Junji Ito might be thought of as the master of horror in the anime realm but the manga artist is far from the only creepy creator that has added to the medium throughout its history. Case in point, 1997’s Perfect Blue is a mind-bending anime epic from prolific creator Satoshi Kon, examining the dark side of the pop idol life. In a stylish new social media post, a major Marvel artist who has supplied the comic book company with quite a few artistic covers has shared their take on the star of this disturbing story.
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For those who haven’t seen Perfect Blue, the Studio Madhouse film walks the line between celebrity and insanity, as Mima Kirigoe attempts to break free from the pop idol life to the world of serious actors. Thanks to her first role placing her into some questionable scenarios, Kirigoe begins to wonder if she made the right choice in leaving her light life of idols behind her. Stalked by an obsessed fan and having to deal with murders taking place in her city, Perfect Blue remains a classic example of what the anime medium can do when it breaks free from some of the more typical storytelling that has become prevalent in the scene.
[RELATED: Anime Director Satoshi Kon Addresses Hollywood’s Plagiarism in Resurfaced Interview]
Artgerm’s Perfect Blue
Stanley “Artgerm” Lau has long been a prolific artist, whether working on Marvel comics or otherwise. In the past, Lau has supplied the North American comic book publisher with work on major titles including The Fantastic Four, The Amazing Spider-Man, Ms. Marvel, The Mighty Thor, and too many others to count. On top of working on the Marvel side of the aisle, Lau has also worked on major DC Comics’ properties including Harley Quinn, Supergirl, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Superman.
This latest take on Perfect Blue’s Mima Kirigoe is far from the only time the comic book artist has dipped their toes into the anime realm. In the past, Lau has shared their takes on the likes of Chainsaw Man, Spy x Family, Tokyo Revengers, Naruto, Dandadan, Yu Yu Hakusho, Attack on Titan, and more. While this crossover might not be official, it goes to show how the worlds of anime and North American comic books continue to collide.
The Perfect Blue Controversy
While there will most likely never be a sequel to Perfect Blue, the anime movie did hit headlines in recent years thanks to a big controversy. Kon shared the fact that director Darren Aronofsky had placed a scene in the mind-bending film, Requiem For A Dream, that was an homage to the creepy anime film, “He’s supposedly a big fan of the movie, and I actually got to talk to him when he came here for Requiem for a Dream. I watched Requiem for a Dream, and this scene here where she’s submerged her face in the bath and is basically suffocating? And here, she can’t hold it back anymore and scream, ‘You idiot!’ He used these two cuts scenes, the same angle and pose and everything. They’re in Requiem for a Dream. I asked him about this, and he said it was an homage to me.”
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