In Koji Morimoto’s films, fear is often portrayed as a surreal, unsettling force that invades both he physical and psychological worlds of his characters. He uses vivid, distorted visuals and smooth animation to make the fear feel overly intense. For example, in Magnetic Rose from memories (1995), fear emerges from isolation and haunting memories with dark, claustrophobic settings and flickering lights making characters feel trapped, both in space and in their minds. Morimoto often showcase fear as a confrontation with the unknown or a loss of control, creating the surreal atmosphere where reality just blurs and merges with imagination. His characters experiences fear to the degree where to them it’s not just as an emotion but as an existential force, one that alters their perceptions, forcing them to make decisions or to confront deep, often hidden parts of themselves.
Magnetic Rose in memories is often considered one of Morimoto’s most impactful contributions to animation. This film is noted for its meticulous detail, bold animation, and ability to create suspense through a haunting depth of atmosphere and emotional intensity that set a new standard for quality and inspired animators around the world. Exploring themes like, memory, loss, and obsession in a beautiful way, and rather relying on jump scares or monsters, it creates fear through atmosphere, decaying environments, and eerie lighting to convey a sense of abandonment and decay. Like how Morimoto like to do in his phycological horror films, Magnetic Rose blurs the line between memory and reality. As the characters explore the abandoned ship, they are drawn into the memories of the opera singer Eva, which materialize around them as if they’re relieving her past. This surreal approach where memories physically contributes to the real world adds more layers to the narrative which pulls the viewer deeper into the psychological horror.
I chose Perfect Blue as my favorite horror film because it masters psychological depth. Just like Magnetic Rose, instead of relying on typical horror tropes, the film dives into Mima’s mind, portraying her paranoia and confusion as she questions her reality. This type of horror feels personal and relatable, making it even more chilling as viewers can empathize with her feelings of being watched, trapped, and manipulated. Other horror films would have their protagonists be this star or have crazy narratives, where viewers can’t seem to find themselves, so the film would have different tactics for viewers to be drawn by. However, many films that use these tropes end up feeling extremely repetitive, while Perfect Blue stands out by connecting with the viewers. It taps into a basic human instinct, the need to find ourselves in everything. Perfect Blue portrays identity and reality in ways that make the audience question their own perceptions, allowing them to find pieces of themselves in Mima’s journey. This personal connection is what makes the horror in Perfect Blue so memorable.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=perfect+blue
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_Blue
https://satoshikon.fandom.com/wiki/Perfect_Blue
https://www.thelooksdsu.com/blog/perfect-blue-review
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memories_(1995_film)
https://satoshikon.fandom.com/wiki/Memories