Manga artist Hirano Kouta is popular worldwide for his overwhelming art style, strong character portrayals, and addictive, unique dialogue. An exhibition that allows visitors to experience the charm of his work , "Hirano Kouta ★ Great Exhibition," has opened at Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. The exhibition will run from Thursday, March 27, 2025 to Sunday, April 13, 2025.
I attended the press preview held prior to the opening, so I'll report on the state of the venue. *Please note that this article contains spoilers for the film.
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Set in Britain, "HELLSING" (published in Young King Ours/Shounen Gahosha from 1997 to 2008) depicts the struggles of the special agency HELLSING, which was formed to eliminate the monster of the Antichrist.
Drifters (Young King Ours/published by Shonen Gahosha since 2009) is a story in which historical heroes from all over the world, past and present, including Shimazu Toyohisa, Oda Nobunaga, and Nasu Yoichi, get lost in another world and engage in fierce battles with the "Black Kings" who are plotting to destroy the world.
Both of these works are representative of Hirano's work and have been adapted into TV anime and OVAs. The "Hirano Kouta ★ Great Exhibition" will feature over 200 original drawings from both works, with a venue of over 1,500 square meters. This will be the largest exhibition of Hirano Kouta's work to date.
Exhibition view of "HELLSING"
Exhibition view of "Drifters"
Exhibition view of "Drifters"
The first half of the venue was for "HELLSING," and the second half was for "Drifters," with the original artwork displayed following the flow of the story from episode 1. While it cannot be said that there were necessarily original artworks for highlight scenes that would be popular with readers, or double-page spreads that left an impact, I felt that the scale of the exhibit was satisfactory.
In between, panels were displayed introducing the story and characters, as well as memorable lines that are unique to Mr. Hirano. At key points, related anime footage was played with audio, which helped to immerse the viewer in the world of the work while getting them in the mood.
Nowadays, digital drawings have become mainstream in manga, but Hirano's manuscripts are hand-drawn. Not only can you enjoy the sensual beauty of the raw lines, which is different from seeing them on paper in a book, but you can also clearly see the effect that the fine whites have on the screen, giving a sense of the author's attention to detail. The original drawings also included color manuscripts and precious promotional illustrations from before "Drifters" was serialized.
Exhibition view
Exhibition view
Exhibition view
Exhibition view
In addition to the original drawings, there are many other highlights that can only be found in this exhibition. There is a spot where you can listen to a selection of the most popular speeches by "The Major," as well as recreations of the final battle between Alucard and Andersen, Andersen's barrier, the purple desk that connects the other worlds, the costumes of Shimazu Toyohisa and Hijikata Toshizo, and the flag of Kanno Nao that appeared in a comedy scene.
Exhibition view, spot where you can listen to the Major's speech
Exhibition view, Diorama of Andersen's Barrier
Exhibition view, Alucard and Andersen statue panel
Exhibition view, costumes of Shimazu Toyohisa and Hijikata Toshizo, etc.
The photo spots for roleplaying were well-chosen, with scenes of Seras glaring at approaching enemies equipped with Harkonnen II, and Maxwell delivering the verdict of the Inquisition in his madness . The person in charge of planning the event was a big fan of the manga, and he joked that he "full-blown his hobby," but it seemed like the content was designed to please fans.
Exhibition view, photo spot
A photo spot where you can pretend to be Maxwell. An animated video of the scene is playing next to it, so you can get ideas for poses.
Connecting the exhibition spaces for "HELLSING" and "Drifters" is a reproduction of Caster's "Painting of Wilander, Earl of Worcester at the Battle of Mammon Fields," which appears in both works. This is a stylish touch that will make fans smile.
Exhibition view, reproduction of Castor's "Wilander, Earl of Worcester at the Battle of Mammon Plain"
Furthermore, perhaps due to the fact that an exhibition of original artwork from "Drifters" was held in 2015 in Hioki City, Kagoshima Prefecture, a place associated with the Shimazu clan during the Warring States period, this exhibition also included "Copy of Shimazu Toyohisa's Navy Blue Inlaid Belly Wrap" (Hiki City Collection) and "Copy of Sekigahara Battle Screen" (Private Collection). In this way, the appeal of the works was explored in depth by approaching them from various angles.
Exhibition view, "Copy of the navy blue twill belly wrap worn by Shimazu Toyohisa" (Hiki City Collection), etc.
The exhibition also offers an audio guide (for a fee) that can only be listened to by visitors to the venue. Details were not published, but while it is described as a "fun" audio guide, there are warnings saying "This audio guide contains some excessive expressions" and "It is completely useless as a guide to the exhibition", so you can probably guess what it contains.
Original exhibition goods, cute and random mini acrylic stands
The original goods corner commemorating the opening of this exhibition has a wide range of items, from the mainstream to the silly, so we recommend checking the official website in advance. As a purchase bonus, if you spend 5,000 yen or more (tax included) in one transaction, you will receive one of six clear cards at random. If you spend 10,000 yen or more (tax included) in one transaction, you will be entered into a lottery to win original drawings from the anime "Drifters".
The large-scale exhibition "Hirano Kouta ★ Great Exhibition," where you can fully immerse yourself in the charm of Hirano Kouta's works, will be held until Sunday, April 13, 2025. Both exhibits were well worth seeing, but the "Hellsing" exhibit in particular left me feeling as satisfied as if I had seen an entire movie. I would encourage all fans to come and see it.
■ Overview of "Kouta Hirano ★ Great Exhibition"
| Event Period | Thursday, March 27th, 2025 – Sunday, April 13th, 2025 *Open daily |
| Opening times | 11:00-19:00 *Last admission 30 minutes before closing |
| venue | Ikebukuro Sunshine City Exhibition Hall A (3-1-3 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Sunshine City World Import Mart Building 4F) |
| Admission Fee | Please check the official exhibition website for details on fees (admission tickets). |
| Exhibition official website | https://s.mxtv.jp/event/HiranoKohtaExpo/ |
*The contents listed are from the time of coverage. They may differ from the latest information, so please check the official exhibition website for details.
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