Anime fans have good reason to visit Japan this Christmas just to gaze at drone show "constellations" of Evangelion, Demon Slayer and Ultraman, set to light up the island and evening sky in Yokohama.
Yokohama's Sea Paradise Resort visitors are in for a special treat, as the island resort, which also boasts one of Japan's biggest theme parks, will light up the sky with five-day weekend drone shows for Christmas in December. The light shows start in the early evenings and will feature formations of fan-favorite anime franchises Neon Genesis Evangelion, Demon Slayer and Ultraman. Dubbed "STARDANCE," the attraction will be held over Tokyo Bay, making for truly magical sights and inspiring people to imagine what lies beyond by merging moving "constellations" with the star-speckled sky.
STARDANCE will deploy 1,000 drones equipped with LED lights during the orchestrated performances. The formation displays stretch as high as 482 feet against the night sky, and while the event promo video does not tease a glimpse of these performances, the show will likely depict the most recognizable characters and symbols from the featured anime franchises. Each show will have three 15-minute sequences dedicated to an anime franchise, along with a special Christmas-themed fourth show saved for Dec. 24. STARDANCE runs on Dec. 23, 24, 29, 30 and 31, with daily performances scheduled at 5 p.m., 6:15 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
The Mainstream Appeal of Drone Show Spectacles
Drone shows have become popular event highlights, orchestrating massive spectacles unique from more traditional fireworks displays. Drones are also favored as safer, environment-friendly alternatives to fireworks, which create bursts of light displays but can't form shapes like the ones showcased in Lady Gaga's Super Bowl LI performance. Drone shows have been used as well in franchise promotions, such as the Avengers pyrotechnic show at Disneyland Paris and in a promotional stunt for The Flash's theatrical release. One Piece fans were also treated to a live drone show in August as a preview of Netflix's live-action adaptation series.
Evangelion, Demon Slayer and Ultraman were likely chosen for the STARDANCE event as representatives of three generations of anime franchises. Ultraman first appeared in the 1966 Ultra Q and the eponymous TV series, with the latest film adaptation Ultraman: Rising dropping on Netflix in 2024. Neon Genesis Evangelion also first aired as a TV series between 1995 and 1996 but has since developed into an ongoing saga depicted in video games, manga and films. Demon Slayer is a relatively new franchise, first serialized as a shōnen manga in 2016 and later adapted into a highly successful anime series.
STARDANCE tickets are now available on the event website for ¥4,300 (about US$29).
Source: Sea Paradise official website
