Sorry if you’re here looking for news about Sanctuary, Containment, or general Japan. This post is not that. This is 100% for fans of Attack on Titan, better known in Japan as Shingeki no Kyojin.
Some of you know that my husband writes for Impulse Gamer. Well, this last week he was able to get two press passes to the advance showing of the Attack on Titan Final Exhibition at Mori Tower. This, good friends, is my report.
The Humble Beginnings
As I’ve come to expect in Japan, the meticulous bureaucracy was not accurate, and no one had our names on a list. As I frantically tried to explain who we were in my limited Japanese, I suddenly had the bright idea of just flashing the confirmation email. The woman who emailed us must have had a magic name, because they took one look and assured me everything was “daijobu” (okay)!
The opening press event was, to be perfectly honest, virtually incomprehensible to me (I’m studying Japanese, I swear I am!), but it was still a lot of fun. I eventually crawled over several reporters to ask a staff member who the guest cosplayers were. They were super sweet about it and went out of their way to explain to me that these were two comedians and a TV anchor guest starring as Levi, Eren, and Mikasa. There was also, as you can see, a Titan, although he was more comical than threatening since he couldn’t see out of his costume and Eren had to direct him everywhere. That, coupled with reporters shouting “Kyojin, can you turn this way, please?” was enough to keep me entertained for a while!
The Exhibit Itself
After that we were given free access to the exhibit and it was… well, unbelievable. An incredible amount of thought and care went into this exhibit. The walls are just as much a part of the display as the artwork itself, and the whole thing comes together in an awesome experience.
When you enter the exhibit, you’re asked to choose (minor spoilers for season 3 ahead): were you born inside the walls, or outside? Depending on your choice, you advance through a short hallway detailing your life inside the walls or despising the devils of Paradise Island. You are not allowed to turn back, but the route is fairly short, and you can peek through a broken section of wall to the other side.
From there you emerge into a room full of Titans and artwork in all its glory. This area is basically just a treat for the senses. Stand back and enjoy, and prepare yourself for the next room, which you can already hear echoing around the corner.
The Memorial Hall
We weren’t able to take pictures in here after the opening event, but you can get the idea. The area is a rubble strewn, collapsed city, littered with items marking the soldiers that have gone before. The items will be very familiar to fans of the series but the descriptions are written as though these mementos were discovered many years in the future, stating things like “a provision sack belonging to a warrior, holding a boiled potato.”
Behind the rubble, a looped video alternates between earlier storyboarding scenes of the epic battle between Eren and Reiner and as yet unanimated scenes from the latest issues of the manga, presumably a preview of the upcoming season four.
The Hall of Characters
Beyond the rubble, you enter a room with shrines to various characters from Attack on Titan (although I have to note that personally, I was a little disappointed that Hange only got a tiny little section of the wall instead of a huge area like most of the other main characters. I mean come on, Hange is the leader of the scouts. I feel a character like that deserves a little more space.
That said, no one will be disappointed with the array of artwork and character insight on display. The entire exhibit is incredibly well thought out, and this was no exception.
The Final Audio Exhibition
Honestly, there’s not too much to say here. This is a dark room that plays the imagined audio ending of the series. I’m told there was supposed to be a single line in the mix, but we definitely didn’t hear it, so they may not have played it for the preview. What we did hear: the sounds of battle. Fire. Shouting. And then at the end, the snick of several sets of ODM gear engaging. What that means, I leave to your imagination!
The Storyboard Room
Finally, we emerged into a room plastered with Hajime Isayama’s storyboards, while an interview with the author himself plays on a loop. He discusses the character he most identifies with (initially Armin, though more recently Eren), the manga’s humble beginnings (where he was mostly just trying to make enough money to survive), and what he does with his storyboards (keeps them — he might be buried with him if there’s enough room in his coffin).
Shopping!
Naturally enough, the exhibit leads out into quite the array of Attack on Titan merchandise. The entire area is run by the “Reeves Company,” which means they not only carry Attack on Titan memorabilia but items like tea and cookies produced by the company. You can buy a $450 crystal whiskey glass or a $3 sticker. There’s quite a lot to choose from, and browsing the shop is a fun experience in and of itself.
Food, Food, and More Food
Finally, once you leave the exhibit (or before you get in, whatever), you can visit the Reeves Company Cafe, featuring a huge array of Attack on Titan themed food and drink, all on the fifty second floor of the Mori Tower with a spectacular view of Tokyo stretching out below. We didn’t actually get to sample any of these goodies since the cafe wasn’t open, but judging by appearance, the whole thing was pretty impressive.
Hungry for More?
Haha, see what I did there?
Seriously, though, if you want to see more pictures and more information about this amazing exhibit and don’t have the good fortune to be in Tokyo yourself, may I humbly suggest…
My husband’s post over on Impulse Gamer
SNK News — I sent them ALL of my hundred and fifty odd pics, so if this wasn’t enough for you, head over there. If you’re an SNK fan, I strongly recommend checking them out anyway! I’ve never encountered anyone more knowledgeable about this franchise.
More to come soon! In the meantime, if you enjoyed this post, feel free to check out my books:
Sanctuary, available now, and
Containment, out on August 6
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