“A fantastically executed assemblage of animated flotsam punctuated with moments of dry humor and a heartbreaking final montage which gives the film its message – make every moment count.” –Time Out

A hallucinatory flurry of images animated in an ever-shifting mélange of wild animation styles, Masaaki Yuasa’s Mind Game is a breathtakingly imaginative coming-of-age anime that has become a genuine cult classic. Nishi is a nebbishy cartoon artist who is still carrying a torch for Miyo, a beautiful girl who left him years before. One night, Nishi gets a call from Miyo, asking him to meet her at the restaurant her family owns. Nishi arrives and is met by Miyo, her father, her sister — and her fiancé. Before Nishi can find out what the meeting is all about, a handful of gangsters who are owed money by Miyo’s father burst into the diner, and Nishi is shot during the melee. However, as his soul leaves his body, he discovers the next world isn’t quite what he expected, as a computer-bound Supreme Being discusses his failings with him and he is instructed, as is the custom, to walk toward the light. Having had enough of death during his brief visit, Nishi turns tail and flees, running from heaven’s minions, determined to make the most of his life while he still can. Adapted by writer-director Masaaki Yuasa from a manga by Robin Nishi, Mind Game is sure to leave you reeling whether it’s your first experience with this mind-altering trip or your tenth go-round.

Presented in Japanese with English subtitles.