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zzthekaiju · 3 days

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Best of the Reptiles in Media - 01 - Godzilla (Monsterverse)

I figure that while I'm using this blog, I might as well post my ramblings on a subject dear to my heart: That being the representation of reptiles as characters in media. And not just villainous or vile ones like we're so used to. I'm talking about ones that inspire me. The ones that are legitimately compelling to me. And these posts are an excuse to espouse why.

Plus, it's just fun. You can thank the likes of @tyrantisterror and @bogleech for inspiring me to do these.

So who better to start with than with the lizard who's been an inspiration to me for almost my entire life. That being the one known as Gojira. AKA...Godzilla.

This is the one character in these posts who probably needs no introduction. Ever since his debut in 1954, the walking embodiment of the horrors of nuclear war, among other things, has been nothing less than an icon. This is the beast people think about when they hear "giant monster" or "kaiju". This is truly the King of the Monsters.

My introduction to Godzilla was a children's book called "Godzilla on Monster Island". It was a fun read full of neat monsters living together and teaming up to stop an evil plan. And it left me wanting more. I wanted more stories of these fantastic yet friendly beasts being friends and living together while having fun adventures. Little me was a bit disappointed to find that Godzilla spent more time fighting his fellow kaiju and trashing cities instead.

The truth, as I would find out, was that Godzilla is never just one thing. He is a fun defender of the Earth. He's the terrifying consequences of our tampering with both nature and science. And in recent memory, he's been a lot of other things. But most of the time, he's either hero or mankind's hubris on two legs. To me, he was a giant dinosaur that could fire thermonuclear breath, and that was all that mattered. It was after hearing about the historical significance of him that my respect doubled.

Back then, I would tell you that my favorite Godzilla from a design standpoint was the 2002 version. Personality wise, almost every Showa appearance post-1964.

But in 2014, everything changed. In came a Goji that seemed to have everything I could ask for. So, we're going to look at the one that resonates with me the most. The Monsterverse version.

That right there is perhaps one of the most awe-inspiring entrances I've ever seen in a cinema.

Before the release of Godzilla (2014), the franchise had entered something of a slump period. The last film was all the way back in 2004, and sadly, the kaiju genre was still something of a niche thing growing up. Here in America, you either liked superheroes or real-life celebrities as a kid. If you liked monsters, let alone giant monsters, you were one of the weird kids. That, or one of the kids who never lost their passion for dinosaurs. But those were rare.

Then Gareth Edwards unleashed this film, and while one could argue that Pacific Rim (2013) got the ball rolling, THIS ultimately resurrected the entire franchise of the Big G, and got him a degree of general respect from most film-goers (so long as you ignore the irritating internet drama regarding screen-time back then).

But let's get to the meat of this post. Why is this Godzilla so much better to me than the rest? A few things, really.

First off, there's Godzilla's role in the Monsterverse's narrative. For the most part, he is a guardian of the natural order, a means of bringing balance to imbalance. He is a metaphor for how nature is capable of righting itself, and how we either have to deal with it, or live with the consequences. In practice, Godzilla ends up going up against almost every monster, most of which are only a threat because we awakened them/created them. Yet despite this, he doesn't go out of his way to destroy us. He's not mindlessly destructive or particularly vengeful either. He knows we're a part of the world too. We just tend to grate a bit more on his nerves because of how much we screw up. If there's one thing this series isn't afraid to show, it's that...well, "the arrogance of man is thinking nature is within our control, and not the other way around."

Design-wise, this is one of the best Godzilla's around. He's bulky, has a killer stare, and there's something oddly endearing about how...well, meaty he is. He's like if my aforementioned previous favorite design, the 2002 one, put on both a lot of muscle and weight. It also ties into his fighting style, said to have been inspired particularly by bears. Even the sounds associated with him are amazing. From that hype-inducing charge of his thermonuclear breath to what might be the best rendition of the classic roar.

Then there is the body language. This Godzilla's usual gait is slow, almost plodding at times. He shows clear signs of exhaustion in some scenes. What he goes through is hard, and his job is even harder, but he still does it. It really helps sell his personality most of the time.

Part of why I like the Monsterverse so much is that, for the most part, the kaiju are treated as characters in their own right (that's not to say they weren't in previous iterations, far from it, but it's a bit more pronounced here than most of the post-Showa stuff). Sure, some films in this verse are better about it than others (more on that later...), but I like how you can glean what Godzilla is thinking of just by looking at his eyes. Of particular note is how they widen in "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" when Ghidorah gains the upper hand during the final battle, his absolute sneer of anger in the first movie when the male MUTO approaches him, or...this.

This scene. This one right here encapsulates so much of what I love about this iteration. Where Godzilla, dazed and thoroughly battered by both the fight with the MUTOS and having a building fall right on him, locks eyes with a tiny little soldier. You see a sense of tiredness, of pain, of acknowledgement, and maybe even a little wonder. This is not just some mindless beast fighting for its turf. It's a thinking being. And he's hurt. The most powerful creature on the planet isn't invincible, neither on the outside and definitely not on the inside.

And you know what? I've been there. There are times where I feel like I'm carrying the weight of the world, that there are things too heavy to bear, and its suffocating. Godzilla constantly shows throughout the Monsterverse that his job as a living balancing act is wearing on him. He gets put through so. Much. Crap. From getting buildings dropped on him to being personally dropped from a distance above the clouds to watching his symbiotic partner/mate die, it's almost unfair how we're expected to not really sympathize with him as much as...I'll get to that later.

But he never gives up. Despite all the pain and fatigue, he gets back up, and he fights. And he fights. And he continues until the deed is done. Someone has to rise to the occasion, and it might as well be him. If not him, then who?

That is the biggest reason I resonate with this Godzilla. His awe-inspiring design is one thing, but he gave me the strength to persevere. I don't give up, because he never did. Never before had the Big G been such a hero to me. Such that in 2014 I found myself silently sobbing to myself when it seemed like he was dead near the end even though that was clearly not the case. It's hardly a surprise that I based my personal Godzilla AU on him, albeit with the more sympathetic traits dialed up. Stuff like this made G14 and KOTM some of my favorite kaiju flicks...

...which made it more than a little disappointing when Wingard took the helm and basically said "screw that, this is about the monke now!" Yeah, GvK is the weakest entry in the series for me for a reason. Godzilla's more redeeming qualities are buried under a narrative that clearly is not interested in giving him the time of day or even the benefit of a doubt. Both it and it's successor, GxK, are Kong movies through and through, and that means poor Big G is put out of focus.

I cannot tell you how much I HATE this idea that the only way a monster can be relatable is if it either looks almost just like us or is really cute. Yes, I understand the universal appeal, but they had such a good thing going for Godzilla! And they throw almost all of it away just so that they can make Kong look better by comparison.

Credit where it's due, these issues are slightly improved in GxK. It's not only firmly established that Godzilla is an overall benefit to the world for keeping the other Titans in check, but we get some interesting bits with him like how he instantly responds and prepares to answer the call of the Iwi and help them. It shows that despite his tenuous relationship with humans, there are ones he clearly gives a lot of thought to. And there's also how he makes the Roman Coliseum his own personal bed. Not only is it kind of hilariously adorable, but if you remember how in KOTM he had his own man-made temple, you get the impression that he has a bit of homesickness. That's the kind of thing I like to see! More of that and less "he's only ever angry and he only ever fights, character is for primates only".

Also, while the Evolved design has nice details, I WANT THAT GUT BACK! it just looks weird otherwise with that disproportionately skinny waist.

But thankfully, our prayers might be answered:

With GxK's roaring success (ha!), it's more than likely that the next Monsterverse entry will finally give Godzilla an overdue character arc that doesn't begin and end with "destroy everyone and act big and scary and nothing else". Just please make sure that he doesn't have to die to get that. There are plenty of ways you can make us invest in the guy's story without having to kill him. I WANT to see more of that emotional vulnerability teased across the movies. I want to see him come to terms with how he's been going about his job. And more importantly...I want to see a more explicit Mothzilla scene. A nuzzle and everything. But that's just me.

Whatever the quality of his current status, nothing is taking away how much I love this version of Godzilla. He's taken me out of some very dark places, and for that, I say long live the king.

Also, he brought Mothzilla into the public sphere and every Mothzilla pic made since is the cutest thing ever, so I just love him even more.

#best of the reptiles in media #ramblings #godzilla #gojira #monsterverse #godzilla 2014 #g14 #godzilla king of the monsters #godzilla vs kong #godzilla x kong: the new empire

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zzthekaiju · 4 days

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I SAY, I SAY, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT’CHA GET, YA OVERGROWN FOSSIL! YA RIGHT THEN THERE LET YOUR PRIDE GET THE BEST OF YAS AFTER YOU SWAT A TEXAS-SIZED FLY, THEN YA ACT SURPRISED WHEN THE BUILDIN’ YA HIT DECIDES TO SHOW YA HOW A GAME O’ DOMINOES WORKS! Y’AINT NO SPRING CHICKEN, NO I SAY, YOU AIN’T NO YOUNGIN’ ANYMORE! YA GETTIN’ OLD, LIZARD BOY! OLD! THE ONLY THING YOU’LL BE KING OF IS THE DIRT IF YA KEEP THIS UP! IF I WAS YOU, I’D TAKE OUT THE BIG MAMA OVAH THERE WITH THE GOOD OL’ FASHIONED ELEMENT O’ SURPRISE! SO GIT TO IT, BIG MAN!

#meme #memes #godzilla #gojira #kaiju #godzilla 2014 #godzilla king of the monsters #godzilla x kong: the new empire

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zzthekaiju · 5 days

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Felicity realizing what she said to Siona and remembering EXACTLY what happened the last time Davin found out about her actions:

What’s the darkest secret of each of the main six characters? I have a hunch that they individually may be sad or frightening or ridiculous. Or some combination.

Lumi: Has a crack on their outer shell. Is afraid of the dark.

Siona: Was raised by her older sister a la Lilo and Stitch. Is afraid Davin will leave her.

Davin: Lost their father and left their family to do some soul searching after a particularly bad argument. Their beanie belonged to him.

Mika: Fears Felicity will abandon him. Perms his feathers.

Felicity: Fears that her entire friend group will leave her. Uses lash extensions.

Holden: Left his previous galaxy alongside his mom to escape a terrible home situation.

#lumi and the great big galaxy #latgbg

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zzthekaiju · 5 days

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Wow...that's a lot of abandonment issues for the most part. Something tells me it's not going to go unnoticed.

In order:

Makes sense, can only imagine how that last bit goes when Void shows up like "Allow me to introduce myself :D"

Ah, I think I remember something like this from the previous version of this story. Also, about that last part, I'll save my thoughts for the end of this list...

Ouch...hey wait a minute! If this is their secret, you mean to tell me no one else knows that's why they're by themself? Not even Siona?

Geez, this poor bird doesn't have much of a life outside of his ward, does he?

Cue Obi-Wan saying "you have done that yourself!"

"Terrible home situation"...oh...oh no...I think I know what, or rather who, this is, but I hope it never rears its ugly head in the poor little guy's presence ever again.

Anyway, as hilariously huge a distortion is that Davin might abandon Siona, I can't say I don't understand her point of view. Who doesn't occasionally worry that they're a bit too much for their friends to handle, especially when they're constantly getting dragged into hijinks? I know I have. But I can see it now. Siona expresses that fear to them at her lowest point...and Davin goes at length how off the mark that is before demanding to know who put that in her head. It's like you said, their bond is a tough one to crack, and all the craziness she's dragged them into is precisely why she rocks their world. Can't say for sure if any of this will happen, but hey, speculation is fun!

What’s the darkest secret of each of the main six characters? I have a hunch that they individually may be sad or frightening or ridiculous. Or some combination.

Lumi: Has a crack on their outer shell. Is afraid of the dark.

Siona: Was raised by her older sister a la Lilo and Stitch. Is afraid Davin will leave her.

Davin: Lost their father and left their family to do some soul searching after a particularly bad argument. Their beanie belonged to him.

Mika: Fears Felicity will abandon him. Perms his feathers.

Felicity: Fears that her entire friend group will leave her. Uses lash extensions.

Holden: Left his previous galaxy alongside his mom to escape a terrible home situation.

#lumi and the great big galaxy #latgbg

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zzthekaiju · 6 days

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Pleasure as always!

LATGBG - Love Goes Down with the Ship

As Holden demonstrates why you shouldn't let a physical embodiment of chaos be at the wheel, poor Davin decides that now is a good time to let it all out...a pity the only ones listening are those who won't let him hear the end of it.

I swear, this comic came to me in a dream almost immediately after the last one (hence why I was able to complete it so soon). I look at this adorable tall lizard boi and I say to myself "listen, I love you, and I would put my life on the line to protect you, but putting you in these situations is too darn hilarious to pass up". So, here you have a case of peak meets peak (Next to HTTYD and KFP, the Madagascar trilogy is the best three-story pack Dreamworks has given us on account of it being the funniest).

And yes, I think you've probably figured out by this point that I have a major ship headcanon already. This show might as well have dangled a candy bar over my head when it provided a close-knit pair of polar opposite childhood friends with a reptile involved. Yes, I'm aware that they're just friends...but what if somewhere down the line that changes? It's adorable to think about! Now what do I call It? Siovin? Davona? Eh, you decide. Either way, let's not forget that all headcanons are valid here (or at least, they should be).

Also, I get a real kick imagining how Holden and Mika could be disaster "friends" in canon. It's order vs. mayhem all the way.

As always, enjoy!

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zzthekaiju · 6 days

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LATGBG - Love Goes Down with the Ship

Also, I get a real kick imagining how Holden and Mika could be disaster "friends" in canon. It's order vs. mayhem all the way.

As always, enjoy!

#my art #fanart #comic #lumi and the great big galaxy #latgbg #davin #siona #holden #mika

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zzthekaiju · 13 days

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Me reading most of this: Aw, how adorable. I wonder how they met aga--

I get to that last bit:

Oh.

Oh..........

Someone get that poor lizard a hug!

Either way, I'm convinced, these two don't just deserve, but NEED each other (I mean, I was convinced beforehand, but now it's ADVANCED convinced!).

First off, many thanks for the feedback on my comic! Secondly, out of sheer curiosity, I'd like to ask (unless this info is under lock and key at the moment, that is), exactly how did Siona and Davin meet in the first place? A bond like that must have interesting beginnings (at least, that's what I think).

You’re very welcome! It’s always such an honor to be a subject of fanart, comics especially, and yours was much adored. Thank you again!

As for Davin and Siona’s first meeting, they met at a festival Davin and their family were selling produce for (after Siona accidentally crashed into their crates). It wasn’t long after helping clean up, the two quickly became friends, and Siona told Davin about her nomadic lifestyle— traveling the galaxy to uncover the universe’s mysteries.

Davin was enamored and intrigued by this, wanting to break free and try something new after spending a good chunk of their life selling produce to different spots across the galaxy. They wanted to truly explore, and Siona’s lifestyle seemed like it was exactly what they were looking for!

Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be, as during that time they were heavily stacked due to the influx of aliens wanting to buy, sell, and trade during such a hectic time. Siona and Davin went their respective ways, and for a time life continued as usual until Davin’s father passed away. Despite pleas for them to stay together during this time, after a rough argument they left their family to travel the galaxy alone until they met Siona— with their bond now being one that’s hard to break.

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zzthekaiju · 13 days

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Aw, the pleasure is mine! Good to hear!

LATGBG - Mess With One and You Mess With Them All

A word to the wise, it doesn't matter how chill a guy may be. They could be the chillest, kindest, most shirt-off-their-back kind of person, but like anyone else, they have a limit. And there are few things more terrifying than when that person finally hits that limit.

Especially if they're a mellow space dinosaur and they caught wind of you slandering their slug BFF/Confidant/It's Complicated. You might as well go shopping for a coffin before they and their tagalong lizard-monkey-gremlin figure out where you live.

So...one post ago, I brought up a great upcoming indie project known as @latgbg (btw, you outta support it to when the time comes), and how I was going to do a fanart of it very soon. Well, a promise is a promise.

Seriously though, I can't emphasize enough how adorable Siona and Davin are when @starteas draws them together. A "sensitive and spunky" pair where one half is a good-natured reptile AND the sensitive one? Sign me the heck up!

As always, enjoy and let me know what you think! And here’s the link to the sign-up to the show’s Backerkit for those interested: https://www.backerkit.com/call_to_action/c83f9df0-a826-4a9c-9430-1360b99dbb2d/landing

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zzthekaiju · 13 days

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LATGBG - Mess With One and You Mess With Them All

#my art #fanart #lumi and the great big galaxy #latgbg #davin #siona #holden #felicity #mika #godzilla x kong: the new empire

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zzthekaiju · 19 days

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Autistic Headcannons

Just thought I'd put this together for Autism Awareness Month (really, it should be autism acceptance, but awareness is fine too).

Speaking as someone on the spectrum, it feels nice to see stuff like this.

Hilda (Hilda)

Donatello (Almost every incarnation, but especially Rise and Mutant Mayhem)

Jake Peralta (Brooklyn 99)

Alia (Arlo the Alligator Boy/I Heart Arlo)

The Tick (The Tick)

And I treasure them all.

I should also note that there's an upcoming indie animation with explicitly autistic characters. Specifically, Lumi and the Great Big Galaxy.

Art credit to @starteas

Something tells me me and this show are going to get along swimmingly...

...which is why I plan on funding it. And so should you!

Here's the link: https://t.co/6qRm23fgv1

PS: I'm definitely doing fan-art of it very soon.

#autism #autism awareness #hilda the series #netflix hilda #hilda #teenage mutant ninja turtles #tmnt #rise of the tmnt #brooklyn 99 #arlo the alligator boy #i heart arlo #the tick #lumi and the great big galaxy #latgbg

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zzthekaiju · 27 days

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So, Godzilla X Mothra as a Monsterverse movie, hmm...

Well, I got a lot of replies to the big comic saying that they’d like to hear my pitch for a GxM movie. So, here you go!

The film should be, at its core, of the romance genre variety. For both the kaiju and the human sub-plots. The overarching theme should not only be the Monsterverse’s usual “natural balance” motif, but also that of loving one another despite our differences and flaws, or perhaps because of them.

After all, “If you love a person, you accept the total person. With all the defects. Because those defects are a part of the person.”

Obviously, Godzilla and Mothra are at the center of the kaiju side of the story. Big G is still patrolling for rogue titans while Mothra has made residence in Indonesia. Monarch returns with Madison Russell trying to prove her worth as a part of it. However, not only is her stubborn attitude grating on everyone, but her head is in a whirlwind because of Mothra’s newest ambassador: A good-natured and pacifistic young lady her age native to where the big bug titan lives. She and this newcomer (we’ll call her Lora for simplicity’s sake) are a mirror to Godzilla and Mothra. Also, Bernie and Trapper should return because there was NO way they weren’t having eyes for each other in the last movie.

As for our two kaiju, their relationship hits a snag when a new titan shows up with an uncanny resemblance to Mothra. And yes, this will be the Monsterverse’s answer to Battra (we’ll call him that here from now on). Battra is something of an older brother to Mothra, and the two have a very strong connection. Unfortunately, Battra’s way of handling protecting the Earth runs counter to how Godzilla does it (as in, wipe out human settlements and attack titans for the most minor of infractions), and Big G tries to handle it the only way he knows how (ie, beating him to death). But not only is Battra much stronger than he lets on (complete with an ability to control plant life), but Mothra intervenes on her ancestor’s side out of familial loyalty (she’s unaware of Battra killing people at this point), causing the king and queen to come to blows until she and Battra emerge victorious, driving Godzilla away.

This turns out to be a really bad move, as Battra is determined to wipe out humanity, believing them to be a scourge that Mothra foolishly trusted. Mothra doesn’t realize her mistake until Battra wipes out an entire village for the crime of being near a forest. She tries to stop him, but nearly gets killed before retreating.

Monarch’s main goal throughout the film is to reunite Godzilla and Mothra, requiring them to look high and low for clues to how this unique symbiotic relationship came to be. A major stop is the Hollow Earth Iwi tribe, which shows how the two met in the first place, and gives Jia a chance to enter the narrative. As time goes by, Madison and Lora’s relationship goes from “unstoppable force meets immovable object” to them finding common ground, and eventually falling in love. It’s them that enables Monarch to hatch a plan. With the help of Jia, and Madison’s mastery of the ORCA, they set Godzilla and Mothra up to meet again. Of course, they’re all rather surprised to see Godzilla so thoroughly heartbroken and ashamed of himself that he submits to her like any titan would to him. But as Jia translates Mothra’s thoughts, the insect Goddess and her king make up for each other’s faults.

Soon, it’s Godzilla and Mothra vs. Battra. But it’s not easy, as Battra has mastery over the elements, giving him an advantage over Godzilla by summoning giant plants to ensnare and attack him. Mothra gets in a lot of good hits, but in the end, it’s a combination attack from king and queen that destroys Battra’s wings, and reduces him to harmlessness. To show how much he trusts his queen, Godzilla allows him to live and Mothra to decide his fate. She ultimately has him confined to the same place she lives so that he has familial company. It ultimately ends with Godzilla and Mothra resting at the area where they first met, as Monarch watches from a safe distance with Madison and Lora sharing their first kiss. At least one person, probably Bernie, states that it’s the best double date ever.

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If anyone has other ideas/opinions, feel free to let me know!

#Ramblings #godzilla #kaiju #monsterverse #mothra #mothzilla #godzilla x kong: the new empire

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