Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis

by Yoshikazu Takeuchi, Nathan A. Collins (Translator)

Kirigoe Mima is in the third year of her career as a pure and innocent pop idol. Feeling like something big needs to change, she plans to give her image a major update. When the new Mima is revealed, complete with a sexy outfit and a risqué photo book, one of her most obsessive fans refuses to accept her transformation. To restore Mima to the innocent girl of her debut, he puts a terrifying plan to action that throws her life into chaos and mortal peril.

Genres: Horror, Thriller, Light Novel, Manga, Fiction, Japanese Literature, Japan

232 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1991

Reviews

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mima is a Japanese pop idol, who has been in the business for some time, and seems to be growing less culturally relevant with time. She has a dedicated, some might even say obsessive, fanbase, but its obvious to her its time for a change. She's stayed with the pure "good girl" image since the start, and now is time to go with something a little more risqué. While it looks like this might help the sales of her latest album, some fans are not taking it so well. One man in particular finds this a personal insult, and he's willing to go to any lengths to get his old Mima back.

As with probably a good portion of the readers of this novel, I first learned of Perfect Blue from the brilliant Satoshi Kon animated film. It was one of the first shockingly adult anime films I saw and one with great rewatchability to decipher all the hidden details. It had a lot of depth and an almost Hitchcock-feel to it.

The book and the film have only a passing similarity, as other than the initial plot description, are completely different. Less Hitchcock and more 70s style slasher film (when suspense was still more important than the kill count). That’s not to say there is no depth here, the film just covered more topics; from the fandom to the creative process. Here there is only one main focus.

It’s almost shocking to think that this book came out in 1991, as it seemingly describes the toxic fandoms of today. Fans who research celeberties to disturbing extents and think because they enjoy the work, that they own them. That their personal “head-canon” is correct, because their personal connection is more important than anything else. Those, who simply cannot accept that they are not in charge of their favorite pop culture phenomenon.

*At the risk of annoying some people, waves towards some of the Star Wars and Game of Thrones fans in particular*

Here we have a fan who has come to worship this idol as though she were a god, but is personally offended by the idea that she could change her image. Again, this isn’t today, so instead of signing a useless online petition and complaining on Facebook, he takes a more… constructive path.

“I exist to save her. I exist to prevent her from going down the wrong path.”

Some fandoms are truly terrifying. Look at any given social media site, they’re tucked in all of them quite thoroughly. Even here. Don’t believe me? Post a negative review of any given popular YA author’s new book. See how their fans greet your criticisms in open arms.

There’s a line from the Mima’s manager at one point that I truly love. “Of course someone who’s already her fan won’t want her to change. But we have our own thinking. I believe we can move on without fans like these. If they’re so selfish that they’d force Mima to stay a child forever, we don’t want them anyway.” If only all the people in charge took that stance, and ignored the toxic fans, the world would be a better place.

Now I do have a couple of complaints. I don't know if it is the translator or the original author, but the writing is very simplistic and often almost laughable in terms of some stylistic choices. It also contains one of the most ridiculously unbelievable and over the top endings I've ever read, to the point that it almost becomes a parody of some horror conventions. I honestly can't tell if this was intended or not, as it seems to still be trying to build suspense (and on a few occasions almost does) but then I would remember everything that's happening on its final pages and just start chuckling at how ridiculous it's getting. Seriously, the killer gets his face PEELED off, a knife shoved into his throat and miscellaneous other wounds, and he's still going?

Overall this is a fun little book (and when I say little, I mean it. It’s only 208 pages and has large print). It does not have as much depth as the film, which honestly I like significantly more, but it is an enjoyable quick read that still manages to have some interesting ideas and seems as relevant now as when it was published in 1991. 3/5 stars and a moderate recommendation for horror fans, Japanese literature fans and those as sick of online petitions to change any given pop culture phenomenon as I am.

Word of warning to all those who see this cover and think “Okay, an anime style book. Totally safe to read and probably YA in terms of content.” No. This one contains graphic accounts of torture, detailed sex scenes and opens with the (slightly more than) implied rape of a child. This is fortunately not a graphic novel, nor does it contain illustrations of any scenes. For that we can all be grateful.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

*alexa play copy-cat by Melanie Martinez*

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Il romanzo breve Perfect Blue parla della lotta tra una giovane idol ed un fan ossessivo, la cui passione per la sua cantante preferita lo ha portato a superare ogni limite, fino a trasformarsi in follia omicida.



La storia si discosta parecchio da quella dell'omonimo thriller psicologico d'animazione giapponese che ha ispirato, splendido anime visionario ed inquietante, ed in alcuni momenti è di una violenza estrema ed insostenibile, oscillando tra lo slasher (il ridicolo finale con il maniaco quasi immortale è degno del peggior Venerdì 13 ed il gore più estremo(:la scena iniziale della bambina nel parco ed i dettagli degli scuoiamenti sono veramente da voltastomaco).



Pur essendo del 1991, la tematica del romanzo è quanto mai attuale ed ha anticipato di anni il moderno lato oscuro dell'era digitale: alcuni fandom possono essere davvero terrificanti quando la loro passione si trasforma in ossessione,



Se siete interessati all'argomento, siete fan l'omonimo thriller d'animazione di Satoshi Kon (indimenticato regista, sceneggiatore, character designer, e fumettista giapponese autore degli splendidi Tokyo Godfathers, Paprika, Millennium Actress e Paranoia Agent), ed avete lo stomaco di affrontare una lettura malata e disturbante, provatelo: si legge tutto di un fiato.



Peccato solo per quel davvero troppo ridicolo finale.

Tre stelle e mezzo grondanti sangue.

[Matteo Fumagalli · Rating 2 out of 5]

Videorecensione: https://youtu.be/hhQaQhiSKOQ

Se il film d'animazione di Satoshi Kon tratto da questo romanzo è un vero e proprio capolavoro dove la storia di un fan ossessivo e psicopatico e una popstar che lotta per la sua vita è un pretesto per parlare di perdita dell'identità e dissociazione della personalità, il libro di Takeuchi è proprio un horror di serie b.
Inverosimile (il personaggio di Eri e il suo arco narrativo, idol rivale della protagonista, è sostanzialmente incomprensibile), scritto molto male e lineare a livelli quasi banali. Una lettura rapida sicuramente, ma anche mediocre e con scivolate nel cattivo gusto (il primo capitolo, in questo senso è totalmente gratuito e inutile alla narrazione, messo lì giusto per scioccare il lettore).
Nota di merito comunque a Kappalab per aver portato in Italia un romanzo che ha reso possibile un vero e proprio capolavoro cinematografico, quello sì da recuperare e che necessiterebbe di una ristampa in DVD, stupidamente introvabile oggi.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of the most horrifying aspects of this book is that it was written in 1991 and its statements and observations about the commodification of female purity are more relevant than ever.


Full Review Eventually Appearing on ANN.

[Safwan Mahmood · Rating 3 out of 5]

পপ আইডল কিরিগোয়ে মিমা নিজের ক্যারিয়ার টিকিয়ে রাখতে এবং বিস্তৃত করার জন্য সিদ্ধান্ত নেয় তার বহু বছরের পরিচিত ইমেজ থেকে বেরিয়ে আসার। তিন বছর ধরে যে মিষ্টি, নিষ্পাপ মেয়ের ইমেজে নিজেকে গড়ে তুলেছিল, সেটাকেই ভেঙে আকর্ষণীয় পোশাক ও সাহসী মডেলিংয়ের মাধ্যমে নতুন ভাবমূর্তি প্রকাশ করতে যাচ্ছে সে। তবে মিমার এই পরিবর্তন সহজে মেনে নিতে পারে না তার কিছু পুরনো কট্টর ভক্ত।

মিমার জগৎটাকে বাইরে থেকে যতই ঝলমলে লাগুক না কেন, ভেতরে তা অন্ধকার ও নির্মম। এখানে এগোতে হলে কারও না কারও ক্ষতি করতেই হয়—এ বিশ্বাসে অন্ধ নব্য পপ আইডল ওচিয়াই ইরি। মিমাকে নিজের সবচেয়ে বড় প্রতিদ্বন্দ্বী মনে করা এই আইডল স্বার্থসিদ্ধির জন্য যেকোনো কিছু করতে প্রস্তুত। তাই সে মিমার ক্যারিয়ারকে ক্ষতির মুখে ফেলার ফন্দি আঁটে।

আরেকদিকে আছে মিমার এক বিকৃত মস্তিষ্কের ভক্ত, যে মিমার সৌন্দর্যের প্রতি এতটাই মোহগ্রস্ত যে তার এই পরিবর্তন কোনোভাবেই মেনে নিতে পারে না। তার কাছে মিমার নিষ্পাপ সৌন্দর্যই পৃথিবীর সবচেয়ে পবিত্র বিষয়। এই পবিত্রতাকে রক্ষা করতে সে গোপনে চিঠি, ফোনকলের মাধ্যমে মিমাকে হুমকি দিয়ে হয়রানি করে। কিন্তু তারপরও যখন মিমার উত্তেজক ছবিসহ একটা ফটোবুক প্রকাশিত হয়, তখন সে বুঝতে পারে এই ‘পথভ্রষ্ট’ আইডলকে রক্ষা করাটা এখন তার একমাত্র দায়িত্ব। আর সেই উদ্দেশ্যে সে করে এক বিভৎস পরিকল্পনা, যা শেষ পর্যন্ত মেয়েটির জীবনকে চরম বিপদের মুখে ঠেলে দিতে পারে। পপ মিডিয়া জগতের অন্ধকার দিক, বিকৃত মোহ, যৌনতা, নৃশংসতা নিয়েই ইয়োশিকাজু তাকেউচির ‘পার্ফেক্ট ব্লু: কমপ্লিট মেটামরফোসিস’।

‘পার্ফেক্ট ব্লু: কমপ্লিট মেটামরফোসিস’ ছোট পরিসরের সাধারণ গল্প, সীমিত কিছু চরিত্র আর সামান্য সাইকো-হরর থ্রিলারের উপাদান নিয়ে লেখা একটি লাইট নভেল। স্ট্রেইটফরোয়ার্ড গদ্য, স্বল্প বর্ণনা দিয়ে আর ছোট ছোট অধ্যায়ে সাজানো হওয়ায় বইটা পড়তে খারাপ লাগে না। গল্পের প্রথম অংশ পপ মিডিয়া দুনিয়ার বাস্তবতা নিয়ে, আর শেষ অংশ ক্লাসিক সাইকো-সাসপেন্স ধারায় বেশ ভালোভাবেই এগোয়। কোনো টুইস্ট না থাকলেও গল্পের ক্লাইম্যাক্স এবং ফাইনাল শোডাউন মোটামুটি সন্তোষজনক ছিল। তাই সামগ্রিকভাবে বইটি বেশ উপভোগ্য। মো. ফুয়াদ আল ফিদাহ-এর করা বাংলা অনুবাদটাও ভালো হয়েছে।

তবে সমস্যা হলো এই বই অবলম্বনে নির্মিত পার্ফেক্ট ব্লু নামের কালজয়ী অ্যানিমে ফিল্মটির সম্পর্কে আগে থেকে এত প্রশংসা শুনেছি যে, সেই আগ্রহ থেকেই কিনেছিলাম এই বইটি। সেই দিক থেকে আমার প্রত্যাশা অনেকটাই বেশি ছিল। তবে বইটিকে তেমন ব্যতিক্রমী বা স্মরণীয় কিছু মনে হয়নি। বিশেষ করে অ্যানিমে মুভির কিংবা সেটি দ্বারা অনুপ্রাণিত অস্কারজয়ী ব্ল্যাক সোয়ান-এর মনস্তাত্ত্বিক গভীরতার কথা যতটুকু শুনেছি, এই নভেলায় সেরকম কিছুই নেই। সবকিছু মিলিয়ে এটি খুবই গতানুগতিক গল্পের সাধারণ এক সাসপেন্স থ্রিলার—খারাপ না, কিন্তু আহামরি বিশেষ কিছুও নয়। তাই একটু হতাশ হয়েছি।

📚 বইয়ের নাম : পার্ফেক্ট ব্লু: কমপ্লিট মেটামরফোসিস

📚 লেখক : ইয়োশিকাজু তাকেউচি

📚 অনুবাদ : মো. ফুয়াদ আল ফিদাহ

📚 বইয়ের ধরণ : সাসপেন্স থ্রিলার, সাইকো থ্রিলার, হরর থ্রিলার

📚 ব্যক্তিগত রেটিং : ৩/৫

[Blair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Let's start with a confession about my own stupidity: I assumed this was a graphic novel, and I ordered it without checking. It isn't. When it arrived, I put it to one side in a sulk, cursing myself for not checking this very basic fact before spending money on the thing. I picked it up recently with the aim of crossing it off my to-read list, one way or another, and found myself immediately drawn in – it's very pulpy, very easy and enjoyable to read.

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis was published in Japan in 1991 – the classic 1997 anime was an adaptation of this novel – but wasn't translated into English until this year. The story, in which pop idol Kirigoe Mima is threatened by an obsessive fan unable to cope with her move towards a sexier, more adult image, starts much as the film does. But as it goes on, the plot unfolds differently: it's more explicit (in terms of both sex and gore) but also more straightforward (there's no mystery with regards to who is terrorising Mima). The climax moves into all-out horror territory with its depiction of an adversary who seems literally indestructible. The theme is surprisingly, depressingly timely.

An interesting find, and I may yet read the accompanying short story collection, Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream. But if you haven't seen the film, maybe seek that out first.

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[Frédéric · Rating 1 out of 5]

The pitch was interesting.

Satochi Kon made an awesome movie from that pitch.

Takeuchi wrote an insipid thriller with bland characters who manage to get the incredibly dumbest dialogues ever, even when their lives are at stake. Who the fuck talk like that when threatened by a psychopath with a knife?

The writing is dry, without affect whatsoever, and the characters are so empty I couldn’t care less whatever happened to them. The end is pure Grand Guignol a genre that is supposed to be appreciated for itself. Here it’s just a ridiculously poorly written gory scene for shock value only. But it’s so ott it’s a dud.
There’s also a disturbing kid-raping scene that made me want to puke.

So I insist: Satochi Kon made an awesome movie from that pitch. Watch it and just forget about that book.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hace ya varios años vi la película y me impresiono.
No sabia que estaba basada en un libro.
Tras leer la novela veo que si bien hubo cambios, la esencia de la idol y su fan obsesionado que llega a la locura se mantiene.
La lectura requiere de un estomago fuerte, hay varias escenas muy gore, pero creo que logran explorar muy bien esa dicotomía entre la imagen que proyecta la idol y la que se crea el fan, y en cierta forma la resistencia al cambio en ambos.
Y ese final

4stars

[Erin Crane · Rating 1 out of 5]

The message that a woman should be able to decide what she wants to do with her body is appreciated - but the story itself undermined that message a lot. And the execution was poor. I’m not sure how much to blame on bad translation 😆

[Leo Robertson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading the reviews of this book have made me realise how off the deep end I've gone in terms of reading/writing violent content ahaha... So many warnings!

This is okay, but fairly unremarkable. Like the content of a Ryu Murakami novel without the social commentary. I was gonna say like an early Ryu Murakami novel but that guy was always on fire!! Plus he has this unbelievably enormous back catalogue and we only have a few of his books translated into English, and some are translated into French that we don't have!!

I wish I could do something about that.

Anyway this is a case of film 10x better than the book :)

[Annie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Satoshi Kon’s film adaptation of this book added so much more depth to its characters and story. This is a rare “the movie is better than the book” case, but I do feel thoroughly disgusted after reading it and like I need to counteract it with something light, so that’s a plus in my book. :)

[mtl · Rating 3 out of 5]

For God's sake, Mima, get your phone number changed.


Scene from the Anime "Perfect Blue" (1997) directed by Satoshi Kon

And maybe also get a spyhole installed to your door?
I just finished Yoshikazu Takeuchi's Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis, the novel that was adapted as an anime by Satoshi Kon in 1997. I have known the anime for many years, watched it multiple times, and have always - like many others - considered it a masterpiece. Darren Aronofsky undoubtedly felt this way, which surely is why he acquired the rights to the movie and went on to make Black Swan.
So, my reason to pick up the novel was that I know and love the anime, as might be the case for many other readers outside of Japan. Also, it can be considered a small miracle if a translation of a book on which a Japanese movie is based is available at all, if it is not a Manga turned Anime.

However, the story of the movie is very different from that of the book. While both are thriller/horror stories, the greatest appeal of the movie to me is that we don't have only one delusional mentally ill character, a role naturally falling to the book's villain, but three. While watching Mima becoming gradually more stress-induced mentally ill, we only find out about Rumi's own delusions later. Therefore, the movie is not only about an obsessed fan turning into a psychopath, but more about identity and its loss. At the same time the narration style of the movie by means of an unreliable narrator keeps the viewer constantly wondering what is real and what is delusion, dream, or movie scene (movie inside the movie), which greatly adds to the suspense. (If you watch Black Swan after having seen Perfect Blue, the similarities will stand out to you.) I somehow expected all that from the novel, not knowing how closely or loosely it was adapted for the movie, and was slightly disappointed not to find it. If I had read the novel first, my overall impression would perhaps be more positive. You might not care for all these comparisons, but I specifically seek out books on which movies I already love are based (an obsession so extreme that I even started a PhD on one). Yet, it is obvious why the interesting material and motifs of the novel were chosen to be transformed into a movie.

On the whole, it is a nice read, very gripping and visual, creating strong images which will not leave you too soon. Style-wise the writing is at times simple or weird, but I attribute this to the translation. The Japanase original might be great and if I could I would rather have read the Japanese version. Also, maybe I will read Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream next.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

i decided to read this novel before watching the film adaptation of perfect blue. i've been interested in the film for some time, in part because i love black swan, with its surreal and terrifying sense of decaying reality, and the unbearable pressure for a performer to be perfect.

i've heard the two stories are similar on some levels. unfortunately, this book has very little in common with black swan, so i imagine the film version of perfect blue is a big departure from the novel that it was adapted from.

the book itself isn't much of a psychological thriller; it's more of a gritty thriller about a deranged incel whose unhealthy obsession with a pop singer turns him into a monster, as he is determined to preserve her "purity" by any means necessary.

I exist to save her. I exist to prevent her from going down the wrong path.

there's some interesting commentary on the intensity of devoted fandom, as well as the consequences of prioritizing reputation and stardom above all else. like many woman celebrities, our protagonist mima is trapped in the "damned if you do, damned if you don't" dilemma, aware that her public image will suffer regardless of whether she embraces her sexuality or tries to remain "pure" forever. takeuchi touches on all of these ideas, but doesn't examine them with as much depth as i'd hoped.

the story opens to a chilling scene of a child experiencing a surreal and terrifying event, and at first i didn't put together exactly how this prelude connects with the rest of the book. it turns out this child falls victim to the man's first attempt to retain some "purity." i found this scene to be far more eerie and interesting than anything from the rest of the story.

our cast of characters is quite unlikable, and they often made me cringe. they make every bad choice and fall into every stupid trap and predictable horror cliché. and they don't take the villain's threats seriously until it's too late. perhaps these slasher movie clichés were less overdone in early-90s japan, so i suppose i can forgive this; but it still made for a frustrating reading experience.

and lest i forget: THE GORE. sweet lord, the gore in this book was almost unbearable for my tender eyes. if you can't stand violence or gory imagery, definitely steer clear.

i'm not in the habit of listing trigger warnings in my reviews, but this book is loaded with upsetting stuff, so: tw for misogyny, graphic sexual assault, stalking, kidnapping, body mutilation, self harm, blood, gore, body horror, death, sex, alcohol.

it's an interesting and creepy read, but i expected much more. i'm still excited to watch the film version, which i hope will have greater depth.

[Ella Kurki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Might be worth a read for the fans of the movie adaptation, but only to appreciate the complete overhaul the script writers did for the movie. The book fails completely to create any suspense or establish believable characters.

[Jheelam Nodie · Rating 4 out of 5]

অতিরিক্ত ভক্তি যখন পাগলামিতে পরিনত হয়, তখন তা ক্ষতিকর। মিমা যখন তার ইমেজ পাল্টানোর সিদ্ধান্ত নেয়, তখন এক পাগল ভক্ত উঠে পড়ে লাগে তাকে থামানোর, এমনকি যদি তা কোন নৃসংস উপায় হয় তারপরেও।
বলতেই হবে বইয়ের প্রতিটি পাতায় পাতায় ছিল উত্তেজনা। প্রতি মূহূর্তে আমি ভয় পাচ্ছিলাম মিমার জন্য- কারন সে যার মধ্যে দিয়ে যাচ্ছিল, তা আরও অনেকেই সত্য জীবনেও মুখোমুখি হয়। আর ভিলেনে প্রস্তুতিপর্বের বর্ণনা ছিল গা গুলানোর মত। শেষটা ততটা জোরদার লাগেনি, যেমনটা পুরো বই জুড়ে ছিল। বিশেষ করে শেষে চামড়া ছুলে ফেলার পরেও ভিলেন তো বেচে থাকারই কথা না, কিন্তু সে কিভাবে সারা বিল্ডিং মিমার পেছনে দৌড়ে বেড়াল তা অবিশ্বাস্য লেগেছে।
প্রচ্ছদ, অনুবাদ ও ভেতরে আর্ট ভাল লেগেছে। কেমন যেন এনিমে ফিল ছিল। শেষটা ততটা জোড়দার না লাগলেও পুরো বইটা জুড়ে যে অনাকাঙ্খিত অনুসরনকারী যে বাস্তবধর্মী ফিল ছিল এবং তা যে কত ভয়ানক হতে পারে, (যারা বাস্তব জীবনে এর মুখোমুখি হয়েছেন তারা ভাল বুঝবেন) সেটা সুন্দরভাবে ফুটিয়ে তোলার জন্য লেখককে ধন্যবাদ। সাথে অনুবাদকরে ধন্যবাদ অন্য ভাষার এক অন্য রকম থ্রিলারের স্বাদ নিজ ভাষায় উপভোগ করার সুযোগ করে দেবার জন্য।

[Ananna Anjum · Rating 4 out of 5]

আমার কাছে বইটি বেশ ভালো লেগেছে। প্রথম থেকেই দারুন উত্তেজনা কাজ করছিলো যে এরপর কি হবে,এরপর কি হবে। বাস্তবেও এমন অনেক পাগল ভক্ত রয়েছে ,সেটা মানতেই হবে। তবে এতো বীভৎস পাগলামি , যেটা গা গুলিয়ে দিবার মতোই।
যারা একটু অন্য ধাঁচের থ্রিলার স্বাদ নিতে চান, তারা অবশ্যই বইটি পড়বে। আসা করি ভালো লাগবে।
হ্যাপি রিডিং

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

It could have been the author’s style or the translation, but I didn’t love the writing. (Explain to me how lips can tremble like a trapped bird’s beak?)

Also, a lot of plot ran on fictional women making questionable decisions that real women would have avoided ...

[Alyssa · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Perfect Blue" is one of the rare cases in which the movie is better than the book it is based on.
Probably like most of the people who have picked up the book, I read it because I liked the anime. Unfortunately, the anime is a lot better than the book. The two have a similar basic premise -- a pop idol wants to make a change in her professional life and starts to get tormented for it -- but the movie goes a lot more into the psychology of the characters while the book is more about run of the mill gross outs.
The movie toys with the viewer. They, like the protagonist Mima, have to figure out what is real and what is fantasy, delusion, or part of Mima's film. The movie makes Mima question her own reality, not just run away from a bad guy.
The book is a lot more straight forward. The reader never has to question if things are real or not. Mima herself never has to question if things are real or not. She just has to get away from a Buffalo Bill type antagonist who wants to skin her because she's become too impure. This makes the book a pretty run of the mill thriller or horror. It did have some moments that made me cringe, but those were all body horror moments, not things that made me really think about what was happening.
Another thing that I disliked about the book was the treatment of female sexuality. The book holds up the idea that while is okay for women to look sexy, they better not actually have sex. The whole premise of the book is that a Mima has decided (or, rather, her manager decided) to sex up her image in order to further her career. This includes having Mima do a "risque" photobook with tasteful nude shots. However, while it okay for Mima to take nude photos, an innocent picture of her with her arm over the shoulder of a rock star threatens to bring down her career if released to the public. She can take naked pictures but how dare she have a boyfriend she might have sex with! Mima herself reinforces the idea of women looking sexual but not being sexual. She personally berates rival idol Eri for being sexual. Eri, the idol who proclaims her enjoyment of sex, ends up being heavily punished for her overt sexuality. This makes "Perfect Blue" as cliche and preachy as most horror movies-- the girl who has sex dies while the virginal protagonist (or, here, protagonists), lives.
Overall, I would probably suggest just watching the movie again.

[Vivi · Rating 2 out of 5]

[This review is spoiler-heavy and is mostly just me griping.]

The short: Source material that both differs significantly and is retroactively sullied by its adaptation. Straightforward, nuance-free stalker novel with a weirdly abrupt ending. Unintentionally hilarious at moments, but if you're jaded like me it's a quick and inoffensively edgy read.

The long:

Buckle up.

The movie shares surprisingly little with its source material. First off, Mima's a solo artist rather than an ex-girl group member, and the turning point of her life isn't a shift in career but the decision to strip away her pure, virginal image in favor of something more grown-up in the form of a sexy photo collection. Her insecurities stem from her fear of aging out of her lane and being left behind in favor of younger, sexier talent. Both extremely valid in a culture where famous females are expected to toe the line of both their fan's desires and a wholesome image. It's all about the preservation of their adult male fan's fantasies at the expense of her personal freedoms and sexual autonomy - all to generate ridiculous amounts of profit for the executives and record companies above her. Mima is working with this reality rather than defying it and feels the need to shift the times to continue performing and placing on the charts.

The key players are still mostly intact, Mima and Rumi are there. Her manager, Tadokoro aka 'Bon-chan' is now a main character, and much closer to Mima, acting as both a protector and a father figure (though he makes some creepy comments about her body on a couple of occasions and designs the sexed-up costume she performs her new single in). The photographer behind Mima's racy photobook is also a supporting character now, but he doesn't do all that much. Rumi's quite different, going from Mima's overweight, aging agent to her perky assistant. Rumi's personality is also flipped from her movie version. Rather than an uncompromising big sister with underlying instability, she's perfectly normal, if not slightly immature, and is implied to be closer in age to Mima than her middle-aged movie counterpart.

Ochiai Eri exists is here too, but in name only. Rather than an established soap opera actress for Mima to look up to she's a sexy younger idol going straight for Mima's jugular. Out of all the characters, it was Eri I had the most trouble not rolling my eyes at. She's more of a plot device than anything. Established as a threat to Mima's waning stardom, but too vapid to be a proper foil. There just isn't much to her beyond petty vindictiveness and being the morally bankrupt jailbait (alleged, it's implied that she's lying about her age) floozy to contrast with Mima's diligence and apparent purity. While that could've been an interesting dynamic, the author kind of dropped the ball. on us All Eri does is scheme and screw for a few scenes before she's kidnapped, assaulted, and unceremoniously murdered by the stalker. Then she's out of the book for good.

Griping aside, this was a quick read. With breaks, I finished it in under three hours and didn't really feel it at all. It's also a rather unsatisfying read. There's no slow burn degradation of Mima's psyche as she struggles to determine whether or not she's losing her marbles, nor any building dread as Me-Mania's obsessive antics escalate. Just a straightforward, borderline campy obsessive stalker and celebrity story. If I'd gotten the chance to read it years back, maybe before watching the movie, my opinion would be different, but with stories out here like Misery this just doesn't measure up. It's not a terrible book, and enjoyable if you like this kinda thing, but it's a tough act to follow the movie. This is kinda sad, considering the movie wouldn't exist if not for this novel.

The movie is an objectively superior product. And that's not a sentiment I hold on too often. Both mediums can tell the same story differently so I try not to compare books too close to their adaptations. Still, if you gotta pick between the two, go for the movie. This book is only really worth it if you haven't watched it yet or if you want to compare and contrast.

The prose of the English translation is a smidgen above beige, and while it didn't bore me too badly I wanted for something much moodier. Plot-wise, it's a typical crazy stalker story with zero nuance, though some of the more ridiculous moments involving the stalker made me laugh out loud from the sheer ridiculousness of it all. I expected Rumi to orchestrate all the insanity as she had in the film, but ultimately she ended up as a damsel in distress to lure Mima to the story's climax. The last scene reminded me of a lot of the end of Child's Play. Only with less fireplace burning and more flaying one's self alive. It was hilarious.

Kon did a bang-up job turning this mediocre horror novel into a deeply engaging psychological thriller. This is one of the few opportunities where I get to say, unironically, that the movie was better than the book.

Despite the novel's cheesiness, it's a friendly reminder that the Japanese idol industry is still as exploitative as ever. Fast forward 30 years later, men like this novel's antagonist make up like 65% of modern idol fanbases and with said idols getting younger and younger (Eri, who was considered particularly jailbait-ish in the novel would be an old bitty by today's pop aidoru standards) it's only getting worse. Like, yeah, there are girls and other young people that are into these singers but they're not the one's buying up dozens of copies of CDs just to be creeps at meet and greets or sending death threats when their favorite idol gets a boyfriend. The whole industry's poison.

The novel's most egregious sin is the abrupt ending. After the climax that's it. No denouement, no epilogue, and it isn't pulled off stylishly. You don't even get to find out how Mima gets out of the dang room she's in. It's over with no sense of resolution or proper cool-down. The shit just ends.

Just like this review.

[carina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book traumatized me in the most disturbing way. I'm not recomending this book to anyone sane. It had nothing to do with literature and it looks like it was written especially for an anime(which probably is- i know the Perfect Blue movie). It was a quick read and the plot was interesting, but the gore ain't it. I'm sensitive to this kind of gore and really nobody told me about it, only that it was traumatizing(i still accepted the challenge since i read a little life, mysterious skin and the captive prince), so i guess I take responsibility for it.



(P.S: daca sonia zice ca e foarte traumatizanta, n-o citi <33)

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très réussi, très glauque. Je ne le relirais pas, mais j'ai apprécié découvrir la mécanique du système idol. Maintenant, il faudra regarder le film !

[Lizzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the film is generally considered to be better, and I agree with this assessment, there is something incredibly haunting about this story whatever form it is told in. Especially as celebrities like Chappell Roan speak out against the commodification of their personal lives by obsessive fans, it seems that in more than thirty years we still have not yet learned the lessons taught to us by Mima Kirigoe.

[Akshay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis by Yoshikazu Takeuchi

⭐⭐⭐⭐⚝ (4.0 / 5)

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis is a psychological horror novel that operates less like a traditional thriller and more like a slow psychological autopsy. Best known through its famous anime adaptation, the original novel is leaner, colder, and more interior-focused—concerned not with spectacle, but with the fragile mechanics of identity under surveillance.

📌 Review

The novel follows Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol transitioning into an acting career. What initially appears to be a standard showbiz thriller quickly mutates into something more unsettling: a study of self-fragmentation in a world where image matters more than personhood.

Takeuchi’s prose is deceptively simple. Scenes are often short, emotionally flat, and observational—mirroring Mima’s growing dissociation. This stylistic restraint is crucial: the horror does not erupt; it accumulates. The reader experiences confusion not through twists, but through repetition and distortion.

Unlike many psychological thrillers, the novel refuses to anchor the reader in certainty. Mima’s thoughts, fears, and perceptions are treated with equal narrative weight, making it impossible to distinguish paranoia from reality until it is too late.

📌 Spoiler-Filled Plot Analysis

As Mima leaves her idol persona behind, she begins receiving threats from an obsessive fan. Simultaneously, a website appears documenting her life in uncanny detail. At first, this external surveillance feels like the primary danger.

However, the narrative gradually reveals that the true horror is internal. Mima begins seeing a version of herself—the “idol Mima”—who represents the identity she abandoned. This apparition mocks, judges, and ultimately attempts to overwrite her sense of self.

The novel’s most disturbing turn is its revelation that Mima is not merely being stalked, but psychologically manipulated by someone close to her, exploiting her vulnerability and fractured identity. The violence that erupts is not cathartic; it feels procedural, almost inevitable.

By the end, survival does not equate to healing. Mima reasserts her identity, but it is clear that something permanent has been altered. The metamorphosis is complete—not into madness, but into a self hardened by exposure.

📌 Themes and Motifs

Identity as Performance: The self exists only insofar as it is observed and approved.

Surveillance and Control: Fans, media, and managers all participate in the erosion of autonomy.

Dissociation: Trauma manifests as doubling, hallucination, and narrative instability.

The horror of Perfect Blue is not that Mima is watched—but that she learns to watch herself the way others do.

📌 Comparison to Genre Contemporaries

Compared to American Psycho or The Silence of the Lambs, Perfect Blue is quieter and more intimate. It lacks the grandiosity of serial-killer mythmaking and instead focuses on psychological suffocation. Violence is not a spectacle; it is a symptom.

Against Japanese contemporaries like Audition or In the Miso Soup, Takeuchi’s novel is less visceral but more disorienting. Where those works rely on shock escalation, Perfect Blue relies on erosion—identity wearing thin under constant observation.

What sets it apart from many psychological thrillers is its prescience. Long before social media culture, the novel anticipates the horror of curated selves, parasocial entitlement, and identity collapse under audience ownership.

📌 Strengths and Limitations

Strengths:
The novel excels in psychological realism and thematic focus. Its restraint makes the horror linger. The interiority of Mima’s experience is handled with precision and empathy.

Limitations:
Readers expecting a fast-paced thriller or explicit explanations may find the ambiguity frustrating. The novel demands patience and emotional attentiveness.

📌 Final Verdict

Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis is a chilling, intellectually rigorous psychological horror that remains disturbingly relevant. It is less interested in who commits violence and more interested in how environments create conditions where identity collapses.

As a novel, it is subtler than its famous adaptation, but arguably more unsettling. Its horror is not visual—it is structural, psychological, and painfully modern.

[Niquie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Perfect Blue another oldie brought over by Seven Seas. Thank you Seven Seas, please keep the oldies coming.

I love this cover, the colors, the image, it just works. The font is large print, not sure why, but it was nice, just makes the book seem longer than it is.

As for the story, it’s about an idol changing her image and an obsessed fan stalking her unable to accept her changing. And he has a creepy skin fixation. Because I know I watched the anime before, even though all I remember from it is Mima maybe going crazy (?), I decided to go into this book blind. Big mistake.

I don’t like stories like this, they creep me out and I already have enough things I fear. But I was determined to finish this so I did. Toshikazu Takeuchi did a decent job creating a creepy atmosphere (for the first half) and the descriptions were done well. When the sex and gore scenes happened it was like being smacked in the face. They were much more adult than I was expecting. I’m not sure if it’s because this felt like a YA novel or if the expressions seemed cheesy and dated?

But then the second half happened and I struggled to suspend my disbelief. I’m not saying will power isn’t extraordinary, but come on. The way the story was going I’m surprised the pieces of his body didn’t start crawling towards her. That’s how unbelievable it got.

It’s like once the stalker decided to go after her the book stopped creeping me out. Part of it was that I was able to create distance between myself and the story, there’s just no way this could ever happen to me, like nope. But a big part of it was I kept thinking ‘is that physically possible?’ Like the stalker skins his face but seems unaffected, he gets stabbed in his throat, later pulls out the knife and is able to speak fine and doesn’t seem affected by the blood loss at all, I’ll give the whole Mima seeing his decapitated head speaking thing a pass since she was no doubt traumatized but that’s it.

Other things I liked:
- likable main character
- no romance, possible potential side pairing implied
- quotes about changing

Could’ve been better:
- wish a side character had been developed more
- ending just ends, wish I’d gotten to see what happened next
- story made idols seem like sex symbols with only male fans

I decided not to order the upcoming short story collection, mostly because of the cover. I just don’t want that in my house. So frigging creepy.

Final Thoughts: I don’t regret reading this, but outside of a few moments I didn’t really like it. It was interesting learning how much was changed in the anime adaptation.

[Hannah · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sometimes authors write characters in such a way that makes you want them to die. The two female characters involved in this final, "climactic" chase scene (Rumi & Mima), made such stupid decisions that I was rooting for their death. It was just so aggravating to read 2-3 chapters worth of these dumb women trying to escape from this evil man without actually successfully getting anything done until the very last 2 pages. And that only happened because of some other characters being there.
Here are some examples of their absolute stupidity:
1. Leaving the light on in the room where they were hiding in an otherwise completely dark and empty building.
2. Getting caught 2 seconds after they decide to try to make their 1st escape by running into a wall because they lose their footing. (Not entirely their fault but it was incredibly aggravating and a complete waste of time)
3. When one of them finally does escape from the bad guy (for like the 2nd time) they end up just sitting in another dark room where they originally were taken for quite some time while pondering whether or not to take the emergency exit or not and then getting caught again.
4. When other characters who try to save the two ladies by "killing" the villain but not actually checking to make sure he's dead so he ends up attacking the main character again...for like the 3rd-4th time after her pathetic attempts of "escaping."
They just were so stupidly useless that I lost all respect for them. Pitiful characters who continued to not think and do stupid things and totally deserved to die.

[Valouutiine · Rating 1 out of 5]

0/5

Vraiment une torture à lire.

Déjà, je croyais que c'était un livre graphique. Surprise hein. Non, c'est un roman.

Les personnages sont vides et irréfléchis. Rien ne va dans leur comportement et rien ne va dans leurs réflexions.

C'est mal écrit, les dialogues sont tout sauf naturels. Et surtout, c'est dégueulasse.

On sent vraiment que c'est un homme qui a écrit ce déchet. Plusieurs viols sont décrits comme servant à mieux comprendre la psychologie du dégénéré obsédé par Mima mais en réalité on aurait très bien pu s'en passer. Le premier, qui décrit le viol d'une enfant (une enfant !!) dégueu vraiment j'ai cru que j'allais vomir. Il ne sert à aucun moment l'intrigue. C'est dégueulasse.

L'écriture du personnage féminin "méchant" se base sur de la pure misogynie. Et, comme tous les autres personnages elle est fade et stupide. + Les femmes sont grosso modo des objets, ni plus ni moins. Terrible. Les personnages ont aussi 0 instinct de survie j'ai cru que j'allais péter mon crâne.

Mais l'apogée, c'était la postface de l'auteur (un homme ofc) qui nous dit : "Étant moi-même un fan inconditionnel d'idoles, je suis fort bien placé pour comprendre le raisonnement de ces obsédés". Dégoût vraiment.

Si ça vous intéresse : fuyez vraiment.

[ANIT · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book delves into the dark side of fame, identity and obsession. With its eerie atmosphere and unsettling twists, it keeps me questioning reality until the last page of the book.
A top notch psychological thriller. And guess what it was written in 1991.

[Wasee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dreadful

[Aylin · Rating 3 out of 5]

حالم خیلی بد شد. دفعه بعد کامل وارنینگای کتاب و چک می‌کنم.