Mind Controlled Balloon by Ryota
An original piece first performed by real magician RYOTA at NHK’s “Superhuman Skill! Magic Battle Grand Festival” at the end of 2025, where it caused a huge sensation.
You can freely control a balloon!
A single balloon floating in the air with helium gas begins to move in response to the magician’s words: “Go down,” “Go up.”
In response to the voice, the balloon rises and falls, then stops perfectly still in midair.
This movement is not a random sway caused by the wind. The balloon is clearly being controlled.
As if the balloon understands language, it moves freely through the space in front of you—and finally, with just one word:
“Pop!”
At that moment, the balloon bursts with a vivid sound.
An overwhelming phenomenon, obvious to anyone watching.
That is the “Mind Control Balloon.”
【Performance Features】
– A clean performance with absolutely no threads used
– An analog mechanism with no electronic devices
– Can be performed even when surrounded by spectators
– The balloon can be popped at any desired timing
【Notes】
To perform, you will need to prepare a helium gas cylinder separately. (Helium cans do not have enough power to inflate rubber balloons.)
FISM Official Judge
Mr. Shinpei Katsuragawa has provided the following comment:
————–
I first saw this act on a TV program, and it left a strong impression on me.
Several months later, I had the opportunity to speak directly with RYOTA, and the topic of this piece came up. I tried to guess the method and listed every possibility I could think of—but all of them were wrong.
And the moment I heard the answer, I couldn’t help but exclaim:
“So that’s it!! I’ve known this since I was a child!!”
The core principle had been right in front of me from the very beginning.
An unbelievably simple principle—something everyone has encountered at least once.
And yet, the moment you realize it, it hits you like a shock.
It’s been years since I’ve been caught off guard in such a pleasant and beautiful way.
This is exactly what makes magic so captivating.
However, the value of this piece is not just in the beauty of its principle.
It is layered with fine adjustments and practical ingenuity that only a professional—someone who understands real-world performance conditions where failure is not an option—could achieve.
“It might already be a classic.”
That’s how it feels—a perfect fusion of a core method and practical refinements.
Opportunities to encounter a piece that remains mysterious even after knowing the method are rare.
I confidently recommend it.
FISM Official Judge
Vice President of FISM Asia
Shinpei Katsuragawa
