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Kaijū
is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters. The ''kaiju'' genre is a subgenre of ''tokusatsu'' entertainment. The 1954 film '' Godzilla'' is commonly regarded as the first ''kaiju'' film. ''Kaiju'' characters are often somewhat metaphorical in nature; Godzilla, for example, serves as a metaphor for nuclear weapons, reflecting the fears of post-war Japan following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the '' Lucky Dragon 5'' incident. Other notable examples of ''kaiju'' characters include Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Gamera. Etymology The Japanese word ''kaijū'' originally referred to monsters and creatures from ancient Japanese legends; it earlier appeared in the Chinese '' Classic of Mountains and Seas''. After ''sakoku'' had ended and Japan was open ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilla (1954 Film)
is a 1954 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the first film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, Japan's authorities deal with the sudden appearance of a giant monster, whose attacks trigger fears of nuclear holocaust during post-war Japan. ''Godzilla'' entered production after a Japanese-Indonesian co-production collapsed. Tsuburaya originally proposed for a giant octopus before the filmmakers decided on a dinosaur-inspired creature. ''Godzilla'' pioneered a form of special effects called suitmation, in which a stunt performer wearing a suit interacts with miniature sets. Principal photography ran 51 days, and special effects photography ran 71 days. ''Godzilla'' was theatrically released in Japan on November 3, 1954, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodan
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film '' Rodan'', produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numerous entries in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, including ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', '' Invasion of Astro-Monster'', ''Destroy All Monsters'', ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' and '' Godzilla: Final Wars'', as well as in the Legendary Pictures-produced film '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. Rodan is depicted as a colossal, prehistoric, irradiated species of ''Pteranodon''. In 2014, IGN ranked Rodan as #6 on their "Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters" list, while '' Complex'' listed the character as #15 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list. Overview Name The Japanese name ''Radon'' is a contraction of '' Pteranodon''. The spelling of Radon in Japanese also corresponds to the name of Ladon, the dragon guarding t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
King Ghidorah
is a fictional monster, or ''kaiju'', which first appeared in Ishirō Honda's 1964 film ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster''. Although the name of the character is officially trademarked by Toho as "King Ghidorah", the character was originally referred to as Ghidorah or Ghidrah in some English markets. Although King Ghidorah's design has remained largely consistent throughout its appearances (an armless, bipedal, golden and yellowish-scaled dragon with three heads, two fan-shaped wings and two tails), its origin story has varied from being an Extraterrestrial life, extraterrestrial planet-destroying dragon, a Genetic engineering, genetically engineered monster from the future, a guardian monster of ancient Japan, or a god from another dimension. The character is usually portrayed as an archenemy of Godzilla and a foe of Mothra, though it has had one appearance as an ally of the latter. Despite rumors that Ghidorah was meant to represent the threat posed by China, which had at ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
