Watching anime is always awesome, but it’s even better when it’s Miso at the Movies! We were able to check out two limited-time engagements, with the anime classic Perfect Blue and live-action film Battle Royale getting exclusive cinema theater screenings. Grab some popcorn and check out our thoughts!
Just a heads up before we begin, both films are amazing but intended for mature audiences. Perfect Blue does depict some very sexual and violent themes, and Battle Royale includes some very violent gore that occurs to minors. Viewer discretion is advised.
Perfect Blue – 4K Restoration
Searching for classic anime to watch, I heard the film Perfect Blue get tossed out as one of the best 90s titles. I was familiar with the late Satoshi Kon’s works (with Paprika being one of my all-time favorite movies), but I hadn’t had the chance to watch Perfect Blue. With GKIDS re-releasing the film with a new 4K restoration, I decided to check it out.
Perfect Blue is a disturbing film. In fact, it relishes in the depraved nature of obsession and fame, which it handles tactfully. As Mima Kirigoe leaves her modestly successful Idol group, she decides to go into acting. She also catches wind of a website that chronicles her daily life in excruciating detail; so much so, that she gets weirded out immediately.
Her debut role is on a show called Double Bind, where she initially has a small role but over time gets to be more relevant. After a televised rape scene catapults her into prominence in the show, Mima’s life begins to blur. Combined with the paranoia and mysterious deaths of the crew during the production of Double Bind, Mima begins to question her reality. From dissociating from her daily life to the regret of leaving her squeaky clean image behind, how will Mima navigate through this deadly journey?
Battle Royale – 25th Anniversary Screening
The other film I watched was a 25th anniversary screening of Battle Royale. This hyperviolent look at a dystopian death scenario still holds up, even with modern contemporaries taking over. (Funnily enough, Lionsgate helped Iconic Events with this screening, having released the successful Hunger Games films in the interim.)
Unlike Perfect Blue, I’ve had some history with Battle Royale. After eating up the Hunger Games novels (dang, over 15 years since the original trilogy released) I was interested in checking out the 2000 film Battle Royale. The early 2010s had Japanese media in a niche area, and it was somewhat difficult to screen foreign films in the Midwest aside from arthouse cinemas. (I remember having to check out a rare, imported version of the film from a library across my state to watch it initially!)
Watching the film as an adult, I understand a lot of the themes of youth in revolt the film portrays. In a world ruled by a totalitarian Japanese government, a group of students is randomly selected to fight to the death until only one person remains. Should they try to leave the island or if more than one person survives by the end of the third day, an explosive collar will kill them. Shuya Nanahara is one of these students, still processing the suicide of this father the year prior. He also wants to protect his fellow classmate Noriko Nakagawa, but with only one survivor allowed and a cast of vicious students-turned-killers out for blood, will there be a way out that ends in their survival?
What Do These Screenings Add?
Perfect Blue’s re-release features a 4K restoration, while Battle Royale’s 25th anniversary screening includes an interview from Kenta Fukasaku, Battle Royale screenwriter and son of late director Kinji Fukasaku. They had a unique atmosphere that you seldom see with the recent slew of summer blockbusters.
Both films have achieved cult classic status, and the big screen setting enhances the viewing experience. Perfect Blue’s animation feels timeless, and a lot of Satoshi Kon’s trademark techniques shine in this film. The pleasures and pains of Mima’s double life are painstakingly recreated in this 4K version, and even though parts of it were very difficult to watch, they are hauntingly beautiful regardless.
Kenta Fukasaku’s interview with the socioeconomic and political undertones of Battle Royale highlighted a nice piece of history and backstory for the film. It was a highly controversial release that we take for granted (especially in the age of uncensored re-releases), and I’m glad that the film finally had an easily accessible way to watch in cinemas, if only for a few days. It was also nice seeing Tatsuya Fujiwara in one of his earliest film roles… y’know, before the live-action Death Note fame.
Oddly enough, I was confused as to why the film felt shorter than when I watched it more than a decade ago. Turns out, this screening is not the extended cut; that one added some more scenes for exposition and gives a bit more flavor to the cast. While I do prefer that version due to the expansive cast of characters getting more screentime, I think the original theatrical cut does a good job at trimming the fat and moving at a fast clip. Just something to keep in mind.
Miso at the Movies… at Home!
Now, you might still be able to watch Perfect Blue in theaters for a couple more days (depending on where you live), but Battle Royale’s 25th Anniversary screenings were a strictly limited time affair. Thankfully, the Blu-Ray is readily available (with a 4K version you can import). I would love to see a new version with the screenwriter interview and some other material added, but all in all you can catch it online. Hopefully there will be another opportunity to catch that film in theaters, but in the meantime, I highly recommend watching it at home. Conversely, GKIDS will be releasing a Collector’s Edition of the 4K version of Perfect Blue this December, so you can get that later this year.
Wherever you may watch these movies, you’ve got some solid film cred if you do! Stay tuned for more anime and Japanese film reviews here on Miso!
(Miso would also like to extend a HUGE thank you to GKIDS and Iconic Events for providing us with passes to watch Perfect Blue and Battle Royale respectively!)
