First question: "What does the database row contain?" Based on what you've printed, I daresay that it really does contain Unicode information. Therefore, the most likely explanation is that either Perl or your command-line shell(!) does not know to display the information correctly. After satisfying yourself that Perl knows what to do, check the "settings" of your shell (window ...).

If "Perl" settings did not do the trick – as you describe – then the most-likely culprit is your shell.