WHY DO YOU LIKE THE SHOWA MONSTERS YOU LIKE?

[DoctorMafune]

And out of the ashes of a fried mud-wrestling pit from another thread... the Ultimate Monster-Based Self-Analysis Thread.

WHY DO YOU LIKE THE SHOWA MONSTERS YOU LIKE?

Probably most of us can agree that there's no one reason... it's almost always going to be a combination of things.

And yes, a lot of the ideas that showed up in relation to individual monsters, on other threads, are relevant here... but this is a synthesis.

BY EXTENSION, WHY DO YOU DISLIKE THE SHOWA MONSTERS THAT YOU DISLIKE?

Here are a few ideas (and yes, some of these are stolen from the backs of old Marvel Legends action figure cards):

• COOL DESIGN, as in "Gigan kicks ass... one of the most visually striking monsters." "Can't stand King Caesar because he looks like a Foo Dog." (these are just samples, BTW... not necessarily my votes.)

• FEATURED IN GREAT MOVIES: For example, did MG get a boost because Godzilla vs. MechaGodzilla blew you away? Does Hedorah remind you of your girlfriend laughing through half of the movie?

• POWER LEVEL: e.g.,"I like monsters who can level a city in two hours... and I don't much like monsters that fall in the water after one blast of atomic breath." or "I like the underdogs that can come from behind and defeat the Big Bruisers."

• FIGHTING SKILLS

• WACKY / MAKES ME LAUGH - For those who like their kaiju with a big MST3K quotient

• CUTE

• I LIKE THE MONSTERS THAT MAKE GREAT TOYS

(Yeah, I know some of these are related to each other, but that's life...)

OR

• NAME YOUR OWN CRITERIA...

OR

• I don't know why I like that monster, he's just cool!

To accommodate the major differences in size, power, etc., this thread is about Showa monsters only... so if you want to compare Gorosaurus to Space Godzilla, please start another thread.

And the first one who uses language like "you need therapy" (my bad), "incredibly silly," "shallow" or "superficial" to describe someone else's post... BUYS THE BEER.

[King Caesar]

I've always had a thing for King Caesar...he's so damn different. Like, there's no other kaiju that has that much hair. Cuz you know, I like my monsters like I my ladies: hairy. Actually, I love his origins around the actual Shisa. I thought that was a neat twist. Plus his fighting style is very ferocious (he managed to actually perform a take-down technique on Mechagodzilla that frickin rocked). His Mill. version is what made me love him though. That's a different story though, so I'll end it with that.

[Rody]

No offense, but I highly dislike the FW Caesar; it doesn't do him justice.

On the subject of power level...once upon a time, as I was introduced to the Heisei films, I loved monsters that were big & flashy & super-powered. Now, however, I've become very fond of "mediocre"-strengthed monsters.
Why?
It largely revolves around Godzilla - the 'King of the Monsters'. To me, a title like that has to be earned. To earn it, of course, you have to be the biggest & strongest monster around. In the Showa series, this is basically true of Godzilla. There are plenty of kaiju that put up a good fight, and may rival Godzilla in strength(e.g. Anguirus, Kumonga, Ebirah, etc.), but in the end Godzilla still outmatches them. We also have a few weaker monsters(e.g. Kamacuras, Giant Condor) which are clearly outclassed, and a few - a few - monsters that are more powerful than Godzilla. This is a really good balance in my opinion, and is extremely lacking in the Heisei series.

[Tyler]

I like them for their simplicity.

[King Caesar]

No offense, but I highly dislike the FW Caesar; it doesn't do him justice.

Really? Wow, I feel the total opposite. The Showa KC is just a monster with fur stapled on his sides and stuff. The picture that is always circulating on the Internet of him is the one time that he looks really sharp.

[Cimmerian Dragon]

I'm not a huge KC fan either way, but I infinitely prefer his Showa look to the FW look. I prefer the red eyes and scruffy hide, it makes him look more animalistic, less (cartoon) humanoid.

[therealmccoy]

I'm not a huge KC fan either way, but I infinitely prefer his Showa look to the FW look. I prefer the red eyes and scruffy hide, it makes him look more animalistic, less (cartoon) humanoid.

Plus, they ditched the coolness of the reflective eye. That was a cool addition to Showa KC.

[edgaguirus]

The main aspect is design. Anguirus looks great, as does Titanosaurus.The second is portrayal. Anguirus is a bulldog that doesn't give up, and attacks with a ferocious spirit. Gigan has a sadistic streak that shows duing his rampage in G vs G.

[TitanoGoji16]

The picture that is always circulating on the Internet of him is the one time that he looks really sharp.

This one?

Plus, they ditched the coolness of the reflective eye. That was a cool addition to Showa KC.

To be fair, it's not like he really had a chance to reflect anything in Final Wars.

[King Caesar]

Yepp that's the one. That is his best photo from GvMG IMO.

[therealmccoy]

Plus, they ditched the coolness of the reflective eye. That was a cool addition to Showa KC.

To be fair, it's not like he really had a chance to reflect anything in Final Wars.

Yeah, I know; that wasn't really a fair statement. I still prefer the Showa version.

[Ethan]

I LIKE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY AWESOME!!!

[therealmccoy]

I LIKE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY AWESOME!!!

That's the best response on the page yet.

[Ookondru99]

I LIKE THE GIANT CONDOR BECAUSE OF HIS AWESOME POWER LEVEL!!!!!!!!!!

[therealmccoy]

I LIKE THE GIANT CONDOR BECAUSE OF HIS AWESOME POWER LEVEL!!!!!!!!!!

The second best.

To contribute here, I've always been partial to the early, close quarters combat and tooth and claw monsters. I like watching battles with minimal beams, though there are a few exceptions, and there are some later monsters I like due to their designs or different...whatever they have. I just always thought the Millennium, and to a lesser extent, the Heisei monsters kind of felt like cardboard, unoriginal ideas. Besides Biollante and Battra, none of the other Heisei monsters really awed me. Mothra, Rodan, Moguera, and Mechagodzilla had been done before, and for Spacegodzilla they reused an origin that was so pure at it's first appearance (Biollante stemming from G-cells) that it had no impact on me whatsoever. Destoroyah used the oxygen-destroyer, which was marginally more interesting, but still lifted from another amazing and pure original idea. So the Showa monsters were original, I guess would be my reason.

And also what Ethan and Ookondru said: THEY ARE AWESOME!!!!

[Rody]

While I agree on the "awesome" factor stated, you have to remember that the term really depends on your perspective.

[Ookondru99]

I stated power level....
In all seriousness, I tend to lean towards kaiju that are under-appreciated. Like the Giant Condor or Gorosaurus. Some kaiju I still hate despite them not being popular, like Minya. If people like powerful monsters, chances are they will be liking things from the Heisei series. I like T&C monsters, especially ones like Ookondru or Oodako that could be defeated by the military. Don't get me wrong, some monsters I like have large fanbases (Destroyah, Battra, Kiryu) but there's something about the Showa monsters that stands out. Not nearly as flashy, but these were Godzilla's first enemies, it goes to show he sttarted from humble beginnings.

[edgaguirus]

They are awesome.

I think nostalgia plays a part in this too. when you're young, seeing three headed monsters spamming gravity beams, monster wings cause hurricane winds, and general rough and tumble combat make a mark on your mind.

[HayesAJones]

Design and personality. Take Anguirus. He's got a basic design, but it works really well. And his never-say-die attitude really pulls his character together. He's simple, he's crude, but his tenacity is nothing to laugh at.

[VamprisArachne]

I've always liked Gorosaurus to be honest, simple design and who doesn't love dinosaurs, plus i agree with everyone else about tooth and claw it makes things far more intense.