SH Monsterarts!

[RedZillaKing]

What's not to love about Final Wars designs anyway? The FW kaiju suits are as mobile as Showa suits and as beautiful as Heisei suits. Can someone give me a good, unbiased explanation as to why the FW incarnations of Manda, King Seesar, Ebirah, Hedorah, Kamacuras, Anguirus, and Rodan aren't perfectly good updates of the Showa beasts?

Pete you continue to be one of the more rational posters around. I agree that the monster shouldn't be judged by the movie it's in.

[Legion1979]

What's not to love about Final Wars designs anyway? The FW kaiju suits are as mobile as Showa suits and as beautiful as Heisei suits. Can someone give me a good, unbiased explanation as to why the FW incarnations of Manda, King Seesar, Ebirah, Hedorah, Kamacuras, Anguirus, and Rodan aren't perfectly good updates of the Showa beasts?

I could do it. But I'd be typing for a really long time.

[RedZillaKing]

I said unbiased. You are about as much of a millennium/heisei hater as I can think of. I'd still say go for it though. Maybe there would be some nuggets of true wisdom in there.

[Rody]

I don't dislike Monster X, but he isn't high on my favorites list. My guess is that many Japanese didn't care for him either.

What's not to love about Final Wars designs anyway? The FW kaiju suits are as mobile as Showa suits and as beautiful as Heisei suits. Can someone give me a good, unbiased explanation as to why the FW incarnations of Manda, King Seesar, Ebirah, Hedorah, Kamacuras, Anguirus, and Rodan aren't perfectly good updates of the Showa beasts?

I think it largely comes down to personal preference. I like these versions of Rodan, Anguirus, Kumonga & Ebirah, but I don't think I'd put them above the original versions (well, maybe Ebirah). Hedorah & Kamacuras are okay, but I don't think they're an improvement. King Caesar just looks "off" to me.
Manda is the only kaiju in the film whom I would definitely consider to be superior to its previous incarnations. However, I'll state again that this is only my opinion.

[PopInPicsPresents]

What's not to love about Final Wars designs anyway? The FW kaiju suits are as mobile as Showa suits and as beautiful as Heisei suits. Can someone give me a good, unbiased explanation as to why the FW incarnations of Manda, King Seesar, Ebirah, Hedorah, Kamacuras, Anguirus, and Rodan aren't perfectly good updates of the Showa beasts?

Manda -
Looks pretty good, overall I like the redesign. Too bad he doesn't have his original roar.

King Caesar -
It looks uglier then the Showa version. How they did that is beyond me.

Ebirah -
I like what they did with Ebirah.

Hedorah -
Hedorah looks like a more mobile version of the original suit, I like it.

Kamacuras -
Ehhh, why the hell is it green? That's my only gripe. It should have stayed red like the original.

Anguirus -
God I HATE his face. His muzzle is much to short and skinny. It's head just looks ugly as hell. The original looks much, much better. The only improvement is the body.

Rodan -
I never liked this redesign. It looks too much like an eagle. It should look more like the original.

[Goodzilla]

I was 15 when I first saw FW, and at the time i didn't think it was that bad, I was just happy to have another Godzilla film. I now realize how horrible the story was, but I still think most of the updated suits look better than the originals, except for Rodan, Anguirus, and King Ghidorah. I think most of us can agree that Kaiser King Ghidorah is best forgotten. Anyways, I think Bandai is more likley to make a Showa version of a kaiju over a FW version simply because the Showa versions would sell better than the FW versions.

[Kaiju-King42]

Kamacuras -
Ehhh, why the hell is it green? That's my only gripe. It should have stayed red like the original.

Green? Red? I see both versions as brown, lol!

[ZillaMaster91]

I was 15 when I first saw FW, and at the time i didn't think it was that bad, I was just happy to have another Godzilla film. I now realize how horrible the story was, but I still think most of the updated suits look better than the originals, except for Rodan, Anguirus, and King Ghidorah. I think most of us can agree that Kaiser King Ghidorah is best forgotten. Anyways, I think Bandai is more likley to make a Showa version of a kaiju over a FW version simply because the Showa versions would sell better than the FW versions.

Same here man.

But I was still upset how the film turned out. While I did enjoy the battles, the movie was a snorefest for the first hour. But the designs were not that bad. Gigan is my favorite of all the redesigns. Rodan for me reminded me of someone flapping around a cape in a Batman costume (...I don't know why!), and while I liked the body design Anguirus, it's that hedgehog head that bothers me. The updated designs for Kumonga, Ebirah, Kamacuras, and Hedorah were good enough. King Caesar, though was just horrendous and I really never understood his inclusion in the film due to him being an ancient guardian and all.

If we are to see MonsterArt Figures from GFW, I'd expect that they would release Godzilla, Gigan, and Monster X since they were 'in a way' the more mainly focussed kaiju. I don't expect a figure of Keizer Ghidorah, but who knows. Honestly I could live without one.

[Legion1979]

Manda is the only kaiju in the film whom I would definitely consider to be superior to its previous incarnations. However, I'll state again that this is only my opinion.

Don't know if I'd go as far as saying it's superior, but there's nothing wrong with it at all. Nothing about the FW Manda really bothers me.

When I look at the original Angilas - or to be more exact the '60s version that is generally accepted as a more iconic design than the '55 version - what jumps out at me most are the fangs and the large nose horn. Those, to me, give Angilas his personality. On top of that, the later Showa Angilas was given a lot of screen time (and a major role as Godzilla's sidekick) to define itself as a scrappy, loyal underdog and over the years has won many fans (primarily in the US) because of that. What does the FW version have to offer? The defining facial characteristics are scaled back to next-to-nothing. I remember when me and several other fans saw the suit design for the first time. Our first reaction? Where are the fangs? Where's the horn? It gets the basics right, but doesn't capture the personality. Additionally, aside from bouncing around like a basketball and getting easily defeated like a bitch by Godzilla, what does this new Angilas really do to make itself better than the Showa version? I don't understand the love this version gets when it's such an underdeveloped character.

Regarding Rodan: I'm sorry but you're just not going to do better than the 1956 original. That easily remains the best design for this character. Very wicked and powerful-looking. Yes, the '60s version isn't a model of terrific design but at least it gets three films to define it's character, show it's power and give it's all against King Ghidora. What do I get out of the GFW version of Rodan? Absolutely nothing. I think there are maybe two to three individual shots of the full-body suit and other than that it flies around a bit, get a criminally short amount of screen time and (again) is defeated like a bitch at Godzilla's hands. I don't care how much you try to spin it that it's meant to show how powerful this Godzilla is, defeating Rodan in such a short, easy way is insulting. Swear to God, I'll gladly take the 1993 Rodan over this one. At least it gives Godzilla a good, physical fight, is integral to the plot and get's a touchingly noble death scene.

The original King Sesar was never going to win a prize for the best design. It always did look kind of derpy. But instead of trying to improve the look of the character and actually try to make it look cool, the GFW version goes further in the opposite direction. What's with those braindead eyes? The skinny suit over-accentuates the form of the actor inside. It just ends up looking ridiculous. And again, very little screen time and an easy defeat. Why should I respect these new versions of classic Toho monsters when the filmmakers obviously don't?

The original Kamakiras props were nothing amazing as far as design goes. But they still have that kind of out-of-whack look to them with the gigantic eyes and creepy mouths that really makes them appealing. And they're really manipulated well considering they're just big marionettes. They come alive in a way that really makes you appreciate the wire works and efforts from the people involved in bringing them to life. Sure, they're no match for Godzilla but they bring a sense of urgency to the human drama as they crawl around, half hidden behind palms, waiting to attack. They make good menaces for Minya as well. They, along with everything else in that movie, are incredibly underrated. And then...you have...the GFW version. Is the design terrible? Well...no. But the prop version is incredibly stiff, cheap and plastic looking. And should it be able to give Godzilla a good fight? No, considering the originals didn't either. But like everything else in the movie, it's only there long enough for the audience to recognize what it is and then it's killed. Yawn.

Hedora is a f@cking joke. Everything about it. The design. How it's utilized. The amount of screen time. I heard it barely appears because of how crappy everyone making the film thought the suit looked. Yes, Hedora is a big walking pile of shit. But at least the original had some restraint to the design, and came across as an incredibly powerful, scary menace that Godzilla couldn't handle alone, giving him one of his toughest fights. The GFW version is a cartoony disaster that that less than ten seconds of screen time and is blown away by one (or is it two, does it matter?) atomic blast. That's insulting.

Ebirah is fine. Kamakiras is fine. Minya is fine. The walking Gwar nightmare that is the GFW Gigan is far below the original, but since he hasn't come up I won't bother going into detail.

[Primevalgodzilla V2]

My beef with the GFW monsters is how cheap they look. And the fact there's nothing to like about them. Each of them has like what, 2 minutes of screentime, and you never really care about them or 'know them'. I'd much rather have kaiju that we can have investment in, and we care about.

[Legion1979]

My beef with the GFW monsters is how cheap they look. And the fact there's nothing to like about them. Each of them has like what, 2 minutes of screentime, and you never really care about them or 'know them'. I'd much rather have kaiju that we can have investment in, and we care about.

Yeah, that too. Good assessment. Why should I care about monsters that the people making the movie couldn't give two shits about?

[RedZillaKing]

Cheap looking? Yikes. Man do I disagree with that (for the most part). Sure there are the Keizer Ghidorah issues but for the most part the suits are beautifully designed.

A lot of the flaws I'm reading here have more to do with the film's faults than with the designs/movements of the kaiju themselves.

Rodan is okay, but I think PiPP nailed when he said it looked like an eagle (Glen the eagle). I love what they did with Anguirus. LOVE it. His croc jaws were blunted and he took on a more ankylosaurian appearance. For me the defining features were the crown of spijes and the shell... Both of which were well done IMO. And the extra armor alongside the subtle clb at the end of his tail make him look like a goddamned tank. Seesar always looked like garbage. Kamacuras, Ebirah, and Manda were all a step forward IMO. Kumonga was creepier in his Showa incarnation.

Hate the movie, not the kaiju. While not all of the FW designs were improvements, there are some real gems in there.

[Goodzilla]

^ Ya FW Anguirus don't play! To bad he was portrayed as a giant soccer ball in the movie

[Godzilla 2000]

When I look at the original Angilas - or to be more exact the '60s version that is generally accepted as a more iconic design than the '55 version - what jumps out at me most are the fangs and the large nose horn. Those, to me, give Angilas his personality. On top of that, the later Showa Angilas was given a lot of screen time (and a major role as Godzilla's sidekick) to define itself as a scrappy, loyal underdog and over the years has won many fans (primarily in the US) because of that. What does the FW version have to offer? The defining facial characteristics are scaled back to next-to-nothing. I remember when me and several other fans saw the suit design for the first time. Our first reaction? Where are the fangs? Where's the horn? It gets the basics right, but doesn't capture the personality. Additionally, aside from bouncing around like a basketball and getting easily defeated like a bitch by Godzilla, what does this new Angilas really do to make itself better than the Showa version? I don't understand the love this version gets when it's such an underdeveloped character.

It's appeal is simply that it's a modern day Anguirus.

Showa Angy was cute.
This Anguirus is built like a tank. He looks and sounds tough.

I cant argue his portayal, because its true, but I thought we were discussing the suit's design. And in that regard, yeah, I like Showa Angy better. But I still think FW Anguirus looks cool. He just didnt have the Anguirus "spirit."

http://youtu.be/Zcn3Mrzi2VE?t=1m24s

If we got something like this in GFW, I think people would be more comfortable with this design.

Regarding Rodan: I'm sorry but you're just not going to do better than the 1956 original. That easily remains the best design for this character. Very wicked and powerful-looking. Yes, the '60s version isn't a model of terrific design but at least it gets three films to define it's character, show it's power and give it's all against King Ghidora. What do I get out of the GFW version of Rodan? Absolutely nothing. I think there are maybe two to three individual shots of the full-body suit and other than that it flies around a bit, get a criminally short amount of screen time and (again) is defeated like a bitch at Godzilla's hands. I don't care how much you try to spin it that it's meant to show how powerful this Godzilla is, defeating Rodan in such a short, easy way is insulting. Swear to God, I'll gladly take the 1993 Rodan over this one. At least it gives Godzilla a good, physical fight, is integral to the plot and get's a touchingly noble death scene.

See, this is more about what the character did, not the design of suit itself.

The only thing that kinda bothers me about FW Rodan is the red color. Fix that and hey, you've got a kickass modern Rodan.



Ok, maybe not. But my photoshop skills arent anything special anyway. Just an example.

The original King Sesar was never going to win a prize for the best design. It always did look kind of derpy. But instead of trying to improve the look of the character and actually try to make it look cool, the GFW version goes further in the opposite direction. What's with those braindead eyes? The skinny suit over-accentuates the form of the actor inside. It just ends up looking ridiculous.

How does it look ridiculous exactly?

IMO, it looks better than the original, save the eyes.

The original Kamakiras props were nothing amazing as far as design goes. But they still have that kind of out-of-whack look to them with the gigantic eyes and creepy mouths that really makes them appealing. And they're really manipulated well considering they're just big marionettes. They come alive in a way that really makes you appreciate the wire works and efforts from the people involved in bringing them to life. Sure, they're no match for Godzilla but they bring a sense of urgency to the human drama as they crawl around, half hidden behind palms, waiting to attack. They make good menaces for Minya as well. They, along with everything else in that movie, are incredibly underrated. And then...you have...the GFW version. Is the design terrible? Well...no. But the prop version is incredibly stiff, cheap and plastic looking. And should it be able to give Godzilla a good fight? No, considering the originals didn't either. But like everything else in the movie, it's only there long enough for the audience to recognize what it is and then it's killed. Yawn.

Again, more about the design itself would be nice.

Hedora is a f@cking joke. Everything about it. The design. How it's utilized. The amount of screen time. I heard it barely appears because of how crappy everyone making the film thought the suit looked. Yes, Hedora is a big walking pile of shit. But at least the original had some restraint to the design, and came across as an incredibly powerful, scary menace that Godzilla couldn't handle alone, giving him one of his toughest fights. The GFW version is a cartoony disaster that that less than ten seconds of screen time and is blown away by one (or is it two, does it matter?) atomic blast. That's insulting.

See above.

I think Hedorah looks fine.

[SuperSaiyan4Godzilla]

Yes, Frank. All of that. I support all of what you said.

[RedZillaKing]

^ Assuming Frank is G2K: seconded. And I forgot Hedorah. A marked improvement IMO.

[GreenAiden555]

I see all the text and the only thing I'm reading is

My opinion is right, yours is wrong, if they make a figure, it WILL be this, because I think this looks better, and what you think is wrong

And to be quite honest.. Some of the "charms" of the Showa era turn me off, so....

In regards to the current discussion, I want:

Hedorah (Showa)
Anguirus (FW (how many figures of FW Angurius are there? Now how many Showa? Exactly.))
Don't care either way with Rodan, might get Fire Rodan (best incarnation, I believe, because the design is good. Very pleasing on the eyes to me)
Kamacuras (FW (Showa looks waaaaaaay too goofy for my tastes, but what thy did with the marionette was great... At the time))
Eh, no Kumonga. I don't think it would work too well. If they do, I just want blue eyes on it.
Kin Caesar is.... Well... If we can get a mix of Showa and FW, yippee kiya- Wait, no. Just a mixture.
Gigan (FW ( I really do like the upgrade he got, and I don't need another Showa articulated Gigan)
Ebirah.... Eh, Showa and FW are both awesome, either or would tickle my fancy.

In regards to the list of what I'd like a few pages back, I gotta add Goji 54, 84, and a 55 would be nice.

[godzilla898]

Personally I'm just waiting for Battra.

[dustman]

all i want is an s.h. monsterarts super-articulated figure of the godzilla tower from godzilla vs. gigan with eye lazer effects! yeah.

[Patrick Alan]

Actually a Biollante would be impresive

A Manda might be kind of cool

I would love to see a super articulated Showa King Caesar

Yeah, I agree, Battra might be cool....