Human characters the Reiwa era

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LegendZilla
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Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by LegendZilla »

Everyone here loves to talk about what kaiju they'd want to see in this new era, whether they be old nor new. With this thread, I would like to discuss what characters you will like to see on the human side of things. Do you have any ideas? I would like to share some of my own.

Throughout this franchise, we have seen human protagonists in the form of scientists, journalists, astronauts and politicians just to name a few. Each film managed to tie their occupations neatly together in the story with the monster attacks (for the most part). One type of protagonist I wouldn't mind seeing for the story to revolve around is a construction worker. Such a hypothetical film could really emphasize on how he/she feels about seeing their hard work undone by Godzilla, or any other monster.

Another character I would like to see is a woman who works full-time in the army battling kaiju, who also just so happens to be an estranged mother like Captain Megumi Iruma from Ultraman Tiga, or Sayuri Tachibana in Ultraman X. What kind of dynamic she has with her family should be interesting to see if done right. I am aware that past films have displayed conflict and chemistry between characters who were idealistically sympathetic towards Godzilla and those who had a grudge against him, seeing killing him as the only way to go. For example, the near entirety of the Heisei era focused on Miki Saegusa who was the former, while ever since 2000, we have gotten characters like Kiriko Tsujimori in GXM, Akane in GXMG and Haruo Sakaki in the Monster Planet Trilogy for the latter. I don't see anything innately detrimental if writers did such a scenario again.

Since another romance between two characters in these films is inevitable, I have an idea for how to make it more interesting. That being having another archetypical "romance between two worlds" as seen in 1965 with IoAM between Astronaut Glen and Ms Namikawa. What kinds of characters/ traits do you think each couple should have that would make them memorable? How would their relationship fit in with Godzilla's side of the story?

Anyway, that's all the ideas I have for now. Do you like what you see so far? I love hearing your feedback on these questions -- I find I really get inspired for my own ideas!
Last edited by LegendZilla on Tue Sep 14, 2021 7:55 pm, edited 3 times in total.

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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

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I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.

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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by LegendZilla »

shadowgigan wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 pm I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.
Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film. Not that I'm against your idea, but what matters is how will you make them stand out from the rest?
Last edited by LegendZilla on Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:29 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Voyager »

LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm
shadowgigan wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 pm I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.
Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film.
Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by LegendZilla »

Voyager wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:33 pm
LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm
shadowgigan wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 pm I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.
Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film.
Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
Do you count journalist as "normal"?

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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Voyager »

LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 10:30 pm
Voyager wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:33 pm
LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm

Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film.
Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
Do you count journalist as "normal"?
Yes…?
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by ShinGojira14 »

I would love to see a lot more LGBTQ couple main characters in the Reiwa era and MonsterVerse alike.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Terasawa »

LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm
shadowgigan wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 pm I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.
Working class characters were the protagonists of the first film. Not that I'm against your idea, but what matters is how will you make them stand out from the rest?
The Yamanes and Serizawa were absolutely not working class characters. Ogata is the closest because of his profession, but his actual job seems more white collar to me. He also has much higher social clout than, say, the truly working class characters in Godzilla Raids Again or Rodan.

Very few Godzilla movies have had true working class characters in lead roles.
Last edited by Terasawa on Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

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Terasawa wrote: Wed Sep 15, 2021 10:41 am The Yamanes and Serizawa were absolutely not working class characters. Ogata is the closest because of his profession, but his actual job seems more white collar to me. He also has much higher social clout than, say, the truly working class characters in Godzilla Raids Again or Rodan.

Very few Godzilla movies have had true working class characters in lead roles.
What blue collar professions do you think could use the spotlight?

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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Vakanai »

For all its faults on the kaiju and Godzilla end, I really liked the characters for Singular Point.

I'd kind of like to see reporters return to the genre, don't think there's been one since GMK.

We could always use an amnesiac princess who thinks she's from Venus.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by MechaGoji Bro7503 »

Bring back the crazy INTERPOL agents. They have to be smoking cigs constantly and investigating aliens or even the Red Bamboo.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Spuro »

Voyager wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:33 pm
LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm
shadowgigan wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:10 pm I want to see more working class characters. At this point, we know how kaiju attacks affect government workers and scientists, etc. But what about the people on the ground? What about the ordinary people who will likely lose everything because of this? IMO this avenue could lead to some compelling stories.
Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film.
Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
Much of the cast in The Return of Godzilla, GMK, and Godzilla 2014 were normal people, sans a few stand-outs in the casts.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Voyager »

Spuro wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:04 pm
Voyager wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:33 pm
LegendZilla wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 8:41 pm

Working-class characters were the protagonists of the first film.
Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
Much of the cast in The Return of Godzilla, GMK, and Godzilla 2014 were normal people, sans a few stand-outs in the casts.
I guess, but Ford is your typical “military guy”.
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Re: Human characters the Reiwa era

Post by Spuro »

Voyager wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 11:13 pm
Spuro wrote: Wed Sep 22, 2021 10:04 pm
Voyager wrote: Tue Sep 14, 2021 9:33 pm

Yes, but we haven’t really gotten “normal” protagonists since the Showa era.
Much of the cast in The Return of Godzilla, GMK, and Godzilla 2014 were normal people, sans a few stand-outs in the casts.
I guess, but Ford is your typical “military guy”.
But not an especially high ranking one. He's not piloting the Super-X or Mechagodzilla, he's not getting into Kung-Fu fights with aliens, he's not a scientist developing new technology to defeat the monster or advising the military on what to do. He's a guy on the ground, in the thick of things. He's what would otherwise be a nameless soldier in many of the older Toho movies.

I think that concept is refreshing in and of itself, regardless of how the character was executed or people's personal feelings on him.
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