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In an interview, Kon described his intentions for Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress thus: “I had the intention of making the two films like sisters, through the depiction of the relationship between admirer and idol…they show the dark side and the light side of the same relationship.”
Comment on how Kon realized this intention in Millennium Actress. While the dark side and danger of fandom is pretty clear in Perfect Blue, what are the bright side and benefits of fandom as depicted in Millennium Actress?
I think obviously fandom saved Chiyoko’s life twice, illustrating its benefits. Genya saved Chiyoko twice from the falling ceiling and in the second time happened to pick up the key that Chiyoko dropped. This incident led Genya to find Chiyoko after she retired from the film industry. And Genya actually then puts the puzzle together for Chiyoko. Genya was the one who knew all the time that the painter Chiyoko chased for many years was actually dead. Genya also kept that secret from Chiyoko, probably not wanting it to destroy her dream. Genya seemed to be the protector of Chiyoko most of the time, no matter in real life or in movies where Chiyoko needed help to escape or continue her journey on finding the painter. Even when he was informed by the doctor that Chiyoko wasn’t going to last long, Genya refused to tell Chiyoko the truth. From every aspect, Genya saved Chiyoko at last by letting her realize that the man in her dream has been dead for a long time. And Chiyoko was satisfied with her pursuit and the answer she received.
There are obviously many differences between an obsessive, stalking fanboy that would kill in order to protect his idol’s innocence and the good-hearted fanboy that we see from Genya. However, they both show unwavering loyalty to their idol. The benefits of a loyal fandom are shown from the very beginning of the movie. We see a man going through an exorbitant amount of work to find and set up a meeting with Chiyoko just to deliver a key, of which he did not know the true extent of its importance, to her. He even goes an extra step as to make a documentary about her life. As he attentively listens to her stories of the past, he is all too happy to humor an old woman and play along with her in her retellings. He, in perfect representation of the bright side of fandom, was willing to do anything in his power to make her happy and shield her from pain. He has even gone as far as to save her life twice by shielding her from falling debris, and in her final moments, he made sure that he was there to comfort her in any way possible.
Juxtaposed against Perfect Blue, Millennium Actress carries a much different emotional position than the earlier of Kon’s films. Instead of posing the admirer as a creeper who has perverted his idol into something she is not. Genya instead, is a fawning but respectful follower, truly desiring to share the life of Chiyoko fully, through a the beautiful narrative of documentary, as opposed to Me-Mania, who attempts to document Mima’s life through fake online posts. The benefits to this “bright-sided” fandom is that while at first, Genya’s sadness and crying seems only sophomoric and that of a truly dedicated fan, the viewer also adapts this sense of morose that Genya offers after every heartbreaking scene. Ultimately, by having a light-hearted fan that not only saved her life on multiple occasions, but brought back a motif of Chiyoko’s life, out of care and adoration, a platonic love triangle is created. This triangle, between Genya, Chiyoko, and the viewer, breaks the viewers heart as he or she becomes more and more involved in the love story, before finally being shattered with the one last earthquake that signals the end of Chiyoko’s narrative.
I agree with all of the following responses. As opposed to Me-Mania’s stalkerish tendencies and unwarranted possessiveness over Mima’s life, Millennium Actress encapsulates the beauty of what it means to admire, respect, and to be a pure fan of somebody. Tachiban wants nothing but the best for Chiyoko, an actress that he truly admires out of respect and good-heartedness, and even if there is a bit of a one-sided love involved, (Tachiban is clearly smitten with Chiyoko), he doesn’t use this as an excuse to try and control her life in any aspect. He is simply proud to be a fan of her’s, and it is clear from many instances that he would even give his life if it meant saving Chiyoko’s.
As Tachiban experienced Chiyoko’s rise to fame through her acting career, he tried in any way to put her out of physical harm’s way. Tachiban just wants to make his idol happy–and the fact that he’s held on to this Key for so long, and traveled to give it to Chiyoko, remembering how significant it was after seeing her lose it the first time, is the representation of a loving and caring fan. For Chiyoko, having someone who was so whole-heartedly invested in her career and her life story, and for him to be willing and eagerly engaged in listening to her recount this story, must have meant a lot to her. Tachiban started fro humble beginnings, as a mere crew worker for Chiyoko’s set, but even since then, his great respect for her has never waned.
Although the fan-idol relationship can become quite ugly (as portrayed by Me-mania in Perfect Blue), Genya’s link to Chiyoko proves that this relationship has the potential to remain unsoiled. Through Perfect Blue and Millennium Actress, Kon allows the reader to distinguish the overwhelming difference between a loyal fan and an overly-loyal (or obsessive) fan. Genya’s loyalty to Chiyoko is portrayed as a positive and noble attribute, similar to a general vowing to win a battle for his country. The concept of fandom remains pure in Millennium Actress, which allows the fan-idol relationship to reach new heights. Because Genya’s loyalty to Chiyoko does not cross the line (in contrast to Me-mania), Genya’s is able to support Chiyoko without deviating from reality. The fan-idol relationship is highlighted in Millennium Actress and its potential is shown to rival that of familial relationships. For instance, Genya continuously supports Chiyoko no matter the time period and even stays beside Chiyoko on her death bed. Genya in a sense completes Chiyoko’s life by returning the key to her. Chiyoko is finally able to once again set off on another adventure to find the man she truly loves, and this time, she will find him.
Tachibana Genya represents the fandom of Chiyoko. It is clear that he holds the actress in high regard, much like how Me-Mania is mesmerized by Mima. However, Genya does not turn his admiration into selfish desires that drag Chiyoko into despair, like Me-Mania did to Mima. Instead, Genya supports Chiyoko and her desires wholeheartedly. This is apparent in the “film reenactments” that told of Chiyoko’s life; Genya always played the role of Chiyoko’s admirer. Despite the obviousness of his devotion for her, in all the film clips, he saved her from trouble and wished for her to find her own love.
This shows the positive kind of fandom, the one that supports its idol and her desires.Whereas the fan in “Perfect Blue” viewed Miya as something to be possessed and controlled, Tachibana saw Chiyoko as nothing more than a great friend, someone whom he had shared countless experiences with both through her movies or through their brief moments together on set. For Kon, that is the bright side of fandom – by putting yourself out there for the world to see, you can make countless friends and admirers whom you will never meet face-to-face, and yet share a deep and personal relationship with. Through the entirety of the film, the silly, light-hearted devotion that Tachibana has for Chiyoko serves as the comedic centerpiece of the anime, turning an otherwise serious, dramatic, and ordinary story about a naive girl chasing after her first love into something more special. In the same way, the incredible relationship between a mutually respecting fan and idol can build a sense of meaning and purpose for a well-meaning fan, and a broad base of emotional support for a lonely idol.
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