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Kaijū
is a Japanese media genre that focuses on stories involving giant monsters. The word ''kaiju'' can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters. The ''kaiju'' genre is a subgenre of ''tokusatsu'' entertainment. The 1954 film ''Godzilla'' is commonly regarded as the first ''kaiju'' film. ''Kaiju'' characters are often somewhat metaphorical in nature; Godzilla, for example, serves as a metaphor for nuclear weapons, reflecting the fears of post-war Japan following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the '' Lucky Dragon 5'' incident. Other notable examples of ''kaiju'' characters include Rodan, Mothra, King Ghidorah and Gamera. Etymology The Japanese word ''kaijū'' originally referred to monsters and creatures from ancient Japanese legends; it earlier appeared in the Chinese ''Classic of Mountains and Seas''. After '' sakoku'' had ended and Japan was opened to f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Godzilla (1954 Film)
is a 1954 Japanese ''kaiju'' film directed by Ishirō Honda, with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. Produced and distributed by Toho Co., Ltd., it is the first film in the ''Godzilla'' franchise. The film stars Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata, and Takashi Shimura, with Haruo Nakajima and Katsumi Tezuka as Godzilla. In the film, Japan's authorities deal with the sudden appearance of a giant monster, whose attacks trigger fears of nuclear holocaust during post-war Japan. ''Godzilla'' entered production after a Japanese-Indonesian co-production collapsed. Tsuburaya originally proposed for a giant octopus before the filmmakers decided on a dinosaur-inspired creature. ''Godzilla'' pioneered a form of special effects called suitmation, in which a stunt performer wearing a suit interacts with miniature sets. Principal photography ran 51 days, and special effects photography ran 71 days. ''Godzilla'' was theatrically released in Japan on November 3, 1954, and ear ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rodan
is a fictional monster, or '' kaiju'', which first appeared as the title character in Ishirō Honda's 1956 film ''Rodan'', produced and distributed by Toho. Following its debut standalone appearance, Rodan went on to be featured in numerous entries in the ''Godzilla'' franchise, including ''Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster'', ''Invasion of Astro-Monster'', ''Destroy All Monsters'', '' Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'' and '' Godzilla: Final Wars'', as well as in the Legendary Pictures-produced film '' Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. Rodan is depicted as a colossal, prehistoric, irradiated species of ''Pteranodon''. In 2014, IGN ranked Rodan as #6 on their "Top 10 Japanese Movie Monsters" list, while ''Complex'' listed the character as #15 on its "The 15 Most Badass Kaiju Monsters of All Time" list. Overview Name The Japanese name ''Radon'' is a contraction of '' Pteranodon''. The spelling of Radon in Japanese also corresponds to the name of Ladon, the dragon guarding the H ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
