INDEX
GHOST IN THE SHELL and Its Archive of Over 1600 Production Materials
In sharp contrast, Gallery B presents an analog and austere space lined with simple display cases. Here, visitors can explore an immense collection of production materials from each animated entry in the Ghost in the Shell series. From setting materials and background art to storyboards, key animation drawings, and original cels, the selection may be carefully curated, but even so, the total number of items on display exceeds 1,600.
From the GHOST IN THE SHELL section. The iconic opening scene in which the Major vanishes into the darkness of the night hardly needs explanation. The faint tremors of the lines and the traces of erased pencil marks vividly convey the animator’s hand at work. This is the true pleasure of encountering original drawings face to face.
Beyond the beauty of the drawings themselves, the handwritten instructions and comments are equally compelling. One document marked “Important” regarding the expression of the Puppet Master includes five dense lines of detailed notes about each facial feature, followed by the casually pointed remark, “You get it, right?” It is hard not to smile. Whether this reflects trust in the animation team or a subtle kind of pressure is impossible to say, but the sheet radiates a distinctly human energy from the heart of the creative process.
