"Who am I?", a chilling and thought provoking narrative that blurs the lines between reality and fantasy. It's purposefully confusing and misleading directing, well developed characters, genius animation, and haunting

At first I was watching this and waiting for it to get good, (I don't mind a slow start or tons of exposition) and I didn't think it would end up being the kind of movie I'd like. However, as it started to pick up the pace it got better, and it got better again, and again until it ended. I'm not a film student, but even from the start I could tell that the director Satoshi Kon, did a fantastic job at presenting Yoshikazu Takeuchi's work; the man clearly had a vision.

Thoughts
Right from the get-go the viewer is intentionally mislead about what's going on, and this continues throughout the entire movie. You're meant to be just as confused as Mima, almost put into her shoes, her perspective. And that's why I think it's really a film that's meant to be experienced. You're meant to be Mima.

Story
The story follows Mima Kirigoe, a former pop idol who decides to pursue a career in acting. During this transition she's targeted by a stalker who gradually infiltrates her life and psyche. The film delves into themes of identity, obsession, and the loss of self. What determines our identity? It's brilliantly directed with confusing cuts, and a narrative that jumps around keeping the viewer just as confused as Mina, questioning what is reality, and what is delusion?

Characters
The main focus is on Mima, and then her manager Rumi, and her stalker. Mima goes through a dramatic change throughout the movie, switching careers from idol to actress, and also from sane to crazy. The entire movie is basically her fighting an identity crisis and the intrusive presence of her stalker. She reacts like a very real person would, humanizing her as someone who isn't just a character on a screen, but a real person, someone who you can imagine being.

Visuals
Unlike a lot of other anime, the people don't look stylized and look a lot like, well, people. It might seem like an insignificant detail, but I think it added to the realism and immersion of the film. The scenes were crafted in a way that was intentionally confusing. The color design a detail that almost goes unnoticed but subtly adds so much to the animation.

Audio
Usually I think of the audio as more of an afterthought, something that's there to support the scene rather than be the sole focus. However the music in this movie played such a crucial role in intensifying the psychological thriller atmosphere. It was unnerving. The voice acting was good too in both English and Japanese. I chose to watch it dubbed but switched a little bit and every actor had their moments, there were certain scenes where one language was just better, but overall solid performance from both sides. I wouldn't recommend watching it one way or the other, it's just up to personal preference.

Enjoyment
I think Perfect Blue may have ruined the psychological genre for me. I don't think I can ever see a piece in the same genre now without comparing it to this master class of animation. It was one of the first anime I've seen that was so purely psychological. I have seen others that are psychological at the core, but this one had the most focus directed solely in that genre and it stood out from the rest. It checks all my boxes in how it was directed and presented. The story was captivating and thought provoking This, along with the complex characters, striking visuals, and haunting audio, it is an instant classic. I highly recommend it as a must-watch in the psychological and thriller genres.