Perfect Blue screening

Today, we watched a screening of Perfect Blue. I have to admit, I found it a little hard to follow, but I liked the idea. I think I might need a few repeat viewings, and that I should watch the original Japanese dub as well as the film may have lost something in translation.
The relation between story and events was something that I found difficult to follow, mainly due to the complexity of the storyline, and the lack of linearity  made it harder as it is hard to tell what really happened in the film and what was a dream or illusion.
The connection between the events in the film was clear however, they all centred around the main character, Mima, as she is somewhat forced to give up being an idol in favour of being an actress.
The characterisation of Mima as a slightly naive girl who had travelled up to Tokyo on her own in the hope of being a singer was, I think, an interesting one, if only because of how plausible it seems. The character who surprised me most in terms of motive however (although, looking back at the film, I can clearly see where it was hinted at) was the character Rumi, who was Mima's manager. She is the one who pushes Mima as a pop idol and who argues against her move into acting, and it is later revealed that she is the one who has been murdering those who scarred Mima's reputation by making her take part in a rape scene and then pose for nude photographs in a magazine. It is suggested at the end that she is suffering from MPD (multiple personality disorder) and is being treated in an institution.
A recurring character is the character of pop-idol Mima, who claims she is the "real" Mima and that Mima is an impostor. It is unclear whether this character is a product of Mima's mind or whether it is a visualisation of how Rumi sees herself when she is in her Mima personality or a mixture of the two.
Another thing that I found interesting about the film was it's treatment of pop culture and particularly fandom. The "idol" culture in Japan is something that is very prevailent and that the target audience would understand. It also shows the darker side of fandom in the character, ME-MANIA who obsesses over Mima and follows a blog that she is claimed to write "Mima's Room" and believes he is e-mailing her, although it is later revealed to be Rumi, who tells him she is the real Mima and that the actress he sees on "Double Bind" is an impostor.
I found it a very  interesting film and one that became clearer on repeat viewings.