Monster Discussion #14: Black Moth

[gigan72]

Discuss the lion type beast Black Moth from Latitude Zero. There was a previous thread, but it is gone.

[Lain Of The Wired]

Seems like a cool monster, would love to watch the movie someday, regardless of its small screentime, I'd just like to watch it move around and do stuff

[Ivo-goji]

The monster with the inexplicable name.

Seeing a Dr. Malic style villain with patchwork monsters like Black Moth go up against Godzilla would be interesting.

[Space Hunter M]

"MALIC!!!! DAMN YOUUUUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!"

[edgaguirus]

I haven't seen the movie, but I like the kaiju from what I know of it. A chimera with a human brain is an interesting idea.

[Lain Of The Wired]

I haven't seen the movie, but I like the kaiju from what I know of it. A chimera with a human brain is an interesting idea.

Brings me bad FMA flashbacks…

[Tyrant_Lizard_King]

I'll forever call her Kroiga, Black Moth makes no sense. I know one is technically a translation of the other but Kroiga doesn't sound stupid.

[gigan72]

I finally saw the film, and this monster just was kinda... there. It was a cool idea, but overall only existed fora small bit a the end. But the film was fun, such an insane movie. Loved it.

[Spuro]

This is one of two monsters, not counting the Giant Sea Snake, that I always forget exists. Even the likes of Shockris or the Giant Condor are more memorable to me.

[KaijuX]

Oh hey! I wrote two matches with her. #NotSponsored

TBH, I really dig Black Moth. We don't get that many mammalian kaiju in the Toho-multiverse, and this one has a crazy origin.

Spoiler:

Pity all she did was perch on a rocky cliff until the end of the movie.

And interesting find I've stumbled across is that Black Moth's Japanese name wouldn't be what you'd expect. From what I've found, it's either グリホン (Gurihon) or グリフォン (Gurifon); the former a variant of Griffon (in the same way Ghidorah (ギドラ [Gidora]) is simply a one-letter change from Hydra (ヒドラ [Hidora]), the latter literally meaning Griffon. I suppose they got the Black Moth name from the human captain, Kroiga. Which to my understanding, roughly translate to "Black Moth" (黒 [kuro] = Black; 蛾 [ga] = Moth).

[Dino-Mario]

Have yet to see the film, so i can't really say much about him. Neat design though, and he's very amusing in the TK toons

[KaijuX]

Actually, speaking of... What would Black Moth's gender be? For those who haven't seen the film, I'll put what I say next in spoiler tags.

Spoiler:

So from what the film provides, Black Moth is a chimera of a lion's body, a vulture's (or condor's) wings and a human brain. On one hand, Black Moth is a creature with a LION'S body. The lion is male, whilst a lioness is female. But much like Biollante (a plant-clone of Godzilla with Erika's soul), Black Moth still retains the memories of Captain Kroiga and has a full conscious.

[Spuro]

Actually, speaking of... What would Black Moth's gender be? For those who haven't seen the film, I'll put what I say next in spoiler tags.

Spoiler:

So from what the film provides, Black Moth is a chimera of a lion's body, a vulture's (or condor's) wings and a human brain. On one hand, Black Moth is a creature with a LION'S body. The lion is male, whilst a lioness is female. But much like Biollante (a plant-clone of Godzilla with Erika's soul), Black Moth still retains the memories of Captain Kroiga and has a full conscious.

Clearly Black Moth is an clever analogy for gender identity! Few Toho films deal with such relevant social issues!

[Ivo-goji]

Black Moth's gender would be female, and her body would be biologically male.

[Kubo]

Transgender kaiju. How forward-thinking.

I like Black Moth, from what I've seen. I haven't gotten around to Latitude Zero yet, but eventually I will. Black Moth has always been that movie's point of intrigue for me. That, and Cesar Romero's killer mustache.

[Spuro]

I haven't gotten around to Latitude Zero yet, but eventually I will. Black Moth has always been that movie's point of intrigue for me. That, and Cesar Romero's killer mustache.

Just a warning... Watching Latitude Zero for Black Moth is like watching Gorath for Maguma, or Atragon for Manda. The monster doesn't get a lot of screen time.

The imaginative sci fi technologies and matte work makes up for that, though.

[soulgodzilla]

I'm starting to like Black Moth when I saw Latitude Zero. And while her design is simply just a griffon and she barely had any screen time, the idea of her being made by Koriga, a lion and a condor by Dr. Malik is weird and kinda made me feel bad for Koriga. Being betrayed, killed and turned into a monster. It made me wished that it succeeded on killing Malick. And while it did killed that bastard, it's a shame that it was crushed by a avalanche of boulders.

Added in 4 minutes 7 seconds:

Oh hey! I wrote two matches with her. #NotSponsored

TBH, I really dig Black Moth. We don't get that many mammalian kaiju in the Toho-multiverse, and this one has a crazy origin.

Spoiler:

Pity all she did was perch on a rocky cliff until the end of the movie.

And interesting find I've stumbled across is that Black Moth's Japanese name wouldn't be what you'd expect. From what I've found, it's either グリホン (Gurihon) or グリフォン (Gurifon); the former a variant of Griffon (in the same way Ghidorah (ギドラ [Gidora]) is simply a one-letter change from Hydra (ヒドラ [Hidora]), the latter literally meaning Griffon. I suppose they got the Black Moth name from the human captain, Kroiga. Which to my understanding, roughly translate to "Black Moth" (黒 [kuro] = Black; 蛾 [ga] = Moth).

i know man, Toho really needs to make more mammalian Kaijus and give the idea of reptiles, dinosaurs, dragons, insects and alien Kaijus a rest. Because that's all they make. We only have Black Moth and Maguma the only mammilian Kaijus made by Toho. And I don't count King Caesar as a Mammalian since he's more of a Golem

Also, I did read the match of Black Moth Vs. Maguma, and I must say you did an amazing job on that match.

[Gothicserpent]

Like, how much screentime does she actually get?

[Arbok]

Like, how much screentime does she actually get?

Well... you see the origin, i.e. on the operating table being created. If that counts, it adds a considerable chunk to the screentime.

If you mean after that part: I think you could describe her role to walking past Malik, roaring, flying up to a mountain... ignoring instructions and then flying down at the climax to attack the Black Shark sub. That's it. It's more screentime than Manda got in Atragon, but not nearly as memorable.

As for those talking about the name, we documented it here:

https://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/art_names.htm

In this case we actually asked Toho International and were given "Black Moth" as the preferred English name.

[Gothicserpent]

Like, how much screentime does she actually get?

Well... you see the origin, i.e. on the operating table being created. If that counts, it adds a considerable chunk to the screentime.

If you mean after that part: I think you could describe her role to walking past Malik, roaring, flying up to a mountain... ignoring instructions and then flying down at the climax to attack the Black Shark sub. That's it. It's more screentime than Manda got in Atragon, but not nearly as memorable.

As for those talking about the name, we documented it here:

https://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/art_names.htm

In this case we actually asked Toho International and were given "Black Moth" as the preferred English name.

Seems like a waste of a kaiju suit.