LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

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SonOfGorgo
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LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by SonOfGorgo »

Now before anyone wonders, I'm not saying they should be should be shoved full-front in everything. I just wish to make a curious but still civil discussion about a topic I don't hear too many people here bring up or mention.
How such a character could work in any potential future film or other media, and how it can be done well.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by BlankAccount »

Don't force it. If it feels natural sure. If you just have an LGBT character for the sake of having one and they have nothing else to their character than they're a poorly made character.

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LSD Jellyfish
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

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In all seriousness, it's difficult to analyze the Godzilla franchise for LGBT characters, because the Japanese LGBTQ culture is very different than American ones. Japan is both better and a lot worse when it comes to LGBT issues compared to a lot of other western countries. There's really no moral outrage over it (like it's unnatural or you'll burn in hell), but there's still a lot of issues with bullying due to just being different. There's also a lot of activities in Japan that aren't seen as gay (communal bathing, male camaraderie) so it's hard to tell.

There's a female character in Shin, that wouldn't surprise me if Anno said was gay, but I admit the thought might be sexist just because she's s female that doesn't show affection for others. Same goes for a lot of the female protagonists in the millennium era.
Last edited by LSD Jellyfish on Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:12 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Jetty_Jags »

LSD Jellyfish wrote:Image
I may be biased by my western understanding of the world, but is there a legitimate way to view these characters as not coded to be homosexual?
Edit I’m not asking a death of the author question, but rather a further explanation of the cultural differences between the west and japan.
Last edited by Jetty_Jags on Sat Oct 10, 2020 4:51 am, edited 1 time in total.
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LSD Jellyfish
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

Jetty_Jags wrote:
LSD Jellyfish wrote:Image
I may be biased by my western understanding of the world, but is there a legitimate way to view these characters as not coded to be homosexual?
Edit I’m not asking a death of the author question, but rather a further explanation of the cultural differences between the west and japan.
Nah, I totally think they’re gay.

But there’s other things, separate from them, that I see as people assume is gay in some Japanese media, that isn’t because there’s no “gay panic”.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by _JNavs_ »

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the Godzilla franchise has never really touched on sex and sexualities.

I'd personally rather they continue that trend.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by GodzillavsZilla »

I'm open to the idea and I'm of the camp who headcanons that the two main characters from Godzilla vs Megalon are gay. There are many heterosexual couples in this franchise, I don't see why we can't have a homosexual one.
Last edited by GodzillavsZilla on Sat Oct 10, 2020 6:23 am, edited 1 time in total.
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LSD Jellyfish
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

_JNavs_ wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the Godzilla franchise has never really touched on sex and sexualities.

I'd personally rather they continue that trend.
What about all the sex jokes in KOTM? ;)
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Terasawa »

LSD Jellyfish wrote:
_JNavs_ wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the Godzilla franchise has never really touched on sex and sexualities.

I'd personally rather they continue that trend.
What about all the sex jokes in KOTM? ;)
Not to mention Ford and wife making out on their couch. That's pretty "graphic" compared to the average Godzilla film.

And c'mon. Godzilla movies have had romances since day one. And they've all been hetero. LGBT issues aren't just "sex and sexualities".
Last edited by Terasawa on Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:44 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

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Im not saying that Godzilla Final Wars Contains a narrative about Ozaki and X both being gay, and X trying to get Ozaki to come out, but....

I started this post as a joke, but then I realized,”oh yeah GFW is super (closeted) gay”. Movie is about two guys (Kazama and Ozaki) that clearly have feelings for each other and won’t admit it, and keep engaging in an erotic power-struggle. X and the xilliens are “others”, trying to fit in. X is super flamboyant. The climax is X literally telling Ozaki that he’s just like him, and trying to get him to join him. Ozaki rejects being openly gay, and the film concludes with him being with the woman that they clearly intentionally have zero chemistry or actual sexual urges from another.
Last edited by LSD Jellyfish on Sat Oct 10, 2020 7:05 am, edited 1 time in total.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Gigantis »

X was pretty flamboyant..
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by DirektorSplennic »

LSD Jellyfish wrote:
_JNavs_ wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the Godzilla franchise has never really touched on sex and sexualities.

I'd personally rather they continue that trend.
What about all the sex jokes in KOTM? ;)
As much as I love KOTM those jokes were some of the worst parts of the movie. Not one of them was remotely funny and make scenes like the reveal of Ghidorah's true name look like a joke.

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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by G2000 »

Tangentially related but unless I'm mistaken, isn't Dougherty the first gay director in the franchise or was there someone else I'm unaware of?
Last edited by G2000 on Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:11 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by _JNavs_ »

LSD Jellyfish wrote:
_JNavs_ wrote:Correct me if I'm wrong here, but the Godzilla franchise has never really touched on sex and sexualities.

I'd personally rather they continue that trend.
What about all the sex jokes in KOTM? ;)
Lol I don't really remember any besides the "He's either here for food, fight or ____"

But that's probably my brain rejecting the rather subpar tension breaker jokes.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by kingkevzilla88 »

Gigantis wrote:X was pretty flamboyant..
Well, flamboyant doesn't always mean gay.

I think everyone has joked about the two guys in Godzilla vs Megalon being gay. If anyone wants that to be the case in there head cannon, that's find with me, as long as they don't throw a tamper tantrum if someone else disagrees with about.

For me, that stuff doesn't really matter in a story about giant radioactive dinosaurs battling to the death.

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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Spuro »

SonOfGorgo wrote: How such a character could work in any potential future film or other media, and how it can be done well.
Start by writing and portraying them as fleshed out, respectable, real human beings just as you would any other character. Don't fall back on stereotypes, don't make them two dimensional with "gay" being their entire personality, and don't queer bait (only saying they're gay in ancillary material or interviews, because you're too cowardly to have it in your film proper).

Treat them and any possible romance the same as you would any character, the only difference being who they're attracted to.

Whether or not it was intended, the two guys in Godzilla vs Megalon would serve as a pretty well done example.
Last edited by Spuro on Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by _JNavs_ »

I always thought the dudes in GvM were brothers tbh.

But yeah, write characters as actual 3 dimensional people, not just a quota on a checklist, or like Kaijuking said, just "gay" being their entire personality.
Last edited by _JNavs_ on Sat Oct 10, 2020 8:55 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Terasawa »

Kaiju-King42 wrote:Treat them and any possible romance the same as you would any character, the only difference being who they're attracted to.
This is precisely how you do it.
_JNavs_ wrote:I always thought the dudes in GvM were brothers tbh.
Rokuro (the kid) and Goro (the inventor) are brothers. Jinkawa (the racing driver) has a different family name, and I think the intent was that he and Goro were close friends. There's no reason why they can't be gay, it just would've been unlikely considering when the film was made.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Tamura »

Head canon: Naoko Shindo is a lesbian.
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Re: LGBT characters in the Godzilla franchise

Post by Jetty_Jags »

G2000 wrote:Tangentially related but unless I'm mistaken, isn't Dougherty the first gay director in the franchise or was there someone else I'm unaware of?
Is he? I haven't heard or seen anything related to that. If he is, then he probably is the first lgbt director, at least openly.
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