Mind Game
Series title: マインド・ゲー
- Studio
- Studio 4°C, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Beyond C., Rentrack Japan Co. Ltd.
- Animation studio
- Gainax, Production I.G
- Distributor
- Asmik Ace Entertainment, Madhouse Studios
Synopsis
A stream-of-consciousness, surreal succession of sight gags, shifting art styles, and lifelife animation, Mind Game is all about life, and how to live it.
Nishi is a young loser who bumps into Miyo, his enormously-endowed ex-girlfriend. She's about to get married, and she invites him to come to her yakitori restaurant to see her dad and sister and talk about old times. But her dad owes the yakuza money, and when they bust into the place they manage to kill Nishi. Nishi then goes to heaven, argues with God, escapes, goes back in time, rescues Miyo and her sister, runs away in a car, and gets swallowed by a whale.
These are not normal people. But rather than playing fast and loose with its story, while you're watching this movie every one of these twists makes perfect sense. And the story isn't the point, really. The point is the characters, and Mind Game contains all their hopes and dreams.
Nishi is a young loser who bumps into Miyo, his enormously-endowed ex-girlfriend. She's about to get married, and she invites him to come to her yakitori restaurant to see her dad and sister and talk about old times. But her dad owes the yakuza money, and when they bust into the place they manage to kill Nishi. Nishi then goes to heaven, argues with God, escapes, goes back in time, rescues Miyo and her sister, runs away in a car, and gets swallowed by a whale.
These are not normal people. But rather than playing fast and loose with its story, while you're watching this movie every one of these twists makes perfect sense. And the story isn't the point, really. The point is the characters, and Mind Game contains all their hopes and dreams.
Characters
Nishi, Myon, Jiisan, Yan, Ryou, Father of Myon and Yan, Yakuza Boss, Yakuza, Atsu
Credits
Directing
- Director
- Masaaki Yuasa
Producing
- Producer
- Eiko Tanaka
Writing
- Writer
- Masaaki Yuasa
- Story
- Robin Nishi
- Based On the Comic By
- Robin Nishi
Voices
- Voice
- Koji Imada (Nishi), Sayaka Maeda (Myon), Takashi Fujii (Jiisan), Seiko Takuma (Yan), Tomomitsu Yamaguchi (Ryou), Toshio Sakata (Father of Myon and Yan), Joji Shimaki (Yakuza Boss), Rintarou Nishi (Yakuza), Kenichi Chujou (Atsu)
Music
- Music
- Fayray, Seiichi Yamamoto
- Additional Music
- Yôko Kanno
Editing
- Editor
- Keiko Mizuta, Kyoko Mizuta
Crew
- Based On The Manga By
- Robin Nishi
- Art Direction
- Tooru Hishiyama, Toru Hishiyama
- Music Producer
- Shinichirô Watanabe
Production notes
Masaaki Yuasa's debut as a director.
Nishi, the movie's main character, is based on Robin Nishi, who wrote the underground comic on which the movie is based.
Release date is that of debut at Japan's Cine Quinto; limited release took place on August 7, 2004.
Nishi, the movie's main character, is based on Robin Nishi, who wrote the underground comic on which the movie is based.
Release date is that of debut at Japan's Cine Quinto; limited release took place on August 7, 2004.
Awards
Grand Prize, Japan Media Arts Festival, 2004.
Ofuji Noburo Award, Masaaki Yuasa, Mainichi Film Awards, 2005
Ofuji Noburo Award, Masaaki Yuasa, Mainichi Film Awards, 2005
