The World of
Final Fantasy &
Yoshitaka Amano
Exhibition
In 1987, anime character designer Yoshitaka Amano was put in charge of the illustrations for Final Fantasy, the role-playing video game that went on to become a world-famous franchise. After to the success of Yoshitaka Amano Exhibition –A World Beyond Imagination- that ran nationwide between 2014 and 2017, the exhibition was brought back on a much larger scale as The World of Final Fantasy and Yoshitaka Amano Exhibition. It ran from August 10 through September 2, 2018 at Sunshine City Mall, Bunkakan Building 3F, Exhibition Hall C in Ikebukuro, Tokyo between the hours of 11AM and 6PM. Entry costed ¥2,000 (with advance tickets ¥200 cheaper). A special advance ticket costing ¥3,500 came with a limited edition Amano poster. A randomly selected venue limited postcard was also gifted to all visitors.
​
Prior to the public opening, the opening ceremony and special preview were held on August 9th, attended by Amano:
​
“There are works more than 30 years old that are even nostalgic to me. My techniques have changed over the course of my 50+ year career, but what I express hasn’t. It’s not often I get the chance to showcase the original pieces, so please enjoy.”
​
The exhibition included different illustrations, from book covers to Final Fantasy illustrations, covering all Final Fantasy games to date. The exhibition showcased 150 unique Final Fantasy artwork, making it the largest collection displayed in one exhibition. Up to 50 of Amano's other artwork were displayed, including new artwork displayed to the public for the first time. Camera, video-camera, tripods, selfie sticks and flash were strictly forbidden inside but smartphone photography was permitted.
​
Special events were held on certain days, including cosplay days (August 11-12) and live painting by Amano.
​
Posters for the event were installed at several train stations across Tokyo to promote the exhibition.
​
PART 1: FINAL FANTASY
Debut Art
​
Amano's debut art during his time at the animation production company Tatsunoko Production at the age of 15 as a professional anime character designer is displayed. Amano created many characters that appear in "Time Bokan Series" such as "Yatterman" and "Insect Story Minago Hatch". The works of this time show the basics of the main character and character expressions already found in Amano's current works. Heroes demanded by the times, girls and women who reflect the ideals of the times, cute characters that attract not only children but also adults. The characters created in this era are still being drawn in Amano's new work, and it is clear that Amano cherishes the characters created during this period.
​
Final Fantasy
​
In the largest ever exhibition of Amano's Final Fantasy artwork, a new attempt was made to display and compare the 150 original drawings of characters, monsters and landscapes with CG and 3D modeling. The section was separated into several subsections.
-
Logo Main Visual - artwork from each numbered Final Fantasy title were lined up with the original game packaging. Visitors could visually look back on the history of the series with the characters and logos that appeared.
-
Character - figures were lined up along with the character's image illustration, and visitors could witness the changes when the design transitioned from artwork to in-game sprites and 3D models.
-
Monster - figures were lined up along with monster designs and illustrations.
-
Field/Travel - artwork depicting landscapes were displayed.
-
Battle - a section dedicated to artwork depicting action and battle scenes from each game.
-
Extra Materials - artwork such as summons, along with their figures, were lined up.
-
Crystal - a section dedicated to sketches Amano created for the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary.
In addition to artwork, life size displays were seen, such as a replica of a real Crystal from Final Fantasy XI, a 1:1 scale replica of Gabranth's Judge armour from Final Fantasy XII, 1:1 scale replica of Lightning's uniform from Final Fantasy XIII, and a 1:1 scale replica of Warrior of Light's armour from Final Fantasy XIV.
​
FANTASY CORRIDOR
The passage that connects Part 1 to Part 2 is an installation space called "Fantasy Corridor". It is an experienced-based video production where fantasy and technology collide. Amano's works and light are projected in the narrow passage one after another, and the scenery is as if you were lost in a kaleidoscope, wrapped in a mysterious floating feeling.
​
PART 2: ORIGINAL FANTASY
The 50 original art displays in Part 2, including the latest artwork unveiled to the public for the first time, explores the world of Amano's imagination. Each work has a theme based on the myth Amano envisioned. It is a new expression of fine art that Amano has been working on since the 1990's starting with original video content. The works are created through a technique called "Automotive Paint" made by painting aluminium plates for automobiles and has a clear texture.
​
"DEVA LOKA" is a Buddhist term meaning "the place where the gods live", and Amano's work expresses "chaos". Wear Tigers, Crazy Horses, Skulls, Black Knights, Slime, Bombs and newly created monsters resembling "FINAL FANTASY" spring up from the chaos. "DEVA LOKA" is the largest artwork on display, with a width of 7 meters.
​
The colourful "Candy Girls" series is set up with 108 androids, influenced by Amano's work and pop art in the 1970's. It depicts a woman's face in a large size and has a bold composition and colourful hues that appeal to her.
​
A large work called "BIG BANG", with a width of 5200mm and a height of 1500mm, is based on the illustrations drawn for Final Fantasy XV and utilised the "Automotive Paint" technique.
​
Amano's latest artwork "Bonbon Girl" series, which resembles the "Candy Girls" series, was displayed.
​
MERCHANDISE
Visitors can relax in the space that combines a goods shop and cafe library, where they can browse art books or purchase exhibition related goods and Final Fantasy merchandise. The goods shop contains various items including clear files, notebooks, towels, mugs, postcards, T-shirts, posters, and lighters.
​
A row of capsule gacha machines featuring limited badges (8 types) and bottle caps (8 types) featuring Amano artwork was available.
​
