#gamera vs iris

[primeconvoy1]

Guardian or Destroyer?

[rassilon-imprimatur]

Fun Gamera vs Gyaos and Gamera 3 references in Gamera Rebirth!

[artblooger19moon]

Gamera Movie Marathon

Gamera the Giant Monster / The Invincible

Gamera vs Barugon

Gamera vs Jiger

Gamera vs Guiron

Gamera vs Zigra

Gamera vs Gyaos

Gamera vs Viras

Gamera Super Monster

Gamera Guardian of the Universe

Gamera 2 Attack of Legion

Gamera 3 Revenge of Iris

Gamera the Brave

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (September 3-9, 2023)

I was a bit nervous about GAMERA -Rebirth-; the animation looked dodgy and Netflix has a shaky track record with kaiju shows. I'm pleased to report this is the best entry in the genre that they've put their name on. Good characters, great action (brutal as always), and actual episodic storytelling that effortlessly weaves in elements from the Showa films beyond all the returning kaiju. Watch it immediately.

Tie-ins abound for GAMERA -Rebirth-: a two-part novelization, a manga adaptation, and a prequel manga that sheds some light on [UNBELIEVABLY MASSIVE SPOILERS]. That prequel manga (GAMERA -Rebirth- code thyrsos) is being published online for free in both Japanese and English. You can read the first chapter here.

In unofficial translation news, English subtitles for GAMERA.1999 (1999) and yokaipedia (2022) are now available. The former is Hideaki Anno's making-of documentary for Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris; the latter is a fun, child-friendly fantasy from Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki with a big ol' centipede-dragon at the end. (It's also maybe the first Japanese kaiju film I've ever seen with a major Black character.) I haven't gotten to GAMERA.1999 yet, though from scrubbing through it, it seems like a lot of dialogue was just ignored by the translator. Shame, as that's one I've wanted for a long time.

We have a teaser for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, as well as a premiere date for the first two (out of ten) episodes: November 17. (I am being showered with Media for my 30th birthday.) The big news from this trailer is that John Goodman is reprising his role as Bill Randa from Kong: Skull Island. I assume that's going to be through flashbacks and old recordings only, since he was eaten by a Skullcrawler in that one. We also catch glimpses of two new creatures, a dragon and a crab from what I can tell. The latter looks to be fighting a Mother Longlegs.

Fandango and AMC have added mostly-empty listings for Godzilla 2000 on November 1. Fathom Events screened Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla on November 3 last year; despite randomly showing Tokyo SOS back in March, I gather they're making a tradition out of Godzilla Day. Note that the listed runtime is longer than the film itself. Predictions for the program: another message from Keiji Ota, the 2022 Godzilla vs. Gigan short, and the Japanese version of G2K. Interesting that they're running the last Toho Godzilla film to receive a wide release in the U.S. exactly a month before Godzilla Minus One has a wide release of its own here.

Gamera isn't a meta-defining Godzilla Battle Line unit... but he's Gamera in a Godzilla game, so I've been using him in every match since I unlocked him. He's gearing towards demolishing flying units, with fireballs that deal more damage against them and knock them back. A pity that he's arriving well after those units were at their most dominant.

Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons #3 still isn't giving me much to write home about, but the kaiju cult creeping to the forefront intrigues. Also cool to see Ebirah in a starring role.

Marubeni, one of Japan's biggest general trading companies, put out a bizarre commercial featuring samurai, zombies, a meteor, and a refurbished GMK King Ghidorah. The ad now has English subtitles, and you can watch a Ghidorah-centric behind-the-scenes video here.

I cannot believe I have more Cleopatra Entertainment fuckery to report on with regards to their Shin Ultraman releases, but they're truly trying to take the "Worst Film Company of 2023" title from the members of the AMPTP. Their third attempt at a barebones disc is starting to reach customers... but the ones who already received the initial replacement disc are being told no more will be sent. @starestream is trying to figure out if they'll be selling the third edition on their site, since it seems buying it anywhere else is a gamble. (Physically, the third edition looks almost the same as the first two, set apart only by the "SUBTITLED" text on the disc.) Either way, it's another blow to a movie that truly doesn't deserve this.

[giantmonsterpolls]

Alright, time for our next poll!

March 15th marks the 57th year anniversary of Gamera vs Gyaos, so I thought I’d shake up the streak of Godzilla or general kaiju fandom polls and give us all a Gamera-centric one, in time for the birthday of his most common enemy. Hoping this gets some traction despite Gamera not being that popular, come on, let’s spread the word of the turtle-

Please remember to reblog so this can get a wider sample size!

[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.

[the-elemental2]

Destoroyah vs Iris (Godzilla vs Gamera)

Fucking LOVE how this one came out

No notes, this matchup is goated

Goat-Zilla

[almightyrayzilla]

”Gamera vs Iris”; two 5x7 panel canvases; acrylics

Some more painting in anticipation of All Monsters Attack and guests Hirofumi Fukuzawa and Akira Ohashi, who portrayed Gamera and Iris, respectively, in GAMERA 3!

Also, you read that right - these are actually TWO 5x7 canvases! While I have done this before, I had never done so with painting, so I thought I'd give it a shot.

[fmpjemuelgallaza45]

Gyaos - is a recurring enemy Kaiji (giant monster ) in the Gamera series of films produced by Daiei film.Gyaos is a Malevolent, bat-like creature with sharp claws , a long neck and a taste for human flesh. it is known for it's ability to fire a powerful sonic beam weapon from its mouth . also Gyaos is one of Gamera's formidable foes.

Habitat of Gyaos

Gyaos are typically portrayed as inhabiting remote and Mountainous areas, such as forests or caves.

Behaviour and Nature

: Gyaos is carnivorous monster that preys on human, animal and other living beings. it driven by a relentless hunger for flesh and actively seeks out prey to feed on.

Appearances :

Gyaos has appeared in multiple films and media within the Gamera series Like Gamera Vs Gyaos (1967) , Gamera Vs Guiron (1969) ,Gamera(Guardian of the universe) 1995, Gamera 2 (Attack of legion ) 1996, Gamera 3 ( revenge of the iris) 1999.

[macmanx]

Gamera vs Iris

[positivelybeastly]

~10 Fandoms/ ~10 Characters/ ~10 Tags

Tagged by: @kylo-wrecked

Tagging: anyone who wants to do it, no pressure. Beware below the cut, there's a ton of names and not a ton of exposition because that's 100 characters in total and I can't talk about how much I love them all individually or I would be here for the rest of my week. :P

Marvel Comics

Beast (so unexpected!).

Emma Frost.

Spider-Man.

The Wasp.

Daredevil.

Bishop.

The Thing.

Mr. Sinister.

She-Hulk.

Sabretooth.

Star Trek

Worf.

Christopher Pike.

Christine Chapel.

Charles 'Trip' Tucker.

Carol Marcus (TWOK).

Hugh Culber.

T'Ana.

T'Pol.

Nyota Uhura.

Nog.

James Bond

Tracy Bond.

Natalya Simonova.

Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright).

Valentin Zukovsky.

Melina Havelock.

Franz Sanchez.

Alec Trevelyan.

M (Judi Dench).

Elektra King.

Vesper Lynd.

Resident Evil

Jill Valentine.

Carlos Oliveira (remake).

Moira Burton.

Leon S. Kennedy (original and remake).

Marvin Branagh (remake).

Claire Redfield.

Sherry Birkin.

Sheva Alomar.

Albert Wesker.

Alex Wesker.

Persona

Makoto Nijima.

Ryuji Sakamoto.

Yukiko Amagi.

Toranosuke Yoshida.

Margaret.

Nanako Dojima.

Akihiko Sanada.

Haru Okumura.

Kanji Tatsumi.

Sojiro Sakura.

Supermassive Games

Sam (Until Dawn).

Jacob (The Quarry).

Dylan (The Quarry).

Mike (Until Dawn).

Salim (House of Ashes).

Fliss (Man of Medan).

Josh (Until Dawn).

Ryan (The Quarry).

Chris (Until Dawn).

Jason (House of Ashes).

Star Wars

Leia Organa.

Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Zeb Orrelios.

Chopper.

Padme Amidala.

Lando Calrissian.

Count Dooku.

Qui-Gon Jinn.

Finn.

Poe Dameron.

Doctor Who

Donna Noble.

Ninth Doctor.

Bill Potts.

Third Doctor.

Seventh Doctor.

Ace.

Ianto Jones.

Martha Jones.

Pete Tyler.

Adelaide Brooke.

Kaiju Movies (it counts!)

Gamera (90s trilogy).

Shin Godzilla.

Tamura (Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla).

Anguirus.

Mothra (KOTM).

Iris (Gamera 90s trilogy).

Legion (Gamera 90s trilogy).

Tsutomu Osako (Gamera 90s trilogy).

Hedorah.

King Ghidorah.

DC

Poison Ivy.

Tawky Tawny.

Jim Gordon.

Catman.

Bane.

Alfred Pennyworth.

Bloodsport (James Gunn).

Black Mask (Emancipation of Harley Quinn).

Silk Spectre II.

Lobo.

I have types, as you can probably tell, and it's probably just as obvious which fandoms I'm super into and which ones I enjoy more casually.

[awthredestim]

Commission for FinalGamerJames.

· - · -  · - · - · - · - · - · - · - · - ·

GAMERA VS. IRIS "If I have to abandon my job to see justice done, then I will...but I will not abandon my beliefs."

"Does that make you the prince in shining armour?! Is that all you care about?! Are you nothing but a child still trying to save the world?!"

"I am a GUARDIAN! I want no one to suffer injustice, not EVER AGAIN!"

Above the riots of a city in chaos, he stands against evil. Fighting against corruption from within and without, a citizen discards his badge to join the people, and save their home from a wicked queen.

Please, let me know what you think of it in the comments. I appreciate every single one I receive.

You can check the Making Of post right here.

[callisthoe06]

Intro (so y'all know who I am lolz)

Hi! You can call me "Cal" (not my real name but I find it cute so why not? lol), I'm a 19y/o bisexual (I love men EVEN MORE though) writer and a bit of an artist from the Philippines (it's hot as hell here) I'm mostly an NSFW writer and artist (Twitter, Instagram, and Ao3 are the same as my Tumblr username but pls no harassment if my works offend your moral minds) I'm pretty friendly, especially if we're into the same fandom and as long as you don't write and draw shit of my favorite characters getting hurt, we'll get along fine as long as you can deal with my unhingedness (also me very horny) I'm pretty short IRL and I'm a pretty optimistic person (even though I'm trying to burn the last remaining bits of my optimism cuz of how traumatized I am right now). Just casually trying to hang on to that little sliver of hope and happiness inside me before I let my intrusive thoughts take over again. Fandoms I love: 1.) Tales of Arcadia 2.) Godzilla 3.) Gamera 4.) My Little Pony 5.) HTTYD 6.) My Little Pony 7.) Jurassic World 8.) Murder Drones My favorite character from each fandom: 1.) Douxie Casperan 2.) Mothra 3.) Iris 4.) Dirk Thistleweed 5.) Hiccup Haddock 6.) Dirk Thistleweed 7.) Kenji Kon 8.) N STUFF I LOVE: I love Douxie Casperan, Krel Tarron, Mothra films, Kaiju films, collecting Kaiju figures until I run out of money, Douxie being an Alpha Dom Top, Tales of Arcadia, HTTYD, Hazbin Hotel, Voltron, MLP, crop tops, butterflies, moths, dinosaurs, sunny skies, sunsets, BDSM, pop and R&B music, visualizing about crazy animatics in my head while listening to music, drawing...gay stuff (18+), and writing hardcore, unhinged kinky smut. Favorite Mothra film: Rebirth of Mothra Favorite Godzilla film: Godzilla vs. Biollante Favorite Animated series: Wizards: Tales of Arcadia Favorite Animated Film: HTTYD 2 Favorite Song: Rain on Me, Crayons, and Next to You Favorite Musical Artist/s: Ariana Grande, CupcakKe, Lady Gaga Favorite Kaiju: Mothra Favorite Color: I seem to side myself with blue as much as possible (though, I love Teal, Violet, Purple, and Vermillion as well) Favorite food: Pancakes, waffles, and BBQ fries lol STUFF I HATE: (If you wanna interact with me, PLS under any circumstances DO NOT talk about this shit especially the one italicized, bold, and in red text) Whump fics, angst fics, karens, homophobes, racism, drama, Zoe Ashildr, Colonel Kubritz, King Arthur, Fanfics where Douxie is a submissive bottom, being abused, or hurt (seriously though, WTF IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!), floods, mud, cheese, the color pink, the words "pterodactyl, brontosaurus, paradox, and gaslight", boring lectures, most of humanity, the military, unethical human experimentation, the government, politics, people who complain a lot, alcohol, darkness, Antis, the happy birthday song (because it offends me), interruptions, soldiers, most straight canon ships, cheese, haircuts, uninvited guests... ~ (have this cute lil' pic of me from last year with my Battra figure, hehe~)

Currently, I'm trying to write a crapsaccharine story about my OCs. Simply titled "Callisto", it's about a young demigod prince who must join forces with his friends to help control Earth's population and save their home from the multiple magical forces that threaten it. (so far I've barely progressed but I've got a few ideas that just need to be executed properly). Lastly, my birthday is on July 29

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Weeks in Review (July 16-29, 2023)

Legendary announced a pair of Monsterverse comics during a panel at San Diego Comic Con. They've said nothing further since, and no one posted the panel online, so I have less to tell you than I'd like. Godzilla x Kong: The Hunted is the obligatory prequel comic for the film. From the pages they showed off, it looks like Zid has art duties again (well-deserved) and the monsters that Kong is fighting could be the "swamp kitt[ies]" cut from Godzilla vs. Kong. Release date is February 27. Monsterverse Declassified is going to spotlight some of the series' original monsters, with the previews showing Behemoth, Amhuluk, and Tiamat. (Supposedly Scylla, Doug, and the previously-unseen Abaddon will be in it too.)

Toho is finally letting Togen's 4K scans of some of its Godzilla films out of satellite TV jail as tie-ins to Godzilla Minus One. Godzilla (1954) and Mothra vs. Godzilla are coming to 4K Ultra HD on October 25, with Ghidorah, the Three Headed Monster, Invasion of Astro-Monster, and Destroy All Monsters on November 22 and Godzilla vs. Hedorah and Godzilla vs. Biollante. Expect them to be as English-unfriendly as Toho's other releases - but a vague promise of "unused special effects footage", combined with some very crisp-looking photos in a recent book, means there's a chance the Frontier Missile sequence from Godzilla vs. The Thing will be included with Mothra vs. Godzilla. That'd be a godsend, considering how elusive an uncropped, uncut, high-quality version of the scene has proven to be.

These releases will easily be the best Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, Astro-Monster, and Biollante have ever looked on home video. But with Togen shutting down, it's unclear when the rest of the pre-Shin films in the series will get upgrades. (It's also unclear when Toho will permit anyone outside Japan to use these versions for streaming or home video.) So this announcement feels bittersweet to me.

We have a release date for GAMERA -Rebirth- (September 7), a second trailer, and a reveal for the final monster: Viras! As @starestream pointed out, there's a lot of Legion in that design (along with Iris in Zigra). And as Maser Patrol pointed out, this is the same enemy kaiju lineup that Trendmasters chose for its toyline back in 1998. Poor Barugon, no one wants to taste the rainbow (and it probably hurts that he's so visually similar to Jiger too). To be honest, this trailer didn't do much for me; a bit too chaotic. Hopefully it'll be easier to tell what's happening in the show proper.

Bandai, of course, has readied Movie Monster Series figures of Viras, Zigra, and Guiron already. We're also getting a prequel manga set 100,000 years before the show.

Decades after his rampage through the Marvel Universe, Godzilla is barging into the world of DC (where he'll finally meet Batman). Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong is a seven-issue limited series launching October 17, written by Brian Buccellato (who also penned the short "Fight or Flight" comic that will be included in Legends of the Monsterverse: The Omnibus later this year) with art by Christian Duce. The inciting incident is a battle between the Justice League and the Legion of Doom, which tears a hole in reality to let the Monsterverse through.

I'll confess, I was more jazzed for last year's Power Rangers crossover, thanks to the tokusatsu link. This could just be more of Warner Bros. Discovery bashing its toys together. I'm most curious to see if the Legion of Doom makes a bid to conquer the Monsterverse, which with Godzilla and Kong out of the picture is far less prepared for them than the DC universe is for a couple of giant monsters. Superman beats them all, as Ken Yano once said.

Hiya is stepping further out of S.H.Monsterarts' shadow with a figure of the female MUTO, a character long neglected by toymakers. They showed her off at San Diego Comic Con. Playmates meanwhile releases an ad for Titan Tech Rodan - I'm glad they're not giving up on this delightful subline.

Summer Smash concludes IDW's middle-grade Monsters and Protectors storyline, which has spanned the entirety of their second go-round with Godzilla. You can tell it was supposed to be another miniseries; Godzilla, Jet Jaguar, and Mothra send Mecha-King Ghidorah and the Xiliens packing pretty quickly. Art's still great though.

Godzilla Rivals will persist into October with Vs. Mechagodzilla, the magnificent machine being the last of the Toho's Big Five to headline one of these comics. The intriguing logline:

IS YOUR CITY BESIEGED BY KAIJU? DO YOU LIE AWAKE AT NIGHT ANXIOUSLY LISTENING FOR THE MONSTER SIRENS? HAVE YOU HAD ALL YOU CAN TAKE OF GIANT LIZARDS, MOTHS, PTERODACTYLS, AND SHRIMP? THEN CALL TRACER TECH TODAY! OUR STATE-OF-THE-ART ANTI-KAIJU TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED DOZENS OF CITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO FEND OFF THE THREAT OF MONSTER ATTACK. San Palomar, California. It’s a sleepy city with not much going on. That is, until Tracer Tech built their new corporate headquarters there, displacing lifelong citizens and forcing out local businesses. But what is the source of Tracer’s amazing, almost alien technology, and why has it put San Palomar in Godzilla’s sights? And what can a couple of local kids like Alex and Jaz do to protect their city when the King of the Monsters and its robot doppelgänger clash?

SRS Cinema has opened preorders for The Whale God, revealing this cover art by Bob Eggleton. Special features aren't anything spectacular (they're vaguely described, but I think a couple of essays are included, plus the obligatory trailers). Should be out by the end of the year.

The disc replacement program for Cleopatra Entertainment's misbegotten Shin Ultraman releases has resulted in an only marginally better product. The opening montage has subtitles now... but like the rest of the movie, they're just copied from the English dub. Dubtitles in 2023... and for a film that already has a perfectly good official English translation, no less. Oh, and they threw in some new visual glitches too. If your local library picks up a copy, I recommend telling them about the disc replacement program (as I've done), but don't give these clowns your money.

[herebemcnsters]

MUSES

SpaceGodzilla (Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla, Godzilla series)

Irys (Gamera 3: Revenge of Irys)

Moder (The Ritual)

King Ghidorah - Monster Zero (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Monsterverse)

Rodan (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Monsterverse)

Mothra (Godzilla: King of the Monsters, Monsterverse)

Giganotosaurus (Jurassic World: Dominion)

The Gillman (Creature from the Black Lagoon)

Pumpkinhead (Pumpkinhead Franchise)

X-185 (Alien OC)

Ghost (Jurassic World: Dominion)

Namielle (Monster Hunter World)

Berserker Predator/Yautja (Predators, Predator Series)

The Wendigo (Antlers, The Quiet Boy)

Creature - Shark Man (Creature)

Der Klown (Krampus)

Tokka and Rahzar (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze)

Jean Jacket (NOPE)

Chet the Predalien (Alien vs Predator: Requiem)

Cthulhu (Underwater, H.P Lovecraft)

Gwangi (The Valley of Gwangi)

Christine (Christine)

The Death Chill (Ghostbusters Frozen Empire, Ghostbusters Series)

Wraith (Evolve)

Superfly (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem)

Beta (Jurassic World: Dominion)

Indoraptor (Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom)

Indominus Rex (Jurassic World)

The Unknown (Dead by Daylight)

Sadako - The Onryo (Ringu, Dead by Daylight)

Levi - The Leviathan (Percy Jackson Series OC)

FC: Emjay Anthony

Dale - The Outcast Baskaliisk (Percy Jackson Series OC)

FC: David Tenant

Ai'syma - Son of the Lunar Night (Dune OC)

FC: undecided

Rez'kamik-Nifaba - The Outlier Deviant (MCU/Loki OC)

FC: Miles Mckenna

WILL BE UPDATED AS NEEDED