Giant monsters, or kaiju as they are sometimes known, are a whacky part of history. Mostly from Japan, they have become a big hit all around the world and are easily recognized across all media. So make sure you don’t get stepped on as you run for the hills with these Top 5 Awesome Kaiju.
Top 5 Awesome Kaiju – Gamera
A mutated turtle-like dinosaur that first appeared in 1965 in his own movie called “Gamera the Giant Monster”. Gamera was created by Daiei Film Co. Ltd. and was meant to be a direct competitor to the Godzilla movies that were popular at the time. Gamera can fly thanks to jets that shoot out where his back legs come out of his shell. In his original movie, he is shown to have been in the northern arctic location of the United States and awakened from suspended animation when an American fighter accidentally dentates an atomic bomb and Gamera is freed from the ice. Unlike many of the other Kaiju, Gamera movies were shown on American UHF TV and help build a fanbase for the giant turtle.
Top 5 Awesome Kaiju – Rodan
A flying dinosaur-like monster that first appeared in the 1956 movie called “Rodan”. It is said that the exact breed of the monster is meant to be ambiguous and Rodan was designed to be a symbol of a nuclear threat from the Soviet Union whereas Godzilla was seen as a nuclear threat from the United States. Often, in filming the movies, Rodan is portrayed not only by a person in a big, heavy suit like many of the other monsters that appear in Japanese movies but also by a wire operated puppet, mostly during scenes of flying.
Top 5 Awesome Kaiju – Mothra
A giant flying moth that first appeared in the 1961 movie “Mothra”. It is said that Mothra is a mystical being that is prayed to by the people of a small Asian island. Mothra first appeared on the island in larva form and then went to Japan after the Shobijin twins that act like Mothra’s guides are kidnapped in Japan. Mothra swims to Japan to get them. When the larva reaches Japan it forms a chrysalis on Tokyo Tower and then eventually hatches to reveal the adult-sized giant moth. Mothra appears many times in Godzilla themed movies and has faced the giant lizard as both an enemy and as a sidekick in battles against other kaiju. In Toho movies, Mothra is the second only to Godzilla himself in popularity in the number of movie appearances.
King Kong
A large gorilla that made his debut in the 1933 movie “King Kong” from RKO pictures. In it, he is found on Skull Island, an island of several large animals. Mostly he is remembered for climbing the Empire State Building in New York with a woman in his grasp as he fights off attacking airplanes. The movie was said to be very successful and numerous other films have been made both in the United States and Japan. It is said the Kong is 50 feet tall officially but with so many different movies made, his height can vary in size.
Godzilla
A giant sea monster that made his debut in 1954 in the movie “Godzilla”. Godzilla has appeared in 32 Japanese made movies and 3 movies made in the United States along with numerous other things like TV shows, comics, and even music. Known as “The King of the Monsters” from a phrase spoken in the American language version of the original Godzilla movie. Godzilla is mostly portrayed as a giant lizard that was unleashed by nuclear testing that made him grow to giant size and often angry enough to destroy the city around it. Godzilla’s size depends on the media with some portraying Godzilla as being at 50 meters while some have the lizard at over 100 meters tall. Most of the time Godzilla is male but in many of the films, Godzilla is portrayed as female. In many of the early Japanese films, Godzilla and many of the other kaiju monsters are said to be gender-neutral.
