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Interactive anime movie Hypnosis Mic is coming to US theaters — here’s how it works
Audience members choose the outcome of each rap battle on the screen, making every screening of Hypnosismic unique.

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How many times have you watched a movie and wanted to change the outcome in some small way, shouting for the woman not go up the stairs in a horror movie or for Rose to just let Jack get on the bloody raft, damnnit? Well, thanks to GKIDS and Regal Cinemas, you’ll soon get your wish. In Hypnosismic – Division Rap Battle – Interactive Movie, fans can vote to affect the outcome of each rap battle as it happens, making each viewing unique to that audience.
As the lengthy title might suggest, Hypnosismic – Division Rap Battle – Interactive Movie was Japan’s first ever interactive anime film, which debuted back in February 2025. It takes place in a world where rap battles have replaced armed conflict as the way to decide disputes, which honestly sounds pretty great, if you ask us. Using a special microphone called a Hypnosis Mic, six groups from regions across Japan compete in the Final Division Rap Battle. The kicker here is that after each battle, audience members can choose who they believe won the battle, which impacts the final outcome of the movie. Each viewing is a little different, depending on what the audience decides.
GKIDS is working with Regal Cinemas to bring this unique cinema experience to the US. On February 27, 2026, fans in select cinemas can try their hand at making the perfect ending to an epic rap battle film. Each screening is around 106 minutes long, though there is a total of 328 minutes of animation created for the movie.
Tickets are currently on sale from Regal Cinemas for Hypnosismic – Division Rap Battle – Interactive Movie, with screenings taking place on February 27, 2026.
Each week, Popverse's resident anime expert Trent Cannon runs down the latest and, dare we say "greatest," in anime and manga in Popverse Jump. Some recent columns have included...
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- From Tomo-Chan to Oshi No Ko: How some of your favorite manga creators got their start in hentai
- Piracy is baked into anime's past, but, like Crunchyroll, we should move on from it
- Flying whales, mechs, and Miyazaki vibes: Inside Netflix's Leviathan anime with the people who made it
- How AI translations of manga continues the 'enshitification' of the medium, and why Japanese publishers are "less precious" about it
- I never wanted a Cyberpunk Edgerunners sequel, but God help me I'm going to watch it
- The Summer Hikaru Died delivers its cosmic horror at an agonizingly slow pace
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- Studio Ghibli movies have never been as cozy as you think they are and that's what makes them magic
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