When Mind Game was screened at festivals in the US on its release, its truly unique visual style was one of the main aspects noted by the few critics who got to see it. Words like "virtuoso", "kaleidoscopic" and "enthralling" all went some way to trying to evoke just how imaginative this obscure animation from Japan really was. Yet amazingly, Mind Game has never been picked up for distribution in the West, and the only subtitled copies available (outside of the occasional rip posted on YouTube) is the Japanese region 2 DVD release. Perhaps it is Mind Game's quirky, avante-garde approach to animation that has made it difficult to find a distributor - there's no denying that nothing like it has been made before or since, and marketing such an unusual product could be problematic. Which is a huge shame, since its tale of a young aspiring artist who, after being killed by a Yakuza gangster finds himself facing God before choosing against all logic to defiantly have another go at life, is a sweet, heartfelt ode to the creative spirit and the importance of friendship. It's also perhaps the most radical feature length animation of all time, mixing a wealth of art and animation styles from one eye-popping scene to the next, while boasting one of the most adrenaline-pumping finales you're ever likely to see. And each time you watch it, it just gets better. What more could you ask for out of a movie? Have you seen any other visual masterpieces which seem to have passed people by unnoticed? Why not let us know in the comments below?
