Everybody knows the iconic Godzilla. But, let’s explore the other campy Japanese Kaiju (Japanese genre of films and TV featuring giant monsters, or Kaiju can also refer to the monsters, themselves.)
We all enjoy a nice B movie monster in the world of tokusatsu, or “special effect filming” in Japanese. The term is short for a genre of live action films bursting with heavy handed special effects, and a slew of freaky, giant creatures.
Godzilla crossed over into the mainstream media and pop-culture of the Western world, but we missed out on the ones that didn’t. That’s Eiji Tsuburaya, a pioneer of special effects, and a master at making kaiju monsters.
Like Dada, a humanoid alien inspired by the post-WWI European art movement, Dada, that also spread to Japan by the 1920s.
Dada made appearances in the 1960s-70s TV show, Ultraman, with a thirst for world domination and a suit evocative of the art movement’s inspiration from African tribal art. He’s gone thru many face changes over the years.
At one time, Tsuburaya was making a new monster a week. Let’s look at some of them. Several are really goofy, like Garamon, here, from the series “Ultra Q.” He emerged from a meteorite and emitted a strange clanking noise when he walked.
Next, is Balloonga, also from “Ultra Q,” that adhered to a rocket on its return from Saturn. It absorbed the rocket’s energy, causing it to crash into the sea, then it absorbed Tokyo’s energy leaving in constant darkness.
Alien Varduck from “Return of Ultraman.” That’s “ice breath” shooting out, b/c he’s also know as “Snow Boy.”
Henpai Sentai, the Molester of the Sea.
I feel so stupid, I never knew that Mothra was Godzilla’s wife. This is getting weird, now.
The Shobijin, two tiny priestesses or fairy twins, that speak for Mothra always fascinated me. Talk about weird.
Would you believe that the flower blossom monster from the 1970s-80s Japanese TV show “Gosei Sentai Dairanger,” was the basis for the American Power Rangers? It fired a round of petals when attacked.
Check out this actor in half a Godzilla costume. It was so heavy, it could only be worn for a few minutes at a time.
They even have an action figure.
Behind the scenes shots of tokusatsu monster movies show the delightfully miniature sets such suited monsters trampled.
fandom.com/wiki/ & https://www.messynessychic.com/
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