Mind Game (2004)

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Director:

Masaaki Yuasa

Writers:

Robin Nishi (comic)
Robin Nishi (story)
(more)

Release Date:

7 August 2004 (Japan)

Genre:

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Mystery

Plot:

The film follows Nishi, a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia...

Plot Keywords:

Heaven | Sex | Violence | Love | Bathing

Awards:

1 win

Cast

Koji Imada	...	Nishi (voice)
Sayaka Maeda	...	Myon (voice)
Takashi Fujii	...	Jiisan (voice)
Seiko Takuma	...	Yan (voice)
Tomomitsu Yamaguchi	...	Ryou (voice)
Toshio Sakata	...	Father of Myon and Yan (voice)
Joji Shimaki	...	Yakuza boss (voice)
Rintarou Nishi	...	Yakuza (voice)
Kenichi Chujou	...	Atsu (voice)

Directed by
Masaaki Yuasa

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Robin Nishi		comic
Robin Nishi		story
Masaaki Yuasa		screenplay

Produced by
Eiko Tanaka	....	producer

Original Music by
Fayray
Seiichi Yamamoto

Film Editing by
Keiko Mizuta
Kyoko Mizuta

Art Direction by
Tooru Hishiyama
Toru Hishiyama

Art Department
Tomoko Washida	....	color designer

Visual Effects by
Keisuke Sasagawa	....	CGI director

Animation Department
Eiji Abiko	....	key animator
Yasuhiro Aoki	....	key animator
Yoshiharu Ashino	....	key animator
Yumi Chiba	....	key animator
Nobutaka Ito	....	key animator
Toshihisa Kaiya	....	key animator
Mutsuko Kajigaya	....	inbetween animation supervisor
Hideki Kakita	....	key animator
Jirô Kanai	....	key animator
Masahiko Kubo	....	assistant animation director
Miyako Miyano	....	key animator
Kôji Morimoto	....	animation director
Kayoko Nabeta	....	key animator
Hiroshi Nakanishi	....	key animator
Daisuke Nakayama	....	key animator
Masae Nakayama	....	key animator
Sae Niraduka	....	in-between animation checker
Shoujirou Nishimi	....	key animator
Hiroyuki Nishimura	....	key animator
Kazuya Nomura	....	key animator
Nobutoshi Ogura	....	key animator
Fumitoshi Oisaki	....	key animator
Keiichi Sasajima	....	key animator
Hideki Sekiguchi	....	key animator
Masayuki Sekine	....	key animator
Yuichiro Sueyoshi	....	animation director
Yuichiro Sueyoshi	....	character designer
Masaharu Tada	....	key animator
Hiromu Takaguchi	....	key animator
Hideki Takahashi	....	key animator
Masato Takemoto	....	key animator
Masato Tamagawa	....	key animator
Yuichi Tanaka	....	key animator
Ushio Tazawa	....	key animator
Katsuyuki Tsubouchi	....	key animator
Chie Uratani	....	key animator
Makoto Yamada	....	key animator
Kenichi Yamaguchi	....	key animator

Music Department
Yôko Kanno	....	composer: additional music
Shinichirô Watanabe	....	music producer

Production Companies

• Studio 4°C
• Asmik Ace Entertainment
• Beyond C.
• Mind Game Project
• Rentrack Japan Co. Ltd.

Distributors

• Asmik Ace Entertainment (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Channel Neko (2007) (Japan) (TV)
• Madhouse Studios (2004) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Madman Entertainment (2008) (Australia) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Anime International Company (AIC)  in-between animation
• Anime-R  in-between animation
• Animespot  in-between animation
• Atelier BWCA  background art
• Bee Train  in-between animation
• Buyu  digital ink and paint
• Dogakobo  in-between animation
• Frontline  in-between animation
• Gainax  in-between animation
• J.C. Staff  in-between animation
• Kino Production  in-between animation
• MI  in-between animation
• Mouse  in-between animation
• Nakamura Production  in-between animation
• PAC  background art
• Production I.G.  in-between animation
• Radix  in-between animation
• Satelight  in-between animation
• Studio Cockpit  in-between animation
• Studio Gimlet  digital ink and paint
• Studio Tarje  digital ink and paint
• Trace Studio M  digital ink and paint

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Australia:R (2008)

Company:

Studio 4°C

Trivia:

This is the directorial debut of Masaaki Yuasa.

Quotes:

Nishi: We've gotta leave. It's that or drown.
Yan: But how?
Nishi: The boat, of course!
Myon: The cops'll be looking for us.
Nishi: So?
Myon: The Yakuzas'll come after us!
Nishi: So what! I wanna get out! 'Cos there's so much out there! So many different people, living different lives! Incredibly good guys, bad guys... Folks completely different from us! It's one huge melting pot! See, it's not about success, dying in the streets...

A great journey into the meaning of life

I saw this movie at the Brussels International Fantastic Film Festival "www.bifff.org" in March 2006

This movie is a real kick in the face, a ballet of music, feelings and poetic vision of life. Something between David Lynch and The Yellow Submarine of the Beattles.

The hero is falling into desperation and will meet god for a little interview.

Please take that ride ! You will not regret it. This movie is full of pleasure and humor and you will probably cry or laugh ...

Thanks BB