#Raffael Coronelli

[daikaiju-yuki]

Happy fifth anniversary to the release of Yuki vs. Fleshworld, the third installment of Raffael Coronelli’s main Daikaiju Yuki novel trilogy!

Here is Matt Frank’s full illustration of the novel’s primary villain, Admiral Yamanra.

Order link

[raffleupagus]

Out July 8th.

From gorgeous Nordic metropolises to the far-flung wilds of Lapland — follow adventurer and author Raffael Coronelli (YouTube’s How to Have an Adventure with Raffael Coronelli) in traversing the two countries to the east of Scandinavia. Saunas, heavy metal bars, a ship on the Baltic, and a journey far into the Arctic and the world of the Sami await. With hundreds of full-color photos, experience Sweden & Finland like you’re actually there.

Order link

[rugops]

I love reading independent kaiju stories! After grabbing a copy of Daikaiju Yuki last year, I was excited to dive into the next book.

This is a great addition to the series—things really ramp up in Y2K! After an enjoyable introduction to this universe, it’s exciting to reunite with a lovable cast of characters. Coronelli’s storytelling always twists, turns, and thrills all the way through. The stakes are high in Y2K; readers will undoubtably feel the threat of an uncertain outcome. No character seems truly safe, making this a really engaging read! 

Definitely check out this series if you haven’t already.

[majingojira]

So, I finally finished Daikaiju Yuki

@daikaiju-yuki

And it is quite simply the best piece of Kaiju fiction I have yet read (there are 5 more books in the series, 3 main, 1 side, and 1 short story collection).  It’s hard for me to praise Yuki without ranting about other pieces of Kaiju fiction that left me disappointed or annoyed.  Or Both.

But damnit, I’m gonna try!  Well, beyond that line. Spoilers Follow.

The first thing that struck me were the characters. Yuki has a rather simple journey emotionally, but it is a hard struggle to accomplish it and it is definitely earned.  I almost want to call her a “Disaster Lesbian” given how she starts the book absolutely smitten with a temple priestess in a positively adorable fashion that I’m sure @thefingerfuckingfemalefury would enjoy.  She has scars from her past, and is being forced into things she doesn’t want or understand at first, but finds her purpose along the way.  Then we are introduced to the “her” kaiju, Narajin. He is somber, informative, and driven.  Where Yuki, despite her military background, can be freeform, and struggles with an aimlessness about her life until she is thrown into a crisis. Narajin is a massive leonine humanoid monster who Yuki at first calls, to his annoyance, a Kitty.

In this world, each of the 5 nations has a Kaiju that a human can Bond with if they meet certain criteria, but this was established thousands of years ago and much of the knowledge of this was lost.  And some nations have corrupted that connection.  Yuki and Narajin are on a quest to reunite the “Pantheon Colossi” and save the world from one of the nations bringing back the weapons that destroyed the world and brought about the Kaiju in the first place.

Yeah, this is a post apocalyptic novel, but so far in the future that it’s at first hard to tell. 

And learning of the war of Atom Fire and the Kaiju that rose in response to it looms large and helps it touch on the overall themes of Kaiju movies: Anti-Nationalist, Anti-Corporate, etc.  At times, when describing natural events, there’s a pastoral or even Ghibli vibe to it.  As they travel, they meet new Kaiju and new people with whom they bond.  There’s the determined boy Manny and Ganejin, a 4 armed elephant Kaiju.  There’s the laid back Yata and the Frilled Lizard Kaiju.  They later add Ivan Breshkov and the Ibis Kaiju Alkonoth to their Pantheon, as well as the Kaiju Mokwa, a giant Bear and most powerful/oldest of them.  But, well, I don’t want to spoil too much. I don’t feel they are quite as rich character wise as Yuki, the story is mostly told from her perspective, but they are far from shallow. Ivan is in many ways Yuki’s shadow self and well utilized. Manny, being a kid, helps emphasize things through his reactions. He has had a hard life and was forced to grow up quickly, as he puts it, but even that doesn’t prepare him for how powerful a Kaiju can be.  And what happens when it isn’t used the right way. And Yata... Yata is definitely comic relief.  He’s not annoying, or overly jokey. He’s very laid back and up beat.  So, like Manny, when things go south, his quiet reaction aids all the more.

The book is definitely not subtle with its themes and concepts, which befits a Kaiju story.  Themes of responsibility, not repeating the sins of the past, and the aforementioned elements that separates a Kaiju film from just another giant monster film. 

The action flows extremely well, which is a lot harder than people think it is.  The world building is pretty amazing overall, which makes me glad there are more books in this series.  I won’t spoil that at least, because some of my favorite scenes are of Yuki and Narajin talking about the past.  Their interplay is one of the best bits in the whole story, and it is the core of the story.

Which is probably why I like it so much.

Now, there are downsides. Like any Amazon-Published novel, a few mistakes can seep through (I counted about 6).  But the elements I most look for in a story.  Creativity, Compassion, Catharsis.

Creativity flows through the world, the characters, and the monsters.  Because there are more Kaiju than the ones I mentioned! Compassion drives the story, and is it’s overall heart.

And my goodness was the ending Cathartic.  Interspersed with deep cuts of Kaiju lore, appropriately humor breaks, and a diverse cast leaves me with an overall positive recommendation for it.  Especially for Kaiju fans!

[plumreadss-blog]

Like Sci Fi? Read my review for Big Egg by Raffael Coronelli here, released earlier this year!

[seatopian]

Daikaiju Yuki appreciation post

it’s been an odd day and i just wanted to make a little appreciation post for one of my favorite books, Daikaiju Yuki by Raffael Coronelli. no spoilers, so don’t worry.

first off, i appreciate so much how almost out of the gate and upfront the book is about being gay and diverse. like no “relegated to a subplot” bullshit, the main character is very clearly made known to you that she is of color and into women in the first few pages.

secondly, it’s a piece of kaiju fiction that feels fresh, not only cos it wears its influences on its sleeve but it also doesn’t tie itself down to the aesthetic of one era. it’s an amazing juggling act.

and then there’s the characters who i love and are wonderful, human and kaiju alike. the wonderful locations. more people need to read this book.

(and yes i do have Y2K and Mokwa but have yet to read them, i’ve been reading comics for women’s month so my reading list is all backed up.)

[brokehorrorfan]

The Daimajin Trilogy will be released on Blu-ray on July 27 via Arrow Video. The trio of Japanese kaiju films were shot simultaneously and released in 1966. Matt Frank designed the new artwork.

Daimajin is directed by Kimiyoshi Yasuda (Zatoichi on the Road). Return of Daimajin is directed by Kenji Misumi (Shogun Assassin). Wrath of Daimajin is directed by Kazuo Mori (The Tale of Zatoichi Continues). All three are written by Tetsurô Yoshida (Zatoichi Meets Yojimbo) and produced by Daiei Film (Gamera).

The limited edition three-disc box set includes a 100-page book featuring new essays by Jonathan Clements, Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, Raffael Coronelli, Erik Homenick, Robin Gatto, and Kevin Derendorf, three postcards, and reversible sleeves with original and new art by Matt Frank, all housed in a slipcase.

All three Daimajin films are presented in high definition with lossless original Japanese (with English subtitles) and dubed English mono audio. Special features are listed below, along with a look at all the contents.

Disc 1: Daimajin special features:

Audio commentary by Japanese film expert Stuart Galbraith IV (new)

Introduction by film critic Kim Newman (new)

Bringing the Avenging God to Life - Video essay by Japanese film historian Ed Godziszewski (new)

Alternate opening credits for the US release as Majin: The Monster of Terror

Trailers for the original Japanese and US releases

Image gallery

Disc 2: Return of Daimajin special features:

Audio commentary by Japanese film experts Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp (new)

Interview with Professor Yoneo Ota, director of the Toy Film Museum, Kyoto Film Art Culture Research Institute (new)

Storyboard comparisons

Alternate opening credits for the US release as Return of the Giant Majin

Trailers for the original Japanese and US releases

Image gallery

Disc 3: Wrath of Daimajin special features:

Audio commentary by Asian historian Jonathan Clements (new)

Interview with cinematographer Fujio Morita

Trailers for the original Japanese release

Image gallery

Also included:

100-page book featuring new essays by Jonathan Clements, Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, Raffael Coronelli, Erik Homenick, Robin Gatto, and Kevin Derendorf

3 postcards

In Daimajin, the young son and daughter of the benevolent feudal lord Hanabusa flee to the mountains when their parents are slain by the treacherous usurper Odate. Ten years later, when the elderly priestess who has harbored them is also murdered, the rage of the slumbering ancient god that lies beneath the crumbling giant stone idol hidden deep in the forests in the mountains is invoked.

In Return of Daimajin, the wrathful deity is roused from his new home on an island in the middle of a lake by the violent incursions of a vicious warlord.

In Wrath of Daimajin, by veteran jidaigeki director Kazuo Mori, four young boys make a perilous trip to elicit the help of the ancient mountain god in freeing their family members who have been enslaved by a tyrannical lord.

[tyrantisterror]

TT’S GONNA RECOMMEND SOME SELF-PUBLISHED KAIJU FICTION

Because the mood struck me

(and also because I’ve been meaning to give these a full fledged reviews for a RIDICULOUSLY LONG TIME and I’m kind of embarrassed how long it’s been taking so I figure if I do some quickies I’ll feel less bad about myself as a person ok LET’S GO)

I’m gonna start with the Daikaiju Yuki series by Raffael Coronelli, because its first entry was also the first self published kaiju novel I read.  This series is fun and fast paced, with wonderful characters and dynamic storylines in a highly unique setting: a post-post apocaylptic world, where humanity has rebuilt civilization after a kaiju war hundreds of years ago destroyed the old one (i.e. ours).  The protagonist of the series, Yuki, partners up with one of the few kaiju who decided to defend humanity back in the kaiju war, a grouchy old bipedal lion named Narajin, and the two essentially fuse to fight various threats to their world with the other remaining members of the Pantheon Colossi (i.e. the protector kaiju).

(Our heroes, Yuki and Narajin, ready to conquer your kaiju-fan heart)

For newbies, this series covers a lot of kaiju tropes in an engaging and unique way that actually serves as a pretty decent primer for how this genre stands out from other monster fiction.  For experienced kaiju fans, the new twists author Raffael Coronelli has put on the old tropes and the innovations he’s added solely of his own invention make for a take on the genre that is astoundingly fresh, managing the difficult task of paying homage to what came before while crafting something very new and distinct from it.

I also can’t stress enough how fun these books are.  The characters grow on you very quickly, and the stories move at a lively pace that makes the books very easy to digest while still having a lot of substance.  Also there’s a LOT of content to consume here, so if you find you like the first book, you’re in luck - because not only is there a lot more of what you liked in the other entries, but Coronelli’s writing has gotten even better with each installment.

Buy them here:

Daikaiju Yuki

Yuki Conquers the World

Yuki vs. Fleshworld

Mokwa: The Lifesblood of the Earth (a spinoff focusing on another member of the Pantheon Colossi - also has the best villain of the whole series IMO)

Scythian Frost (short story anthology in the same universe as Daikaiju Yuki)

Pharoah of Eels (novella in the same universe as Daikaiju Yuki)

BONUS: I’m gonna link Coronelli’s Big Egg here because while it’s arguably more of a Weird West story than a kaiju story and not part of the Daikaiju Yuki series, it’s nonetheless VERY GOOD and kaiju-adjacent enough to feel relevant.

If you love it when kaiju stories go dark and experiment with body horror - and I know a good chunk of my followers here do, both from the posts you make and from the sheer number of body horror-riffic entries you’ve submitted to my Create a Kaiju Contests in the past - you owe it to yourself to read All Your Ruins by Alex Gayhart.  It is a bleak kaiju story that leans as far into the horror as kaiju stories can, while still retaining many of a kaiju story’s hallmarks.  You’ve got experimental robots, you’ve got a big lizard who shoots lasers from his mouth and has a few suprisingly poignant and tragic moments of pathos, you’ve got scenes of massive property damage - and you’ve also got scenes of people being torn apart by swarms of giant bugs, poisoned by toxic kaiju blood, assimilated into piles of fungus, and all other sorts of horrifying demises.  If you want a kaiju story to send chills down your spine, this is your book.

I’m emphasizing the grim aspects of this story, but I also want to note that it avoids one of the pitfalls a lot of modern horror falls into, in that it balances all the horrific shit by having characters in it that you actually care about.  It’s a tragedy, you know from the start things won’t end well, but some of the people involved in the conflict are so lovable and try so hard to survive that you root for them despite the prevailing sense of dread.  It’s a gloomy story, but it’s not the sort that makes everyone relentlessly awful - more George Romero Day of the Dead in tone than, say, the all consuming bleakness of The Walking Dead.

Also it’s got some killer illustrations.  The main monster even takes the “bipedal lizard with dorsal spikes” visual in a direction so unique that it actually stands out against the progenitor of that design concept.  That’s not the say the book depends on those illustrations, mind you - Gayhart’s prose isn’t afraid of laying it on thick every now and then to paint an appropriately distinct and horrific image with words.  That might not be for all tastes, but as a person who’s read a LOT of classic horror literature, I personally appreciate it - a dash of melodrama in the description of the horrific, when used well, can make it very effective, and Gayhart put just enough in there to work very well for my tastes.

Buy it here:

All Your Ruins

BONUS: I’m going to recommend the two books in author Alex Gayhart’s Black Star Saga here as well.  I haven’t actually fully read them yet - I bought the initial release where the two volumes were bundled together as one, and got sidetracked by LIFE BULLSHIT shortly after I started it (this happens to me too often while reading - I still need to finish Stephen King’s It and Marie Kondo’s books too), but I liked what I read, and from what I’ve heard the more recent editions made some big improvements to the story’s pacing.  It’s the same quality of writing as Gayhart’s All Your Ruins, but with a less grim tone - more Ultraman and less Shin Godzilla.

The Black Star Saga Volume 1: 2525

The Black Star Saga Volume 2: Moonage Daydream

A lot of classic kaiju movies bring up the threat of giant monsters destroying all of civilization if they aren’t stopped, but almost none have shown them carry that threat through.  In the Shadow of Extinction let’s that threat actually play out - you see the kaiju apocalypse begin and civilization as we know it end in the first third of the book.  The remaining two thirds focuses on survivors picking up the pieces in a world now ruled by giants.  It’s the kind of story you’d think there’d be more of in our genre, but outside of All Your Ruins and, uh, the Godzilla anime trilogy, there really aren’t that other takes out there.

While Gayhart’s All Your Ruins focuses on the horror aspect of a kaiju apocalypse, Kyle Warner’s In the Shadow of Extinction focuses on a political/crisis management angle.  It’s like if Shin Godzilla had a baby with George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire, and that baby had the “bureaucratic failings of big governments in the wake of national disasters” elements of the former and the “multiple different perspectives via a large cast of characters” format of the later.  There’s no one protagonist in this one - you follow a large and diverse cast of characters from around the world and from pretty much all walks of life as they try to navigate a disaster that destroys society as it once was.

Once the civilization effectively ends in the first third of the novel, In the Shadow of Extinction transition from “disaster movie” to “post apocalyptic thriller,” like The Stand, Day of the Triffids, 28 Days Later, or, I dunno, a toned down version of Mad Max (but, y’know, with giant monsters, so I guess not THAT toned down).  I bring this up because the content of the last two thirds takes after the tropes of post apocalyptic thrillers as much if not more so than kaiju stories - that is to say, there is some Triggering Content in this one.  That’s not something to dissuade you - the characters and story remains very solid and unique for the kaiju genre - but it is something I feel you should be aware of, and if you want a more explicit description of what kind of Triggers I mean here, shoot me a message.  Suffice to say, kaiju aren’t the only monsters when civilization breaks down here.

But Kaiju do remain prominent in the book nonetheless - it is ultimately a kaiju story more than anything else, and it’s impressive how the book manages to incorporate all those other influences as well as a heaping dose of political commentary without ever diminishing the presence of its monster stars.

Buy it here:

In the Shadow of Extinction

And now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to do what I should have done years ago and write some damn Amazon reviews for these so the authors can have a boost in Amazon’s search algorithms.

[kyodaikino]

Kaiju novelist Raffael Coronelli @raffleupagus and I caught an early IMAX screening of Godzilla: King of the Monsters at Navy Pier -- here are our thoughts on the latest film right afterwards!

(Some footage shot tonight could not be used -- stay tuned for an in-depth discussion and review at a later date!)

[scifiandscary]

Big Egg by Raffael Coronelli #BookReview

"Humans living on Mars, Aliens living on Mars, and one big threat is headed there way." Big Egg by Raffael Coronelli ~ a #sciencefiction novel ~ #BookReview by Sian @sianplummer

West of the Earth, the showdown begins.

Mars Sheriff Genesis Torrez faces one question every day: is this planet big enough for two colonies? With one populated by nigh-incomprehensible and occasionally violent alien creatures, there’s no easy answer. When a catastrophic horror threatens the settlers with annihilation, Genesis must turn to her team of mecha riders to prepare for the showdown.

[daikaiju-yuki]

An isle of dreams.

Author of How to Have an Adventure in Northern Japan, Raffael Coronelli, returns to Japan on two southward journeys — first circling the subtropical island of Kyushu, then exploring its secretive corners, forging lasting relationships with the people who make it one of the most culturally exhilarating places on Earth. From big metropolitan Fukuoka, to the natural beauty of Miyazaki, to the corners of Oita Prefecture and the depths of Beppu’s electric nightlife, experience an adventure through history, cuisine, and the universal power of friendship and love on the adventure of a lifetime in Kyushu.

The new epic from the creator of Daikaiju Yuki is out now.

Order link

[raffleupagus]

Come with me to Portugal in my new video where we’ll taste Port wines, visit spooky catacombs and an abandoned mall, and much more.

Get my new book

[rugops]

Let them fight!

The first 5 pages of my kaiju webcomic are up on Patreon today! All it takes is a $1 pledge to see full-color finished pages before the official July release.  [Check it out!]

Special thanks to BigBadShadowMan, Cassie Anderson, Daydream Illustration, DwarvenBeardSpores, Henry Winston Ball, Matt Frank, Melissa Wallick, Micah Winzeler, Prof Kaiju, Raffael Coronelli, and Sophie Cambell for teaming up with me thus far! 

[spankzilla85]

YUKI TSUBAKI, host of the kaiju NARAJIN and the annihilating heroine of Raffael Coronelli's DAIKAIJU YUKI novel series - drawn by Matt Frank. Matt's art is based on her appearance in the second novel, YUKI CONQUERS THE WORLD. Join her Earth-shattering adventures: https://www.amazon.com/gp/bookseries/B078489SPM

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Fifty years ago, Japan’s Kaiju Boom was at its peak, with Ultraman and Ultraseven on TV and films from four of the country’s five major studios in the theaters: Toho’s Son of Godzilla and King Kong Escapes, Daiei’s Gamera vs. Gyaos, Nikkatsu’s Gappa, and Shochiku’s The X from Outer Space. Wouldn’t you know it, in 2017 there were five kaiju movies and two Ultraman shows too, as the transnational Kaiju Boom rolled on with no end in sight. Let’s take a look back at all that transpired.

1) Kong is King

If cinematic universes are the future, then the world’s greatest kaiju are lucky to have Legendary Pictures in charge of theirs. Jordan Vogt-Roberts’ Kong: Skull Island, the second entry in the MonsterVerse started by Godzilla in 2014, hit theaters during a busy March to rave reviews and respectable box office. Packed with monsters, helicopters, talented actors, and 70′s hits, it kept the action contained on the giant ape’s home; a restrained blockbuster by today’s standards. If the film’s post-credit scene ate up the conversational oxygen a bit too much, well, that’s the price you pay for teasing Godzilla, Rodan, Ghidorah, and Mothra in one scene.

But that wasn’t all for the Eighth Wonder of the World this year. BOOM! Studios’ Kong of Skull Island comic concluded with its twelfth issues. It was succeeded by a one-shot, Kong: Gods of Skull Island, and a strangely apt Planet of the Apes crossover, still being published. Legendary got in on the act too with Skull Island: Birth of Kong, a prequel/sequel to the film.

I have proposed a moratorium on Kong titles with “Skull Island” in them. Unfortunately, this confusing trend is set to continue, with Jonathan Penner and Stacy Title currently writing a King Kong Skull Island TV show for MarVista Entertainment and IM Global Television.

2) Godzilla is King of the Whole Stinking World, What Now

Another year, another new Godzilla movie. It’s been a while since we could say that, hasn’t it? Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, the first in an animated trilogy by Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita, was released in Japanese theaters this November. A worldwide Netflix release will follow on January 17th. The next two are coming this year, presumably so Toho can atone for not releasing one in 2015. Godzilla: The City Mechanized for the Final Battle (or however it’s ultimately translated), due in May, will feature the return of Mechagodzilla.

Shin Godzilla, meanwhile, made kaiju history earlier in the year, becoming the first film in the genre to win Picture of the Year at the Japan Academy Awards. (It also netted prizes in six other categories.) On the American side of things, Legendary finally started filming Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019), and Godzilla vs. Kong (2020) found a director in Adam Wingard.

On the home video front, Shin Godzilla hit DVD and Blu-ray around the world, and Criterion picked up the rights to almost every film in the Showa series, plus Rodan and The War of the Gargantuas. Physical releases have yet to be announced -- they’re currently streaming on Filmstruck -- but seem inevitable.

3) Sturm Organs, Chaiyo Vanquished, and the Phantom Channel

I could have made this post the 2017 Ultraman Year in Review without changing the format of the photoset one bit, although the tone would have been a shade more bitter.

Ultraman Geed, starring the son of arch-villain Belial, ran for 25 episodes. Ultraman Zero and his mild-mannered salaryman host Leito ended up stealing the show. (It also gave us the phrase “Sturm organs,” which I never want to read again.) Cruchyroll, as is tradition now, announced it was simulcasting Geed about eight seconds before the first episode aired.

Ultraman Orb: The Origin Saga, the prequel to last year’s series, concluded on Amazon Prime Video in Japan. A promised English release never worked out, although the fansubbers picked up the slack.

Ultraman Orb the Movie arrived in Japanese theaters on March 10. It wasn’t very good, but Ultraseven made a hell of an entrance.

Keeping the Orb train rolling, the 24-minute Ultra Orb Fight aired over the course of eight episodes of Ultraman Zero: The Chronicle, another one of Tsuburaya‘s compilation shows. 

Ultraman X the Movie and Ultraman Ginga S the Movie played in a handful of American theaters, with English dubbing from William Winkler Productions. Winkler also dubbed the three Zero movies this year; no word on when they’ll be released, nor what happened to the physical/digital releases of the X and Ginga S movies.

Tsuburaya Productions uploaded scores of Ultra Fight episodes to its YouTube channel. Unfortunately, no subtitles were provided; the show’s narration was significantly more intensive than Redman screaming attack names.

Toku, a ludicrously obscure on-demand channel, picked up the rights to a ton of Ultra shows, most of them without official releases in the U.S. -- Leo, 80, The Ultraman, Neos, Nexus, an English dub of Max, Ultraseven X, both seasons of Mega Monster Battle, and Neo Ultra Q. No one has recorded any of them. The channel is affiliated with Amazon Prime, but only 80 (free on Crunchyroll) and Neos (already fansubbed) are available through it. go90 also has Neos and Ultraseven X (also already fansubbed).

In November, Tsuburaya finally regained the international distribution rights to the first six Ultra Series from UM Corporation, setting the stage for more abrupt Crunchyroll additions in 2018 and beyond. Before the ruling came down, UM licensed Ultraman to a Chinese company, BlueArc Culture Communications, for three years. Dragon Force: So Long, Ultraman was released in Chinese theaters in October. I thought this ruling would make it rather difficult to see, but, uh, it’s on YouTube already.

The Ultraman manga by Eiichi Shimizu and Tomohiro Shimoguchi reached Volume 11 in Japan, with a 3DCG film adaptation by Production I.G and Sola Digital Arts due in 2019.

4) She is Colossal

Director Nacho Vigalondo and Voltage Pictures survived a Toho lawsuit to bring us a bizarre tale of alcoholics in an upstate New York town who have the ability to summon and control giant beings in Seoul under very specific circumstances. Kaiju are often metaphors for issues that are accordingly massive in scope, like nuclear warfare or environmental devastation. Here they embody more personal problems -- not a totally novel concept, but one handled with far more depth than, say, Ultraman 80. The movie was a thud at the box office (the producers apparently ordered an upgrade to the VFX after rave festival reviews), but will hopefully find a second life on Hulu.

5) What Do You Find Between a Dragon’s Teeth?

Based on a 2014 short, The Dragon Dentist is an anime film (well, a two-part TV special that’s 90 minutes long) in which dragons and humans have reached an unusual agreement: the humans clean the dragons’ teeth, and the dragon rain down destruction on their enemies. If that sounds strange, well, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. Unless Planet of the Monsters pulls off a miracle, it has my vote for best kaiju movie of 2017. Section23 released it on Blu-ray in October with an English dub included.

6) A Jaeger is You Times a Thousand

Pacific Rim Uprising, the sequel that refused to die, is mere months from release, and its trailer made a big splash at New York Comic Con this year. Mysteries abound about the plot, but we have details on an art book, prequel novel, prequel comic, novelization, and plenty of toys. (Still waiting on that tabletop RPG and the return of the Create-a-Jaeger site.)

7) Reddo Continuation, and Other Printed Works

IDW may be finished with Godzilla, but Matt Frank is far from finished with kaiju comics. He sold The Last Hope, his Heisei Gamera prequel doujinshi, at G-Fest this year, and announced in October that he would be writing and drawing a comic about Redman, the murderous Seventies “hero” of recent YouTube fame. Phase 6, the same company reprinting Godzilla: Rulers of Earth in Japan, is the publisher. Other kaiju comics this year: Season 3 of Xander Cannon’s always-excellent Kaijumax (which I need to finish reading), Greg Pak’s Mech Cadet Yu (which I need to start), and Marvel’s crossover event/miniseries Monsters Unleashed (which I am too intimidated to start).

And in the realm of prose: Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski published their long-anticipated Ishiro Honda biography, providing a comprehensive look at the legendary kaiju director’s life and career. Raffael Coronelli threw his hat into the authors’ ring with Daikaiju Yuki and Y2K: Yuki Conquers the World, post-apocalyptic epics about the Pantheon Colossi and the human heroes who join with them to protect the world.

Oh, and some guy named Michael Callari announced he was writing a book on the Gamera series.

8) Every Monster Has a Country

The movie-mockers of Mystery Science Theater 3000 have been linked with giant monsters since the beginning, and this year’s Netflix revival saw them taking on two more: Reptilicus and Yongary, Monster from the Deep. The former led off the season, and the novelty of a monster from Denmark led to one of the show’s greatest songs.

9) In Memoriam

As I wrote in August, “Monsters, of course, live forever. The people who bring them to life are never so lucky.” 2017 saw the passing of four giants of the kaiju genre:

Haruo Nakajima (b. 1929) -- Suit actor and fight choreographer for Godzilla and countless other Toho/Tsuburaya monsters from 1954 to 1972.

Yoshimitsu Banno (b. 1931) -- Director and co-writer of the Godzilla vs. Hedorah, assistant director and co-writer of Prophecies of Nostradamus, executive producer of Godzilla (2014).

Yoshio Tsuchiya (b. 1927) -- Eccentric actor with a long tokusatsu filmography, including the titular role in The Human Vapor, the Xian Leader in Invasion of Astro-Monster, and Shindo in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah.

Chikara Hashimoto (b. 1933) -- Suit actor for Daimajin in Daiei’s trilogy and Daimon in Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare.

[seatopian]

finally ordered the Daikaiju Yuki books.