Wikipedia

Kaiju

Kaiju(Japanese:Quái thú,Hepburn:Kaijū,lit. 'strange beast';Japanese pronunciation:[kai(d)ʑɯː])is a Japanese term that is commonly associated with media involving giant monsters. Thekaijufilm genre is credited totokusatsudirectorEiji Tsuburayaand filmmakerIshirō Honda,who popularized it by creating theGodzillafranchise and its spin-offs.[1]The term can also refer to the monsters themselves, which are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other creatures.

Poster forGodzilla(1954), widely considered the firstkaijufilm

Godzilla(1954) is often regarded as the firstkaijumovie. When developing it, Honda and Tsuburaya drew inspiration from the character ofKing Kong,both in its influential1933film and in the conception of a giant monster, establishing it as a pivotal precursor in the evolution of the genre.[2]During its formative years,kaijumovies were generally neglected by Japanese critics, who regarded them as "juvenile gimmick", according to authors Steve Ryfle and Ed Godziszewski.[1]

Kaijuare often somewhat metaphorical in nature;Godzilla,for example, serves as a metaphor fornuclear weapons,reflecting the fears ofpost-war Japanfollowing theatomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasakiand theLucky Dragon 5incident. Other notable examples ofkaijucharacters includeKing Kong,Rodan,Mothra,King Ghidorah,andGamera.

Origins

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Etymology

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Camille Flammarion'sLe monde avant la creation de l'homme(The World Before Man's Creation) series in 1886 includes several illustrations that depict appearances of bipedal dinosaurs in modern society.

The Japanese wordkaijūoriginally referred to monsters and creatures from ancient Japanese legends;[3]it earlier appeared in the ChineseClassic of Mountains and Seas.[4][5]There are no traditional depictions ofkaijūorkaijū-like creatures among theyōkaiofJapanese folklore,[6]although it is possible to findmegafauna in their mythology(e.g.,Japanese dragons). Aftersakokuended and Japan wasopened to foreign relationsin the mid-19th century, the termkaijūcame to be used to express concepts frompaleontologyandlegendary creaturesfrom around the world. For example, the extinctCeratosaurus-like cryptid featured inThe Monster of "Partridge Creek"(1908) by French writerGeorges Dupuy[7]was referred to askaijū.[8]It is worthy to note that in theMeiji era,Jules Verne’s works were introduced to the Japanese public, achieving great success around 1890.[9]

Film genre

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See also:Monster movie

Genre elements were present at the end ofWinsor McCay's 1921 animated shortThe Petin which a mysterious giant animal starts destroying the city, until it is countered by a massiveairstrike.It was based on a 1905 episode of McCay's comic strip seriesDreams of the Rarebit Fiend.[10]

The 1925 filmThe Lost World(adapted fromArthur Conan Doyle's 1912novel of the same name), featured many dinosaurs, including abrontosaurusthat breaks loose in London and destroysTower Bridge.The dinosaurs ofThe Lost Worldwere animated by pioneeringstop motiontechniques byWillis H. O'Brien,who would some years later animate the giant gorilla-like creature breaking loose in New York City in the 1933 filmKing Kong.The enormous success ofKing Kongcan be seen as the definitive breakthrough ofmonster movies.This influential achievement of King Kong paved the way for the emergence of the giant monster genre, serving as a blueprint for future kaiju productions. Its success reverberated in the film industry, leaving a lasting impact and solidifying the figure of the giant monster as an essential component in genre cinematography.[2]RKO Pictureslater licensed the King Kong character to the Japanese studioToho,resulting in the co-productionsKing Kong vs. Godzilla(1962) andKing Kong Escapes(1967), both directed byIshirō Honda.

Yoshirō EdamasadirectedThe Great Buddha Arrivalin 1934. Although the original film is now lost, stills of the film have survived, and it is one of the earliest examples of akaijufilm in Japanese cinematic history.[11]The 1934 film presumably influenced the production of theUltramanfranchise.[12]

Ray Bradbury's short story "The Fog Horn"(1951) served as the basis forThe Beast from 20,000 Fathoms(1953), featuring afictional dinosaur(animated byRay Harryhausen), which is released from its frozen, hibernating state by anatomic bombtest within theArctic Circle.The American movie was released in Japan in 1954 under the titleThe Atomic Kaiju Appears,marking the first use of the genre's name in a film title.[13]However,Godzilla,released in 1954, is commonly regarded as the first Japanesekaijufilm.Tomoyuki Tanaka,a producer forTohoStudios in Tokyo, needed a film to release after his previous project was halted. Seeing how well the Hollywood giant monster movie genre filmsKing KongandThe Beast from 20,000 Fathomshad done in Japanese box offices, and himself a fan of these films, he set out to make a new movie based on them and createdGodzilla.[14]Tanaka aimed to combine Hollywood giant monster movies with the re-emerged Japanese fears ofatomic weaponsthat arose from theDaigo Fukuryū Marufishing boat incident; and so he put a team together and created the concept of a giant radioactive creature emerging from the depths of the ocean, a creature that would become the monster Godzilla.[15]Godzillainitially had commercial success in Japan, inspiring otherkaijumovies.[16]

Terminology

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Mothraattacking a city in the 1961 filmMothra

The termkaijūtranslates literally as "strange beast".[18]Kaijucan beantagonistic,protagonistic,or a neutralforce of nature,but are more specifically preternatural creatures of divine power. They are not merely "big animals".Godzilla,for example, from its first appearance in the initial 1954 entry in theGodzillafranchise,has manifested all of these aspects. Other examples ofkaijuincludeRodan,Mothra,King Ghidorah,Anguirus,King Kong,Gamera,Gappa,Guilala,andYonggary.There are also subcategories includingMechaKaiju(Meka-Kaijū), featuring mechanical orcyberneticcharacters, includingMoguera,Mechani-Kong,Mechagodzilla,andGigan,which are an offshoot ofkaiju.Likewise, the collective subcategoryUltra-Kaiju(Urutora-Kaijū) is a separate strata ofkaijūthat specifically originates in the long-runningUltra Seriesfranchise but can also be referred to simply bykaijū.As anoun,kaijūis aninvariant,as both the singular and the plural expressions are identical.[citation needed]

Kaijin

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"Kaijin" redirects here. For the Chinese and Japanese legendary creature, seeHairen.

(Quái nhânlit. "Strange person" ) refers to distorted human beings or humanoid-like creatures. The origin ofkaijingoes back to the early 20th Century Japanese literature, starting withEdogawa Rampo's 1936 novel,The Fiend with Twenty Faces.The story introduced Edogawa's master detective,Kogoro Akechi's arch-nemesis, the eponymous "Fiend", a mysterious master of disguise, whose real face was unknown; theMoriartyto Akechi'sSherlock.Catching the public's imagination, many such literary and movie (and later television) villains took on the mantle ofkaijin.To be clear,kaijinis not an offshoot ofkaiju.The first-ever kaijin that appeared on film wasThe Great Buddha Arrivala lost film, made in 1934. After thePacific War,the term was modernized when it was adopted to describe the bizarre, genetically engineered andcyberneticallyenhanced evil humanoid spawn conceived for theKamen Rider Seriesin 1971. This created a new splinter of the term, which quickly propagated through the popularity of superhero programs produced from the 1970s, forward. Thesekaijinpossess rational thought and the power of speech, as do human beings. A successivekaijinmenagerie, in diverse iterations, appeared over numerous series, most notably theSuper Sentaiprograms premiering in 1975 (later carried over intoSuper Sentai's English iteration asPower Rangersin the 1990s).

This created yet another splinter, as thekaijinofSuper Sentaihave since evolved to feature unique forms and attributes (e.g.,gigantism), existing somewhere betweenkaijinandkaiju.[citation needed]

Daikaiju

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"Daikaiju" redirects here. For other uses, seeDaikaiju (disambiguation).

Daikaijū(Đại quái thú) literally translates as "giantkaiju"or" greatkaiju".This hyperbolic term was used to denote greatness of the subjectkaiju,the prefixdai-emphasizing great size, power, and/or status. The first known appearance of the termdaikaijuin the 20th Century was in the publicity materials for the original 1954 release ofGodzilla.Specifically, in the subtitle on the original movie poster,Suibaku Daikaiju Eiga(Thủy bạo đại quái thú ánh họa), lit. "H-Bomb Giant Monster Movie".[citation needed]Gamera, the Giant Monster,the first film of theGamerafranchise in 1965, also utilized the term where the Japanese title of the film isDaikaijū Gamera(Đại quái thú ガメラ).

Seijin

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Seijin(Tinh ngườilit. "star people" ), appears within Japanese words for extraterrestrial aliens, such asKaseijin(Người sao hoả), which means "Martian".Aliens can also be calleduchūjin(Vũ trụ người) which means "spacemen". Among the best knownSeijinin the genre can be found in theUltra Series,such as Alien Baltan fromUltraman,a race of cicada-like aliens who have gone on to become one of the franchise's most enduring and recurring characters other than the Ultras themselves.[citation needed]

Tohohas produced a variety ofkaijufilms over the years (many of which feature Godzilla, Rodan, and Mothra), but other Japanese studios contributed to the genre by producing films and shows of their own:Daiei Film(Kadokawa Pictures),Tsuburaya Productions,andShochikuandNikkatsuStudios.[citation needed]

Monster techniques

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AnAnguirussuit used for the 1955 filmGodzilla Raids Again

Eiji Tsuburaya,who was in charge of the special effects forGodzilla,developed a technique to animate thekaijuthat became known colloquially as "suitmation".[19]Where Western monster movies often usedstop motionto animate the monsters, Tsubaraya decided to attempt to create suits, called "creature suits",for a human (suit actor) to wear and act in.[20]This was combined with the use of miniature models and scaled-down city sets to create the illusion of a giant creature in a city.[21]Due to the extreme stiffness of the latex or rubber suits, filming would often be done at double speed, so that when the film was shown, the monster was smoother and slower than in the original shot.[14]Kaijufilms also used a form ofpuppetryinterwoven between suitmation scenes for shots that were physically impossible for the suit actor to perform. From the 1998 release ofGodzilla,American-producedkaijufilms strayed from suitmation tocomputer-generated imagery(CGI). In Japan, CGI and stop-motion have been increasingly used for certain special sequences and monsters, but suitmation has been used for an overwhelming majority ofkaijufilms produced in Japan of all eras.[21][22]

Selected media

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Films

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Main article:List of films featuring giant monsters

Manga

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Novels

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Comics

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Video games

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Board games

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Television

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Other appearances

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  • Steven SpielbergcitedGodzillaas an inspiration forJurassic Park(1993), specificallyGodzilla, King of the Monsters!(1956), which he saw in his youth.[23]During its production, Spielberg describedGodzillaas "the most masterful of all the dinosaur movies because it made you believe it was really happening."[24]One scene in the second movie (The Lost World: Jurassic Park), the T-Rex is rampaging throughSan Diego.One scene shows Japanese businessmen fleeing. One of them states that they left Japan to get away from this, hinting that Godzilla shares the same universe as the Jurassic Park movies.Godzillaalso influenced the Spielberg filmJaws(1975).[25][26]
  • The popularPokémonmedia franchise has been inspired bykaijuculture since its inception, and many of its monster designs are based onkaiju.[27]
  • In the Japanese-language original of theCardcaptor Sakuraanime series,Sakura'sbrotherToyalikes to tease her by regularly calling her "kaiju",relating to her noisily coming down from her room for breakfast every morning.[28]
  • The Polish cartoon TV seriesBolek and Lolekmakes a reference to thekaijufilm industry in the miniseries "Bolek and Lolek's Great Journey"by featuring a robot bird (similar toRodan) and a saurian monster (in reference toGodzilla) as part of a Japanese director's monster star repertoire.[citation needed]
  • TheInspector Gadgetfilm had Robo-Gadget attacking San Francisco à lakaijumonsters. In addition, similar toThe Lost World,it shows a Japanese man while fleeing from Robo-Gadget declaring in his native tongue that he left Tokyo specifically to get away from this.
  • Alternate versions of severalkaiju–Godzilla,Mothra,Gamera,King Ghidorah,andDaimajin– appear in theUsagi Yojimbo"Sumi-e"story arc.[29]
  • In the second season ofStar Wars: The Clone Wars,there is a story arc composed of two episodes entitled "The Zillo Beast" and "The Zillo Beast Strikes Back", mostly influenced byGodzillafilms, in which a huge reptilian beast is transported from its homeworld Malastare to the city-covered planet Coruscant, where it breaks loose and goes on a rampage.[30][31]
  • InReturn of the Jedi,therancorwas originally to be played by an actor in a suit similar to howkaijufilms likeGodzillawere made. However, the rancor was eventually portrayed by a puppet filmed in high speed.[32]
  • TheSouth Parkepisode "Mecha-Streisand"features parodies of Mechagodzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, and Mothra.[33]
  • Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theatersfeatures the "Insanoflex", a giant robot exercise machine rampaging downtown.[34]
  • In the 2009 filmCrank: High Voltage,there is a sequence parodyingkaijufilms using the same practical effects techniques used for tokusatsu films such as miniatures and suitmation.[citation needed]
  • The Japaneselight novelseriesGatemakes use of the termkaijuas a term for giant monsters – specifically an ancient Fire Dragon – in the Special Region. Also, one of the Japanese protagonists refers to theJSDF's tradition to fight such monsters in the films, as well as comparing said dragon withKing Ghidorahat one point.[35][36]
  • Godzilla and Gamera had been referenced and appear many times throughout theDr. Slumpseries.[citation needed]
  • InPenn Zero: Part-Time Hero,there is a dimension that is filled with giant monsters that live on one island where they co-exist with humans that live on a city island.[citation needed]
  • In the "Sorcerous Stabber Orphen"serieskaijuare sent as a form of punishment for the breakage of everlasting laws of the world by the Goddesses of Fate.[37]
  • Batholith the Summit Kaiju (Japanese: バソリス) is a mountain (kaiju) originating from "Summit Kaiju International", an American media company based in Denver, Colorado. Batholith was first introduced to Godzilla fan during G-Fest 2017, which is an annual convention devoted to the Godzilla film franchise. Batholith the Summit Kaiju has appeared in various print media, including Famous Monsters of Filmland "Ack-Ives: Godzilla Magazine, MyKaiju Godzilla Magazine MyKaiju Godzilla Magazine, Summit Kaiju online video series, and other online media related to the Godzilla andkaijugenre.
  • In theNemesis Sagaseries of novels, Kaiju, also known as "Gestorumque", are genetic weapons sent by an alien race.
  • Naoki Urasawa's 2013 one-shot manga "Kaiju Kingdom"follows a" kaijuotaku"in a world where kaiju actually exist.[38]
  • In the 2019Vanillawarevideo game13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim,protagonists battle large mechanized aliens called Kaiju.[39]
  • InJohn Scalzi's 2022 bookThe Kaiju Preservation Society,kaiju are a species of gigantic monsters that exist in a parallel earth accessible through radiation sources.

References

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  1. ^abRyfle, Steve; Godziszewski, Ed (2017).Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa.Wesleyan University Press.pp. xiii–xiv.ISBN9780819570871.
  2. ^abKing Kong’s influence on the giant monster genre:
  3. ^"Les monstres japonais du 10 mai 2014 - France Inter".May 10, 2014.
  4. ^"Introduction to Kaiju [in Japanese]".dic-pixiv.RetrievedMarch 9,2017.
  5. ^Trung căn, nghiên một (September 2009)."A Study of Chinese monster culture – Mysterious animals that proliferates in present age media [in Japanese]".The Journal of Hokkai Gakuen University.141(141). Hokkai-Gakuen University: 91–121.RetrievedMarch 9,2017.
  6. ^Foster, Michael (1998).The Book of Yokai: Mysterious Creatures of Japanese Folklore.Oakland: University of California Press.
  7. ^Bissette, Steven R. (July 19, 2017)."A Brief History of Cowboys and Dinosaurs".In Lansdale, Joe R. (ed.).Red Range: A Wild Western Adventure.IDW Publishing.ISBN978-1684062904.RetrievedMay 26,2018.
  8. ^"Quái thế giới: Trân nói kỳ lời nói".NDL Digital Collections.
  9. ^"Nhật Bản ペンクラブ điện tử văn nghệ quán".bungeikan.jp.Retrieved2023-08-30.
  10. ^Moody Katie;Bissette Stephen R.(November 22, 2010)."Survey 1 Comic Strip Essays: Katie Moody on Winsor McCay's" Dream of the Rarebit Fiend "".Center for Cartoon Studies.Archived fromthe originalon May 30, 2013.RetrievedJanuary 10,2021.
  11. ^ab"Amazon: The Great Buddha Arrival: Hiroto Yokokawa: Prime Video".amazon.Retrieved2023-04-30.
  12. ^abNatalie,September 10, 2020,“Đại phật hồi quốc” はウルトラマン の nguyên điểm と cổ cốc mẫn が ngữ る, マッハ văn chu も tới tràng して変 thân ポーズ
  13. ^Mustachio, Camille; Barr, Jason, eds. (September 29, 2017).Giant Creatures in Our World: Essays on Kaiju and American Popular Culture.McFarland & Company.ISBN978-1476668369.RetrievedApril 14,2018.
  14. ^abMartin, Tim (May 15, 2014)."Godzilla: Why the Japanese original is no joke".Telegraph.Archivedfrom the original on January 11, 2022.RetrievedJuly 30,2017.
  15. ^Harvey, Ryan (December 16, 2013)."A History of Godzilla on Film, Part 1: Origins (1954–1962)".Black Gate.RetrievedDecember 16,2013.
  16. ^Ryfle, Steve (1998).Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G.ECW Press.
  17. ^Spencer Bollettieri, July 25, 2023,Superman Predicted DC's Godzilla Crossover Over 80 Years Ago,CBR
  18. ^Yoda, Tomiko; Harootunian, Harry (2006).Japan After Japan: Social and Cultural Life from the Recessionary 1990s to the Present.Duke University Press Books. p. 344.ISBN9780822388609.
  19. ^Weinstock, Jeffery (2014)The Ashgate Encyclopedia of Literary and Cinematic Monsters.Farnham: Ashgate Publishing.
  20. ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:Godziszewski, Ed (September 5, 2006)."Making of the Godzilla Suit".Classic Media 2006 DVD Special Features.RetrievedJuly 30,2017.
  21. ^abAllison, Anne (2006)Snake Person Monsters: Japanese Toys and the Global Imagination.Oakland: University of California Press
  22. ^Failes, Ian (October 14, 2016)."The History of Godzilla Is the History of Special Effects".Inverse.RetrievedJuly 30,2017.
  23. ^Ryfle, Steve (1998).Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G.ECW Press. p.15.ISBN9781550223484.
  24. ^Ryfle, Steve (1998).Japan's Favorite Mon-star: The Unauthorized Biography of "The Big G".ECW Press.p.17.ISBN9781550223484.
  25. ^Freer, Ian (2001).The Complete Spielberg.Virgin Books.p.48.ISBN9780753505564.
  26. ^Derry, Charles (1977).Dark Dreams: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film.A. S. Barnes. p.82.ISBN9780498019159.
  27. ^Seitz, Dod (2023-02-21)."10 Pokemon Designs Based On Kaiju".TheGamer.Retrieved2023-08-31.
  28. ^Cardcaptor Sakura,season 1 episode 1: "Sakura and the Mysterious Magic Book"; season 1 episode 15: "Sakura and Kero's Big Fight"
  29. ^Usagi YojimboVol.3 #66–68: "Sumi-e, Parts 1–3"
  30. ^""The Zillo Beast" Episode Guide ".Archived fromthe originalon July 4, 2015.RetrievedOctober 5,2014.
  31. ^""The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" Episode Guide ".Archived fromthe originalon June 28, 2015.RetrievedOctober 5,2014.
  32. ^"The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Godzilla".September 29, 2014.RetrievedOctober 5,2014.
  33. ^Stone, Matt(2003).South Park: The Complete First Season: "Mecha-Streisand" (Audio commentary)(CD). Comedy Central.
  34. ^"Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters".AFI Catalog of Feature Films.American Film Institute.RetrievedFebruary 21,2021.
  35. ^Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri,book I: "Contact", chapters II and V
  36. ^Gate: Jieitai Kano Chi nite, Kaku Tatakaeri(anime series) episode 2: "Two Military Forces", episode 3: "Fire Dragon", and episode 4: "To Unknown Lands"
  37. ^Mizuno, Ryou (2019).Sorcerous Stabber Orphen Anthology. Commentary(in Japanese). TO Books. p. 236.ISBN9784864728799.
  38. ^Silverman, Rebecca (October 20, 2020)."Sneeze: Naoki Urasawa Story Collection – Review".Anime News Network.RetrievedNovember 29,2020.
  39. ^Mười ba cơ binh phòng vệ quyển – System.Atlus(in Japanese).Archivedfrom the original on November 19, 2019.RetrievedNovember 19,2019.
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