When the lines between an homage and plagiarism get blurred.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Perfect Blue, let’s explore the legacy of this cult classic anime. Satoshi Kon’s surreal masterpiece has influenced many great artists, from Madonna to Christopher Nolan. The influence is especially evident in the 2010 Oscar-nominated psychological thriller Black Swan by the American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. The movie is so eerily similar to Kon’s work that some jokingly refer to it as a remake.
But are the parallels between the two movies enough to use the p-word: plagiarism?
The Similarities
A young female talent descends into madness as the pressures of her job force her to uncover a side of herself she hasn’t known before. She eventually loses grip on reality and has a psychotic breakdown.
The synopsis above can be applied to both Perfect Blue and Black Swan. The two stories follow a very similar plot line, centering around one woman’s struggle to decipher reality from imagination. Both have the protagonist go through a sexual awakening and a serious rebrand. Both feature a suspicious mother figure, an older male character instrumental in the female lead’s career, and a stalker.
The two films explore the same themes: the predatory nature of the entertainment industry, mental health, loss of innocence, multiple identities, isolation, etc.
Visually, the movies are also eerily similar. Side-by-side comparisons of some scenes (talking pictures, seeing a doppelgänger in the mirror, female lead standing in the spotlight) have circulated online for years.
The Differences
Black Swan is about ballet, Perfect Blue is about movies. The main lead in Black Swan is named Nina; in Perfect Blue, we meet Mima.
On a more serious note, the differences in the chosen medium allowed Aronofsky to heighten the emotional intensity of the more dramatic scenes in the movie by employing the skills of the brilliant Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and other actors. On the other hand, Kon had more flexibility to use various animation techniques, colors, and imagery to effectively create the feeling of disorientation, unease, and confusion in the second half of his movie.
The Verdict
All works of art reference other works of art, whether consciously or not. In the curious case of Black Swan, however, the references are a bit too on the nose.
Surprisingly, Aronofsky has always refuted the claim that he directly used Perfect Blue as a reference in his work, even after Satoshi Kon himself called him out on it. For years, there have even been rumors that he purchased the rights to Perfect Blue to remake it, but the rumor mill is wrong on this one.
Kon denounced Aronofsky’s work on his blog, lamenting the fact that the American director’s copycats have earned more prestige and mainstream success than their source of inspiration. And he does have a point: animators in the industry have always been criminally underpaid and underappreciated, and deserve more recognition for their work, especially those as brilliant as Satoshi Kon.
When the lines between an homage and plagiarism get blurred.
In honor of the 25th anniversary of Perfect Blue, let’s explore the legacy of this cult classic anime. Satoshi Kon’s surreal masterpiece has influenced many great artists, from Madonna to Christopher Nolan. The influence is especially evident in the 2010 Oscar-nominated psychological thriller Black Swan by the American filmmaker Darren Aronofsky. The movie is so eerily similar to Kon’s work that some jokingly refer to it as a remake.
But are the parallels between the two movies enough to use the p-word: plagiarism?
The Similarities
A young female talent descends into madness as the pressures of her job force her to uncover a side of herself she hasn’t known before. She eventually loses grip on reality and has a psychotic breakdown.
The synopsis above can be applied to both Perfect Blue and Black Swan. The two stories follow a very similar plot line, centering around one woman’s struggle to decipher reality from imagination. Both have the protagonist go through a sexual awakening and a serious rebrand. Both feature a suspicious mother figure, an older male character instrumental in the female lead’s career, and a stalker.
The two films explore the same themes: the predatory nature of the entertainment industry, mental health, loss of innocence, multiple identities, isolation, etc.
Visually, the movies are also eerily similar. Side-by-side comparisons of some scenes (talking pictures, seeing a doppelgänger in the mirror, female lead standing in the spotlight) have circulated online for years.
The Differences
Black Swan is about ballet, Perfect Blue is about movies. The main lead in Black Swan is named Nina; in Perfect Blue, we meet Mima.
On a more serious note, the differences in the chosen medium allowed Aronofsky to heighten the emotional intensity of the more dramatic scenes in the movie by employing the skills of the brilliant Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, and other actors. On the other hand, Kon had more flexibility to use various animation techniques, colors, and imagery to effectively create the feeling of disorientation, unease, and confusion in the second half of his movie.
The Verdict
All works of art reference other works of art, whether consciously or not. In the curious case of Black Swan, however, the references are a bit too on the nose.
Surprisingly, Aronofsky has always refuted the claim that he directly used Perfect Blue as a reference in his work, even after Satoshi Kon himself called him out on it. For years, there have even been rumors that he purchased the rights to Perfect Blue to remake it, but the rumor mill is wrong on this one.
Kon denounced Aronofsky’s work on his blog, lamenting the fact that the American director’s copycats have earned more prestige and mainstream success than their source of inspiration. And he does have a point: animators in the industry have always been criminally underpaid and underappreciated, and deserve more recognition for their work, especially those as brilliant as Satoshi Kon.
