Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on July 2012

A generation worldwide got to know Japan watching Godzilla and his fellow monsters rampaging through the streets of Tokyo. Now those films’ handcrafted tokusatsu miniature sets and monster suits are the subject of an extensive exhibition created by renowned anime director Hideaki Anno, and Studio Ghibli. At a time when tokusatsu (“special filming”) live action has been eclipsed by razzle-dazzle computer graphics, the show attempts to rekindle interest in a form of storytelling craft that relied only on the filmmakers’ hands and imaginations.

Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo, until Oct 8. (listing).