To celebrate the release of the new “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” movie, Tokyo SKYTREE transformed into a special recap of the Dragon Ball franchise for fans all over the world to reflect on the history of the series. We had the opportunity to go check out this special gallery at the tallest point in Tokyo and it was a very nostalgic experience as a longtime fan of the epic fighting anime. Although the bulk of the focus was on the newest entry in Goku’s heroic tale, there was plenty to celebrate everything all the way back to his earliest adventures.
The event itself was a simple walkthrough of the Tembo Galleria area of SKYTREE, which often acts as a collaborative gallery for a variety of topics. Upon entering you’re greeted with a life-size display of Super Saiyan Blue Goku facing off against Broly in his newly designed Saiyan armor. As you continue along the path to the peak of the gallery the first major hallway features each of the Z fighters, along with several villains, and their iconic special moves with descriptions in both Japanese & English. About halfway up the first path, there’s a photo spot where you can take a picture riding Kinto’un, Goku’s trusty flying nimbus, with Master Roshi peeking up behind you in the window. At the top, you’re treated to a life-size statue of Super Saiyan Blue Vegeta with another photo spot for you to take advantage of.
Next up was a merchandise shop which features a wide range of items including some exclusive pieces to celebrate the Dragon Ball takeover of the tower. If souvenirs aren’t really your thing, the next portion of the walkthrough packs plenty to see in the short stretch to the top. Along the left wall is a history of the franchise, starting with all of the different movies dating all the way back to the original Dragon Ball: Shenron no Densetsu (released in the US as “Curse of the Blood Rubies”) followed by a recap of the story of the manga from the first appearance in Shonen Jump in 1984 through the recent Dragon Ball Super adaptation. Along the way, there’s an AR station where you can take a video of yourself performing your best power-up in true Super Saiyan fashion.
The right side of the pathway is where the meat of the experience is. It starts off with a series of character designs from the new movie on several huge panels. After that, a bunch of dioramas made with the S.H. Figuarts Dragon Ball series figures portraying iconic scenes from the history of the show are displayed in glass cases. Following that are a series of original in-between sheets from throughout the Dragon Ball anime, which in my opinion was one of the coolest parts of the whole gallery. The experience closes out with a preview of a bunch of new Dragon Ball merch that launched in time with the new movie, and Zeno sees you off in his throne at the exit. If you visit after 5 pm any given day there’s a special video show that is projected on the upper windows of the gallery as well, with an exclusive new segment for the exhibition and iconic scenes from throughout the history of the anime.
After making your way through the gallery, if you exit back down to the lower floor Tembo deck you’ll also find a limited time selection of food in the SKYTREE cafe. A variety of different themed drinks and a special curry dish are available for purchase and each comes with a commemorative sticker to match the character your selection is based on. We picked up the Frieza Death Ball Soda, and Vegeta’s Pineapple Drink, both of which I would only recommend to those with a sweet tooth. Aesthetically both of the drinks looked great, but the added ice cream and cotton candy on them made them more like a dessert than something to sit down and relax with.
All in all the experience is pretty simple and unless you stop to read & take in everything you’ll make your way through pretty quickly. The video show is definitely worth the visit though, and if you’re a fan of the history of the franchise I would definitely recommend checking it out. Even if you make your way through the experience as fast as possible, you’re still on top of Tokyo with one of the best views of the entire region on a clear day!
Dragon Ball Super: Broly SKYTREE Super runs through January 7th, so if you’re in Tokyo and looking for an amazing tourist spot coupled with a slice of anime fandom this is by far your best bet!