1.
Godzilla
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Godzilla is a fictional giant monster originating from a series of tokusatsu films of the same name from Japan. It first appeared in Ishirō Hondas 1954 film Godzilla, the character is commonly alluded by the epithet King of the Monsters, a phrase first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The Americanized version of Hondas original 1954 film, with the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness, Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons. In the various stories it has appeared in, Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters, Godzilla is also shown to have allies, such as Mothra, Rodan and Anguirus, and offspring, such as Minilla and Godzilla Junior. One popular story is that Gojira was actually the nickname of a corpulent stagehand at Toho Studio, kimi Honda, the widow of the director, dismissed this in a 1998 BBC documentary devoted to Godzilla, The backstage boys at Toho loved to joke around with tall stories. Godzillas name was written in ateji as Gojira, where the kanji are used for phonetic value, the Japanese pronunciation of the name is, the Anglicized form is /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/, with the first syllable pronounced like the word god, and the rest rhyming with gorilla. In the Hepburn romanization system, Godzillas name is rendered as Gojira, within the context of the Japanese films, Godzillas exact origins vary, but it is generally depicted as an enormous, violent, prehistoric sea monster awakened and empowered by nuclear radiation. Although the specific details of Godzillas appearance have varied slightly over the years, to emphasise the monsters relationship with the atomic bomb, its skin texture was inspired by the keloid scars seen on survivors in Hiroshima. The basic design has a reptilian visage, a robust build, an upright posture, in the original film, the fins were added for purely aesthetic purposes, in order to further differentiate Godzilla from any other living or extinct creature. Godzillas signature weapon is its atomic breath, a nuclear blast that it generates inside of its body, toho’s special effects department has used various techniques to render the breath, from physical gas-powered flames to hand-drawn or computer-generated fire. Godzilla is shown to possess immense strength and muscularity. Haruo Nakajima, the actor who played Godzilla in the films, was a black belt in Judo. Godzilla can breathe underwater, and is described in the film by the character Dr. Yamane as a transitional form between a marine and a terrestrial reptile. Godzillas allegiance and motivations have changed from film to film to suit the needs of the story, although Godzilla does not like humans, it will fight alongside humanity against common threats. However, it makes no effort to protect human life or property. It is not motivated to attack by predatory instinct, it doesnt eat people, and instead sustains itself on radiation and an omnivorous diet. When inquired if Godzilla was good or bad, producer Shogo Tomiyama likened it to a Shinto God of Destruction which lacks moral agency and cannot be held to human standards of good and he totally destroys everything and then there is a rebirth. Something new and fresh can begin, the creature in the 1998 Godzilla film was depicted laying eggs through parthenogenesis
2.
Godzilla (1954 film)
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Godzilla is a 1954 Japanese kaiju film featuring Godzilla, produced and distributed by Toho. It is the first film in the Godzilla franchise and the first film in its Shōwa series, Nakajima would go on to portray the character until his retirement in 1972. In 1956, TransWorld Releasing Corporation and Embassy Pictures released Godzilla, a heavily re-edited Americanized version of the original film with additional footage featuring Raymond Burr. In 2004, Rialto Pictures gave the 1954 film a theatrical release in the United States to coincide with the franchises 50th anniversary. When the Japanese freighter Eiko-maru is destroyed near Odo Island, another ship – the Bingo-maru – is sent to investigate, a fishing boat from Odo is also destroyed, with one survivor. Fishing catches mysteriously drop to zero, blamed by an elder on the ancient sea creature known as Godzilla, reporters arrive on Odo Island to further investigate. A villager tells one of the reporters that something large is going crazy down there ruining the fishing and that evening, a ritual dance to appease Godzilla is held during which the reporter learns that the locals used to sacrifice young girls. That night, a storm strikes the island, destroying the reporters helicopter. Odo residents travel to Tokyo to demand disaster relief, the villagers and reporters evidence describes damage consistent with something large crushing the village. The government sends paleontologist Kyohei Yamane to lead an investigation to the island, where giant radioactive footprints and a trilobite are discovered. The village alarm bell is rung and Yamane and the rush to see the monster, retreating after seeing that it is a giant dinosaur, which then roars. Yamane presents his findings in Tokyo, estimating that Godzilla is 50 metres tall and is evolved from an ancient sea creature becoming a terrestrial animal and he concludes that Godzilla has been disturbed from its deep underwater natural habitat by underwater hydrogen bomb testing. Debate ensues about notifying the public about the danger of the monster, meanwhile,17 ships are lost at sea. Ten frigates are dispatched to attempt to kill the monster using depth charges, the mission disappoints Yamane who wants Godzilla to be studied. Godzilla survives the attack and appears off-shore, officials appeal to Yamane for ideas to kill the monster, but Yamane tells them that Godzilla is unkillable, having survived H-bomb testing, and must be studied. Yamanes daughter, Emiko, decides to break off her engagement to Yamanes colleague, Daisuke Serizawa, because of her love for Hideto Ogata. When a reporter arrives and asks to interview Serizawa, Emiko escorts the reporter to Serizawas lab, after Serizawa refuses to divulge his current work to the reporter, he gives Emiko a demonstration of his recent project on the condition she must keep it a secret. The demonstration horrifies her and she leaves without breaking off the engagement, shortly after she returns home, the sound of Godzillas footsteps approaching is heard
3.
Eiji Tsuburaya
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During his rise to post-war fame in the wake of Godzilla, many press accounts gave Tsuburayas birthdate as July 7, which falls on the high day of the star festival, Tanabata, a sign of good fortune. This is akin to an American saying that they were born on the Fourth of July, Tsuburaya described his childhood as filled with mixed emotions. He was the first son of Isamu and Sei Tsumuraya, with an extended family. His mother died when he was three and his father moved to China for the family business. Young Eiji was raised by his older uncle, Ichiro. In 1915, at the age of 14, he graduated the equivalent of High School, after the school was closed on account of the accidental death of its founder, Seitaro Tamai, in 1917, Tsuburaya attended trade school. While the Tsuburaya familys traditional religion was Nichiren Buddhism, Tsuburaya converted to Roman Catholicism in his later years, in 1919, his first job in the film industry was as an assistant cinematographer at the Nihon Katsudou Shashin Kabushiki-kaisha in Kyoto, which later became better known as Nikkatsu. After serving as a member of the staff to the military from 1921 to 1923. He was head cameraman on Hunchback of Enmeiin, and served as assistant cameraman on Teinosuke Kinugasas ground-breaking 1925 film and he joined Shochiku Kyoto Studios in 1926 and became full-time cameraman there in 1927. He began using and creating innovative filming techniques during this period, in the 1930 film Chohichiro Matsudaira, he created a film illusion by super-imposition. Thus began the work for which he would become known—special visual effects,1930 was also the year of his marriage to Masano Araki. Hajime, the first of their three sons, was born a year later, during the 1930s, he moved among a number of studios and became known for his meticulous work. It was during this period that he saw a film that would point towards his future career, after his international success with Godzilla in 1954, he said, When I worked for Nikkatsu Studios, King Kong came to Kyoto and I never forgot that movie. I thought to myself, I will someday make a movie like that. In 1938 he became head of Special Visual Techniques at Toho Tokyo Studios and he expanded his technique greatly during this period and earned several awards, but did not stay long at Toho. During the war years he directed a number of propaganda films and those include Kōdō Nippon, Kaigun Bakugeki-tai, The Burning Sky, Hawai Mare oki kaisen, Decisive Battle in the Skies and Kato hayabusa sento-tai. During the occupation of Japan following the war, Tsuburayas wartime association with such propaganda films proved a hindrance to his work for some time. He went freelance with his own company, Tsuburaya Visual Effects Research
4.
Toho
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Toho Co. Ltd. is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Other famous directors, including Yasujirō Ozu, Kenji Mizoguchi, Masaki Kobayashi, Tohos most famous creation is Godzilla, who features in 29 of the companys films. Godzilla, Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, and Rodan are described as Tohos Big Five because of the numerous appearances in all three eras of the franchise, as well as spin-offs. Toho has also involved in the production of numerous anime titles. Its subdivisions are Toho-Towa Distribution, Toho Pictures Incorporated, Toho International Company Limited, Company Limited, and Toho Music Corporation & Toho Costume Company Limited. The company is the largest shareholder of Fuji Media Holdings Inc, Toho was created by the founder of Hankyu Railway, Ichizo Kobayashi, in 1932 as the Tokyo-Takarazuka Theater Company. It was known as the Toho Theatre from the late 1960s until the 1970s, Toho also had a theater in San Francisco and opened a theater in New York City in 1963. The Shintoho Company, which existed until 1964, was named New Toho because it broke off from the original company, the company has contributed to the production of some American films, including Sam Raimis 1998 film, A Simple Plan. Detective Conan, Captured in Her Eyes Pocket Monsters, Lord of the Unknown Tower – Entei Godzilla vs. Takao vs. Godzilla, Mothra, Mechagodzilla, doraemon, Nobitas Space Heroes Assassination Classroom Crayon Shin-chan, My Moving Story. Godman Warrior Of Love, Rainbowman Meteor Man Zone Ike, jenny Belle and Sebastian Igano Kabamaru Touch Kimagure Orange Road Godzilla Midori Days Psycho-Pass Yowamushi Pedal Akame ga Kill. Blood Blockade Battlefront My Hero Academia Three Leaves, Three Colors Little Witch Academia In more recent years and for a period, one of their first video game was the 1990 NES game titled Circus Caper. Later, they followed with a series of games based on Godzilla and it also published games such as Super Aleste. They even worked with Bandai on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, released in Japan in 1988, Tohos headquarters, the Toho Hibiya Building, are in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo. The company moved into its current headquarters in April 2005, tohoScope Tomisaburo Wakayama Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men - The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda, Peter H. Brothers. Toho Studios Story, A History and Complete Filmography Stuart Galbraith IV Official website Official Tohos YouTube channel, Toho Pictures official website TOHO-TOWA Company, Limited official website TOWA PICTURES Company, Ltd. official website Toho at Anime News Networks encyclopedia
5.
Film
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A film, also called a movie, motion picture, theatrical film or photoplay, is a series of still images which, when shown on a screen, creates the illusion of moving images due to the phi phenomenon. This optical illusion causes the audience to perceive continuous motion between separate objects viewed rapidly in succession, the process of filmmaking is both an art and an industry. The word cinema, short for cinematography, is used to refer to the industry of films. Films were originally recorded onto plastic film through a photochemical process, the adoption of CGI-based special effects led to the use of digital intermediates. Most contemporary films are now fully digital through the process of production, distribution. Films recorded in a form traditionally included an analogous optical soundtrack. It runs along a portion of the film exclusively reserved for it and is not projected, Films are cultural artifacts created by specific cultures. They reflect those cultures, and, in turn, affect them, Film is considered to be an important art form, a source of popular entertainment, and a powerful medium for educating—or indoctrinating—citizens. The visual basis of film gives it a power of communication. Some films have become popular worldwide attractions by using dubbing or subtitles to translate the dialog into the language of the viewer, some have criticized the film industrys glorification of violence and its potentially negative treatment of women. The individual images that make up a film are called frames, the perception of motion is due to a psychological effect called phi phenomenon. The name film originates from the fact that film has historically been the medium for recording and displaying motion pictures. Many other terms exist for a motion picture, including picture, picture show, moving picture, photoplay. The most common term in the United States is movie, while in Europe film is preferred. Terms for the field, in general, include the big screen, the screen, the movies, and cinema. In early years, the sheet was sometimes used instead of screen. Preceding film in origin by thousands of years, early plays and dances had elements common to film, scripts, sets, costumes, production, direction, actors, audiences, storyboards, much terminology later used in film theory and criticism apply, such as mise en scène. Owing to the lack of any technology for doing so, the moving images, the magic lantern, probably created by Christiaan Huygens in the 1650s, could be used to project animation, which was achieved by various types of mechanical slides
6.
Special effect
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Special effects are illusions or visual tricks used in the film, television, theatre, video game, and simulator industries to simulate the imagined events in a story or virtual world. Special effects are divided into the categories of optical effects. Mechanical effects are usually accomplished during the live-action shooting and this includes the use of mechanized props, scenery, scale models, animatronics, pyrotechnics and atmospheric effects, creating physical wind, rain, fog, snow, clouds, etc. Making a car appear to drive by itself and blowing up a building are examples of mechanical effects, mechanical effects are often incorporated into set design and makeup. For example, a set may be built with doors or walls to enhance a fight scene. An optical effect might be used to place actors or sets against a different background, since the 1990s, computer generated imagery has come to the forefront of special effects technologies. It gives filmmakers greater control, and allows many effects to be accomplished safely and convincingly and—as technology improves—at lower costs. As a result, many optical and mechanical effects techniques have been superseded by CGI, in 1857, Oscar Rejlander created the worlds first special effects movie by combining different sections of 30 negatives into a single image. In 1895, Alfred Clark created what is accepted as the first-ever motion picture special effect. While filming a reenactment of the beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, as the executioner brought the axe above his head, Clark stopped the camera, had all of the actors freeze, and had the person playing Mary step off the set. He placed a Mary dummy in the place, restarted filming. Techniques like these would dominate the production of special effects for a century and it wasnt only the first use of trickery in cinema, it was also the first type of photographic trickery only possible in a motion picture, i. e. the stop trick. Georges Méliès accidentally discovered the same stop trick, according to Méliès, his camera jammed while filming a street scene in Paris. When he screened the film, he found that the trick had caused a truck to turn into a hearse, pedestrians to change direction. Because of his ability to manipulate and transform reality with the cinematograph. From 1910 to 1920, the innovations in special effects were the improvements on the matte shot by Norman Dawn. With the original matte shot, pieces of cardboard were placed to block the exposure of the film, Dawn combined this technique with the glass shot. Rather than using cardboard to block certain areas of the film exposure, from the partially exposed film, a single frame is then projected onto an easel, where the matte is then drawn
7.
Science fiction
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Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific and other innovations, and has been called a literature of ideas. Science fiction is difficult to define, as it includes a range of subgenres and themes. Author and editor Damon Knight summed up the difficulty, saying science fiction is what we point to when we say it, a definition echoed by author Mark C. Glassy, who argues that the definition of science fiction is like the definition of pornography, you do not know what it is, in 1970 or 1971William Atheling Jr. According to science fiction writer Robert A, rod Serlings definition is fantasy is the impossible made probable. Science fiction is the improbable made possible, Science fiction is largely based on writing rationally about alternative possible worlds or futures. Science fiction elements include, A time setting in the future, in alternative timelines, a spatial setting or scenes in outer space, on other worlds, or on subterranean earth. Characters that include aliens, mutants, androids, or humanoid robots, futuristic or plausible technology such as ray guns, teleportation machines, and humanoid computers. Scientific principles that are new or that contradict accepted physical laws, for time travel, wormholes. New and different political or social systems, e. g. utopian, dystopian, post-scarcity, paranormal abilities such as mind control, telepathy, telekinesis Other universes or dimensions and travel between them. A product of the budding Age of Reason and the development of science itself. Isaac Asimov and Carl Sagan considered Keplers work the first science fiction story and it depicts a journey to the Moon and how the Earths motion is seen from there. Later, Edgar Allan Poe wrote a story about a flight to the moon, more examples appeared throughout the 19th century. Wells The War of the Worlds describes an invasion of late Victorian England by Martians using tripod fighting machines equipped with advanced weaponry and it is a seminal depiction of an alien invasion of Earth. In the late 19th century, the scientific romance was used in Britain to describe much of this fiction. This produced additional offshoots, such as the 1884 novella Flatland, the term would continue to be used into the early 20th century for writers such as Olaf Stapledon. In the early 20th century, pulp magazines helped develop a new generation of mainly American SF writers, influenced by Hugo Gernsback, the founder of Amazing Stories magazine. In 1912 Edgar Rice Burroughs published A Princess of Mars, the first of his series of Barsoom novels, situated on Mars
8.
Fantasy
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Fantasy is a fiction genre set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Most fantasy uses magic or other elements as a main plot element, theme. Magic and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds, in popular culture, the fantasy genre is predominantly of the medievalist form. In its broadest sense, however, fantasy works by many writers, artists, filmmakers. Fantasy is studied in a number of disciplines including English and other studies, cultural studies, comparative literature, history. The identifying trait of fantasy is the reliance on imagination to create narrative elements that do not have to rely on history or nature to be coherent. This differs from realistic fiction in that whereas realistic fiction has to attend to the history and natural laws of reality, an author applies his or her imagination to come up with characters, plots, and settings that are impossible in reality. Fantasy has often compared with science fiction and horror because they are the major categories of speculative fiction. Fantasy is distinguished from science fiction by the plausibility of the narrative elements, a science fiction narrative is unlikely, though seeming possible through logical scientific and/or technological extrapolation, whereas fantasy narratives do not need to be scientifically possible. The imagined elements of fantasy do not need an explanation to be narratively functional. Authors have to rely on the suspension of disbelief, an acceptance of the unbelievable or impossible for the sake of enjoyment. Despite both genres heavy reliance on the supernatural, fantasy and horror are distinguishable, horror primarily evokes fear through the protagonists weaknesses or inability to deal with the antagonists. Beginning perhaps with the earliest written documents, mythic and other elements that would come to define fantasy. MacDonald was an influence on both J. R. R. Tolkien and C. S. Lewis. The other major fantasy author of this era was William Morris, lord Dunsany established the genres popularity in both the novel and the short story form. Many popular mainstream authors also began to write fantasy at this time, including H. Rider Haggard, Rudyard Kipling and Edgar Rice Burroughs. Indeed, juvenile fantasy was considered more acceptable than fantasy intended for adults, nathaniel Hawthorne wrote fantasy in A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys, intended for children, though works for adults only verged on fantasy. Political and social trends can affect a societys reception towards fantasy, in the early 20th century, the New Culture Movements enthusiasm for Westernization and science in China compelled them to condemn the fantastical shenmo genre of traditional Chinese literature
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Horror film
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Horror film is a film genre that seeks to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on their fears. Inspired by literature from authors like Edgar Allan Poe, Bram Stoker, the macabre and the supernatural are frequent themes. Horror may also overlap with the fantasy, supernatural fiction and thriller genres, Horror films often deal with viewers nightmares, fears, revulsions and terror of the unknown. Plots within the genre often involve the intrusion of an evil force, event. Another of his projects was 1898s La Caverne maudite. Japan made early forays into the genre with Bake Jizo and Shinin no Sosei. The era featured a slew of literary adaptations, with the works of Poe and Dante, in 1908, Selig Polyscope Company produced Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In 1910, Edison Studios produced the first filmed version of Frankenstein, the macabre nature of the source materials used made the films synonymous with the horror film genre. Before and during the Weimar Republic era, German Expressionist filmmakers would significantly influence later productions, the first vampire-themed movie, Nosferatu, was made during this period, though it was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stokers Dracula. Other European countries also, contributed to the genre during this period, though the word horror to describe the film genre would not be used until the 1930s, earlier American productions often relied on horror themes. Some notable examples include The Hunchback of Notre Dame, The Phantom of the Opera, The Cat and the Canary, The Unknown, and The Man Who Laughs. Many of these films were considered dark melodramas because of their stock characters and emotion-heavy plots that focused on romance, violence, suspense. The trend of inserting an element of macabre into American pre-horror melodramas continued into the 1920s, directors known for relying on macabre in their films during the 1920s were Maurice Tourneur, Rex Ingram, and Tod Browning. Ingrams The Magician contains one of the first examples of a mad doctor and is said to have had a influence on James Whales version of Frankenstein. The Unholy Three is an example of Brownings use of macabre and unique style of morbidity, he remade the film in 1930 as a talkie, during the early period of talking pictures, Universal Pictures began a successful Gothic horror film series. Tod Brownings Dracula was quickly followed by James Whales Frankenstein and The Old Dark House, some of these films blended science fiction with Gothic horror, such as Whales The Invisible Man and featured a mad scientist, mirroring earlier German films. Frankenstein was the first in a series of remakes which lasted for years, the Mummy introduced Egyptology as a theme, Make-up artist Jack Pierce was responsible for the iconic image of the monster, and others in the series. Universals horror cycle continued into the 1940s with B-movies including The Wolf Man, the once controversial Freaks, based on the short story Spurs, was made by MGM, though the studio disowned the completed film, and it remained banned, in the UK, for thirty years
10.
Kaiju
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Kaijū is a Japanese film genre that features monsters, usually attacking major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle. It is a subgenre of tokusatsu entertainment and this word originated from Shan Hai Jing. Related terms include kaijū eiga, a film featuring giant monsters or a monster, kaijin. Godzilla is an example of a daikaiju, others include Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Gyaos, Daimajin, the term ultra-kaiju is longhand for kaiju in the Ultra Series. Kadokawa Pictures, Tsuburaya Productions, and Shochiku and Nikkatsu studios, Kaiju are typically modeled after conventional animals, insects or mythological creatures, however, there are more exotic examples. Monsters famous in English stories, such as vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies, frankensteins monster was a starring kaiju in the Toho films Frankenstein Conquers the World, and The War of the Gargantuas. Kaiju are sometimes depicted as cannon fodder serving a greater evil, some kaiju are elite warriors which serve as the sidekick to the greater villain and are destroyed by the heroic forces. Others have an alignment, only seeking to destroy buildings. These kaiju adopted many classic monster traits, appearing as the misunderstood creature, some kaiju hung out with the heroes and provided comedy relief, in contrast to the darker approach to these characters from more mature franchises. The Invader Godzilla Kraa. the Sea Monster Cloverfield Pacific Rim Godzilla Kong, Skull Island Colossal Pacific Rim, Uprising Godzilla, King of the Monsters Godzilla vs. In Return of the Jedi, the rancor was originally to be played by an actor in a similar to the way how kaiju films like Godzilla were made. However, the rancor was eventually portrayed by a puppet filmed in high speed, when Lard Lad awakes, he makes a Godzilla roar. Guillermo del Toro directed the Treehouse of Horror XXIV couch gag which made references to Godzilla and other Kaiju-based characters. In the 2009 film Crank, High Voltage, there is a sequence parodying Kaiju films using the practical effects techniques used for Tokusatsu films such as miniatures. In the 2013 film Pacific Rim, Kaiju is the moniker bestowed upon giant inter-dimensional monsters that invade Earth, kaiju-Bird Monster was the alt-mode of Decepticon Leader Emperor Deathsaurus in the Transformers, Victory anime. A series of cards in the Yu-Gi-Oh, list of kaiju creatures Science fiction
11.
Godzilla (franchise)
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The Godzilla franchise is a series of multi-media featuring the monster Godzilla, owned by Toho. It is recognized by Guinness World Records to be the longest continuously running movie franchise, the film franchise consists of 29 films produced by Toho. Kong to be released on May 29,2020, the first film, Godzilla, directed by Ishirō Honda, is an early and influential classic in the monster film genre and was initially released by Toho in 1954. Utilizing an hydrogen bomb incident to unleash the monster, the film tapped into political undertones, the original introduced an acclaimed music score by Akira Ifukube, which was reused in many of the later films. The original also introduced the work of Toho special effects master Eiji Tsuburaya who used miniatures and suitmation to convey the large scale of the monster, for its North American release, the film was reworked as an adaptation and released in 1956 as Godzilla, King of the Monsters. The film featured new footage with Raymond Burr edited together with the original Japanese footage, Toho was inspired to make the original Godzilla after the commercial success of the 1952 re-release of King Kong and the 1953 success of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. The success of the Godzilla series itself would go on to inspire Gorgo, Gamera, Yonggary, the popularity of the films has led to the introduction of the character in other media, such as television, music, literature, and video games. The tone and themes of the individual films vary widely, Godzillas role varies from purely a destructive force to an ally of humans, or a protector of Japanese values, or a hero to children. The name Godzilla is a romanization of the original Japanese name Gojira—which is a combination of two Japanese words, gorira, gorilla, and kujira, whale, the word alludes to the size, power and aquatic origin of Godzilla. As developed by Toho, the monster is an offshoot of the combination of radioactivity and ancient dinosaur-like creatures, indestructible, the Godzilla film series is broken into several eras reflecting a characteristic style and corresponding to the same eras used to classify all kaiju eiga in Japan. The first two refer to the Japanese emperor during production, the Shōwa era and the Heisei era. The third is called the Millennium era as the emperor is the same but these films are considered to have a different style, over the series history, the films have reflected the social and political climate in Japan. In the original film, Godzilla was an allegory for the effects of the bomb. The Heisei and Millennium series have continued this concept. The initial series of movies is named for the Shōwa period in Japan and this Shōwa timeline spanned from 1954, with Godzilla, to 1975, with Terror of Mechagodzilla. With the exceptions of Godzilla, Godzilla Raids Again, Mothra vs. Godzilla and Terror of Mechagodzilla, starting with Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla began evolving into a friendlier, more playful antihero, and as years went by, it evolved into an anthropomorphic superhero. Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster was also significant for introducing Godzillas archenemy, the films Son of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack were aimed at youthful audiences, featuring the appearance of Godzillas son, Minilla. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla was notable for introducing Godzillas robotic arch foe, haruo Nakajima mainly portrayed Godzilla since 1954 until his retirement in 1972
12.
Gamera
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Gamera is a giant monster or daikaiju originating from a series of Japanese tokusatsu films of the same name. The character has appeared in media such as comic books. Gamera has the configuration of a turtle, albeit a tremendously large one that is capable of walking on two legs and flying. He does occasionally walk quadrupedally in his first three films, Gamera demonstrates the ability to manipulate objects with his forefeet. The original movie begins showing bombers of the USSR being intercepted by American fighters over US air space in the Arctic, the Soviet pilots refuse to be forced down because of the presence of atomic bombs on board their aircraft, so they attempt to leave the area. However, the launch an attack and one of the bombers crashes. A nuclear blast ensues, releasing a giant turtle from suspended animation in the ice, the tribe refers to the turtle as Gamera in their legends. The giant turtle is found floating adrift in the Pacific, encased in rock, within the rock, investigators discover a large monolith explaining Gameras purpose, as well as dozens of orichalcum magatama, which allow a psychic link between Gamera and humans. In the third film of the series, Gamera 3, The Revenge of Iris, one character in the film refers to these fossils as beta versions of Gamera, possible failures in Atlantis attempts to create the final version. Gameras continuity was rebooted again in 2006 with Gamera the Brave, the film begins with the original Gamera sacrificing himself to destroy several Gyaos in 1973. 33 years later, a boy finds a strange, glowing red rock near his home with a small egg lying on top of it. A fairly normal-looking baby turtle soon hatches from the egg, only after eating the glowing rock found with his egg does the new Gamera achieve his full power, defeating Zedus and flying off into the sky. A new film was planned for release in 2016, being a third reboot to the timeline. A trailer was released by Kadokawa on October 8,2015, showing Gamera fighting a horde of Gyaos ten years before the present day, Gameras shell is extremely resilient and strong. Missiles and other weaponry merely bounce off of it, along with most of his opponents attacks, there have been a few times where his shell has faltered, most notably when the alien monster Guiron hammered at the same spot several times and began cutting through. Gameras underbelly, however, is softer and not as resilient and he has been cut, in the Showa series, Gamera fed on fire and was attracted by other heat sources such as power plants and Barugons rainbow ray attack. He could breathe intensely hot streams of flames from his mouth when caught in a serious situation. The Heisei version, on the hand, could blast off mighty plasma fireballs from his mouth, usually very quickly and with varying accuracy
13.
Superhero
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A female superhero is sometimes called a superheroine. Fiction centered on characters, especially in American comic books since the 1930s, is known as superhero fiction. By most definitions, characters do not require actual supernatural or superhuman powers or phenomena to be deemed superheroes, some superheroes use their powers to counter daily crime while also combating threats against humanity from supervillains, who are their criminal counterparts. Often at least one of these supervillains will be the superheros archenemy, some long-running superheroes such as Iron Man, Captain America, Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and Spider-Man have a rogues gallery of many villains. The word superhero dates to at least 1917, antecedents of the archetype include such folkloric heroes as Robin Hood, who adventured in distinctive clothing. The 1903 play The Scarlet Pimpernel and its spinoffs popularized the idea of a masked avenger, during the 1940s there were many superheroes, and only a few of these were female. The Flash, Green Lantern and Blue Beetle debuted in this era, most of the other female costumed crime-fighters during this era lacked superpowers. The most iconic comic book superheroine, who debuted during the Golden Age, is Wonder Woman, inspired by the Amazons of Greek mythology, she was created by psychologist William Moulton Marston, with help and inspiration from his wife Elizabeth and their mutual lover Olive Byrne. Wonder Womans first appearance was in All Star Comics #8, published by All-American Publications, in 1952, Osamu Tezukas manga Tetsuwan Atom was published. The series focused upon a robot boy built by a scientist to replace his deceased son, the 1950s saw the Silver Age of Comics. During this era DC introduced the likes of Batwoman in 1956, Supergirl, Miss Arrowette,1958 saw the debut of superhero Moonlight Mask on Japanese television. In 1963, Astro Boy was adapted into a highly influential anime television series, Phantom Agents in 1964 focused on ninjas working for the Japanese government and would be the foundation for Sentai-type series. Another important event was the debut of Mazinger Z by Go Nagai, Go Nagai also wrote the manga Cutey Honey in 1973, although the Magical Girl genre already existed, Nagais manga introduced Transformation sequences that would become a staple of Magical Girl media. The dark Skull Man manga would later get a television adaptation, the protagonist was redesigned resemble a grasshopper, becoming the renowned first masked hero of the Kamen Rider series. Kamen Rider is a motorcycle riding hero in an insect-like costume, both major publishers began introducing new superheroines with a more distinct feminist theme as part of their origin stories or character development. Examples include Big Barda, Power Girl, and the Huntress by DC comics, and from Marvel, the second Black Widow, Shanna the She-Devil, and The Cat. In 1975 Shotaro Ishinomoris Himitsu Sentai Gorenger debuted on what is now TV Asahi, it brought the concepts of multi-colored teams, in 1978, Toei adapted Spider-Man into a live-action series. In subsequent decades, popular characters like Dazzler, She-Hulk, Elektra, Catwoman, Witchblade, Spider-Girl, Batgirl, volume 4 of the X-Men comic book series featured an all-female team as part of the Marvel NOW. branding initiative in 2013
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Kamen Rider Series
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The Kamen Rider Series is a metaseries of manga and tokusatsu television programs and films created by manga artist Shotaro Ishinomori. The Kamen Rider media generally feature a motorcycle-riding superhero with an insect motif who fights supervillains, the franchise began in 1971 with the Kamen Rider television series, which followed college student Takeshi Hongo and his quest to defeat the world-conquering Shocker organization. Produced by Toru Hirayama and designed by Shotaro Ishinomori, Kamen Rider premiered on April 3,1971 initially intended as an adaptation of Ishinomoris Skull Man and he and Hirayama redesigned the main character to resemble a grasshopper. The hero Takeshi Hongo, played by actor and stuntman Hiroshi Fujioka, was described as a transformed human, during the filming of episode 10, Fujioka was thrown from his motorcycle during a stunt and broke both legs. His character was phased out until the introduction of another transformed human, the return of Fujioka and his character, Hongo, in episode 53 united the two actors and Kamen Riders 1 and 2 appeared in every show of the first half of the Shōwa series. The series from April 1971 to January 1976 included a recurring mentor, after a four-year hiatus following the finale of Kamen Rider Stronger, the series returned to broadcast television in October 1979 for two years with The New Kamen Rider and Kamen Rider Super-1. In these shows, Tachibana was replaced by a character named Genjiro Tani. The annual new shows ended briefly during the 1980s, punctuated by the 1984 Kamen Rider ZX special Birth of the 10th, Kamen Rider Black premiered in 1987, the first series not hinting at a relationship to its predecessors. Black was the first show in the franchise with a sequel, Kamen Rider Black RX. In RXs finale, the ten previous Riders returned to help Black RX defeat the Crisis Empire, Kamen Rider Black RX was the final show produced during the Shōwa era, with the franchise resuming production by the end of the 20th century. A manga of Kamen Rider Black was a novelization and reimagination of the Black-RX series continuity, absent from television during the 1990s, the franchise was kept alive by stage shows, musical CDs, and the Shin, ZO, and J films. Toei announced a new project, Kamen Rider Kuuga, in May 1999, Kuuga was part of Ishinomoris 1997 Kamen Rider revival in preparation for its 30th anniversary, but he died before the shows materialized. During the summer of 1999, Kuuga was promoted in magazine advertisements, on January 30,2000, Kamen Rider Kuuga premiered with newcomer Joe Odagiri. In 2005, Kamen Rider The First was produced, written by Toshiki Inoue, the film reimagines the manga and original television series and characters from the original series had their storylines altered to fit the films time span. Masaya Kikawada played Takeshi Hongo/Kamen Rider 1 and Hassei Takano was Hayato Ichimonji/Kamen Rider 2 and this was followed in 2007 by Kamen Rider The Next, an adaptation of Kamen Rider V3 starring Kazuki Kato as Shiro Kazami/Kamen Rider V3 and with Kikawada and Takano reprising their roles. The eighth series, Kamen Rider Den-O, followed in 2007, differing from past Kamen Rider series, it introduces a rider who is unsure of himself. The series has a vehicle, the DenLiner, a bullet train which can travel through time. Although the series has two riders, they have multiple forms similar to Black RX, Kuuga, and Agito
15.
Mecha
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The term mecha may refer to both scientific ideas and science fiction genres that centers on robots or machines controlled by people. Mechas are typically depicted as walker types of Mobile robots and these machines vary greatly in size and shape, but are distinguished from vehicles by their humanoid or biomorphic appearance. Different subgenres exist, with varying connotations of realism, the concept of Super Robot and Real Robot are two such examples found in Japanese anime. The term may refer to real world piloted humanoid robots / non-humanoid robotic platforms. Alternatively, in the original Japanese context of the word, mecha may refer to mobile machinery/vehicles in general, the word mecha is an abbreviation first used in Japanese of the word mechanical. Outside of this usage, it has associated with large robots with limbs or other biological characteristics. While the distinction is often hazy, mecha typically does not refer to form-fitting powered armor such as Iron Mans suit and they are usually much larger than the wearer, like Iron Mans enemy the Iron Monger, and possess a cockpit from which they are operated. In most fiction in which appear, mecha are fighting machines. Often, they are the means of combat, with conflicts sometimes being decided through gladiatorial matches. Other works represent mecha as one component of a military force, supported by and fighting alongside tanks, fighter aircraft. In some continuities, special scenarios are constructed to make mecha more viable than current-day status, for example, in Gundam the fictional Minovsky particle inhibits the use of radar, making long-range ballistic strikes impractical, thus favouring relatively close range warfare of Mobile Suits. Mecha also see roles as transporters, recreation, advanced hazmat suits, Mecha have been used in fantasy settings, for example in the anime series Aura Battler Dunbine, The Vision of Escaflowne, Panzer World Galient and Maze. In those cases, the designs are usually based on some alternative or lost science-fiction technology from ancient times. In case of anime series Zoids, the machines resemble dinosaurs and animals, the 1880 Jules Verne novel La Maison à vapeur featured a steam-powered, piloted, mechanical elephant. One of the first appearances of such machines in modern literature was the tripods of H. G. Wells famous The War of the Worlds. The novel does not contain a detailed description of the tripods mode of locomotion, however it is hinted at. That was the impression those instant flashes gave, but instead of a milking stool imagine it a great body of machinery on a tripod stand. Two of the earliest uses of mecha in the United States were Kimball Kinnisons battle suit in E. E, doc Smiths Lensman novel Galactic Patrol, and the Mobile Infantry battle suits in Robert Heinleins Starship Troopers
16.
Giant Robo (tokusatsu)
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Giant Robo, or, known as Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot in the United States, is a manga and tokusatsu series created by Mitsuteru Yokoyama. It is similar to Yokoyamas Tetsujin 28-go, but Giant Robo has more elements of fantasy, the original 26-episode tokusatsu TV series, produced by the Toei Company, aired on NET from October 11,1967 to April 1,1968. The English-dubbed version of the series, developed by Reuben Guberman for American television, was produced by American International Television, Earth is invaded by an interstellar terrorist group, Big Fire, led by Emperor Guillotine. Guillotine spends most of his time in a space ship hidden at the bottom of an Earth ocean. The group has been capturing scientists to create an army of monsters to rampage on Earth, a boy named Daisaku Kusama and a young man named Jūrō Minami are shipwrecked on an island after their ship is attacked by Dracolon and captured by Big Fire. They end up in an elevator leading to a complex where a Pharaoh-like robot is being built by captive scientist Lucius Guardian, Guardian helps them escape before he is shot to death, before he dies, he triggers an atomic bomb which destroys the base. The explosion activates the robot, which obeys Daisaku, the boy is invited by Jūrō and his chief, Azuma, to join Unicorn and fight Big Fire with Giant Robo. In the US version, the Gargoyle Gang is an ambitious and they wear Soviet and Wehrmacht military uniforms, Central American guerrilla clothing, and Italian designer sunglasses. The members of the gang all have explosive devices implanted in their bodies, in each episode, the Gargoyle Gang sends a monster to attack its enemies, Dakolar, Appears in episodes 1 and 11, swims, has tentacle arms and spits sand. Globar, Appears in episodes 2 and 20, resembles a walking limpet mine, satan Rose, Appears in episodes 3 and 17, powers include fast growth, constricting tentacle-like vines, suction flowers, and lava bombs. Lygon, Appears in episodes 4 and 10, powers include a forehead horn drill, mouth flames, gangar, Appears in episodes 5 and 18, powers include flight, missiles and a rope. Dorogon, Appears in episodes 6 and 21, powers include flight, swimming, missiles, invisibility, ikageras, Appears in episodes 7 and 26, powers include swimming, hurricane winds, and acid spray. Doublion, Appears in episode 8, powers include head rotation, a sticky petroleum-based liquid, sparki, Appears in episodes 9 and 22, powers include levitation, electric tentacles, and rays. Unbalan, Appears in episode 12, powers include self-mummification, resistance to electricity, ganmons, Appears in episodes 13 and 26, powers include levitation, retractable legs, a vacuum, a searchlight, and an energy ray. Iron Power, Appears in episode 14, powers include flight, teeth, icelar, Appears in episodes 15,24 and 26, powers include burrowing, freezing winds and low body temperature. GR-2, Appears in episodes 16 and 19, powers include an electric boomerang, burrowing, calamity, Appears in episode 22 with armor that reacts to long-range attacks. Hydrazona, Appears in episode 24, powers include a body, freezing breath. Draculan, Appears in episode 25, powers include size-changing, vampirism, a shield, Guillotine is a blue-skinned alien who has tentacles extending from the bottom of his head
17.
Ultra Series
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The Ultra Series is the collective name for all the shows produced by Tsuburaya Productions featuring Ultraman, his many brethren, and the myriad Ultra Monsters. The Ultra Series is one of the prominent tokusatsu superhero genre productions from Japan, along with Toei produced series Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the Metal Heroes. The Ultra franchise is one of the most well known examples of the daikaiju genre, which also includes Tohos Godzilla series. However, the Ultra Series also falls into the kyodai hīro subgenre of Tokusatsu shows, Ultraman and his many kin are usually red-and-silver and have glowing yellow almond-shaped dome eyes and various abilities, most notably to fire energy beams from various positions of crossed hands. The Ultra beings main weakness is that they can stay on Earth in giant form for a limited span of time. This is marked by a light on the body usually called the Color Timer, or warning light. At this stage, the Ultra beings must either find a way to recharge or finish the fight as soon as possible, or involuntarily revert to human form, or worse, risk certain death. Some say another reason for Ultraman to recharge is because the Earth is badly polluted by humans, the time limit only happens inside the Earths atmosphere but they have none of those setbacks outside. Ultra beings also appear to be impossible to permanently kill. The Ultra-Garrison are ranked from low-tier cosmics to high-tier cosmics, the show Ultraman was followed by many other series. Sequels to the series are, Ultraseven, The Return of Ultraman, Ultraman Ace, Ultraman Taro, Ultraman Leo, Ultraman 80, Ultraman Tiga, Ultraman Dyna, Ultraman Gaia. Recently the studio tried a reinvention of the hero through the Ultra N Project and this was followed by a return to old-school style series in the form of Ultraman Max. In the course of Max series, another new hero known as Ultraman Xenon was also introduced, April 2006 saw the 40th anniversary series, Ultraman Mebius, which signalled a long-awaited return to the original universe. Another hero was also introduced, Ultraman Hikari, formerly known as Hunter Knight Tsurugi, the straight-to-video market also saw the release of Ultraman Neos in 2000, as well as special features for Ultraman Tiga, Dyna, and Gaia, who have teamed up in theatrical features. The Ultraman Mebius and Ultra Brothers movie opened in September 2006, Ultraman series have also been dubbed into various languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Korean, Malay, Mandarin, Indonesian, Cantonese and Filipino. Also of note is the American English dub of Ultraman Tiga by 4Kids Entertainment that aired in 2002, the dub considerably distorted the characterization and general mood of the series, and it achieved only limited success. In 1993, Tsuburaya Productions and Toei Company co-produced Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider and this direct-to-video feature is co-copyrighted by both Toei and Tsuburaya Productions. This figure does not account for Thai-produced Ultramen, the Ministry of Home Affairs stated that the comparison may confuse Muslim children and damage their faith
18.
Super Sentai
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The Super Sentai Series is a long-running Japanese superhero team franchise of TV series produced by Toei Co. Ltd. Toei Agency and Bandai, and aired by TV Asahi, the shows are of the tokusatsu genre, featuring live action characters and colorful special effects, and are aimed at children. Outside Japan, the Super Sentai Series is best known as the material for the Power Rangers franchise. While each Super Sentai Series is set in its own universe, various TV, video. The series was created by Shotaro Ishinomori, known for his creation of Kamen Rider. He developed the first two Super Sentai series Himitsu Sentai Gorenger and J. A. K. Q and this was carried over to Toei and Marvels next show, Battle Fever J, and the giant robot concept was used throughout the following Super Sentai programs. The term sentai is also used to describe shows with similar premises such as the magical girl team in Sailor Moon. Naoko Takeuchi used Sentai ideas as inspiration in the creation of the Sailor Soldiers, in 2010, Saban bought back the rights to Power Rangers and moved the show to the Nickelodeon network for 2011. The following is a list of the Super Sentai Series and their years of broadcast,1986, Choushinsei Flashman 1987, Choushinsei Flashman, Big Rally. Hong Kong Decisive Battle 2008, Engine Sentai Go-onger, Boom Boom,2009, Engine Sentai Go-onger vs. Gekiranger 2009, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger the Movie, The Fateful War 2010, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger vs. Go-onger, GinmakuBang. Space Sheriff Gavan, The Movie 2012, Kamen Rider × Super Sentai, Super Hero Taisen 2012, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters the Movie, Farewell Our Eternal Friends 2014, Heisei Riders vs. Shōwa Riders, Kamen Rider Taisen feat. Super Sentai 2014, Ressha Sentai ToQger the Movie, Galaxy Line S. O. S. 2015, Ressha Sentai ToQger vs. Kyoryuger, The Movie 2015, Super Hero Taisen GP, Kamen Rider 32015, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger the Movie, The Dinosaur Lords Splendid Ninja Scroll. 2016, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger vs. ToQger the Movie, Ninja in Wonderland 2016, Doubutsu Sentai Zyuohger the Movie,2000, Kyuukyuu Sentai GoGoFive vs. Gingaman 2001, Mirai Sentai Timeranger vs. GoGoFive 2001, Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs. The Super Magic of the Gold Grip Phone ~Goru Gooru Goo Goo~2007, Juken Sentai Gekiranger Special DVD, fist Sage Great Athletic Meet 2008, Engine Sentai Go-Onger Special DVD, Its a Seminar. 2009, Samurai Sentai Shinkenger Special DVD, The Light Samurais Surprise Transformation 2010, Tensou Sentai Goseiger Special DVD, total Gathering Collection 2011, Kaizoku Sentai Gokaiger Special DVD, Lets Do This Goldenly. 2012, Tokumei Sentai Go-Busters vs. Beet Buster vs. J2013, Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger,2014, Ressha Sentai ToQger, Farewell, Ticket. 2015, Shuriken Sentai Ninninger, Aka Ninger vs. Star Ninger Hundred Nin Battle, although the Super Sentai Series originated in Japan, various Sentai series have been imported and dubbed in other languages for broadcast in several other countries
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Theatre of Japan
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Traditional Japanese theatre includes Kabuki, Noh and the puppet theatre, Bunraku. The early existing Kyogen scripts date from the 15th century, Kyogen was used as an intermission between Noh acts—it linked the theme of the Noh play with the modern world by means of farce and slapstick. Noh played to the high class, but there were occasions where Noh was performed for common audiences. Unlike Noh, the performers of Kyogen do not wear masks, although they were both very popular forms of theatre, commoners were often in higher attendance for Kyogen performances. Both men and women were allowed to perform Kyogen until 1430, the best known form of Japanese theatre is Kabuki. It combines music, drama, and dance and its fame comes from the wild costumes and sword fights employed in this form. Kabuki grew out of opposition to Noh — dramatists wanted to shock the audience with more lively and timely stories and it is told to have been first performed by Okunis in 1603. Like Noh, however, Kabuki also became a stylized, regimented art form and is performed in the same fashion. Whether or not they represent traditional kabuki, however, remains a matter of debate, puppets and Bunraku were used in Japanese theatre as early as the Noh plays. Medieval records prove the use of puppets actually in Noh plays, the puppets were 3- to 4-foot-tall dolls manipulated by puppeteers in full view of the audience. The puppeteers controlling the legs and hands are dressed entirely in black, music and chanting is a popular convention of bunraku, and the shamisen player is usually considered to be the leader of the production. Hōgetsu Shimamura and Kaoru Osanai were two figures influential in the development of shingeki, in the postwar period, there was a phenomenal growth in creative new dramatic works, which introduced fresh aesthetic concepts that revolutionized the orthodox modern theatre. Plots became increasingly complex, with play-within-a-play sequences, moving back and forth in time. Dramatic structure was fragmented, with the focus on the performer, playwrights returned to common stage devices perfected in Noh and Kabuki to project their ideas, such as employing a narrator, who could also use English for international audiences. Major playwrights in the 1980s were Kara Juro, Shimizu Kunio, in the 1980s, stagecraft was refined into a more sophisticated, complex format than in the earlier postwar experiments but lacked their bold critical spirit. The 1980s also encouraged the creation of the Sho-Gekijo, literally little theatre and this usually meant amateur theatrical troupes making plays designed to be seen by anyone and everyone — not necessarily as meaningful in nature as they were simply entertaining. Some of the more philosophical playwrights and directors of that time are Noda Hideki, popular sho-gekijo theatrical troupes include Nylon 100, Gekidan Shinkansen, Tokyo Sunshine Boys, and Halaholo Shangrila. Recently, new generation of Sho-Gekijo artists who are labeled as the Generation of the Lost Decade or the Generation of 2000s are emerging, principal artists among this generation are, Toshiki Okada, Shiro Maeda, Kuro Tanino, Daisuke Miura, Tomohiro Maekawa and so on
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Kabuki
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Kabuki is a classical Japanese dance-drama. Kabuki theatre is known for the stylization of its drama and for the elaborate make-up worn by some of its performers, the individual kanji, from left to right, mean sing, dance, and skill. Kabuki is therefore sometimes translated as the art of singing and dancing and these are, however, ateji characters which do not reflect actual etymology. The kanji of skill generally refers to a performer in kabuki theatre, since the word kabuki is believed to derive from the verb kabuku, meaning to lean or to be out of the ordinary, kabuki can be interpreted as avant-garde or bizarre theatre. The expression kabukimono referred originally to those who were dressed and swaggered on a street. The history of kabuki began in 1603 when Izumo no Okuni, possibly a miko of Izumo-taisha and it originated in the 17th century. Japan was under the control of the Tokugawa shogunate, enforced by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the name of the Edo period derives from the relocation of the Tokugawa regime from its former home in Kyoto to the city of Edo, present-day Tokyo. Female performers played both men and women in comic playlets about ordinary life, the style was immediately popular, and Okuni was asked to perform before the Imperial Court. In the wake of success, rival troupes quickly formed. For this reason, kabuki was also called 遊女歌舞妓 during this period, Kabuki became a common form of entertainment in the ukiyo, or Yoshiwara, the registered red-light district in Edo. A diverse crowd gathered under one roof, something that happened nowhere else in the city, Kabuki theaters were a place to see and be seen as they featured the latest fashion trends and current events. The stage provided good entertainment with exciting new music, patterns, clothing, performances went from morning until sunset. The teahouses surrounding or connected to the theater provided meals, refreshments, the area around the theatres was lush with shops selling kabuki souvenirs. Kabuki, in a sense, initiated pop culture in Japan, the shogunate was never partial to kabuki and all the mischief it brought, particularly the variety of the social classes which mixed at kabuki performances. Women’s kabuki, called onna-kabuki, was banned in 1629 for being too erotic, following onna-kabuki, young boys performed in wakashū-kabuki, but since they too were eligible for prostitution, the shogun government soon banned wakashū-kabuki as well. Kabuki switched to male actors, called yaro-kabuki, in the mid-1600s. Male actors played both female and male characters, the theatre remained popular, and remained a focus of urban lifestyle until modern times. The modern all-male kabuki, known as yarō-kabuki, was established during these decades, after women were banned from performing, cross-dressed male actors, known as onnagata or oyama, took over
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Bunraku
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Bunraku, also known as Ningyō jōruri, is a form of traditional Japanese puppet theatre, founded in Osaka in the beginning of 17th century. Three kinds of performers take part in a performance, the Ningyōtsukai or Ningyōzukai. Occasionally other instruments such as taiko drums will be used, the most accurate term for the traditional puppet theater in Japan is ningyō jōruri. The combination of chanting and shamisen playing is called jōruri and the Japanese word for puppet is ningyō and it is used in many plays. Bunraku puppetry has been a traditional activity for Japanese people for hundreds of years. Bunrakus history goes as far back to the turn of the 18th century when Uemura Bunrakuken came to Osaka from Awaji and began his own theatre. The puppets of the Osaka tradition tend to be somewhat smaller overall, the heads and hands of traditional puppets are carved by specialists, while the bodies and costumes are often constructed by puppeteers. The heads can be quite sophisticated mechanically, in plays with supernatural themes, a puppet may be constructed so that its face can quickly transform into that of a demon. Less complex heads may have eyes that move up and down, side to side or close, and noses, mouths, the main puppeteer, the omozukai, uses his or her right hand to control the right hand of the puppet. A third puppeteer, the ashizukai, operates the feet and legs, puppeteers begin their training by operating the feet, then move on to the left hand, before being able to train as the main puppeteer. All but the most minor characters require three puppeteers, who perform in full view of the audience, generally wearing black robes, the shape of the puppeteers hoods also varies, depending on the school to which the puppeteer belongs. Usually a single chanter recites all the parts, altering his vocal pitch. The chanters sit next to the shamisen player, some traditional puppet theaters have revolving platform for the chanter and shamisen player, which rotates bringing replacement musicians for the next scene. The shamisen used in bunraku is slightly larger than other kinds of shamisen and has a different sound, lower in pitch, Bunraku shares many themes with kabuki. In fact, many plays were adapted for both by actors in kabuki and by puppet troupes in bunraku. Bunraku is particularly noted for lovers suicide plays, the story of the forty-seven ronin is also famous in both bunraku and kabuki. Bunraku is a theater, as opposed to kabuki, which is a performers theater. In bunraku, prior to the performance, the chanter holds up the text and bows before it, in kabuki, actors insert puns on their names, ad-libs, references to contemporary happenings and other things which deviate from the script
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Puppetry
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Such a performance is also known as a puppet play. The puppeteer uses movements of her hands, arms, or control devices such as rods or strings to move the body, head, limbs, and in some cases the mouth and eyes of the puppet. The puppeteer often speaks in the voice of the character of the puppet, the actions, gestures and spoken parts acted out by the puppets are typically used in storytelling. There are many different varieties of puppets, and they are made of a range of materials, depending on their form. They can be complex or very simple in their construction. A hand puppet is controlled by one hand which occupies the interior of the puppet, a live-hand puppet is similar to a hand puppet but is larger and requires two puppeteers for each puppet. Marionettes are suspended and controlled by a number of strings, plus sometimes a central rod attached to a bar held from above by the puppeteer. Puppetry is an ancient form of theatre which was first recorded in the 5th century BC in Ancient Greece. Some forms of puppetry may have originated as long ago as 3000 years BC, Puppetry takes many forms, but they all share the process of animating inanimate performing objects to tell a story. Puppetry is used in almost all human societies both as entertainment – in performance – and ceremonially in rituals and celebrations such as carnivals, Puppetry is a very ancient art form, thought to have originated about 3000 years ago. Puppets have been used since the earliest times to animate and communicate the ideas, some historians claim that they pre-date actors in theatre. There is evidence that they were used in Egypt as early as 2000 BC when string-operated figures of wood were manipulated to perform the action of kneading bread, wire controlled, articulated puppets made of clay and ivory have also been found in Egyptian tombs. Hieroglyphs also describe walking statues being used in Ancient Egyptian religious dramas, Puppetry was practiced in Ancient Greece and the oldest written records of puppetry can be found in the works of Herodotus and Xenophon, dating from the 5th century BC. Sub-Saharan Africa may have inherited some of the traditions of Ancient Egypt. Certainly, secret societies in many African ethnic groups still use puppets in ritual dramas as well as in their healing and hunting ceremonies. Today, puppetry continues as a form, often within a ceremonial context, and as part of a wide range of folk forms including dance, storytelling. There is slight evidence for puppetry in the Indus Valley Civilization, archaeologists have unearthed one terracotta doll with a detachable head capable of manipulation by a string dating to 2500 BC. Another figure is a monkey which could be manipulated up and down a stick
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King Kong
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King Kong is a giant movie monster, resembling a giant ape, that has appeared in various media since 1933. The character first appeared in the 1933 film King Kong from RKO Pictures, a sequel quickly followed that same year with Son of Kong, featuring a Little Kong. In the 1960s, Toho produced King Kong vs. Godzilla, pitting a much larger Kong against Tohos own Godzilla, in 1976, Dino De Laurentiis produced a modern remake of the original film directed by John Guillermin. A sequel, King Kong Lives, followed a decade later featuring a Lady Kong, another remake of the original, this time set in 1933, was released in 2005 from filmmaker Peter Jackson. The most recent film, Kong, Skull Island, set in 1973, is part of Legendary Entertainments MonsterVerse, a crossover sequel, Godzilla vs. Kong, once again pitting the characters against one another, is currently planned for 2020. His role in the different narratives varies, ranging from a monster to a tragic antihero. The King Kong character was conceived and created by American filmmaker Merian C, an American film crew, led by Carl Denham, captures Kong and takes him to New York City to be exhibited as the Eighth Wonder of the World. Kong escapes and climbs the Empire State Building, only to fall from the skyscraper after being attacked by airplanes with guns, Merian C. Cooper became fascinated by gorillas at the age of 6. In 1899, he was given a book from his uncle called Explorations, the book, chronicled the adventures of Paul Du Chaillu in Africa and his various encounters with the natives and wildlife there. Decades later in his years, Cooper became involved in the motion picture industry. While filming The Four Feathers in Africa, he came into contact with a family of baboons and this gave him the idea to make a picture about primates. A year later when he got to RKO, Cooper wanted to film a terror gorilla picture, as the story was being fleshed out, Cooper decided to make his gorilla giant sized. Cooper stated that the idea of Kong fighting warplanes on top of a building came from him seeing a plane flying over the New York Insurance Building, then the tallest building in the world. He came up with the ending before the rest of the story as he stated, around this time, Cooper began to refer to his project as a Giant terror gorilla picture featuring A gigantic semi- humanoid gorilla pitted against modern civilization. This is a monster with the strength of a hundred men, but more terrifying is the head-a nightmare head with bloodshot eyes and jagged teeth set under a thick mat of hair, a face half-beast half-human. Willis OBrien created an oil painting depicting the giant gorilla menacing a jungle heroine and hunter for Cooper. However, when it time for OBrien and Marcel Delgado to sculpt the animation model, Cooper decided to back pedal on the half human look for the creature. OBrien on the hand, wanted him to be almost human-like to gain audience empathy
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King Ghidorah
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King Ghidorah is a kaiju film monster that first appeared in Tohos 1964 film Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. Although Toho officially trademarks the character as King Ghidorah, the character was referred to as Ghidrah in English markets. The character is portrayed as an archenemy of Godzilla and Mothra. The initial idea for Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster came from Tomoyuki Tanaka, tanakas inspiration came from an illustration of the Lernaean Hydra in a book about Greek Mythology, and Orochi of Japanese folklore. Tanaka was enamored with the idea of Godzilla fighting a multi-headed serpent, but considered 7-8 heads to be excessive, the final version was an armless, three-headed dragon with large wings, two tails and of extraterrestrial origin. Screenwriter Shinichi Sekizawa insisted that the Ghidorah suit be fabricated using light-weight silicon-based materials in order to grant the wearer greater mobility, the monster costume itself was built by Akira Watanabe, and worn by Shoichi Hirose, who also played King Kong in Tohos King Kong vs. Godzilla. Hirose walked hunched over inside the Ghidorah costume, holding a bar for balance, while puppeteers would control its heads, tails. The monsters heads were each fitted with remotely controlled motors, which were connected to operators via a wire extending from the suits backside, because of the suits weight, it frequently snapped the overhead wires supporting it. Special effects were added as the creature is capable emitting destructive, lightning-like gravity beams from its mouths, in order to emphasize Ghidorahs heroic role in the movie, his size was greatly reduced. He was portrayed by Akira Ohashi, who moved the creatures heads as hand puppets and his attempt to destroy Earth is thwarted by the combined efforts of Godzilla, Rodan and Mothra. Subsequent Shōwa era films would portray Ghidorah as the pawn of various alien races seeking to subjugate Earth, King Ghidorah also appears in the fifth and sixth episodes of the television series Zone Fighter, where it is revealed that he is a creation of the Garoga aliens. Sent out by the Garogas to kill Zone Fighter, King Ghidorah put up a fight against Zone. Before Zone could kill Ghidorah, the space dragon fled, as Zone Fighter shares continuity with the Showa era of Godzilla movies, after escaping from Zone Fighter, Ghidorah would next appear chronologically in Destroy All Monsters, set in 1999. Prior to doing so, they remove the dinosaur that would ultimately become Godzilla from the island, in 1992, the Earth Unionists unleash Ghidorah onto Japan, but he is defeated by a recreated Godzilla. In Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, Mecha-King Ghidorahs robotic middle head is salvaged by the United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center, Ghidorah left Earth, only to return in modern times to feed on humans. Mothra fails to defeat the monster, so it travels back to the Cretaceous in order to kill Ghidorah retroactively, Mothra defeats the younger Ghidorah, but the monsters severed tail allows it to regenerate back into its adult form in modern times. Mothra finally kills the monster by transforming into Armor Mothra, in Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah, Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Ghidorah is portrayed as having been one of the three Guardians of Yamato, originating 1,000 years before the events of the film. Initially an antagonist, Ghidorah was imprisoned in Mount Fuji, only to be reawakened in 2001 to halt Godzillas destruction of Tokyo and he is defeated, but then revived and empowered by his ally Mothra
25.
Anime
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Anime is Japanese hand-drawn or computer animation. The word is the pronunciation of animation in Japanese, where this term references all animation. Arguably, the abstract approach to the words meaning may open up the possibility of anime produced in countries other than Japan. For simplicity, many Westerners strictly view anime as a Japanese animation product, some scholars suggest defining anime as specifically or quintessentially Japanese may be related to a new form of orientalism. The earliest commercial Japanese animation dates to 1917, and Japanese anime production has continued to increase steadily. Anime is distributed theatrically, by way of television broadcasts, directly to home media and it is classified into numerous genres targeting diverse broad and niche audiences. Anime is an art form with distinctive production methods and techniques that have been adapted over time in response to emergent technologies. It consists of an ideal story-telling mechanism, combining art, characterization, cinematography. The production of anime focuses less on the animation of movement and more on the realism of settings as well as the use of effects, including panning, zooming. Being hand-drawn, anime is separated from reality by a gap of fiction that provides an ideal path for escapism that audiences can immerse themselves into with relative ease. Diverse art styles are used and character proportions and features can be quite varied, the anime industry consists of over 430 production studios, including major names like Studio Ghibli, Gainax, and Toei Animation. Despite comprising only a fraction of Japans domestic film market, anime makes up a majority of Japanese DVD sales and it has also seen international success after the rise of English-dubbed programming. This rise in popularity has resulted in non-Japanese productions using the anime art style. Anime is an art form, specifically animation, that all genres found in cinema. In Japanese, the term refers to all forms of animation from around the world. In English, anime is more used to denote a Japanese-style animated film or television entertainment or as a style of animation created in Japan. The etymology of the anime is disputed. The English term animation is written in Japanese katakana as アニメーション and is アニメ in its shortened form, in English, anime—when used as a common noun—normally functions as a mass noun
26.
Astro Boy
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Astro Boy, known in Japan by its original name Mighty Atom, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Osamu Tezuka from 1952 to 1968. The story follows the adventures of an android named Astro Boy, the manga was adapted for TV as Astro Boy, the first popular animated Japanese television series that embodied the aesthetic that later became familiar worldwide as anime. After enjoying success abroad, Astro Boy was remade in the 1980s as New Mighty Atom, known as Astroboy in other countries, in November 2007, he was named Japans envoy for overseas safety. An American computer-animated film based on the manga series by Tezuka was released on October 23,2009. In March 2015, a trailer was released announcing a new animated series, Astro Boy is a science fiction series set in a futuristic world where robots co-exist with humans. Its focus is on the adventures of the titular Astro Boy, Dr. Tenma created Astro to replace his son Tobio, who died in a car accident. Dr. Tenma built Astro in Tobios memory and treated Astro as lovingly as if he was the real Tobio. However, Dr. Tenma soon realized that the little android could not fill the void of his lost son, in the original 1960 edition, Tenma rejected Astro and sold him to a cruel circus owner, Hamegg. After some time, Professor Ochanomizu, the new head of the Ministry of Science, notices Astro Boy performing in the circus and he then takes Astro in as his own and treats him gently and warmly, becoming his legal guardian. He soon realizes that Astro has superior powers and skills, as well as the ability to experience human emotions, most of his enemies are robot-hating humans, robots gone berserk, or alien invaders. Almost every story includes a battle involving Astro and other robots, in one manga episode, Astro takes on the US Air Force, and stops it from bombing some innocent Vietnamese villagers. The Astro Boy series consists of story lines. Schodt added that the page layouts used in Astro Boy episodes became more creative, when designing supporting characters, Tezuka sometimes created characters that were homages to Walt Disney, Max Fleischer, and other American animators. In several of the Astro Boy stories, the first few pages were in color, Tezuka had a Star System of characters where characters from his other works played various roles in Astro Boy. Similarly, several characters in Astro Boy appear in his other works, Tezuka developed a type of dialog with his readers since he developed so many stories during his lifetime. Astro Boy was described by Schodt as an analog, a world where man, as a result, the plots of the Astro Boy stories often involve issues that stem from this idea. When Astro Boy was created in the 1950s and 1960s, Japan did not have the reputation for science and this made the analog nature of Astro Boy unique. The novels were published by Akita Shoten,23 volumes of paper backs were printed
27.
Ambassador Magma
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Ambassador Magma is the title and protagonist of a manga and tokusatsu TV series created by Osamu Tezuka. The TV series, produced by P Productions, aired on Fuji TV from July 4,1966 to September 25,1967 and it is the first color tokusatsu TV series in Japan, beating Ultraman to the airwaves by 6 days. The show later aired in the U. S. dubbed in English, the alien invader Goa plots to conquer Earth. He first warns the Murakami family of their invasion, and demonstrates his powers by transporting them to a prehistoric jungle, but they will not agree to surrender to Goa, so hope comes in the form of Magma, an armored, golden giant with long hair and antennae. He and his human-sized wife Mol, both of whom were created by the wizard Earth, are sent to defend our world against Goa, Earth gives Mamoru a whistle, with which he can call Gam, Mol and Magma in times of crisis. So when Goa unleashes his various daikaiju, chances are that Magma, Mol, ambassador Magma, despite his robot-like appearance, is not a true robot, but actually a living giant forged from gold. In fact, true to his manga appearance, in the series pilot opening, Tetsuya Uozumi. But such difficulties as Uozomis own face turning beet-red, drowning out the gold makeup, the solution proved to be an easy one, in all the shows subsequent episodes, Uozumi wore a golden human-like mask. Magma, just like his human-sized wife Mol and son Gam, indeed, he is considered one of the earliest transforming mecha, even before the anime super robot, Brave Raideen, which set the standard for the genre. He also shoots out of a panel located in his chest. The Space Giants is the English title of this series, the main conflict of the story involved an evil space villain named Rodak who continually tried to conquer Earth by sending a new dinosaur-like monster from deep space to attack Japan. The stories were resolved in two to four episodes, much like the BBCs Doctor Who, and a new monster would be found by Rodak to begin another two- to four-part struggle. Rodaks efforts were opposed by an ancient white-bearded wizard named Methusan, the human interest in the story was a family of three, a boy named Mikko, his mother Tomoko, and his journalist father Ito Mura. The family became involved in the due to the villain Rodaks desire to publish news of his presence to world media. The Mura family found themselves caught in the crossfire of monster attacks and harried by the Lugo men. A major sub-plot in the series developed when Mikkos mother was kidnapped by the Lugo men, in the first episodes, the robot team were a duo consisting of a 50-foot gold robot aptly named Goldar and his companion, a silver-clad humanoid female named Silvar. It was implied that they had created by the wizard Methusan. All members of the team were capable of transforming into rockets identified respectively by gold, silver
28.
The Return of Godzilla
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The Return of Godzilla, released in Japan as Godzilla, is a 1984 Japanese science fiction tokusatsu kaiju film featuring Godzilla, produced and distributed by Toho. Other than Godzilla series creator Tomoyuki Tanaka and special effects director Teruyoshi Nakano, which was also produced, filmed, and edited with the same techniques. After a volcanic eruption on Daikoku Island, the Yahata-Maru Japanese fishing vessel is caught in strong currents off its shores, as the boat drifts into shore, the island begins to erupt, and a giant monster lifts itself out of the volcano. A few days later, reporter Goro Maki is sailing in the area and finds the vessel intact, as he explores the vessel, he finds all the crew dead except for one young man called Hiroshi Okumura, who has been badly wounded. Suddenly a giant Shockirus sea louse attacks him but he is saved by Okumura, in Tokyo, Okumura realizes by looking at pictures that the monster he saw was a new Godzilla. Maki writes an article about the account, but the news of Godzillas return is kept secret, Maki visits Professor Hayashida, whose parents were lost in the 1954 Godzilla attack. Hayashida describes Godzilla as a living, invincible nuclear weapon able to mass destruction. At Hayashidas laboratory, Maki meets Okumuras sister, Naoko, and informs her that her brother is alive, a Soviet submarine is destroyed in the Pacific. The Soviets believe the attack was perpetrated by the Americans, and a diplomatic crisis ensues, the Japanese intervene and reveal that Godzilla was behind the attacks. The Japanese cabinet meets to discuss Japans defence, a new weapon is revealed, the Super X, a specially-armored flying fortress that will defend the capital. The Japanese military is put on alert, Godzilla attacks the Ihama nuclear power plant. While Godzilla is feeding off the reactor, he is distracted by a flock of birds, Hayashida believes that Godzilla was distracted instinctively by a homing signal from the birds. Prime Minister Mitamura meets with Soviet and American envoys and declares that nuclear weapons will not be used on Godzilla, Godzilla is sighted at dawn in Tokyo Bay heading towards Tokyo, causing mass evacuations. The Japanese Air Self Defense Force attacks Godzilla but it fails to stop his advance on the city and he soon emerges and makes short work of the JSDF stationed there. The battle causes damage to the Soviet ship and starts a missile launch count-down, the captain dies as he attempts to stop the missile from launching. Godzilla proceeds towards Tokyos business district, wreaking havoc along the way, there, it is confronted by four laser-armed trucks and the Super X. Because Godzillas heart is similar to a reactor, the cadmium shells that are fired into his mouth by the Super X seal and slow down his heart. The count-down ends and the Soviet missile is launched, the Americans intervene and fire a counter-missile at the Soviet missile
29.
Ultra Q
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Ultra Q is a tokusatsu science fiction/kaiju series made in the tradition of Tohos many tokusatsu sci-fi/horror films. This series was followed two weeks later by the more popular Ultraman, the second Ultra Series, Ultra Q can be described as a half-hour Toho kaiju series. Executive Producer Eiji Tsuburaya intended this series to be more like the American television series The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits, featuring all kinds of strange and unusual stories. After a survey, the TBS network convinced Tsuburaya Productions to add more giant monsters, as children were interested in them, since Godzilla. Much like The X-Files, the series continuing characters who investigate strange supernatural phenomena, including giant monsters, aliens, ghosts. The original planned title of this project was Unbalance, and was subsequently rechristened Ultra Q The series began production in 1964, at the time, this was the most expensive television series ever produced in Japan. The Q stands for Question and also tied with another hit TBS series, Obake no Q-tarō, Jun Manjome, Aviator at Hoshikawa Air Service and amateur SF writer. Yuriko Edogawa, Reporter for the Daily News, Ippei Togawa, Juns aviation partner at Hoshikawa. Professor Ichinotani, world-renowned scientist, and occasional assistance to Jun, Yuriko, News Desk Editor, Seki, Yurikos boss and editor at the Daily News. Goro and Goroh The Gift From Space Mammoth Flower Peguila Is Here, in 1967, Ultra Q was licensed from Tsuburaya and TBS by CBS Films, producers of The Twilight Zone. It was a deal that not only included Ultra Q. For the task of dubbing, CBS hired Film House in Toronto, Canada, Tsuburaya provided translated scripts, plus English language opening and closing credits, and a custom, swirling title-card. The series itself was dubbed in its 28 episode entirety, at some point, CBS Films backed out of licensing the series, and it was picked up, along with Ultraman, by United Artists Television, producers of The Outer Limits. Subsequently, United Artists Television hired Titra Studios to dub Ultraman, Ultraman was syndicated, however, Ultra Q was not, due to being in black-and-white at a time when most television was switching to color. After Ultraman finished its run in syndication, audio and film masters, before Ragone uncovered this information, it was commonly believed, even by Tsuburaya Productions, that only one episode, Episode 3, was dubbed into English as a pilot. Over the last decade, other episodes have been discovered in the hands of private US collectors on the 16mm film format. Ultra Qs success earned it a radio drama, starring the voices of the human cast from the original Ultra Q with some of the old monsters, such as Kemur, Garamon, Gorgos. In the years following the original run, a live action film called Ultra Q The Movie
30.
Daimajin
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Daimajin, great demon god is the titular character from the Daimajin trilogy created by Daiei. All three movies in the trilogy — Daimajin, Return of Daimajin, and Wrath of Daimajin — were made in 1966 and were released months apart, Daimajin Kanon, a new television drama based on the films, premiered in Japan in 2010. It features a new Daimajin and takes place in modern-day Japan, Daimajin is a spirit who takes the form of a giant statue as a corporeal form. Daimajin appears to those who need his help and does not cease his crusade until peace has been achieved, the movie opens with a household of peasants cowering during a series of earth tremors that are interpreted as the escape attempts of Daimajin, a spirit trapped within the mountain. The village gathers at their shrine and this is observed by the local feudal boss, Lord Hanabasa, a good and just man. It is also observed by his treacherous chamberlain, Samanosuke, Samanosuke has been waiting for just such a diversion to stage a coup détat. As the villagers pray, Samanosuke and his henchmen slaughter Hanabasa and his wife, back at the shrine, Samanosukes men break up the meeting, forbidding all such gatherings in the future. The priestess issues a warning, but the men ignore her. Discouraged, the priestess, Shinobu, goes home, only to find Kogenta and she takes them up the side of the mountain into forbidden territory, where the stone idol which is Daimajin stands, half-buried into the side of the mountain. Near this idol is an ancient temple - safe as only Shinobu knows of its existence, the son, Tadafumi reaches his 18th birthday. The years have been miserable on the villagers, Samanosuke is a brutal leader who is using every man in the starving village as slave labor. The place is ripe for revolution and surviving Hanabasa retainers are starting to return, Kogenta journeys to the village to try to gather the old retainers, but gets himself captured. A boy gets word to Tadafumi and his sister, Kozasa that their friend is a prisoner, Tadafumi tries to rescue him, only to discover its a trap. The crew that travels up the mountain to smash Daimajin accidentally discovers Kozasa, the soldiers bring out an enormous chisel and proceed to hammer it into Daimajins head, they stop when they see blood beginning to drip from the statue. Horrified, the men attempt to flee, but the cracks open. Kozasa begs Daimajin to save her brother and punish the wicked Samanosuke, at the fortress, Tadafumi and Kogenta are tied to large crosses, awaiting their fates. Kozasa offers her life to Daimajin and attempts to throw herself over the waterfall, but the rock and earth covering the lower half of the idol falls away. Kozasa prostrates herself before it, as the stone mask disappears, revealing the face of Daimajin
31.
Frankenstein Conquers the World
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Frankenstein Conquers the World (released in Japan as Frankenstein vs. Subterranean Monster Baragon is a Japanese-American 1965 science fiction kaiju film co-produced by Toho and UPA. The film is directed by Ishirō Honda with special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya and stars Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima, with Koji Furuhata as Frankenstein and this was the first of two Toho/UPA co-produced films featuring giant-sized Frankenstein monsters. A sequel called The War of the Gargantuas was produced the following year, the film was released theatrically in the United States in the summer of 1966 by American International Pictures. The prologue is set in Nazi Germany during the days of World War II. The heart is summarily transported by U-Boat to be passed off to their Japanese allies via the Atlantic, in the Indian Ocean, off the Maldives, the U-Boat meets up with a Japanese Imperial Navy submarine to make the exchange. They are sighted by an Allied Forces scout plane and bombed, but not before the Kriegsmarine pass the heart to the Japanese, who take it back to Hiroshima for further experimentation. But just as the experiments are about to begin, Hiroshima is bombed with a weapon by the Allied Forces, and the heart. Fifteen years later, in 1960, a boy runs rampant in the streets of Hiroshima, catching and devouring small animals such as dogs. This comes to the attention of American scientist Dr. James Bowen and his assistants Sueko Togami, a year later, they investigate and find the boy hiding in a cave on a beach, where a mob of outraged villagers has almost caught him. While the strange boy catches media attention and is care of by the scientists. Once the boy is taken to the hospital, it is discovered that he is Caucasian and his body is building a strong resistance to radiation rather than getting sick from it. As the ground splits open, Kawai, for a moment, glimpses a monstrous, inhuman visage peering through the fissure, meanwhile, Dr. Bowen and the scientists find that the strange boy is growing in size due to intake of protein. Afraid of his strength, the lock and chain the boy in a jail cell and Sueko. Meanwhile, Dr. Bowen is visited by Kawai, who tells him that the boy could have grown from the heart of the Frankenstein Monster, at Bowens advice, Dr. Kawaji confers with the aging Dr. Riesendorf in Frankfurt. Riesendorf tells Kawaji of the story of the Frankenstein Monster and its noted virtual immortality, Riesendorf recommends cutting off the monsters arm or leg, speculating that a new one will grow back. When relating this to his fellow scientists upon his return to Japan, Sueko strongly objects to this method, even when Bowen suggests that they wait a little longer to think it over, Kawaji tenaciously attempts to sever one of the now-gigantic monsters limbs. He is interrupted by a TV crew, whom Kawaji allows to film the monster, though they enrage it with the bright studio lights aimed at its face. The monster, hereafter known as Frankenstein, breaks loose and goes on the run from the Japanese police, there is a tender encounter between the monster and Sueko on the balcony of her apartment before he has to run away
32.
The War of the Gargantuas
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The War of the Gargantuas is a 1966 Japanese kaiju film produced by Toho. The film tells the story of two giant, hairy humanoids called Frankensteins that were spawned from the cells of Frankensteins monster from the previous film. A green one raised in the sea named Gaira is violent and savage, while a brown one who resides in the Japanese Alps, named Sanda is friendly, the film follows the investigation and military engagements of these creatures until their climactic confrontation in Tokyo. The film was released theatrically in the United States in the summer of 1970 by Maron Films where it played nationwide on a bill with Monster Zero. As the film opens, a boat is seen chugging through stormy seas. A giant octopus appears from the ocean and seems bent on killing the crew member on deck. Suddenly, the releases the man and retracts its tentacles from the boat. Relieved, the sailor peers out the porthole to see Gaira, after easily defeating it, Gaira turns his attention to the boat and sinks it. When the sailor is recovered from the ocean, he tells his tale of the large gargantua to his doctors, who believe he is in shock and spouting nonsense. The press picks up on the story and interviews Dr. Paul Stewart and his assistant, Akemi Togawa. Dr. Stewart and Akemi try to dispel the idea that the attack on the boat was caused by the gargantua they knew and studied because it was very gentle while in their care. Stewart postulates that the gargantua he studied wouldnt live in the ocean as it was found in the mountains and probably returned there when it escaped from his laboratory five years ago. Another boat is attacked and the people of a village see the gargantua off the coast at the same time that a mountain guide reports seeing the gargantua in the Japanese Alps. So, Dr. Stewart and Akemi go to visit the mountains and send their assistant, Dr. Majida, Dr. Majida finds tissue stuck to the side of the fishing boat while Dr. Stewart and Akemi find giant footprints in the snow. In the meantime, Gaira comes ashore and attacks an airport, as he munches on a woman hes pulled from inside a building, the sun appears from behind the clouds. Apparently, the gargantua doesnt like bright light and runs back to the sea, after Gaira attacks Tokyo at night, the residents are urged to turn on all of their lights and open their shades to drive him out of the city. He begins to retreat to the mountains and is met by the Japanese Self Defense Force, although conventional tanks, artillery, and machine guns have little effect on him, a newly constructed weapon — Maser Cannons — badly injures Gaira. Bloodied and bruised, Gaira falls into the river and appears defeated, suddenly, a larger, brown gargantua comes to his aid
33.
The X from Outer Space
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The X from Outer Space is a 1967 Japanese science fiction kaiju film. The film was directed by Kazui Nihonmatsu and starred Eiji Okada, the spaceship AAB Gamma is dispatched from Japan to travel to Mars to investigate reports of UFOs in the area. When the Gamma nears the red planet, it comes across an alien vessel that sprays the ship with spores. Samples are taken back to earth where one of them begins to develop, the cosmic spore grows into a giant, lizard-like creature dubbed Guilala. The monster begins a reign of destruction through Tokyo and it spits fireballs, feeds on nuclear fuel, turns into a flying, burning sphere and destroys any airplanes and tanks in its path. Guilala is finally defeated by jets laden with bombs, which coat it in a substance called Guilalalium and it causes Guilala to shrink down to its original spore form. The government promptly launches the spore back into space, where it will circle the sun in an endless orbit, the X From Outer Space was released in Japan on 25 March 1967. The X From Outer Space was never released theatrically in the United States, the Criterion Collection released The X from Outer Space on DVD in a compilation titled When Horror Came to Shochiku through their Eclipse label. The DVD offers both a dubbed and subtitled version of the film, the box set was released on November 20,2012. Film historian Chuck Stephens described the film as having a reputation as one of the silliest—and, as a consequence. The Monster X Strikes Back/Attack the G8 Summit List of Japanese films of 1967 List of science fiction films of the 1960s The X from Outer Space at the Internet Movie Database
34.
The Secret of the Telegian
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The Secret of the Telegian is a 1960 tokusatsu science fiction-horror and mystery film. Produced by Toho Company, Ltd. the film was directed by Jun Fukuda and written by Shinichi Sekizawa, herts-Lion International Corp. acquired the western hemisphere rights to the film in January 1964 and planned to release it theatrically in the United States. This proposed US theatrical release was aborted, and the film was syndicated to television. Besides being in black and white, the TV prints were identical to Tohos uncut international English version, dubbing, at an amusement park Cave of Horrors spook show, a man is stabbed to death with a knife. Left behind at the scene are a gold-plated name tag, a note from an unknown source asking the victim to meet him there. Reporter Kirioka, who has a background in science, Detective Kobayashi, a friend of the reporter. And end up involved with an even stranger case than they could have ever imagined, the club is owned by a man named Onishi, who is rumored to run an illegal narcotics smuggling ring out of his establishment and has a few dark secrets in his closet. Something that went down fourteen years earlier right as Japan was about ready to surrender to Allied Forces during WWII thats about to back to haunt both him and the others who were involved. As it turns out, Onishi, along with the man dead at the funhouse. They had been assigned to help protect scientist / electrical engineer Dr. Kajuro Nikkis top secret experiments in creating electronic weaponry, instead, the men decided to throw out the doctors experiment and fill the crates with stolen gold bars. The only opposition they faced was from Lance Corporal Tsudo, who insisted the gold belonged to the people of his country, Onishi and the others stabbed Tsudo, shot Dr. Nikki and barely made it out of the cave before its blown up with dynamite. They returned there a year later, only to discover that both corpses and the gold were missing. Both Tsudo and Nikki live quietly in seclusion on a remote farm, over the years, Nikki has perfected a transportation device capable of moving matter from one place to another in a matter of seconds. Tsudo sends the dog tags as sort of a death sentence, sends audio tapes or notes to each of the men informing them when he plans on killing them. They trace Tsudo to a farm, but can prove nothing. The police find Nikki there, and his machines, but still no proof, meanwhile, one of the gangsters, Taki, is killed while in police protection. The gangster leader, Onishi, hides in a coastal village. Tsudo appears and stabs Onishi with a bayonet, Tsudo makes it to his hidden transmitter and starts the process
35.
The Human Vapor
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The Human Vapor, known in Japan as Gas Human No. 1, is a Japanese science fiction film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1960. The film was made by Tohos legendary Godzilla directing/special effects/producing team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, the film was recut by Brenco Pictures in 1964, changing the format from that of a mystery to a narrative being told largely in flashback from Mizunos point of view. Even though this version is dubbed, Tsuchiya has stated that he prefers this cut of the film, a sequel to this film was planned called Frankenstein vs. This was dropped in favor of Frankenstein Conquers the World, a high-speed pursuit between police and an escaping robber along Itsukaichi Highway is under way. Eventually, the car ends up crashing and overturning down an embankment. Two policemen and Detective Okamoto exit the car to find the robber and are astonished to find nothing inside. The men then hear the strains of music outside the property of a nearby house. Entering though the garden, the police come upon the front of the house, Okamoto directs one of the men to search about the premises, while the other moves to ring the buzzer at the front door. Investigating the music, Okamoto sees an outdoor stag upon which a dancer wearing a mask is rehearsing. As the dancer ends her routine, the buzzer sounds, Jiya answers the door and informs the officer that he and his Lady, Fujichiyo Kasuga, are alone and nobody has been by. The cop tries to take a peek inside, as Jiya informs him they do not have a car, the next day, Okamoto shares lunch with his girlfriend, newspaper reporter Kyoko Kono. Kyoko questions her boyfriend about the details on how the robbery took place, Okamoto revels there are not clues on how or who did it. Kyoko feels she can find out as much information as Okamoto can, later at a bank, the police officer who earlier had driven the squad cars being thanked by the bank president for supplying extra guards. The bank president assures the cop that the alarm is tested every day. The alarm suddenly goes off as a mysterious robber kills an employee and is confronting the police officer. The cop opens fire on him, but the bullets have not effect on the robber, soon more cops from police headquarters arrive, they observe the dead employee behind the bars that protect the safe. They unlock the bars and it is confirmed that the man is dead, the bank president, overwhelmed with grief, is led away
36.
The H-Man
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The H-Man, known in Japan as Beauty and Liquid Men, is a tokusatsu film produced and released by Toho Studios in 1958. The film was made by Tohos Godzilla directing, special effects, producing team of Ishirō Honda, Eiji Tsuburaya, the film was released by Columbia Pictures in the United States in 1959, on a double bill with the British horror film The Woman Eater. This, like such films as The Human Vapor, and Matango, was one of Honda, instead, the story focuses on mobsters, nightclub singers, and radioactive liquid creatures that live in Tokyos sewers, which are the results of a nuclear explosion. Following a routine nuclear experiment, the ship Ryujin Maru II disappeared while in the South Pacific Days later, another ship, bound for Izu, six members of the crew decide to board the ship. To their surprise, they find no one on board at all, only clothes lying around but in a way that, in dim light, in the captains room, they find an unfinished log, and begin to suspect that the crew must have been killed somehow. While leaving the room, Dai, one of the crew members who boarded the ship, is killed by a mysterious blue liquid that climbs up his leg and melts his body. After killing Dai, the liquid takes the shape of a man and is joined by one from the window. The monsters rush at one of the men and quickly claim another victim. Next, Sou is killed on the dock while trying to escape, only two of the original six make it off the ship alive, and they spot Liquid People walking around the deck as they disembark away from the ship. Much later, in the outskirts of Tokyo, a smuggler by the name of Misaki is mysteriously killed while trying to get away. The police investigate by going to his apartment, only to find his girlfriend, Arai Chikako, Arai works at the cabaret, so the police decide to go there for further investigation. After her performance, the police go back to Arais room, after finding a note to Arai in his pocket, they bring him in as a suspect. He is identified as Masada, an assistant professor at Jyoto University, the police dont buy a word, and set up patrols at Misakis apartment where Arai is living. That night, a man by the name of Nishiyama sneaks into the apartment and threatens Arai, asking her where Misaki is, however, after thinking it over Nishiyama states that he will spare her life for tonight, and leaves by the window. Not long after, Arai hears gun shots that are followed by a scream, Arai then opens the door to the apartment and faints in the hall. The police go the room to investigate, and look out the only to see clothes. In the morning, the police take Arai in for questioning, once there, the witnesses tell their story of the six members of their ship that boarded the ship, and how four of the men lost their lives that night. Masada next shows him the effect of the Ash of Death, the bullfrog melts almost immediately, all of its cells are transformed into a liquid
37.
Half Human
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Half Human is a tokusatsu film directed by Ishirō Honda in 1955. The film was re-edited and dubbed in English in a 1958 U. S. release version called Half Human, the Japanese version is told in flashbacks framed by scenes of a reporter questioning the expedition after they have returned from their harrowing ordeal in the mountains. Five young friends, university students, have come to the Japanese Alps in Nagano during New Years for a skiing vacation, among them are Takashi Iijima his girlfriend Machiko Takeno, her elder brother Kiyoshi Takeno and their friends Nakada and Kaji. Rather than the five of them skiing together, Kiyoshi announces that he will follow Kaji to the cabin of a friend named Gen. Takashi, Michiko, and Nakada arrive at the inn, welcomed by the manager Matsui, the caretaker tries to telephone the remote cabin, but nobody answers. He tries to hide his concern, but nobodys fooled, while Takashi takes over trying to ring the cabin, Machiko stares out the window into the deepening storm. She catches sight of a shadowy figure shambling toward the lodge, a fur-clad young woman named Chika, who lives in a remote village somewhere deep in the mountains. Chika is none too pleased to see so many visitors in the lodge, however, the night is so brutal that she has little choice but to join them if she wants to stay warm. There is still no response from the cabin, and the group is horrified to hear the sound of an avalanche thundering down a nearby slope. Machiko runs to the phone, but no sooner has she put it up to her ear when she throws it back again in horror. Through the earpiece comes the sound of screams, followed by a single gunshot, there is a moment of silence. Takashi picks up the receiver, he hears another agonized scream, Chika puts her furs back on and slips away, unnoticed by the others. The next day, as soon as the weather clears, a rescue party goes off to find Gen, Gen is found dead on the cabin floor while Kajis body has been dragged out into the snow. Their injuries suggest they were attacked by something far stronger than a man, of the elder Takeno, though, there is no sign. Takashi and Nakata find strange tufts of hair around the cabin, but most disturbing of all are the enormous bare footprints leading off into the snow. The search team splits up, with one group bringing the men back to the lodge. By nightfall, there is no sign of Kiyoshi. Determining Kiyoshis fate, though, is almost incidental to Koizumis intentions, when the party arrives at an inn, Machiko is distracted by a monkey in a cage
38.
The Invisible Avenger
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Tomei Ningen is a black-and-white Japanese action / horror film, originally released in 1954. Produced by the Toho studio, the film is an adaption of the science fiction novella entitled The Invisible Man. The film was directed by Motoyoshi Oda, and written by Hiroshi Beppu, the two stories do not share many plot details, aside from the general premise of a man who can turn himself invisible, but it was produced with the intent of adapting Wells work. The film follows a circus clown and a gang, both of whom can become due to ingesting a formula developed by the government during World War II. The gang of criminals has been using their powers to wreak havoc and cause chaos throughout Japan, ultimately, he defeats them, but in doing so is forced to sacrifice his own life. The character Invisible Man aka Takemitsu Nanjo is kaijin, a type of supervillain from horror film, the film was moderately successful, but was overshadowed by the huge crossover success of Godzilla, earlier in 1954. It has never released outside Japan. Special effects was made by Eiji Tsuburaya, tomei Ningen at the Internet Movie Database
39.
The Ultraman
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The Ultraman is a Japanese animated television series co-produced by Tsuburaya Production and Tokyo Broadcasting System. The series aired on TBS Television affiliates on the Wednesday 7,00 PM time slot from April 4,1979 to March 26,1980 and it was the eighth installment in the Ultra Series and aired four years after the end of Ultraman Leo. The Ultraman featured in series is named Ultraman Joneus, who is also called Ultraman Joe for short. Its A-type throws a ball and its B-type shoots an energy beam, with many other variations such as an electric beam. Locking Spark, A powerful version of Planium Beam A-type, Astro Beam, A beam from his Astro Spot. Star Beam, A star-shaped beam from his Astro Spot, boomerang Guillotine, A crescent-shaped slashing laser beam. Ultra Laser Shot, Continuous energy bullets, little Beam, Makes a monster small-scale. Ultra Spinning Flash, Continuous energy bullets from his spinning body, Ultra Stopper, Makes a monster an activity stop temporarily in an energy barrier. Ultra Medical Power, A ring-shaped beam, Super Magma, A powerful beam of planium energy and the Super Magma Energy Capsule. Ultra Body Screw, A flying drill attack, Ultra Barrier Case, Seals a monster in an energy barrier. Barrier Gas, Seals a monster in a gaseous barrier, space Mirror Barrier, An energy barrier. Teleportation, Energy Infusion, Transfers his life energy, the Scientific Defense Guard is a branch of the Earth Defence Force. Tetsuo Akiyama, The first captain of the Far East Zone and he is transferred to the America Zone in Episode 26. Daisuke Gondo, The second captain of the Far East Zone, kei Marume, A chubby strongman and an expert marksman. Hiroaki Tobe, A smart alik weapons developer, choichiro Hikari, He encounters Joneus on his way from the space station EGG3 to the earth, and merges with Joneus. Pig and Monkey, The Pigmon-like robot operator and mascot of the team, the movie is composed of edited footage from several episodes of the series. The storyline was rewritten for this adaptation with a new script by Jeff Segal, Ultraman II, The Further Adventures of Ultraman, a dub of the first four episodes co-produced by Tsuburaya Productions and Associates Entertainment International. Despite the title, it has no continuity with the previous English dub of the series, although the translation is closer to the original Japanese scripts than the first movie, the characters names were still changed
40.
Battle Fever J
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Battle Fever J is a live-action Japanese TV series. The third entry of the Super Sentai series franchise, Battle Fever J was co-produced by Toei Company, a total of 52 episodes aired on TV Asahi between February 3,1979 and January 26,1980. The team have codenames named for countries around the world, also named in their theme song, Battle France, Battle Cossack, Battle Kenya, Miss America. It was also the first series in the Super Sentai franchise where the heroes must control giant robots to defeat a monster who itself has grown to a gigantic size, toeis tokusatsu adaptation of Spider-Man was the first to introduce this format and was also the inspiration for this series. The series was partially inspired by the Marvel Comics character Captain America. Battle Fever J was the first series to use the term Super Sentai until Toei announced in 1995 that its predecessors Himitsu Sentai Gorenger, dengekitai were also part of the Super Sentai series, when Chōriki Sentai Ohranger was announced as the 19th Super Sentai team. General Kurama assembles four young agents who had been dispatched around the world for training and they are joined by FBI investigator Diane Martin, whose father was murdered by Egos. The five don powered suits to become the Battle Fever team, the Battle Fever teams trump card is the Battle Fever Robo. Egos tries to stop the construction of the Robot, but the monsters they send to perform this task are defeated one by one by the Fever team, Egos then unleashes the younger brother of the Buffalo Monster, a giant robot replica of its older brother. The Robot, fortunately, is finished in time, aboard it, the Fever team defeats the Buffalo Monster and its successors. The Fever team never stops, even when it lost two of its members, the team destroys the machine and slays the mysterious deity Satan Egos himself with the Lightning Sword Rocketter sword-throwing move. Team Battle Fever is unique among Super Sentai shows in that, originally, they did not transform into their costumes, instead they resorted to an unseen costume change. In most episodes, however, the members yell Fever. masao Den / Battle Japan, A former National Defense Ministry officer. He is good at judo and karate and he is armed with a spear. 21 years after Battle Fever J ended, Battle Japan appeared as one of the 24 Red Rangers in Hyakujuu Sentai Gaoranger vs, Super Sentai, introduced by Liveman Red Falcon to inspire the current team. Kensaku Shiraishi / Battle Cossack I, He was good at science as well as war and he was the original second in command of the team. He left the Big Baser without the Battle Cossack uniform and was killed by Egos with Machine Guns and he loved to play Pachinko and enjoyed eating caviar. Kyousuke Shida / Battle France, He is trained in France and he became the new second in command of the team after Kensakus death
