Heisei Monster Discussion: Dagarah

[Goji]

Sorry, saying the majority like GKG over the Showa version is a false statement

Yeah, seriously that statement is laughable. No way in HELL that GKG is more popular than the original incarnation of the character. Bollocks.

[Legion1979]

I think when some people discuss popularity they don't look very far outside a certain small bubble. If you were to look around this particular site you probably would get the idea that GKG is far more popular than the original, especially considering how often he's used in Fantasy Matches for example. But for a true measure of popularity it's necessary to broaden your view, which is what I'm doing here. I'm friends with several Godzilla fans in real life outside of internet message boards and I've never heard any of them put GKG above the original. As far as boards are concerned I don't hear anyone talking much about GKG on Club Tokyo for example, where the members were generally older than the ones here. And look at trends in Japan. Who continues to be the most popular version of King Ghidora over there. Undeniably it's the Tsuburaya original. I haven't seen anyone do any Grand King Ghidora toys since Bandai merchandised the movie 12 years ago. It just doesn't happen. The Mothra films and the monsters who appeared in them are just not popular over there. It seems to me that people are so suckered in by GKG's design that they end up blind to the monster's (and the movie's) other numerous failings. Once again, I like the design to, but I dislike everything else.

So again, it's really out there to consider GKG more popular than the original since, outside of message boards like these, evidence doesn't really show it.

EDIT: Oh and I found this recent thread, which blows the whole "GKG is more popular" thing out of the water completely.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1376
A lot of people in that thread supported GKG, but look who got almost twice the amount of votes...

[Legionmaster]

Only two for poor Mecha-Ghidorah.

[Goji]

Yeah, that strikes me as odd too. I actually really liked MKG. He kind of made up for the "meh" execution and design of the Heisei King Ghidorah (which looked mostly awesome, but the heads were TOO big for those skinny little necks of his), even though he had very little screen time. I'd personally love to see another King Ghidorah cyborg in a future Toho film and/or video game/comic.

[Legion1979]

Kind of weird that GMK Ghidora got more votes than Mechaghidora. I just don't see it. Oh well...

And helping to put this "GKG is more popular" thing to bed..I started a nice simple poll on CT last night. So far the Showa version not only has 18 votes, but also 100% of them. So...yeah.

[KaneLocke]

Kind of weird that GMK Ghidora got more votes than Mechaghidora. I just don't see it. Oh well...

And helping to put this "GKG is more popular" thing to bed..I started a nice simple poll on CT last night. So far the Showa version not only has 18 votes, but also 100% of them. So...yeah.

Color me ignorant... CT is what?

That GMK Ghidorah got ANY votes is an atrocity.

[Legion1979]

Color me ignorant... CT is what?

Club Tokyo.

That GMK Ghidorah got ANY votes is an atrocity.

Agreed.

[KaneLocke]

Color me ignorant... CT is what?

Club Tokyo.

... NOW I feel stupid... I should've known that.

Still, not to further derail the topic, but I prefer GKG's suit, but Showa Ghidorah had much more personality. That and the way his heads bobbed so wildly just gave it a sense of reality.

I think that, largely, Dagarah's failing isn't so much the suit as his lack of personality. The stiffness COUPLED with a lack of personality make it easy to see why so many people dislike him. For the record, I still like his design, but I think it's like a lot of Matt Frank's art: better on a paper. I love some of the Dagarah concept art, just like I love a lot of Matt's art. But art doesn't always seem to translate well into film, especially in regards to suitmation.

[Primevalgodzilla V2]

I think you guys are being overdefensive again.

When did I ever say 'GKG was more popular!!'? All I said is he was one of the most popular monsters (debatable, but again, you guys are being overdefensive), and I personally felt he was superior to Showa KG. Yeah, thanks for debating against something I didn't even say.

Again, GKG is a decent design. But I think it goes too far in trying to make the monster look mean. What I love about the original Tusuburaya Ghidora is that even though he's evil he looks like he's actually having a good time. He's practically smiling and the cackling is just perfect. GKG just has these stone cold scowls and the lame Heisei wanna-be Rodan roar.

And as I always say, for me there's more to appreciating a monster than just liking a design. There's the execution and how I feel about the movie it appears in. Some people are able to separate the GKG design from everything else around it. That's fine but I can't do that. Mothra 3 is just an awful movie and to me the execution of GKG is incredibly stiff and unconvincing and it's defeat is just laughable.

Again, GKG is a decent design. But I think it goes too far in trying to make the monster look mean. What I love about the original Tusuburaya Ghidora is that even though he's evil he looks like he's actually having a good time. He's practically smiling and the cackling is just perfect. GKG just has these stone cold scowls and the lame Heisei wanna-be Rodan roar. Sorry, saying the majority like GKG over the Showa version is a false statement

Firstly, I didn't even say GKG was more popular. Unless my opinion suddenly represents the vast majority. (which would be pretty cool actually)

You say GKG looks too mean. Personally, I love the way his heads look. And Showa KG looked to dopish. His hair, which should have been a plus point, looked like pubes, which didn't really help. If Showa KG enjoyed what he was doing, he certainly didn't show it alot. And he also wasn't particularly evil, per se. Both GKG and Showa KG destroyed planets for sport, but based on what was seen on fil, showa KG didn't really seem all that bad. He just went on a rampage through the city (like Rodan, Godzilla and everyone else), and during his battle, which isn't really all that evil in the kaiju scale of things. And he wasn't really all that sadistic, and half the tie, he looked like he was simply trying to get out alive while he was swamped by multiple monsters.

GKG had the advantage of fighting an adversary weaker than him so he could truly show his sadism, like the way he basically kicked and stomped Mothra Leo when he was down. He did more than simply blow up buildings. He is a more definite bastard, using his mind control to make the fairies fight among themselves, and capturing children to eat. He actually did more cruel and sadistic stuff than 'rah, I'm blowing up buildings! I must be the ultimate evil in the galaxy, rah!' His execution is abit stiff, but it is good enough for me. and personally, his design is vastly superior. Some people say one of the great things about KG is how beautiful such an evil being is. GKG examplifies this best IMO.

To me, he's basically Showa KG, but perfected. However, I understand how Showa fans can prefer the oringinal, and I'm certainly in the minority here. Given the circumstances of his appearance, there's not a chance GKG's ever going to be all that popular. I know Showa KG is vastly more popular (enough for me to call him overrated), but that isn't quite enough to follow the crowd and say 'Showa KG is da best!' So let's just leave it at that.