Studio Ghibli exhibit opens in Shanghai
The giant illuminated "Castle in the Sky" airship
Visitors see original sketches and film pictures.
An exhibition celebrating renowned Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli opened at the World Financial Center yesterday.
Befitting the exhibition’s sky-high venue on the 94th floor of the iconic tower, the “World of Ghibli in China” features a number of the studio’s high-flying creations, including an 8-meter-long replica of the airship in “Castle in the Sky.”
Also on display is a history of human flight in Ghibli’s trademark cartoon style.
Beside the sky-themed exhibition hall, there’s a retrospective display on the fourth floor which includes 285 original production sketches and storyboards from classic Ghibli films like “Princess Mononoke” and the Oscar-winning “Spirited Away.”
To celebrate the 30th anniversary of “My Neighbor Totoro,” a giant statue of the forest spirit Totoro is also on display, along with an enormous plush version of the film’s Catbus.
Xu Ying, 33, a Ghibli fan, took her 3-year-old son to the exhibition.
“I started watching Ghibli films in my childhood. The ideals of being kind and strong impressed me a lot. I hope my son will love them too,” she said.
The exhibition’s organizer Sun Jian said it implies the official entry of Ghibli into China, as well as a great step forward in Sino-Japanese cultural exchange and China’s campaign to protect intellectual property rights.
The exhibition will run through October 7. Tickets are available on online ticketing websites Maoyan and Damai.
