Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
- KaijuCanuck
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Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
To my knowledge, no Godzilla film, or for that matter any piece of Japanese media I’ve ever seen, has ever mentioned the Emperor. Does anybody know why? I guess it’s not something that’s immedietly relevant to much but you’d think it might come up once or twice in something. Maybe it’s a respect thing that is lingering from the era where the Emperor was thought to be a living god? But the modern institution is pretty identical to the British monarchy, and British media references the Queen all the time.
Before anyone comments, yes i know the eras are named after the Emperors. I’m talking about within the films themselves. For example, the Emperor lives right in the middle of Tokyo. Isn’t it odd that there’s never been a throwaway line about evacuating him?
Before anyone comments, yes i know the eras are named after the Emperors. I’m talking about within the films themselves. For example, the Emperor lives right in the middle of Tokyo. Isn’t it odd that there’s never been a throwaway line about evacuating him?
Last edited by KaijuCanuck on Fri Mar 09, 2018 10:46 am, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
The Imperial Palace was used to shelter civilians during the first episode of the GATE anime, for what that's worth...
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
I was actually just thinking about this the other day. I do find it odd that he's never been mentioned.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Emperor Hirohito, who reigned throughout World War II and about half the Godzilla franchise's history, would have been an awkward personage to bring up in a series that deals so much with the Japanese military, weapons of mass destruction, and Honda's globalist ideals.
Emperor Akihito is a nerd who doesn't embrace celebrity and lacks that kind of pop culture persona that grabs filmmakers' attention.
Emperor Akihito is a nerd who doesn't embrace celebrity and lacks that kind of pop culture persona that grabs filmmakers' attention.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Agreed, especially about Hirohito - there is still debate over how much power he truly had, but at the end if the day, it’s his signature on the orders to use poison gas, and we know that the Allies were willing to overlook war crimes if it suited them (hanging Hirohito would have reignited WWII in Japan). Leaving him out of Godzilla films was a smart decision in regards to Honda’s message.Ivo-goji wrote:Emperor Hirohito, who reigned throughout World War II and about half the Godzilla franchise's history, would have been an awkward personage to bring up in a series that deals so much with the Japanese military, weapons of mass destruction, and Honda's globalist ideals.
Emperor Akihito is a nerd who doesn't embrace celebrity and lacks that kind of pop culture persona that grabs filmmakers' attention.
I did find it strange, though, that no-one said anything about evacuating the Emperor in Shin Godzilla. That film deals a lot with politics and Japan’s national identity, yet it never even mentions the person who the constitution calls "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people”.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
It's taboo to represent any living emperors or emperors too close to current time in writing/media. It's a tradition/rule that's just stuck around for the last 1000 years.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Interesting. It makes sense - the Japanese do apparently hold their Emperors in great esteem.ShinGi wrote:It's taboo to represent any living emperors or emperors too close to current time in writing/media. It's a tradition/rule that's just stuck around for the last 1000 years.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
I remember reading that the only things off limits for being destroyed in any daikaiju film are shrines and the Emperor's palace.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
As far as I'm aware, Episode 1 of GATE is literally the only Japanese media I've encountered that even indirectly refers to the Emperor. As the others said, though, it's out of respect for the Imperial family and my understanding is that it's basically taboo.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Cause he hasn't had any real power since post WWII. As it is now, he's just a symbol now more than anything.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
That would make him easier to depict, not less; no fear of retribution for perceived disrespect. It doesn't answer the question at all.Living Corpse wrote:Cause he hasn't had any real power since post WWII. As it is now, he's just a symbol now more than anything.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
I assume that must extend to Buddhist temples and pagodas, too? I've always wanted to see a kaiju destroy a pagoda, but I figured they were spared out of respect. Really, you don't see Christian churches destroyed in action movies very often, either. I remember a cathedral being destroyed in the 2012 movie, but that's about it.mikelcho wrote:I remember reading that the only things off limits for being destroyed in any daikaiju film are shrines and the Emperor's palace.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Or you know, make him less relevant.Ivo-goji wrote:That would make him easier to depict, not less; no fear of retribution for perceived disrespect. It doesn't answer the question at all.Living Corpse wrote:Cause he hasn't had any real power since post WWII. As it is now, he's just a symbol now more than anything.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
The only major post-WW2 media info I've ever heard about Emperor Hirohito is that "Lambert the Sheepish Lion" was his favorite Disney short, and that he was given the original print of said short as a gift.
Last edited by Billzilla1974 on Sat Mar 10, 2018 7:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
The same is true of the British Royal Family, yet a royal wedding is a major television event, with millions of viewers.Living Corpse wrote:Or you know, make him less relevant.Ivo-goji wrote:That would make him easier to depict, not less; no fear of retribution for perceived disrespect. It doesn't answer the question at all.Living Corpse wrote:Cause he hasn't had any real power since post WWII. As it is now, he's just a symbol now more than anything.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Well, I think although the institutions are very similar (actually, Japan’s entire goeverent functions off of a very British model), the cultures are very different. Respect for authority is much stronger in japan than in the UK.Cybermat47 wrote:The same is true of the British Royal Family, yet a royal wedding is a major television event, with millions of viewers.Living Corpse wrote:Or you know, make him less relevant.Ivo-goji wrote: That would make him easier to depict, not less; no fear of retribution for perceived disrespect. It doesn't answer the question at all.
Although, to LCs point, let’s not forget the British royal family isn’t just for the UK. I don’t know what the experience is in Australia, but in Canada the monarchy is a topic rarely ever brought up by anybody, despite it being central (albeit ceremonially) to the function of government. The Queen is an ocean away so people just forget about her. I’ve never watched a Canadian tv show outside of the news where they brought up Elizabeth II in the context of being Queen of Canada. Not an identical situation to Japan, but still, maybe it’s not so unusual to not mention the Emperor.
Last edited by KaijuCanuck on Sat Mar 10, 2018 9:00 pm, edited 5 times in total.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
I'm guessing that it probably meant all shrines, regardless of what they are. I have to admit that it wasn't too specific, it just said shrines and that's it.JAGzilla wrote:I assume that must extend to Buddhist temples and pagodas, too? I've always wanted to see a kaiju destroy a pagoda, but I figured they were spared out of respect. Really, you don't see Christian churches destroyed in action movies very often, either. I remember a cathedral being destroyed in the 2012 movie, but that's about it.mikelcho wrote:I remember reading that the only things off limits for being destroyed in any daikaiju film are shrines and the Emperor's palace.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
It came up a couple of times on The Kids in the Hall.KaijuCanuck wrote:I’ve never watched a Canadian tv show outside of the news where they brought up Elizabeth II in the context of being Queen of Canada.
Last edited by eabaker on Mon Mar 12, 2018 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
Kaiju-wise, the Stay-puft Marshmallow Man steps on one...JAGzilla wrote:I assume that must extend to Buddhist temples and pagodas, too? I've always wanted to see a kaiju destroy a pagoda, but I figured they were spared out of respect. Really, you don't see Christian churches destroyed in action movies very often, either. I remember a cathedral being destroyed in the 2012 movie, but that's about it.mikelcho wrote:I remember reading that the only things off limits for being destroyed in any daikaiju film are shrines and the Emperor's palace.
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Re: Why is the Emperor never mentioned?
"I'll kill anything, but never a kid. Be like killin' a priest. Catholic priest, that is." - Cheyenne, Once Upon a Time in the WestZarm wrote:Kaiju-wise, the Stay-puft Marshmallow Man steps on one...JAGzilla wrote:I assume that must extend to Buddhist temples and pagodas, too? I've always wanted to see a kaiju destroy a pagoda, but I figured they were spared out of respect. Really, you don't see Christian churches destroyed in action movies very often, either. I remember a cathedral being destroyed in the 2012 movie, but that's about it.mikelcho wrote:I remember reading that the only things off limits for being destroyed in any daikaiju film are shrines and the Emperor's palace.
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