The K.W.C. General Discussion Thread

[Gigantis]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Damn it's gonna take me most of the day to read this lmao

[GodzillavsRayquaza]

It’s gonna be a good bit before anyone’s done with this match, so allow me to leave the first word, as someone who gets the advantage of reading these early.


This match is excellent. The narrative and characters are superbly written, utilizing numerous elements of the show to amazing effect to craft its story, one that casts a darker light on it without going overboard into edge. I have not watched Return of Ultraman, but I can tell that Alex has and was very careful and respectful to it.

And in case anyone is curious, Remi is an oc (yes Ultra OCs are fine, they just have to be from the Land of Light, it’s our normal rules for OCs of aliens, and they can’t do any fighting, you know how it is), but one with some basis in canon.

Spoiler:

Mainly that Jack is canonically married to the sister of the Mother of Ultra, who would be Ace and Taro’s aunt.

So enjoy the match, and enjoy your two new combatants to use. I trust you all to make great matches with Jack and Gudon.

[EarthNeronga]

Spoiler:

Dear Goji theres so many Words O_O

[ShinGojira14]

Kimi ni mo mieru, Ultra no hoshi!

Tooku hanarete, chikyuu ni hitori!

Kaijuu taiji ni shimei wo kakete,

Moeru machi, ni ato wazuka!

Todoroku sakebi wo mimi ni shite,

Kaette kita zo,

Kaette kita zo…

Urutoramaaaaaaaaaan!

[Dunkeeni]

Oh my goodness.
Ultraman Jack? Gudon? CHAPTERS?
Can't believe were getting these two so quickly. I haven't even read the match yet and I can already tell it's gonna be incredible.

[KaijuX]

Also, the Studio Tour page has been updated a notch--including a new rotational banner!

[Gigantis]

Peak fiction has been achieved once more. That is all I have to say.

Also, what's the theme of the new rotational banner?

[Nagoda]

Peak fiction has been achieved once more. That is all I have to say.

Also, what's the theme of the new rotational banner?

Mothra

[ShinGojira14]

Spoiler:

Have you ever head that experience when you look at the cover of a story—any story, whether it be a film, a novel, a comic or even a poem or play—and think "that looks pretty cool, that might be something at least worth checking..." and then you see the name of the author and instantly think "Oh, this is gonna be good!"

Well, that's exactly what happened here. I saw that awesome cinematic banner by KaijuX, saw that a certain new character was being introduced...and then I saw the name of the author and instantly knew that this was gonna be peak storytelling. I read it, and...you know what, I'm not gonna wait until the end to say this. I'm just gonna put it out in the open. The KWC absolutely peaked with this match.

Match 408 is one of the greatest Kaiju War Chronicles matches of all time.

I think it goes without saying we're looking at the match of the year right here. Seriously, Alex hit that many homeruns with this masterpiece. I'm not even sure if anything I say from here on will do justice just how stellar this match is. I just recently finished watching Return of Ultraman, and thus have a clear perspective of the characters and the world that show inhabits. I've said before that while I thought a few episodes were somewhat problematic, most of it was really good and a select handful of episodes stood out above others; including The Monster Tamer and the Boy and Ultraman Dies at Sunset; both of which this match references heavily (especially the former, which I think is an interesting story choice; taking place in an alternative universe where Aki didn't die) to wonderfully gut-wrenching effect.

One of my favorite aspects of this match was how little the monsters actually appear in it; while their fight scenes were totally fine, I found myself wholeheartedly hooked on the character drama and development going on throughout the course of the story—and good fucking God(zilla), what a drama it was. Seeing Hideki Go—a normally upbeat, optimistic and energetic man—as well as Ultraman Jack—who actually has a fully fleshed-out backstory here—both gradually plummet to the absolute bottom of their respective barrels was heartbreaking on a visceral level that we've never seen in the KWC before. When I was reading through both of their perspectives, I genuinely felt my skin crawl because of how beautifully the writing made you feel the terrible emotional state both of them were in. Especially two key scenes: one, where Hideki Go is looking in the mirror seeing a "devil" version of himself, and two, where Jack is so emotionally wrecked by the destruction of the Ultra Bracelet and his failures at saving Go's loved ones, that he actually starts hallucinating to the point he thinks Behemoth is Alien Nackle.

Oh and speaking of Behemoth, DAMMIT ALEX! You made me feel sympathy for Behemoth, a Kaiju I normally intensely dislike! Normally, I'd be all for seeing Jack utterly destroy that slothaphant—but no! You just had to make me feel for him, didn't you? How dare you tug my emotional heartstrings so efficiently, you bastard!

Moving on; Hideki and Jack had the most unique dynamic imaginable here. While we know Ultras fuse with their respective human hosts and occasionally converse with them, never have we seen an event where they actually interact as much as Jack and Go did here—especially to the point of in-fighting between Ultra and host. Seeing how eerily similar both characters were to each other, despite playing a massive part in stooping them further down their emotional spiral, also served as a key reminder as to why these two fit one another so well, and as such why Go was the perfect human for Jack to fuse with. It was an aspect that swung both ways, and the results were nothing short of captivating.

Speaking of captivating backstories; Ultraman Jack. Like, holy fuck has this guy gone through a lot. While he was cool and all in the respective show he hails from, we barely got any speaking lines and not much backstory from him other than 'he's another member of the same species as Ultraman.' And then, in comes Alex with that brilliant mind of his to craft the most immersive origin story for the character imaginable. The nods and references to other Ultras from other media were a nice delight, and his actual dynamics with Ultrawoman Beth and Mother of Ultra's sister (who actually has a name this time around!) were equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking reads all around. Seeing how closely he held those two in particular to his heart...and then to see him more or less sever his ties with them after officially hitting rock-bottom, and THEN catch a glimpse of them one last time without even speaking to them before straight-up EXILING himself from the Land of Light, made my heart hurt a lot. In fact, I dare say that the ONLY thing remotely close (key word there, close) to resembling a flaw is that Jack didn't go back to his home world to finally see his fellow Ultras again and make amends the same way Go ended up doing. That's it, that's literally the only bit that I would've wanted edited. Match 408 is borderline a perfect story in every way imaginable. Every and all the right ingredients for a perfect story are there and skyrocketed to 100, and then some.

On top of all that, I haven't seen any movies with Ultraman Belial in them, so I don't know that much about his character. But from what I have heard, he's one fuck of a menace...so to see Jack get incarcerated (and for five thousand damn years! ), wallow in his deepest sorrows possible and then compare himself to Belial of all people? That was an extra dose of sulphiric acidic salt added to an already festering wound.

And are we all not gonna talk about Ace here? He may have been a huge temperamental dick to Jack, but seeing just how gravely Jack's mistakes and literal emotional manipulation of Ace's heartstrings, cost a literal entire planet and its inhabitants? I honestly see exactly where Ace is coming from. He may have been a real asshole about it, but man did Ace have every right to be infuriated. So I actually empathized with him a lot here—and he's supposed to play the role of the dicky jealous rival! When a character playing THAT role can get an emotional response from the reader despite causing the main character some serious trouble, you KNOW you've done something right.

And all of this, all that pain and all that suffering the main protagonists went through that officially makes this the darkest KWC match ever written, no question...makes Jack and Go's climactic redemption and subsequent healing IMMENSELY (like, Godzilla Earth levels of immense) satisfying to read. The moment where Jack starts hallucinating all of his loved ones lifting him up with all the wisdom they taught him throughout his life in of itself was brilliantly done; but seeing hallucinatory-Belial actually struggle to knock Jack back down one last time before abruptly being drowned out by an all-out verbal assault by all of Jack's hallucinatory loved ones, followed by Jack's epic "I have never been alone!" quote gave me absolute chills. That moment was a true and genuine joy to read—just as much as Jack helping Go finally open up and let him, Aki and Jiro in after all those days of locking them out, was.

I'm always partial to a happy ending. They will always be quite my favorite sort.

Part of me wishes Hedorah was actually in this match as a combatant. Because even though he (or rather, many of his kind) appeared only in flashbacks, the Smog Monster was by far the scariest entity in the entire story. He was the real villain of Jack's tale—he caused all of this. One of them almost killed Taro, which lead to Jack's decision that ended up costing the planet's inhabitants their existence, which lead to Jack's imprisonment and emotional spiral that served as the narrative for this story. Plus, that scene gave us one helluva chilling glimpse at what would've happened to Earth had Godzilla not killed Hedorah (which, by the way, was a great set of dots to connect. I loved Godzilla's little cameo in the middle. And I can hardly imagine how good it must've felt for Jack to see Godzilla actually kill one of the monsters responsible for his current place in life).

Hedorah was scarier than even the likes of Zetton or Alien Nackle could ever hope to be. If there's a sequel of any kind, hopefully the Smog Monster will appear then.

Lastly, even though she got comparatively lower screen time (for lack of a better term) compared to the likes of Go and Jack, Aki shone just as brightly in this story. I was absolutely caught off guard when she died in Ultraman Dies at Sunset, so to see a "what if" scenario of how things would've played out if she survived the events of that episode done this well was the fruit on top of the chocolate fudge cake. She was especially intimidating when she finally put her foot down and stood up to Hideki after his outburst; one could swear she was a part of the Godzilla family tree...

Another member of the famed Ultra brothers has been added to the KWC, and his introduction couldn't have been done more beautifully than how Alex did with this match. This record-shattering gem was an instant ten out of ten, and I think will absolutely go down as a classic in KWC history. So to end this review off, I'll just state the facts of the matter: Alex did an outstanding job here. A wonderful tribute to Jiro Dan, and an extraordinary Ultraman tale that knows how to deal with intensely dark themes like loss, self-loathing, depression, mental health, redemption and healing, all without ever crossing the border of 'existing just for the sake of edginess.' Alex created a shining example of how matches with more dialogue and character development than monster fights, can be some of the greatest KWC matches made—as well as a testament to the fact that happy endings aren't "immature" or "fantasies for kids" when it comes to storytelling.

Match 408.

Truly the return of a good man, indeed.

[godjacob]

What a tribute, what a story, what a match just...this is what KWC is all about.

[CamtheGodzillafan]

I loved this all the way through, it all felt awesome (except another loss for Behemoth), and holy shit, two new fighters in one match, that's amazing.

Added in 19 minutes 40 seconds:
Oh, and Shin, for info on Belial, watch Mega Monster Battle Ultra Galaxy Legends The Movie, it's on tubi, which is free.

[Logan268]

Spoiler:

I have finally finished going through 408. The biggest question here is obvious. Is this one of the best matches of not just this year so far but arguably of all time in the history of K.W.C?

Personally I don't think so but this still passes expectations exponentially. And the best part? Chapter system will make reading matches like this a LOT easier.

[GodzillavsJason]

Thank you all for the very kind words, it's been a journey for me to write this in more ways than more. Practically wrote this from December to mid April. It's really what I consider to be my most important work of all time, which is something I'll type more of in the coming days for the trivia thread.

Spoiler:

Have you ever head that experience when you look at the cover of a story—any story, whether it be a film, a novel, a comic or even a poem or play—and think "that looks pretty cool, that might be something at least worth checking..." and then you see the name of the author and instantly think "Oh, this is gonna be good!"

Well, that's exactly what happened here. I saw that awesome cinematic banner by KaijuX, saw that a certain new character was being introduced...and then I saw the name of the author and instantly knew that this was gonna be peak storytelling. I read it, and...you know what, I'm not gonna wait until the end to say this. I'm just gonna put it out in the open. The KWC absolutely peaked with this match.

Match 408 is one of the greatest Kaiju War Chronicles matches of all time.

I think it goes without saying we're looking at the match of the year right here. Seriously, Alex hit that many homeruns with this masterpiece. I'm not even sure if anything I say from here on will do justice just how stellar this match is. I just recently finished watching Return of Ultraman, and thus have a clear perspective of the characters and the world that show inhabits. I've said before that while I thought a few episodes were somewhat problematic, most of it was really good and a select handful of episodes stood out above others; including The Monster Tamer and the Boy and Ultraman Dies at Sunset; both of which this match references heavily (especially the former, which I think is an interesting story choice; taking place in an alternative universe where Aki didn't die) to wonderfully gut-wrenching effect.

One of my favorite aspects of this match was how little the monsters actually appear in it; while their fight scenes were totally fine, I found myself wholeheartedly hooked on the character drama and development going on throughout the course of the story—and good fucking God(zilla), what a drama it was. Seeing Hideki Go—a normally upbeat, optimistic and energetic man—as well as Ultraman Jack—who actually has a fully fleshed-out backstory here—both gradually plummet to the absolute bottom of their respective barrels was heartbreaking on a visceral level that we've never seen in the KWC before. When I was reading through both of their perspectives, I genuinely felt my skin crawl because of how beautifully the writing made you feel the terrible emotional state both of them were in. Especially two key scenes: one, where Hideki Go is looking in the mirror seeing a "devil" version of himself, and two, where Jack is so emotionally wrecked by the destruction of the Ultra Bracelet and his failures at saving Go's loved ones, that he actually starts hallucinating to the point he thinks Behemoth is Alien Nackle.

Oh and speaking of Behemoth, DAMMIT ALEX! You made me feel sympathy for Behemoth, a Kaiju I normally intensely dislike! Normally, I'd be all for seeing Jack utterly destroy that slothaphant—but no! You just had to make me feel for him, didn't you? How dare you tug my emotional heartstrings so efficiently, you bastard!

Moving on; Hideki and Jack had the most unique dynamic imaginable here. While we know Ultras fuse with their respective human hosts and occasionally converse with them, never have we seen an event where they actually interact as much as Jack and Go did here—especially to the point of in-fighting between Ultra and host. Seeing how eerily similar both characters were to each other, despite playing a massive part in stooping them further down their emotional spiral, also served as a key reminder as to why these two fit one another so well, and as such why Go was the perfect human for Jack to fuse with. It was an aspect that swung both ways, and the results were nothing short of captivating.

Speaking of captivating backstories; Ultraman Jack. Like, holy fuck has this guy gone through a lot. While he was cool and all in the respective show he hails from, we barely got any speaking lines and not much backstory from him other than 'he's another member of the same species as Ultraman.' And then, in comes Alex with that brilliant mind of his to craft the most immersive origin story for the character imaginable. The nods and references to other Ultras from other media were a nice delight, and his actual dynamics with Ultrawoman Beth and Mother of Ultra's sister (who actually has a name this time around!) were equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking reads all around. Seeing how closely he held those two in particular to his heart...and then to see him more or less sever his ties with them after officially hitting rock-bottom, and THEN catch a glimpse of them one last time without even speaking to them before straight-up EXILING himself from the Land of Light, made my heart hurt a lot. In fact, I dare say that the ONLY thing remotely close (key word there, close) to resembling a flaw is that Jack didn't go back to his home world to finally see his fellow Ultras again and make amends the same way Go ended up doing. That's it, that's literally the only bit that I would've wanted edited. Match 408 is borderline a perfect story in every way imaginable. Every and all the right ingredients for a perfect story are there and skyrocketed to 100, and then some.

On top of all that, I haven't seen any movies with Ultraman Belial in them, so I don't know that much about his character. But from what I have heard, he's one fuck of a menace...so to see Jack get incarcerated (and for five thousand damn years! ), wallow in his deepest sorrows possible and then compare himself to Belial of all people? That was an extra dose of sulphiric acidic salt added to an already festering wound.

And are we all not gonna talk about Ace here? He may have been a huge temperamental dick to Jack, but seeing just how gravely Jack's mistakes and literal emotional manipulation of Ace's heartstrings, cost a literal entire planet and its inhabitants? I honestly see exactly where Ace is coming from. He may have been a real asshole about it, but man did Ace have every right to be infuriated. So I actually empathized with him a lot here—and he's supposed to play the role of the dicky jealous rival! When a character playing THAT role can get an emotional response from the reader despite causing the main character some serious trouble, you KNOW you've done something right.

And all of this, all that pain and all that suffering the main protagonists went through that officially makes this the darkest KWC match ever written, no question...makes Jack and Go's climactic redemption and subsequent healing IMMENSELY (like, Godzilla Earth levels of immense) satisfying to read. The moment where Jack starts hallucinating all of his loved ones lifting him up with all the wisdom they taught him throughout his life in of itself was brilliantly done; but seeing hallucinatory-Belial actually struggle to knock Jack back down one last time before abruptly being drowned out by an all-out verbal assault by all of Jack's hallucinatory loved ones, followed by Jack's epic "I have never been alone!" quote gave me absolute chills. That moment was a true and genuine joy to read—just as much as Jack helping Go finally open up and let him, Aki and Jiro in after all those days of locking them out, was.

I'm always partial to a happy ending. They will always be quite my favorite sort.

Part of me wishes Hedorah was actually in this match as a combatant. Because even though he (or rather, many of his kind) appeared only in flashbacks, the Smog Monster was by far the scariest entity in the entire story. He was the real villain of Jack's tale—he caused all of this. One of them almost killed Taro, which lead to Jack's decision that ended up costing the planet's inhabitants their existence, which lead to Jack's imprisonment and emotional spiral that served as the narrative for this story. Plus, that scene gave us one helluva chilling glimpse at what would've happened to Earth had Godzilla not killed Hedorah (which, by the way, was a great set of dots to connect. I loved Godzilla's little cameo in the middle. And I can hardly imagine how good it must've felt for Jack to see Godzilla actually kill one of the monsters responsible for his current place in life).

Hedorah was scarier than even the likes of Zetton or Alien Nackle could ever hope to be. If there's a sequel of any kind, hopefully the Smog Monster will appear then.

Lastly, even though she got comparatively lower screen time (for lack of a better term) compared to the likes of Go and Jack, Aki shone just as brightly in this story. I was absolutely caught off guard when she died in Ultraman Dies at Sunset, so to see a "what if" scenario of how things would've played out if she survived the events of that episode done this well was the fruit on top of the chocolate fudge cake. She was especially intimidating when she finally put her foot down and stood up to Hideki after his outburst; one could swear she was a part of the Godzilla family tree...

Another member of the famed Ultra brothers has been added to the KWC, and his introduction couldn't have been done more beautifully than how Alex did with this match. This record-shattering gem was an instant ten out of ten, and I think will absolutely go down as a classic in KWC history. So to end this review off, I'll just state the facts of the matter: Alex did an outstanding job here. A wonderful tribute to Jiro Dan, and an extraordinary Ultraman tale that knows how to deal with intensely dark themes like loss, self-loathing, depression, mental health, redemption and healing, all without ever crossing the border of 'existing just for the sake of edginess.' Alex created a shining example of how matches with more dialogue and character development than monster fights, can be some of the greatest KWC matches made—as well as a testament to the fact that happy endings aren't "immature" or "fantasies for kids" when it comes to storytelling.

Match 408.

Truly the return of a good man, indeed.

Dude, I've read through your review at least three times and it really means a lot you typed all this out. You gave me a big smile with everything said. What you said did justice for this match and it was a very thorough analysis of the story. I mean, it's almost as long as the story, lol.

And, hot damn! What perfect timing! This match got posted around the same time someone finished ROU, so it's really awesome to see someone with a fresh perspective of the show in mind when reading this, and for me, to see someone experiencing it that way.

As to certain things you pointed out, I guess let me alleviate some of that stuff.

Spoiler:

Jack going back to the Land of Light, to make amends was considered for this story. However, I decided to remove it, because Hideki's amends at the wedding was the perfect spot to end it, and it would have been a bit repetitive if I included another chapter involving Jack.

However!

I am planning to write an epilogue to Return of a Good Man that involves Jack making amends, so not to worry. We'll see Jack reuniting with his loved ones, and we can see that in all of its glory.

Spoiler:

Then, as for a sequel.

I do, in fact, have not one, but two in mind.

I'll talk briefly about the third installment first, which will focus on Taro, but that won't happen for a long while. Mainly aside from certain combatants I want to use, I haven't even drafted an outline yet, or even in my mind.

However, the second installment won't have Jack as the focus, but it'll be all about Ace and how he "grows" as a person and how he deals with having human hosts for the first time. A dickish Ultra learning to actually care.

The sequels won't be as "biographical" as Return of a Good Man, as they'll more or less expand on those two Ultras.

And yes, it seems pretty obvious by Return of a Good man, and what I just announced that Ace is coming to the KWC.

Spoiler:

Lastly, as for Hedorah.

I can safely say our favorite Smog Monster will not be in the sequels as one of the themes of 408 is not only learning to forgive yourself, but to start moving on from your biggest source of failure(s). It's part of why Hedorah wasn't an actual combatant in the match. They were a thing of the past, not the present or future, and it was something not just Jack needed to move on, but something we all need try and do, one step at a time.

One again, thank you very much for the very thoughtful review of the match. It's something I greatly appreciate and I'm glad I can at least put a smile on several people's faces with this story. Plus, a huge shout out to FatBaconUnicorn for coming up with the "Return of a Good Man" title.

Spoiler:

Oh, by the way, Zoffy (Showa) is getting added, too.

Spoiler:

I have finally finished going through 408. The biggest question here is obvious. Is this one of the best matches of not just this year so far but arguably of all time in the history of K.W.C?

No

For me, it's not even a 10 out of 10.

The Positives:
Ultraman Jack finally arrives to the KWC, all we need now is Ace and we will have all the Ultra Brothers barring Zoffy.
The clash between Jack and Behemoth is perfect and the way Behemoth gets killed is all so satisfying in addition to being so sad.
The Hedorah cameo.
The conflicts between Jack and Ace as well as Jack and Go.
The banner is an easy 10 out of 10.
The tribute to Jiro Dan

The Negatives:
The match is too long for my personal tastes.
I'm not exactly a fan of the chapter system employed for this match even if it does make things easier. I hope it's a one time thing/only used for long matches like this.
Besides the clash between Jack and Behemoth and the Hedorah cameo, the rest of the kaiju action isn't that memorable and doesn't truly stand out.
Hedorah not being a combatant in the match at all despite being featured in the banner.
Gudon as the last kaiju that Jack fights instead of being the first.

Maybe it's because I'm a noob when it comes to Return of Ultraman outside of Jack himself and some of the monsters (Gudon being one of them) but this match just didn't click with me most of the time. I get the appeal but at best, this match is good but not great let alone one of the best matches of all time. It's not even the best match of this year so far considering we've already had 2 perfect tens before it in Matches 400 and 405. Two matches that along with the rest of GVR's matches are far more interesting, memorable and compelling than this flawed disappointment.

This match could have been a lot worse but it could have been a lot better.

My final rating is a 5/10

Dude, a lot of these aren't really criticisms. This is just you nitpicking, and I hate to tell you this, but the Chapter System is staying. It's going to be added to some matches in the future and some of the older matches are getting retrofitted with it.

Just because a kaiju is in a banner doesn't mean they're automatically a combatant, and Hedorah didn't serve that purpose for the story. Heck, their name wasn't even featured in the VS. title. How did you miss that?

Also, how is Gudon being the last kaiju Jack fights a bad thing? Originally, a different kaiju was gonna be the final monster, but I decided against it, and everyone who not only read it, but knows who it is, will tell you that it wouldn't have worked.

[CamtheGodzillafan]

Spoiler:

Oh, by the way, Zoffy (Showa) is getting added, too.

Holy shit.

[Gigantis]

Spoiler:

We have truly reached the ultimate Ultra ambition.

[ShinGojira14]

Dude, I've read through your review at least three times and it really means a lot you typed all this out. You gave me a big smile with everything said. What you said did justice for this match and it was a very thorough analysis of the story. I mean, it's almost as long as the story, lol.

And, hot damn! What perfect timing! This match got posted around the same time someone finished ROU, so it's really awesome to see someone with a fresh perspective of the show in mind when reading this, and for me, to see someone experiencing it that way.

You’re very welcome! All praises are deserved.

Spoiler:

Lastly, as for Hedorah.

I can safely say our favorite Smog Monster will not be in the sequels as one of the themes of 408 is not only learning to forgive yourself, but to start moving on from your biggest source of failure(s). It's part of why Hedorah wasn't an actual combatant in the match. They were a thing of the past, not the present or future, and it was something not just Jack needed to move on, but something we all need try and do, one step at a time.

That makes sense. Plus, now that I think of it, Godzilla killing Hedorah could also be seen as good symbolism for Jack and Go beginning to process of facing and subsequently moving on from the terrors of the past. Or, as a certain Ken Watanabe put it:

Healing old wounds by making peace with the demons who created them.

Spoiler:

Oh, by the way, Zoffy (Showa) is getting added, too.

Wha—WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?!!!!

[CamtheGodzillafan]

Dude, I've read through your review at least three times and it really means a lot you typed all this out. You gave me a big smile with everything said. What you said did justice for this match and it was a very thorough analysis of the story. I mean, it's almost as long as the story, lol.

And, hot damn! What perfect timing! This match got posted around the same time someone finished ROU, so it's really awesome to see someone with a fresh perspective of the show in mind when reading this, and for me, to see someone experiencing it that way.

You’re very welcome! All praises are deserved.

Spoiler:

Lastly, as for Hedorah.

I can safely say our favorite Smog Monster will not be in the sequels as one of the themes of 408 is not only learning to forgive yourself, but to start moving on from your biggest source of failure(s). It's part of why Hedorah wasn't an actual combatant in the match. They were a thing of the past, not the present or future, and it was something not just Jack needed to move on, but something we all need try and do, one step at a time.

That makes sense. Plus, now that I think of it, Godzilla killing Hedorah could also be seen as good symbolism for Jack and Go beginning to process of facing and subsequently moving on from the terrors of the past. Or, as a certain Ken Watanabe put it:

Healing old wounds by making peace with the demons who created them.

Spoiler:

Oh, by the way, Zoffy (Showa) is getting added, too.

Wha—WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?!!!!

They're also adding Ultraman Ace.

[ShinGojira14]

Dude, I've read through your review at least three times and it really means a lot you typed all this out. You gave me a big smile with everything said. What you said did justice for this match and it was a very thorough analysis of the story. I mean, it's almost as long as the story, lol.

And, hot damn! What perfect timing! This match got posted around the same time someone finished ROU, so it's really awesome to see someone with a fresh perspective of the show in mind when reading this, and for me, to see someone experiencing it that way.

You’re very welcome! All praises are deserved.

Spoiler:

Lastly, as for Hedorah.

I can safely say our favorite Smog Monster will not be in the sequels as one of the themes of 408 is not only learning to forgive yourself, but to start moving on from your biggest source of failure(s). It's part of why Hedorah wasn't an actual combatant in the match. They were a thing of the past, not the present or future, and it was something not just Jack needed to move on, but something we all need try and do, one step at a time.

That makes sense. Plus, now that I think of it, Godzilla killing Hedorah could also be seen as good symbolism for Jack and Go beginning to process of facing and subsequently moving on from the terrors of the past. Or, as a certain Ken Watanabe put it:

Healing old wounds by making peace with the demons who created them.

Spoiler:

Oh, by the way, Zoffy (Showa) is getting added, too.

Wha—WHAAAAAAAAAAAA?!!!!

They're also adding Ultraman Ace.

Yeah, I read that part. I just missed the Zoffy part the first time I read this.

Added in 1 hour 5 minutes 32 seconds:
In the meantime, what I want to know is: who was Jack originally going to fight before Gudon became the final antagonist?

[GodzillaFan8889]

I admittedly skimmed this match because I wasn’t prepared for such a long read, but wow. I can still tell just how well-written this was.

Spoiler:

It’s a very captivating, heart-wrenching deep dive into the characters of Jack and Hideki, and how they have been struggling with their failures. The fact it ends on a relatively high note with them finally conquering their demons and beginning a path to peace is really great as well. It’s all written realistically and is dark, yes, but not too much that it veers into being unbearable. It’s all just… crafted really well.

I can tell Alex really cared about the series this is based on and its characters. And I must say, props to you! This is probably THE best character-based (if that is the right term) match we have right now. Even with just the parts I looked over, it was a phenomenal read!

[FatBaconUnicorn]

I forgot to write a review when this came out as I am on vacation in Tokyo currently but I will write out my thoughts.

Alex has created a masterpiece, a story that made me genuinely sob as I continued on with the story. As he continued to write, he would update a public google document for me to view and I waited every day for the next chapter. Every word and element was chosen perfectly, this is for sure the best thing Alex has written so far.

Added in 3 minutes 18 seconds:

Spoiler:

I have finally finished going through 408. The biggest question here is obvious. Is this one of the best matches of not just this year so far but arguably of all time in the history of K.W.C?

Personally I don't think so but this still passes expectations exponentially. And the best part? Chapter system will make reading matches like this a LOT easier.

Blood edited his cringe review to not get roasted. Double cringe.