#and this is BEFORE godzilla mutates and becomes enormous

[kwistowee]

GODZILLA MINUS ONE ゴジラ-1.0 (2023, Takashi Yamazaki)

[rpgsandbox]

Wilderfeast is an RPG about becoming part of the natural world by making it part of you.

Players assume the role of “wilders”: monster hunters/chefs who wield gargantuan kitchen implements and gain powerful mutations from each monster they eat. Using those powers, they seek harmony between humanity and the wild.

All creatures, be they humans or monsters, obey the One Law of the One Land…

In Wilderfeast, players take on the role of the mutated rangers who roam the land trying to stop the frenzy, an eldritch virus which makes kaiju-esque monsters violent and self-destructive before leaping to stronger hosts.

Gameplay alternates between Journeys (high-intensity, travel and combat) and Downtime (low-intensity, rest and roleplay). In both phases, you resolve conflicts with a simple but flexible dice pool system, built around a central idea…

Wilders are both, so they can choose which of their sides to embrace when taking Tests: will you focus up, and stay true to your human side, or go wild, and unleash the monster in you?

The world of Wilderfeast is the One Land - a post-post-apocalyptic supercontinent, both familiar and fantastic, beautiful and harsh, where food is magic.

The One Land is vast, wild, and old. It’s populated by humans and monsters, extraordinary creatures who take inspiration from paleontology, cryptozoology, and works like Monster Hunter and Godzilla.

The One Land is also vulnerable. Humans, relative newcomers here, have unleashed the frenzy, an eldritch virus which makes coexistence between humanity and the creatures everyday more difficult.

The One Land is not an easy place to live. It is littered with both the bones of extinct species and the ruins of fallen civilizations. But after each apocalypse, something new and green grows from the ashes.

Wilderfeast’s system is fast, customizable and easy to learn.

All creatures, both humans and monsters, have these attributes:

When something’s at stake, you roll a Test. Every Test combines a Style with a Skill, such as a Mighty Call to intimidate a monster into backing away or a Swift Search to follow tracks in the undergrowth.

Wilderfeast has a simple but flexible dice pool system. The mechanics are built around a central idea: humans use d8s and monsters use d20s. Wilders are both human and monstrous, and they can switch between these dice sizes.

To build your dice pool, gather a number of d6s equal to your level in the Test’s Style (such as “Mighty”, “Precise”, “Swift” or Tricky”). These are called your Style Dice. Every 5+ on your Style dice grants you a Success on the Test.

Then, add your Action Dice, which determines the quality of the Success you eventually achieved. Humans use a d8 for their Action Die, while monsters use a d20. However, wilders are both. During this step, you choose which side of yourself to embrace. 

If you focus up, you stay true to your human side: add a d8 Action Die to your dice pool. This option is consistent and reliable.

If you go wild, you embrace your monster side: choose one of your Traits and describe how it helps you in this situation. Then, remove 1 Style Die and replace it with a d20 Action Die. This is risky, as it lowers your overall chance of success, but it could make your action an order of magnitude more effective. Now, roll your dice pool for a Test.

Tests create a spectrum of results beyond binary success and failure. The range of choices when making Tests also accommodates different playstyles. You can aim for big numbers, deep strategies, and tactical play. Or you can get creative and add details to the fiction.

Wilders are the ones most capable of stopping the spiral of fear and death that’s consuming the One Land. They’re not a formal order: some look like cavemen, others like wandering knights. Each is free to decide how to take on the job, but they all share some common attributes:

Each wilder has a Tool, enormous kitchen implements to produce mind-boggling amounts of food. Wilders repurposed those artifacts as weapons, though they still come in handy as cooking aids. There are 6 Tools in total (Cleaver, Pan, Mitts, Spit, Torch and Twine), and they define a wilder’s “class”: your training, disposition, and approach to being a wilder.

Each wilder has a Specialty, which corresponds to one of the monstrous lineages. Your choice of Specialty indicates your character’s expertise in both hunting and caring for members of that lineage. There are eight Specialties in total, like Roaster, Fisher, Butcher or Gardener.

Each wilder has a three-course Background. Your backstory, initiation and drive, framed through food: what meal defined your childhood? What meal made you a wilder? What meal do you crave the most?

These mutated rangers work in packs and have taken on the duty to stop the frenzy. Packs are free to decide both what harmony with nature means and how they hope to achieve it. For example, bounty-packs resemble the grizzled mercenaries of The Witcher, while free-packs evoke the wolf-raised warrior of Princess Mononoke.

As a wilder, what path will you walk?

The One Land’s ecosystems are original, but not alien. All monsters celebrate and exaggerate the features of real animals, from dinosaurs to dogs. Their supernatural abilities are grounded in the struggles they face to survive. A breath-taking variety of creatures that share this world with humans and wilders: 30+ different creatures, each with its own Traits, body Parts and Behavior that make every hunt different.

Wilderfeast features a modern and versatile style of combat that blends puzzle-solving thrills and fast-paced action strategy. Every pack of Wilders can take a different approach to the Hunt: will you split in groups and attract the monster’s fury to expose its weak spots, or will you growl at its face and go full frontal?

Each creature gains 3 Actions at the start of their turn during combat, which they can spend on the following Activities, each with a variable cost:

Combat orbits around the Monster, so you measure all distance in combat using Strides. Wilders spend combat between 0 Strides, where you’re right on top of the Monster, and 4 Strides, where you just barely register as a threat.

This number represents the distance you’re maintaining, not your static position. At all times during a hunt, you’re circling the Monster, chasing after it, or driving it toward more favorable terrain. Two wilders who are the same number of Strides from the Monster could either be right next to each other or on opposite sides of it, but that’s intentional. Moving around or with the Monster is automatic; moving towards or away from it takes effort.

The iconic meals of the wilders combine the roughness of campfire cooking with the ceremony of a holiday festival. These wilderfeasts are celebration and mourning, all wrapped up in one. During this phase, you clean, prepare, and cook the Monster where it fell, turning it into a meal that honors its legacy and gives you strength. In doing so, you learn about it. The more you know about the Monster, the better informed your decision when you choose what mutation to inherit: after you eat The Feast, choose a Style, Skill, or Trait in which the Monster has more levels than you do, or which you don’t have at all. You permanently gain a level in that Style, Skill, or Trait. 

Not every meal gives such dramatic mutations as a wilderfeast, but food is always magic in the One Land, even the most casual of snacks. Before setting out on the road, a merchant eats a meal full of hardy greens to give them the endurance for a day of travel; a guard, beginning their shift in a watchtower, chews on raptor jerky to sharpen their eyesight; a student brews tea with a night-blooming flower so they can stay up late studying. The changes caused by these meals are subtle and temporary, and they're woven into the fabric of everyday life.

When you have a cooking opportunity, such as when you Camp during your Journeys, you and your packmates can make a meal. To cook, you select Ingredients, determine how much Stamina the meal restores (typically 1 for each Ingredient used), and determine the meal’s effect, choosing among those of the Ingredients you used.

These meals can either be served fresh or saved for later and turned into Snacks (so that you can consume a portion when you need to restore Stamina or trigger other effects but you don’t have the time to stop and cook). Once you’ve cooked the meal, be sure to describe it! Tell everyone enough about the dish’s flavor, textures, or appearance that they can taste it in their head.

Wilderfeast is a letter-sized, hardcover book of 250+ pages, with full-color art throughout. It includes:

Fast and robust character creation, with 6 Tools (each with their own set of unlockable Traits), 8 Specialties, and suggestions for your three-course backstory. No matter how you build your character, you start with connections to the One Land and your fellow players.

Streamlined and accessible rules for each phase of the game.

A Bestiary with 30+ monsters, each with their own art, stats, and ecological information.

A travel guide, exploring the One Land and the Sen Coast, with detailed maps and extensive tables of cooking ingredients.

The Last Chamig, a set of four standalone scenarios also playable as an overarching campaign. These accessible and easy to set up scenarios are designed to introduce Guides and Wilders to the game system and come with full-detailed maps, stat blocks, pregenerated characters, an a set-list of events. The pitches for each chapter of The Last Chamig will be revealed over the course of the Kickstarter campaign!

Essential advice for running the game, including recommended safety tools, tips for creating your own monsters and regions, and player-empowering mechanics to help the group define the adventures they want to have. Do you want to steward the wild, get stronger, protect your community, or explore ruins from the ancient past?

==============================

Kickstarter campaign ends: Tue, September 26 2023 10:59 PM BST

Website: [Horrible Guild] [facebook] [twitter] [instagram]

[tyrantisterrorart]

Godzilla Gang Revised: Monsters of Myth

In this entry of the Godzilla Gang Revised, we focus on monsters from a lost age of human history, when select humans merged with the few surviving Venusians and created an empire of magitech wonders.  An age of dragons and phoenixes, wizards and heroes.  These are the monsters of myth, creatures that modern man considers mere legends - until they re-emerge into the world as a new age of monsters begins.

The kaiju profiles here will be written in the order they appear on the size chart, BTW.

King Shisa: largest and greatest of the Shisa lion dogs, King Shisa swore an oath to defend the land that would eventually be named Okinawa.  The mighty mammal fought many battles to protect his home and the humans that came to dwell there, and was rewarded with a set of enchanted armor and a golden crown for his efforts.  He was so devoted that, in his old age, he allowed himself to be enchanted, turning his body to stone so he could better withstand the passing of time, only to become flesh and blood once more when Okinawa’s hour of need comes again.

Manda: one of the largest specimens of Asian dragon, Manda is an abnormally large ryujin, a dragon species that specializes in causing seastorms.  Though prone to terrorizing humans in her youth, Manda eventually befriended the people of Mu, a colony of the great civilization of Nirai Kanai.  When a cataclysm of their own design was poised to destroy them, Manda helped the people of Mu survive in the depths of the Ocena, and has guarded their underwater fortress for thousands of years since.

Megalon: an enormous beetle, it is unclear if Megalon is a relic of the first Atomic era, the Atomic Ice Age, or some other strange circumstance.  What is known is that he is a protector, having shepherded early groups of humans to underground shelters in humanity’s prehistory.  His kind and trusting nature eventually saw him employed by the civilization of Nirai Kanai, and he served them loyally - even when defending them brought him into conflict with the daughters of Inagos (and Battra in particular).  When Nirai Kanai fell, Megalon helped a large colony survive by building a large underground cavern for them to hide in, and so founded the subterranean world of Seatopia.  The Seatopians “repaid” Megalon by allowing some strange humanoids who called themselves “Space Hunters” to experiment on him, removing one set of his arms and replacing his original claws with enormous drills.  Though kind-hearted, Megalon’s trusting nature and indefatigable loyalty often prove his undoing, and the dull-minded creature is often put into bad situations by his poisonous friends.

Gabara: a warty amphibious ogre, Gabara’s roar is worse than his electric shocks.  Physically weak for a creature of his size and utterly unskilled in combat, Gabara depends on being able to scare other monsters away for survival, as any that actually try to fight him will quickly realize how weak of an opponent he is.  Luckily, he is aided by his unusual and strong connection to the psychic plane, which allows Gabara to manifest in the dreams of others and turn them into horrible nightmares.  Creatures unfortunate enough to live in the area Gabara is currently nesting in will suffer recurring bad dreams, with the ogre portrayed as a dire threat beyond all others in them.  As a result, most creatures that encounter the beast are too paralyzed with fear to act against him, allowing Gabara to beat them up in their terror-stricken state before beating a hasty retreat when they begin to regain control.

Gekido Jin: The largest and cruelest of all oni, Gekido Jin menaced the country that would become Japan.  His reign of terror was only ended when King Shisa faced him in combat, beating the the oni into submission so a shrine maiden could bind the tyrant in a powerful enchantment, turning Gekido-Jin to stone.  However, much like King Shisa (who would go under a similar enchantment willingly), Gekido Jin can rise again, if a human being gives their life to end the enchantment.  What dark hour could inspire such a sacrifice scarcely bears contemplation.

Axor: a serpent-like creature, cults of Axor have been found all over the world, and the three-eyed serpent is always spoken of with a mix of reverence and abject dread.  A hypnotic and mind-controling tyrant, Axor enslaved vast nations in his heyday, and was set to rule the world before he faced resistance from an unlikely source.  Refugees from Venus arrived on earth, sporting psychic powers comparable to Axor’s own, and quickly merged with humanity to combat the reptile’s cruel reign.  Soon Axor was forced to retreat from the psychic assault of the Venusians, and the civilization they forged on Earth established several safeguards to prevent him from returning.  Of course, Nirai Kanai eventually fell to their own hubris, their survivors scattered and lost, their vast cities almost entirely reduced to dust - and so Axor may rise again...

Crustaclops: A strange hybrid of crustacean and man, the beast that modern kaijuologists call Crustaclops is in fact one of the earliest artificially created chimeras of Nirai Kanai.  Though crude compared to their later efforts, his ability to turn invisible and levitate large objects (or even creatures) still makes him a formidable creature, and his nature as a hybrid of terrestrial and aquatic species proved to be a winning formula in the eyes of his creators.  (Based on the Cyclops Creature from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Balkzardan: primarily a hybrid of shark and wolf (among other things), Balkzardan can run faster than almost any other kaiju, while still sporting thick armor that keeps it safe from harm.  Though useful as a weapon of war, Balkzardan’s primary purpose was to control the weather, with the ability to summon and channel lightning through its horns and call down hail from the skies.  This is where the monster went wrong, as Balkzardan went berserk and created vast horrible storms across the world, forcing the people of Nirai Kanai to seal him away and try a different experiment.

Jyarumu: designed to be a bit less ambitious than Balkzardan, Jyarumu kept the ability to freeze opponents (though not the ability to summon ice storms) and was otherwise built to be a weapon first and foremost.  Huge and stronge, Jyarumu’s durable wings allow him to fight enemies on land, sea, and sky.  Unfortunately, she was a bit too enthusiastic about her job, and also had to be sealed away.

Dagarla: a vast sea dragon, Dagarla was meant to keep the oceans from getting polluted, and initially he was very good at this task.  Unfortunately, a species of parasitic starfish that latched onto him mutated into the deadly and poisonous barem, and began to reproduce uncontrollably by leeching off of the sea monster’s bodily fluids.  The people of Nirai Kanai could not figure out how to stop Dagarla’s barem infestation, which were now threatening all of the earth’s seas, and so were forced to seal Dagarla away as well, much to the dragon’s shock and dismay.  Dagarla did not take the betrayal well, and now harbors a grudge against humanity.

Rajin: a chimera of various arthropods, Rajin was meant to create vast quantities of food for humanity and thereby end world hunger.  However, the food produced by Rajin proved incredibly addictive, and soon people clamored to devour Rajin alive.  The monster did not take this well, and Rajin not only killed thousands of humans, but began to attack any representatives of Nirai Kanai who attempted to reclaim him.  So, like many other creations, he was sealed away.

Norzekmet: Nirai Kanai and its various sub-countries did not stick merely to flesh and blood kaiju.  Living statues, the predecessors to modern humanity’s mecha, were also among their creations, and the crown jewel of these was Norzekmet, a flying sphinx made of metal and carved stone.  A powerful and loyal servant, Norzekmet continues to defend the civilization of his masters, even after their death. (Based on Norzzug from Godzilla: The Series, as well as Michael Dougherty’s description of what the unseen Monsterverse kaiju Sekmet.)  

Norzug:  Even ancient civilizations have a march of progress, and Norzekmet’s predecessor, Norzug, is proof of that.  While far cruder in construction than its improved successor, Norzug proved just as durable and long-lasting, working with its younger “sibling” to protect the ruins of their masters all the way to the present day.  (Based on the Stone Guardians from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Majin Tuol: Another pinnacle of Nirai Kanai technology, the golden guardian Majin Tuol is second to Norzekmet only because of the gaudy choices in his construction, as the gold used for his outer covering is not as durable as the alloys that cover his sphinx-like cousin.  Nevertheless, he is a powerful foe in battle, and waits in the ruins of his master’s home for the day when he is called to action again.  (Based on the Golden Guardians from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

Mekolossus: While less ornate and more obviously mechanical than the other technical marvels of its age, Mekolossus is still an impressive feat of engineering, with a stream-lined metal body and powerful tentacles tipped with sharp pincers.  The machine still guards the ruins of Atlantis, one of the largest and most famous cities of the Nirai Kanai empire.  (Based on the Atlantean Colossus from The Godzilla Power Hour.)

NEXT TIME ON THE GODZILLA GANG REVISED: Children of the A-Bomb!

[the-firebird69]

Always a Bigger Fish | Star Wars: The Phantom Menace | StarWars.com

He says this is real as hell lady cuz she posted your face smiley so just wait to become Ray you'll see it's very uncomfortable

Zues Hera

It is and my son forced it he wants to be an evil dictator and evil looking he wants to be very nasty to people because he's nasty inside full of hatred and a huge chip on his shoulder

Mac

Gee thanks Dad I guess I'm real happy with you now

Tommy f

We're going over the math and we can't stand it it's got to be a little bit too much sugar in them I got to say something this is an amazing find I didn't know about it either he thought I came from Europe into a different part of Europe and was a short tunnel and here he is sitting on it and it's Star wars and this supposed to be wearing a buoys in the big battle with fish people who sound like Garth in his and it sounds like Jason too who might have been translated into fish people which don't exist so they may have been mutated dramatically or their heads changed out with fish And mutated dramatically possibly from the affluent from Godzilla up north the spice

Hera Zues

Here we go The phantom menace the movie and this is awesome this is thrilling and my son looks at me and says this is nuts in the crazy and I'm in trouble I'm sitting right on top of a movie I don't want to be in a damn movie so I'm going to get them help down there and keep them out of the movie

Thor Freya

It's intense it's lovely it's a great performance and you're right in the middle of it and it is not right and it's tummy favino who's going to ruin his own life he says he can't wait to see you in The sopranos series and see some of it play out here but he can't get the Italian restaurant cuz you're cheaper than anything is ever seen you should probably have no skin on your body and no organs in you cuz you probably sell them today over and over is it worth more than the clones organs

Zig Zag

I can't help being cheap and you have no business in Mafia business in those restaurants so kind of works out but for real it's really stupid and I can't get you money because of these idiots so I'm becoming super evil to do it and you say just like in the movies for the guy goes nuts becomes a crazed lunatic because this can't handle the pressure of all sorts of people who don't know what they're talking about like lizard man did it's absolutely true it's just like the pumpkin throwing antihero from Spider-Man and William Dafoe is the character he also went crackers decided to go after these people there's nothing sick about it but it makes you feel sick cuz that's what the demand

Tommy f

We are going after them we noticed something before text is opening is going there it's going to suck from the other side it says he doesn't think it leads directly there it might be plugged and it probably is if someone opened it or drilled through it it might go there that's what we know too or lead to it

Mac

[kingoji]

Shin Godzilla initial thoughts

I have finally gotten around to watching Shin Godzilla this week, via less than legal means. Shut up. I'd have paid for it several times over by now were it an option for me, and will undoubtedly be paying for it when a western release is announced to own. I support this shit right up the jacksie. Anyway, this is a film that I had been dying to see, and as such am filled with thoughts now that I have done so. These thoughts I now spill like bodily fluids from my pulsating gills all over the tarmac. gonna try and keep all the major spoilers out of this one, but be warned I'm not exactly a professional media journalist. If you want to avoid spoilers then either skip the synopsis or just don't bother reading this. And to be fair, this is already FUCK long. If I were to discuss the spoilers I'd need to write a book or some shit. ONWARDS!

SYNOPSIS Tokyo Bay security are investigating an abandoned sailboat when the water beneath them begins to boil, followed by an underwater detonation of unknown origin which sends water high into the sky and also damages an underwater traffic tunnel. The Prime Minister's cabinet quickly convene and begin an investigation, but before they can reach any conclusions an enormous creature comes ashore and decimates the local area before returning to the sea. As part of their ongoing investigations and preparations should the creature return, the cabinet forms an unorthodox thinktank composed of low-rankers and radicals to consider the seemingly impossible biology of the creature from outside of the box, and the US offer some results of their own as well as potential military aid. As this think tank hits upon a possible method of combating the creature, it returns to land and cuts a swath through the city impervious to all attempts from the Japanese Self-Defence Forces to halt it. Eventually reaching the heart of the city, the military bombardment upon the creature finally causes it to retaliate with devastating radioactive attacks before entering a state of dormancy to re-energize. Eyes opened to the potential for global disaster the monster represents, it is reluctantly agreed that the US be allowed to vapourise the creature with a nuclear attack. The Japanese government step up their earlier devised plan to combat the creature as a final Hail Mary before the nuclear strike can occur, and successfully manage to chemically halt the nuclear fission within the monster, effectively freezing it solid.

***

As is becoming traditional when Toho reboots the character, a big part of the hype machine comes from the radical redesign of the monster. When the Heisei era began in 1985, the last time Godzilla had been seen he was a slimmed down, big-eyed, children's hero; Here he was back to his dark, bulky persona with many design elements reinstated from the original 1955 design that were gradually shed through out the series (such as ears, fangs, and additional, more savage looking dorsal fins), and he just looked shockingly mean. When the Millenium era began people had gotten used to a very standardised (but also iconic) look that was maintained throughout the Heisei; With Godzilla 2000 we were introduced to a more reptilian monster with a jagged aesthetic, irregular teeth and fins (which were now a silvery purple) and, for the first time ever, a green hide. Unlike the Showa and Heisei eras, the game plan for the Millenium was to make films largely free of continuity, each a new and unique take on the mythos, with the idea being that the most successful would be the themes and tone carried forward in future installments. As such, Godzilla's design varied from film to film, each intended to be quickly distinguishable from the others at a glance (the two exceptions being the design from Godzilla X Megaguirus, which simply carried over a more streamlined version of the Godzilla 2000 look as it had proven immediately popular, and Tokyo S.O.S was a direct sequel to Godzilla X MechaGodzilla so the design remained the same, only with scarring from the previous film's climatic battle). Such it was with Shin Godzilla. Toho remained secretive about the new look for the monster, allowing the tidbits of news released about production to build viewer anticipation. For one, there was the involvement of Hideaki Anno, who had developed a reputation for unique and disturbing visuals thanks to his work on Neon Genesis Evangelion, which is not only full of giants and monsters itself but is also a deeply psychological work.  Then there was effects director Shinji Higuchi, who is probably most famous in the west for the live-action adaptions of Attack On Titan but who is more notable amongst Kaiju fans for his work on the Heisei Gamera films which are considered to be among the best Kaiju films ever filmed and were even at the time leaving the Godzilla movies in the dust visually. There were the reports that Godzilla would be portrayed entirely with puppetry and animatronics with minor CGI enhancement, which had gotten mixed reviews when implemented on the Attack On Titan films. There were the rumours that Godzilla would undergo various mutations during the course of the movie. And so on. When we finally got to see the design for the movie, reactions were again drastically mixed. This new Godzilla was almost skeletal with tiny beady eyes and a jaw full of needle-like teeth that burst erratically from his lipless maw, and a tail long enough to swat the sun out of the horizon. I, personally, was simply fascinated. I didn't love the design, but I certainly didn't feel the need to take to the internet with hateful rhetoric. I chose instead to more analytical. I had faith in the creators, in Anno in particular, to have done something so drastic for a reason. There had been early interviews with Anno and Higuchi where they talked about wanting to take the monster back to his horrific roots, about making the monster a walking nightmare. They are said to have looked at old production materials for the original 1954 movie, sketches and maquettes from the time, and to have worked from that. Ideas true to the original concept that never fully made it on film or faded out over time, such as the idea that Godzilla's hide was so rough and rigid because he was supposed to have been deeply scarred by the atomic testing he was exposed to was re-examined and thus, the Godzilla of this film has a body that is a black as burn scars, with crimson seams lining him like a cracked scab over an unhealed wound; he has no lips or eyelids or ears because they were all burned away; his musculature is sunken and sickly like someone who had radiation poisoning. His new design evokes all of this despite not sharing the same origin as the 1950's inspiration. And yet, it all works perfectly for the new story behind him. There are other changes that I won't go into here, and which stem from Anno's talent for twisted physiology and visuals that are repellent on a primal level, but which are no less perfectly suited to the story being told of this new Godzilla. Godzilla's powers are also looked at through a new lense for this film. He has always been shown to possess great healing abilities, although his amazing cellular regeneration has rarely been touched on beyond the typical sci-fi tropes of weaponising or attempting to harness it, with disasterous results. Throughout his movie history Godzilla has developed new abilities sporadically (although most are forgotten by the next entry). He has been shown to be able to utilise his nuclear energy in varied ways, from different strength oral rays to emitting the energy bodily as a destructive burst to even, yes, jet propulsion. This new movie essentially combines all of this into a single genetic thread which becomes the backbone of the movie, put poses it all in such a new and refreshing way that you don't really realise during viewing that this, all of this, has been touched on before, albeit in a very casual and throw away manner. What makes all of this so wonderous for me as a lifelong fan, is that it signifies a change in the way Toho operate. Traditionally the studio have been so rigid as to what can and cannot be done with the the character that they had become notorious and almost self-defeating. They dearly want for their flagship character to be respected and successful that they have in the past stifled creativity.  How many stories can you do about this same unchanging being? To be fair to them, they inched in this direction a little with Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (generally considered the best of the Millenium movies, coincidentally, though not by me), although that was really a departure in terms of the 'why' only rather than the 'what' and 'how' of Godzilla's existence. The Toho of ten years ago wouldn't have even allowed the look of this monster, let alone the recreation of history, biology, and very nature of it. Godzilla has always been a creature of intelligence, but Shin Godzilla is a being of pure instinct. It has no motive or goal, it simply acts. In the past, you've always been able to pin a fairly succinct label on the various incarnations. Originally he was a nuclear alegory. He was a territorial animal. A superhero. A force of nature. Shin Godzilla doesn't feel like any of those things to me. The only word I can think of that fits is simpy "Entity", with all the mystique and ominous connotations that word may imply. The tone of the movie is quite an odd one to explain. It is, at first glance, played straight. Reactions to the monster and the events that occurr around it are logical and fairly realistic, the seriousness of the situation is never downplayed, and yet it manages to avoid heading into too heavy a territory. More astute viewers may pick up the first time of the dry humour throughout the film, though I admit I was on my second viewing before I let the humour come to me. I think the first time I was just too focused on 'new Godzilla film, must absorb it all'. Examples that come straight to mind are in a cabinet meeting early on in the film, one member issues a bunch of orders for things to be done in a manner which might usually initiate a scene change but here is met with confused glances from other cabinet ministers before one asks "whom exactly are you addressing?" and THEN the scene changes, or when the think tank are exchanging what they've learned so far one asks for analysis on behavior to which another responds "He just walks." The film is political satire, but very subtley done, often poking at the state of current buerocracy. for example, the PM's cabinet meet in his office to discuss this mystery in the bay, and after deciding that they need to actually make some plans they move down the hall to a conference room, only for them to witness new developments on TV which means they need to go back to the PM's office to discuss it there. Similarly, when the JSDF's forces are preparing to engage Godzilla they request permission to open fire, and we follow that request down a chain of command as one person asks his superior for permission after another until we reach the Prime Minister who says yes, and then, inevitably (though we are graciously spared it), the answer has to go back down the line from person to person. I've also seen online a number of people who complain that the film is anti-US (typically from Americans) propoganda. Utter nonsense. This film portrays the USA as a people who can and have made mistakes, and some of those mistakes may have consequences for Japan, but they are never villified. They are actually often portrayed as sympathetic. The fact of the matter is that America has always had a hand in Godzilla, fictionally. It was their atomic testing which awoke the monster in the original film, and it was their actual atomic deployment in real life which inspired it. To be insulted by a film because it reminds them of that is beyond hypocritic, considering the hundreds of films Hollywood must have put out by now where the 'foreigner' is the enemy. But that's enough of the serious stuff. It cannot be denied that the attachment of Hideaki Anno as writer/co-director of Shin Godzilla brought with it a lot of expectation. Neon Genesis Evangelion, an anime he created in the mid-nineties in the midst of clinical depression and under a studio going slowly bankrupt, revolutionised a genre and inspired a generation of creatives. It viewed typical Super-Robot series tropes through cynical eyes and turned the cast stereotypes on their heads. It got darker as it went along, riddled with psychological themes and visuals that varied from blatent to so-subtle-it-took-scholars-to-find-them, and a use of religion and christianity in particular that left anyone with any kind of religious leanings feeling a little uncomfortable. Despite all this, it is possibly one of the biggest success stories in anime, with a legacy as strong today as it was twenty years ago. It is possibly also the biggest 'love it or hate it' situation outside of Marmite. So you can imagine that his mere involvement with a new Godzilla stirred the pot significantly. I would like to take this opportunity to state right here and now to anyone who hates Evangelion; Do NOT use that as an excuse to avoid this film. Tonally and thematically, this could not be any further removed. Sure, there are directorial choices made here that are pure Anno, but there is none of the angst, depression, or misery that you may associate with Evangelion. This story is very stripped back and to the point, even for a Godzilla movie. The monster IS the story, and everything else in the film is a reaction to him. The only sub-plot, such as it is, is also part of the direct investigation of the monster. There are certainly things that are "Pure Anno" in this movie, but as I say this is pretty much entirely on the visual side of things, and I'm pretty sure that even "haters" would appreciate what he brings over. For one, this is an incredibly 'talky' film. But the way it's shot is still fast paced and even the slowest scenes are structured in a way that will make them interesting to watch. From scene changes signified by the putting down of a phone, for example, to close-ups of the speaker from an unusual angle (a little too high, from just off the side, etc), to mid-sentence cuts from one shot of the speaker to another to add emphasis. There are a lot of directorial choices which have plainly come from someone whose background is in animation, and the relative freedom that affords in creating a shot. The way he goes about portraying Godzilla himself is also refreshing. He brings with him some tricks he developed with his giants in Evangelion that will be familiar to fans but still feel new and exciting when applied to Godzilla. From his first scene of the monster making landfall echoing his slow reveals of the destructive 'Angels' of Eva (quick cuts of a mostly obscured form, a screen-filling eyeball, and eventually, a full reveal that is still not what you were expecting to see), to his use of shooting the environment to portray scale (to a footstep each, we are treated to shots of a beached boat bouncing in the air, the tiles of  a rooftop bouncing up and sliding forward, and the branches of a tree shaking and startling birds into flight). Yet for every trick he brings to the table, there is a throwback to the older style of making monster movies. For example, he often gives us a shot with Godzilla so far in the background you almost miss him, which is something which always made the Showa era films feel like they were more than rubber suits on a sound stage. In fact, his love of the Showa era is ever present, as the entire library of sound effects for this movie comes straight from that period (with the exception of a couple or roars from the Heisei era). Again, as a fan who grew up with them, these are a delight. Imagine if you can hearing a sound of an explosion as distinctive to you as the sound of Star Trek's torpedoes, a Lightsaber turning on, or a Transformer changing shape.  Yes, I'm a nerd, but that's what it's like for almost every sound in the film. And while we're on the subject of audio, I would be remiss to not speak about composer Shiro Sagisu. Shiro is a long-time collaborator of Anno's, having composed the scores for everything Evangelion (from the entire TV series to the five and counting animated movies) as well as Anno's teen-romance deconstruction anime His And Her Circumstances. In fact, if anything about this film can be accused of being "too Eva" it would be because Sagisu has a fast-paced, drum-heavy "Preparation" theme that he seems to use for everything he works on.  There are several variations of this one theme in Shin Godzilla alone, and they will always invoke Evangelion to me, as I'm sure they will to many others. But before I come accross as being too negative here, let me clarify that I adore his music and own every once of his scores I could get my hands on on CD, including this one.   One particular motif which feels fairly unique to his works is his inclusion of English-language vocal choirs for his more atmospheric pieces. It adds a sobriety to proceedings, and can also make something feel truly apocalyptic. His two major cues for Shin Godzilla that were heavily featured in promotional materials are Persecution Of The Masses and Who Will Know?, both are slow and melancholic, and during the film were used in places one might not expect to hear music of their tones typically. Unless you are a fan of Anno and Sagisu's previous collaborations, as you will no doubt have learned how they defy expectations even in sound design. As with the sound effects though, the score is also riddled with throwbacks to the Showa era and, in particular, legendary composer Akira Ifukube (who composed Godzilla's tradtional theme as well as most of the more famous themes of the series). The choices of music to reinstate are more evidence to Anno's love of the genre, as, aside from the music which plays during Godzilla making landfall for the second time, all the selections are obscure or odd variations of particular cues. Some aren't even from Godzilla films originally. From what I've seen online, the reactions to this movie are typically favourable. There are a few people that can't seem to get beyond the changes made to Godzilla himself, but that may be attached to a typically western mindset that I'll get to in a moment, because it's a mindset that even those who enjoyed it have displayed; That anything that happens in this movie is somehow permanent, that because these changes were made here, that is how things will be for the character from now on. Shin Godzilla was one of the most financially successful movies in Japan in 2016, which all but guarantees that a new Godzilla film will comer sooner rather than later. But will it be a direct sequel, which is what most folks I'm seeing online are assuming it's a given that it would have to be. No, it really doesn't, and in my opinion the biggest reason that Shin Godzilla works is that it's standalone. It has in traditional Anno fashion ended in a way which leaves more questions than answers, but that doesn't mean those questions are intended to be answered.  What Hideaki Anno like to do is riddle his works with clues, seed them with potential, and leave his audience to try and figure things out. The state of things in the world of this movie at the end are such that any direct sequel would have to leap through some logistic and continuity loopholes just to get off the ground, but I'll say no more about that. As much as I love this film, I don't want another like it. I wouldn't particularly like the changes made to Godzilla to become the standard. What I do want is for the next film to take the lessons learned here, technical, artistic, logistic, and creative, and run with it and give me something as impressive as this, but just as different. And if that were to involve a step back to a more traditional state for the monster, and the world he inhabits, so be it. I'm one of those wierdos that thinks Godzilla can carry a film with no other monsters in it and should do so more often, so what do you care what I think?

[kahnac]

Kind of out of Order here since THIS was made before the Kaiju villains list. But don’t worry, it shouldn’t be too big a deal. Just be sure to enjoy what’s down below.:)

Greetings, and hello, everybody. Today, i have something pretty different from what i normally do. This time, with the enormous help of my friend japanesegodzilla1954 , i have conducted a list of my Top 20 favorite kaiju together. Now, when i say "major help", i mean as in HE created the list above while i just told him what kaiju, and in which order. He actually came to me, and asked if i had a list like this i wanted to make. I told him yes, but also that i didn't know how to edit something like this. So he offered his services, and i gladly accepted. And i can easily tell you that i am pretty grateful to japanesegodzilla1954 for making this for me. It really was a great thing to do for a person. But now, let's get to the kaiju themselves, and explain why i like them so: #20. Titanosaurus: Now, as alot of people know: dinosaurs are awesome. And Titanosaurus is no exception. Part of a long lost ancient race of aquatic Dinosaurs, Titanosaurus was enslaved by an alien race, and made to fight alongside Mechagodzilla 1. And boy, was he a force to be reckoned with: he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp, and buried him in a mountain. Yet his only real flaw is his wasted potential. It was stated that he is a shy, timid creature who only acted vicious because of the mind control. Yet we never got the chance to see that. Even after his demise. Yet, he still was a very cool, and interesting kaiju who should definitely be admired. #19. Orga: Here, we have another example of how imitation is often the highest form of death. In this case, it's in the form of a kaiju formed from an alien known as the millenian. It crashed on earth millions of years ago before being awakened in 1999. It immediately sensed Godzilla, his G-cells, and the means of creating a physical form. In time, it conducted the plan, and it succeeded. Except for the radioactive part of the G-Cells mutating it into Orga. Now Orga is an interesting kaiju. He basically looks like a big brute who's probably as strong as Rhino, or Juggernaut if they were kaiju. And it's said because of his mutation, he acts like it, too. But personally, maybe like KaijuSamurai , he is actually smart with his millenian knowledge, but he can sometimes lose himself in G-cell induced rages. That's usually why i like depicting him as something similar to Shockwave from both IDW, and TFP. And idea which has often struck me as being: "logical". #18. Megaguirus: an often horrible creature who basically embodies what a nasty bug is like. She is the queen of an ancient race of insects from centuries ago in earth's prehistory. And is one of the most fearsome, and territorial creatures in existence which is an eternal enemy of Rodan. As they say. Long story short, Japan creates a weapon which opens a wormhole to that point in time, a meganula comes through, lays an egg, kid dumps in tokyo sewers, swarm emerges, absorbs Godzilla's energy, brings it to their queen, and thus Megaguirus is born. And just looking at her brings the idea of what an actual Dragon Fly might look like. She is absolutely vicious, brutal, and she likes playing dirty. She also seems to have a sadistic nature to her, too, which makes her all the more devious. And her speed: oh gosh, her speed is incredible. If anything, she had Godzilla on the ropes thanks to that impossible speed she was using, combined with her ability to absorb Godzilla's power. Now, if things wen't a bit differently, and Godzilla was an ordinary fighter, she would have killed him in no time. But as we've all learned, Godzilla is no ordinary fighter by any means. A lesson which eventually bit her hard, and fast. #17. Rodan: Now, we get to one of the biggest figureheads of Godzilla kaiju. Or specifically, toho. After the movie, "Godzilla Raids Again", toho decided that they would begin making a series of kaiju films before eventually bringing back the big g himself. One of those was Rodan. Basically a prehistoric kaiju akin to the likes of Megaguirus, Anguirus, or Baragon, Rodan was actually one of two who had awakened in the 60's of Japan. Both supposedly died, until the film "Ghidrah, the 3 headed monster" saw his initial return. Now, what makes him interesting is the fact that not only is he a great flier, but also a fierce fighter. And also strong enough to fight Godzilla for the majority of the film until Mothra convinced the two to work together against Ghidorah. Since then, he's appeared in numerous films as Godzilla's ally, and has even been featured in all three Godzilla generations. Though it seems his strength, and abilities vary in each one. But nevertheless, Rodan is a great kaiju that can often stand with the best of them. And no matter what, ya can't keep a good Rodan down for long. Just ask SMGII. #16. Zilla: *sigh* Poor, unfortunate Zilla. The kaiju who apparently very nearly ruined Godzilla's career for being an inferior version of him that could supposedly never hold a candle to the name. Hence why Toho made him into his own kaiju after buying the rights to, just so they can kill him off in an "I'm better than you" fashion. But if i'm to be honest, i don't hate Zilla in the slightest. In fact, i kinda think he's an alright kinda kaiju. But to be honest, most of this outlook comes from my love for his son, Zilla Jr, from the animated series. Which did well to pay more respect to the Godzilla name. And if i actually considered it, he would be on this list instead. But if i did, then he would probably be number one, so i went with regular Zilla. But either way, i owe this Zilla for the second Zilla's existence, and he did awesome in "Rulers of Earth". So, as they say, Credit is where credit's due. #15. DesGhidorah: So here we have the first Ghidorah on the list. But definitely not the only one. Anyway, this one is a real interesting creature. Millions of years ago, he wiped out the planet Mars. In a similar manner as King Ghidorah did to Venus' civilization. He then traveled to earth to do the same, but the Elias, alongside the Mothra race, sealed him away into the earth to hopefully never return. But since when has that ever been a permanent solution? Anyway, cut to a million years later, an evil elias named Belvera mind controls the head of a construction company, and breaks the seal holding DesGhidorah, breaking him free from his prison. All so she can basically "save the earth from humanity". Idiot. Anyway, DesGhidorah picks up where he left off, and begins bleeding the Earth dry of its life force as he burns, and blasts everything in sight. The current Mothra tries to stop him, but she was too weak after giving birth to Leo. Even he can't save her, and she dies. Now, DesGhidorah is a very cool Ghidorah by many ways. His black scaly skin, and bloodred wings give him a perfectly demonic appearance. His quadrupedal appearance also gives the felling of a traditional western dragon to his appearance. And also how ruthless, and powerful he is. So much so that he forces Leo to go to the Tree of Life itself to give him the power to transcend beyond what any normal Mothra is capable of. He then reaches what i can assume is Godzilla, and Gamera levels, and promptly beats Desghidorah back into the earth he crawled out of. But whether he died, or not, is left up to debate. Either way, he certainly lives up to the title of "The Death Ghidorah". #14. Anguirus: Yep. The ever-loving, best buddy to Godzilla himself is here, too. And why not? Especially since, ironically, he was the very first enemy Godzilla ever fought, and beat. After that, he seemed to become friends with Godzilla. In fact, you could say they were pretty close, too. What i like about him is just how great his bond with Godzilla has been depicted. There are plenty of times where he will fight beside Godzilla against any kaiju. He'll often be hanging out with Goji, just relaxing, and probably chatting. And he'll even go as far as to do what he can to cheer him up out of any kind of funk he's in. And because he's one of the most stubborn, and determined fighters around, he will often risk his own neck to help out Godzilla, or anyone else he considers a friend. The respect, and acknowledgement he has for Godzilla is one to truly be admired. It's just a shame we never got to see much of it in the films. But i have heard that there have been indications of it in the showa films, so it is acknowledged. And he's appeared in about as many films as Rodan. So it's safe to say that no matter where Godzilla goes, or in what generation, Anguirus will always be right behind. #13. Jet Jaguar: JET JAGGA! JET JAGGA! PUNCH PUNCH PUNCH!  Yes, that's right. It's every-bodies favorite super fighting robot from "Godzilla vs Megalon". There are alot of things people like about this guy. And even i have a certain liking to him. Especially considering my exposure to him in the "Rulers of Earth" series. Where he has scored as much kaiju wins, if not more than, Godzilla himself. He can use his size changing ability in very creative, and helpful ways. Like giving Orga a bad case of indigaestion, or surviving Destoroyah's attacks, and to dish out a few of his own. He even stood up to Godzilla's nuke breath with ease before giving him a single KO punch. Not alot of kaiju, or mechs, who can say that they knocked him out with one punch, i can promise you that.. And he's also great at strategy, as he knew that the best way to beat Destoroyah was to freeze him. Hence why he shrunk to human size, flew into Kiryu's cockpit, and fired AZ cannon at Destoroyah, completely obliterating him. And he also has a great rivalry with Gigan, as well. Something the comics played with a bit after GvsM. Either way, this is one sentai tribute who will give you the thumbs up for a heroic job well done. #12: King Caesar: Possibly the first King of the Monsters before Godzilla himself, King Caesar is a great, and awesome addition to the roster First of all, he is a kaiju of a somewhat supernatural persuasion, as he is by all accounts a living statue. Hence why he was the best chance the AMF had against the Trilopods: no blood to absorb, and thereby assimilate. When he first appeared, it was to fight against the first Mechagodzilla. An enemy even Godzilla couldn't stand against on his own. Yet inspite of his abilities, which also includes reflecting beams back into enemies, even he couldn't atand against the mecha. At least until Godzilla showed up, and they double teamed the robot. Though what is important to note is that his strength is possibly the kind which even rival's Godzilla's own. Especially considering he's more than strong enough to rip Trilopods in half, or just pull apart piece by piece. Yet what makes him stand out amongst kaiju is how he is actually dedicated to protecting humans. He will actually risk his own life to keep humans safe, and if any is harmed, then let's just say you don't want to fight him, as he will get REALLY angry. Some believe this is because somewhere inside of him there is some kind of spirit which compels him to be a protector of not only the earth, but also the humans who live on it. But whatever his origins, he is a brave, and noble kaiju who has even earned Godzilla's respect. And has proven to be more than worthy of being a Guardian of the Earth. #11. Kiryu: One of the greatest mech's ever created for being certainly one of the most unique: because inside of Kiryu's metal body is the skeleton of Gojira, the 1954 Godzilla. When Godzilla returned years prior to his creation, the JSDF decided to create a bio robot as a weapon to fight him. One of the components was Gojira's skeleton. Unfortunately, nobody counted on Gojira's soul waking up, and actually taking control of the mech to go on a rampage, thanks to Godzilla.  But he was brought back under control. And thanks to his interaction with humans, and one Akane Yoshiro, it seemed like he was actually starting to let go of his hate filled ways, and become more of a heroic force for good. Though he would be considered a tragic hero, since in order to end the cycle of death, and hate, he took Godzilla, and himself, back to the sea, to be laid to rest for good. Heck, he even went so far as to save Chujo from going down with him, as well as give him a farewell message. With speed, and strength capable of matching Godzilla himself, and an Absolute Zero weapon, Kiryu is another great example of how you either die the hero, or live to see yourself become the villain. #10. Biollante: Speaking of tragedy, i don't think any come as close to that of Biollante. Save for Nemesis, that is. Before she became a kaiju, Biollante was actually a human girl named Ericka Shiragami. During an attack by terrorists, she was killed in the event. So, driven by grief, her father tried to bring her back by the only thing he could use: Science. Taking her DNA, and crossing it with that of her favorite rose, as well as adding G-Cells, Shiragami sought to at least preserve her spirit in some way, or another. What actually came about was a case of "be careful what you wish for". after a short while, she basically changed into a gigantic flower creature, confused, and with no idea of what was happening. Her presence actually drew Godzilla to her, and he destroyed her body in a fight. But a few hours later, she came back. More monstrous than ever before. Because of what he did, Biollante was allowed to mutate even further into a beast which began to more closely resemble Godzilla. The two fought to a stalemate, and she turned into space pollen as she drifted up into space, and seemingly giving Ericka peace. A story which i could imagine was the inspiration for the creation of Project Nemesis" which had a similar story with it's titular kaiju. Either way, Biollante is an enormous, but also sad character that makes us wonder if a rose by any other name would really still smell as sweet. #9. Megalon: A prime example of why people like the Showa era: a silly, completely ridiculous kaiju design which still manages to keep the story interesting. Which is basically what Megalon is. He was originally the God of Seatopia, and was intended to destroy humanity. Before Jet Jaguar came along, and beat him into submission. Even with Gigan's help, though the both of them seem to be good buddies. But either way, let's just say Megalon is a weapon without the safety lock on. Cause without somebody like Gigan to tell him what to do, he'll basically just stay in one spot, and go crazy. He's basically like an overgrown child. But one who happens to be a super strong demolisher, and likes blowing stuff up. Though personally, i kinda prefer when he isn't played like an idiot, and is more like a black knight who serves the evil cause for his own purposes. But there is an irresistible charm to Megalon which keeps me from hating the guy, and gives him a small, but special place in my heart. *8. Mechagodzilla 1: And now we have the very first, and possibly worst, Mechagodzilla ever created. As the first evil doppelganger to Godzilla, MG1 left quite an impression. In fact, the first thing he did was impersonate Godzilla, go on a "rampage", and then break Anguirus' jaw. Poor guy. And when he first revealed himself, it was when he basically beat Godzilla to a pulp. Though not without his own systems overheating first. All thanks to the enormous arsenal he has at his disposal, including an invincible shield, and being made out of Space Titanium, which is the strongest metal in the toho universe so far. Even with the help of King Caesar, Godzilla was barely able to beat MG1 until he made himself into a magnet, and then tore off his mechanized head. But as his creators must've learned: if at first you don't succeed, try try again. They rebuilt him stronger than ever, and then teamed him up with Titanosaurus. No doubt inspired by Godzilla's own team up from last time. Either way, the duo made short work of Godzilla, and proved how fearsome they are. Until Titanosaurus was taken care of, then it was more even. But tearing of MG1's head wasn't enough, and Godzilla had to use everything he had to destroy him. While a bit outdated in design, MG1 is an enemy who will live on in the hearts of Godzilla fans for ages to come. #7. Hedorah: Ooooh, great. If people thought MG1 was the toughest, then Hedorah is that, and the most disgusting thing toho ever made. Basically, Hedorah is a being comprised entirely out of toxic sludge, and radioactive waste. He has no organic properties, and is there fore a gelatinous mass. Godzilla himself was no match for the slimy beast, as his attacks were pretty much useless against him, and touching him was dangerous because of his body being completely acidic. He's kinda like Majin Buu with his durability, and his invincibility. In fact, the only way he could be killed was by dehydrating his body, then atomizing his compound. Simply put, if humanity didn't help, this abomination would have killed Godzilla in probably the most unpleasant manners possible. Though i can admit, his concept, and design are intriguing, and something that can make me appreciate the blob of a kaiju. Either way, if slime's beneath him, or slime's up above, you will NOT wanna love his "Toxic Love" anytime soon. Trust me, you will regret it. #6. Mothra & Battra: Now we have what is possibly the most interesting kaiju you could have around. Mothra, in case you don't know, is the guardian of humanity, and the Goddess of Peace. Battra is Guardian of the Earth, and God of Vengeance. Centuries ago, the two fought against each other because of humanity, and Mothra was forced to seal her brother away for centuries. And yes, i consider them siblings. Now Mothra is by far the most influential kaiju in the Toho universe. In fact, she has been in more movies than any other recurring kaiju aside from Godzilla himself. You could even say that she is his foil: the peaceful, loving guardian who exists to protect the world through peaceful means, while Godzilla is an often vengeful, hate filled destroyer who exists to maintain order on Earth. Such is why both have often fought against each other before. But in spite of the conflicts they've had, they have often worked together more. First, against King Ghidorah, and then in a few other instances. Alot of people have taken up the idea that, in certain universes, Mothra can see the potential for good in Godzilla, and she will often try to guide him on the right path. And in spite of his rough exterior, he is willing to accept her guidance, and can even consider her his friend. Though the same could not be said for Battra. He has more often than not been an enemy to both Godzilla, AND Mothra because of his often vengeful nature. But when his sister convinces him of a greater threat to the Earth, he will drop his vendetta, and help her to do his duty. This was mainly against Godzilla, and resulted in his death. But he has since returned in the IDW comics, and has played the prominent role in the series as the yang to Mothra's Yin: not evil, but still greatly misguided. Nevertheless, both are essential guardians of the earth, and will continue to fight until the end of their days to keep their world safe from any danger. #5. Gigan: Introducing the first ally to King Ghidorah himself, and one of the most popular recurring villains in kaiju lore. And considering he's also the first cyborg ever introduced, that is saying something. On his first appearance, he teamed up with King Ghidorah to take down Godzilla, and Anguirus. And very nearly succeeded. His fighting style was formidable, and his blades actually managed to cut through Godzilla's body like butter. Another feat few kaiju can ever say they accomplished. And let's just say that when Godzilla caught his second wind: that's when things got bad for him. After his initial beatdown, he got out of there as fast as possible. Ditching King Ghidorah as quickly as possible. This showed that as  good a fighter as he is, he's also a coward. But he is also a sadistic one, too. He brutishly beat the scrap out of JJ with Megalon, and even used him as a ball for catching. Even going so far as to threaten to off him if Godzilla got any closer. But luckily, Jet got the last laugh as he broke Gigan's arm, and then forced him to make a hasty retreat. Once again, ditching his "friend" to save himself. Though when he got updated for the millennium series, he was severely upgraded in a big sense: his hooks got turned into scythes, his body was given a red and black cybernetic appearance to emphasize his cyborg heritage, and he was clearly given an extreme workout in his years of absence. Because he is quite fit for a guy probably in his forties. Sadly, in spite of his great, new design, he was beaten a bit easily by Godzilla. Guess it was just to show how strong he was compared to before. But Gigan wasn't taken out so easily, cause he got his neck braced, and loaded with chainsaws! Funny enough, it was Mothra who finally put him down, since in the story, the both of them were ancient rivals who fought long ago. And though she killed him, she ended going up with him. But nevertheless, he made a great comeback in "Rulers of Earth", as a secondary villain who is just as formidable as ever before. And who also might have had his rivalry with Jet Jaguar revived as well. Either way you slice it, Gigan is an amazing kaiju who can make the cut of any list. And if you strike him down, he shall only become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. #4. Destoroyah: Ah. Now we're getting into the big leagues. And who better to start off with than the Oxygen Destroyer incarnate? Long story short, Destoroyah was once a microscopic, precambrian crustacean until the Oxygen Destroyer killed Gojira. It then began mutating over the past forty ears before micro oxygen was made, and gave it the ability to exist on land. He then became a number of aggregates which eventually merged together to form him. He has several forms for several purposes, which makes him cool. And from what i've seen: his only purpose is to destroy everything he sees. He also seems to be vengeful as well, because when he achieved his final form, he basically killed Junior for beating him in his second form. But then he learned the hard way what happens when you get Godzilla mad by screwing with his family. Yet even when Godzilla was in his strongest state, which was ironic considering he was dying, Destoroyah proved to be a real Juggernaut, and withstood mostly everything Godzilla threw at him. Up until Godzilla reached his full power, and unleashed all of his flaming vengeance upon Destoroyah. Mutilating his body, and causing him to flee only for G-Force to basically freeze him in midair, and thus kill him. Now, i will say right now, Destoroyah is one of the coolest kaiju around with one of the best designs you could ever ask for. Like the AVGN once said: "HE LOOKS LIKE THE GODDAMN DEVIL!" Which is true, to be honest. But sadly, he was kinda underutilized in Rulers of Earth. Be that as it may, that doesn't stop him from being one of the most badass kaiju to ever grace the big screen. And it certainly won't be the last time we see him. #3. Grand King Ghidorah: If anyone was to ask me what my favorite Ghidorah would be, it would definitely have to be this one. Where i felt Showa Ghidorah was wasted potential, and Heisei wasn't even a real Ghidorah, imagine how excited i was when i learned about this guy. Grand King Ghidorah is a beast among monsters. In fact, he gives full meaning to the word. As it happens, he has destroyed countless worlds through out his existence, much like his showa counterpart. And he even caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. That alone should give an idea of just how dangerous he is. But it isn't. It's when he arrives on earth that his evil is truly displayed. Upon emerging from his meteor transport, he begins destroying Japan's cities, one by one. Not only that, but he actually has the ability to trap people, or in this case children, and contain them inside an alien dome comprised of his own essence. Others can enter, but none can leave. UltraGWRzilla had an idea as for why else he did this: not only was he going to feed on the children's lifeforce-but also the despair, and misery of the human parents who were worried for his young. Giving in to his "King of Terror" title, it is possible that he actually feeds on fear as well-the fear of people losing those they truly love, and couldn't stand to lose. An act of true evil unlike may others. And a notion i'm inclined to agree with. Especially with how he seems to enjoy his work, too. Worst of all, he is leagues above Mothra Leo, who had grown considerably stronger by that point. In fact, i still think he was in Godzilla's league by this point. But either way, Grand King Ghidorah brushed off all of his attacks, and completely devastated the young moth. And thus made him so desperate that he went back in time to the day GKing Ghidorah came to earth, and destroy him while he was weaker. Thus erasing him from the present. The plan worked, of course, though Leo was stranded in the past. But unfortunately, he didn't know that Grand King Ghidorah could apparently regenerate from even a single piece of his body. So in the end, he still came to Earth-just later than he did before- and picked up where he left off. Thankfully, Leo spent his centuries in a cocoon, soaking up earth;s mana to evolve into an armored form. One which finally surpassed Ghidorah, and finally destroyed him. So, as i said, Grand King Ghidorah is another awesome, and incredible kaiju who makes a perfect villain for Toho. Now i just wish he could be featured in IDW comics. Either way, he has proven to be a true horror that brings true meaning to the name "King of Terror". #2. Spacegodzilla: You want to talk evil kaiju? Well, look no further than Godzilla's evil clone, Spacegodzilla. Now, where do i begin? He destroys a nasa space station with everyone on board, trashes Moguera, torments, and terrorizes Little Godzilla so that he can draw out Godzilla, proceeds to beat Godzilla, locks his son in a crystal cage, baits Godzilla into following him, transforms Fukuoka into his own crystal domain, and the proceeds to fight Godzilla, and Moguera in a fight that lasts what could probably be considered longer than any previous kaiju fight i have ever seen. What's interesting about him is that he has no specific origin. We don't know anything about where he came from, or exactly how he was created. The only thing we can assume is that he was born from G-Cells in space. In fact, plenty of people have given him some kind of origin: from G-Cells bonding to a crystal organism in space, being crystal organism that came to earth and copied Jr's DNA, to being a clone engineered by aliens, to being from an entirely alternate universe. The list is somewhat long. But as the Joker once said: "If i'm going to have an origin, i'd prefer it to be multiple choice". This only helps to exemplify how bad he is. The rest goes for his actions, and how he carries them out. For starters, he's out to kill Godzilla so that he can conquer the Earth for himself. The only time we've ever had an alien kaiju trying to conquer earth, it was for some other alien race mind controlling them. But Spacegodzilla is nobodies puppet. He is out to conquer, and rule of his own volition. And he will go to any lengths to do it. Which includes attacking an innocent, helpless young Gojiran so that he can call Godzilla, and then lock up the kid so that he'll have no choice but to fight Spacegodzilla in order to rescue him. And Spacegodzilla will not tolerate anyone who tries to interfere with his conquest in anyway. Ask the mafia who tried to mind control Godzilla beforehand. Then, he transformed Fukuoka into his personal fortress so that he could be at full power when he fights Godzilla. Showing how he uses strategy in his methods. And when he does fight, he is plenty powerful enough to tear Godzilla apart. It was only when his shoulder crystals got blown up that he was eventually beaten. But like any good villain, he never stays down for long. And as stated, he will use any method to get what he wants. Which includes teaming up with an alien race in Save The Earth, and a band of aliens in Ongoing. He still lost on both accounts, of course. But it gave him the idea that he's better of as a solo act. Hence why he returned in "Rulers of Earth" he fought against his former ally, Gigan, and promptly kicked his ass with relative ease. Then the Trilopods came along, and he was actually forced to team up with Godzilla to fight a group of them. One of them having assimilated him. They seemed focused on him though, since they could probably tell he was the bigger threat. Though it didn't matter what they did. When the two "siblings" combined their power, no Trilopod was left standing. And after Godzilla ended up unconscious after he killed one? Spacegodzilla attempted to kill him on the spot, basically pulling a Megatron us. But he sensed the incoming Trilopod hive, and promised to settle things later in kaiju-speak. Though honestly, i feel like his greatest achievement was when he caused the Crystal Incursion. He had the entire world in his hands after he covered the globe in his crystals. Though he obviously didn't know other kaiju could use power surge crystals like that. Oh well. In the end, Spacegodzilla has proven to be the most cunning, ruthless, intelligent, powerful, and sadistic monster created by toho. A true symbol of what it means to be a force for pure evil. And #1 is: #1. Bagan: As i'm sure many of you know: i absolutely love this guy. I'm pretty sure i explained why, but let me recap by explaining who he is. Bagan is essentially a scrapped kaiju who is ironically the most popular of them, too. He was planned to appear in several films, but due to circumstances, he never got a chance. In hindsight, this may seem like a bad thing. But with a kaiju who is basically a blank slate, this is a good thing. While Toho has never created a specific backstory for him, others have done their greatest to give him the best there is. Though he does have a few backgrounds for when he was intended to be used. The kind other people have used, too. He was originally a guardian of earth, who protected the region of china. But due to some unforeseen reasoning, he was either sealed away, or he ended up trapped in an iceberg, or something. Either way, he breaks free centuries later, senses the changes mankind has made to the earth, gets angry, and begins destroying them. Another story was in the NES game "Super Godzilla", where he is basically the super-powered combination of Godzilla, and King Ghidorah. Something which makes him nearly impossible to beat. Some people have incorporated  these backstories into their own stories, while some created their own. As far as anybody is concerned, it's another matter of an origin being multiple choice. As for me, personally, there is a certain version of Bagan i find the most enjoyable. And is easily my favorite kind of Bagan. One where he was indeed a guardian of Earth, and the most powerful. But under mysterious circumstances, he saw life as something that needed to end for certain reasons. So he turned against all living things, and sought to destroy all. Only thanks to the combined efforts of the earth's guardians is he sealed away for centuries. Until centuries later his prison come undone, and he is free once again. That is the main idea for the devil figure Bagan. And people like UltraGWRzilla have done this as well. But i feel like tarbano is someone who can do this kinda theme correctly. As he has created a depiction of satanic origins with the mannerisms of Unicron, and the mindset of Deathwing. Though in my opinion: these qualities are also the kind shared by another satanic figure who was once an agent of good before he betrayed his fellow guardians, and became a force of pure evil: Makuta Teridax. One of my absolute favorite villains in fictional history, i find that Makuta serves as a perfect character influence for Bagan, and is one i will often find myself using for his character in my stories. Which works well, because i consider Bagan to be the devil of Toho universe if he s handled right. Whether he is a destructive force of nature, or a force of ultimate evil, Bagan is otherwise a being who will remind others that while powerful, they are still mere mortals: and he is a god. And those were my Top 20 favorite kaiju. Do you agree with my choices? Have other kaiju you may like? Have any thoughts you'd like to share? Then feel free to share, and leave in the comments below. Until then, i hope you enjoy reading this, and i'll see you all next time. Goodbye!