse of projecting one’s experiences or past to others - Rumi doesn’t want Mima to leave the music industry, being a pop idol, it is because Rumi was a pop idol way back during her days until she projects herself as the Mima, the pop idol, in which, in reality, she is taking the career as an actress – acting matured scenes and engaging on projects with matured contents. Again, Rumi was a pop idol back then and doesn’t want Mima to miss the opportunity of being a pop idol. So, Rumi took risks in order for her own Mima persona to protect its “good girl” character or image in the public by collaborating and asking favors to an obsessed fan, Me-mania, to do all the means – murdering the people inside the industry that supports Mima in improving herself as an actress and developing a personal website (of Mima) stating her experiences in her daily living. The development of the website consisting her daily activities gave Mima an intrapersonal conflict whereas she doubted herself that she is Mima. Also, Uchida’s sexual desire towards Mima was triggered caused by the release of magazines containing her matured contents. Thus, Uchida can be diagnosed with a Celebrity Worship Syndrome (CSW) caused by his being updated to Mima’s life inside and outside of her professional life. In this matter, it shows a glimpse of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) or the Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD). In the middle of Mima’s acting career, she suffered from anxiety – the sudden appearance of a ghost-like Mima, which is normal for an actress despite of showing sensitive parts of one’s body to the media especially she isn’t used to do such thing. The anxiety resulted from the rape scene whereas the production team insists to repeat the sensitive scenes and the likes forcefully. However, it was part of her work and in order for her to get used to it. There are episodes in the film that causes confusion to the viewers which includes the sudden blackout of Mima from killing someone who’s part of the production team specifically, the camera man. In which, it can actually be Rumi herself or Uchida. It is because Uchida is being persuaded or pushed by Rumi by giving various threats, the alter ego of Rumi, to do the things to keep her alter ego. Also, the alter wants the real Mima to be dead in order for the alter ego to be the real one. Rumi in this matter, believes that she is the real Mima, the pop idol while the other one is the fake one. As what mentioned previously, it’s Mima’s decision to leave the CHAM! J-pop group to pursue acting career. This decision of Mima’s affected Rumi as her ‘beyond’ manager, who’s also a pop idol back then, which resulted to her alter ego Mima triggered by the “indecisiveness” of Mima. The alter ego, Mima, gave various threats to Mima (with the care of Uchida) despite of leaving the group which triggered Mima’s anxiety. This transition shows Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie a deux), in which the antagonist, Rumi and Protagonist, Mima shares delusion to each other and they’re in a close relationship. Rumi had delusions seeing herself as Mima, a pop idol while Mima, had hallucinations of another Mima opposing her decisions in career choice. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) was portrayed by Rumi Hidaka whereas she wasn’t aware of the events she’s doing specifically, giving Uchida the means of murdering. It is the scene where Mima see herself uttering words that hits her conscience, serves as her inner voice or conscience despite of her struggles in accepting the industry of taking matured contents and role. However, she is fully aware that she is the manager of the former pop idol, Mima, who is currently an actress.