#toho performers series

[downtofragglerock]

So Godzilla, being film franchise that dates back to the 20th century, understandably lacks a large female cast, I wanted to see how many female kaiju the series actually has, but while thinking this over an interesting thought occurred

Japanese, as a language, has some differences regarding pronouns compared to English, and a lot of Kaiju get referred to in much more gender neutral language in original Japanese than they do in English, this has resulted in some interesting fan interpretations over the years regarding the genders of kaiju, and you bet I'm going to catalogue the ones I've encountered

Starting off, the explicitly canon female kaiju of the Godzilla cast:

Mothra

Biollante

Zilla (I think the movie tried to deny it, but the cartoon confirmed it, although final wars zilla is another question)

Megaguirus

Monsterverse actually brings a number of explicitly female kaiju into the fold including:

The female Muto from 2k14

Barb, the other female Muto

Scylla

Tiamat

Na Kika (formerly Kraken)

Shimo

Phosphera

Some of the other unseen titans from King of the Monsters might also be ladies, but given as they are still unseen, that's just blind speculation

Now we get to the interesting part, the fan interpretations

Manda, Kumonga, and Destoroyah all being female is a pretty common and old fan interpretation, I know from firsthand experience that it at least dates back to the 2000s, but it could even be older

Baragon by comparison is far more recent, and I know for a fact this interpretation can be sourced primarily to the fact that in GMK, Baragon's performer was Rie Ota, and a behind the scenes clip of her doing the roars in the suit made waves around the fandom and even outside it in the 2010s

Hedorah is another more recent one, but interestingly enough I've also seen enby, bigender, and genderfluid interpretations of Hedorah as well. I guess there's something about the smog monster that screams gender to fans

Titanosaurus is again a newer interpretation, but fascinatingly a even newer idea has popped up in the past couple years that Titanosaurus is the kaiju equivalent of a femboy twink

Rodan being female is a very interesting case, both in origin and mainly due to the fact it only really applies to the Showa continuity and various fan continuities that desire. Basically the origin of this is that in the original 1956 film Rodan, there are two Rodans, a mating pair. At the end they both fall into Mt. Aso. When Rodan reemerges from Mt. Aso in Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, there's only one. There's been speculation for years as to the origin of this Rodan, but for the longest time it was either assumed to be the male or somehow the child of the pair from the original movie. But in 2010s a new idea rose to greater prominence: What if the Rodan that survived and subsequently appeared in the rest of the Showa films was the female of the pair?

Battra is an uncommon interpretation, but I have observed it

@lydiathespiderqueen did some fanart of a female version of Toho's Frankenstein, as well as the Gargantuas, and it's really good

and @thesilkenlair did a compelling analysis of Spacegodzilla being female due to possessing physical characteristics of Biollante, as well as their behavior in the movie lining up disturbingly well with a phenomenon in nature where an animal will kill or try to kill the extant children of a prospective mate so undivided attention can be given to it and any potential offspring it may have

And that's all I've encountered, please do tell if I've missed some

[yumeka-sxf]

There were two panels related to Spy x Family at Anime Expo this year, with the first on Day 1 being Toho Animation's panel featuring both Spy x Family and Kaiju No.8.

The panel started with the SxF portion, with the special guests being the series director, Kazuhiro Furuhashi, and the CODE: White director, Takashi Katagiri. They also had the six SxF ThreeZero figures on the stage with them 😀

The MC asked them some questions, like what their favorite scenes were from their respective works and who their favorite character is. They also showed behind-the-scenes footage of both the Loid/Fiona tennis match in season 1, and Yor's fight scene against Type F in the movie. We got to see both of these scenes in rough animatic sketch form and then in line art form, which was pretty cool (it wasn't clear if photo/video was prohibited at this panel, but I didn't want to risk it by being caught blatantly recording these exclusive clips, lol). Then they showed off some of Anya's unused outfits from the movie.

At the end, they showed this original illustration by Kyoji Asano, made specifically for this event 😁

And that was it for the SxF part of the panel before they moved on to Kaiju No.8...and to be honest, it kinda overshadowed the SxF part, mostly because it featured two of the main Kaiju No.8 voice actors, one of which was extremely hilarious and charismatic. Plus there were a lot more segments compared to the SxF part. The interview with the guests seemed longer, they did three live voice overs, showed a pre-recorded special message from the band that performs the Kaiju No.8 opening, and then they took a group photo with the audience (and maybe something else that I'm forgetting). It seemed like the SxF part took up about 35% of the panel's time while Kaiju No.8 took up 65%. Not sure why it felt so unbalanced, but it was still fun.

Next was the panel on Day 3 for Production IG and their related studios WIT and Signal MD. Heads of each studio were there, including George Wada from WIT. Photo/video wasn't allowed once the panel started, but it basically consisted of an interview with the different guests, then trailers/teasers for their upcoming projects, then a Q&A session.

WIT is the studio that makes SxF, so I was hoping for any news about season 3, specifically if WIT would be more involved with it than they were with season 2. For those who don't know, season 1 of SxF was made by both WIT Studio and Cloverworks. But when they decided to make both season 2 and the movie in 2023, they split up the work, with WIT focusing on the movie while Cloverworks did pretty much all the work on season 2 (which is why the animation in season 1 and season 2 looks a bit different). According to this tweet, the official staff listing for season 3 is the same as season 2, meaning WIT will once again have little involvement. But despite this, they had a slide during the presentation with the season 3 promo image (preceded by the CODE: White teaser trailer, which made the crowd go wild - glad there were lots of SxF fans in the audience!) George Wada also said in regards to season 3 that they're "working hard on it."

I wanted to confirm during the Q&A if WIT would again take a backseat during season 3's production as well, but unfortunately the panel only had a few minutes left when it was close to my turn, and then they opted to pick a few random people in line for their last questions (which I thought was kind of unfair). Guess we'll just have to wait and see if anything changes with that staff listing once we get closer to season 3's release.

Overall, while Takuya Eguchi's appearance at last year's AX was more fun, it was still cool to attend this year's SxF-related panels as well. Hopefully season 3 will either be airing or close to being released at next year's AX, so we'll have even more SxF events!

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (August 27-September 2, 2023)

Godzilla Battle Line has cemented its reputation as the Super Smash Bros. of kaiju games by bringing in the GAMERA -Rebirth- incarnations of Gamera and Gyaos later this month. Gamera showing up in a Godzilla game is a huge deal—this is the first time the two have properly met outside of poorly-documented live performances. Even in City Shrouded in Shadow, they only appeared in separate levels. Given all the fantasy-match debates over the years, maybe it's for the best that they're coming to blows in a medium where either could emerge the victor.

Godzilla Rivals: Vs. SpaceGodzilla marks Matt Frank's triumphant return to the IDW Godzilla line (covers aside). It reminded me a lot of The Last Hope: the fall of an advanced civilization at the hands of kaiju, narrated but dialogue-free. As in Rulers of Earth, Frank draws a mean SpaceGodzilla - more personable than the one from the actual movie but just as much of a dick. Singura, his all-new rival, is a neat creation too, with more abilities than this concept art lets on.

Sometimes these Weeks in Review are outdated before I can post them. Behold the teaser for the trailer for Godzilla Minus One, both of which you have surely watched five times by now. I'm hoping to have an analysis post up shortly.

Godzilla Voxel Wars is a game headed for Steam in November 2023. A turned-based strategy game, it pits a host of Toho monsters against an alien race called the Fungoids (interesting, and perhaps accidental, synergy with IDW's Zoospora). Toho Games is developing it with Nukenin. I'm intrigued, mostly because this style of Godzilla game usually forces you to control the military, but the art style isn't the most appealing. They look like nanoblocks. It's also catching some flak for its similarities to Into the Breach.

Titanosaurus has long been one of the most coveted Movie Monster Series figures since his release in 2002, and he's finally getting another edition, alongside a Godzilla '75 (last seen as part of the Memorial Box in 2005).

JSDF plans for new anti-aircraft electronic warfare equipment had Japanese Twitter abuzz, on account of the vehicle looking for all the world like a Maser Cannon. I'm sure kaiju filmmakers will start looking for excuses to have them show up.

[hrodvitnon]

Are we seriously dogpiling on KOTM all over again? Are we forgetting that while the box office leaves a lot to be desired, it still made made money via merchandise and also became top 1 seller in DVDs back then? Box office is important, but box office isn't always the end-all be-all either, otherwise going by that logic, The Iron Giant deserves to be shunned.

Not to mention, it's still the most beloved MV movie by the Japanese fandom and Toho themselves consider it as one of the main movies in the entire Godzilla franchise, as seen in these tweets.

Yeah the movie isn't perfect, but not a single MV movie is perfect either, all of them had their own pros and cons. I swear people act like KOTM is like the literal antichrist, and it really sucks. You just can't escape that because it's literally everywhere. And it's now further amplified now that GxK is out. I like GxK a lot too, but it doesn't make sense comparing the movies when they're both about the same when it comes to their pros and cons.

This is why I don't enjoy engaging with the fandom at all and this blog is one of the few comforting spaces for it. But now, I'm not so sure if I can stay here either.

Sorry for the sorta rant there, but yeah. I hold this movie near and dear to my heart, and while I get the flaws and gripes, they just don't bother me that much at all and the human plot isn't that different from the usual Toho Godzilla movie anyways.

I'm not dogpiling on it! And if it comes off that way it's not my intention! I like KOTM, it is one of my favorites in the MonsterVerse, but I'd be remiss in not acknowledge its flaws, because it's a flawed movie but still an enjoyable one! It'd be hypocritical of me as well, because I play Bethesda games, and goodness knows they're a hot mess. Yes, human characters whether good or bad or barely characters at all have ALWAYS been a part of Godzilla movies, they just wouldn't be the same without humans! It's just that Mark and Emma in particular pissed me off and it felt like Mark being a dick with plot armor was favored over a more reasonable and likeable character like, oh I don't know, Vivienne! This is just an instance of Your Mileage May Vary!

I'm also not saying its poor box office performance automatically makes it a bad movie, I'm just agreeing that it didn't do great at box office! At no point did I insinuate that "bad box office = bad product" because, fuck's sake, that's like saying Kubo and the Two Strings is bad because it didn't make enough money! I'm the same person who, when an anonymous asker told me to watch a video series called King of the Blunders on YouTube, said "lol no" because I ALREADY KNOW it's a flawed movie and I DON'T NEED some CinemaSins Director's Cut playlist detailing every single minute gripe! Am I not allowed to point out flaws in something I like?

...me being tired isn't helping, so I'm going to drop this subject before it turns into another Talking In Circles About Godzilla Characterization.

Yeah, same.

I'm going to bed now.

[chernobog13]

Nice design by Tohl Narita, but I'm ashamed to say I don't know who this character is.

Looks like an alternate Ultra or some other character for a Tsuburaya series.

ADDENDUM:

I since been able to do some research and found that this is the design for the hero Human No. 1 from the tokusatsu series Assault! Human (1972), which was a co-production of Nippon TV and Union Motion Picture Company, and NOT a Tsuburaya production.

All 13 episodes of the series were live performances recorded at various locations around Japan and then broadcast on TV.

Unfortunately, the master tapes of the recordings were overwritten, and no copies are known to exist. That is why this series has never been released to home video. Assault! Human is considered a lost series.

Stills and some video footage that remains are mostly from private collections of people who attended the live performances.

Toho eventually acquired many of the gaijin suits for use in the 1973 television series Go! Greenman.

[dweemeister]

Sending out Oscar nomination eve vibes

First things first, as a fan of the human chaos that is the Academy Awards, viewing films primarily through the prism of awards is one of the most myopic ways to look at movies. That there is a whole sub-industry of journalism dedicated to awards horse racing and campaigning never ceases to amaze me - even though I must admit to consuming said journalism (or "journalism").

Going into and out of a screening with "I wonder what this could get nominated for?" as the first thing in your mind is not how anyone should absorb and analyze a film. Awards are for the industry, sure, but they're also markers of taste for a certain group of people at a moment in time. They're good entryways into budding film buffs. Awards are fun; don't try to get too emotionally involved in them.

Okay, putting that aside and fully realizing some of the below will sound hypocritical, I begin with some extremely unlikely stuff I would like to see tomorrow morning, but probably won't happen at all...

That despite the highly questionable 2017 move to take away sole nominating power for Best Animated Feature from the Short Films and Feature Animation Branch (I'm guessing the Academy at-large got sick and tired of the category featuring films they hadn't seen/refused to see), I hope those who opted into voting on Best Animated Feature nominees looked beyond the major American and Japanese animation studios. Did Robot Dreams catch their eye (this was a major hit in its native Spain and France)? Maybe Perlimps (directed by Ale Abreu, who did Boy & the World)? Ernest & Celestine: A Trip to Gibberitia (which I admit I truly enjoyed, although I still hold the original in much higher esteem)? My Love Affair with Marriage? What about The Peasants (directed by the same team who gave us Loving Vincent)? I hope they took the time to give those films a watch, their due justice. If they don't get nominated because they didn't deserve, that's okay. But I want voters (and everyone out there) to realize the world of animation is much more than Disney/Pixar/DreamWorks/Illumination/Netflix/Sony and Studio Ghibli/Toei/Toho Company. There is so much more out there.

That Justine Triet is nominated for Best Director for Anatomy of a Fall. Give us Milo Machado Graner as a Supporting Actor nominee, too.

Another child actor in the acting categories, please. No one pins a 30-year-old Asian American male as a fan of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret. I read the book (one of the few major Judy Blume books I had never read) last year, and adored the film adaptation. But, in realization that I don't think the film is good enough for Best Picture... how about a Best Actress nod for Abby Ryder Fortson? She embodies Margaret beautifully, and strengthens this adaptation with a mature performance. She deserves it solely for escaping the Ant-Man series and not being involved in Quantumania. On another note, Rachel McAdams has taken all of the headlines for Margaret. She's fine, but I completely disagreed with her character's expanded presence in the film, as it took away from Margaret (Blume's book is entirely from Margaret's perspective).

Dominic Sessa. Supporting Actor for The Holdovers. Make it happen, please.

I haven't seen it. And this is a bit self-serving, professionally. But as the Artistic Director for Viet Film Fest, if Trần Anh Hùng's The Taste of Things is indeed deserving of a Best International Feature nomination (which, by looking at reviews, surely sounds like the case), I hope that voters do not punish the film for taking France's spot in Best International Feature instead of Anatomy of a Fall. I think the French believed that The Taste of Things represented French culture better than Anatomy of a Fall, and wanted to spread the love among potential Oscar contenders. Nevertheless, there's been a kerfuffle since France announced Trần Anh Hùng's film as their International Feature pick. Let's put that controversy aside, please.

That actors reward performances that are "showy" and nuanced. I feel like the Discourse over the last two years have been to reward maximalist performances in maximalist movies.

That voters in the music branch stop giving into the trends of amelodic, atonal, and minimalistic film scores (I'll even thrown in film scores that prioritize a "vibe" or "beat" over anything else, truly any score that is meant "not to be noticed"). We're in a moment now where younger directors (and certain auteurs who clearly have limited knowledge in the power of great melodic film music) are telling their composers - some of whom are incredibly capable artists, others not so much - that melody is old-fashioned, has no place in modern "realistic" cinema, and belongs only in musicals and animation. As a pianist/violinist who isn't that good at all and was classically trained through high school, this hurts deep. Don't be so afraid of a gorgeous melody and what it can provide to even movies aiming for realism. If the reactions as I was leaving The Zone of Interest and Poor Things the other nights were any indication, I'm becoming a endangered minority. Perhaps they should ship me to a museum so I can listen to my outdated film scores.

Am I still hurting from the sonic trash that was All Quiet's Best Original Score win last year? You bet.

Godzilla Minus One shocks us all and gets a nomination. Somewhere. Anywhere. Visual Effects? Yes please. Best Picture? Ehh, probably not, but if somehow made it, this kaiju fan would be very happy.

Okay, now for more likely things that'll happen. Some vibes need to go that way too, even if I'm a little more comfortable about the following.

That Killers of the Flower Moon can weather what appears to be a lack of support outside the United States - I get it, many non-Americans are tired of American cinema's racial reckonings on-screen - and solidly find its nominations for Picture, Director, Actress (Gladstone), Supporting Actor (De Niro), Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Costume Design, Production Design. Anything beyond that is a luxury to me - I waffle on the deservedness of Leonardo DiCaprio's performance and I disapprove recent trends in how AMPAS perceives what constitutes a worthy score.

That even though I personally don't think Barbie deserves to be nominated for any of the big awards, I hope it does well in the technical categories it deserves (Cinematography, Editing, Song, Costume Design, Production Design, and Visual Effects). Even if it gets nominated for Best Picture (which I think is a 90% chance right now), I don't mind at all.

Past Lives love. Celine Song? Greta Lee? Teo Yoo?

I think American Fiction is dancing 50/50 on all of its potential nominations right now. At least get Jeffrey Wright in for Actor and Cord Jefferson for Screenplay. Picture and anything else a luxury.

That the Short Film and Feature Animation Branch doesn't confuse professionally edited home movies with a worthy documentary short. Please stop.

For the record, yours truly is on Team Killers of the Flower Moon. And right now? I'm expecting the film to perform like Scorsese's The Irishman (2019) on Oscar night.

There's... a major contender of a film or two out there I'd like to see not do so well on nominations because I did not care for them (Oppenheimer is not one of them, as I think it mostly deserves the nominations that appear to be headed its way... winning those boatload of nominations, though? hmm). Those one or two films shall go nameless so as not to jinx anything. But perhaps you already parsed them out by reading the above.

[bluetapes]

Part 2 of a series interrogating the track titles for Kaijupop, the debut album of my Soft-Bodied Humans project.

The album is available on LP and digital from @gangofducks at https://gangofducks.bandcamp.com/album/kaijupop

Track 2: Core-Braver

--

Core-Braver (コアブレイバー Koa Bureibā) is a heroic mecha created by Toho that first appeared in episode 2 of Super Fleet Sazer-X, titled "Burn Up! Great-Lio."

Core-Braver is a sleek white and silver humanoid machine with bright yellow eyes and a powerful red laser in his chest.

--

On Kaijupop, Core-Braver features a stand-out performance from the great Swordman Kitala, who rides an off-kilter beat made out repurposed kaiju roars with supreme confidence and skill.

Musically it's difficult to describe - the beat belonged to a subset of tracks I was working on that I dubbed 'wonky pop', which also includes Foksaurus feat. MCpero from the Kaijugrime EP.

These tracks often had chirpy, major-key melodies that bounced playfully on top of abrasive roars, screeches and ear-shattering industrial beats.

I think it just sounds and feels good.

[usagirotten]

Blue Giant Anime Film's Trailer

The official website for the anime film adaptation of Shinichi Ishizuka's Blue Giant manga unveiled a new trailer and poster visual for the film on Friday. The trailer reveals the main cast and more staff members for the film.  The cast members include (left to right in image above): - Amane Okayama (live-action Kingdom 2, Poetry Angel, Love Disease) as Shunji Tamada, Dai's schoolmate - Yuki Yamada (live-action Tokyo Revngers, Shoplifters, One Piece Film Red) as Dai Miyamoto, the protagonist and saxophonist - Shōtarō Mamiya (live-action Tokyo Revngers, Mr. Nietzsche in the Convenience Store) as Yukinori Sawabe, a pianist that protagonist Dai Miyamoto meets in Tokyo   The film will open in Japan on February 17, 2023. Yuzuru Tachikawa (Death Parade, Mob Psycho 100 all three seasons, Deca-Dence) is directing the film at studio NUT. NUMBER 8, the editor of the Blue Giant manga and the story director for the Blue GiantSupreme manga, is writing the screenplay. TOHO animation will distribute the film. World-renowned pianist Hiromi Uehara composes the original music that the film's in-story jazz trio JASS performs, and will also play the piano for the character Yukinori Sawabe. Saxophonist Tomoaki Baba plays the saxophone for the character Dai. Shun Ishiwaka, the drummer of the Millennium Parade band, drums for Shunji Tamada. Seven Seas Entertainment is publishing Ishizuka's 10-volume Blue Giant manga series as five omnibus volumes, and it describes the story: Miyamoto Dai, a student with a taste for basketball, changes his life the first time he sees a live jazz performance. The incredible music strikes a chord deep inside him, and he immediately decides to dedicate himself to the saxophone. He has no skills, no formal training, and no idea what he's up against, but his obsession drives him to play that instrument day after day. Will passion be enough to become the player of his dreams? This award-winning manga from Shinichi Ishizuka, compiled into five omnibus volumes for its English debut, is a pitch-perfect drama about the power of music.

  Read the full article

[denimbex1986]

'GALECA: The Society of LGBTQ Entertainment Critics has just announced the nominees across 21 categories in its 15th annual Dorian Film Awards, voted for by the group’s more than 500 members made up of LGBTQIA+ identifying media professionals.

Andrew Haigh’s powerful All of Us Strangers leads with nine nominations including Film of the Year, LGBTQ Film of the Year, Genre Film of the Year (a new category in this year’s Dorians Awards), plus Haigh received recognition as director and for the film’s screenplay (adapted from the 1987 Japanese novel, Strangers by Taichi Yamada) in both the Screenplay of the Year and the LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year categories. The poignant and haunting queer drama also got Dorian nods for its cast, with Andrew Scott in the running for Film Performance of the Year, while both Paul Mescal and Claire Foy were named in the Supporting Performance of the Year category. Additionally, filmmaker Andrew Haigh—who is responsible for the queer Britsh classic Weekend and the HBO series Looking—is in the running for this year’s GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer Award “for creating art that inspires empathy, truth and equity. Andrew Scott also received a Trailblazer nod, alongside Jodie Foster, Todd Haynes, and Colman Domingo...

GALECA: THE SOCIETY OF LGBTQ ENTERTAINMENT CRITICS 15TH DORIAN FILM AWARDS – FULL LIST OF NOMINATIONS

Film of the Year

All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Barbie (Warner Bros.) May December (Netflix) Past Lives (A24) Poor Things (Searchlight)

LGBTQ Film of the Year

All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Bottoms (MGM) Passages (MUBI, SBS) Rustin (Netflix) Saltburn (Amazon MGM)

Director of the Year

Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Warner Bros.) Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Todd Haynes, May December (Netflix) Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer (Universal) Celine Song, Past Lives (A24)

Screenplay of the Year – original or adapted

Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig, Barbie (Warner Bros.) Samy Burch, May December (Netflix) Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Arthur Harari, Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON) Celine Song, Past Lives (A24)

LGBTQ Screenplay of the Year

Andrew Haigh, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Arthur Harari, Justine Triet, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON) Dustin Lance Black, Julian Breece, Rustin (Netflix) Arlette Langmann, Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias, Passages (MUBI) Emma Seligman, Rachel Sennott, Bottoms (MGM)

Film Performance of the Year

Colman Domingo, Rustin (Netflix) Paul Giamatti, The Holdovers (Focus Features) Lily Gladstone, Killers of the Flower Moon (Apple, Paramount) Sandra Hüller, Anatomy of a Fall (NEON) Greta Lee, Past Lives (A24) Trace Lysette, Monica (IFC) Cillian Murphy, Oppenheimer (Universal) Natalie Portman, May December (Netflix) Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Emma Stone, Poor Things (Searchlight)

Supporting Film Performance of the Year

Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple (Warner Bros.) Robert Downey Jr., Oppenheimer (Universal) Jodie Foster, NYAD (Netflix) Claire Foy, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Ryan Gosling, Barbie (Warner Bros.) Rachel McAdams, Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret (Lionsgate) Charles Melton, May December (Netflix) Paul Mescal, All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Rosamind Pike, Saltburn (Amazon MGM) Da’Vine Joy Randolph, The Holdovers (Focus Features)

Genre Film of the Year – for excellence in science fiction, fantasy, and horror

All of Us Strangers (Searchlight) Godzilla Minus One (Toho) M3GAN (Universal) Poor Things (Searchlight) Talk To Me (A24)

GALECA LGBTQIA+ Film Trailblazer Award – for creating art that inspires empathy, truth, and equity

Colman Domingo Jodie Foster Andrew Haigh Todd Haynes Andrew Scott'

[wikiuntamed]

Top 5 @Wikipedia pages from yesterday: Monday, 4th December 2023

Welcome, ողջու՜յն (voġčuyn), fàilte, benvingut 🤗 What were the top pages visited on @Wikipedia (4th December 2023) 🏆🌟🔥?

1️⃣: Animal (2023 film) "Animal is a 2023 Indian Hindi-language action drama film directed and edited by Sandeep Reddy Vanga and produced by Bhushan Kumar, Krishan Kumar, Murad Khetani and Pranay Reddy Vanga under T-Series Films, Bhadrakali Pictures and Cine1 Studios. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor, Anil Kapoor, Bobby Deol,..."

2️⃣: Zoram People's Movement "The Zoram People's Movement (abbreviated: ZPM; English: Zoram People's Movement) is a alliance of six regional parties formed under the leadership of MLA and former IPS Officer Lalduhoma. The party believes in secularism and protection of religious minorities in India. In 2018 Mizoram Legislative..."

3️⃣: Godzilla Minus One "Godzilla Minus One (Japanese: ゴジラ-1.0（マイナスワン）, Hepburn: Gojira Mainasu Wan) is a 2023 Japanese kaiju film written and directed by Takashi Yamazaki. Produced by Toho Studios and Robot Communications and distributed by Toho, it is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise, Toho's 33rd Godzilla film, and..."

4️⃣: Tripti Dimri "Tripti Dimri (born 23 February 1994) is an Indian actress who works in Hindi films. She made her acting debut in the comedy film Poster Boys (2017) and had her first lead role in the romantic drama Laila Majnu (2018). She gained recognition for her performances in Anvita Dutt's period films Bulbbul..."

Image licensed under CC BY 3.0? by Bollywood Hungama

5️⃣: Macaulay Culkin "Macaulay Macaulay Culkin Culkin (born Macaulay Carson Culkin; August 26, 1980 (1980-08-26)) is an American actor and musician. One of the most successful child actors of the 1990s, he was placed 2nd on VH1's 2005 list of the "100 Greatest Kid-Stars". Culkin rose to prominence as a child actor..."

Image licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0? by Matt Biddulph

[gemtvusa]

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) Release date, Trailer, Cast

"Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire" marks the latest installment in the celebrated MonsterVerse, directed by Adam Wingard. It is the much-anticipated sequel to "Godzilla vs. Kong" (2021), representing the seventh title in the MonsterVerse and the 38th entry in the Godzilla series, alongside being the 13th in the King Kong series. Notably, this film is the fifth Godzilla project fully realized by an American studio. The ensemble cast features Dan Stevens, Rebecca Hall, Brian Tyree Henry, Kaylee Hottle, and Fala Chen, with Hall, Henry, and Hottle reprising their roles from the earlier movie. Godzilla x Kong: The New EmpireOfficial logoDirected byAdam WingardScreenplay byTerry RossioSimon BarrettJeremy SlaterStory byTerry RossioAdam WingardSimon BarrettBased onGodzilla by Toho Co., Ltd.King Kong by Edgar WallaceMerian C. CooperProduced byMary ParentAlex GarciaEric McLeodBrian RogersThomas TullJon JashniStarringDan StevensRebecca HallBrian Tyree HenryKaylee HottleFala ChenCinematographyBen SeresinEdited byJosh SchaefferMusic byTom HolkenborgProduction companyLegendary PicturesDistributed byWarner Bros. Pictures (Worldwide)Toho (Japan)Release dateApril 12, 2024Running time122 MinutesCountryUnited StatesLanguageEnglish Following the success of "Godzilla vs. Kong," especially its remarkable performance on both box office and streaming platforms during the pandemic, Legendary greenlit the sequel in March 2022 and announced that production would start later that year. Adam Wingard was confirmed to direct again in May 2022, and the lead role was secured by Dan Stevens. Principal photography took place in Gold Coast, Queensland, from July to November 2022. The release of the film is set for April 12, 2024. The narrative picks up from the monumental clash in "Godzilla vs. Kong" and introduces a new, formidable adversary that lies hidden within Earth, posing a threat to the existence of both Kong and Godzilla, as well as humanity. This chapter aims to explore deeper into the lore of these Titans, shedding light on their origins, the secrets of Skull Island, and a primeval battle that forever intertwines their fates with that of humankind. Development history reflects the cautious optimism of Legendary Pictures, with producer Alex Garcia expressing hope for more MonsterVerse films contingent on the success of previous installments. Wingard hinted at the potential directions for the franchise's future, emphasizing the audience's role in determining its trajectory. The positive reception and financial achievements of "Godzilla vs. Kong" spurred conversations and plans for additional films. "Son of Kong" was among the titles considered. In the build-up to this sequel, Legendary teased further expansion of the MonsterVerse.

Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire cast

The casting updates revealed returning and new cast members, although Millie Bobby Brown did not reprise her role due to scheduling conflicts. The production team saw familiar faces with the inclusion of Tom Hammock as the production designer, editor Josh Schaeffer, composer Tom Holkenborg, and Terry Rossio collaborating on the script with Jeremy Slater and Simon Barrett. Filming wrapped up in Australia with hints at the film's title, and Tom Holkenborg was set to compose the score, returning from his work on "Godzilla vs. Kong."

Godzilla x Kong release date: When can we expect Godzilla vs Kong 2?

The film's promotion began with a teaser trailer released by Legendary in April 2023, followed by strategic marketing initiatives leading up to the theatrical release slated for April 12, 2024, after being initially scheduled for March of the same year. Footnotes clarify the historical context of American involvement in the Godzilla franchise, noting earlier collaborations and the landmark of the first completely Hollywood-produced Godzilla film in 1998.

Godzilla x kong the new empire 2024 release date trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OtYLpeN4EU Read the full article

[wotakugo]

The Apothecary Diaries anime adaptation revealed a main trailer earlier today. The anime will premiere on October 21 with three episodes at once. OLM and Toho Animation Studio are animating the series. Ryokushaka is performing the opening theme song “Hanna ni natte” while AiNA THE END is in charge of the ending song “Aikotoba.”[wpcc-iframe data-lazyloaded="1" data-ezsrc="about:blank" title="TVアニメ『薬屋のひとりごと』本PV｜10.21 25:05日本テレビ初回3話一挙放送！" width="1170" height="658" data-src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oyHqh8ue4zw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen class="ezlazyload"][wpcc-iframe title="TVアニメ『薬屋のひとりごと』本PV｜10.21 25:05日本テレビ初回3話一挙放送！" width="1170" height="658" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oyHqh8ue4zw?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen]The new trailer also introduces the additional cast for The Apothecary Diaries anime. Aoi Yuki and Takeo Otsuka are voicing the main duo, Maomao and Jinshi. The additions are:Katsuyuki Konishi as GaoshiAtsumi Tanezaki as GyokuyouYui Ishikawa as LihuaHina Kino as LishuYuko Kaida as Ah-duoMisaki Kuno as XiaolanKenji Akabane as LihakuMegumi Han as MaameiAmi Koshimizu as PairinHiroki Nanami as JokaNorihiro Naganuma is directing the anime and also doing the series composition. Yukiko Nakatani is in charge of the character designs. The staff also includes:Music: Arisa Okehazama, Kevin Penkin, Satoru KousakiCharacter Design: Yukiko NakataniArt Director: Katsumi TakaoSound Director: Shoji HataCGI Director: Yu NagaiDirector of Photography: Rumi IshiguroAssistant Director: Akinori FudesakaColor Design: Misato AidaEditing: Daisuke ImaiThe Apothecary Diaries anime is based on a light novel series written by Natsu Hyuga and illustrated by Toko Shino. Shufunutomo has been serializing it under its Hero Bunko imprint since 2014. A manga adaptation by Itsuki Nanao has been ongoing since May 2017. J-Novel Club is publishing The Apothecary Diaries in English and describes the plot as:In the East is a land ruled by an emperor, whose consorts and serving women live in a sprawling complex known as the hougong, the rear palace. Maomao, an unassuming girl raised in an unassuming town by her apothecary father, never imagined the rear palace would have anything to do with her—until she was kidnapped and sold into service there. Though she looks ordinary, Maomao has a quick wit, a sharp mind, and an extensive knowledge of medicine. That’s her secret, until she encounters a resident of the palace at least as perceptive as she is: the head eunuch, Jinshi. He sees through Maomao’s façade and makes her a lady-in-waiting to none other than the Emperor’s favorite consort… so she can taste the lady’s food for poison!At her lady’s side, Maomao starts to learn about everything that goes on in the rear palace—not all of it seemly. Can she ever lead a quiet life, or will her powers of deduction and insatiable curiosity bring her ever more adventures, and ever more dangers?Source: Official Website©Natsu Hyuga, Shufunutomo / “Kusuriya no Hitorigoto” Production CommitteeAfter AnimeCorner

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Brooklyn 2

This year marked my first time attending a kaiju convention that wasn't G-Fest. In my defense, there were no real options besides G-Fest until very recently, and those options kept getting scheduled during my semester (All Monsters Attack) or had hefty travel costs attached (the cons in Texas, Arizona, and California). But Kaiju Brooklyn's sophomore outing caught my eye, not the least because it was being held in my home state.

Kaiju Brooklyn's existence is fairly serendipitous. Artist and set painter John Belotti Jr. scored the t-shirt rights to the Ultra Series in 2022, but Tsuburaya didn't approve his designs in time for him to sell them at any of the major New York City conventions. After learning that an event space had opened up in Brooklyn's Industry City, he hit upon the idea of a kaiju convention—and thanks to the twin WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, he had ample time to plan one.

Kaiju Brooklyn 2 expanded significantly on its predecessor, adding a full lineup of panels, a second film screening, a Friday night VIP party, and an Ultraman screening room. I sprung for the VIP package because I thought it would better justify the trip and I was originally supposed to go with my vastly more outgoing QPP. I ended up skittering around the outskirts of the party like the wallflower I am until some of the volunteers noticed my Wikizilla shirt and started gushing about the site/channel. (Keeping the site up to date has been seriously draining as of late, so that really meant a lot.) The swag bag consisted of a Kaiju Brooklyn-branded string backpack and lanyard, a sticker for the night's movie, and a Blu-ray of Superior 8 Ultra Brothers. At first I thought the Blu was the big prize, but the backpack ended up making my life a lot easier the next day. @mainblag (April) showed up for the outdoor Mega Monster Battle: Ultra Galaxy Legends the Movie screening. The crowd was enthusiastic and the venue terrific; unfortunately, the overhead lighting never dimmed, making the picture hard to see. I had seen the film enough times to be able to follow it regardless, but it was April's first viewing. Mill Creek Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles. (I hoped in vain for the dub.)

I arrived at the con early the next day to see how far I could stretch my limited funds in the dealers' room. There was a TV at the entrance to the hall playing Godzilla Minus One, serendipitously added to Netflix mid-con. (Enough of us stopped to watch the atomic breath scene in Ginza that we briefly blocked said entrance.) The dealers were splendid. I recognized a few from G-Fest; speaking of the Chicago con, it was refreshing to see so many kaiju artists in one room again. Amazingly, no Toho lawyers descended from the ceiling. My haul is here. Took me long enough to pick up a MinusGoji. Also, props to Tsuburaya for having a booth; the free Ultraman: Rising cards went quickly.

I went to three panels: Ultraman Goes West with Belotti Jr. and Ultraman Connection's EJ Couloucoundis; A Tale of 2 Godzillas with Shin Godzilla PA Yoko Higuchi, and Kevin Derendorf's incredible one-hour encapsulation of the Godzilla franchise right before the night's movie screening. The Ultraman panel was a real how-far-we've-come moment. Tsuburaya is doing far more to make their back catalogue and their ears available to U.S. fans than Toho at this point, and I was really impressed with how eloquently Couloucoundis spoke about the Ultra Series. The 2 Godzillas panel was hamstrung by the absence of Will Caban, who worked on TriStar's Godzilla, but Higuchi had more than enough stories about Shin and thoughts about kaiju to fill the hour. Great moderator too. There was also supposed to be a meet-and-greet with Monster Island Buddies; unfortunately, he had the flu.

The Cosplay Contest, held on the same rectangular turf lawn as the screenings, was great fun. Creative costumes; great performances for the crowd; a minimum of photographers lunging in front of everyone else for the perfect shot.

The outdoor showing of The Return of Godzilla was my first time seeing the film with a crowd, and I believe my first time revisiting it since my big Godzilla series rewatch in 2019. I took it in with the lovely group I had sort of glommed onto later in the day, along with April and the college friend who I was staying with. I much prefer the Kazuki Omori films that followed—the pacing here tends towards the sluggish—but it takes some big swings with the Cold War angle and, as one of only two Godzilla films made in the 80s, has a unique look. The crowd enthusiastically booed the American flag on the ambassador's car. The source was the Kraken Releasing Blu-ray, Japanese with English subtitles.

I want to end by talking a bit more about the venue, Industry City. This is a line of historical warehouses and factories now largely occupied by various small businesses, including The Shops at Japan Village. It's a vastly more engaging space than a hotel, at times even beautiful, and helped make up for the two-track nature of the con. If you weren't up for the current panel and had tapped out your Dealers' Room budget, there was still plenty to look at. The panels were held at various spaces throughout the venue, and getting to them was sometimes a bit of an adventure. The Higuchi panel was decidedly cramped. It seems inevitable that the con will keep growing, given Godzilla and Ultraman's ever-climbing popularity in the States, but I wonder how much physical room it has to do so in Industry City.

If you're on the East Coast, Kaiju Brooklyn's well worth the trip. For as much as kaiju fans bicker online, the ones who come to in-person meetups remain a blast to talk to, and they know how to put on a show.

[margridarnauds]

Toho Musical Stars: Sayaka Kanda (神田 沙也加)

Bonus: 

[chernobog13]

The film poster for Nemuri Kyōshirō Sappōchō (Enter Kyōshirō Nemuri the Swordsman) aka Sleepy Eyes of Death 1: The Chinese Jade (1963).

Daiei's superstar Raizo Ichikawa took a momentary break from the Shinobi no Mono film series to take on his most famous role: the nihilistic ronin, Nemuri Kyōshirō. Nemuri was the son of a noblewoman who was raped by a Western priest during a Black Mass (the film series is sometimes referred to as Son of the Black Mass). He is the master of the Full Moon Cut, a sword technique that - once started - is impossible to defeat.

Nemuri first appeared in 1956 as the protagonist of six jidaigeki novels and several short stories by Renzaburō Shibata. Toho immediately recognized the appeal of the character and released a trilogy of films starring Tsuruta Kōji as Nemuri.

However, it was the Daiei series starring Ichikawa-san that caught the public's fancy. Ichikawa-san went on to play Nemuri in twelve films between 1963 and 1969, and the series proved to be almost popular as the studio's Zatoichi films (which starred Ichikawa-san's close friend, Shinto Katsu).

Unfortunately, Ichikawa-san's untimely death from cancer in 1969 was a mortal blow to the series. Daiei tried to carry on, casting Matsukata Hiroki (who had previously played a bad guy in the series) as Nemuri. However, the two films with Hiroki-san as Nemuri did not perform well (the public was used to Ichikawa-san in the role). That, plus the terrible financial straits that Daiei was in (the studio would soon go bankrupt) led to the film series' cancellation.

[thealmightyemprex]

Top 10 Giant Monster Movies (No Godzilla ,King Kong, or Ray Harryhausen films )

So I wanted to showcase my favorite giant monster movies.....That didnt have King Kong, Godzilla ,or monsters provided by Ray Harryhausen......Cause they would obviously make up most of the list .Will include solo films by other Toho monsters though

10.Rebirth of Mothra Trilogy

Fun fantasy series for kids

9.Gorgo

Love the concept of the monster simply being a baby ,with a bigger more ferocious mama

8.Q the Winged Serpent

Crime movie combined with a monster flick.Cool monster and a shady lead played by Michael Moriarty make this fun

7.Frankenstein Conquers the World

This film is bonkers but it somehow works

6.Tremors

Small town fighting off giant worms.Great practical effects and performance make this film

5.Jurassic Park

I count dinosaurs as giant monsters.This film mixes majesty and terror .The sense of awe and wonder is something I crave in more monster films

4.The Blob

Its a legit creepy idea for a monster ,a hungry unstoppable mass thats wants to absorb all life ,and I also like the message of teens being heroes ,made in a time when they were seen as a nuisance

So these top 3 can be place in any order,in my heart they are tied for number 1 they are some of the best monster movies ever

3.The Host

Good commentary, I like the theme of a family trying to come together ,and I like that the plot is basically a kidnapping movie that happens to have as its antagonist a maneating beasty .Also this film is somehow very funny while it also ia unafraid to tear your heart out and stomp on it

2.Them!

This is just a genuinely good film ,with gret actors like Edmund Gwen and James Whitmore ,fun side characters ,good suspense and pacing .Also despite being from the 50's I would say it is still scary ,not just cause the idea of big ants freaked me out as a kid ,but the film has genuinely haunting stuff cause the film takes itself seriously

1.Mothra

One of many monster movies made by Ishiro Honda ,and while Godzilla is his masterpiece this is my favorite of his work.Mothra is our hero and the villain is explicitly a greedy captalist who has brought upon the goddesses wrath .Theres some good comedy ,a great villain in the slimey Nelson , the reporter Snapping Turtle(Bulldog in the dub) is a fun comedic hero ,Mothra is a great monster ,the effects are great .....And unhlike many tragic monster films,theres a sense of hope and optimism to this one

@ariel-seagull-wings @amalthea9 @metropolitan-mutant-of-ark @angelixgutz @princesssarisa @the-blue-fairie @filmcityworld1 @themousefromfantasyland