Having been a fan of Masaaki Yuasa’s for a while, it’s shameful to admit that I hadn’t seen his directorial debut, Mind Game (2004). It was while watching the presentation of one of my classmates that it was brought to my attention, as it seemed like the exact kind of thing I would be really into.
Yuasa, aside from generally having a great sense of perspective and figure, is a master of the absurd, colourful and zany. He generally doesn’t limit himself to keeping on-model like most Japanese animation directors. Mind Game, however, takes this love of abstraction to a new level, featuring dozens of different art styles within the same narrative, as the film revels in the insanity of its visuals.
Comedy is typically about subverting expectations, and with animations that are comedic, a sudden shift in art styles can have a very humorous effect. It certainly leaves an impression, for example, watching an episode of SpongeBob, and seeing the 1922 vampire, Nosferatu, appear as a non-sequitur joke.
With online culture, it feels as though absurd and surreal humor is becoming more popular- which might contribute to the intended humor of an art-style switch. The Adult Swim series Smiling Friends, created by a pair of YouTube animators, makes frequent use of different animation techniques for the simple purpose of juxtaposition, making the world feel more bizarre, and consequently funnier. Something intentionally low quality, presented in the right way, can make the viewer feel as though they’re in on the joke.
Where Yuasa perhaps differs with Mind Game, is using this shift in art styles to create discomfort and humor at the same time. The film’s characters experience a steady decline in their mental state, with scenes getting gradually more nonsensical throughout.
While it may be easier to use an art style shift as a punchline, it’s a tool that can easily express more complex emotions. Mind Game’s attempt at a sex scene is delightfully abstract, featuring the characters changing into insects and animals of different colours, and shifting into a mix of oil paints.
It’s usually expected, of course, that a film will have a consistent and coherent world. But I think animation has the ability to break past that, even if it’s at the risk of confusing the audience. Several factors can influence this- Yuasa has stated in a 2004 interview with The Japan Times that the budget of the film was a factor, as well as the fact that Japanese audiences will more readily accept something “unpolished.”
Personally, I really enjoy animation that leans more absurd, and that focuses more on the psychological, and metaphorical. I might also have a fairly bizarre sense of humor. I’d really like to incorporate more mixed media elements into my own work, even if I often feel I don’t have the confidence to do so.