[Report] “The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege ~Recollections~” is being held at Ikebukuro PARCO. There is also a spot where you can take photos with Gegero & Mizuki in a private cell!

The first exhibition event for the film "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe" (2023), which was released to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of manga artist Shigeru Mizuki, "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe – Reminiscence Exhibition" , will be held at Ikebukuro PARCO from June 21 to July 8, 2024.

We covered the media preview held prior to the event, and will report on the atmosphere at the venue here.

*This article contains spoilers for the movie.
*The images shown were taken with permission.

The smash hit film "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of GeGeGe," which grossed 2.78 billion yen and won the Best Animation Award at the 47th Japan Academy Awards, is a prequel to the sixth season of the TV anime "GeGeGe no Kitaro," which aired from 2018 to 2020.

The story follows the events that take place in Nakukura Village, a village ruled by the Ryuga clan, who secretly control the political and financial world of Japan, shortly after the end of the war. It also attracted attention as it was the first time that the story depicted the meeting between Kitaro's father (hereafter referred to as GeGeRou), before he became Medama Oyaji, and Mizuki, the other "father of Kitaro."

The currently ongoing "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege ~Recollections~" exhibition allows visitors to relive the story and worldview of the film. The exhibition focuses on production-related materials such as storyboards, revised original drawings (reproductions) by the chief animation director, character setting materials, and art boards.

Upon entering the venue, the exhibition begins with an introduction of the night train scene to Nakukura Village, where Gegerou and Mizuki first met. Next, the exhibition proceeds through a gate modeled after the Nakukura Tunnel, into the nature-rich Nakukura Village, and then through the Ryuga family mansion, the prison cell, the forbidden area of the village, and so on, with each scene divided into sections in chronological order.

The space itself is designed to enhance the sense of immersion, with the ominous paintings on the sliding doors in the mansion's main hall dividing the exhibits, and blood smeared on the books hidden in the room of Ryuga's eldest son, Tokimaro. There is even a little device that makes the ghosts lurking in the mansion appear when you shine a black light on them.

The observation terrace corner will feature the wildly action-packed "GeGeRou vs. Ura Kidoushuu" battle, which has garnered a huge response, and in addition to setting materials and storyboards, the original footage of the scene shot by animation director Ota Akihiro will be shown alongside the actual footage.

Dynamic camerawork, a sense of dynamism born from the characteristic twisted lines… I discovered something new by comparing it on a large screen. This footage will be included in the deluxe Blu-ray edition of "Kitaro Birth: The Mystery of GeGeGe," which will be released on November 17th.

At the end of the exhibition, the final exchange between Gegerou and Mizuki was displayed emotionally against the backdrop of a bloody cherry blossom with falling petals projected on it. Although there was no detailed explanation of the story, the lines of the characters that evoked each scene were introduced along with materials, so it seemed like anyone who had seen the movie at least once would have no problem enjoying the plot.

Among the materials, the character settings were particularly interesting. For example, the manufacturer of the watch Mizuki wears was revealed, which will likely increase the resolution of the character's image. There was also some interesting stuff, such as the way Gegerou was tied to the bed in the underground factory (probably not depicted in the original work?), which was very interesting to see. The colorful portraits of the unique monsters that appeared in the forbidden area of the village but whose full identities were not visible due to the darkness were also very satisfying to see along with the main movie footage.

The highlights of this exhibition are the multiple large photo spots where you can experience memorable scenes as the characters, as well as reproductions of items that appeared in the story.

Particularly impressive was the photo spot that recreated the scene of the head of the Ryuga family, Tokisada, paying his respects. Visitors were free to take photos while sitting on cushions as if they had come to pay their respects, or as members of the Ryuga family welcoming mourners.

There's even a spot where you can actually enter the prison cell and take photos !

In front of the prison cell, there are small items such as lanterns, mosquito coils, and ashtrays. Panels of Gegero and Mizuki welcome visitors, and unlike the main character, Gegero in the prison cell has a cheerful smile on his face, which makes me wonder if he's just here to play at the event, just like the visitors.

Speaking of coming to play, the exhibition comes with two completely original audio guides in which Gegero (voice: Seki Toshihiko) and Mizuki (voice: Kiuchi Hidenobu) guide you around the exhibition through a dialogue between them.

I listened to the version where Mizuki was the main narrator. Mizuki was a little reluctant, but he was in full customer service mode, and spoke politely and calmly like an office worker. But when Gegero interrupted, his tone became more casual… I won't go into the details, but I really enjoyed it, but at the same time I felt a little sad, thinking that if they had continued to be friends after the movie, they might have had such a casual exchange.

The exhibition concludes with two original illustrations by character designer Toru Yatabe, including the main visual for the exhibition, as well as a special illustration for moviegoers. All of the illustrations depict the characters in peaceful scenes, with a focus on Gegerou and Mizuki, so you can leave the venue with a warm feeling.

Tickets for the Ikebukuro venue of "The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege – Reminiscence Exhibition" have already sold out, but it is scheduled to be held at Hiroshima PARCO as a traveling exhibition from July 12th (Fri) to August 5th (Mon), 2024. If you had difficulty making it to the Ikebukuro venue, be sure to check it out.

[Hiroshima venue] Advance ticket sales page: https://eplus.jp/sf/event/kitaro-tanjo-ten
Event website: https://art.parco.jp/hiroshima/detail/?id=1501

©The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege Production Committee

■ Overview of the "Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege – Reminiscence Exhibition" Ikebukuro venue

*Tickets for the Ikebukuro venue are already sold out.

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