History Anime / MindGame

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler: Considering that the entire series of events might have just taken place in Aniki's head, and Myon's attempt in running away from Atsu succeeded unlike in the beginning, there's no telling what path each of the three main characters take in life because of it. The climatic TimeCompressionMontage at the end of the movie does clear up some aspects but it doesn't come together in a coherent way]].

* AmbiguousEnding: [[spoiler: Considering that the entire series of events might have just taken place in Aniki's head, and Myon's attempt in running away from Atsu succeeded unlike in the beginning, there's no telling what path each of the three main characters take in life because of it]].

* GainaxEnding: The climatic TimeCompressionMontage does clear up some aspects but it doesn't come together in a coherent way.

* WeCallHimBarkeep: The names of "Aniki" and "Ji-san" are never revealed in the entire movie.

* AlwaysNight: Most of the locations are set in a dark environment. The first part plays out at night in typical rainy CityNoir style. The second part is set inside a whale with limited artificial lighting.

* AnAesop: While at first it seems like the main moral is live life to the fullest (and its important to keep that moral in mind) the end of the movie teaches us that we live in a never ending story and it really is an amazing thing we have.

[[quoteright:220:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/936full-mind-game-cover_1165.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:220:[[AnAesop Your life is the result of your own decisions]].]]

* BondOneLiner: The senior Yakuza, after [[spoiler:shooting Atsu for killing Nishi]]: "Think about what you did on your way to hell."

* [[spoiler:AllJustADream: It is being [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452039/board/nest/85321909 theorized]] that the bulk of the story takes place inside the head of "Aniki", the senior Yakuza, while waiting in the car. That explains the {{Bookends}} closing scene where he snaps out of his day dream to give the story a different turn where Atsu fails to catch up to Myon, and "Aniki" drives off and boards a train with Myon's mother]].

* AllJustADream: It is being [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452039/board/nest/85321909 theorized]] that the bulk of the story takes place inside the head of "Aniki", the senior Yakuza, while waiting in the car. That explains the {{Bookends}} closing scene where he snaps out of his day dream to give the story a different turn, [[spoiler: where Atsu fails to catch up to Myon, and "Aniki" drives off and boards a train with Myon's mother]].

* AllJustADream: It is being [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452039/board/nest/85321909 theorized]] that the bulk of the story takes place inside the head of Aniki, the senior Yakuza, while waiting in the car. That explains the {{Bookends}} closing scene where he snaps out of his day dream to give the story a different turn, [[spoiler: where Atsu fails to catch up to Myon, and Aniki drives off and boards a train with Myon's mother]].

* VillainsWantMercy: The baddie at the diner pleads for his life. Not working out for him though.

* {{Yakuza}}: The movie features two of them, Atsu and his senior partner.

* AllJustADream: It is being [[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452039/board/nest/85321909 theorized]] that the bulk of the story takes place inside the senior Yakuza's head while waiting in the car. That explains the {{Bookends}} closing scene where he snaps out of his day dream to give the story a different turn.

* NoEnding: The movie specifically ends with "This movie has never ended."

* AnAesop: Live life to the fullest.

Nishi is a 20-year-old, self-deprecating loser who dreams of drawing manga for a living. Since the age of nine, he has always been in love with a girl named Miyo - but although she has feelings for him, his shyness and inability to confess his love have led her to think about marrying another man. Shortly after learning of this, Nishi is shot through the butt by an angry Yakuza mobster and dies - and thus begins the story of Mind Game, a movie about second chances and living life with no regrets.

* AttemptedRape: Atsu attempts to strip down Myon and violently assaults her, right after beating her boyfriend Ryo into unconsciousness. Fortunately, he stops because Myon mentions Nishi's name - unfortunately, this causes Atsu to target Nishi and [[AssShove shove his gun up their ass,]] which ends up the catalyst for the rest of the plot.

* LemmingCops: A bunch of Lemming Yakuza are crashing their cars while in pursuit of the protagonists. On the upside, no tax money was wasted.

* YouCannotGraspTheTrueForm: God.

The whole movie is told in several different styles of animation, visual metaphors, intertwining plots and philosophical messages. Since its release, it has become something of a cult classic, being praised by directors from both the West and the East for its storytelling and visual style(s).

* AttemptedRape: Atsu attempts to strip down Myon and violently assaults her, right after beating her boyfriend Ryo into unconsciousness. Fortunately, he stops because Myon mentions Nishi's name - unfortunately, this causes Atsu to target Nishi and [[AssShove shove his gun up their ass,]] which ends up the catalyst for the rest of the plot.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Atsu blows Nishi's brains out through his ass just to be a dick, right after putting a gun to the face of his superior, Aniki, and [[AttemptedRape preparing to rape Myon for the hell of it.]] Aniki [[spoiler: promptly guns down Atsu after proclaiming he was going to spare him, before casually blaming it on the newly-revived Nishi.]]

* [[Gainaxing]]: Myon's got a rather large pair of GagBoobs, and when the action gets going, you can bet the camera's going to focus on it.

* Gainaxing: Myon's got a rather large pair of GagBoobs, and when the action gets going, you can bet the camera's going to focus on it.

* AttemptedRape: Atsu attempts to strip down Miyo and violently assaults her, right after beating her boyfriend Ryo into unconsciousness. Fortunately, he stops because Miyo mentions Nishi's name - unfortunately, this causes Atsu to target Nishi and [[AssShove shove his gun up their ass,]] which ends up the catalyst for the rest of the plot.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Atsu blows Nishi's brains out through his ass just to be a dick, right after putting a gun to the face of his superior, Aniki, and [[AttemptedRape preparing to rape Miyo for the hell of it.]] Aniki [[spoiler: promptly guns down Atsu after proclaiming he was going to spare him, before casually blaming it on the newly-revived Nishi.]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: Atsu blows Nishi's brains out through his ass just to be a dick, right after putting a gun to the face of his superior, Aniki, and [[AttemptedRape preparing to rape Miyo for the hell of it.]] Aniki [[spoiler: promptly guns down Atsu after proclaiming he was going to spare him.]]