Japan: Kingdom of Characters @ Metropolitan Museum

This is a late write up of Japan Foundation's exhibit JAPAN: KINGDOM OF CHARACTERS at the Metropolitan Museum in Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex. The exhibit was from July 7 to August 20. I went there last August 13 (Saturday) armed with just a piece of Choco Banana cupcake for lunch and water of course.

"In recent years, a subculture related to Japanese anime and manga has rapidly attracted worldwide attention. To make the most of this trend, the Japan Foundation has organized this traveling exhibition called "JAPAN: Kingdom of Characters" which examines characters as one radical aspect of subculture.

"Used unhesitatingly by both adults and children in private and public spaces, before we realize it, these characters have become a part of our daily landscape. One finds, for example, characters printed on bank passbooks and train commutation passes, and as indicated by the regular and seemingly natural presence of stuffed mascots at local police boxes, they have permeated everyday life in Japan to a degree that would be unthinkable in most other countries.

"What exactly is a character? Why are they so popular? What kind of society do these characters reflect and what kind of influence do they exert on that society? And finally, where is Japanese culture headed In this exhibition, as we introduce the intimate relationship between characters and Japanese people, we hope that the visitors will gain a better understanding of teh cultural and historical background behind the Japanese love of characters as well as the future of characters in contemporary Japan."

(cited from the flyer)

The P100 I paid for the entrance is so worth it. I was given a small pamphlet, a souvenir methinks of the exhibit. It contains pictures of the exhibit so I guess it's okay when the staff forbade visitors to take pictures inside the museum.

Some anime included are Pokemon, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Doraemon (my love), Gundam, Mazinger Z, Galaxy Express 999, Astroboy, Urusei Yatsura, Chibi Maruko Chan, Magical DoReMi, Haruhi Suzumiya no Yuutsu, Sergeant Keroro, and of course Hello Kitty.

Sentai series are also featured, with Masked Rider being the most prominent. Sexy female characters are literally put on glass cases on pedestals, which include characters from Dead or Alive, Positive Penguin Life, Bunny Girl, Heartful Memories~ Little Witch Parfait, Gunbuster, Tenjou Tenge, Otaku no Video, and Fate/Stay Knight.

Together with the on-going exhibit Manga Realities at Ayala Museum, this just proves that anime exerts a strong influence on the Filipinos. One cannot also dismiss the fact that every year, thousands flock to anime conventions which are held in different parts of the country in different times of the year. It is this phenomenon, usually termed as "anime explosion" that sparked my interest in studying anime as a media form that can influence and produce a new subculture.