Tag Archives: godzilla

DX Soul of Chogokin Mechagodzilla: A Celebration of a Triumph in Robot Kaiju

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When the DX Soul of Chogokin Mechagodzilla figure was announced last year to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Godzilla’s mechanical nemesis, I was drawn to it immediately. The 1974 film Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (awkward English dub and all) was a part of my childhood, and seeing this ultra-high-quality representation of the robot menace brought to the surface the realization of just how much I love its design. Between a strong dollar to yen exchange rate, a relatively low cost compared to other figures from the deluxe line (the DX Mazinger Z from thirteen years ago cost twice as much!), and the fact that this Mechagodzilla actually plays its own theme song, this was a must-buy. 

Now that I have it in my hands, it makes me think about why exactly I love the classic Showa Mechagodzilla design so much.

Before I elaborate, I want to briefly talk about my experience with the figure itself. This DX SoC Mechagodzilla is so hefty and filled with diecast metal that it was initially cold to the touch. The paint job is intentionally done to give it a bit of shading and depth, and to make it look unpolished, just like in the movie. The articulation is a bit limited, but the head rotates 360 degrees just like when it’s creating a barrier, and it comes with the requisite sound effects (plus many others). About the only thing I wish it had was the song that plays when the monster first drops its disguise and is revealed in all its terrifying chrome glory, in addition to the main theme. Just playing with this toy affirms how fantastic it is.

The Showa version is also my favorite Mechagodzilla iteration ever, and it’s not just nostalgia at work. As an iconic Godzilla villain, Mechagodzilla has appeared in every era of the movie franchise, and it gets updated to match the times. The Heisei, Millennium, and Monsterverse versions are all cool in their own ways. Yet, they don’t have the same charm. The first two are almost too sleek, and the way they replicate the chest and arm muscles of Godzilla kind of detracts from the aesthetic for me. The last one, I’m not as much of a fan of the silhouette and the Michael Bay Transformers–esque bits and dongles. 

In contrast, the Showa Mechagodzilla has just the right balance of “imperfection” to me, both in its 70s-era idea of “futuristic technology” and the fact that it’s not actually trying to closely adhere to the actual Godzilla’s appearance. This version looks like hunks and sheets of metal riveted together. The cybernetic behemoth mimics the broad strokes of Godzilla’s body but not the finer details. Even the fact that it doesn’t try to match its inspiration’s approach to fighting is something I find appealing—the original Mechagodzilla comes with its own arsenal of rays and missiles, yet it doesn’t even bother to have its own version of Godzilla’s signature atomic breath. And it definitely has my favorite face of them all, one that’s distinct and menacing with its pointed and angular shape. The result is that Mechagodzilla is less about appearing “perfect” and more geared towards the goal of destruction and conquest.

I really do think that the Showa Mechagodzilla design is eternal. It’s identifiably of its era, but I find it to be more timeless than any of its descendants.

Happy Anniversary, Mechagodzilla!

A Titanic Tag Team in Every Sense—Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire

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For almost as long as Godzilla has existed in fiction, there have been essentially two versions of the giant reptile. The first is “Godzilla as force of nature and reflection of human folly,” most recently seen in the Oscar-winning Godzilla Minus One. The second is “Godzilla as defender of the Earth.” That’s the space occupied by the sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong—Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. The resulting film is one I found incredibly satisfying for what it aims to be, which is a crossover film that treats its monsters as the actual stars.

Godzilla x Kong takes place a few years after lizard and ape’s victory over Mechagodzilla in the previous film. King Kong now resides in Hollow Earth, looking for any signs of other giant apes. Godzilla remains on the surface, fighting titanic threats that are trying to encroach on their territory. When possible evidence of Kong’s species turns out to be tied to a potential threat to both parts of Earth, both he and Godzilla set into motion to do something about it.

The big thing about this film is that it presents its iconic monsters as legitimate central characters. Godzilla x Kong not only tells a story centered around the monsters, it highlights how different they are in terms of their relationship with humanity. King Kong would rather avoid harming humans. Godzilla doesn’t actively try to kill humans, but if they need to swim through a busy bridge and take out a few dozen occupied vehicles in the process, oh well. The two behemoths are not terribly fond of each other, but sometimes there are bigger fish to fry.

The human stories, meanwhile, are decent enough without overshadowing Godzilla or Kong. 

This movie’s monstrous antagonist (because you know there has to be one) is interesting in a lot of ways, firstly because they’re 1) an all-new character, and 2) Kong-centric. It’s all too easy for films featuring Godzilla to tap into their extensive rogue’s gallery—they could reasonably never make anything original and still never run out of adversaries. In contrast, King Kong doesn’t really have archenemies because that’s never really been a thing in the character’s stories. Secondly, this monster is less about brute force or overpowering his foes, and is more of a conniving despot who uses pain and fear as tools for control. It’s a lot more than what I expected from Godzilla x Kong, and reminds me of some of the best pro wrestling heels.

I decided to look at online reactions to the villain, and I was surprised to see a good number of people were disappointed. This was a realization that when it comes to MonsterVerse baddies, a decent chunk of fans want a Brock Lesnar (an unstoppable wrecking machine) instead of a Ric Flair (an underhanded schemer who exploits others).

Overall, I got everything I wanted from this movie, and then some. If you want something movingly artistic with amazing actors, Godzilla Minus One is right there. If you want a story about gargantuan beasts pummeling one another while still carrying lots of personality, Godzilla x Kong hits the spot like few things can. I’d actually love to see the two get released in theaters as a double feature, so audiences can experience both sides of the big green G and come away enlightened. 

The Gargantuan Shadow of Trauma: Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color

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Godzilla is practically a genre unto itself. With a 70-year history, the movies featuring the world’s most famous reptilian titan have run the gamut, from  thought-provoking to spine-tingling, and silly to somber. Now, the franchise has entered the Reiwa era with one of its most unique entries in Godzilla Minus One, winner of the 2024 Academy Award for Best Visual Effects.

The actual title of the movie piqued my curiosity upon seeing it—what does “Minus One” even mean? The answer is a work that has decided to go the opposite direction of most remakes. Rather than asking what would it be like if Godzilla emerged in [insert modern era here], Godzilla Minus One moves the clock back and explores what it would have been like had Godzilla arrived at the end of World War II. Specifically, the story is about Shikishima Koichi, a would-be kamikaze pilot who ran away from the grim fate set out for him, and whose encounter with Godzilla instills an additional level of trauma in him.

The most powerful thing about the film is the complex emotions that not just Koichi but everyone around him are processing in the aftermath of World War II. An old neighbor looks at him as a traitorous coward, but dire poverty forces them to make a connection. Koichi forms an erstwhile family with a woman named Noriko and a young orphan named Akiko, but his desire to provide for them is tinged with a refusal to see a happy future with them out of guilt for all the soldiers who couldn’t make it back to their families. 

The version of the film I watched was called Godzilla Minus One/Minus Color, meaning it was done in black and white. Going in, I wondered if it was just novelty, but the fact that it takes place in a time before the original Godzilla’s release makes the aesthetic decision very appropriate for the period.

In a way, Godzilla Minus One and Koichi serve as another perspective of a feeling present in another Japanese film about the wartime era: In This Corner of the World. That film shows how the constant message of “sacrifice yourself for the war effort” affects the civilians in ways they don’t even realize until everything comes tumbling down, and Godzilla Minus One looks at how a soldier is affected by the same propaganda. On the surface, there are times when the film seems like it might be saying something worrisome about bringing back the glory of Japan, but it’s ultimately much more complex and anything but jingoistic.

Koichi’s actor, Kamiki Ryunosuke, delivers an amazing performance that tears at the heart and soul. Incidentally, I had recently watched him in the live-action movie adaptation of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Diamond Is Unbreakable Part 1, where he plays another character named Koichi. In that work, Kamiki is far and away the best actor despite being in a supporting role. I later found out that he’s actually been a voice actor since childhood, appearing in multiple big animated films from Miyazaki Hayao and Hosoda Mamoru. Out of this illustrious career, Godzilla Minus One might be his finest work ever.

I applaud the makers for going this hard with a franchise film that’s meant to transition into a new era in Japan. It could have been all too easy to play it safe, but this one looks just as inward at Japan’s history and problems as Shin Godzilla and even the original. Let the Universal films bring the action—Minus One encompasses the other end of the grand Godzilla spectrum.

Kio Shimoku Twitter Highlights November 2023

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A fairly light month of tweets by Kio, but a doozy right at the end.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1719643766615896128

Spotted Flower Chapter 44 came out at the beginning of the month.

Kio saw Godzilla -1 and thought it was a masterpiece in terms of entertainment.

Influential Japanese author Sakemi Ken’ichi passed away on November 7 at age 59. Kio remarked that it was too soon. Sakemi won the 1st Japan Fantasy Novel Award in 1989.

Kio finds himself losing concentration more easily than he used to, and worries that he wouldn’t be able to do a normal serialization like he used to. He follows this by attempting to work at the speed he used to when doing monthly titles and succeeds, but doesn’t know if he could do the same the next day.

Another preview image of the latest chapter of Spotted Flower.

Kio saw The Birth of Kitaro: The Mystery of Gegege. He liked the detail that Kitaro’s dad is actually tall (normally in the series, Kitaro’s dad is only an eyeball on top of a small body.)

After three days, Kio has beaten Mohg, Lord of Blood, in Elden Ring.

After seven years, Kio’s PC is starting to make funny noises. He had it just for making manga, but he’s considering getting something that can handle 3D, and that he can play games on.

https://twitter.com/kioshimoku1/status/1729863998705914365?t=w2WIxqiRNpt9dA25IHbWig&s=19

His 18+ original doujinshi is being made into live-action porn. It’s definitely a first for him!

A New Memory: Shin Godzilla Film Review

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What does it mean to be a “true” Godzilla film? Is it a spiritual closeness to the original film from 1954? Is it embracing all aspects of what Godzilla has represented (criticism of humankind’s folly, defender of the Earth, and more), just as the recent 2014 film did? The latest film, Shin Godzilla, tackles that question in an interesting light, bringing the classic Japanese monster into the concerns of a contemporary Japanese (and to some extent global) audience.

Directed by Anno Hideaki, a man known more for his influence in anime as the creator of Neon Genesis Evangelion, Shin Godzilla exists as a clear reboot. Set in modern times as Japan encounters Godzilla for the first time, the monster is quickly revealed to be the product of nuclear waste much like the original, but with the implied added context of the Fukushima Triple Disaster that hit Japan in 2011. While the expectation might be to focus primarily on the horror and destruction caused by Godzilla, the film defies this and instead has most of the action occur in government  offices. This may very well sound like the most boring approach to a Godzilla film possible, but it’s actually very amusing and effective at getting the thrust of Shin Godzilla across.

While Shin Godzilla can be viewed as a movie full of talking heads and a bit of (extremely well-choreographed) Godzilla violence, the film draws strength from this format. By having groups of government officials move from one meeting room to the next over the slightest change in scenario, and by giving those characters increasingly long official government titles (to the extent that they begin to fall off the screen), it takes a stab at the bureaucratic inefficiency of the Japanese government. Instead of trying to create a character drama where a hero goes through a process of growth, the narrative unfolds more like an onion, as we the viewers see them try to figure out the mystery that is Godzilla, and how Japan will have to deal with its presence.

The actual protagonist of the story, Yaguchi Rando, is a young politician who chafes at the amount of red tape that weighs down any government action, and ends up forming a Godzilla task force. While Rando’s actions, as well as the portrayal of how the Japan Defense Forces are shackled by a long and tedious chain of command, potentially renders the film one in favor of less democracy and more military action, the actual portrayals of the politicians themselves appear to say otherwise. Every government official in Shin Godzilla, from Rando to US senators to the bumbling Japanese prime ministers, are shown to ultimately have the interests of the people at heart, even if they’re not always best-equipped to handle their positions. It’s an unusually positive portrayal of the desire for politicians to do good, and even the most scheming politician in the film ultimately works in a fairly altruistic fashion.

As for the portrayal of Godzilla itself, there are a number of new elements that breathe new life into the kaijuu, such as rapid evolution, a new attack reminiscent of the titular giant robot from anime Space Runaway Ideon‘s missile barrages, and even new anti-Godzilla countermeasures. Shin Godzilla highlights the power, majesty, and connection to nature that is a part of Godzilla, but also brings a new meaning to “destruction in Tokyo because of Godzilla.”

Shin Godzilla ends up being a clever and insightful film that challenges viewers to look at the problems of today with both an understanding of the past and an awareness that the solutions of old do not necessarily work today. While the actual action is scarce, what little is present ends up being captivating. The result is an excellent new film, though I wonder if it should be followed up with a sequel at all. It might very well end up changing the “meaning” of Godzilla yet again.

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Like the Transformers Movies but Less Stupid: Godzilla 2014

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The 2014 Godzilla film is a strange amalgam of sorts. The most famous of Japanese giant monsters is many things to many people, its movies spanning generations, the narratives of which vary between Godzilla as the power of nature made reality, a representation of the hubris of humankind, and kick-ass monster eager for a rumble against its fellow kaijuu. Rather than going for the heavy reintepretation as with the old 1998 film, Godzilla 2014 tries to embrace all facets of the lizard with some mixed results.

I have somewhat of an “improper” understanding of Godzilla. Certainly I grew up on some of the movies, having watched my Godzilla vs. Megalon and Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla VHS tapes religiously as a kid, for example. However, I’ve still never seen the original (not even the English adaptation with Raymond Burr inserted in), nor am I so hardcore into Godzilla that I can tell you all of its production history. I’ve realized that deep down I think of Godzilla first and foremost as teaming up with Mothra or Jet Jaguar and giving monster smackdowns, so when I originally came to the movie expecting something more along the lines of a disaster flick, I could feel the kid inside of me smile as the film revealed that it was definitely leading to a massive battle.

At the same time, Godzilla 2014 definitely does not have the same feel as those Showa-era movies I’d grown up on, the heavy emphasis on military presence makes it feel somewhat closer to the Michael Bay Transformers films. Fortunately, Godzilla maintains the image of futility as the US Navy’s weaponry proves overall ineffectual, a classic trope of the franchise, and so it avoids the more jingoistic feel of Transformers when it comes to representations of the military. Even though the main protagonist is a soldier, and he accomplishes quite a bit as a human being, his significance pales in comparison to Godzilla, and the film does a good job of conveying the smallness of humanity.

In this respect, the movie tries to have its cake and eat it too, being on some level the disaster movie I expected going in, but also the monster mash that Godzilla is famous for, but also the contemporary US blockbuster with that strangely stylish militaristic vibe that has increasingly become a part of the movie experience. I find that it balances these incongruities surprisingly well, which is actually pretty impressive, but I also can’t help but shake the feeling that the “something for everyone” approach allowed it to only go so far. I won’t say that it was like three films in one, as I do think there is a good sense of continuity and cohesion overall. Instead, it’s more that Godzilla 2014 embodies the idea of an “American-made Godzilla” to a tee, for better or worse.