Kaiju

"Daikaiju" and "Kaijin" redirect here. For other uses, see Daikaiju (disambiguation).
Daikaiju (giant monster) Godzilla from the 1954 Godzilla film, one of the first Japanese movies to feature a giant monster.
Kaijin (humanoid monster) half-human from 1955 Half Human film

Kaijū (怪獣 kaijū) (from Japanese "strange beast")[1] is a Japanese film genre that features monsters, usually attacking a major cities and engaging the military and other monsters in battle. It is a subgenre of tokusatsu (special effects-based) entertainment.

Related terms include kaijū eiga (怪獣映画 kaijū eiga, monster movie), a film featuring giant monsters or a single monster; kaijin (怪人, referring to roughly humanoid monsters); and daikaiju (大怪獣 daikaijū, giant kaiju), specifically meaning the larger variety of monsters.

Godzilla is an example of a daikaiju; others include Mothra, King Ghidorah, Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Gamera, Gyaos, Daimajin and Gappa. The term ultra-kaiju is longhand for kaiju in the Ultra Series.

Toho has produced a variety of kaiju films over the years (many of which featured Godzilla and Mothra) but other Japanese studios contributed to expanding the genre in Japan by producing films and shows of their own, including Daiei Film Co., Ltd., Kadokawa Pictures, Tsuburaya Productions, Shochiku and Nikkatsu studios.

Concept

Kaiju are typically modeled after conventional animals, insects or mythological creatures; however, there are more exotic examples. Chōjin Sentai Jetman features monsters based on traffic lights, faucets and tomatoes;[2] Kamen Rider Super-1 includes a whole army of monsters based on household objects such as umbrellas and utility ladders.[3]

Monsters famous in English stories, such as vampires, werewolves, mummies and zombies, fall into this category. Frankenstein's monster was a starring kaiju in the Toho films Frankenstein Conquers the World, and The War of the Gargantuas.

Kaiju are sometimes depicted as cannon fodder serving a greater evil. Some kaiju are elite warriors which serve as the right-hand man to the greater villain and are destroyed by the heroic forces. Others have a neutral alignment, only seeking to destroy buildings and other structures. During the early eras of tokusatsu, "heroic" monsters were rarely seen in daikaiju eiga films, and it was not until later when television tokusatsu productions began using kaiju which aided the hero, saved civilians, or demonstrated some kind of complex personality. These kaiju adopted many classic monster traits, appearing as the "Misunderstood Creature". Some kaiju hung out with the heroes and provided comedy relief, in contrast to the darker approach to these characters from more mature franchises, like Kamen Rider. Godzilla, arguably the most well known of the daikaiju, has played the roles of hero, villain, and force of nature in the course of his existence, one of the few kaiju of any type to be depicted in multiple roles and having those around him react in different ways, depending on how the creature itself was being presented in the films.

Selected Media

Films

Godzilla and Anguirus from 1955 Godzilla Raids Again film. The film was the first to feature two kaiju battling each other. This would go on to become a common theme in kaiju films.
Daikaiju (giant monster) Rodan from a 1956 Rodan film
Kaijin (humanoid monster) Daimajin from Daimajin trilogy

Japanese

American

British

Korean

Thailand

Danish

Comics

Japanese Manga Comic

America Comic

Video games

Television

Fan films

Fan series

References in culture

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kaiju.
  1. ↑ Yoda, Tomiko; Harootunian, Harry (2006). Japan After Japan: Social and Cultural Life from the Recessionary 1990s to the Present. Duke University Press Books. p. 344. ISBN 9780822388609.
  2. ↑ "Most of the Monsters of Jetman".
  3. ↑ "Kamen Rider Super-1". Igadevil.com.
  4. ↑ "Pacific Rim: Tales from Year Zero". Legendary Comics. Retrieved 2015-04-06.
  5. ↑ "IDW Solicits Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #12 and Vol. 3 TPB for May 2014 « SciFi Japan". Scifijapan.com. Retrieved 2014-04-29.
  6. ↑ "Pacific Rim: Tales from the Drift, Black Bag, Cops for Criminals - Comics Announcements". Legendary Comics. Retrieved 2015-03-25.
  7. ↑ ""The Zillo Beast" Episode Guide". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ ""The Zillo Beast Strikes Back" Episode Guide". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  9. ↑ "The Cinema Behind Star Wars: Godzilla". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Treehouse of Horror XXIV Couch Gag by Guillermo del Toro". Youtube. October 3, 2013.
  11. ↑ "Crank: High Voltage: Godzilla Fight Scene". Youtube. October 1, 2009.
  12. ↑ "Pacific Rim - Legendary". Retrieved October 5, 2014.
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