Japanese pop icon LiSA recently shared her deep connection with Perfect Blue, the 1997 psychological thriller by acclaimed director Satoshi Kon. Speaking about the film, she reflected on how its intense themes of fame, identity, and inner conflict resonate with her own life as a public figure.
“[Kon’s films] resonate so much demon-like feelings, and also the struggle between, like, ‘I want to be human. You want to be good, but also I could be dark,’” LiSA said, emphasizing how Perfect Blue mirrors the emotional complexity of living in the public eye.
The film follows Mima Kirigoe, a pop idol who quits her music career to become an actress, only to experience a terrifying identity crisis. As she is stalked by a fan and haunted by a ghost-like version of her past self, the lines between reality and illusion begin to blur. For LiSA, it’s Mima’s desire to be seen and loved that hits closest to home.
“It’s a story about how much she wants to be loved,” LiSA explained. “Or how much she wants to be recognized. Those are true feelings inside that are actualized in the characters. And sometimes I feel I can identify myself in those characters.”
Though she’s known for creating hit anime theme songs, LiSA also revealed she usually prefers reading manga over watching anime. However, she makes an exception when her favorite manga gets animated, saying she “pays respect to the animators who do an amazing job.”
One anime that recently impressed her is Spy x Family, the popular series about a fake family hiding secret identities. LiSA especially loves Anya, the telepathic five-year-old whose innocence and humor ground the series. “Anya is the heart of the show,” she said.
While Perfect Blue and Spy x Family differ in tone, LiSA finds a shared emotional core: both explore the need to be accepted and loved despite living behind masks. For someone like her — balancing a personal identity with a public image — this connection between the two anime worlds is not just relatable, but deeply personal.
