Is Heisei the most popular Godzilla Era?

[BARAGONBREH]

Hold on, Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla?? you're saying no one can watch through it because you think its a bad movie? So apparently people can watch every silly/cringeworthy moment in the Heisei era and still call them good movies, but GvsMG is somehow too bad to watch through???
Beam spamming repeatedly over half a dozen films is better than actually choreographed, original physical fights?? NO.
Where are the not boring fights in Showa? Y'know, in KKvs G, MvsG, GTTHM, Monster zero, both MechaGodzilla films.
The environments in the Heisei series aren't perfecto, every city scene looks fake as hell, the 'outer space' in GvsSG is horrible, and not a single movie in the Heisei series has better performance than the high end of the Showa films, and that's excluding the original.
Oh and don't act like you didn't see the wires on every single Heisei prop ( Rodan & Destoryah)
Do you really expect the fans who have been berated for preferring the silliness of the Showa films to suddenly flip and accept the silliness of the complete mess that is Final Wars??

Added in 3 minutes 35 seconds:
*Also notice how there is no "do you hate the Heisei series" thread, but there is a "do you hate the Showa series" thread.

You're taking this way too personally.

I'll ignore most of what you said because it's all just subjective assertions, but do you mind giving a reason why Showa fans hated Final Wars that isn't a complete cop-out like the one you just gave? I mean you seem to be implying they love and continue to love Showa, but they can't accept the silliness of FW, because they'll be berated just like they get berated for loving Showa. Makes zero sense.

Why not just admit what we all know... Which is that for all of Showa's fans insistence that they like the Showa movies because they supposedly didn't take themselves seriously (a claim that's never been proven), they take the Showa movies very seriously. And FW was basically Toho's way of revealing that they agreed with Heisei fans about the silliness of Showa, fully embracing the stupidity of it all in an enjoyable, manic, tongue-in-cheek way. That's what made it one of the best films in the series. Certainly better than all of the post-Gojira Showa films combined.

[Billzilla1974]

Hold on, Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla?? you're saying no one can watch through it because you think its a bad movie? So apparently people can watch every silly/cringeworthy moment in the Heisei era and still call them good movies, but GvsMG is somehow too bad to watch through???
Beam spamming repeatedly over half a dozen films is better than actually choreographed, original physical fights?? NO.
Where are the not boring fights in Showa? Y'know, in KKvs G, MvsG, GTTHM, Monster zero, both MechaGodzilla films.
The environments in the Heisei series aren't perfecto, every city scene looks fake as hell, the 'outer space' in GvsSG is horrible, and not a single movie in the Heisei series has better performance than the high end of the Showa films, and that's excluding the original.
Oh and don't act like you didn't see the wires on every single Heisei prop ( Rodan & Destoryah)
Do you really expect the fans who have been berated for preferring the silliness of the Showa films to suddenly flip and accept the silliness of the complete mess that is Final Wars??

Added in 3 minutes 35 seconds:
*Also notice how there is no "do you hate the Heisei series" thread, but there is a "do you hate the Showa series" thread.

You're taking this way too personally.

I'll ignore most of what you said because it's all just subjective assertions, but do you mind giving a reason why Showa fans hated Final Wars that isn't a complete cop-out like the one you just gave? I mean you seem to be implying they love and continue to love Showa, but they can't accept the silliness of FW, because they'll be berated just like they get berated for loving Showa. Makes zero sense.

Why not just admit what we all know... Which is that for all of Showa's fans insistence that they like the Showa movies because they supposedly didn't take themselves seriously (a claim that's never been proven), they take the Showa movies very seriously. And FW was basically Toho's way of revealing that they agreed with Heisei fans about the silliness of Showa, fully embracing the stupidity of it all in an enjoyable, manic, tongue-in-cheek way. That's what made it one of the best films in the series. Certainly better than all of the post-Gojira Showa films combined.

Have you seen the film? it's a complete mess. It is too long, has too many monsters that can't get proper fights, and tried to mix genres that don't blend well with each other.
What I meant to say is that it's hypocritical for Heisei fans to scoff at the Showa fans for enjoying the 60s/70s films silliness, only to praise the Final wars humor and expect everyone else to do the same.
It isn't a good film and it most certainly doesn't compare to any Showa film except the bottom of the barrel Godzilla's revenge.
Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla doesn't seem like a bad film, far more entertaining than Final Wars by a long shot.

Added in 2 minutes 7 seconds:
Final wars wasn't Toho agreeing with the Heisei fans, it was a rushed attempt to make a 50th anniversary birthday bash, which couldn't decide what genre it wanted to be.

[BARAGONBREH]

Have you seen the film? it's a complete mess. It is too long, has too many monsters that can't get proper fights, and tried to mix genres that don't blend well with each other.
What I meant to say is that it's hypocritical for Heisei fans to scoff at the Showa fans for enjoying the 60s/70s films silliness, only to praise the Final wars humor and expect everyone else to do the same.
It isn't a good film and it most certainly doesn't compare to any Showa film except the bottom of the barrel Godzilla's revenge.
Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla doesn't seem like a bad film, far more entertaining than Final Wars by a long shot.

Added in 2 minutes 7 seconds:
Final wars wasn't Toho agreeing with the Heisei fans, it was a rushed attempt to make a 50th anniversary birthday bash, which couldn't decide what genre it wanted to be.

Of course I've seen it. Probably the Japanese Godzilla film I rewatch most often. Great stuff, intentionally ludicrous, deliberately condescending, and doesn't bore us all to death with yet another hour and a half of scenes of various scientists/journalists/politicians sitting around saying stupid shit that only Showa fans can pretend isn't absolutely dull.

It isn't hypocritical at all, really. Self-aware irony, like FW, is not the same as a Saturday morning cartoon, like 95% of Showa. What is hypocritical, is Showa fans claiming to love Showa because it "doesn't take its self too seriously", a claim they've never corroborated, yet despising a movie that clearly doesn't take its self too seriously, as corroborated by everyone.

Final Wars is pretty much the first movie I always show anyone who hasn't watched any of the (Japanese) Godzilla films. They all love it. It's crazy, it's absurd, and best of all, it knows it. It's everything Showa fans incorrectly claim Showa to be.

[Stevo_1985]

In what scripture does it state Showa fans have to love everything that doesn't take itself seriously? Sounds like you're awfully sore that some fans don't partake in your taste for Godzilla films. You do realize there is a plethora of reasons as to why Showa fans dislike FW. I could write a trilogy on reasons I hate FW.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

Um, I like Showa films, Heisei films, and FW. I have my favorites in the bunch, but I overall like all eras.

Everything has flaws, Showa and Heisei. And honestly, I have sat through EVERY Godzilla film.

[Stevo_1985]

Um, I like Showa films, Heisei films, and FW. I have my favorites in the bunch, but I overall like all eras.

Everything has flaws, Showa and Heisei. And honestly, I have sat through EVERY Godzilla film.

As have I. Some only once and never again.

[BARAGONBREH]

In what scripture does it state Showa fans have to love everything that doesn't take itself seriously? Sounds like you're awfully sore that some fans don't partake in your taste for Godzilla films. You do realize there is a plethora of reasons as to why Showa fans dislike FW. I could write a trilogy on reasons I hate FW.

You're missing the main point. Showa fans claim Showa doesn't take its self too seriously. In fact, there's no reason to believe that at all, it's just something that gets repeated ad nauseum to justify stock footage filled snoozefests. Moreover, its fans take it extremely seriously, to a pretty comic degree. And that's why Final Wars was great. It actually didn't take its self too seriously, and at the same time inadvertently exposed the dishonesty of Showa fans through their outrage.

[MechaGoji Bro7503]

Um, I like Showa films, Heisei films, and FW. I have my favorites in the bunch, but I overall like all eras.

Everything has flaws, Showa and Heisei. And honestly, I have sat through EVERY Godzilla film.

As have I. Some only once and never again.

Cool. I try to even watch the films I dont like that much again, to give it a chance.

[Billzilla1974]

Have you seen the film? it's a complete mess. It is too long, has too many monsters that can't get proper fights, and tried to mix genres that don't blend well with each other.
What I meant to say is that it's hypocritical for Heisei fans to scoff at the Showa fans for enjoying the 60s/70s films silliness, only to praise the Final wars humor and expect everyone else to do the same.
It isn't a good film and it most certainly doesn't compare to any Showa film except the bottom of the barrel Godzilla's revenge.
Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla doesn't seem like a bad film, far more entertaining than Final Wars by a long shot.

Added in 2 minutes 7 seconds:
Final wars wasn't Toho agreeing with the Heisei fans, it was a rushed attempt to make a 50th anniversary birthday bash, which couldn't decide what genre it wanted to be.

Of course I've seen it. Probably the Japanese Godzilla film I rewatch most often. Great stuff, intentionally ludicrous, deliberately condescending, and doesn't bore us all to death with yet another hour and a half of scenes of various scientists/journalists/politicians sitting around saying stupid shit that only Showa fans can pretend isn't absolutely dull.

It isn't hypocritical at all, really. Self-aware irony, like FW, is not the same as a Saturday morning cartoon, like 95% of Showa. What is hypocritical, is Showa fans claiming to love Showa because it "doesn't take its self too seriously", a claim they've never corroborated, yet despising a movie that clearly doesn't take its self too seriously, as corroborated by everyone.

Final Wars is pretty much the first movie I always show anyone who hasn't watched any of the (Japanese) Godzilla films. They all love it. It's crazy, it's absurd, and best of all, it knows it. It's everything Showa fans incorrectly claim Showa to be.

No it isn't, that is what the Heisei fans falsely believe Showa claim the Showa era to be.
The Showa era films are how you make an entertaining bunch of memorable films, Final wars is if you had a schizophrenic add to many monsters and too little character development at the same time. Even if the Showa human acting isn't much better, Final Wars fights come off as cheap and forgettable with how many only lasting a handful of seconds.
One hour of pseudoscience about the monsters/realistic public relationships with 10 to 20 minutes of hilarious, well choreographed, intense monster action in the Showa era are far better than the one and a half hours of military chatter and the most stiff conversations ever commited to film plus 7 to 10 minutes of lazy suit acting/overreliance on special effects that make up most if not all of the Heisei films.
It's not about them being silly, its about the combination of entertaining, creative, and memorable monster action combined with on and off human plots, something the Heisei era just fails to do. The Heisei era is for those who only like the 1954 film, and think the rest is garbage until 1984, which is a load of bull.
I don't "like the Showa era because of it not taking itself seriously" I like the Showa Era because it is far more entertaining, outlandish, and watchable than the boring, almost grim-dark levels of "seriousness/apathy" of the Heisei.
Final Wars lacks the charm, cohesiveness and spirit that the Showa Era had.
I have watched all of the Godzilla films, and own almost all of them, 7 times out of ten I will re-watch the Showa films any day,the last three are usually the millennium/2014/Shin films.

Added in 3 minutes 49 seconds:
The only exceptions I make with the Heisei era are 1984, Bio, and GvsD, but I usually either stop watching after the halfway mark or skip to the final battle.

[Stevo_1985]

You're missing the main point. Showa fans claim Showa doesn't take its self too serious. In fact, there's no reason to believe that at all, it's just something that gets repeated ad nauseum to justify stock footage filled snoozefests. Moreover, its fans take it extremely seriously, to a pretty comic degree. And that's why Final Wars was great. It actually didn't take its self too seriously, and at the same time inadvertently exposed the dishonesty of Showa fans through their outrage.

I'm not missing any point. You're just an angry bloke because people don't share the same love as you do for these films. I'm a Showa fan through and through. Why? Many reasons of which I'm not going to dive into now. I don't take anything seriously. I watch Showa films because I enjoy them. I don't watch heisei films because they bore me. They are fun films with men in rubber suits, exploding models, enjoyable characters, fun storylines. I absolutely do not watch FW because I can't. It's unbearable. It's a sensory overloaded dung heap. Now by your accord we must automatically like FW because it "doesn't take itself seriously". False. They took a Showa esq approach, and injected steroids. Sometimes less is more. FW was too much. Jam packed with Kaiju that could not get any screen time whatsoever because they had to make room for stupid matrix inspired fight scenes and italian roll fights or kaizer whatever that neo wannabe was. Your theory on FW exposing Showa fans couldn't be further from the truth, more so a desperate reach of a bitter fan to cradle the idea in his head that his films are superior to all.

[BARAGONBREH]

Oh well. It's not as if either of you are going to change your opinions anyway, which is fine since I don't care about them. Now if Toho or Legendary shared them, I'd be worried, but luckily they don't. And nor does the general public, evidenced by the success of Heisei/Millenium/Monsterverse>Showa. Enjoy your public domain-quality stock footage fests and unbearable dialogue. I'll stick with movies that are watchable instead of horrifically dull+childishly dumb.

[Stevo_1985]

Oh well. It's not as if either of you are going to change your opinions anyway, which is fine since I don't care about them. Now if Toho or Legendary shared them, I'd be worried, but luckily they don't. And nor does the general public, evidenced by the success of Heisei/Millenium/Monsterverse>Showa. Enjoy your public domain-quality stock footage fests and unbearable dialogue. I'll stick with movies that are watchable instead of horrifically dull+childishly dumb.

I will thank you. Glad to see you've accepted the fact people have different tastes. I'm gonna put on Godzilla vs Megalon now. (One of my favorites )

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

Isn't trolling against the rules?

[Stevo_1985]

Isn't trolling against the rules?

I'm not lying.

[Mr_Goji_and_Watch]

I'm not lying.

Oh no you're not the one posting nonsense, don't worry about it.

[Stevo_1985]

I'm not lying.

Oh no you're not the one posting nonsense, don't worry about it.

Cheers.

[Destorogoji]

Um, I like Showa films, Heisei films, and FW. I have my favorites in the bunch, but I overall like all eras.

Everything has flaws, Showa and Heisei. And honestly, I have sat through EVERY Godzilla film.

To the friends list you go!

[Zarm]

Another important distinction to remember: this thread isn't titled "Is Heisei the best Godzilla era?" 'Best' is a subjective measure and cause for rivalries. But this thread is just asking about 'most popular' (i.e. 'liked by the largest number of people'), which is an objective measure and entirely unrelated to ranking or quality. There's no need to compare or compete between eras; there's no insult to Showa involved.

[Chrispy_G]

Plus it's largely a debate of semantics when you begin to fight over 'Which films about giant monsters destroying cities take themselves too seriously or not seriously enough or are too ridiculous'

The Heisei series never has a film so cheap that it had to be comprised of mostly stock footage, or anything as ridiculous as Godzilla flying.

The Showa series never had anything like time travel...a concept that is extremely complex, handled as casually and without thought as it was as in Godzilla vs King Ghidorah.

None of those series ever had cannons that fired skreeonking black holes either.

All of the eras have magical faeries that can talk to/control/translate giant monsters.

There are individual films in specific eras that work or maintain a certain tone or execution that fits different liking(The original film and a few others keep it within certain "rules" of reality)...but if you want to break out and full 'era vs era' discussion...nobody is going to win the 'My era never got as stupid as X' argument.

For the time being the only eras that haven't gotten utterly ridiculous(well, more ridiculous than giant monsters) are the current MonsterVerse/Shin Eras....but they are just getting started and could easily get their own doses of goofy or ridiculous down the road.

[szmigiel]

Getting a little more back on the subject of "Is the Heisei the most popular Godzilla Era?" I ran across an interesting Japanese blog post.
http://lowbitter.hatenablog.jp/entry/2016/07/17/212043
He breaks down the viewership of films, not just by attendance, but by the number screens and how many people were going to see movies at the time. Then creates a「ゴジラ比率」aka Godzilla Ratio which is precent of the total going to Godzilla movies in the theaters.
The Golden age of Toho 1962-1968 average of 1.3%; Highest King Kong Vs Godzilla 1.9% and lowest Destroy All Monsters 0.8%
The Champion Festival films 1969-1975 average of 0.6%; Highest being Godzilla Vs Gigan 0.9% and lowest All Monsters Attack 0.5%
Showa era as a whole average 1% but I think it is important to note the difference.
The Heisei Series 1984-1995 average 2.5%; Highest Godzilla Vs Mothra 3.3% and lowest Godzilla Vs Biollante 1.4%
the Millennium Series 1999-2004 average 1%, Highest GMK 1.5% and lowest Final Wars 0.6% (the author also noted that Hamtaro could have boosted GMK)

He also talks about how there was a kind of a "Monster Ice Age" in the early 80's, where there was very little in the way of kaiju or even special effects until Godzilla Heisei films started a revival.

I am not a huge fan of the Heisei era as a whole, I enjoy the first 3 films and don't care for the rest. But I can't argue much against the points the author is making. Heisei films did start a revival of tokusatsu which lead to Ultraman and Gamera. The Heisei era may have lower attendance then some of the golden age films, but there were more theaters and people seeing films then during the Heisei era so his Godzilla Ratio make sense.