Gojira's Status

[JVM]

Should Gojira really count as part of the Showa series? It's true, it was made in the Showa eiga, but it also has connections to all Godzilla films in some way - it's canon entirely to the Showa and Heisei series, and all of the Millennium films, according to Toho, keep it canon, and aside G2K, all of them at the very least, reference Godzilla as first appearing in 1954.

[Ghost the Bat]

Yes because the Showa timeline is not just the name of a Godzilla movie series, but it is a specific film time period, in this case, the 1930's to 1970's.

[HayesAJones]

It was made in the Showa Era, so yes. Simple as that.

[Tyler]

I've always seen it as a Showa film, because it is.

[Arrow]

Yes because the Showa timeline is not just the name of a Godzilla movie series, but it is a specific film time period, in this case, the 1930's to 1970's.

*1980s, actually.

But yes, I agree with everything said here. Godzilla is a Showa film and it doesn't stop being one just because other Godzilla films use it for reference. Does the fact that it's referenced in Tokyo S.O.S. make Mothra any less of a Showa film?

[JVM]

^ Point.

But if this is the case, why isn't The Return of Godzilla a Showa film? It was made in the Showa era.

[Ghost the Bat]

Because the Heisei series ran from the 1980's until 1998?

And thus the millennium series start after. I know the actual Japanese Showa era ended in 1989, but the Godzilla series "Eras" are just based on the films series. Gojira - Terror of Mechagodzilla is the Showa. Return of Godzilla is a different Era/series because its a rebirth and start of a new Godzilla series, same as Godzilla 2000 is to the Millennium series. I believe all the non Godzilla films made by Toho was just sorted by the fandom in a similar way by to make things easier understand/find.

[ZigraDude]

It was made in the Showa era and is connected to the other Showa films as well, therefore, it's a Showa film. Just because it's connected to the Heisei and Millennium films doesn't make it a Heisei or Millennium film, it's just part of the continuity. Is it really this complicated to grasp?

[Hedorah]

Actually Godzilla vs. Megaguirus completely erases Gojira, the Godzilla in GxM is supposedly the same Godzilla.

[edgaguirus]

Gojira is a Showa movie. In GRA the pilots recognize Godzilla, and how would they do that if not for Gojira? They'd have had to seen Godzilla before, and that was in Gojira.

[Guardian7]

Gojira is as much SHOWA...
as Biollante is HEISEI...
as Ogra is MEL!

GOJIRA started in the SHOWA... everything afterwords is just using the base SHOWA storyline as a template.

Easy as pie!!!

G7

[TokyoVigilante]

Each era "ends" when Toho calls it quits until they restart it. Starting a new era once they pick things back up again.

[JVM]

It's not a hard concept to grasp, I'm allowed to ask questions aren't I? Half the reason I'm asking the question is for the sake of seeing what kind of answers come up, more so than because I want an answer. And also because I feel it's specific inclusion comes up awful odd in questions involving the best/worst aspects of the Showa series, such as the 'Best Showa Movie' topic, where everyone has cited Gojira.

And the fact it's made in the Showa era is an irrelevant one as far as I see, because the first Heisei film was made in the 'Showa era' as far as actual Japanese history goes, and as far as I know, Toho's never used the terms 'Showa series', 'Heisei series', 'Millennium/Shinsei series' although I could be wrong.

Each era "ends" when Toho calls it quits until they restart it. Starting a new era once they pick things back up again.

So far this is the only post that I feel gives a decent reason.

[Arrow]

I'm not sure what your problem is. Almost anyone who knows seems to accept The Return of Godzilla as "technically" a Showa movie. That's become common knowledge in the Godzilla fandom. Although we refer to it as a Heisei movie due to the fact that it kicks off the Heisei era, we all know it's part of the Showa era. Godzilla is still a Showa movie.