Kaiju Fan Confessions

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Yeah, UG took the words right out of my mouth.

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

Hm? *looks up from book, notices everyone staring* Oh, you thought he was talking about me. No, you have the wrong guy. I'm JAGzilla, remember? I have no idea who this JAGZilla person is, but someone needs to give him a heads up.

Confession so we can stay on topic: the Kamacuras are underrated, underutilized antagonists that really deserve to get another movie appearance.

A swarm of them would be a real threat to human and kaiju. Kaneko thought it was a good idea.

It was already done quite effectively in Godzilla 2000 (the YA novel not the Toho film). The introductory scene is one of my favorite sequences in the book.

[eabaker]

I call the individual series "Showa", "Heisei" (although I've been trying to talk myself into sticking with "VS series" from now on), "Millennium", and nothing for any of the Reiwa period films because it's a whole different philosophy with those entries.

That said, I think it's very clear that there are certain "eras" to the kaiju genre that can be categorically defined:

- "Showa" Era: 1954-1980, starts with G54 (birth of the Genre) ends with Ultraman 80, the last Ultraman show before the two American produced shows and the "style reboot" with Tiga.
- "Heisei" Era: 1984 - 1998/1998, beginning with ROG, ending either with the Gamera 3 (if you want to fudge the years a bit) or G98.
- "Millennium" Era: 1999-2006, starting with G2K, ending with Gamera: The Brave, the last big name kaiju film from a major Japanese studio until possibly Shin Godzilla ten years later.
- "Wilderness" Era: 2007-2012, Nothing really noteworthy to begin with as nothing really came out around this time. It ends in 2012 as Pacific Rim debuts the next year, kick-starting...
- "Resurgence/Renaissance" Era: 2013-ongoing, starting with Pacific Rim and really kicked off with Legendary's 2014 Godzilla reboot.

YMMV on name choices but these are generally what I use in discussion. They don't really conform to any actual time periods, just aesthetics and general filmmaking techniques for each span of time.

I tend to think of the Vs. Series and the Millennium Series as part of the same broader "Heisei Era" in terms of larger tokusatsu history.

[JAGzilla]

'Vs. Series' sounds ridiculous to me. I get the rationale for calling it that, and I know it's a relic of a time before 'Heisei Series' was in use, something established for decades. It just sounds so... generic, though. I'll stick with Heisei, whether it actually conforms to Japanese Imperial time-frames or not.

Otherwise, I mostly agree with UG's take.

[Legion1979]

'Vs. Series' sounds ridiculous to me. I get the rationale for calling it that, and I know it's a relic of a time before 'Heisei Series' was in use, something established for decades. It just sounds so... generic, though. I'll stick with Heisei, whether it actually conforms to Japanese Imperial time-frames or not.

Otherwise, I mostly agree with UG's take.

But how is calling the movies made between 1984 and 1995 "Heisei" anything BUT generic, because it's referencing an era that doesn't even include G'84 and also includes everything made afterwards until 2018?

That said, I'd rather hear "Heisei series" over "Heisei era". To me both don't make sense but there's something lowkey obnoxious about the term "era".

[eabaker]

'Vs. Series' sounds ridiculous to me. I get the rationale for calling it that, and I know it's a relic of a time before 'Heisei Series' was in use, something established for decades. It just sounds so... generic, though. I'll stick with Heisei, whether it actually conforms to Japanese Imperial time-frames or not.

Otherwise, I mostly agree with UG's take.

But how is calling the movies made between 1984 and 1995 "Heisei" anything BUT generic, because it's referencing an era that doesn't even include G'84 and also includes everything made afterwards until 2018?

That said, I'd rather hear "Heisei series" over "Heisei era". To me both don't make sense but there's something lowkey obnoxious about the term "era".

I'm good with "era" if we're talking about the broad history of the genre across the two series (Heisei/Vs and Millennium) that largely coincide with that period of Japanese history.

If we're talking about the continuity or specific production staff of the films made from '84-'95, that's for sure a "series".

[edgaguirus]

Hm? *looks up from book, notices everyone staring* Oh, you thought he was talking about me. No, you have the wrong guy. I'm JAGzilla, remember? I have no idea who this JAGZilla person is, but someone needs to give him a heads up.

Confession so we can stay on topic: the Kamacuras are underrated, underutilized antagonists that really deserve to get another movie appearance.

A swarm of them would be a real threat to human and kaiju. Kaneko thought it was a good idea.

It was already done quite effectively in Godzilla 2000 (the YA novel not the Toho film). The introductory scene is one of my favorite sequences in the book.

I have not read that one, but I will now.

[JAGzilla]

A swarm of them would be a real threat to human and kaiju. Kaneko thought it was a good idea.

It was already done quite effectively in Godzilla 2000 (the YA novel not the Toho film). The introductory scene is one of my favorite sequences in the book.

I have not read that one, but I will now.

Do that. I'm not going to lie and call the overall book some kind of masterpiece, but Cerasini writes kaiju action like nobody else. He's one of those writers that crafts imagery really effectively. It's like reading a movie.

And Legion, I do see what you mean. I don't even disagree, actually. I guess it's just a matter of habit and familiarity. *shrug*

[Voyager]

I just use the Showa Era, Heisei Era (which is broken into Heisei Series and Millennium Series) and the New Age Era which includes Reiwa and the MonsterVerse.

[UltramanGoji]

I tend to think of the Vs. Series and the Millennium Series as part of the same broader "Heisei Era" in terms of larger tokusatsu history.

I can see that! I tend to separate them into different eras due to the prevalence of the Internet throughout most of the Millennium series' run. The technological advancements separating it from the Heisei series (namely the greater usage of computer animation) were also a factor in keeping it separate.

[miguelnuva]

I'm going to confuse all of you and start using Heisei 1, Heisei 2 and Heisei 3 to describe the films series going forward.

Honestly though what ever term someone wants to use is fine with me because we all know what they are talking about, I always says series however, can't remember the last time I said era.

[Spuro]

The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms is my favorite Showa Era film.

My least favorite Millennium Era film is Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus, but Asylum’s Reiwa Era is somehow even worse.

[Cryptid_Liker]

I just use the standard Showa/Heisei/Millennium/Reiwa names like the filthy casual I am.

[Kiryu2012]

I just use the standard Showa/Heisei/Millennium/Reiwa names like the filthy casual I am.

Same, to be honest.

[Voyager]

Mechagodzilla 2, to me atleast, is the 1975 Mechagodzilla. I don’t know if people still call the Heisei version ‘Mechagodzilla 2’, but I remember it being very popular thanks to the movie’s title and strangely enough the Pipeworks games.

[SoggyNoodles2016]

Mechagodzilla 2, to me atleast, is the 1975 Mechagodzilla. I don’t know if people still call the Heisei version ‘Mechagodzilla 2’, but I remember it being very popular thanks to the movie’s title and strangely enough the Pipeworks games.

I agree and I grew up with Heisei being called Mechagodzilla 2 before I knew about 1975 lol.

I just think it's weird in anything other then Pipeworks continuity where they're LITERALLY new models of the same Mechagodzilla

[Godzilla21]

I am also basic Betty and call each series by the given name: Showa, Heisei. Millenium, etc. I never use the Japanese names for the suits though, I usually stick with G54, G64, G67, etc. Easier for me to remember.

[Spuro]

Mechagodzilla 2, to me atleast, is the 1975 Mechagodzilla. I don’t know if people still call the Heisei version ‘Mechagodzilla 2’, but I remember it being very popular thanks to the movie’s title and strangely enough the Pipeworks games.

It’s really not that strange. In all honesty I have the Pipeworks games to thank that I’m as hardcore a fan as I am. I didn’t even know about the existence of several different Mechagodzillas, Gigan, Destoroyah, Spacegodzilla, Jet Jaguar, and many, MANY others until I played those games. My entire knowledge of the series was a handful of Showa films including KotM, G98, and Godzilla 2000, and if the Pipeworks games didn’t exist to deepen my interest in the series, there’s a huge chance it would have stayed that way.

[Legion1979]

I am also basic Betty and call each series by the given name: Showa, Heisei. Millenium, etc. I never use the Japanese names for the suits though, I usually stick with G54, G64, G67, etc. Easier for me to remember.

Yeah, the years make so much more sense. The most iconic names like MosuGoji or BioGoji I'm fine with but when you're using names that make no sense unless you're intimately familiar with the Japanese titles I check out completely.

Also, the 93 MG being known as Mechagodzilla 2 drives me up a damn wall. I absolutely hate it. The 93 MG film should NOT end in a number. It's not a freakin' sequel to anything. I'm old enough to have spent a lot of time only knowing the 90s films by their Japanese release titles, so "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla 2" and "Battle for Earth" can take a long walk off a short plank.

[edgaguirus]

Mechagodzilla 2, to me atleast, is the 1975 Mechagodzilla. I don’t know if people still call the Heisei version ‘Mechagodzilla 2’, but I remember it being very popular thanks to the movie’s title and strangely enough the Pipeworks games.

The MG of ToMG, to me, is the same mech. As for the 93 version, I just call it Heisei MG.