Popular sci-fi anime "Neon Genesis Evangelion" and samurai sword masters are teaming up for an exhibition running from July 14 to Sept. 17 at a museum in Okayama Prefecture.
The exhibition at the Bizen Osafune Japanese Sword Museum in Setouchi will showcase swords made by craftsmen based on weapons that have appeared in the animation.
"Inspired by the Evangelion world, (craftsmen) will produce Japanese swords with up-to-date designs by using traditional skills," Setouchi Mayor Akinari Takehisa said in announcing the exhibition. "I hope visitors will feel the soul of the Japanese tradition and the real strength of the sword-makers' skills."
The main feature of the exhibition will be a replica of the "Lance of Longinus," a fork-shaped weapon that is a key item in the anime. The lance, under production, will likely be 3 meters long and weigh 30 kilograms, organizers said. They also said that with cooperation from some 50 craftsmen across the country, 18 swords will be produced for the exhibition.
"Neon Genesis Evangelion" first hit the TV airwaves in 1995, gaining great popularity. The series was ranked first in the animation category of Japan's Media Art Top 100, sponsored by Japan's Agency for Cultural Affairs.
"We're grateful that we can have an opportunity for a new mode of expression by teaming up with sword craftsmen, creators who are completely new to us," said Yasuhiro Kamimura, who has been cooperating in planning and supervising the exhibition.
Kamimura is president of GroundWorks, which is responsible for the advertisement and promotion of "Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo," the third in the new Evangelion film series, scheduled to be released this autumn.
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