‘Hypnosismic — Division Rap Battle — Movie' lets viewers remix the narrative

Hypnosismic — Division Rap Battle — Movie is Japan’s first fully interactive theatrical film, allowing audiences to vote via smartphone to determine the winners of on-screen rap battles. Based on the popular Hypnosismic multimedia franchise, the film’s narrative is intentionally minimal, functioning instead as a tournament-style series of rap battles across multiple branching paths supported by 240 minutes of animation. The premiere audience, made up largely of LED-glove-wearing fans, used an app developed by Kino Industries to vote in real time, creating a unique experience each screening — and encouraging repeat viewings to see different outcomes. Hypnosismic demonstrates a compelling new model that could boost theater attendance and inspire future experiments in audience-driven storytelling.