Mind Game
Seen it?2004 | 103 min | Animation, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Fantasy, Adventure
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (100% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for romantics, anyone who wants a laugh and fantasy fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Funny with heart, romantic.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 43 min.
- What might put you off
- No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
- It's in Japanese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Nishi is a loser who has a crush on his childhood girlfriend. After an encounter with the Japanese mafia, he journeys to heaven and back, and ends up trapped in an even more unlikely place.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
100% on Rotten Tomatoes, 66 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.5 out of 10
- AwardsWeak
1 win and 0 nominations from smaller awards and festivals
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$37K worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 84K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Masaaki Yuasa
- Koji ImadaNishi (voice)
- Sayaka MaedaMyon (voice)
- Takashi FujiiJiisan (voice)
- Seiko TakumaYan (voice)
- Tomomitsu YamaguchiRyou (voice)
- Toshio SakataFather of Myon and Yan (voice)
- Jôji ShimakiYakuza boss (voice)
- Rintaro NishiYakuza (voice)
- Kenichi ChujouAtsu (voice)