Ebonyslayer

I think after I saw Yuasa's work with Devilman Crybaby, I became a lot more interested with the guy's work. Even with a limited budget, the things that guy can animate for this movie are amazing. I won't lie though, this movie felt more like a mind trip than a mind game.

Story- The story for the most part, is about Nishi comes into his own identity throughout the length of the movie. The movie doesn't truly pick up until the main character happens to die unexpectedly. Then the story only happens to get crazier from there. When the characters get trapped in a whale, I instantly got Pinochio vibes. This of course while extrordinary also happens to be another trial for the protagonist, which also has to be one of the biggest animation sequences in the movie. From there the movie wraps up with a bang more or less you could say.

Animation- This movie tries a lot of different animation techniques, some that worked and some that didn't. But I think one of the bigger themes behind this movie is the fact that Yuasa really wanted to show his love for animation. I mean this guy directed, wrote, and animated this movie all on his own. That's gotta earn some form of an award.

Sound- There was definitely a lot of sound that was involved with the animation, and the Japanese voice actors did a pretty good job for the most part.

Characters- I think the characters were pretty well written. There are probably a lot of people who can relate to Nishi who have may have the same faliures and outlook on life. But he also shows that even in the face of life's challenges, we can still find a way to live without regret.

Overall- I think this movie offers some of the coolest animations that you don't see a lot of in other productions, plus this is the perfect movie to recommend to fans of Yuasa, if they haven't seen it yet. Or the perfect change of pace if you want to see something different. Mind Game without a doubt will leave an impression on its viewers.