The sequence at hand has a lot to discuss, but the main point I want to get across before getting into the weeds here, is that this broke me the first time I saw it. When people talk about how films like Inception or AKIRA blew their mind, this for me, is right up there with them. The editing and directing on display here are just masterful, my words will never be able to do them justice, and while I am perfectly okay with that, maybe through sharing my admiration for them (and the film as a whole), I can get across my point as to why this sequence elevated the entire film for me.

To begin with, I should say that something caught my eye early on in the film, that taught me to watch closely for clever editing techniques, that being the transition from Mima entering her apartment for the first time, with the film cutting on the action of her opening the door to her exiting the arena of the Cham! performance. It is not clear at first that there was a cut to a different time and place, but that changes quickly, as the creepy security guard from the venue’s arm can be seen next to the door, which in turn had me thinking he was in her apartment before it was revealed to be the exit of the venue. This quick trick got me. It got me real good, and from there on, I kept being impressed by just how great the directing and editing were working hand in hand over the course of the entire film. I already mentioned the sequence that this is meant to be about though, so let me stop rambling and get on with it.

Much later in the film, we get to a point where Mima is doing another scene for Double Bind, out in the rain when things get a bit off. She messes up her lines after catching a glimpse of her stalker, with the film then transitioning into a scene with the now duo, Cham! doing their radio show as Mima comes to visit. Through the glass of the recording studio, she has another vision of her “ghost” and runs off in a hurry to chase after her, which ends in the aforementioned truck accident, before Mima wakes up for the first time during this sequence. From there, things just get more bizarre and harder to properly discuss as the entirety of this sequence sort of becomes a blur as we go from Mima performing a scene and then be back to waking up, to having dinner in her apartment with Rumi, before then transitioning back into her scene while continuing to speak her conversation with Rumi, and thus ruining the scene while also confusing all of her peers. This continues on for quite a while, getting even crazier (somehow), with Mima now moonlighting as a pizza delivery boy, only to brutally murder (putting it lightly) the photographer that seemingly took advantage of her with the nude photoshoot after her rape scene on Double Bind. And then… then it happened. This sequence goes from absolutely nuts, to just being almost indescribable. We get another wake-up, this time revealing Mima being interviewed by detectives, which are the actual detectives from Double Bind, who discuss that she was suffering from dissociative identity disorder, and that she was not actually a pop star or actress, going further to add that she had been on the loose as a serial killer. As if this whole shebang could not get more intense, that is also revealed to be a fake out (though I am sure others have done proper analysis on this film, making arguments about this being the true ending and explanation behind the whole film), transitioning out of that to reveal that it was just a nightmare she was having. Obviously, the biggest reveal of the film is saved for the actual climax, in which it is revealed that Rumi is behind everything, after her failure to transition from Pop Idol to something more meaningful seemingly drove her into a craze as she tried her best to protect Mima, before realizing that Mima’s fame and superseding of the Pop Idol persona was out of her control, leading to the inciting of Me-Mania, which in and of itself, is just another mindblower after this crazed sequence. Man, this film is the definition of insanity.

Gif from Perfect Blue (1997)

It is a lot to take in. Through the insane editing and genuinely batshit crazy plot twists to keep up with during this sequence, Perfect Blue creates an utter sense of madness that will leave even the most seasoned veterans of psychological thriller/horror films scratching their head. While balancing great animation, both a thrilling and terrifying story, Satoshi Kon uses a combination of strong direction and impeccable editing over the course of the film to act as a sort-of set up to the ultimate payoff of this unforgettable sequence, and in doing so, elevates the film to the level of a true masterpiece.