Daimajin Thread

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Chrispy_G
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Daimajin Thread

Post by Chrispy_G »

I wasn't able to find a thread specifically for these films/this character. I know there are only 3 films and a modern re-imagined TV series, but I figured having a thread would be worthwhile.

I figure any and all discussion about the films and series, potential future Blu Ray releases, and a potential future reboot of the character could all be housed here.

I'll be watching all 3 films for the first time very soon.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

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My Leg is hurt I'm finished is single handedly the greatest dialogue in the entire Kaiju genre. Beaten only by "Kiss You Guys" (GVB),"You must take your spaceship into the mountain" (DAM) "And now you must DIE" (Gigantis The Fire Monster)
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Terasawa »

IMO the first film is at least one of the top ten Japanese genre films.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

I remember liking the second one, and despising the third one. I think a big issue is how the films are pretty similar plot wise and a marathoned them all on the same day when I got a DVD of them. Definitely deserving of a re-watch.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Terasawa »

Return is good but suffers from being too similar to the first. Daimajin Strikes Again (#3) isn't a bad movie but it's nowhere near as good as the others. All three have outstanding photography and impressive special effects.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by eabaker »

Terasawa wrote:Return is good but suffers from being too similar to the first. Daimajin Strikes Again (#3) isn't a bad movie but it's nowhere near as good as the others. All three have outstanding photography and impressive special effects.
Honestly, I enjoy Strikes Again the most of the three. It's the only one where I find the human characters particularly engaging.

That's not a knock on the other two. Well, at least not the first one, which is a very compelling story (the second one tends to put me to sleep).
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by BlankAccount »

I love that it took till the third movie for him to use his sword and when he finally does, he doesn't use it how you would expect, at least the first time he uses it, the second time he does. I would love it if Arrow Video gave the Daimajin Trilogy the same love and treatment they gave Gamera in their boxset.
Last edited by BlankAccount on Fri Aug 21, 2020 7:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by G-Matt »

The first movie is one of my favorites, not just as far as kaiju movies go, but in general. When I first saw it, I was actually on the edge of my seat when Daimajin arrived at the village and started his rampage.

Like others have said, the second movie is quite similar to the first one, but it's still pretty engaging, especially during the last act. The third movie isn't bad either, but it is the weakest of the bunch. With that said, the child actors are better than many of the ones in the Showa Gamera movies.

Two things that hold all three movies together are their excellent special effects and Ifukube's brilliant music.

I'd really like to see the TV series at some point, and I hope there will be a new Daimajin project in the future.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

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I'm honestly impressed all three films came out the same year and had consistently good quality and production value. Makes me wonder how the Showa Gamera films would have turned out if they had this much effort put in them. First time I saw these movies I was floored that they are from the 60s, I could swear they looked like they were from the 80s, the effects hold up that well IMO. I think my favorite shot in the entire trilogy is from the second movie when he parts the lake and walks between these two water walls. As far as "looks" go, he looks his best to me when he has chains stuck on him, which I showed a drawing of in the Gamera topic. I love that he goes from a well made but simplistic statue to having a face and hands looking like they are made out of Jade and having a sword that's blade looks like it's made out of brass.

If we get another Gamera game, I would love it if Daimajin is a secret unlockable playable character as a sort of easter egg.

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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by o.supreme »

I've heard a few people wish for Arrow to release the Daimajim Trilogy on BRD. The thing is, unlike their Gamera releases which were pretty generic, the Millcreek Daimajim set is pretty complete. It has all 3 movies and their English dubs ( the 3rd one specifically produced by MC). I mean I guess Arrow could add commentaries and the alt English credit sequences for the first 2 films, and the TV series, that would make it worth purchasing I suppose.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by CrimsonBloodX »

I have seen the first two movies on Amazon Prime years ago. As for Daimajin Strikes Again, I only watched the first ten minutes or so before I stopped because I was watching it at my brother's place and me and my mom had to leave. I remember liking Return of Diamajin more than the first film. It's been years since I watched either of those films and the Mill Creak Blu-Ray is so expensive now. I hope this trilogy gets an update home video release someday.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Terasawa »

Living Corpse wrote:Makes me wonder how the Showa Gamera films would have turned out if they had this much effort put in them.
More often than not the Showa Gamera movies were lacking in money, not effort.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by mikelcho »

In Japan in 1966, the first film in the trilogy - Daimajin - was first shown in theaters as a double feature with Gamera vs. Barugon.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by LegendZilla »

I know people have often compared the titular monster's appearance to a samurai, but I have just noticed that he bears a stronger resemblance to the proto-samurai Keiko armor from the Kofun era of Japan, lasting from roughly 300-538 AD.

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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Cryptid_Liker »

LegendZilla wrote:I know people have often compared the titular monster's appearance to a samurai, but I have just noticed that he bears a stronger resemblance to the proto-samurai Keiko armor from the Kofun era of Japan, lasting from roughly 300-538 AD.

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T H I C C

Also, it looks like Daimajin's armor is a combination of the two.

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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by GojiDog »

I was aware of the Daimajin films most of the time I've been a kaiju fan, but I never saw them until about 2 or 3 years ago.

I'm glad I didn't see them as a kid, because I don't think I would have appreciated them at a young age. Holding off on the "monster" (if we want to call Daimajin that) until the very end of the movie would have worn me out as a kid (unless you kept the monster a complete surprise for me, then I would have gone nuts).

I'm definitely glad to have seen them now as there is definitely a lot of thought and effort that went into these films. Everything about them from the time period, to the sets, to the tone, all makes it feel separated from its contemporaries like the Godzilla and Gamera films (by the way, it boggles my mind that the same studio that made Gamera also put these out). They actually feel closer to the work of Akira Kurosawa than anything else. And all three films expertly build to their explosive climaxes where they really deliver the goods.

So yeah, chalk me up as a fan now. Its also kind of cool to have Daiei (The Gamera Studio) have monster films with music composed by Akira Ifukube (The Godzilla Music Guy). I guess its the closest we've ever gotten to a cinematic collaboration between Godzilla and Gamera.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Chrispy_G »

I think Daimajin would be super-ripe for a modern reboot.

The "Stone statue" nature of the character, I think, would actually lend itself well to a modern rendition that STILL uses suitmation.

The knocks on suitmation are the stiffness, the lack of feeling 'alive' etc etc.....but if you are dealing with a giant stone, moving, "alive" statue....then almost all of the typical drawbacks of suitmation for giant monsters falls by the wayside.

You are also dealing overtly in fantasy/magic AND a period setting which further removes it from our modern consciousness....both of those things help you overcome the suspension of disbelief that comes with 'giant monsters in the modern world'.

Just as a Gamera movie comes with a lot less "legacy/identity baggage" that the Godzilla mythology carries, Daimajin is a giant monster(esque) movie that manages to not come with a huge amount of the difficulties and drawbacks that often hinder the genre.

Overtly making the giant monster a more clear-cut plot device as opposed to the main focal point of the film is something else that I think could be a real advantage.

I'm an optimist on this sort of thing though.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by mikelcho »

o.supreme wrote:I've heard a few people wish for Arrow to release the Daimajim Trilogy on BRD. The thing is, unlike their Gamera releases which were pretty generic, the Millcreek Daimajim set is pretty complete. It has all 3 movies and their English dubs ( the 3rd one specifically produced by MC). I mean I guess Arrow could add commentaries and the alt English credit sequences for the first 2 films, and the TV series, that would make it worth purchasing I suppose.
I heard that the Mill Creek Blu-ray release of the Daimajin trilogy was far superior to what came before it; i.e., the AD Vision VHS and DVD releases of the trilogy (which got the second and third film's titles mixed up, of all things!) and the Retromedia DVD release of the AI-TV versions of the first two films. That's why I got it in the first place.

Not bad for a semi-minor (or maybe semi-major, depending on your point of view) video company, that's for sure!

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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by Terasawa »

I heard that the Mill Creek Blu-ray release... was far superior to what came before it; i.e., the AD Vision VHS and DVD releases of the trilogy... and the Retromedia DVD
The Mill Creek set was very good but kaiju fans (in general) really need to stop settling for this "it was better than the DVD and VHS" mindset. Often times that's not good enough.
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Re: Daimajin Thread

Post by BlankAccount »

Chrispy_G wrote:I think Daimajin would be super-ripe for a modern reboot.

The "Stone statue" nature of the character, I think, would actually lend itself well to a modern rendition that STILL uses suitmation.

The knocks on suitmation are the stiffness, the lack of feeling 'alive' etc etc.....but if you are dealing with a giant stone, moving, "alive" statue....then almost all of the typical drawbacks of suitmation for giant monsters falls by the wayside.

You are also dealing overtly in fantasy/magic AND a period setting which further removes it from our modern consciousness....both of those things help you overcome the suspension of disbelief that comes with 'giant monsters in the modern world'.

Just as a Gamera movie comes with a lot less "legacy/identity baggage" that the Godzilla mythology carries, Daimajin is a giant monster(esque) movie that manages to not come with a huge amount of the difficulties and drawbacks that often hinder the genre.

Overtly making the giant monster a more clear-cut plot device as opposed to the main focal point of the film is something else that I think could be a real advantage.

I'm an optimist on this sort of thing though.
Or we could just watch the reboot and not give a fuck what others think. We live in the "bitching" era where where no one is happy unless they are bitching so they will find something to nitpick.

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