Godzilla Rivals: Mothra vs. M.O.G.U.E.R.A. begins with a standout fight between Mothra and Ebirah. From there, however, the Queen of the Monsters spends most of the story on the sidelines, with a brawl involving Mechagodzilla, Garuda, Jet Jaguar, and M.O.G.U.E.R.A. over the fate of her egg taking center stage. A mech fight on that scale is unusual for a Godzilla comic, and despite the misleading title, it's a decent issue. Writer Johnny Parker II sat down for a lengthy interview with Kevin Derendorf and Raf Enshohma this week; I haven't had time to listen to the whole thing, but I do know he talks about his valiant efforts to put Medical Jet Jaguar from Godzilla Island in the comic.
Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong #5 also released this week. Afraid it didn't leave much of an impression on me; the book is juggling a lot of narrative threads now, and I don't see how it wraps them all up satisfactorily with just two issues left. I would've liked to see a more focused cast (and not just because it takes forever to list all the DC characters on Wikizilla each issue, haha). They also finally mention Monarch in this issue, which only makes the absence of the Monsterverse's human characters more conspicious.
Between Dune: Part Two and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, March was already going to be a great month at the movies for giant monster fans, but they'll now be joined by an anime classic: The End of Evangelion. GKIDS is bringing it to North American theaters on March 17 and 20 (a Sunday and a Wednesday, respectively). All showings will be in Japanese with English subtitles. This is not, as some reporting has suggested, the first time the film has ever played in the region—I found a Facebook event page for a 2019 screening in Omaha, for instance—but it is certainly the first major release. Be forewarned that if you haven't seen Neon Genesis Evangelion, you'll be confused out of your mind, as the film serves as an alternate ending for the final two episodes. But you've got time to get caught up.
Like many a Godzilla movie before it, Godzilla x Kong is leaking like a sieve, with a number of alleged screenshots of the Titans now making the rounds online. I normally wouldn't mention such things in this column, but they show a couple of characters who haven't been officially confirmed to be in the movie yet. So here's a warning to be on your guard if you're spoiler-shy.
After being stuck in customs for a few days, this sweet chunk of vinyl made its way to my door. The G Store exclusive of Godzilla: The Ride is a big boy, too. Bigger than my Evangelion/Godzilla vinyl I got years ago. I'm sure the sculpture details are on the box, but it feels like the person who did this also did another favorite of mine, the Godzilla vs. Kong 2021 release. The skin textures look like cooled-off lava as it has randomness, which is fine. It's like a combination of something new and old, which I like. If there is something to be critical about is that he has a lot of visible seems. It can get lost in the details, but it's there. The miles may vary, whether that will bother you or not.
I might get the RIC version as I'm starting to dig light-up variants these days, but we'll see. For now, I'm pleased with the modern Toho Godzilla.
"It looks as though its Japanese producers, assisted by a stray American—fellow named Terry Morse, who is an alumnus of Hollywood's Poverty Row—made a close study of the old film, "King Kong," then tried to do substantially the same thing with a miniature of a dinosaur made of gum-shoes and about $20 worth of toy buildings and electric trains." —Bosley Crowther, reviewing Godzilla, King of the Monsters! for The New York Times
"The special effects are hardly special, but hey, what do you expect in a Japanese monster movie?" —Tony Kiss, reviewing Godzilla 1985 for the Asheville Citizen-Times
"Sure it's bad filmmaking. Sure it's a guy—actor Tsutomu Kitagawa—clad in a nearly vintage latex Godzilla getup and stomping through Tokyo, knocking down cardboard mini-buildings and upending toy-sized cars with his gnarly feet. But that's the point." —Bob Longino, reviewing Godzilla 2000 for The Palm Beach Post
Godzilla Minus One won the Oscar for Best Visual Effects at the 96th Academy Awards, sending a stunned Takashi Yamazaki (VFX supervisor), Kiyoko Shibuya (VFX director), Masaki Takahashi (3D CG director), and Tatsuji Nojima (VFX artist/compositor) to the Dolby Theatre stage. Said Yamazaki, reading from prepared comments in English, "To someone so far from Hollywood, the possibility of standing on this stage seemed out of reach." I could scarcely believe what I was watching myself, despite having given a presentation for a Wikizilla stream mere hours before on Minus One's very real chances of beating more expensive American contenders. Everything I said about its nomination goes triple for its victory; we'll be talking about this one forever. To those of us who remember when Godzilla was basically a joke in the American consciousness (including my Wikizilla colleague Darthlord1997, who had a speech of his own prepared), it's the ultimate vindication.
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Never one to rest on his laurels, Takashi Yamazaki directed an ad for Ajinomoto about food waste which released this week. It features the unsubtly-named Foodlosslla attacking Tokyo and facing an Ultraman-esque defense team. As with Minus One, the ad's visuals are a clever combination of high-end (a detailed CG monster) and low-end (dropping plastic fruit on top of fleeing extras).
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Last year, the 4Kids Flashback podcast interviewed Mike Pecoriello, producer and writer for the company's renditions of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Ultraman Tiga, and he delivered some major news about the latter. Although only 23 episodes of Tiga aired in the U.S., 4Kids dubbed the whole thing. At the time of the podcast's recording, he thought he made copies of all the episodes, but while that doesn't seem to be the case, he did provide 4Kids Flashback with the series finale. It's a good deal more serious than the episodes which aired, with the quips kept to a minimum. Let the hunt for the rest commence!
SciFi Japan has details on Kaiju Yarrow, a Japanese comedy doubling as a tourism ad for the city of Seki. The premise is very self-aware:
KAIJU YARROW! is set in Seki City, Gifu Prefecture. One day, 30 year old Ichiro Yamada, who works in the tourism department of a government office, is ordered by the mayor to produce a "local film.''
However, Yamada, didn't want to produce the typical "mediocre local movies'' that are everywhere nowadays, so he comes up with the idea of making a "monster movie'', which has been his life-long dream. However, his dreams develops into a major incident involving the city government...!
Will Yamada be able to complete his life goal of making a monster movie??
Junichiro Yagi will direct; YouTuber Gunpee will star. Unknown quantities both when it comes to kaiju, so how this will turn out is anyone's guess.
Tickets for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire have gone on sale in the U.S.—and as a reminder, the brief GKIDS theatrical release of The End of Evangelion wraps tomorrow.
While my second cup of tea for the work afternoon brews, please enjoy my thrifted Van Gogh museum mug and Godzilla x Evangelion keychain featuring Kaworu-Gigan and an annoyed Godzilla presumably about to melt his face
A little about me (This post will be pinned to the profile!)
Name: Júlia (But you can call me Juh)
Fav Games:
Sonic The Hedgehog, Mega Man, Roblox, Minecraft, DDLC (Doki Doki Literature Club), Skullgirls, Gacha Club (and the others) SSS (Sakura School Simulator) FNF (Friday Night Funkin') Super Mombo Guest, AHIT (A Hat In Time) BBU (Billie Bust Up) FNAF (Five Night's At Freddy's) COTL (Cult Of The Lamb) Cuphead, BATIM (Bendy and The Ink Machine) Yandere Simulator
Fav Shows:
Murder Drones, MMFC (Mega Man Fully Charged) Sonic Boom, Sonic Prime, DEPP (Dead End Paranormal Park) Aggretsuko, TADC (The Amazing Digital Circus) Robot Trains, The Cuphead Show, Fundamental Paper Education
Fav Animes:
KNY (Kimetsu no Yaiba/Demon Slayer) TPN (The Promised Neverland) Junji Ito (Collection and Maniac) PPGZ (The Powerpuff Girls Z) HXH (HunterXHunter) Mega Man NT Warrior, Sailor Moon, Sonic X, Neon Genisis Evangelion
Spider Man (Tobey, Andrew and Tom) Frozen (1 and 2) The Meg (1) Godzilla(2014) Godzilla: King Of Monsters, Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken, ROTTMNT: The Movie
Fav Songs:
(I have a lot but I'll say the ones I most like)
Desire (Do As Infinity)
Bad Apple(nomico)
Night Dancer(imase)
Going Under(Evanescence)
Burning(Yeah Yeah Yeahs)
Fav Shipps:
Wave Man × Fire Man, Aki × Ashley, Suna × Bert, Elecman × Wood Man, Splash Woman × Bubble Man, Sayori × MC(Main Character) Mary Jane × Peter Parker, Uzi × N, Sonic × Amy, Filia × Painwheel, Eliza × Black Dalhia, Ms.Fortune × Minette, Cerebella × Feng, Peacock × Marie, Nezuko × Zenitsu, Tanjiro × Kanao, Inosuke × Aoi, Shinobu × Tomioka, Sanemi × Kanae, Jax × Ragatha, Caine × Moon, Kinger × Quennie