Gappa: The Triphibian Monster
Gappa is a 1967 Japanese kaiju film directed by Haruyasu Noguchi. The film is about a group of Japanese reporters who discover an infant monster called a Gappa on Obelisk Island. The reporters cage the creature and take it to Japan where it becomes a media attraction. This angers the natives of the island and Gappa's full-grown parents, who head toward Japan to find their child. Its plot virtually duplicates that of the 1961 British film Gorgo.
Theatrical release poster
Kaiju is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. A subgenre of science fiction, it was created by Eiji Tsuburaya and IshirÅ Honda. The term can also refer to the giant monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other monsters.
Poster for Godzilla (1954), widely considered the first official kaiju film
King Kong (1933) was a major influence on the Japanese kaiju genre.
The Arctic Giant (1942) is one of pioneering productions to depict Godzilla-esque characters to attack a modern civilization.
The Gamera franchise played a significant role in forming kaiju genre along with the Godzilla franchise.