Report: Fulfill Your Studio Ghibli Fantasy in This Exhibition from 10 August – 17 September 2017!
Studio Ghibli for some people are more than animation studios from Japan who release magnificent movies from time to time. Sometimes, it is a part of their childhood memories, or their escape from the dull reality they are living in. For those who live in Indonesia, especially Jakarta, from 10 August to 17 September 2017, you get a chance to enter The World of Ghibli Jakarta Exhibition held at Ritz Carlton Ballroom at Pacific Place. The news broke months ago and we covered it on a press conference, but does the exhibition really deliver your wishes? We came to the event to see what’s the buzz is about and also to channel our inner Ghibli’s fan. The admission ticket during the weekdays for adults is IDR300,000 and IDR250,000 for students, senior citizens, and children under 12 years old, which will give access to their 3D area, 2D area, merchandise booth as well as concert stage. For the weekend the ticket will be IDR350,000 and there will be music performances from every Thursday – Saturday. We came there during the weekend and you’d better come earlier to avoid long queue and crowded people. The signage towards the exhibition was clear and what we love about it was the friendliness of the committee who kindly assist us all the way through.
Prior to entering the exhibition, you have to redeem your ticket on the 3rd floor and then the organizer will give you a brief look to the whole area by explaining what you will see there and what was not available. Sadly, the 2D area that is supposed to be filled with posters of Studio Ghibli founders and films wasn’t complete yet that day. Only 1/2 of the area was available to be seen and you could not take any photographs in this section. We moved on to the main are which is the 3D section and we were welcomed by the entrance to the temple from “Spirited Away”. They made 1:1 scale replica as well as miniatures from Studio Ghibli movie scenes. To the left, you’d be able to see a boat from “When Marnie Was There” with the castle on the water where Marnie lives. To the right, you were welcomed by a gigantic robot from “Laputa Castle In The Sky” completed with all its rust and molds. In this area, the visitors could take pictures with the figures for free but several famous replicas resulted in a long line of people. Totoro life-size figure, Mei and Satsuki’s house, and Nekobus from “My Neighbor Totoro” yielded a long queue and it might test your patience.
Another popular attraction was Kiki’s bakery from “Kiki’s Delivery Service” and Arriety’s house from “The Secret World of Arriety”. There you could cosplay Kiki’s signature red ribbon and also posed with Jiji, her tiny black cat in form of a stuffed doll. There was also replica of the infamous bath house from “Spirited Away” with such details on the pipes, worker’s quarter, bridge, and many more. Porco Rosso’s plane was also there and you could pretend to ride it and snapped a picture on it. Other areas including a replica of massive insect from “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind” and it could move! On a trailer room, you’d be able to watch all Studio Ghibli’s movie trailers starting from their old ones to the recent ones like “The Wind Rises”, “Princess Kaguya”, “The Red Turtle” and many more. You were not allowed to take pictures in this area, and the organizers would remind you to not record any of the shown trailers there. Actually, the exhibits were not that plenty and we could easily spend 30 minutes if it was not for the long queue for pictures.
Outside of the 3D exhibition there was a sticker wall which you can fill with drawings, writings and anything which you can place on the wall. There was an F&B area or Ghibli Café where you can relieve your thirst and hunger with small snacks from the vendors. A small stage was placed near the exit gate, it was used for music performers, artists, and social activities that were organized by the committee. As a die hard fan of Studio Ghibli, you could find this exhibition a little bit underwhelming since there was no life-size figure of Kaonashi, Ponyo, or many more. Some unfinished area left a little disappointment, but no worries, because for those who have come prior to the completion of the exhibition could come back again after it is done. There is no better joy than seeing people’s wide smile upon seeing their beloved movies come to life. Furthermore, taking pics with the replica is a plus point since you can not do the same at Museum Ghibli, Japan. It’s a must visit for all Ghibli devotees! The ticket is sold through Karcisus, Go-Tix, and Traveloka.