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Final Fantasy scene plays out on 3-D billboard in Tokyo

Oona McGee Dec 20, 2021
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Shinra goes on the hunt for Red XIII, who winds up taking a nap and falling into a box of toys.

Ever since Tokyo’s first 3-D video billboard screen appeared outside Shinjuku Station in July, creating the most realistic giant cat the city has ever seen, more high-tech screens have been popping up at other locations, including one in Omotesando called Omotesando Hit Vision.

This screen utilises “L-shaped vision” to create an optical effect that looks 3-D to the naked eye, and today Square Enix put the screen to good use with a video called “Red XIII Giant 3-D“. The clip shows Red XIII escaping from the Shinra Electric Power Company and being pursued by a helicopter, before falling into a box of toys and settling down for a much-needed nap.

ナナキめっちゃ可愛かった！！#神羅捕獲対策室 #FF7 #ナナキ pic.twitter.com/G1HXuOiXF4

— クラウド (@cloudaerithtifa) December 20, 2021

The video is being screened to promote a limited-time sale on Final Fantasy VII Remake and Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade, along with an upgrade to the free-play version, at the PlayStation Store from 22 December.

The beautifully designed 3-D video at Omotesando Hit Vision makes it look as if Red XIII might leap out from the screen and make the jump from game-world to real-world above the rooftops of Tokyo at any moment.

The line between video game and reality blurs even further in the promotional campaign, as Square Enix uploaded a ‘news report’ to their official YouTube account on 16 December, alerting viewers to the escape and informing them that a team has been set up to recapture the creature.

▼ In the video, citizens are asked to report any sightings of Red XIII to Shinra.

So when Red XIII appeared in Omotesando today, Square Enix announced they would be giving away prizes to those who report their sightings on Twitter. There are two ways to report a sighting:

1. Share a photo or video of Red XIII at Omotesando Hit Vision, tweet it with the hashtag #神羅捕獲対策室 (“Shinra Recapturing Measures Office”) and follow the @FFVIIR_CLOUD Twitter account

2. Follow the @FFVIIR_CLOUD account and retweet the video that will be shared there at a later date

The prizes, available only for residents in Japan, include:

▼ A 3,000 yen Amazon Gift Certificate…

▼ …a thank you certificate from Shinra…

▼ …and a Red XIII ‘Action Doll’ plushie.

And because the team over at Square Enix are a helpful bunch, they’ve included this map to guide you to the exact viewing spot. The star indicates the location of the animal’s appearance (Omotesando Hit Vision), and the blue arrow points to the ‘best viewpoint’ for viewing the animal in 3-D.

▼ The closest station, Omotesando, is also marked.

It’s been less than a day since the video first screened, and people around Japan have already fallen in love with it, leaving comments like:

“I desperately want to go see this!”
“It looks so cute playing with toys!”
“C!U!T!E!!”
“I love how it twitches its ear!”
“Red XIII’s acting like a big feline!”
“This is cool and cute at the same time!”

The new 3-D video created by Square Enix really is an awesome spectacle, but like all good things, it’ll only be appearing for a limited time — from 7 a.m. on 20 December to 11:59 p.m. on 2 January.

Whether you choose to report Red XIII’s whereabouts to Shinra or not is up to you, but while you’re on the hunt for giant creatures in Tokyo, you might want to squeeze in a visit to see Shinjuku’s giant cat as well.

Billboard Information

Omotesando Hit Vision / 表参道ヒットビジョン
Address: Tokyo-to, Minato-ku, Minami Aoyama 5-1-25
東京都港区南青山5-1-25
Best vantage point: Near Tokyo-to Minato-ku, Kita-Aoyama 3-6-20
東京都港区北青山3-6-20付近
Website

Sources: PR Times via Otakomu
Featured image: PR Times
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