Persephone's (Gothic) Insights

This article examines the use of Gothic imagery in Satoshi Kon's  Perfect Blue  (1997). Meant to convey feelings of madness, how are they used, here, and how do they manifest for the viewer in a Gothic sense? Note: Spoilers! Madness is central, in Gothic stories. Generally manifest through a kind of palpable affect, the monstrous is an experience felt through horror and terror. Presented to the audience, this charge is stored either inside a location or upon its imagery. Viewed, the promoted surfaces compel specific responses—either from victims trapped inside, or those who feel as such (the audience). Call it a "shared gaze," if you will; the madness remains vicarious. In blander terms, Perfect Blue  is a psychological thriller, one that concerns shared psychosis, or  folie à deux . In Gothic terms, its madness is not limited between two people, but an entire location—what I'll call chez folie , or "mad place." A haunted house is more than the her...