Zone Fighter (1973)

For the discussion of Toho produced and distributed films or shows released before 1980.
User avatar
Voyager
Keizer
Posts: 7830
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:34 pm
Location: On a boat

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Voyager »

Omegazilla wrote:How so? Are there any strengths to it? Having Godzilla, Ghidorah, and Gigan looks cool and from what I saw Gigan has a bit of an upgrade.
Godzilla, Ghidorah and Gigan are good additions.
Spoiler:
Gigan dies. Canonical Showa Gigan death.
Tbh most people already know ^ but just for those who don’t.
Last edited by Voyager on Fri Aug 21, 2020 3:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
Image
For Emperor and Empire!

User avatar
GodzillavsRayquaza
Site Staff
Site Staff
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:39 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

I personally found the episodes with King Ghidorah and Gigan to be really lacking, King Ghidorah’s two-parter was probably the worst episodes of the series, and that’s saying a lot.
KWC Co-Operations Manager
KWCE Administrator


ShinGojira14 wrote: Neither. Hideki Anno wins because he writes a hilarious comedic satire movie where Shin and Legendary have to team up to destroy a grotesque crap-monster created by the constant toxic bickering of Shin fans and Legendary fans.
SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Yup, my dad works at Legendary, the Nebulans are gonna be in the next movie and they're gonna get beat because Madison throws coffee in the leaders face.

User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14254
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

GodzillavsRayquaza wrote:I personally found the episodes with King Ghidorah and Gigan to be really lacking, King Ghidorah’s two-parter was probably the worst episodes of the series, and that’s saying a lot.
I think the final fight with Ghidorah in space is great. However, the framing behind the fight is a tedious bore.

I thought the Gigan episode was good. It had an actual plot! A killer car, and a set up with a death machine in the factor. Gigan's fight with both Godzilla and Zone were more interesting and better executed than most of the fights in the series.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

User avatar
Vakanai
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2726
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:27 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Vakanai »

Made a thread on if there was any DVD or Blu-ray, got locked since this thread exists. Got the answer no before it was closed and I had asked this:

Any chance that might change now that Godzilla is making a comeback and Ultraman is getting exposure outside Japan?
I unapologetically, wholeheartedly, and without a doubt hate Godzilla vs Kong.

User avatar
Voyager
Keizer
Posts: 7830
Joined: Mon Nov 11, 2019 12:34 pm
Location: On a boat

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Voyager »

Vakanai wrote:Made a thread on if there was any DVD or Blu-ray, got locked since this thread exists. Got the answer no before it was closed and I had asked this:

Any chance that might change now that Godzilla is making a comeback and Ultraman is getting exposure outside Japan?
The likely answer is still no.
Image
For Emperor and Empire!

User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

Yeah, your only options are to import or to go with the fan-subbed unofficial release.
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.

User avatar
Vakanai
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2726
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:27 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Vakanai »

That really sucks. You'd think Toho would like to have all their Godzilla and related kaiju content available to make money.
I unapologetically, wholeheartedly, and without a doubt hate Godzilla vs Kong.

User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

Reportedly they want too much money for this series.
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.

User avatar
Vakanai
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2726
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:27 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Vakanai »

That's a shame. Why do they want so much if it's kind of obscure?
I unapologetically, wholeheartedly, and without a doubt hate Godzilla vs Kong.

User avatar
Terasawa
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5841
Joined: Tue Jun 07, 2011 10:06 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Terasawa »

Well, it's just a rumor that Media Blasters once inquired but was put off by the licensing cost, considering its a niche item. Not that we as fans are privy to business deals and negotiations, anyway. However, Toho has a reputation for being a very difficult company and licensor to work with. So it's likely a combination of licensing cost and lack of western interest (outside hardcore fans), if not more than that.
寺沢. He/him/his, etc.

User avatar
Vakanai
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2726
Joined: Mon Aug 03, 2015 11:27 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Vakanai »

Well that's sad. Especially since I'm not in a great place device-wise to look into the fansub options.

How does it compare to the other such shows of the era like Ultraman?
I unapologetically, wholeheartedly, and without a doubt hate Godzilla vs Kong.

User avatar
Desghidorah
G-Grasper
Posts: 1416
Joined: Mon Jul 29, 2013 10:06 am

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by Desghidorah »

I think the other members of the Zone Family not having a transformation to the same degree was a downside. Having a team and female combatant would be something we wouldn't see in most tokusatsu hero shoes outside of Sentai for quite a while after.
Image

edgaguirus
Keizer
Posts: 8563
Joined: Wed Jul 28, 2010 1:25 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by edgaguirus »

Desghidorah wrote:I think the other members of the Zone Family not having a transformation to the same degree was a downside.
The Ultraman series may have set that up. That series always has featured one man turning into the title hero while the others play backup. Thus, the Zone family acts as backup. However, they did play a much larger role against Shadorah, giving them a moment to shine.
The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing. If you can fake that, you've got it made.

The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him.

GojiDog
G-Grasper
Posts: 1223
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:16 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by GojiDog »

I am currently in the process of watching Zone Fighter for the first time!

I have a really really REALLY stupid question, but given what I've come to expect out of shows like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the like, its something I've been thinking about.

So the Garogas with those big monster faces. Are those supposed to be helmets/masks or are those supposed to be their actual faces? Are their faces hidden underneath the helmet masks or did the show just not have the money to make the alien faces with moving mouths? I am through Episode 17, and I'm still not sure, lol.

There are scenes of Garoga's that appear human shift back into the form with the typical Garoga look, but I can't tell if that's them shedding their shell to reveal their true selves, or doing what the Zone Family does and activate their power to switch to their costume.
Last edited by GojiDog on Tue Nov 24, 2020 3:12 pm, edited 1 time in total.
White Male Genocide is necessary.

Kill all white men.

User avatar
LegendZilla
Sazer
Posts: 10355
Joined: Sun Jan 13, 2013 3:57 am
Location: British Columbia, Canada

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by LegendZilla »

GojiDog wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:42 pm I am currently in the process of watching Zone Fighter for the first time!

I have a really really REALLY stupid question, but given what I've come to expect out of shows like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the like, its something I've been thinking about.

So the Garogas with those big monster faces. Are those supposed to be helmets/masks or are those supposed to be their actual faces? Are their faces hidden underneath the helmet masks or did the show just not have the money to make the alien faces with moving mouths? I am through Episode 17, and I'm still not sure, lol.

There are scenes of Garoga's that appear human shift back into the form with the typical Garoga look, but I can't tell if that's them shedding their shell to reveal their true selves, or doing what the Zone Family does and activate their power to switch to their costume.
Where are you watching it?

GojiDog
G-Grasper
Posts: 1223
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:16 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by GojiDog »

LegendZilla wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 11:16 pm
GojiDog wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:42 pm I am currently in the process of watching Zone Fighter for the first time!

I have a really really REALLY stupid question, but given what I've come to expect out of shows like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the like, its something I've been thinking about.

So the Garogas with those big monster faces. Are those supposed to be helmets/masks or are those supposed to be their actual faces? Are their faces hidden underneath the helmet masks or did the show just not have the money to make the alien faces with moving mouths? I am through Episode 17, and I'm still not sure, lol.

There are scenes of Garoga's that appear human shift back into the form with the typical Garoga look, but I can't tell if that's them shedding their shell to reveal their true selves, or doing what the Zone Family does and activate their power to switch to their costume.
Where are you watching it?
Archive.org
White Male Genocide is necessary.

Kill all white men.

User avatar
DirektorSplennic
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2175
Joined: Mon Jul 30, 2018 10:07 am
Location: Nebula M78

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by DirektorSplennic »

GojiDog wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:42 pm I am currently in the process of watching Zone Fighter for the first time!

I have a really really REALLY stupid question, but given what I've come to expect out of shows like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the like, its something I've been thinking about.

So the Garogas with those big monster faces. Are those supposed to be helmets/masks or are those supposed to be their actual faces? Are their faces hidden underneath the helmet masks or did the show just not have the money to make the alien faces with moving mouths? I am through Episode 17, and I'm still not sure, lol.

There are scenes of Garoga's that appear human shift back into the form with the typical Garoga look, but I can't tell if that's them shedding their shell to reveal their true selves, or doing what the Zone Family does and activate their power to switch to their costume.
I still haven't figured out if Ultraman's head is his face or a mask, and frankly at this point I'm too scared to find out.

GojiDog
G-Grasper
Posts: 1223
Joined: Thu Feb 15, 2018 6:16 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by GojiDog »

DirektorSplennic wrote: Thu Dec 03, 2020 12:06 pm
GojiDog wrote: Tue Nov 24, 2020 1:42 pm I am currently in the process of watching Zone Fighter for the first time!

I have a really really REALLY stupid question, but given what I've come to expect out of shows like Ultraman, Kamen Rider, Super Sentai, and the like, its something I've been thinking about.

So the Garogas with those big monster faces. Are those supposed to be helmets/masks or are those supposed to be their actual faces? Are their faces hidden underneath the helmet masks or did the show just not have the money to make the alien faces with moving mouths? I am through Episode 17, and I'm still not sure, lol.

There are scenes of Garoga's that appear human shift back into the form with the typical Garoga look, but I can't tell if that's them shedding their shell to reveal their true selves, or doing what the Zone Family does and activate their power to switch to their costume.
I still haven't figured out if Ultraman's head is his face or a mask, and frankly at this point I'm too scared to find out.
You know, I never really thought about it with Ultraman. I guess I just assumed it was supposed to be his mask.
White Male Genocide is necessary.

Kill all white men.

User avatar
GodzillavsRayquaza
Site Staff
Site Staff
Posts: 6255
Joined: Thu Dec 01, 2016 1:39 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by GodzillavsRayquaza »

Ultraman is not wearing a mask, or spandex, or clothes of any kind, that is literally just how his body looks. He is, in fact, always fighting naked. Also I’m pretty sure those faces are very much supposed to be what the Garoga actually look like, and are not just masks.
KWC Co-Operations Manager
KWCE Administrator


ShinGojira14 wrote: Neither. Hideki Anno wins because he writes a hilarious comedic satire movie where Shin and Legendary have to team up to destroy a grotesque crap-monster created by the constant toxic bickering of Shin fans and Legendary fans.
SoggyNoodles2016 wrote: Yup, my dad works at Legendary, the Nebulans are gonna be in the next movie and they're gonna get beat because Madison throws coffee in the leaders face.

User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14254
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Zone Fighter (1973)

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Ultraman is a different case but with the Garagos it becomes dicey.

I assume the heads are the heads, that's fine enough, but not all of their suit is their body. They are clearly wearing gloves and ornamental armor. We know this because at various points the Gargoas disguise themselves yet retain their webbed hands, which we see. Their hands are different from their "gloves". But their hands are also really different from their masks, both color-wise and texture wise, which raises a lot of questions.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

Post Reply