Perfect Blue
Synopsis:
When popular pop idol Mima decided to retire from her group, Cham, and become an actress, she had no idea that one person's obsession would soon spiral out of control. With death threats, letter bombs and a forged website which details her every move, Mima finds herself slowly becoming trapped in a nightmare she can't seem to escape. With murders piling up and her mental state slowly degrading, can she discover who the culprit is, before she becomes the next victim?
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Paranoia Agent
- TV (13 eps)
- 2004
In the streets of Tokyo, a new menace has surfaced: Shounen Bat, a young boy who wears golden roller skates and a baseball cap, and likes to whack people on the head with a golden baseball bat. These seemingly unconnected and random attacks soon become a police investigation... but after all is said and done, is there a pattern to this chaos?
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11 people think you'd like this because...
add recParanoia Agent and Perfect Blue are very alike because the characters have trouble distinguishing fantasy from reality. Both of these anime are in the mystery genre.
Firstly, both Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent were created by the same creator Satoshi Kon; so already you know there are going to be similar themes of questioning identity, the blur between reality and the mind, modern culture (in particular Japanese culture) and general mind warping and screwing around with - in the best possible way of course.
Both anime take the form of a detective story The viewer, using the clues the film/series provide, must find out the truth, and with numerous viewings, can pick more things up, as well as make the connections quicker.
Paranoia agent and Perfect blue both have a deep psychological aspect to them as a central part of the plot. Is what's happening real or is it a fantasm? Is it made up by the victims or is someone really having a grudge against them? Through a dream-like script progressing the same way as insane thoughts, these two animes have what it takes to make the viewer really doubt what they saw and think, bringing in new theories with each event, and only coming to a clear conclusion at the very end.
These are both very enthtalling psychological thrillers from Satoshi Kon. The interesting note however is that though they both focus on some similar issues (paranoia, what is real and what is not) they take it from very different angles.
Psychological thrillers by Satoshi Kon. No matter what he creates, it'll be a huge success. Paranoia Agent and Perfect Blue are one of his greatest works and they are quite similar: exciting thrillers with mindfuck! While Perfect Blue is a 80min movie, the story doesn't seemed to be cramped nor does the 13 episodes long Paranoia Agent bore you. If you like one, you love the other! Go and watch :D
If you enjoyed the confusing twist and turns of Perfect Blue then Paranoia Agent is one of those Anime won't disappoint. The fact that both show have the same "scratching your head" story line, and have the same helpless types characters is one of the best reason why you should watch Paranoia Agent.
This is pretty obvious reccomandation, since both anime were created by Satoshi Kon so they share many similaritis in style, graphic and general mood. Not to mention that the plot of both Perfect Blue and Paranoia Agent mixes fictional world, created in minds of its characters, with reality.
Paranoia Agent and Perfect Blue are two incredibly messed up psychological thrillers who ask nothing less then 100% attention to keep track of what's going on. Wherever you'll go into these determined to figure out what's happening, or just want to sit back and let the massive wall of confusion hit you head first, both of these mindf*ck shows made by Satoshi Kon shouldn't be missed by fans, they're among the best in the genre.
Serial Experiments Lain
Alt titles: Lain
- TV (13 eps)
- 1998
"I have only abandoned my body, I still live here" - are the words emailed to friends of Chisa, several days after her death by suicide. As Lain delves deeper into the world of the "Wired" (also known as the internet), the line between it and reality becomes more and more unclear. Close the world, open the nExt.
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9 people think you'd like this because...
add recLike Perfect Blue, Lain is a very bizarre anime. It has a very good story and interesting twists. If you liked the strangeness of one of these anime, you'll love the twisted delights that the other brings.
Both Perfect Blue and Lain deal with the theme of identity. There are the people we are on the outside, and the person we are when we're alone. Who is that and to what lengths will the main characters go to find that out?
I found both Lain and Perfect Blue have a similar feeling - I often felt confused, but intrigued at the same time. Lain does not explain itself while Perfect Blue ultimately explains itself at the end, so Perfect Blue is best if you are looking for something less open ended.
Serial Experiments Lain and Perfect Blue tell the story of either a young girl (Lain) or woman (PB) who becomes increasingly aware that they have become part of a world much more frightening then they had ever realized. As fame for each increases via the net (Lain) or the media (PB), their paranoia and fears increase causing them to act strangely and segregate themselves from the society they live in, whilst their worlds darken and the threat around them increases.
Both Lain and Perfect Blue are about the life of a young woman who is struggling to stay sane while in the midst of life changing events - events which would ultimately destroy her view of herself and reality.
Both Perfect Blue and Lain have a main character which seems to have different persona that they can't control. Lain is about the web and how close it can be to reality, and Perfect Blue is about someone who is obsessed with the main character. When you watch them they both give you a similar feeling.
Two words: Mind fuck! If you like being really confused, yet intrigued, "Lain" and "Perfect Blue" are for you. Don't expect "Lain" to tie up as neatly as "Perfect" though.
Paprika
- Movie
- 2006
In Japan, a team of scientists have created a medical breakthrough: a device that allows the wearer to enter the dreams of a patient, for the purpose of healing. The talented Paprika is a master at her profession, but complications have now appeared in the form of a “dream terrorist” – an unknown foe who inserts nightmares into the minds of those who use the device. The victims are swept up in a ghoulish parade of dolls, kitchen appliances, and musical animals, and are reduced to a vegetable state – or worse. Now, Paprika and the team of scientists must delve into the minds of those affected to figure out the source of the tampering before more people, including themselves, are damaged beyond repair.
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6 people think you'd like this because...
add recIf you enjoyed the psychological confusion that Perfect Blue offered, Paprika gives you the same spice, and much more. Paprika and Perfect Blue are created by the same person and thus the style is evidently the same. They both have a very scattered execution which is good, because they're both mysteries. Paprika has the aspect of entering and altering people's dreams which makes its plot very interesting. Also, it's a recent movie so the boosted art and animation quality is a bonus. Perfect Blue was mysterious and has some horror aspect.
Both Perfect Blue and Paprika are directed by Satoshi Kon, fit into similar anime realism genres which are rich in Satoshi Kon's social commentaries, and have intellectually stimulating themes.
What is reality? What are dreams? When do we know when we're in either state? Paprika and Perfect Blue explore these ideas with a great deal of success - both have dark undertones which are caused by deep-seated trauma. If you liked either of these, the other will surely appeal to you.
Both movies deal with the human psyche and transcend traditional storytelling by not quite letting the viewer feel sure about what's real and what is not.
Perfect Blue was one of Satoshi Kon's early works, and I think is his best. If you enjoyed Paprika's style of story, then you will love Perfect Blue's engaging story of a pop idol turned actor who discovers she has a stalker. Kon keeps the suspense coming with every scence, and you will be mesmorized by how well Kon executes his stories. Both movies have interesting characters and an interesting story that only Kon could express.
Both films refers to the thin border between reality and dreams or illusions. They are also well made, have very addictive plot and touch some delicate problems of human's psychology, so if you enjoyed one, you won't be disappointed by the other.
Kite
- Movie
- 1998
As a young girl, Sawa is orphaned when both her parents are brutally murdered and is taken in by a police detective named Akai, who trains her to be a professional killer. He turns Sawa and Oburi, a young boy, into his puppets and makes them kill to fulfill his own sense of justice against child molesters and other harassing members of society.
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4 people think you'd like this because...
add recI don't know what it is about Kite and Perfect Blue that fits so well together, but I know they do. I guess they're both in the "grim and gritty" category for me. You should definitely check them out.
Because both have a twisted plot and some extreme violence, a dark and gloomy atmosphere prevails in both Perfect Blue and Kite. Both give us a realistic and scary view on harsh topics.
Though the storylines are different, they both include the same elements that make them so much alike. Murder, gore, suspense, disturbing/graphic scenes, and unexpected plot twists. You're sure to like them both.
Akira
- Movie
- 1988
Following the disaster wrought upon the world by a mysterious being called ‘Akira’, Neo Tokyo is now in social and economic turmoil. In such a decaying city, feisty Kaneda and his shy friend Tetsuo survive by running around in a biker gang, chasing local rivals and generally evading the police. Everything changes, however, when Tetsuo crashes into a strange-looking boy during a bike chase and the military ends up taking him away. When he eventually returns to his friends, he’s no longer the same weak little boy they always knew – in fact, a military experiment has turned him into something beyond human imagination. While the military is intent on reclaiming its specimen at any cost, Tetsuo is sick of being bullied around and is about to show everyone, including his friend Kaneda, exactly who is boss.
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3 people think you'd like this because...
add recYou may think that Perfect Blue and Akira have absolutely nothing in common, but that is definitely not true. Both of them have a lot of violence, and they both are about someone in trouble. If you like one, you will find the other to be very similar and entertaining.
Both these animes begin normally enough. However, over the course of the show/movie events start getting more intense and confusing. Events and people become more frantic and less sane, building up to where the main characters all seem to lose their minds.
