Kaiju
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Kaijū (怪獣 kaijū?) (from Japanese "strange beast")[1] is a Japanese film genre that features monsters, usually attacking major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle. It is a subgenre of tokusatsu (special effects-based) entertainment. This word originated from Shan Hai Jing (The Classic of Mountains and Seas).[2][3]
Contents
Origins[edit]
There are no traditional depictions of kaiju or kaiju-like creatures in Japanese folklore but rather the origins of kaiju are found in film.[4] Gojira (translated to Godzilla) is regarded as the first kaiju film and was released in 1954. Tomoyuki Tanaka, a producer for Toho Studios in Tokyo, needed a film to release after his previous project was halted and upon seeing how well American Hollywood monster movie genre films King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms had done in the box offices of Japan, as well as personally being a fan of the films, Tomoyuki Tanaka set out to make a new movie based on those American monster movies and created Godzilla.[5] This meant the original Godzilla movie, and the entire kaiju genre is heavily influenced by Hollywood monster movies. Tomoyuki Tanaka aimed to combine Hollywood monster movies with the re-emerged Japanese fears of atomic weapons, which came about due to the Daigo Fukuryū Maru fishing boat incident, and so he put a team together and created the concept of a radioactive giant creature emerging from the depths of the ocean which would become the iconic monster Godzilla.[6] Godzilla was initially met with commercial success in Japan, inspiring an entire genre that came to be known as kaiju movies.[7]
Terminology[edit]
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Kaiju[edit]
Translates to strange beast. A science fiction creature that often takes the role of either antagonist, protagonist, or force of nature.
Daikaiju[edit]
Daikaiju (大怪獣 daikaijū?, giant kaiju), specifically meaning the larger variety of monsters.Translates to giant or great strange beast. The literal translation is about a size difference between a kaiju and a daikaiju however, the implications are that the daikaiju is a greater beast. The exact definition of what determines a kaiju from a daikaiju is debated. Godzilla is an example of a daikaiju; others include Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Gyaos, Daimajin and Gappa. The term ultra-kaiju is longhand for kaiju in the Ultra Series.
Tokusatsu[edit]
A Japanese live action film or television show that focuses on special effects. Tokusatsu is highly popular in Japan, but not well known outside of Asia.
Kaijū Eiga[edit]
Kaijū Eiga (怪獣映画 kaijū eiga?, monster movie), A film featuring giant monsters or a single monster.
Toho has produced a variety of kaiju films over the years (many of which featured Godzilla and Mothra) but other Japanese studios contributed to expanding the genre in Japan by producing films and shows of their own, including Daiei Film Co., Ltd., Kadokawa Pictures, Tsuburaya Productions, and Shochiku and Nikkatsu studios.
Suit-mation[edit]
A technique that was developed to portray the kaiju. An actor plays the part of the kaiju while in an articulated costume.[8]
Monster techniques[edit]
Eiji Tsubaraya was in charge of the special effects for Gojira developed a technique to animate the kaiju that became known colloquially as a suit-mation.[9] Where Western monster movies often utilized a technique known as stop motion to animate the monsters, Tsubaraya decided to attempt to create suits, now referred to as a creature suit, for a human to wear and act in.[10] This was combined with the use of miniature models and scaled down city sets to create the illusion of a giant creature in a city.[11] Due to the extreme stiffness of the latex or rubber suits often filming would be done at double speed, so that when the film was shown the monster was smoother and slower than the original shot.[12] . Kaiju films also utilized a form of puppetry interwoven between suit-mation scenes which served to have shots that were physically impossible for the actor to perform in the suit. Later CGI was used for certain special sequences and monsters, but overall, the suit-mation technique has been present in an overwhelming majority of kaiju films produced in Japan's of all eras. American produced kaiju films strayed from this however, and began to focus on CGI in recent releases such as the 2014 release of Godzilla. These suit-mation techniques were adapted by almost all kaiju films, and continue even in modern Japanese kaiju films and tokusatsu although more stop motion and CGI are utilized.[13][14]
Concept[edit]
Kaiju are typically modeled after conventional animals, insects or mythological creatures; however, there are more exotic examples.
Monsters famous in English stories (although usually depicted as gigantic in size), such as vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies, fall into this category. Frankenstein's monster was a starring kaiju in the Toho films Frankenstein Conquers the World, and The War of the Gargantuas.
Kaiju are sometimes depicted as cannon fodder serving a greater evil. Some kaiju are elite warriors which serve as the sidekick to the greater villain and are destroyed by the heroic forces. Others have a neutral alignment, only seeking to destroy buildings and other structures. During the early eras of tokusatsu, "heroic" monsters were rarely seen in daikaiju eiga films, and it was not until later when television tokusatsu productions began using kaiju which aided the hero, saved civilians, or demonstrated some kind of complex personality. These kaiju adopted many classic monster traits, appearing as the "misunderstood creature". Some kaiju hung out with the heroes and provided comedy relief, in contrast to the darker approach to these characters from more mature franchises. Godzilla, arguably the most well known of the daikaiju, has played the roles of hero, villain, and force of nature in the course of his existence, one of the few kaiju of any type to be depicted in multiple roles and having those around him react in different ways, depending on how the creature itself was being presented in the films.[citation needed]
Notable Examples of Kaiju or Daikaiju[edit]
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Godzilla[edit]
The first Japanese kaiju and was originally inspired by King Kong and The Creature from 20,000 Fathoms. A giant bipedal, amphibious, dinosaur like kaiju that emerges from the depths of the ocean. Godzilla’s role in film changes depending on the era of the film and is either a protagonist or a destructive force of nature. One of the san daikaiju, the three great kaiju.[15]
King Ghidorah[edit]
A giant three headed dragon like kaiju who often does battle against Godzilla. King Ghidorah has been an antagonist in every film appearance he has made, with the sole exception of Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack.
Gamera[edit]
A giant turtle like kaiju with large fangs that emerges from the depths of the ocean. Gamera has been a protagonist in every film appearance, as Gamera is portrayed as a hero of children.[16]
Mothra[edit]
Depending on the stage of life Mothra is in she is either a large caterpillar like larva or a giant moth like kaiju that often does battle against or alongside Godzilla. Mothra is always portrayed as a benevolent guardian deity of humans. One of the san daikaiju, the three great kaiju.[17]
Rodan[edit]
A giant Pteranodon kaiju. Rodan is either a force of nature or an antagonist. One of the san daikaiju, the three great kaiju [18]
Selected media[edit]
Films[edit]
Japanese[edit]
- Godzilla (1954)
- Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
- Half Human (1955)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
- Rodan (1956)
- The Mysterians (1957)
- Varan the Unbelievable (1958)
- The Birth of Japan (1959)
- Mothra (1961)
- Gorath (1962)
- King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962)
- Atragon (1963)
- Dogora (1964)
- Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
- Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
- Frankenstein Conquers the World (1965)
- Gamera: The Giant Monster (1965)
- The Magic Serpent (1966)
- Daimajin (1966)
- The War of the Gargantuas (1966)
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
- Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
- Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
- The X from Outer Space (1967)
- Gappa: The Triphibian Monster (1967)
- King Kong Escapes (1967)
- Son of Godzilla (1967)
- Destroy All Monsters (1968)
- Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
- Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
- All Monsters Attack (1969)
- Space Amoeba (1970)
- Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
- Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
- Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972)
- Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
- Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
- Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
- Legend of Dinosaurs & Monster Birds (1977)
- Gamera: Super Monster (1980)
- The Return of Godzilla (1984)
- Godzilla 1985 (1985)
- Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
- Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
- Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
- Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
- Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995)
- Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996)
- Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
- Rebirth of Mothra II (1997)
- Rebirth of Mothra III (1998)
- Gamera 3: The Revenge of Iris (1999)
- Godzilla 2000 (1999)
- Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000)
- Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001)
- Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002)
- Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)
- Ultraman: The Next (2004)
- Godzilla: Final Wars (2004)
- Negadon: The Monster from Mars (2005)
- Gamera: The Brave (2006)
- Deep Sea Monster Reigo (2008)
- The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit (2008)
- Deep Sea Monster Raiga (2009)
- Gehara: The Dark and Long-Haired Monster (2009)
- Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy (2009)
- Death Kappa (2010)
- Earth Defense Widow (2014)
- Zella: Monster Martial Law (2014)
- Shin Godzilla (2016)
- Godzilla: Monster Planet (2017)
American[edit]
- The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953)
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956)
- Godzilla 1985 (1985)
- Zarkorr! The Invader (1996)
- Godzilla (1998)
- Kraa! the Sea Monster (1998)
- Cloverfield (2008)
- Pacific Rim (2013)
- Godzilla (2014)
- Kong: Skull Island (2017)
- Colossal (2017)
- Pacific Rim: Uprising (2018)
- Rampage (2018)
- Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
- Godzilla vs. Kong (2020)
British[edit]
- Gorgo (1961)
Korean[edit]
Thailand[edit]
- Garuda (2004)
Danish[edit]
- Reptilicus (1961)
Comics[edit]
Japanese Manga[edit]
- Cloverfield/Kishin – Manga Published By Kadokawa (2008)
- Hakaiju (2010 – 2014)
America comics[edit]
- Gamera the Guardian of the Universe – Comic Published By Dark Horse Comics (1996)
- Giant Monster - RedSkullFace Dead – Comic Published By Boom! Studios (2005)
- Enormous (2012, 2014 – present)
- Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero (Warner Bros. 2013-2018/Legendary Pictures 2013)[19]
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth[20] – Godzilla Comics Series (IDW; 2013, 1 - 25)
- Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift (Warner Bros. 2013-2018/Legendary Pictures 2015)[21]
- Project Nemesis – Comic Published By American Gothic Press (2015)
- Kodoja – Comic Published By 215 Ink (2015, 2016)
- King of Zombies – Comic Published By Antarctic Press (2017 or 2018)[citation needed]
- Kronen's Kaiju – Comic Published By American mythology Production (2017 or 2018)
Video games[edit]
- Godzilla video games (Toho; 1983 – present)
- Ultraman video games (Tsuburaya; 1984 – present)
- Colossal Kaiju Combat (Sunstone Games; TBA, Cancelled released is 2017-2018 or Hold Published By Sony, Microsoft, Sega and Nintendo)[citation needed]
- The Fall of Nemesis: Clash of the Kaijujin (Sunstone Games; 2014, '15, '16, '17, '18 for Switch (NX), Stream, PS5, XONE, WiiU, 3DS's Successor)[citation needed]
- Rampage (Bally Midway; 1986)
- Rampage 2017 (Warner Bros. Games; 2017 From Switch (NX), 3DS's Successor, Wii U, PS5)[citation needed]
- King of the Monsters (SNK; 1991)
- Gamera 2000 (Virgin Interactive; 1996)
- Robot Alchemic Drive (Sandlot; 2002)
- War of the Monsters (Sony, Incognito Entertainment; 2003)
- Pacific Rim video game (Yuke's/Reliance; 2013)
Television[edit]
- Marine Kong (Nisan Productions; April 3, 1960 – September 25, 1960)
- Ultra Q (Tsuburaya Productions; January 2, 1966 – July 3, 1966)
- Ambassador Magma (P Productions; July 4, 1966 – September 25, 1967)
- Ultraman (Tsuburaya Productions; July 17, 1966 – April 9, 1967)
- Kaiju Booska (Tsuburaya Productions; November 9, 1966 – September 27, 1967)
- Ultra Seven (Tsuburaya Productions; October 1, 1967 – September 8, 1968)
- Giant Robo (Toei Company; October 11, 1967 – April 1, 1968)
- Mighty Jack (Tsuburaya Productions; April 6, 1968 – June 29, 1968)
- Spectreman (Fuji Television; January 2, 1971 – March 25, 1972)
- The Return of Ultraman (Tsuburaya Productions; April 2, 1971 – March 31, 1972)
- Mirrorman (Tsuburaya Productions; December 5, 1971 – November 26, 1972)
- Redman (Tsuburaya Productions; April 3, 1972 – September 8, 1972)
- Ultraman Ace (Tsuburaya Productions; April 7, 1972 – March 30, 1973)
- Iron King (Senkosha Productions; October 8, 1972 – April 8, 1973)
- Jumborg Ace (Tsuburaya Productions; January 17 – December 29, 1973)
- Fireman (Tsuburaya Productions; January 17, 1973 – July 31, 1973)
- Zone Fighter (Toho; April 2 – September 24, 1973)
- Ultraman Taro (Tsuburaya Productions; April 6, 1973 – April 5, 1974)
- Super Robot Red Baron (Nippon Television; July 4, 1973 – March 27, 1974)
- Ultraman Leo (Tsuburaya Productions; April 12, 1974 – March 28, 1975)
- Super Sentai (Toei Company; 1975 – present)
- Godzilla (Hanna-Barbera; 1978 – 1981)
- Ultraman 80 (Tsuburaya Productions; April 2, 1980 – March 25, 1981)
- Denkou Choujin Gridman (Tsuburaya Productions; 1993 – 1994)
- Ultraman Tiga (Tsuburaya Productions; September 7, 1996 – August 30, 1997)
- Ultraman Dyna (Tsuburaya Productions; September 6, 1997 – August 29, 1998)
- Godzilla Island (Toho; 1997 – 1998)
- Godzilla: The Series (Sony Pictures Television; 1998 – 2000)
- Ultraman Gaia (Tsuburaya Productions; September 5, 1998 – August 28, 1999)
- Ultraman Cosmos (Tsuburaya Productions; July 7, 2001 – September 28, 2002)
- Ultra Q: Dark Fantasy (Tsuburaya Productions; 2004)
- Ultraman Nexus (Tsuburaya Productions; October 2, 2004 – June 25, 2005)
- Ultraman Max (Tsuburaya Productions; July 2, 2005 – April 1, 2006)
- Bio Planet WoO (Tsuburaya Productions; 2006)
- Ultraman Mebius (Tsuburaya Productions; April 8, 2006 – March 31, 2007)
- Ultraseven X (Tsuburaya Productions; 2007)
- Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle (Tsuburaya Productions; December 1, 2007 – February 23, 2008)
- Ultra Galaxy Mega Monster Battle: Never Ending Odyssey (Tsuburaya Productions; December 20, 2008 – March 14, 2009)
- Ultraman Retsuden (Tsuburaya Productions; July 6, 2011 – present)
- Ultraman Ginga (Tsuburaya Productions; July 10, 2013 – December 18, 2013)
- Ultraman X (Tsuburaya Productions; July 14, 2015 – December 22, 2015)
- Enormous (Base Comic Book is Selection as Others Companys, 20th Century Fox; Early 2017)
- Ultraman Orb (Tsuburaya Productions; July 9, 2016 – present)
- Big Titan (American Selection as Others Companys 2018 or 2019)[citation needed]
Fan films[edit]
- Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū (1985)
- Godzilla X The Kaiju Killer (2009)
- GFantis: World's Collide (2011)
- Godzilla Rises (2013)
- Godzilla: Battle Royale (2014)
- Godzilla: The Destroyer of Worlds (2014)
- GFantis: DEATHGAME (2015)
- MechaGFantis Backfires (2013)
- GFantis vs. THING (2012)
- Godzilla: Heritage (2017)
Fan series[edit]
- Godzilla and his Amazing Friends (2009 – present) by Goji73
- The Adventure of Ultraman & Godzilla (2010 – 2011) by GodzillaFilms :)
- Zone Fighter (2015 − Present) by DaikaijuLegends
In popular culture[edit]
- In the Japanese language original of Cardcaptor Sakura, Sakura's brother Toya likes to tease her by regularly calling her "kaiju", relating to her noisily coming down from her room for breakfast every morning.
- In the second season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there is a story arc composed of two episodes entitled "The Zillo Beast" and "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back", mostly influenced by Godzilla films, in which a huge reptilian beast is transported from its homeworld Malastare to the city-covered planet Coruscant, where it breaks loose and goes on a rampage.[22][23]
- In Return of the Jedi, the rancor was originally to be played by an actor in a suit similar to the way how kaiju films like Godzilla were made. However, the rancor was eventually portrayed by a puppet filmed in high speed.[24]
- In The Simpsons: Treehouse of Horror VI - Attack of the 50-Foot Eyesores, Homer goes to Lard Lad Donuts; unable to get a "Colossal Doughnut" as advertised, he steals Lard Lad's Donut, awakening other giant advertising statues that come to life to terrorize Springfield. When Lard Lad awakes, he makes a Godzilla roar. Guillermo del Toro directed the Treehouse of Horror XXIV couch gag which made multiple references to Godzilla and other Kaiju-based characters, including his own Pacific Rim characters.[25]
- In the 2009 film Crank: High Voltage, there is a sequence parodying Kaiju films using the same practical effects techniques used for Tokusatsu films such as miniatures and suitmation.[26]
- In the 2013 film Pacific Rim, "Kaiju" is the moniker bestowed upon giant inter-dimensional monsters that invade Earth and attempt to exterminate humanity.[27]
- Kaiju-Bird Monster was the alt-mode of Decepticon Leader Emperor Deathsaurus in the Transformers: Victory anime.
- A series of cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game called "Kaiju" are inspired, both in name and/or visually, by multiple kaiju from Godzilla-related films, including Mothra, Gamera, and direct monsters of (previous) said series - Gigan, Kumonga, Rodan, MechaGodzilla, and King Ghidorah.
See also[edit]
References[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kaiju. |
- ^ Yoda, Tomiko; Harootunian, Harry (2006). Japan After Japan: Social and Cultural Life from the Recessionary 1990s to the Present. Duke University Press Books. p. 344. ISBN 9780822388609.
- ^ "Introduction to Kaiju [in Japanese]". dic-pixiv. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
- ^ "A Study of Chinese monster culture - Mysterious animals that proliferates in present age media [in Japanese]". Hokkai-Gakuen University. Retrieved 2017-03-09.
- ^ Foster, Michael (1998). The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore. Oakland. University of California Press.
- ^ Martin, T. (2014). Godzilla: why the Japanese original is no joke. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10788996/Godzilla-why-the-Japanese-original-is-no-joke.html
- ^ Harvey, R. (2012). A History of Godzilla on Film, Part 1: Origins (1954–1962). Retrieved from https://www.blackgate.com/2013/12/16/a-history-of-godzilla-on-film-part-1-origins-1954-1962/
- ^ Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan’s Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G. ECW Press
- ^ Godziszewski, Ed (Director) (2010). Making of the Godzilla Suit. [Film] http://youtube.com/watch?v=yfSARjZ0OXc
- ^ Weinstock, Jeffery (2014) The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Farnham. Ashgate Publishing.
- ^ Godziszewski, Ed (Director) (2010). Making of the Godzilla Suit. [Film] http://youtube.com/watch?v=yfSARjZ0OXc
- ^ Allison, Anne (2006) Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. Oakland. University of California Press
- ^ Martin, T. (2014). Godzilla: why the Japanese original is no joke. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/10788996/Godzilla-why-the-Japanese-original-is-no-joke.html
- ^ Allison, Anne (2006) Millennial Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination. Oakland. University of California Press
- ^ Failes, Ian (2016). Godzilla Went From Rubber Suit to Stop Motion to CGI. https://www.inverse.com/article/22234-special-effects-in-godzilla-movies-history.
- ^ Weinstock, Jeffery (2014) The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Farnham. Ashgate Publishing.
- ^ Weinstock, Jeffery (2014) The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Farnham. Ashgate Publishing.
- ^ Weinstock, Jeffery (2014) The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Farnham. Ashgate Publishing.
- ^ Weinstock, Jeffery (2014) The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters. Farnham. Ashgate Publishing.
- ^ "Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero". Legendary Comics. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
- ^ "IDW Solicits Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #12 and Vol. 3 TPB for May 2014 « SciFi Japan". Scifijapan.com. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
- ^ "Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift, Black Bag, Cops for Criminals - Comics Announcements". Legendary Comics. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
- ^ ""The Zillo Beast" Episode Guide". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ ""The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" Episode Guide". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ "The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Godzilla". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
- ^ "Treehouse of Horror XXIV Couch Gag by Guillermo del Toro". Youtube. October 3, 2013.
- ^ "Crank: High Voltage: Godzilla Fight Scene". Youtube. October 1, 2009.
- ^ "Pacific Rim - Legendary". Retrieved October 5, 2014.