Review: The Adventure Time Finn and Jake Exhibition

Yesterday my fellow colleague, newscaster Eric Gau, and I went to the Adventure Time Finn and Jake Exhibition at the National Taiwan Science Education Center (NTSEC) which I mentioned in a previous post. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this exhibition, but given the fact that a few months ago I went to the LINE Exhibition at the same venue, I was expecting something a bit similar.

We arrived around 1:00 P.M. and didn’t even have to wait in line to go in! This kind of proves that the early bird gets the worm. As soon as we walked in to the exhibition we were greeted by a giant Jake bus, and thus began the bottleneck in the flow since it was a good spot for a photo opportunity. In the entrance area we saw a map of the Land of Ooo and some pictures of the main characters in Adventure Time. We then proceeded into the Jake bus where there were a few flat screen TVs playing the show in Chinese. There was an opportunity to get your picture taken with BMO.

Upon exiting the Jake bus you’re greeted by the tree in which Finn and Jake inhabit and the Candy Kingdom in the distance. At this point I was rather floored by the excitement of exploring a life-size representation of the Land of Ooo and the Adventure Time cast. I was also happy to see my favorite character, Lumpy Space Princess (often abbreviated as LSP), brought to life in 3-demensional space. Fun fact, LSP is voiced by Pendleton Ward, the creator of Adventure Time.

The areas to check out at the exhibition are the Jake bus, Tree Fort, Marceline’s Rock Room, Fire Kingdom, Ice Kingdom and Candy Kingdom. After the main area you’re led up to the gift shop and some production art from the show. This part really interested me since I majored in animation in college. Plus, there were two posters signed by Pendleton Ward!

At the gift shop I ended up snagging up four collectible coffee mugs and cleaning cloths. They also had one of those machines that flattens and prints on a copper slug or coin. Any time I come across one in my travels I always get one for my collection, so this will go nicely with the others I’ve collected over the years.

The great thing about Adventure Time is its fan base. This show is probably loved by more adults than kids, but honestly, it’s a show that anyone can enjoy. I saw many families having fun at the exhibition, so it’s definitely a good, affordable family outing.

Overall I really liked the exhibition, but I felt it was a little bit small. I kind of wish it were bigger and flowed a little better because there were a lot of places that would get clogged up with people. There were a lot of opportunities take funny photos with the inhabitants from Ooo, but as time went on more and more people showed up. By the time we left there was a huge lineup outside. I think the best time of the day to go would be in the morning when the NTSEC opens since there should be fewer people. Mid to late afternoon seems the common outing time for many Taiwanese people, so it’s best to avoid it. Just as I said mentioned before, the earlier you go the better it will be.