Mind Game tells a simple story about a man named Nishi who runs into his childhood friend Myon- the woman he has loved all his life- only to learn she is soon to be married. While getting a free dinner at Myon's family's restaurant, Nishi meets Myon's fiance and comes to terms with him, accepting that he is probably the right man for Myon. However, things go awry when two mafiosos enter the restaurant looking for Myon's father. In the ensuing struggle between one of the mafiosos ruffing up the place and Nishi "attempting" to protect Myon from being raped, Nishi is shot through the anus and killed. However, after a meeting with God and being given a second chance at life, Nishi comes back and successfully saves Myon and her sister from the mafia. Nishi comes back with a new, invigorated stance on life: "Live life to the fullest, and don't live in regret!"
The rest of the film's plot revolves around Nishi accidentally driving a car with Myon and her sister into a whale while fleeing from the mafia. Inside the whale they start a new life with an old man who has been trapped there for over 30 years. Here they learn more about themselves as the film dives deep into each of the character's psyches while showcasing some of the most strange but brilliant visual pornography I've ever seen.
So why is the film worth your time and what is it really trying to say? A work by Masaaki senpai can't be as simple and mindless as a dude getting a second chance at life and getting trapped in a whale right!?!? Well yea...you're right.
I'd like to first talk about the artistic direction of the show. Put out by Studio 4 degrees C, Mind Game has some of the most visually impressive scenes I've seen in an anime film. When Nishi meets God, God's physical form literally changes over a hundred times. This must have been extremely annoying (and is equally impressive) to pull off at the time, constantly having a new hand-drawn image on screen, every two seconds or so. Other equally impressive moments on the visual spectrum include the escape sequence towards the end of the film and the montage that shows the back stories of each character that plays at both the beginning and end of the film. Lastly, it's worth mentioning that a cool technique Masaaki utilizes in the film are segments in which the animated characters suddenly display the faces of an actual person. This blending of animation and reality is really cool and executed in a way that adds more depth and emotion to the characters's dialogue and actions.
The film's ultimate goal seems to lie with having viewers walk away with the message that no matter how our lives may play out, we must never live in regret. Live your life to the fullest and don't sit ideally by as time passes away. Live for the moment and follow your passions! This sense of grand positivity, even if you didn't buy into anything else this fantastic film offers viewers, is something I feel anyone can relate to and appreciate.
*Did I mention the film's musical director was Shinichiro Watanabe btw ;)
Masaaki's directorial debut was a strong one back in 2004. Mind Game is a visual marvel with a minimalist approach to storytelling that I would highly recommend to anyone remotely interested in this film.
The next review of Masaaki's work will probably be on his show "Kaiba" so stay tuned for that. Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day.
-Nights Off
Film Score: 9/10
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