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Mind Game
Mind Game
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Mind Game

Mind Game

2004
Comedy, Adventure
1h 43m
A wildly psychedelic ride through Osaka's backstreets, the afterlife, and a whale's belly. Incorporating photo frames of the actual voice-actors' faces, the film reflects the rough aesthetic of the young production house Studio 4c, as well as an emerging anime trend toward DJ-style visual sampling. (Museum of Modern Art)

Directed by:

Masaaki Yuasa

Screenwriter:

Robin Nishi

Starring:

Koji Imada, Sayaka Maeda, Takashi Fujii, Seiko Takuma, Tomomitsu Yamaguchi, Toshio Sakata

Genres:

Comedy, Adventure, Mystery, Animation

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese
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Mind Game

2004
Comedy, Adventure
1h 43m
Your probable score
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer
Avg Percentile 68.4% from 899 total ratings
Ratings & Reviews Cast Collections Similar Stats Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

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martintellerMartinTeller
Rated 19 Dec 2006
91
95th
This movie is completely insane, and yet manages to stay grounded in a logical narrative. This is mind-melting animation that captures the wild kaleidoscope of life with wit and style and boundless imagination. A really original and rewarding experience.
Rated 19 Dec 2006
beedubBeeDub
Rated 15 May 2016
100
97th
Man, what a rush. A completely unique experience that pushes the artistic possibilities of animation - and cinema itself - to the limit. Unforgettable.
Rated 15 May 2016
spunkieSpunkie
Rated 05 Apr 2007
91
99th
Mind Game is one of the top form milestone in animation. Nothing short or devoid of meaning, this movie is imagination and emotions constantly becoming it's self sub-reality. Every surealistic sequence effects the personas within, so the dramatic structure is complete, if not the usual way. Bear with the first half an hour, and try to get in, there lies the modern dragons.
Rated 05 Apr 2007
antitypeantitype
Rated 22 Jan 2010
94
96th
Anime's ultimate answer to the post-FLCL superflat world of the early 20th century. See it even if you don't care about anime; Mind Game is one of the most life-affirming cinematic experiences you'll find. If you do care about anime (things like this are why I still love it), you'll find this to be an orgasmically kaleidoscopic and intensely imaginative work, in a league of its own. Masaaki Yuasa's postmodern expressionism resounds.
Rated 22 Jan 2010
nearphotisonNearphotison
Rated 03 Feb 2009
87
81st
A fantastic piece of animation, much to my surprise. It can be difficult to adjust to the constantly-fluctuating art style, but once you do the story is rewarding and the overall message is as beautiful and strange as the animation. A must-see for any otaku, especially budding ones.
Rated 03 Feb 2009
frederikaFrederikA
Rated 22 May 2019
5
1st
I didn't get all the way through it, but I have it from several trusted sources, that I didn't miss out on anything in the last 20 minutes... besides the inside of a giant whale. Anyways, I do think I might have enjoyed this quite a bit, had I seen it when it came out (from an aesthetic point of view at least), but right now, at this point in time, I hated everything about it with a goddamn vengeance.
Rated 22 May 2019
whatismynamewhatismyname
Rated 11 Feb 2009
65
63rd
How do you rate this movie? It is so mindfuckingly strange, the orgasmic explosion that is called Mind Game. However you do rate this, you cannot call it unoriginal. With crazy animation and a crazy story, most, if not all will get something out of this.
Rated 11 Feb 2009
magbMagb
Rated 14 Aug 2007
80
61st
This is probably the most surreal movie I've ever seen. Lynch and Buñuel and whoever haven't got shit on Mind Game, mainly because it simply isn't possible to achieve what Mind Game achieves visually without using animation. The plot (if you can call it that) is actually very good, but the animation, unsurprisingly, steals the show. I won't bother trying to describe what this movie looks like, because I wouldn't know where to start.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
davidblastDavidBlast
Rated 19 May 2019
30
13th
I had this manic depressive friend once, who'd swing by at around 12 at night, to tell me about this 10.000 page manuscript he had been working on, naked, on the Faroe islands, while masturbating in the wild. I hope he will get to see this movie one day. Of all people in this world, he's probably one that could make sense of it...
Rated 19 May 2019
judge_holdenJudge Holden
Rated 20 Aug 2012
2
15th
Unlike some other surreal Japanese films, Mind Game, with its simplistic message, obnoxious editing, and gimmicky (sometimes nauseating) animation is best described as absolute drivel. It's a never-ending collage of juvenile bullshit that's not in the least bit imaginative or engaging. In fact, it's not even the least bit surreal, and seems more interested in exploring its adolescent and asinine theme with its equally moronic and drab characters.
Rated 20 Aug 2012
suture_selfSuture Self
Rated 20 Aug 2012
2
13th
Not only am I going to be the contrarian on criticker and say this movie sucks, I'm going to say it really, really sucks. It's a mish mash of gimmicks, break-neck editing, dissonant visuals, muted colors, and endless non-sequiturs and I felt absolutely nothing the entire time until the very end when it was over and I could sigh with relief and move on with my life.
Rated 20 Aug 2012
smoovejSmooveJ
Rated 06 Mar 2007
96
97th
Beautiful animation and an excellent life-affirming story.
Rated 06 Mar 2007
space_popeSpace Pope
Rated 11 Feb 2013
90
96th
I feel like my heart was just hugged by the happiest kaleidoscope in the world.
Rated 11 Feb 2013
jmboschJMBosch
Rated 24 Aug 2009
90
91st
Mind Game will paralyze you with possibility, then give you the antidote. A fun, uber-expressionist ride through an incredibly life-affirming narrative. The themes are universal and handled with a lot of earnestness. This is why animated films exist. And it would be a great primer on expressionism for budding artists. Watch to the end. It's almost as thematically consistent and coherent as Irreversible.
Rated 24 Aug 2009
pepsi_manPepsi-Man
Rated 20 Jul 2009
4
96th
Early on it seems like there's no possible way it could come together, make sense, or be remotely coherent, but stick with and you'll be rewarded.
Rated 20 Jul 2009
philipPhilip
Rated 31 May 2008
99
99th
Post-modernism taken to the extreme!
Rated 31 May 2008
deaddillydeaddilly
Rated 09 May 2020
55
18th
Awesome until they get trapped in the whale for an eternity. From then on this becomes a sprawling, impenetrable mess - frustratingly abandoning the coherence of its narrative to make room for some vague existential musings. The animation is a feat in maximalism but I can't say I really enjoyed myself for most of this film.
Rated 09 May 2020
kasperlKasperL
Rated 22 May 2019
20
4th
No.
Rated 22 May 2019
jazzalohaJazzaloha
Rated 21 Mar 2016
68
58th
I imagine the target audience for this animated fantasy to be an 18-24 year old male, art student. Lots of creativity in this--reminiscent of Edgar Wright's *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*--and I liked the sketchy/crude animation, but the film bogs down about the half-way mark.
Rated 21 Mar 2016
corbadCorbad
Rated 10 Mar 2016
80
79th
A surreal, fantastical experience with an impact that grows on reflection. Unflinchingly bizarre and uncannily profound.
Rated 10 Mar 2016
p_u_l_pP u l p
Rated 12 Sep 2015
87
96th
-How do you escape from a whale that swallows you? -You run. On water. For a long time.
Rated 12 Sep 2015
1qw3er51qw3er5
Rated 17 May 2011
10
98th
Not quite sure what to make of it after one viewing, but it's certainly a strong impression. Message is simple enough, but it (a reference to the message itself) plays secondary to the experience going on. Brilliantly bright and strikingly disturbing, it's a visual treat well worth the time it takes to soak it in.--- second viewing, this movie is really one of my favorites; music, visuals, characters... an engrossing, thought-provoking, touching, entertaining, loving masterpiece.
Rated 17 May 2011
joojooJooJoo
Rated 05 Sep 2010
5
81st
That was an experience. The underlying message seems rather simple, but the form it takes on is the kind of unimaginable absurdity only the Japanese could think of. A kind of absurdity that is at times genius, disturbing, hilarious, and often a little too much (mainly at the midpoint sections).
Rated 05 Sep 2010
fredericg54frederic_g54
Rated 08 May 2010
9
90th
(2nd viewing) A mind bending life-affirming trip, interspersed with electrifying imagination/animation and the film makes an admirable statement about life-altering moments and how most people deserve a second chance as long as you stay true to yourself. A thing of beauty, recommended!
Rated 08 May 2010
tweedaleTweedale
Rated 17 Jan 2010
10
98th
This film is impossible to describe, as I have seen no other movie like it. It is quite possibly the most enjoyable mindfuck I have ever recieved.
Rated 17 Jan 2010
peaceanarchyPeaceAnarchy
Rated 21 Jul 2008
79
57th
A bizarre mind game with a surprisingly understandable story and creative animation. Sometimes it's a little too weird just for weirdness' sake, but it's still pretty enjoyable and it works on an emotional level as well.
Rated 21 Jul 2008
lonelypandalonelypanda
Rated 28 Nov 2007
90
98th
There have been so many films that people have told me that are good and aren't: This is the a result of the movie being OBSCURE and decent. So I walked into Mind Game with low expectations, expecting to see neat things in a very boring story--Wrong. Mind Game might very well be the best film ever, but I wouldn't call it that. Instead I would call it the most imaginative animated film you will ever see, that puts together a story that expresses more ideas per minute than anything you've seen.
Rated 28 Nov 2007
nathanbatesNathanBates
Rated 08 Dec 2024
60
36th
Bonkers. When the movie started, I thought it was about a pervy guy who would eventually get the girl. Then it seemed to be a meditation about God and our life choices. After a while I stopped trying to follow whatever narrative arc we were being taken on, and by the end, I still wasn't sure what it was about. But whatever it said, it sure said it in style.
Rated 08 Dec 2024
enzy42EnZy42
Rated 30 Aug 2024
65
46th
“it’s so over —> we’re so back —> …”
Rated 30 Aug 2024
skeebosribshackSkeebosRibShack
Rated 24 Apr 2024
97
96th
What's more fun? This movie
Rated 24 Apr 2024
flowerpower4578flowerpower4578
Rated 23 Apr 2024
95
73rd
The animation was creative and fun, the message was uplifting.. don’t waste your life bro.
Rated 23 Apr 2024
kenmeistersKenMeisters
Rated 07 Jan 2024
81
86th
Great visuals in Yuasa's early style with his trademark over the top delivery.
Rated 07 Jan 2024
sinnermaSinnerMa
Rated 17 Jun 2023
12
1st
"modern" styie animation (jerky, sketchily drawn, adding photos) in short 'yuk and not for me'. Chaotic semi fantasy plot.
Rated 17 Jun 2023
lonewolf2003Lonewolf2003
Rated 29 Jan 2023
55
13th
A disappointment. Too weird for just being weird in my taste, and the second half in the whale drags too much. There are still some very fun moments tho and the ending is good, so not a complete waste of time just expected something else/more.
Rated 29 Jan 2023
thatyoungmthatyoungm
Rated 27 Oct 2022
89
75th
Mind Game is worth it just for the inventive animation style, which blends realistic photos and a surreal combination of symbolism and unique characters. It's not meant to be that linear, so if you just sit back and enjoy the freedom of expression on display, it's one of the very best animation films out there.
Rated 27 Oct 2022
adotinapotadotinapot
Rated 28 Sep 2022
95
96th
It's like eating a bag of clouds and thunder of all flavors: tender, immense and electrifying. Every visual strikes and serves a purpose. My little hope is that they will make something with similar concept but with a more provoking story. Still, it's one of the greatest animation I've seen in a very long time.
Rated 28 Sep 2022
eatbeanseatbeans
Rated 09 Dec 2021
3
27th
A rollercoaster of animated violence, fever dreams, and reminiscing. I’m wondering if I’m too old to enjoy this, but I never did enjoy senseless violence.
Rated 09 Dec 2021
toddsaltertoddsalter
Rated 13 Jun 2021
89
59th
Is the end of the pandemic like we are coming out of the whale - an opportunity to see the world as this grand kaleidoscope? I really enjoyed the animation and the story for the first half. But when it became too abstract, with sequences no human could possibly decode, it got boring.
Rated 13 Jun 2021
hotsakehotsake
Rated 20 Mar 2021
60
51st
Loved the music, occasionally liked the story but hated the animation.
Rated 20 Mar 2021
pmaitrepmaitre
Rated 07 Nov 2020
90
71st
philosophical and spiritual journey through ones ego. a little meandering, but great.
Rated 07 Nov 2020
ottott
Rated 31 Jul 2020
85
87th
great animations always do what camera can't
Rated 31 Jul 2020
fenixdownfenixdown
Rated 09 Jun 2018
84
90th
Visually mesmerizing, blending many different art styles. A Bakshi-esque celebration of the mundane and the ridiculous.
Rated 09 Jun 2018
flapjack6xflapjack6x
Rated 02 Apr 2017
100
99th
Absolutely enchanting, this movie is so colorful and bizarre, and even incredibly unsettling at times but it still manages to be so sweet, and whimsical. I really loved this it was so fun.
Rated 02 Apr 2017
comepeliculacomepelicula
Rated 12 Feb 2017
75
81st
Quite bizarre, I really like bizarre movies so I enjoyed it, I think the action sequences are well done, also the characters are interesting and the editing is great, a bit hard to get into it but overall very good.
Rated 12 Feb 2017
alienindieAlienIndie
Rated 22 Sep 2015
40
9th
Cheap nonsense.
Rated 22 Sep 2015
susie_mauvesusie-mauve
Rated 06 Aug 2015
91
85th
You'll probably want to rewatch it after the first time.
Rated 06 Aug 2015
prowlerprowler
Rated 06 Aug 2015
84
85th
a very simple (simplistic?) story told in a kaleidoscopically life-affirming way.
Rated 06 Aug 2015
flipwhitmanFlipWhitman
Rated 27 May 2015
90
91st
weed
Rated 27 May 2015
synthonosynthono
Rated 15 Apr 2015
80
46th
It's unique, and the montages at the end are enough to push my score as high as it is, but as a feature-length film it's really overly abrasive and off-putting.
Rated 15 Apr 2015
louismazziniLouisMazzini
Rated 21 Jul 2014
70
40th
Overrated. Honestly, you can turn on the TV any day in Japan and see better animation.
Rated 21 Jul 2014
gogolitgogolit
Rated 19 Jul 2014
85
89th
Yuasa is the underrated animation genius of his time. This is what animation is all about. Almost to a throwback of the freedom of expression days in animation that's almost gone now.
Rated 19 Jul 2014
zeboimZeboim
Rated 25 Jan 2014
2
17th
Spectacular, but pure fluff. Watch Tatami Galaxy instead for a funnier and more moving treatment of the "you are what you choose" theme.
Rated 25 Jan 2014
muutanetmuutanet
Rated 12 Jun 2013
87
93rd
Mostly brilliant fireworks of ingenius animation. Brilliant flow and lots of surprising twists. Unfortunately the story was tumbling in run and the end was a bit hit by truck.
Rated 12 Jun 2013
lepraLepra
Rated 31 May 2013
80
90th
An uplifting psychedelic animation. Never seen anything like it.
Rated 31 May 2013
kercKerc
Rated 10 Apr 2013
28
92nd
I like anime (though I used to like it a lot more), so for the first 90-or-so minutes, I thought Mind Game was really creative but still reveled in narrative cliches, albeit in its own inimitable fashion. And then the ending nearly brings me to tears.
Rated 10 Apr 2013
hisblobhisblob
Rated 14 Jan 2013
95
95th
Extra points for the kind of creativity and sharp mood transitions you don't see anywhere else
Rated 14 Jan 2013
troothTrooth
Rated 31 May 2012
83
88th
I love it when I see some anime that actually tries to push the envelope in the animation department. Most modern animations I see fall into predictable cliches and patterns, but you could call this movie's style experimental if nothing else. There are some parts where the story seems to wander, and you aren't really sure where it's headed, but it's sure to leave you with a warm feeling by the end.
Rated 31 May 2012
spaceflohspacefloh
Rated 21 May 2012
60
58th
jap_eng; [Mind Game]; ein junge kommt vom tod zurück auf die straßen osaka, um durch obskure umstände mit seiner angebeteten in einem walfischbauch zu landen und leben.;
Rated 21 May 2012
snallygastersnallygaster
Rated 04 Sep 2011
79
89th
The escape scene must be one of the most intensely stylized yet authentic-feeling sequences in animated film.
Rated 04 Sep 2011
dreammachineDreamMachine
Rated 09 Sep 2010
80
32nd
fun to watch. difficult to comprehend. O_o
Rated 09 Sep 2010
markjpMArkjp
Rated 30 Aug 2010
90
90th
Speaking visuals and animation, this is one of the most mindblowing films in a long time. "Psychadelic" and "Post Modern" is somehow not enough to explain how this film looks and feels. I was blown away by the animation style...and I watched it on a tiny laptop. I really, really want to see again on the big screen.
Rated 30 Aug 2010
velvet_croweVelvet Crowe
Rated 03 Jun 2010
78
87th
A pretty stellar movie, with some very mesmerizing visuals and scenes. On one hand I really liked the overall message about making the most of ones life and the visuals could really add to that, on the other hand I also felt that they plastered the crazy ass scenes in really arbitrary places and made its meaning or purpose really convoluted and incoherent.... or maybe just pointless overall. The ending, especially, felt like a weird and pointless clusterfuck. Good film overall, though.
Rated 03 Jun 2010
bigsimoBigSimo
Rated 28 May 2010
95
97th
YES
Rated 28 May 2010
entrapmenentrapmen
Rated 01 Apr 2010
57
23rd
what does it telling? Uhmm-- any idea?
Rated 01 Apr 2010
chiefgchiefg
Rated 08 Oct 2009
95
98th
Masaaki Yuasa propels japanese animation into the next century! If you liked it, don't forget to watch Kemonozume too!
Rated 08 Oct 2009
begoniabolbegoniabol
Rated 09 Jul 2009
82
83rd
Fucking weird
Rated 09 Jul 2009
tearsofashtearsofash
Rated 25 May 2009
75
54th
Not a bad film, although I felt like some parts dragged on for too long, but this is typical of anime films.
Rated 25 May 2009
darkmandarkman
Rated 12 Apr 2009
74
61st
This anime is completely crazy. It takes you along with it. It's very difficult to rate this trip.
Rated 12 Apr 2009
moribunnyMoribunny
Rated 23 Mar 2009
68
70th
This is eccentric even for Japan. Unabashedly deranged and jovially juvenile, but fascinating.
Rated 23 Mar 2009
lockstocklockstock
Rated 22 Mar 2009
46
29th
de maker van deze film is ne geschifte psychopaat! ... sven...ZIE DIT NIET of gij wordt de nieuwe Wayne Boden.
Rated 22 Mar 2009
ninjacow7ninjacow7
Rated 19 Feb 2009
90
93rd
Japan's 'Waking Life'.
Rated 19 Feb 2009
nathandarkoNathanDarko
Rated 17 Feb 2009
88
70th
Honestly.. I don't know what it was all about, haven't any clou about.Fucking Crazy...Guess I need exactly the same drugs like the director to understand rudimentally what this Movie want to tell me. However gorgeous & unique.I starred on the screen with open mouth like @ "fear and loathing" in former times.Insane fun for those who are open for "something new"... now I need Jefferson Airplane - White Rabbit...damn that flick blows my mind =)
Rated 17 Feb 2009
kezkez
Rated 13 Feb 2009
80
90th
Just wow
Rated 13 Feb 2009
eric_janeric-jan
Rated 26 Jan 2009
75
74th
Funny animated movie with some great scenes.
Rated 26 Jan 2009
uniquenameUniqueName
Rated 15 Jan 2009
94
97th
Utterly mind exploding.
Rated 15 Jan 2009
thedicemanTheDiceman
Rated 14 Aug 2007
75
89th
Excellent piece of animation, stunning.
Rated 14 Aug 2007

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