#Showa Era Gamera

[kaliido-s]

I couldn’t decide if I wanted to do Mothra or Gamera so I did both of them

based on this post

[henshinwolf89]

My tokusatsu collection part 3. I wish monsters were real...

[godzilla-and-aang-monsters]

Gamera

Altura: 288 metros

Longitud: 452-600 metros

Peso: 180,000 toneladas

Primer Avistamiento: Tierra de Coats, Antartida [Tierra: Teratoverso]

Controles: Fuego Control [ Aliento de Fuego, Bolas de Fuego, Visión Laser y Pulso Nuclear] Agua Control [Nado] Energia Control [Rayo de Energía] Tierra Control [Caparazon, Reforestación] Aire Control [Vuelo]

Guarida: Isla Monstruo [Tierra:Teratoverso] Zaofu [Avatarverso]

Aspecto: Gamera Rebirth + Godzilla Legendary (Cola) + Tortuga caiman (Cabeza)

Aliados:

Humanos: Aang, Katara, Soka, Iroh, Zuko

Kaijus y otras bestias: Anguirus, King Kong, Godzilla (frecuentemente), Mothra, Rodan

Enemigos:

Humanos: Ozai y Azula

Kaijus y otras bestias: King Ghidorah, King Kong, Godzilla (ocasionalmente)

[kevynthedevylman]

GAMERA -Rebirth Trailer 2

All Five Enemies Have Been Revealed!

This is going to be Epic!

[jack-yutani]

Godzilla's Yggdrasil

At one point in the first Trees of Life came where humanity took a turn to desolate the natural balance of humans and nature. This seed fell from the True Yggdrasil when man created the atomic bomb, from the sprout came a world taking a darker root from the Bomb. The creation of what is now a God, Godzilla.

A lost link from a time lost, a creature of pure violence, nuclear destruction, and a great example of the consequences of the progression of the weapons of humanity.

But as this sprout grew and changed, so did Godzilla. From a being of relentless slaughter to a savior, a father, a King. The term King was what attached to this nuclear beast the most, “King of the Monsters”. Then the sprout grew into a baby tree, with different worlds with different Godzillas with different powers, sizes, even identities and origins yet still kept that Title “King of the Monsters”. Then as all trees, it grew to full size with huge branches of different worlds into the branches of this Yggdrasil in worlds without Godzilla yet either related or inspired by the very roots that Godzilla stretched out, some the least related yet in some shape or form ascended from the trunk of the tree.

But this is not meant to be a happy tale, for it is the same tale from the scribes, preachers, priests, Mothers , Fathers , and bishops from all the branches on Yggdrasil. Where more countless deaths accrued from the natural bindings of our new world than any of the Gods can muster. When Time was certain to be straight, Space itself was infinite, and Reality seemed to have one rule. The Great Age of Judgement.

Yet to our Time. After the Great Age of Judgement, when the Gods griped against the collapse of Time, Space, and Reality to form our World. It wasn’t a distant time, but distant enough from almost a century. Ruin was all that remained, the great battles of Gods and Demons had ended for now. Humanity and other races.

We begin with a bounty hunter, a Human male with a thin, cold, steel metal lower body out in the ruins of the City once called New York. The Islands were decimated by battles of the Gods, Jaguars; giant machines with a dual person pilot system that fought false gods, and demons that once dwelled in between dimensions. Over in the distance, was the torn statue once called the Statue of Liberty. The Head was torn clean off, though the Head now was pulled into Rebirthed New York for one of many monuments of the Prince. One of the Greater Titans.

The Bounty Hunter wore his usual black and red camouflage, his mask from thin, odd, shaped skulls , but what he wore more prouder, dedicated, and more faithfully was his amulet to the God Perseus around his neck. Its almost perfect imitation of the Godzilla’s foot, with its radium, green, glow nearly shining off against the sun. On the shore of the city, the bounty hunter noticed another man, another human. This human wore a mixture of black kevlar and sorta knight armor.

“A Soldier.” The Bounty Hunter thought calmy, noticing the man bowing to the shore and dipping his whole hands in prayer. The Bounty Hunter casually walked down to the shore, his legs smashing both green and ruble beneath him. Though the soldier’s complete attention seemed to be lost in prayer, the bounty hunter knew there was no surviving the wastelands without great awareness of his surroundings, rather the bounty hunter headed a short distance away from the soldier to ensure he wasn’t a threat.

Instead the Bounty Hunter in a way joined in prayer, pulling up his long sleeves before dipping his whole hands in the sea praying before his own pathon. “ Praise Brother.” The Bounty Hunter turned towards the soldier, finishing his prayers on his steel shoulder pads painted a glowing pink the sigil of the God Heraclues.

“Praise.” The Bounty Hunter returned standing up. “You a scavenger?” The Soldier approached casually to the bounty hunter, his face obscured by his black helmet covering his face. “Bounty Hunter, my quarrel lies within these outskirts. I just came to pray on the way there.” The Soldier gave a slight scoff of disgust till noticing the amulet of Perseus. “Wait.” The Soldier chuckled. “How would a Bounty Hunter praise Persues?”

The Bounty Hunter strangely despite sounding like in his 50’s he replied with optisium for a Bounty Hunter. “Well the thing is, Perseus isn’t just my Pathon. You could say in a way he was Family before his rise to Godhood.” The Soldier intrigued sat on a large flat bit of rubble.

“Is that so?” “Yes, Before I was convinced my Father and Mother had worked together to study Perseus when he was but an animal. But both my Mother and Father had different intentions, my Father was what you call in your age a Tech Preacher. But my Mother was part of an old world group in case somehow Perseus went as destructive as Our Lord and Destroyer Lucifer to Kill Perseus.” The Soldier's face turned red for a moment, as anger for a split second to think such a job to contain one of the Great Godzillas and to kill him was the work of near Blasphemy to attempt such a feat.

With a more calm demeanor the Soldier chuckled. “To think she thought a mere mortal to kill a God. But I understand that your Mother and Father are in some way family. But may I ask out of curiosity who is your quarrel?” The Bounty Hunter gave a small chuckle.

“Depends on your rank. Confidential.” Though the Soldier's face was completely covered, the Bounty Hunter could see the big man’s eyebrows shot up. “We are employing Bounty Hunters now?” Again the Bounty Hunter chuckled. “I’m not just a Bounty Hunter Enfant. You may have heard of my great Hunts in the Remnants of Hong Kong. The Orange Desserts, and who would forget the Man who killed the Xillian Revolt leader hiding in the Realm of the Prince.”

The Soldier with a huge gasp shouted. “You're The NanoBowmen!!! The Oldest And one of the Most skilled Hunters in the Realms!!” “Like I said.” The Bounty Hunter chuckled. “They wouldn’t just send any Bounty Hunter.”

“But I’m always glad most of my hunts reach even the warriors of Hercules.” “I must go now, my quarry isn’t getting older and I’m not even getting younger.” The bounty hunter waved off. “Good Hunting Hunter.” “ Bonne chance, idiot sans cervelle.”

The Soldier waved back, the Bounty hunter climbed up mountains of buildings, rummaged around lifeless, subway tunnels, that when the Bounty Hunter froze.

He could hear the soft chittering as he entered a near lightless subway tunnel, the hunter kept still as the chittering grew closer.

Slowly the Bounty Hunter reached for a small lever on his mask as the chittering came closer, his sweat glands clamped shut, his heart steady, and his breath faint. He knew what was hiding in the dark, all he had to do was bring them to the light with that lever.

The moment he pulled it down, he could already feel the creature’s breath flushing in his face.

Small red lenses slide over the Bounty Hunter’s brown eyes, and in front was massive, hairless, eyeless beast walking fours with huge claws reverting behind its hands that could rip apart tank armor, teeth that could rend his flesh and bones in an instant. But the creature was blind, its armored scales unfolded revealing the sensitive pink fleshy ear holes on the opposite sides of the beast’s head.

It knew the man was there, the Monster could hear the sounds of his heartbeat, his shallow breath, the hunter’s existence was there to the creature but it was not 100% confirmation. The Beast wasn’t hunting the Hunter, human flesh was not its food source.

The Bounty Hunter never broke a sweat as the Creature investigated the area, he gently raised his hand onto the Monster’s body. Calmly the Bounty hunter gently scratched the neck of the Beast, with such heightened senses, the alien animal began to let out a strange humming. “Aww.” The Bounty Hunter thought as the seemingly brutal monster turned into a giant gentle puppy as it fell on its back, not wasting the opportunity the Bounty Hunter leapt on the alien and scratched its exposed scaly armor.

“Nothing but a lost, sad, hungry puppy lost in another realm.”

The Bounty Hunter released the creature as it stood back up and rushed back into the concrete jungle he came from. The Bowman then heard squeaking deeper in the tunnels, what was interesting the Beast never returned to rush in blood-curdling charge it chose to ignore it-unless.

Carefully the Hunter watched his steps in the ruble, after reaching where the source of squeaking was. In awe, the old man reached a small chamber where he saw something only heard in bars and rumors. A nest and a mother, the mother was of the same species as her mate that left.

Looking at his surroundings to ensure neither to agro the mother or her mate with a rogue stone or glass bottle, seeing the tiny defenseless , pink, fleshly babies almost like worms with round heads. The children were hungry and most likely the mother too, if the father couldn’t find Fae. The Bounty Hunter left still watching his step even no matter how far he seemed from the nest.

Night came, but the Bounty Hunter had no time to rest. His quarry wasn’t far as the moon split perfectly in two and shone up the Ruined City. In the distant the Hunter could hear chanting as he climbed up a building that seemed half intact, his hands turned from a light brown to a silver metal gray once his palms and fingers touched the building, turning whatever he climbed on into a metallic substance.

As he climbed higher and higher, the hunter could feel his loss of control over the metal inside his flesh. It was nothing compared to most times where half his body turned to solid nanometal The Bounty Hunter made it to the rooftop, and rested. The nanometal in his hands kept fading and returning so he needed a break, but on the other side of the building he could hear the chanting louder, maybe hundreds saying. “Praise To The King!!! Praise to The Emperor of the Realms!!! Praise The Many Three Headed Lords!! Praise The Golden Dragon of Purity!! Praise Be King Ghidorah!! The True Gods!!!” The Chanting went on for hours, to pass time to counter the Pagans chanting, the Bounty Hunt found a puddle or rainwater and dipped his hands inside praying faithfully with the glowing pendant of Perseus.

“My Lord Perseus.” The Bounty Hunter imagined a giant reptilian titian standing in front of him, as if it was listening to the old man’s prayer. “I may be under-numbered or outnumbered, even for such a tedious mission I keep faith, love, and respect for you. For Father and Dear Mother you once protected, I pray for strength, swiftness, and the day I bow before you oh selfless Lord of Godzillas in payment for your kindness and love for my Mom And Pa .” After his prayer, suddenly his pendent glowed bright green.

The Bounty Hunter gasped in delight, his prayer must have been heard somehow. He then carefully looked over the otherside of the roof seeing a huge gathering in the hundreds chanting wearing yellow or golden robes, their faces hidden by masks of a golden dragon wearing massive weights around their waists as a demented form of repentance through pain.

They sat on their knees and held the huge weights, groaning and grunting in exhaustion unlike the Bounty Hunter’s prayer through water they prayed through gravity as the element of one of the Dark Titans Ghidorah. The Chants evolved.

“Perish to the Warriors of Jaguars, Perish to the Martyr priests and priestesses of Mothra!! Perish to the Soldiers of Ultraman!! Perish to the Guardsmen of Gamera!! Perish to the Great Titans!!!” The Chanting then stopped a moment later, and arisn from the ruins below was a man wearing robes of solid gold. The man was huge and muscular enough to not become restrained unlike the others below, his face too was covered by a golden dragon mask but it looked more lively as if it was his own head.

To the Bounty Hunter it was no surprise, it was a magical artifact linked between the wearer and one of the heads from the Dark Titian King Ghidorah himself seeing through two sets of eyes. Behind him were two legless, faceless drones from the man’s mask hovering behind. “Brothers and sisters!!” He called out towards the silent masses. “The Great Lord Apohsis, The Ghidorah God of Space, Time, and the Absolute Void gave me a vision. A Vision, to at last summon Ghidorah to this Realm!!” The Crowd shouted in cheers before without a notion, suddenly went silent.

“In this very Realm, I was shown the Republic of Reborn New York. The military there has stolen what is rightfully ours. The Speaker Head!!” The Bounty Hunter chuckled. “Guess that’s why the Military sent to me, those Soldiers of Loki want to humiliate this guy with the Speaker Head of Ghidorah. Better wait this-.” The Next second, due to either the un kept maintenance of the building or the destruction it collapsed down sending the Bounty hunter falling off the ruins.

And all he saw was darkness, the next thing he knew. He could see the cult, dragging him slowly, he could hear the chains from their weights. He must of bumped his head on something from the fall; he could see the Cult leader pulling out a gold, makeshift, dagger as he was brought forth.

His vision became clear as suddenly the ground quaked. As the Bounty Hunter was prompt next to the Cult Leader, the earth shook harder as the other cultists nearly lost balance. Then, the Bounty Hunter’s prayer was heard. A huge green blast erupted from the rubble sending cultists flying to their deaths from either the blast itself or stabbed or crushed by the destructruction.

Massive pairs of claws mixed with clouds of dust, searing and ripping through the cover. With the chance the Bounty Hunter from his palms spawned a metal bow and arrow quickly turning towards the Cult leader as he was distracted by the destruction. He then shot the Fanatic leader in the shoulder, causing the nanometal to expand into an indestructible cocoon except the Mask of Ghidorah, still gold and untouched.

The Drones began to emit gold bolts around their bodies, without hesitation the Bowman manipulated with sheer will the bow into huge claws ripping to the drone closest to him.

A huge roar echoed from the clouds of dust as the surviving cultists fled in terror unbinding themselves of their weights and disappeared into the concrete wastes. The remaining drone fired a yellow bolt, but thankfully with his cybernetic legs, the Bounty Hunter dodged with ease sliding under the bolt of gravity before impaling the drone in the chest with his nanometal claws and used the other set to decaptatie it.

Once the silence emerged, the Bounty hunter alone stood or so he thought. It felt like an icicle was driven down his spine as he could hear stomping approaching him. Slowly he turned around, his steel knees shaking from each approaching massive step. And at last, he saw him after so long of waiting. The Selfless Titian Godzilla Perseus.

The God was small then most of himselves, his head face was long like an iguana’s, scales a grayish black, his body hunched as he looked down at the Bounty Hunter with his glowing green eyes, a bit of flesh dangled under his chin, and razor sharp dorsal plates on his back were like blades.

The Bounty Hunter at long last got on his hands and knees, bowing before Persues. “Thank My Lord, for assisting me.” The giant God Lizard leaned in closer sniffing the Bounty Hunter and growled with almost absolute recognition, the Old man replied as if the creature asked him a demanding question. “My Father and Mother were with you before your ascension, My Lord.” He stuttered with glee looking up at the large Mutant God. “ Mortal names mean little to your kind, but my Mother ensured you not be a beast and my Father worked with ancient tech, I barely remember him.”

Then Perseus leaned in closer, the smell of his breath was rancid and tasted of death, but the Bounty Hunter never flinched. Perseus, slightly opened his jaws before giving the excited old man a lick. A Blessing!! The old Man Internally shrieked as Perseus tunneled deep inside and a scale fell off his body about the size of a dry board, falling to the ground.

Persues may have no mortal language but, somehow the Bounty Hunter heard a command from the dropping of this scale.

Now, where to start? Which book of this time should I cover, most are explained by the Priests and Preachers of their Pantheons than the whole story. So, Should I decide if you can tell me where to start? When the First of Titans pass from one to the other, The Journey of the Prince to become by blood, heart, and Spirit the Son of All the Godzillas? Or the Human or near human forms of the Titans, Mothra, Anguerious, Mechagodzilla, Gigian, Hedorah, and the King of the Monsters themselves all of the Spiritual descendants of Chronos, the first Godzills inside human form.

[ask-cloverfield]

what’s the best era for kaiju movies? i’ve been working my way through the showa stuff, and have gotten up to gamera vs barugon, and, like, i’ve enjoyed a lot of it but it hasn’t quite clicked yet. the kaiju on kaiju fights in particular still seem ropey—do they get better as they figure out the techniques, or is this the peak and i’m just not that big of a kaiju guy?

Okay in Gamera vs Barugon’s defense it had the unenviable task of choreographing two quadrupedal monsters fighting. There is a reason most Kaiju suits are bipedal.

I don’t know if it is technically good, the Showa Gamera movies are caked in nostalgia for me, but the fights do genuinely get more creative and dynamic as they go on.

It honestly just depends on the movie, some have really fun choreography some are just kinda eh. For Godzilla at least a decent part of it is the (incredibly helpful budget saving) decision to have the fights occur mostly in clearings away from anything that helps provide the scale and awe needed for such a spectacle.

The technique definitely does solidify as time goes on, but a long list of behind the scenes stuff meant that the budget won’t end up there with it.

[super-heroinecomparisons]

The Spacewomen from Gamera: Super Monster (1980).

[junoniadoesart]

For Redditors coming here from r/Godzilla or any other kaiju-related subreddit:

The kaiju side of Tumblr conducts itself very differently from the kaiju subreddits!

Notably, most of it is fanart, with a few memes and discussions!

WE DO NOT ARGUE OVER FRANCHISE OR ERA HERE. All are welcome! Godzilla, Gamera, Pacific Rim, we don’t give a shit! It’s OK to have your own preferences and tastes, but we don’t shame others for theirs (unless they’re like, bigoted). It’s OK to prefer Heisei over Reiwa, Cloverfield over Vs Megalon, ETC. But don’t go attacking others for their preferences!

Next: Because this is Tumblr, the proportion of girls and gays is higher (there’s a reason all anyone here talks about with regards to Pacific Rim is Newt and Hermann). Be respectful. Bigotry on this site earns you an instant ban.

Finally: Misinformation will not be tolerated. Speculation is OK, passing it off as fact is not. Same goes for opinions.

And one last thing:

HAVE FUN!

[the-kaiju-faces]

Guiron

[mooncalfe-art]

Showa-era Gamera monsters! Barugon, Gyaos, Viras, Guiron, Jiger, Zigra.

[boy-and-girl-crazy123456]

In the original showa era Gamera films, released between 65 and 80, Gamera is frequently paired with a little boy protagonist, who is his friend. In the heisei films in the 90s (directed by Shuseke Kaneko, who also directed the great Godzilla Mothra And King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All Out Attack), this role is replaced by an adult woman. This is representative of the average kaiju fan, who is generally speaking a little boy that grew up to be an adult woman

[hrodvitnon]

Hear me out: Abraxasverse Barugon (from Gamera, not the floppy ear boi) being a member of the Frost Giants like Shimo.

Hold up, I need to Wikizilla something.

...

*snickers* Okay, okay, Showa Era, I know, let's see if he has a more... impressive look befitting him as a Frost Giant--

(source: Gamera vs Barugon Comic Version, Wikizilla)

...yeah, that'll do it! Damn!

[mazinwraith]

Go from one and evolve.

Guiron is the best showa era Gamera kaiju.

[godzilla-and-aang-monsters]

Bowser

Altura: 300 metros

Longitud: 470.83-650 metros

Peso: 200,000 toneladas

Primer Avistamiento: Reino de Bowser [Marioverso]

Controles: Fuego Control [ Aliento de Fuego, Bolas de Fuego, Visión Laser y Pulso Nuclear] Agua Control [Nado] Energia Control [Rayo de Energía] Tierra Control [Caparazon, Reforestación] Aire Control [Vuelo]

Guarida: Castillo de Bowser [Marioverso] Zaofu [Avatarverso]

Aspecto: Bowser + Gamera Heisei + Godzilla Legendary (Cola) + Godzilla

Aliados:

Humanos: General Zhao, Ozai y Azula

Kaijus y otras bestias: Gigan y Megalon

Enemigos:

Humanos: Aang, Katara, Soka, Iroh, Zuko, Toph, Suki

Kaijus y otras bestias: King Ghidorah, King Kong, Godzilla (ocasionalmente), Donkey Kong

[thezanyarthropleura]

YET ANOTHER KAIJU FILM REC LIST

(Selected and arranged to account for modern tastes, as well as to highlight specific wants for fans of Godzilla: Minus One and/or Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire)

Notes:

Titles can be confusing, when in doubt differentiate films by year of release

"Showa" generally refers to films made from 1954-1980, while "Heisei" generally refers to films made from 1984-2006, with "Millennium" being a specific series of Godzilla films made from 1999-2004, within the Heisei era (the actual notation refers to the Japanese Emperor, but this is slightly offset with how it's used for kaiju films)

I've tried to list where the films can be watched, for free if possible, but this can change at a moment's notice (for instance, the TokuSHOUTsu Youtube channel currently has a livestream of almost all the Showa Godzilla films and one for the MST3K episodes featuring 6 Showa Gamera films and Gorgo, but I have no idea how long those will stay up)

More context and history about the kaiju film genre can be found at the end of the post

GROUP 1: EVERYONE

These films are the peers and equals of Minus One and GxK, in only the best respects.

The Gamera Heisei Trilogy - Gamera: Guardian of the Universe (1995), Gamera 2: Attack/Advent of Legion (1996), and Gamera 3: Revenge/Awakening of Iris (1999)

I would recommend this trilogy to ANYONE - even those hesitant to watch anything that isn't CGI, or that still don't think kaiju films can be good cinema. No matter what you're looking for in a kaiju film - engaging monster action, compelling human drama, deep metaphorical significance, fun action-adventure, hard sci-fi, spiritual eastern fantasy - these three movies are bound to be among the best at it. They're nearly unanimously praised as some of the best kaiju films of all time, and are the ONLY classic films with that honor that can visually compete with modern tastes in special effects.

Among the three: Guardian of the Universe is probably the closest analog to GxK, a fun action-adventure film about a girl who communicates with a giant monster. Revenge of Iris is closer to Minus One, introducing a darker mirror of the first film's story that invokes trauma and loss to great emotional impact. Which all leaves Advent of Legion in the middle, as a fairly formulaic but well-executed sci-fi alien invasion story.

These films are available free and subtitled on Tubi, or free and dubbed on Pluto. In a rarity, the dubs are done with love and care by fans of the genre and while they may not be the best way to watch the films, they're fairly decent.

GROUP 2: MODERN/NICHE

These films either excellently or acceptably compete with modern visual effects, but in other areas, are ultimately more dependent upon viewer tolerances and niche interests.

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)

If you want to cry about Godzilla, this is it, this is the movie. Possibly the classic film that delves the deepest into the idea of kaiju as sympathetic, tragic beings, this film leans heavily into hard sci-fi and features a kaiju opponent inspired by the titular creature from the Alien franchise. It's the seventh film in the Godzilla Heisei series, but as most of the previous films are currently stuck behind rights issues and difficult to find, I'd recommend jumping into this one as a standalone (or, if anything, watch the original 1954 Godzilla film first, but if that doesn't interest you it's not necessary). This movie is readily available for free, subtitled on Pluto or dubbed on Youtube.

The Kiryu Duology - Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla (2002) and Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S. (2003)

These two films face a number of pacing and production issues, and due to scheduling conflicts, the main heroine, mech pilot Akane from the first film (arguably one of the most compelling human characters in the entire Godzilla series), was unable to return for the sequel beyond a brief cameo. But despite feeling unfinished, not all the emotional weight of this duology is lost. The ethics-focused, techno-spiritual story being told still packs a punch, and visually, out of the entire suitmation era this is the best Godzilla, Mothra, and Mechagodzilla have ever looked on-screen. If first checking out the original 1954 Godzilla and the 1961 Mothra interests you at all, it may enhance the viewing experience, but if not, dive right in! Both these films are free on Pluto TV, but do keep in mind Against Mechagodzilla is the dubbed version.

Gamera the Brave (2006)

I've said it before, but this is the movie that most closely reminds me of Minus One, with its modern filmmaking style, deep emotional themes, and in particular, having a bright and hopeful appeal to humanity in a genre where many of the more serious films are tragedies. Personally I rank this one right up there with the 90s Gamera trilogy, if not even higher, but to appreciate it, you really do have to be here for a children's fantasy film with more charm and heart than fast-paced kaiju action. This film is free on Tubi, subtitled.

GROUP 3: CLASSIC

These films require a tolerance for the special effects of the 1950s through 1970s, which I realize some modern audiences may find difficult to appreciate, but are otherwise highly recommended.

All four of these films are available free and subtitled on Pluto through Criterion, and are additionally part of SHOUT! Factory's catalogue and playing on the livestream.

Godzilla (1954)

If you've seem Minus One or Shin Godzilla, the obvious route is, of course, to go back to 1954 and experience the original cinematic masterpiece of Godzilla as a nuclear horror. The one caveat I'll mention is that a lot of Minus One's effectiveness is in subverting one theme present in the original, so this will, in a way, feel like a step backward thematically.

Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)

The outright most comparable classic film to GxK - a fun island adventure film wherein various entertaining personalities are shipwrecked and must work together to thwart human baddies and even recruit the help of Godzilla! This is one of my personal favorites, and while Mothra only appears briefly in the film, it expands on her lore quite a bit.

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)

This film is wacky, resembling an abstract art house film at times, but in many ways is a revisitation upon the dark, deep metaphors of the original, this time warning of the dangers of pollution through a truly terrifying monstrosity that gives Godzilla one of the most brutal fights of his career.

Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)

Along with the original and Hedorah, this completes a trio of more dark and serious Showa era Godzilla films. It's the only Godzilla movie of its era to be written entirely (not co-written) by a woman, tells a dark and tragic tale, and yet is the height of 1970s superhero Godzilla as he takes on two powerful opponents at once.

GROUP 4: GRAB BAG

I'll throw in four more: these are just some of my personal recommendations and favorites that don't fit neatly into the other categories.

Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)

The original and archetypical "multiple monsters team up to fight a greater threat" movie. This one is consistently on the edge of being called an objectively good film, but can be considered too cheesy and campy to make the cut. Nonetheless, it's a fun time, and it's also pretty much the only classic film where Godzilla and Mothra interact positively, if that's appealing to you. Like the other Showa Godzilla films, it's free through Pluto and SHOUT! Factory.

Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)

I really just wanted to put a Showa Gamera here, and this is one of my favorites. Just the campy, wacky, good time that is Showa Gamera, with a side of ocean theming - this extremely cheap film was partly funded through Kamogawa Sea World, which is the primary location featured in the film. It's free on Tubi along with the other Gamera films, and also makes a great MST3K episode, even if the version of the film used there is very low-resolution and the underwater scenes in particular suffer a little.

Godzilla 2000: Millennium (1999)

Somewhat unique among its contemporaries for being a 2000s era film that features Godzilla as more-or-less the protagonist, with human characters that advocate for understanding and respecting him. It's an incredibly cinematic film - I would describe its special effects as ambitious, not always effective, but regardless it would be a great intro for new fans if it were more accessible. Currently, it's tough to track down, but another rare case where the heavily-edited US dubbed version is perfectly acceptable, and even sometimes considered superior to the original.

Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998) and to an extent, the whole trilogy.

I unashamedly love these oft-maligned films that are actually very comparable to the Heisei Gamera trilogy... in all respects but objective quality. Fun fantasy kaiju films featuring tiny women who fight each other with swords and flying mounts, while a superpowered giant moth beats up two space dragons and takes a break in the middle to beat up a genetically-engineered dragon. Lots of rainbows and lasers, and a vague, underlying exploration of the conflict between those with peaceful methods and those with violent methods without completely villainizing either side. If any of that sounds interesting, check these films out, they're currently readily available free on Pluto after a long history of the third and most serious/mature film being extremely rare and seldom-seen.

FURTHER NOTES AND CONTEXT:

Inspired by western giant monster films like King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and the summation of Japan's nuclear fear and trauma, the original Godzilla film in 1954 was a runaway success, beginning the kaiju genre as production company Toho ordered not only a direct sequel, but a broad scope of special effects films that ultimately gave us other classic kaiju like Mothra and Rodan.

In the 1950s and 1960s, the concept of a "Godzilla series" did not yet exist - Toho just made science fiction films, wherein some of them featured kaiju, and some of those, but not all, featured Godzilla. Many of these films were very loosely, and sometimes only retroactively, considered to be in the same universe or cinematic canon, creating situations where kaiju like Manda and Baragon would wander into Godzilla films after getting their start in non-Godzilla adventures like Atragon (1963) and Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965). (An example of a non-kaiju Toho film I would highly recommend is 1958's H-Man)

The 1960s also saw a "Kaiju Boom," where the genre was expanded beyond Toho to other studios in Japan and even to other countries. This brought about a number of new kaiju projects like Gorgo (1961), Reptilicus (1961), and Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967). The only of these films to be successful enough to spawn a series was Gamera (1965), from Daiei studios in Japan, and there were 7 Gamera films made from the mid-60s to early 70s. (Daiei has their own catalogue of Toku effects films, and also produced the kaiju-adjacent Daimajin trilogy (1966), period pieces set in ancient Japan about a giant warrior statue that comes to life)

Interest in kaiju films began to wane in the 1970s, and Toho largely narrowed its focus to a yearly Godzilla series with lower and lower budgeting. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973) was the most cheeply-made of these, but several factors made it the most widely-known film in the US and solidified the genre's "rubber suits and cardboard buildings" reputation among the general public for the next 50 years. Also in 1973, Toho produced the giant hero television series Zone Fighter, where Godzilla, King Ghidorah, and Gigan appear in several episodes. The series was made to compete with Ultraman and other television-based Tokusatsu, which was swaying audiences away from films at the time. (I personally know very little about Ultraman and other costumed hero Toku, but I know there are many experts on here who could answer questions about those)

Toho continued to make science fiction and effects films throughout the late 70s and 1980s, such as The War in Space (1977), but kaiju films were out of fashion. Gamera had a brief pseudo-revival in 1980, but otherwise it was a long drought from 1975 to 1984, when Toho began the Godzilla Heisei series: a series of seven films that continued in 1989 and picked up to a film per yer from 1991 to 1995. These films featured more strict continuity and the recurring character of Miki Saegusa, marking one of the first steps away from the previous practice of switching out the human cast entirely from film to film.

In the late 90s, Godzilla was absent yet again, as Toho made the rights handoff to Sony for the 1998 American film. In his place were the competing late 90s Gamera and Mothra trilogies, both relatively unique in featuring multiple recurring cast members and worlds that blended sci-fi and fantasy elements. In America, the poorly-received GODZILLA (1998) spawned a more warmly-recieved animated continuation in Godzilla: the Series (1998-2000).

In response to the critical failure of the 1998 film, Toho craved redemption and launched the Millennium Series: six Godzilla films that, with the exception of the Kiryu Duology, were all standalone in hopes of attaining theatrical releases in the US (only Godzilla 2000 succeeded at this). With a general failure of the 50th anniversary film Godzilla: Final Wars (2004), Toho put Godzilla to rest, seemingly for good. Gamera the Brave in 2006 was the last true suitmation kaiju film, critically acclaimed but also a financial failure.

In the intervening decade, CGI took over, and was the name of the game by the time Pacific Rim (2013), Godzilla (2014), and Shin Godzilla (2016) kicked off the new "Kaiju Renaissance," the present era that includes Reiwa Godzilla and the Monsterverse.

[sicherosaga]

Any tokusatsu that kinda transcends the genre? Like the tokusatsu equivalent of Akira or Evangelion - something true to form but "elevated" or distinctive enough that it can still be appreciated by outsiders? I want to dive in but I also want to convince a friend to watch some with me. A starter tokusatsu that is unmistakeably good

hello! first of all thanks for the ask and secondly i dont think i quite have the expertise on the subject i would like to yet, so dont take me as an authority. also! i really think most tokusatsu will be enjoyable to the average person as long as they understand what theyre getting into and theyre willing to engage with the given series and be receptive. anyways.

godzilla 1954: this one doesnt exactly transcend tokusatsu since it basically created the genre but its earned its reputation. dark, harrowing, emotional, and tragic, it also still has some of the best looking visuals of any kaiju media to date. I think its probably the single best godzilla movie

godzilla vs hedorah: this one has it all: with psychedelic musical numbers, animated interstitial scenes, and a stark environmental message, godzilla vs hedorah is a memorable standout from the showa era. it also has an uncanny bleakness and desolation you wouldnt expect from an era of godzilla known for being more kid friendly

basically any episode of the original ultraman or ultraseven directed by akio jissoji: jissoji had a very distinctive, almost avant-garde directorial style in the early ultra series and his are some of the most memorable. also i wouldnt call it transcendental but return of ultraman has some excellent episodes as well

heisei gamera trilogy, particularly 2 and 3: the heisei gamera trilogy is one of my favorites of the genre, the second one has incredible effects and the trilogy as s whole isnt afraid to do weird sicko shit that godzilla is afraid of. also frequent hideaki anno collaborator shinji higuchi directed the special effects

kamen rider kuuga: kuuga was the first of the heisei era kamen rider tv shows and as of right now my favorite. it gives a lot of the different usual aspects of kamen rider a sort of weight that you dont usually get from the series and it has an excellent ending. its also like. 1/3 police procedural 1/3 medical drama and 1/3 kamen rider show. it rocks. however you may want to do some research on how you watch it since the official shout factory subtitles on tubi and shout.tv make make some changes to the show

shin godzilla, shin ultraman, and shin kamen rider: its funny that you mention evangelion since anno and higuchi are actually enormous tokusatsu fans evangelion is chock full of references to ultraman specifically. i really think the shin series is and excellent introduction to their respective series. ultraman and kamen rider in particular embrace the conventions and themes of the original shows in a way that demonstrates a deep understanding of the source material on the parts of anno and higuchi. shin godzilla has already been talked about to deat, shin ultraman is like a perfect ultraman movie, and while its not without its faults shin kamen rider made me cry 👍. you may want to watch a few episodes of their respective series before you watch the movies bc they really do replicate the vibes perfectly

also of note but not exactly the most elevated , kamen rider agito, w, ooo, amazons, zo, j, and black are all good shows ive seen. i like them. zo and j in particular are worth checking out because theyre very short movies. also ultraman blazar is very good and its on youtube with official subtitles AND a dub. and while i havent gotten around to watching it yet, ive heard very good things about keita amemiyas graou series

no matter what you decide to watch or how much you enjoy it, its crucial to remember that scenes like this are why tokusatsu is good