See Ghost in the Shell's Reach Across Decades at Official Exhibition

Following the 30th anniversary of Mamoru Oshii's iconic anime film adaptation and closing in on the 40th anniversary of Masamune Shirow's original manga, Ghost in the Shell remains a stalwart sci-fi franchise. Starring Major Motoko Kusanagi, she and her colleagues at Public Security Section 9 are ever at odds with near-future technology as criminals find new ways to mask their identities, infiltrate government and corporate entities, and terrorize the populace.

The anime series spans multiple continuities, from the first movie to Ghost in the Shell Arise, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and now the Science SARU television series, slated to premiere in July. All of this and much more was on display in a multi-room, immersive exhibition at the Tokyo NODE business space within the Toranomon Hills Station Tower in Roppongi Hills.

The 873-ft (266-m) high-rise is built atop the Tokyo Metro Roppongi Hills station. Commuters exit the station onto the ground floor of the 49-story building. At the very top is Tokyo NODE, the mixed-use exhibition space where both interactive and display exhibits centered on GitS took over from January 30 through April 5. The exhibition has since moved on (I was lucky to catch it at the tail end of its run), but it has plans to open at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art in Kobe this summer.

After catching my breath from the glass elevator ride up to the top floor, I was greeted by an interactive Tachikoma. I greeted the blue spider-like robot and, in his usual child-like voice, he responded in turn with a little wave of his claw.

When I was done cooing at the cute robot, I went down a dark hallway that opened up to a giant, wrap-around screen suspended from the ceiling. Wires of every color were strewn around it as circular facts were projected across it and onto the ceiling. Several feet in front was a long block-like bench, creating an amphitheater. Behind it were several touchscreen stations that provided direct input to the giant screen.

Each kiosk served as a search engine for vast amounts of data directly related to all The Ghost in the Shell anime iterations. Participants could search for specific animated scenes, characters, terminology, sci-fi objects, and more. The giant screen would then "dive" into the information point and display it on the giant screen for everyone else in the room.

After exiting the giant display room, I walked through another hallway where they displayed key art posters from the anime series. At the end of the hall, a TV aired interviews with Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell), Kenji Kamiyama ( Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex), Kazuchika Kise (Ghost in the Shell Arise), and Shinji Aramaki (Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045). Unfortunately, these interviews were not subtitled, but I'm hopeful they might be released in a subtitled format someday. Clips on the exhibition's official Instagram account do include English subtitles.

The next room was, what I imagine, a massive undertaking and truly exemplifies how much work went into putting the exhibition together. The giant space included production material displays from every major Ghost in the Shell anime entry. Many were displayed under glass on tables or suspended from the ceiling between glass panes. The latter allowed visitors not only to see the finished animation materials but also to look at them from the back to appreciate the coloring process. In some cases, a colored cel was displayed next to its earlier genga draft.

Also on display was a plethora of background art, interactive multimedia exhibits like shirts that blurred on camera and traditional Japanese clothes reimagined from a sci-fi angle. One of the most prominent displays was a full-size robot based on the art of Hajime Sorayama. The well-known artist collaborated on this season's The Ghost in the Shell, designing the anime logo.

We closed out our immersive experience at the tie-in Tokyo NODE cafe. The expansive space (with a gorgeous view) was serving up Fuchikoma burgers with dyed buns, a Laughing Man latte, a Tachikoma drink, and Batou's favorite beer.

Want to experience Ghost in the Shell: The Exhibition yourself? The exhibition is currently at the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art until August 30.