Showa Godzilla: mutant, or awoken?

[Ivo-goji]

Saying the kaiju aren't mutants because the mutations all affect them the same way and mutations are random is taking the term "mutant" a bit too literally. Kaiju films aren't usually rooted in strict, sound science, and "mutation" in the realm of science-fiction usually refers to radiation granting an organism unusual abilities or causing it to grow in size.

See, my objection isn't that Godzilla films should conform to real science, my objection is how fans make automatic assumptions about what Toho's intent was without any evidence to back them up. You say ""mutation" in the realm of science-fiction usually refers to radiation granting an organism unusual abilities or causing it to grow in size", but is there any compelling reason to believe Godzilla's creators really had that mentality when it came to Showa Godzilla himself?

When I examine Dr. Yamane's exposition in G54, the production illustrations, the lost project Bride of Godzilla, and other materials relating to the early Godzilla films I'm left with the impression that Honda and co viewed their kaiju as natural creatures. If we want to argue that Toho viewed them as mutants, what are we using for context?

I don't know if anything confirms Rodan or Anguirus were similarly affected, but their awakenings were both due in part to atomic radiation.

Source for Anguirus being "awakened"?

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Godzilla would be no more of a mutant than say Spiderman.

[eabaker]

The way that the word "mutate" applies to genetics is not the only valid usage. For example, there's such a thing as linguistic mutation, which has nothing to do with genetics (and is in no way random). For God's sake, the word derives from a Latin root which obviously significantly predates not just our understanding of genetics, but the theory of evolution as well.

ETA: Weird, in my mind it seemed as though that part of this conversation was super recent, but after posting I realized that I was replying to stuff brought up a couple of pages back. Whatever, feel free to ignore me.

[King of the Monsters]

Source for Anguirus being "awakened"?

Godzilla Raids Again. In the meeting scene where all the Osaka authorities and scientists are meeting, one of them says something to the effect of "Our worst fear has been realized. Not only have hydrogen bombs awakened another Godzilla, but this time they have also awakened Anguirus." That's not an exact quote, but roughly what is said in the Japanese version.

And the "context" for the intent of Godzilla's creators envisioning him as a mutation is aptly described by SciFi Japan's Keith Aiken, as quoted by another user in this thread previously:

I also think the Godzilla(s) seen in GODZILLA and most (maybe all) of the movies is/are mutations. When developing the original movie, the filmmakers decided that Godzilla should not just be awakened by the bomb (as was the case with THE BEAST FROM 20, 000 FATHOMS) but also be changed by it. Toho studio president Iwao Mori reportedly came up the idea that Godzilla would be mutated by the bomb, and Ishiro Honda and Takeo Murata developed the concept that Godzilla would basically become a living, breathing bomb. The radioactive breath is the most obvious onscreen example of Godzilla's mutation, and other attributes such as the monster's size and imperviousness to modern weapons point to that as well.

The use of the term "mutant" isn't the issue here. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the filmmakers intended for Godzilla to have been changed by the hydrogen bomb, not simply awakened and nothing else. Not everyone may consider that a "mutation," but the bomb still made him what he is now. Godzilla was a completely natural creature, but the h-bomb made him into something supernatural. It both drove him from his natural habitat and made him into a living nuclear weapon. Use whatever term you like, but when I or most people call Showa Godzilla a "mutation," we usually just mean that the bomb did more than simply wake him up.

[Zarm]

The use of the term "mutant" isn't the issue here. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the filmmakers intended for Godzilla to have been changed by the hydrogen bomb, not simply awakened and nothing else. Not everyone may consider that a "mutation," but the bomb still made him what he is now. Godzilla was a completely natural creature, but the h-bomb made him into something supernatural. It both drove him from his natural habitat and made him into a living nuclear weapon. Use whatever term you like, but when I or most people call Showa Godzilla a "mutation," we usually just mean that the bomb did more than simply wake him up.

Exactly; that encapsulates it perfectly.