Non Western Films & TV.

[Mike Arcade]

[Updated 2018] Welcome one and all, after much consideration it was about time this topic got broaden to not just Tokusatsu, but all Japanese Cinema and Television in general!  Which does include Tokusatsu so there you go, if you've watched a Japanese TV shows or movies in general be that subtitled or dubbed then let us know.

---

[Hi everyone, while this topic was originally about my crack pot theories on Godzilla, I decided to expand this topic to more then just my soap box for giant lizards and recycle it to a more broader topic, that being Tokusatsu in general!

What's Tokusatsu? Generally it's a term to use for Giant Monster Movies and Multicolored Super Heroes that punch each other until they explode, any sort of Godzilla and Power Rangers stuff you see are perfect examples of it, though in Japan that also applies to shows like Star Trek and Doctor Who as well. However this topic should only be for those Tokusatsu Shows way over to the East, so if any of you watch those kinds of shows and just want to talk about it well here you go. I hope you like or rant about what you think of these insane shows we like to watch, until then also enjoy my original insane post.  ]

One of my favorite film series was introduced to me by my late grandpa when I was a little kid, he gave me a box of 7 Godzilla Movies, every since then I've been hooked on them and the series as a whole, I've seen nearly every single one of them, even Tristar's GINO (Godzilla in Name Only), or Zilla as he was dubbed in Final Wars now. I can't wait to see what happens next, I hope Godzilla 2 along with Skull Island and a rematch for King Kong comes out, and Godzilla Resurgence looks amazing with it's Nightmare Godzilla.

On that note something occurred to me a few days ago and I just wanted to get it off my head, but since that can snowball into other topics I figured I'd join it with a whole topic dedicated to Godzilla Theories, I don't think anyone else will anyway.

If anyone has their own theories go ahead and post them, also there are spoilers to every Godzilla Movie ever made so if you don't want to be spoiled you may come back later, if you've seen a lot of them or just don't care then join me as we go go Godzilla. *shot*

Godzilla Final Wars takes place during The Heisei Era
 

For those who need to be refreshed in the matter, there are 5 different eras to Godzilla, the Showa Era lasting from 1955 to 1975, the Heisei Era lasting from 1984 to 1993, the Millennium Era lasting from 1999 to 2004, the Legendary Era lasting from 2014 up to now if it's not completely cancelled as it might actually be, and...whatever Era Godzilla Resurgence starts, I hope they use the same Godzilla in this new Era, or at least have a continuity like in the Heisei Era.

The very first Godzilla film from 1954 is the jumping off point to every era so far, sans Legendary Pictures Godzilla from 2014, The Millennium Era had the odd distinction of all the films not being connected to each other at all and always used 1954's Godzilla as a jumping off point, the only exception being the Godzilla and Kiryu/Mecha Godzilla films with the 2nd film taking some time after it. A stark contrast to the Showa Era and Heisei Era, which had a somewhat easy continuity to follow.

Each Era had a ending as well, timeline wise the Showa Era ended with Destroy All Monsters, but release date wise ended with Terror of Mecha Godzilla. The Heisei Era however ended in a big way with Godzilla vs. Destroyah, Godzilla at his strongest and most vulnerable as Burning Godzilla, his most fearsome and powerful foe Destroyah, the apparent death of Godzilla Jr. (yes really, though it's actually pretty nice compared to Minilla), and in the end both monsters bite it as the JSSF barely prevent Godzilla from having a Nuclear Meltdown killing everyone and finish off Destroyah. However as the dust settled a new Godzilla appeared just before the credits rolled, Godzilla Jr. was revived from Godzilla's remaining power and a new Godzilla was formed...TOO BAD Toho didn't continue the series from there!

People like to think and say that after that comes Godzilla 1999/2000 afterward, then Godzilla vs. Megaguirus but that's simply not the case, granted we got some really good films from it despite Godzilla vs. Megaguirus being a bit of a weak entry, thought that one isn't as bad as people say it is. GMK and The Kiryu films are some of the best Godzilla Movies ever made, Final Wars could have been better though...speaking of which...

Final Wars beings with EDF fighting Godzilla in Antarctica sometime in the future I guess, with them trapping and freezing Godzilla much like in the film Godzilla Raids Again, if you've seen it you know how it goes, he gets freed by the Human Good Guys, Fights a whole bunch of monsters, and goes on to have a showdown with a familiar looking 3 headed monster. What does any of this have to do with The Heisei Era if it takes place in a different Era? Well, I finally get to the meat of the bones here.

Excluding GMK due to being a revived Original Godzilla from the souls of people who died in the Japan Bombings (I'm not even kidding), each Millennium Godzilla looks similar with much more sharper spikes on it's back and similar shape, if it wasn't for a different color scheme in almost each film, and if it was connected with each other you could pass them off as the same Godzilla and have a continuing story. The only other exception is Godzilla from Final Wars.
http://godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/MireGoji
http://godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/KiryuGoji
http://godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/FinalGoji
 

See the difference? One of these things is not like the other here, that being FinalGoji's Design, however as stated in the link above it's stated that Godzilla in the film design was based mostly on the Godzilla from the Heisei Era as seen here.
http://godzilla.wikia.com/wiki/MogeGoji

Looks a bit more similar to FinalGoji doesn't it? But what if that doesn't end there...what if FinalGoji is actually the same Godzilla Jr. that we saw revived at the end of Godzilla vs. Destroyah? I can back this up though, for one each Millienium Film gives a subtle showing of Godzilla doing his Godzilla thing, swimming or about to walk on shore, either way in the beginning of a Godzilla film he's never usually shown in the mists of a big battle at the start...Final Wars on the other hand he's in the mists of a big battle against the EDF's Gotenga, why such an odd jumping off point? This Godzilla hasn't even been established yet right, so why the big battle?

Here's where my theory kicks in, at the end of Godzilla vs. Destroyah Godzilla Jr. is revived as the new, grown up Godzilla, and as the old fisherman stated in Final Wars, he states that humanity did a terrible thing to Godzilla long ago, now this could be and probably is a heavy handed message about nuclear arms, as is the common theme of Nuclear Weapons being an act against nature, but what if he meant that literally? After all The JSSF did finish off Godzilla, and even though he was going to die anyway, did Godzilla Jr. really know that? For all we know Jr...or should I say Godzilla thought that the humans he once liked and cared for killed the only other Godzilla and Father he ever knew, thus being the terrible thing to spark Godzilla to rampage for who knows how long against humanity. Hence the jumping off point of Final Wars being a fight in the beginning of the film, it's a continuation of how This Godzilla was born under a Nuclear Frozen Wasteland, only to be defeated and contained in a Frozen Wasteland.

That's not enough proof? There are contradictions? You sure about that?

What about Rodan being in Final Wars, Rodan died in Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla?
It is a different Rodan, besides could they REALLY, ABSOLUTELY be sure that Rodan in that film was the last of it's kind, I mean how we get Little Godzilla is a bit screwy but there's something to do with Godzilla being around the egg that changed that Rodan's Egg into a Godzilla Egg...didn't fully understand that, or we could assume Godzilla and Rodan had a one night stand.
Hey, no one ever said for sure that Rodan in that film was male, they just said it was male and ran with it.
 

What about Mothra?
What about Mothra, she survived her Heisei appearance, and even then she dies and gets reborn all the time, if your going
to complain about her being the same Mothra due to looking different that really doesn't matter in this case. As for Battra if your wondering he didn't leave any larve behind at the end of that film anyway, hence no Battra.

What about King Ghidorah and Kaiser Ghidorah? How can we have two Ghidorahs!?!
Didn't stop the Rebirth of Mothra films.
But I have a theory to support my theory, theoryception.

Which is why I now have to talk about the Heisei Era King Ghidorah film, Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, a cool film sure but one of the most confusing time travel and time loop stories ever made. Basically people from the future find the remains of Mecha King Ghidorah, go back in time and convince the Japanese Government of the present to change time and make it so that the 2nd Godzilla was never born. They do so, only to replace the Godzillasaurs with their own creations known as Dorants, born from Ghidorah's remains, which when the nuke is dropped created King Ghidorah.

Long story short one good future girl changes it back so that Godzilla is alive, and now stronger thanks to dropping a better nuke on him, then going on to kill Ghidorah, wrecking the city, and Future Girl then convinces her Future People to revive Ghidorah into Mecha King Ghidorah, temporarily stopping Godzilla's rampage for now. Only for the people in the future to find Mecha king Ghidorah's remains, and go back in time t-*explodes*

Now what bugged me most of all about this movie is that EVERYONE remembered the previously unaltered timeline of Godzilla doing his thing, even after King Ghidorah replaced Godzilla in the 2nd timeline, granted you get Godzilla again in the new and steady 3rd timeline but still. But that just raises more questions, as in in the 2nd or 3rd timeline, did Godzilla fight Biollante or did King Ghidorah fight Biollante? See where I'm going with this, in the 2nd timeline, or the 3rd who knows, Biollante was made with King Ghidorah's cells, same conclusion, Spores go up past the atmosphere, which if you are a fan of Godzilla would know that is one of the possible origins of Space Godzilla!

So in this hypothetical timeline altered by The Futurians, yes that is what they are called, that happened resulting in somewhere out there, floating in space is the hypothetical Space King Ghidorah...until the Xillians got a hold of him, and altered him into what is now known as Monster X/Kaiser Ghidorah.

But Space Godzilla existed in The Heisei Era, how can there be two-
I actually have no idea, okay? I can admit that but not through my own fault, oh no not at all. Because we all know that time travel in The Heisei Era is completely screwed!

Well, unless the Xillians could time travel just like...oh...wait a second...theoryception!

The Xillians and Futurians are one in the same! Only possible explanation, after all Xillians are close enough to humans, have M-Base, and lived on the Earth in the past. Whose to say they aren't Futurians from further into their future, ended up turning in mutants which in turn have them ending up becoming The Xillians. After all the Futurians we're just as emotionless as the Xillians, except for that one girl. Whose to say they aren't?

Anyway, that's how I feel this once simple but now very confusing theory goes down.

If any of you got anything to say, other then Godzilla being Beyond Confusing, please do so, thank you.

[Rick Tyger]

The only things that people really need to know about Godzilla stuff:

1. Godzilla doesn't breathe fire. He breathes radiation.
2. Gigan rocks. This doesn't show up so much in the movies, as it does in the games. Destroy All Monsters will give you new respect for this weird whatever the heck it's supposed to be. What's not to love about grabbing an opponent and spinning them on the buzzsaw protruding from your gut?! Best videogame fighter move ever! Plus, it's one of those few weird monsters that you can't tell what it's supposed to be, unlike Mothera, Rodan, and even Megalon.
3. Even on the Outpost 31 site (a fan site dedicated primarily to John Carpenter's The Thing, for those who don't know), Godzilla is considered to be an absolute badass. In "Godzilla vs The Thing", the Things are unable to assimilate Godzilla, due to his radioactive nature. It goes against the general principle of The Thing fanfiction (everything is Thing prey), but nobody really questions it because it actually makes sense in a weird way. I dare say the only badass more badass than Godzilla would have to be Chuck Norris. But I doubt such a fight would be outright decisive...

[Mike Arcade]

Okay guys since this topic just got a whole new life, any current or old Tokusatsu or Kaiju show and/or movie you guys have seen lately?

I mean I've seen Shin Godzilla so I can do a mini review on that, is anyone else excited for Kong: Skull Island? Let me know and let's see where this goes, but first I do have a trippy piece of concept stuff for Shin Godzilla, granted this is a spoiler for the ending but if you don't mind that then check this out. It's really trippy and after months of speculation regarding the ending, from the book The Art of Shin Godzilla we get our answers.

http://www.scified.com/news/godzilla-almost-became-this-humanoid-hybrid-shin-gojira

[Mike Arcade]

Heya guys so today Kong: Skull Island comes out in theaters, I probably won't have time to see it yet when I can either in theater or most likely DVD or Streaming I certainly will. If any of you are going to go out to see it just post you're thoughts on it and be mindful of spoilers.

I'm pretty excited of this Monsterverse Legendary Pictures is trying to do here and will certainly try to see their Godzilla Sequel when it comes up supposedly in 2019. I do wonder what they are going to do after Godzilla vs. King Kong though, I mean how do you top that after all? I have heard that both old and new monsters will be apart of this series they have going on here yet I wonder how they'll go about afterwards, will they make a new monster movie with original monsters? That is possible yet I'm mindful about it and hope they do a good job with that if so. They'll need to get creative with it, although I wonder if they could Giant Monster/Kaiju up some Universal Monsters like the Wolfman or Frankenstein's Monster (which Toho has made their own Kaiju version of years ago). I know they'll be a seperate Universal Monsterverse with The Mummy, Dracula, and so forth but I think both can exist separate from each other. No I'm not saying we should have a Giant Dracula. 

As for other well known Giant Monsters, well there are a few but now rather obscure Monsters from the US and UK if possible yet none that come to mind right now. As for Monsters from the East however Toho does have an extensive number of usable Monsters from Godzilla and other films they've made. They could make a Mothra Movie and that would be pretty easy to do, not sure how they would make a Rodan Solo film nowadays as he's never fought any monster solo before. I think a Destroy All Monsters film would be WAY too soon to jump at, they need to build a big roster for such a movie, their version of that should be Apocalyptic.

But how do you top Godzilla vs. King Kong? That's a surprisingly easy answer, somehow Legendary should get the permission to make their own film of either Gamera or Ultraman. Both have a great roster of Creatures they could use and it would make a very interesting mythos having one of them or both. Granted Ultraman would have to be extensively redesigned but still it could work, Gamera you wouldn't have to change too much. While they aren't that recognizable they are well known enough, seriously fans of this genre would lose their minds if they did this. So what are you're thoughts on this guys, where would you like to see the Monsterverse go about?. 

[TheRedStranger]

On 6/7/2016 at 11:28 PM, Mike Arcade said:

Multicolored Super Heroes

 

Mike, tisk, tisk. You're better than this. 

"Jorge! Power Sombrero!"

[Warning: Mild language and frankly hilarious Non-PC stereotypes.]

[Mike Arcade]

1 hour ago, TheRedStranger said:

Mike, tisk, tisk. You're better than this. 

"Jorge! Power Sombrero!"

[Warning: Mild language and frankly hilarious Non-PC stereotypes.]

Oh my gosh REALLY? @_@

Tokusatsu and Kaiju Films and TV Series are legit forms of media that can sometimes have deeper meanings, after all you know the themes of the original Godzilla of 1954, and many of Shotaro Ishinimori's work such as Kamen Rider have shades of the dangers regarding Trans-humanism, something you are all too familiar with if I recall.  

What's funny about the original casting choice is that apparently they didn't realize what suits the colors meant for the original actors of the Black and Yellow Ranger respectively until later on, hence they avoided that situation later on when they had new actors and characters to take over when 3 of the original cast left the show. Yet someone didn't realize that regarding the Black Overdrive Ranger...huh. Ironically enough the character Tommy Oliver ended up having Native American roots..sometime after he became the Red Zeo Ranger. We just can't have multicolored heroes without unfortunate implications internationally can we? 

In fact there seem to be some misconceptions with Power Rangers/Super Sentai that I notice from people who don't watch either series, for one while it is true that the Red Ranger is pretty much in the forefront of battle some teams have it so that the Red Ranger isn't actually the leader of the team, Super Sentai's Megaranger Black and Power Ranger's Pink Time Force Ranger ring a bell for me regarding that. So yeah the Red Ranger is not always the be all end all Ranger despite what some fans and even other series might tell you coughKyoryugerRedcough.

Also yes I am looking forward to the Power Ranger Movie with some caution, and might just be able to see that in theaters as well. I'm not sure what to expect with that, the suits look okay though could be a bit better and I'm not that wild on the Megazord or Goldar's new look but it's a different take and we'll see what happens. I would like for it to succeed and build a Ranger Film Series with big stakes, like if a sequel gets green lit I'm actually expecting some rangers not making it by the end of that one, after all Super Sentai Rangers have died before throughout several different series and I think that'll happen as well should we get a Ranger Cinematic Universe. Although I do wonder if other Eastern Super Heroes will get adapted from Saban in films like Kamen Rider and they don't screw it up like last time...*shutters in horror at the thought of Saban's Masked Rider*

I do like Bryan Cranston as Zordon, I mean if you're gonna have someone manipulate and convince teenagers to fight on you're behalf it might as well be Heisenberg. Funny Story, Bryan Cranston did VA work for Saban before Power Rangers was ever a thing, the original blue ranger Billy Cranston got his last name from our favorite actor here, true story. Just comes along full circle doesn't it? Apparently we'll be getting an R-Rated Power Rangers take on the series with Netflix though who knows what that could be like, it's something I'm actually pretty excited for myself.

Although honestly I would rather see Kamen Rider get a US made Film or Web Series, that's just my preference but Kamen Rider I think has always had much more going for it even during the Heisei Era whose Rider Series became more self contained. If we did though would that be part of Saban or Legendary's own Film Universes, would it be separate from either of them? That's just my own speculation on my part, but if anyone would like I can easily recommend several Kamen Rider Series much better then Power Ranger or Super Sentai Series for those new to Tokusatsu without too much cheese, also the Garo Series is a great, more mature take on Tokusatsu as well from what I've heard of it.

Alright guys I now have two questions that would be fun to answer, What would you like to see in the Legendary Monsterverse and What would you like to see in the new Power Rangers Film or Netflix Series?

[TheRedStranger]

16 hours ago, Mike Arcade said:

Tokusatsu and Kaiju Films and TV Series are legit forms of media.

XP

[TheRedStranger]

13 minutes ago, TheRedAuthar said:

Sold.

[You would love the Japanese X-men intros.]

[Mike Arcade]

On 3/10/2017 at 8:42 PM, TheRedStranger said:

Japanese Spider-Man

Oh come on you know you love it, besides you wouldn't know of Japan's Spider-Man if it were't for me. XP

http://tokusatsu.wikia.com/wiki/Spider-Man

This also predated Giant Robots in main Tokusatsu as being the first before Super Sentai, I had heard the original director or writer of it wanted to be more faithful to the Comic but obviously that didn't happen, although really that isn't a bad thing in this case if you ask me. Come on you know it's awesome.
 

22 hours ago, TheRedAuthar said:

I do.  My old DVD I burned from the Internet has the Japanese intros.

 

Granted this isn't the correct topic for it (and I believe I shared this before on here) but still enjoy it again!  

[Mike Arcade]

http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2007/08/16/godzilla-vs-king-ghidorah-time-travel-and-the-origins-of-godzilla/

This old Article explains the mess that is the 90's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah plot, while it's still a sloppy written movie this explains it a lot better then I could, for the first time in years it actually makes sense to me!

Granted I still like that movie but it's very confusing.

[Akessel92]

With the 2019 movie Godzilla: king of the monsters coming out to theaters and with a future Godzilla vs King Kong movie in the works, I think it’s time to bring the topic of giant monster or Kaiju movies on this site. Kaiju is in translation from Japanese meaning strange or gigantic monster. For awhile this term was used to describe both legendary and prehistoric creatures. But as soon as films like “the beast from 20,000 fathoms” and “King Kong” made in the 1930s and 1940s came to Japanese movies screens before and after wwii, Japan’s Toho Studios would make its first Kaiju film with Gojira in 1954.  later the movie was released in an edited and dubbed version to the United States as Godzilla: king of the monsters in 1956 which gave the giant radioactive breathing lizard monster international notoriety and fame. Godzilla would have several movies fighting or against monsters like King Ghidorah, a three headed lightning spewing dragon from outer space, fought King Kong once, and along with allying with a giant pteranodon known as Rodan and a giant moth named Mothra in several movies in Japan. Godzilla would also have two major American released movies excluding king of the monsters. He would also feature in his own American animated feature made by Hanna-Barbera and cameo in many television series both animated and live action. And as for comics he would have quite a few made by IDW as well as feature in the Marvel comics along with S.H.I.E.L.D, the fantastic four, and the Avengers. 

 

My first Godzilla movies was Godzilla vs King Kong and The loathed 1998 Godzilla movie. But I enjoyed seeing the movies of 1984-1995. I personally liking some of the recent movies made by Legendary productions with Godzilla 2014, Kong: Skull Island and I hope to enjoy Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019).

 

so I ask do you guys enjoy Kaiju movies like Godzilla and have seen others aside from the G-man as some fans call Godzilla. 

[Mike Arcade]

Sorry about that Akessel, but yeah it'd be nice to talk about the new film when it comes out. I'd love to see in on the big screen if I get the chance too.

I've even heard that the film has more Monster fighting than the first film, which is a huge plus in my book for this sort of film.

[TheRedStranger]

I expanded this to also include non-western film, Like Bollywood, Korean Soap Operas, Soviet Propaganda Films,  the works.

[Mike Arcade]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/boundingintocomics.com/2021/12/28/tsuburaya-productions-ceo-vows-to-grow-ultraman-fanbase-without-making-changes-for-western-audiences-in-order-to-compete-on-the-world-stage-we-need-to-make-use-of-japans-identity/amp/

The Company behind Ultraman are keeping the reigns on how they handle their series. Which is a good thing, considering how well a certain recent Western Adaption went.

[MoKat]

Nice. I vaguely remember Ultraman; a quick search showed me that the series is still on You Tube.