Mind Game

Set in contemporary Japan, the action moves through modern Osaka streets and transit hubs, anchored by current-life details like a World Cup countdown. The narrative fuses everyday urban rhythms with dreamlike sequences and sudden violence. The time frame underlines the immediacy of the characters' choices and the stakes they face.

The film mainly unfolds in Osaka's urban landscape, including crowded subways and the family yakitori restaurant where Myon introduces Nishi to her world. It also ventures into a surreal setting inside a colossal whale, where the protagonists build a suspended home and a life amid the sea-like interior. The settings blend gritty city scenes with fantastical spaces, highlighting the film's boundary-pushing style.

🔥 Resilience

Nishi's stubborn will to live drives the story forward, turning crisis into chance. He endures repeated threats and life-or-death moments, using imagination and courage to escape danger. The film treats resilience as a core force that lets characters redefine their fates.

🌀 Identity

The narrative pushes Nishi from a passive NEET toward creative agency as he confronts violence and mortality. The whale sequence forces introspection about self, purpose, and what it means to choose life. Transformation is shown through changes in goals, art, and relationships.

🤝 Loyalty

Friendships and familial bonds pull the quartet through peril, revealing different faces of courage under pressure. Myon, Yan, Nishi, and Ryo rely on trust and teamwork to outwit threats. The story emphasizes that loyalty can be a practical force that sustains life and hope.