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Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream
For the first time in English, never-before-published stories from the Perfect Blue universe!
Delve deeper into the dark underbelly of super-stardom, where fame comes at a steep price. In this sequel anthology to the hit psychological thriller, Perfect Blue, creepy fans thrust their idols into struggles of life and death. Gruesome body switches, bloody fan letters, and a stalker in a terrifying rabbit costume—it’s a life of fame and misfortune that lies in wait for these hapless pop stars.
Delve deeper into the dark underbelly of super-stardom, where fame comes at a steep price. In this sequel anthology to the hit psychological thriller, Perfect Blue, creepy fans thrust their idols into struggles of life and death. Gruesome body switches, bloody fan letters, and a stalker in a terrifying rabbit costume—it’s a life of fame and misfortune that lies in wait for these hapless pop stars.
155 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
July 14, 2019
Three previous drafts of the same story.
February 16, 2020
Having just read Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis, I next moved on to this compendium of stories from the Perfect Blue universe. I can't say that I had high hopes for this collection after being so disappointed by Complete Metamorphosis, and it appears that my concerns were merited. This trio of short stories makes it's mediocre cousin look like a modern masterpiece.
That's not too say all three stories are completely terrible. All are written very well and have an incite into the pop idol industry that I found quite interesting. But that is pretty much where the positives run dry.
All the tales on show here are basically the same story. Each is based on a stalker who obsesses over a Pop Idol and for some reason wants to kill her. Every one-dimensional antagonist is smelly and unwashed with disgusting hair and a shrill piercing voice. All the stories eventually descend into absolute nonsense, with gaping plot holes. And at some point the antagonist will try and force himself on the helpless female lead. There is only so many times I can read identical rape fantasies one after another. Thankfully, the book is relatively short.
My biggest chagrin is probably with the second story; Cry Your Tears. In my opinion, this episode is totally redundant as it is almost a complete carbon-copy of Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis.
If I had to choose a favourite, I would probably go with the first story as I actually liked the ending, but it is pretty much a nothing of a story.
All in all, I recommend staying away from this book. It offers nothing new that wasn't already in Complete Metamorphosis.
That's not too say all three stories are completely terrible. All are written very well and have an incite into the pop idol industry that I found quite interesting. But that is pretty much where the positives run dry.
All the tales on show here are basically the same story. Each is based on a stalker who obsesses over a Pop Idol and for some reason wants to kill her. Every one-dimensional antagonist is smelly and unwashed with disgusting hair and a shrill piercing voice. All the stories eventually descend into absolute nonsense, with gaping plot holes. And at some point the antagonist will try and force himself on the helpless female lead. There is only so many times I can read identical rape fantasies one after another. Thankfully, the book is relatively short.
My biggest chagrin is probably with the second story; Cry Your Tears. In my opinion, this episode is totally redundant as it is almost a complete carbon-copy of Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis.
If I had to choose a favourite, I would probably go with the first story as I actually liked the ending, but it is pretty much a nothing of a story.
All in all, I recommend staying away from this book. It offers nothing new that wasn't already in Complete Metamorphosis.
May 16, 2018
Perfect Blue: Awaken from a Dream is a collection of three short stories based around the same theme as the original novel, Complete Metamorphosis--that of Japanese idols and their inevitable stalkery fans. I found that book to be hilariously trashy and expected to be entertained on the same level, so imagine my surprise when these stories turned out to be of significantly higher quality. Imagine my further surprise when the afterword revealed that two of the stories were actually written before the first novel!
For starters, the prose is much more engaging throughout, with long, lingering descriptions of places and people that paint a picture in the mind's eye much better than the strangely simple and blunt prose of Complete Metamorphosis. I found myself genuinely drawn into numerous scenes without the author having to resort to simple shock value (though there are instances of this too--see below.)
Secondly, the characters are considerably more engaging. Perhaps the short-form nature of the stories simply hides this flaw in Takeuchi's writing as the reader will not expect every character to be fleshed out, but at the very least I find the protagonists of each story to be more inherently interesting and display more agency than Mima from the first book.
Taking a look at each story individually, the titular "Awaken from a Dream" opens the book with the tale of Toshihiko, a perpetually lazy and depressed man whose only solace in life is watching idols perform--only for him to suddenly find himself inhabiting his favorite idol's body. This story really takes advantage of its short length, focusing only on Toshihiko, with the idol Ai really only appearing in the idealized form he sees her in. This really draws the reader into his grimy, lonely world and makes him seem somehow sympathetic in spite of being at least partially responsible for his own hell and doing the expected thing when the bodyswap happens. What I like above all, however, is that the story does feel a bit like a dream, with certain things going unexplained but feeling emotionally powerful enough for it not to matter.
The second and longest story, "Cry Your Tears", feels a bit like a prototype of the first novel as it follows an idol who finds herself pressured into a radical image change, which drives an angry fan to stalk her. However, this story's Yuma is more engaging than Mima as she is considerably more vocal about how her career is going and isn't reduced to a fleeing damsel in distress by the end. Instead, she ends up facing her tormentor in a tense display of cleverness and willpower on her side. This is helped along by the fact that Yuma only has two people on her side, both of whom downplay her fear, forcing her to take charge herself. In fact, although Yuma gradually begins to curse her choice of career, that very thing ends up becoming her salvation.
The deranged fan, although we never learn his name, also shows some surprising depth--though he is obviously disturbed and under the delusion that he and Yuma share some kind of psychic bond, there is a very humanizing moment of panic for him when he actually gets to meet her, as though rationality is breaking through-- what if she doesn't like him? The only wasted character in "Cry Your Tears" is Yuma's boyfriend, Yukio. He is basically nothing more than a plot device to be literally tossed aside once his purpose is served, and due to the story's rather abrupt ending seems to simply disappear from the narrative.
One thing that does bother me about this story (and to a lesser extent the previous one) is that the deranged fans are described to be as disgusting as possible in every manner to the point of caricature. While it's understandable that they would have social issues that make them off-putting and their obsession comes at the cost of taking care of themselves, they're also described as being inherently too ugly to be loved. Not only is this a cheap way of furthering their monstrousness, but it makes it seem like their descent into madness was completely inevitable.
The final story, "Even When I Embrace You", takes the stalker angle in a slightly different direction with a man in a disturbing rabbit costume appearing and disappearing at will to torment our protagonist, Yukiko. Where Yuma was already outspoken about the direction of her career, Yukiko is straight-up cynical about even being an idol. On the other hand, we have a rare sympathetic manager character who is strongly protective of Yukiko and constantly suggests she should take a break from the hallucinations she must obviously be having.
Yukiko is presented as smart and sympathetic, aware of all the nonsense that surrounds her career path but making the best of it that she can and going the extra mile to satisfy not just the people close to her, but complete strangers as well--for all her cynicism, this last part becomes the weakness that leads her into the rabbit's trap.
The rabbit, for his part, is a very mysterious character. While this does tie back into the dream-like uncertainty of the first story, I feel it's a weakness here. The rabbit is first presented as a crazed fan in the same way as the other villains, and it's confirmed at several points that there's just a man in the suit, but this doesn't gel with his apparently supernatural ability to appear and disappear at will. Furthermore, the rabbit seems to have a much more acute sense of how people work, using people's tendency to write off strange things as ordinary and even manipulating a massive crowd to isolate Yukiko. This makes him more interesting as a villain, but we never find out anything else about him, and the last part of the story just becomes another horror movie-style showdown. Without spoiling how that turns out, I will say I found it a bit disappointing. The pieces for it are set up early on, but the manner in which it is executed leaves a lot to be desired.
Although the sex and violence in these stories feels less gratuitous and clunky than in the first book, there are definitely a few moments that I feel were more than was necessary. The two latter stories both have the villain forcing themselves onto the protagonist to some extent, and in both cases I found that to be the exact moment the tension was broken--once because I felt it was just a step too far in an otherwise excellent build-up, and once because I had already been here in the last story and the idea of someone being molested by a Disneyland mascot is unintentionally hilarious.
Overall, I found Awaken from a Dream to be a genuinely enjoyable read and I probably would recommend it to people who enjoy scary and strange short stories. Although all three stories revolve around the same theme, the perspectives and characters change enough to stop it from getting boring. While there are a few crummy moments, I find the stories a worthwhile read that each get as many interesting moments as possible out of their runtime.
For starters, the prose is much more engaging throughout, with long, lingering descriptions of places and people that paint a picture in the mind's eye much better than the strangely simple and blunt prose of Complete Metamorphosis. I found myself genuinely drawn into numerous scenes without the author having to resort to simple shock value (though there are instances of this too--see below.)
Secondly, the characters are considerably more engaging. Perhaps the short-form nature of the stories simply hides this flaw in Takeuchi's writing as the reader will not expect every character to be fleshed out, but at the very least I find the protagonists of each story to be more inherently interesting and display more agency than Mima from the first book.
Taking a look at each story individually, the titular "Awaken from a Dream" opens the book with the tale of Toshihiko, a perpetually lazy and depressed man whose only solace in life is watching idols perform--only for him to suddenly find himself inhabiting his favorite idol's body. This story really takes advantage of its short length, focusing only on Toshihiko, with the idol Ai really only appearing in the idealized form he sees her in. This really draws the reader into his grimy, lonely world and makes him seem somehow sympathetic in spite of being at least partially responsible for his own hell and doing the expected thing when the bodyswap happens. What I like above all, however, is that the story does feel a bit like a dream, with certain things going unexplained but feeling emotionally powerful enough for it not to matter.
The second and longest story, "Cry Your Tears", feels a bit like a prototype of the first novel as it follows an idol who finds herself pressured into a radical image change, which drives an angry fan to stalk her. However, this story's Yuma is more engaging than Mima as she is considerably more vocal about how her career is going and isn't reduced to a fleeing damsel in distress by the end. Instead, she ends up facing her tormentor in a tense display of cleverness and willpower on her side. This is helped along by the fact that Yuma only has two people on her side, both of whom downplay her fear, forcing her to take charge herself. In fact, although Yuma gradually begins to curse her choice of career, that very thing ends up becoming her salvation.
The deranged fan, although we never learn his name, also shows some surprising depth--though he is obviously disturbed and under the delusion that he and Yuma share some kind of psychic bond, there is a very humanizing moment of panic for him when he actually gets to meet her, as though rationality is breaking through-- what if she doesn't like him? The only wasted character in "Cry Your Tears" is Yuma's boyfriend, Yukio. He is basically nothing more than a plot device to be literally tossed aside once his purpose is served, and due to the story's rather abrupt ending seems to simply disappear from the narrative.
One thing that does bother me about this story (and to a lesser extent the previous one) is that the deranged fans are described to be as disgusting as possible in every manner to the point of caricature. While it's understandable that they would have social issues that make them off-putting and their obsession comes at the cost of taking care of themselves, they're also described as being inherently too ugly to be loved. Not only is this a cheap way of furthering their monstrousness, but it makes it seem like their descent into madness was completely inevitable.
The final story, "Even When I Embrace You", takes the stalker angle in a slightly different direction with a man in a disturbing rabbit costume appearing and disappearing at will to torment our protagonist, Yukiko. Where Yuma was already outspoken about the direction of her career, Yukiko is straight-up cynical about even being an idol. On the other hand, we have a rare sympathetic manager character who is strongly protective of Yukiko and constantly suggests she should take a break from the hallucinations she must obviously be having.
Yukiko is presented as smart and sympathetic, aware of all the nonsense that surrounds her career path but making the best of it that she can and going the extra mile to satisfy not just the people close to her, but complete strangers as well--for all her cynicism, this last part becomes the weakness that leads her into the rabbit's trap.
The rabbit, for his part, is a very mysterious character. While this does tie back into the dream-like uncertainty of the first story, I feel it's a weakness here. The rabbit is first presented as a crazed fan in the same way as the other villains, and it's confirmed at several points that there's just a man in the suit, but this doesn't gel with his apparently supernatural ability to appear and disappear at will. Furthermore, the rabbit seems to have a much more acute sense of how people work, using people's tendency to write off strange things as ordinary and even manipulating a massive crowd to isolate Yukiko. This makes him more interesting as a villain, but we never find out anything else about him, and the last part of the story just becomes another horror movie-style showdown. Without spoiling how that turns out, I will say I found it a bit disappointing. The pieces for it are set up early on, but the manner in which it is executed leaves a lot to be desired.
Although the sex and violence in these stories feels less gratuitous and clunky than in the first book, there are definitely a few moments that I feel were more than was necessary. The two latter stories both have the villain forcing themselves onto the protagonist to some extent, and in both cases I found that to be the exact moment the tension was broken--once because I felt it was just a step too far in an otherwise excellent build-up, and once because I had already been here in the last story and the idea of someone being molested by a Disneyland mascot is unintentionally hilarious.
Overall, I found Awaken from a Dream to be a genuinely enjoyable read and I probably would recommend it to people who enjoy scary and strange short stories. Although all three stories revolve around the same theme, the perspectives and characters change enough to stop it from getting boring. While there are a few crummy moments, I find the stories a worthwhile read that each get as many interesting moments as possible out of their runtime.
May 4, 2019
Maybe because I read it so close to Complete Metamorphosis... or maybe it wasn't quite as good, but this collection of 3 stories really felt like just more of the same. And while I do not always mind more of the same -- this time it just didn't do much for me. Probably because the material is not entertaining, rather, it is horrifying. Some might say suspenseful or thrilling -- but trying to put myself in the place of the idols, I can't imagine the terror they went through.
If you are looking for something that looks a bit at the idea of fan obsession and the idea of a stalker this might give you a little bit. Although it never truly gets into the mind of the stalkers, just that for their own reasons they are SO SO SO in love with these idols nobody else can have them.
Quick to read, and I'll admit I wanted to finish it and not put it down, but that doesn't mean I want to recommend it in this case.
Verdict -- read Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis over this for a study on idols/extreme fandom. Only read this one if you are really into horror stories and want more in that vein.
If you are looking for something that looks a bit at the idea of fan obsession and the idea of a stalker this might give you a little bit. Although it never truly gets into the mind of the stalkers, just that for their own reasons they are SO SO SO in love with these idols nobody else can have them.
Quick to read, and I'll admit I wanted to finish it and not put it down, but that doesn't mean I want to recommend it in this case.
Verdict -- read Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis over this for a study on idols/extreme fandom. Only read this one if you are really into horror stories and want more in that vein.
June 6, 2018
The stories were all very unsettling, but the third dragged on and on. Even though these stories are all shorts in a Perfect Blue-like universe, the majority of the author's work seems repetitive: An idol who is stalked by a lonely, timid, and unattractive man who eventually kidnaps the object of his obsession, molests her, is killed... but like a cliche horror villain isn't dead yet. The afterword mentioned another short story about a stalker that wasn't included because it revolved around a voice actor instead of an "idol". This was a quick read and kept me entertained despite the repetitiveness of the stories, but the long winded ending of the final story is what did this book in.It would've been interesting to have read about some villains with different personalities and reasonings for their obsession.
March 16, 2023
what the fuck
March 8, 2021
Wake Me From This Dream, ☆☆☆☆
Cry Your Tears, ☆☆☆☆
Even When I Embrace You, ☆☆☆☆
The fact that the back of this book lists older teen instead of mature is insane to me. Like the original novel, all three of these stories are about creepy obsessed fans of pop idols, stalking and eventually tormenting the protagonist in one sick way or another. If you're a fan of psychological horror, this is for you, but be prepared for some 3rd grade reading level english translation and disturbing plot points.
Cry Your Tears, ☆☆☆☆
Even When I Embrace You, ☆☆☆☆
The fact that the back of this book lists older teen instead of mature is insane to me. Like the original novel, all three of these stories are about creepy obsessed fans of pop idols, stalking and eventually tormenting the protagonist in one sick way or another. If you're a fan of psychological horror, this is for you, but be prepared for some 3rd grade reading level english translation and disturbing plot points.
June 21, 2022
Meh some of these stories are not as ridiculous as Perfect Blue: Metamorphosis, yet they all felt the same to me. I will not keeping this in my collection since so will probably not have the desire to reread it anytime soon. Such a shame because their is so much potential with the idea of stalking celebrities. However this book and its predecessor detail so much, that it took away some of the horror elements for.
March 28, 2022
It’s technically a sequel to Takeuchi’s first book which inspired Satoshi Kon’s incredible anime but it’s really an anthology of short stories written around similar themes of Japanese idol obsession!
I’m not sure if it’s because the written word generally cuts deeper or if these stories are way more graphic but this book felt even more horrifying than the film. The descriptive violence is intense and of course the women being attacked by a stalker element is always terrifying!
It has definitely inspired yet another rewatch of Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece! As a directorial debut it is absolutely astonishing but its impact and importance on the anime scene cannot be overstated! I didn’t realise it was based on a novel so I’m interested to see if they differ at all.
I’m not sure if it’s because the written word generally cuts deeper or if these stories are way more graphic but this book felt even more horrifying than the film. The descriptive violence is intense and of course the women being attacked by a stalker element is always terrifying!
It has definitely inspired yet another rewatch of Satoshi Kon’s masterpiece! As a directorial debut it is absolutely astonishing but its impact and importance on the anime scene cannot be overstated! I didn’t realise it was based on a novel so I’m interested to see if they differ at all.
February 11, 2021
Guy has one okay idea, turns it into four stories and two books then bounces.
What a legend! Living the absolute writer's dream :D
The rest of us out here still typing away like a bunch of jabronies
What a legend! Living the absolute writer's dream :D
The rest of us out here still typing away like a bunch of jabronies
October 21, 2024
Not as good as the original and in some ways pretty derivative. Granted these short stories were essentially drafts of what would become Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis. Still ok, just not anything special or really worth checking out.
December 16, 2020
If Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis was a disappointment then this book just plain sucks.
I understand that this is supposed to be a sort of companion piece to the first novel. According to the afterword, none of these stories were meant to see the light of publication after being written. And, uh... You can tell. They all read like the cutting room floor scraps of Complete Metamorphosis.
All three stories are about pop idols and their obsessive stalkers. Something funky happens and things get violent. Then death. Bascially, the same stuff from CM. Not only were they boring as sin, but the characters (if you could call them that) felt more like empty archetypes than people we'd give half a shit about. At least Mima, Rumi and her manager had some sembiance of personality (even if it wasn't much). I just finished the book an hour ago and I can't tell you a single character's name or their personality beyond the role the serve in the story.
The prose itself is dull as all get out. I dunno which was worse, the repeated similes and metaphors or the translator's rudimentary vocabulary. I don't think it's the original author's fault so much as the translator's. The translator could've stood to localize just a little more for the sake of the quality of the prose. As it is, the writing is eye-glazingly beige and reads closer to something you'd find in an underachieving 8th grader's essay. A disturbed 8th grader. Like, the kind of 8th grader who'd write stories like this for attention or to brag to his friends about how 'messed up' he is.
While reading I tried to visualize the stories as if they were anime. Most anime writing can come off as stilted and somewhat unnatural to those who aren't used to it, but even that little trick couldn't save the book because now my mind's eye is filled with poorly written anime.
The ending passage from the first story had me laughing out loud from the corniness. Seriously.
The second and last tales, Cry Your Tears and Even When I Embrace You, dragged on for waaaaaay too long. For so-called short stories they could've bared to be half their size. And I sincerely hope Takeuchi has gotten better at ending his stories, because not a one of them in the whole anthology concluded with anything anywhere near satisfying.
Anyway, is this book worth reading? No. Not even for a fan of Perfect Blue (2002). Hell, not even for a fan of the original novel. TBH, hard pass on this. The first book and its accompanying film were an interesting exercise on how the right director can save a mediocre story but this anthology is just yawn-inducing. I bought it used for under 5.00 USD and I still feel robbed.
I'm rounding it up to two stars because GR doesn't do half-stars.
I understand that this is supposed to be a sort of companion piece to the first novel. According to the afterword, none of these stories were meant to see the light of publication after being written. And, uh... You can tell. They all read like the cutting room floor scraps of Complete Metamorphosis.
All three stories are about pop idols and their obsessive stalkers. Something funky happens and things get violent. Then death. Bascially, the same stuff from CM. Not only were they boring as sin, but the characters (if you could call them that) felt more like empty archetypes than people we'd give half a shit about. At least Mima, Rumi and her manager had some sembiance of personality (even if it wasn't much). I just finished the book an hour ago and I can't tell you a single character's name or their personality beyond the role the serve in the story.
The prose itself is dull as all get out. I dunno which was worse, the repeated similes and metaphors or the translator's rudimentary vocabulary. I don't think it's the original author's fault so much as the translator's. The translator could've stood to localize just a little more for the sake of the quality of the prose. As it is, the writing is eye-glazingly beige and reads closer to something you'd find in an underachieving 8th grader's essay. A disturbed 8th grader. Like, the kind of 8th grader who'd write stories like this for attention or to brag to his friends about how 'messed up' he is.
While reading I tried to visualize the stories as if they were anime. Most anime writing can come off as stilted and somewhat unnatural to those who aren't used to it, but even that little trick couldn't save the book because now my mind's eye is filled with poorly written anime.
The ending passage from the first story had me laughing out loud from the corniness. Seriously.
The second and last tales, Cry Your Tears and Even When I Embrace You, dragged on for waaaaaay too long. For so-called short stories they could've bared to be half their size. And I sincerely hope Takeuchi has gotten better at ending his stories, because not a one of them in the whole anthology concluded with anything anywhere near satisfying.
Anyway, is this book worth reading? No. Not even for a fan of Perfect Blue (2002). Hell, not even for a fan of the original novel. TBH, hard pass on this. The first book and its accompanying film were an interesting exercise on how the right director can save a mediocre story but this anthology is just yawn-inducing. I bought it used for under 5.00 USD and I still feel robbed.
I'm rounding it up to two stars because GR doesn't do half-stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 24, 2019
Awaken from a Dream was very much like Complete Metamorphosis in that it was about obsessive stalkers who eventually confronted pop idols and attempted to kill them. All three stories in Awaken from a Dream were very formulaic. If you'd read Complete Metamorphosis, then you could guess how these three stories were going to go. The idols and the stalkers also felt very similar from story to story, like they were just the same characters being reused.
On to what I liked about Awaken from a Dream.
I thought the first story had an interesting concept. The stalker and the idol get mysteriously body-swapped and their roles are reversed. Okay, cool. And this story did in fact deviate a little from the formula that the others followed by giving us a different ending. I also liked the rabbit costume in the third story. I genuinely found that creepy. And it's hinted that there might have been a supernatural element to that stalker, which I was down for because again, it was a slight deviation from the aforementioned formula.
In short, I think the three stories in Awaken from a Dream had lots of potential, but for the most part, they fell flat.
On to what I liked about Awaken from a Dream.
I thought the first story had an interesting concept. The stalker and the idol get mysteriously body-swapped and their roles are reversed. Okay, cool. And this story did in fact deviate a little from the formula that the others followed by giving us a different ending. I also liked the rabbit costume in the third story. I genuinely found that creepy. And it's hinted that there might have been a supernatural element to that stalker, which I was down for because again, it was a slight deviation from the aforementioned formula.
In short, I think the three stories in Awaken from a Dream had lots of potential, but for the most part, they fell flat.
June 28, 2019
I don't know what I was expecting from a translated novel, but what I read definitely wasn't it. The translated prose was lackluster and uninviting, even boring in multiple areas. Much of writing in this translated version retain the narrative style that is typical of Japanese contemporary literature, but I've read countless other translated works that did the originals justice compared to what this had to offer.
Aside from that, I found the three short stories dry and monotonous. All three idol characters were exactly the same: in fact, you could mix up the names of these girls and you probably wouldn't even notice. Every character was basically fodder for a cheap thriller plot, and the one thing the stories do well is the fact that 2 our of the 3 girls make it out alive, and get help from nobody but themselves.
Aside from that, I found the three short stories dry and monotonous. All three idol characters were exactly the same: in fact, you could mix up the names of these girls and you probably wouldn't even notice. Every character was basically fodder for a cheap thriller plot, and the one thing the stories do well is the fact that 2 our of the 3 girls make it out alive, and get help from nobody but themselves.
June 20, 2019
Perfect Blue follows the stories of idols and their stalkers, but they all seem to blend together in the same pattern: rising idol star pushes herself, obsessive fan becomes a stalker to preserve the idol's image, violence and obscenity ensues. "Even When I Embrace You" seemed to try too hard, and I personally checked out after the climax reveal. The stalkers are all sociopathic recluses where they are all written to fill the reader with pity and disgust. While it could have easily taken the stance of becoming social commentary on fans of idol culture, in my opinion, it further spurs the "creepy otaku" stereotype of having no redeeming qualities but a passion for their hobbies.
October 22, 2021
Uneven little short story collection that is made a bit better when you read the afterward and realize the first story was actually the author's first attempt at an "idol vs stalker" scenario and why it might have been so weak.
So, getting into it, you gotta know that these are short stories that focus on possessive fans that are driven to the point of bloody insanity. Violence, sexual violence are prevalent, so be fair warned. None of the stories are too hopeful either, they all kind of end foreboding or with bloody death for some characters even. Don't go in expecting a positive message coming out of them.
Like I said, story 1 lacked a real solid message. It's a "Your Name" set up, but with an obsessed fans body morphing into the idol he admires (and wants to have for himself or kill). If you take what happens as a dream sequence for the main character (who is actually the stalker figure), it maybe works. But if you take it as reality, as him committing suicide essentially, I feel like it loses some of the impact (it becomes more of a "he got what was coming to him" message vs a "he got to see what the shoe was like on the other side and understand why he shouldn't be so obsessive / possessive" kind of moral message thing).
Second story is real entertaining. It reminds me a little bit of the original novel Perfect Blue in that you have a real intense thriller with the lead doing her best to outlast her stalker. I liked how some of the elements were almost like a reverse mirroring of Perfect Blue (while Perfect Blue was about a fan getting pissed that his pure idol was becoming impure by doing racy pinups and more mature fare, Awaken From a Dream's second story has a fan getting pissed that she's going along with her Manager's demand to be a more immature Loli figure instead of her usual mature fare). I thought maybe the stalker and her could see eye to eye at the end, cause neither really wants her to be the Loli figure, and both come at odds with her manager. But ultimately, the fan has just lost it. Like most of the ends in this story, there's enough left open to interpretation about what exactly happens in the end.
Finally, story 3 is a lot more like Perfect Blue the film that most people know. Basically, the up and coming idol in this one is seeing visions of some fur suited man, and when she tries to tell people about him, they don't believe her. It's kind of a girl who cried wolf setup at the start. So like Perfect Blue the movie, you as the audience have to wonder what is really going on. Does this bunny man exist? Is she just too exhausted and seeing things? I did really enjoy this one, particularly the ending, a few good turns there. Again, a lot left open to interpretation though I think it actually was too on the nose with the "this is open for interpretation" aspect being spelled out by the characters compared to some of the others where it's just an unspoken open end.
I'm going to give this a generous 4 star, but I might drop it to 3 later. That first story really drags it down for how short it is (only encompasses about 1/4 of the book), but again, it really is just the origin of this author and should maybe be received more as historically significant than actually entertaining.
So, getting into it, you gotta know that these are short stories that focus on possessive fans that are driven to the point of bloody insanity. Violence, sexual violence are prevalent, so be fair warned. None of the stories are too hopeful either, they all kind of end foreboding or with bloody death for some characters even. Don't go in expecting a positive message coming out of them.
Like I said, story 1 lacked a real solid message. It's a "Your Name" set up, but with an obsessed fans body morphing into the idol he admires (and wants to have for himself or kill). If you take what happens as a dream sequence for the main character (who is actually the stalker figure), it maybe works. But if you take it as reality, as him committing suicide essentially, I feel like it loses some of the impact (it becomes more of a "he got what was coming to him" message vs a "he got to see what the shoe was like on the other side and understand why he shouldn't be so obsessive / possessive" kind of moral message thing).
Second story is real entertaining. It reminds me a little bit of the original novel Perfect Blue in that you have a real intense thriller with the lead doing her best to outlast her stalker. I liked how some of the elements were almost like a reverse mirroring of Perfect Blue (while Perfect Blue was about a fan getting pissed that his pure idol was becoming impure by doing racy pinups and more mature fare, Awaken From a Dream's second story has a fan getting pissed that she's going along with her Manager's demand to be a more immature Loli figure instead of her usual mature fare). I thought maybe the stalker and her could see eye to eye at the end, cause neither really wants her to be the Loli figure, and both come at odds with her manager. But ultimately, the fan has just lost it. Like most of the ends in this story, there's enough left open to interpretation about what exactly happens in the end.
Finally, story 3 is a lot more like Perfect Blue the film that most people know. Basically, the up and coming idol in this one is seeing visions of some fur suited man, and when she tries to tell people about him, they don't believe her. It's kind of a girl who cried wolf setup at the start. So like Perfect Blue the movie, you as the audience have to wonder what is really going on. Does this bunny man exist? Is she just too exhausted and seeing things? I did really enjoy this one, particularly the ending, a few good turns there. Again, a lot left open to interpretation though I think it actually was too on the nose with the "this is open for interpretation" aspect being spelled out by the characters compared to some of the others where it's just an unspoken open end.
I'm going to give this a generous 4 star, but I might drop it to 3 later. That first story really drags it down for how short it is (only encompasses about 1/4 of the book), but again, it really is just the origin of this author and should maybe be received more as historically significant than actually entertaining.
April 1, 2021
2.5/5
maybe parasocial relationships aren't for me after all 😖😖
i like the use of chekhov's gun in the latter two stories with the microphone trick and the life-size figure, which made for pretty cool imagery. still, the collection as a whole (especially after having just read the novel) felt a little repetitive in terms of tone and storytelling technique and buildup of tension, even if they have "unique" elements like a body swap or a rabbit costume. it's also difficult to tell the difference between each idol (no matter how modern, strong-willed, and capable of survival she is) and each stalker, including mima and her own tormentor in perfect blue. they could have had a number of different running/inner conflicts, motivations, and reactions to their situations instead of just cat-and-mouse, distressed damsel-turned-action girl over and over.
as a whole this made me uncomfortable with my own experience with putting people on pedestals and thinking the world of them, and it definitely says something about idol and fan culture and obsession—it just feels like it could have said a lot more.
maybe parasocial relationships aren't for me after all 😖😖
i like the use of chekhov's gun in the latter two stories with the microphone trick and the life-size figure, which made for pretty cool imagery. still, the collection as a whole (especially after having just read the novel) felt a little repetitive in terms of tone and storytelling technique and buildup of tension, even if they have "unique" elements like a body swap or a rabbit costume. it's also difficult to tell the difference between each idol (no matter how modern, strong-willed, and capable of survival she is) and each stalker, including mima and her own tormentor in perfect blue. they could have had a number of different running/inner conflicts, motivations, and reactions to their situations instead of just cat-and-mouse, distressed damsel-turned-action girl over and over.
as a whole this made me uncomfortable with my own experience with putting people on pedestals and thinking the world of them, and it definitely says something about idol and fan culture and obsession—it just feels like it could have said a lot more.
August 26, 2021
This follow up work to Complete Metamorphosis consisted of three different short stories, all following the central theme of idol and stalker, which Takeuchi is known for. After reading Complete Metamorphosis and then Awaken from a Dream, this started to feel a bit repetitive, although all of these stories were entertaining nevertheless.
I especially enjoyed the first story, Wake me from this Dream, as it resembled the blurred line between reality and absurdity that we know from the Perfect Blue movie the most. Generally I have to say that Takeuchi has an incredible talent in writing these creepy stalkers, he puts a lot of detail into the description of both their revolting appearances, sounds and smells, as well as their terrifying behavior, which makes it much easier to picture them and really makes you empathize with the main character. Overall these stories were entertaining.
I especially enjoyed the first story, Wake me from this Dream, as it resembled the blurred line between reality and absurdity that we know from the Perfect Blue movie the most. Generally I have to say that Takeuchi has an incredible talent in writing these creepy stalkers, he puts a lot of detail into the description of both their revolting appearances, sounds and smells, as well as their terrifying behavior, which makes it much easier to picture them and really makes you empathize with the main character. Overall these stories were entertaining.
March 4, 2024
Son 3 historias con el mismo tema de la novela de PErfect Blue
Los fans extremos de las idol japonesas que terminan cometiendo actos terribles.
El primero "Wake me from this dream", es más psicologico, la obsecion del fan le lleva a un estado mental y a ciertas acciones, bastante raro , 3.5 stars
El segundo "Cry your tears", un tipo obsesionado con una idol, la stalkea y llega al punto de atacarla, al punto de "si no eres mia, de nadie", una version corta de la novela, 3 star
El tercero, "even when I embrace you", si bien la linea de las acciones del fan, son similares al anterior , con un agregado de un disfraz, aca la forma en que sucede realmente es como una pelicula de terror para la chica, y con ese final, 4.4 stars
3.63 stars de promedio
Los fans extremos de las idol japonesas que terminan cometiendo actos terribles.
El primero "Wake me from this dream", es más psicologico, la obsecion del fan le lleva a un estado mental y a ciertas acciones, bastante raro , 3.5 stars
El segundo "Cry your tears", un tipo obsesionado con una idol, la stalkea y llega al punto de atacarla, al punto de "si no eres mia, de nadie", una version corta de la novela, 3 star
El tercero, "even when I embrace you", si bien la linea de las acciones del fan, son similares al anterior , con un agregado de un disfraz, aca la forma en que sucede realmente es como una pelicula de terror para la chica, y con ese final, 4.4 stars
3.63 stars de promedio
January 8, 2025
The short stories are interesting because of the existence of prior material (I get that he wrote these prior to the complete metaphosis).
I read the complete metaphosis and this back to back, so the detail around idol culture and worship got repetitive for me. There wasn't anything interesting to bite into besides the first story for me. The second and third stories really cemented for me the idea that the author was really into idols and can see which obsessive aspects of that subculture was eerie for him and, which ultimately, inspired him to write multiple short stories gained from that experience.
I read the complete metaphosis and this back to back, so the detail around idol culture and worship got repetitive for me. There wasn't anything interesting to bite into besides the first story for me. The second and third stories really cemented for me the idea that the author was really into idols and can see which obsessive aspects of that subculture was eerie for him and, which ultimately, inspired him to write multiple short stories gained from that experience.
January 4, 2021
I read this after completing "Complete Metamorphosis." I was disappointed to find it wasn't a sequel, but rather three separate stories similar to the first one. I still enjoyed reading them, and I thought the one about the rabbit was especially eerie, even though I didn't quite understand the ending. I found the repeating motif of man being obsessed with an idol becoming trite as I read. I would have liked to see something with some more twists, like the anima adaptation has. Maybe the stalker turns out to be a woman, or someone other than the person the reader expects.
March 27, 2023
I would recommend not to bother with this one. Its a light novel and natrually have very simple language but this was probebly the worst i read.
It also have alot of weird translations so that is also a big problem.
This is a book with 3 drafts from the authors first book. If you want more stories around the "perfect blue" theme you can read his first book. This aint it.
I forced myself though it because i spent money on it.
Took me a few years tho because i got mad everytime i picked it up.
It also have alot of weird translations so that is also a big problem.
This is a book with 3 drafts from the authors first book. If you want more stories around the "perfect blue" theme you can read his first book. This aint it.
I forced myself though it because i spent money on it.
Took me a few years tho because i got mad everytime i picked it up.
August 2, 2023
giving something three stars doesnt have to mean there is anything objectively wrong about it. its just not remarkable content. it was entertaining, i read it in a few hours in the same day, and i thought the concept was cool, but a 14 year old (me) shouldnt be able to point out THAT many flaws.. one of the most persisting one being the fact that he would feel too lazy to fill his plot holes and provide a reason as to why the characters somehow always knew of their killer/stalker, except that their "sixed sense told them". anyways was a good read, pick it up if u want.
July 20, 2022
I don't have too much to say about this. Essentially this was "more of the same". I really did enjoy Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis, but this sequel ran dry. I still found it entertaining, but I needed more variation. Each of the stories followed the same "lonely stalker" obsessed with and then ultimately deciding to murder a pop-idol. I think this could have been a lot better if each story had simply branched out and been it's own thing with very different and distinct characters.
May 3, 2020
3.5 out of 5 Stars
Maybe it was just my edition, but I found a few typos, and for me that is really distracting. Also, besides the first story they all read about the same. Same general plot and all. Where this felt fresh in the first novel, this now seems played out in this one. They are all written well and definitely evoke some primal feelings in me, but it felt a bit like a let down.
Maybe it was just my edition, but I found a few typos, and for me that is really distracting. Also, besides the first story they all read about the same. Same general plot and all. Where this felt fresh in the first novel, this now seems played out in this one. They are all written well and definitely evoke some primal feelings in me, but it felt a bit like a let down.
January 27, 2020
I would highly recommend watching the movie that this book stems off of first before reading this book. This book is a collection of a few stories of the same universe that the movie takes place in. It, like the film, is also at times swapping back and fourth between surreal realities that you are unsure if they are real or the character's perception that is warped from what they experience. I would say though in the end, this book is mostly just an extra treat for the fans of the movie, I being one, enjoyed seeing more but, to everyone's cup of tea I guess.
September 3, 2022
Perfect Blue: Complete Metamorphosis was better, but these three additional stories weren't bad (same basic themes, at least).
This Perfect Blue universe has a way of illustrating just how dangerous obsession can really be!
This Perfect Blue universe has a way of illustrating just how dangerous obsession can really be!
January 8, 2023
Excellent short story collections from the world of Perfect Blue and the seedy side of Japanese Idol fandom.
The middle story is the strongest of the three capturing the seedy stalker culture from the anime perfectly.
The middle story is the strongest of the three capturing the seedy stalker culture from the anime perfectly.
June 29, 2023
The first two stories in the book I read but by the time of the 3rd one I was skimming it. Was just feeling repetitive with the same basic premise as the other two but this time the stalker is wearing a giant rabbit costume.
October 6, 2025
I liked the first and last story., but they all felt like he could have just incorporated those ideas into the full book "metamorphosis" and made it more interesting in that way... I'm happy they seemed to have done that in the movie at least
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