Photo courtesy of GKIDS. © 1997 Madhouse
Official Site: https://gkids.com/films/perfect-blue/
Photo courtesy of GKIDS. © 1997 Madhouse
PERFECT BLUE (パーフェクトブルー, Pāfekuto Burū, 1997), the legendary first film from the late auteur director Satoshi Kon returns to cinemas nationwide in a gorgeous new 4K restoration, courtesy of GKIDS.
PERFECT BLUE is the debut feature from the legendary director Satoshi Kon (PAPRIKA, MILLENIUM ACTRESS, TOKYO GODFATHERS). The groundbreaking feature is singular in its impact throughout the film world at large, and its influence can still be felt today. PERFECT BLUE has been hailed as one of the best animated features of all time and is only one of a handful of projects the late Satoshi Kon directed before his passing in 2010. The shocking debut feature remains relevant to this day, with a prescient vision of shattered identities formed by living in the public eye in an online world. Kon’s bold view on how technology and media can mold and distort our own perceptions of ourselves has only grown more haunting with time.
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. After an astounding 13 Best Animated Feature nominations, the company took home the Oscar in 2024 for Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed feature, THE BOY AND THE HERON. The company’s previous nominations include THE SECRET OF KELLS in 2010, A CAT IN PARIS and CHICO & RITA in 2012, ERNEST & CELESTINE in 2014, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA and SONG OF THE SEA in 2015, BOY AND THE WORLD and WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE in 2016, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI in 2017, THE BREADWINNER in 2018, MIRAI in 2019, WOLFWALKERS in 2021, and THE BOY AND THE HERON in 2024.
For more than a decade, GKIDS’ influence on cinema has redefined the perception of animation as an artistic medium on par with live-action film through its stewardship of the Studio Ghibli catalog and by introducing American audiences to the critically-acclaimed films of other master filmmakers from around the world such as Mamoru Hosoda (MIRAI, BELLE), Tomm Moore (THE SECRET OF KELLS, WOLFWALKERS), Benjamin Renner (ERNEST & CELESTINE), Makoto Shinkai (WEATHERING WITH YOU), Nora Twomey (THE BREADWINNER), Alberto Vázquez (UNICORN WARS) and Masaaki Yuasa (INU-OH, THE NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRL), among countless others. Also, GKIDS is the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions.
About MBS
Mainichi Broadcasting System, Inc., (MBS) is known as a pioneer in the Japanese broadcasting industry. Tracing back through history, MBS was one of the first commercial radio stations in Japan, starting its first radio broadcasts in 1951 and later beginning terrestrial television broadcasting in 1959. MBS has its head office in Osaka, which is the business center of Kansai, the western part of Japan, with new emerging businesses and innovative ideas. For anime, MBS has been co-producing and broadcasting for more than half a century. The broadcaster is the TV home to numerous global hit anime franchises like ATTACK ON TITAN, FULL METAL ALCHEMIST and JUJUTSU KAISEN. In addition to co-producing those and many other series, MBS was a co-producer of AKIRA, seen as one of the most influential anime films of all time. | Website
About Science SARU
Science SARU is an animation production company committed to nurturing new talent and implementing cutting-edge creative technology; the company has produced projects across different mediums, including for television, film, and streaming. Some of Science SARU’s best-known works include LU OVER THE WALl, DEVILMAN crybaby, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF EIZOUKEN!, INU-OH, and THE COLORS WITHIN, among others. Science SARU’s future releases include the TV anime series SANDA, planned for broadcast in fall 2025, and THE GHOST IN THE SHELL, planned for broadcast in 2026. | Website