The anime franchise Monogatari and the Hololive VTuber unit holoX are joining forces for an immersive exhibition in Tokyo. Titled “X Monogatari -Batsu Monogatari-” (X物語 -バツモノガタリ-), the show will run from January 3 to January 22, 2027, at the BEAM Gallery in Shibuya, according to the organizers’ announcement on November 12.
Alongside the dates, organizers revealed a key visual drawn specially for the event by animation studio SHAFT, which produces the Monogatari anime. The artwork brings together nine characters from the series, including Hitagi Senjogahara, Tsubasa Hanekawa and Shinobu Oshino, with all four holoX members: Laplus Darknesss, Takane Lui, Hakui Koyori and Kazama Iroha. The “X” of the title, which also means a cross or a “wrong” mark in Japanese, is the visual’s central motif.
What visitors will experience
The exhibition is set in “Dimension X,” a fictional world created when the universes of Monogatari and holoX collide. In the story, “bugs” have appeared in both worlds and threaten to erase them. Visitors play the role of investigators who search the venue for hidden anomalies to uncover the cause. The experience combines spatial design, video and audio, and uses each visitor’s own smartphone, with an internet connection, to progress through the story.
The main attraction is a set of newly drawn collaboration illustrations, with a crossover twist. Kuzaka Nmuri, who created holoX’s first key visual, will draw the Monogatari characters. Hajime Ueda, who has illustrated the Monogatari anime’s ending sequences, will draw the holoX members. Further details on the artwork are due later.
Tickets and merchandise
There are two ticket types. A standard ticket costs 1,100 yen (about US$7) and covers the opening area, the collaboration illustration gallery and the goods area. A special ticket costs 2,750 yen (about US$18) and opens every area through to the ending, and it includes exclusive merchandise. Details of that bonus item will be announced on November 25.
The first lottery round opens on November 25 at 7 p.m. JST through the ticket service e+ and runs until December 3, with results due December 8. A second lottery runs from December 11 to 16, and any remaining tickets will go on sale first-come, first-served from December 23. Each application can cover up to four tickets.
First-wave merchandise based on the SHAFT key visual includes a T-shirt for 6,600 yen, large acrylic stands at 4,400 yen each, acrylic blocks, random trading pins and keychains, a B2 poster and a tote bag. Goods will be sold in the venue, and an official online store is planned for December.
Who is holoX?
holoX (秘密結社holoX, “Secret Society holoX”) is a four-member unit that came out of Hololive, one of Japan’s biggest VTuber agencies. VTubers are online entertainers who stream and perform as animated virtual avatars. The group is known for a slightly darker, mysterious “secret organization” image, and its members are Laplus Darknesss, Takane Lui, Hakui Koyori and Kazama Iroha.
What is the Monogatari series?
Monogatari is a supernatural youth-fiction series by novelist Nisio Isin, beginning with Bakemonogatari. Anime adaptations directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and produced by SHAFT have been released since 2009 as TV series, films and streaming-only episodes. SHAFT, founded in 1975, is also known for Puella Magi Madoka Magica and March Comes in Like a Lion, and for its text-heavy, avant-garde visual style. The exhibition is organized by the content studio maxilla.
Author’s Comment
Oh, I love this one. A haunted-text-wall anime and a gang of ‘dark’ VTubers who are honestly adorable, crammed into one gallery in Shibuya? Japan never misses a chance to turn fandom into a scavenger hunt, and I’m here for it. Notice the smart business model, too: the cheap 1,100 yen ticket gets you the art, and the pricier one gets you the story plus the goodie bag. Please charge your phone, because your detective work runs on battery. And if you’re planning to attend from overseas, start refreshing the e+ page now, because those lotteries will be brutal.
