On paper, "Manga * Anime * Games From Japan," currently running at The National Art Center, Tokyo, sounds like a great show. The exhibition overview certainly makes a big pitch:
"Transcending the boundaries of each individual medium to realize unparalleled artistic expression, Japanese manga, anime and games are reflective of social change and technological development."
On visiting the exhibition, however, it seemed to lack a lot, and also felt somewhat sterile. This is a strange impression to have, especially when you consider that the three interlinked genres supposedly represent something of a "wild frontier" in terms of artistic and cultural expression. So, what went wrong?