Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

For the discussion of Shin Godzilla, Godzilla -1.0, the anime trilogy, Godzilla Singular Point and Toho produced and distributed films after 2015. Includes US movies financed by Toho like Detective Pikachu.
Post Reply
User avatar
Mac Daddy MM
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5046
Joined: Thu Jan 05, 2017 5:27 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Mac Daddy MM »

Can't believe I never posted in this...

- Godzilla Earth rocks that spike beard. This is the only design aspect I'd welcome back if done right on future designs.
- The idea of a Lovecraftian Ghidorah worshipped by a cult is a great twist. Just shame it wasn't actually executed well.
- Nanometal MG is also a great idea, if not old and dating back to the 1990's. Shame we still didn't see a proper MG rebuild itself out of it.


Quote of the Year:
plasmabeam wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2023 3:03 am Hear me out on this. What if Godzilla is actually Suko’s father? In GvK when Godzilla defeated Kong and they were roaring at each other, what if Godzilla inseminated Kong at that moment and that’s why they were screaming?

Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15867
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Legion1979 »

....people got more toys to buy?

User avatar
godjacob
Futurian
Posts: 3439
Joined: Mon Mar 12, 2018 6:16 am

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by godjacob »

Voice actors are pretty solid all around for these films. I dislike Haruo the character but both his original and English voice actor give commendable vocal performances to name the most striking example.
Image

User avatar
Omegamorph
Interpol Agent
Posts: 561
Joined: Thu Aug 18, 2016 6:20 am
Contact:

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Omegamorph »

Ghidrah looked amazing and I want a live-action Japanese movie with that design (or a similar one - as long as it's every bit as alien)
Platypus Prime wrote: Thu Mar 04, 2021 1:21 pm I realized today that thanks to a few animations and manga she's appeared in, Biollante is an anime girl.
miguelnuva wrote: Sun Mar 10, 2024 5:47 pm With this being an Oscar for best visual effects you can also joke and say Godzilla really did win the oscar.

User avatar
kaijukurt
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2053
Joined: Mon Sep 20, 2010 5:04 am
Location: Philippines

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by kaijukurt »

This was originally a Reddit post of mine, but just wanted to share my thoughts over here as well on what I liked about the trilogy:

- A hard sci-fi reimagining of the Godzilla universe: sci-fi elements have always been present in the franchise, so I really appreciate the futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting.

- Haruo’s character: Haruo starts off like a lot of other vengeful, Godzilla-hating franchise protagonists but becomes a very interesting character by the trilogy’s end. I found his dilemma in the 2nd film’s climax to destroy Godzilla or allow the Bilusaludo tech to win to be a great character moment.

- The alien races: I found the Bilusaludo and the Exif to be refreshing takes on Toho’s classic aliens, given their unique philosophies and interactions with the human cast/race and their goals weren’t just “take over the Earth.”

- The monsters: Godzilla as a force of nature has always been a recurring theme, along with some mentions here and there of Godzilla being akin to a god, but I liked the concept of Godzilla Earth as the single most important organism on the planet. From a design standpoint, his lumbering, monolith-like form gave a presence of power. Even if the character himself didn’t get a lot of screen time, he was peppered throughout the films & takes center stage during their climaxes. Add to the fact that hes a constant topic of the films’ dialogue, and his presence is felt throughout the movies.
While I would’ve enjoyed seeing the bipedal MechaGodzilla design in action, I liked the idea of a nanotech A.I. city slowly reclaiming the environment, a nice artificial contrast to Godzilla Earth influencing the planet’s ecosystem.
Ghidorah as an extra dimensional entity felt like a natural evolution of the character in the universe, plus his entrance scene was eerily well-done.

- The themes: I really appreciated the trilogy’s perspectives on the classic man vs nature theme and how our societies/cultures are deeply linked to the monsters we fear or worship, like a “You reap what you sow” theme. I found Godzilla, MechaGodzilla, Ghidorah, and Mothra to be compelling counterparts to the actions/philosophies of their linked humanoid races. (Godzilla & humanity: human’s abuse of technology vs nature, MG & the Bilusaludo: embracing technology to the point of overtaking one’s humanity, Ghidorah & the Exif: nihilism & entropy, Mothra & the Houtua: coexistence/harmony with nature).

As I myself live in a society where even academics are still strongly superstitious and believe in folkloric spirits, I love it when the franchise taps into the cultural aspect of giant monsters.

I think the trilogy being, IMO, unfairly compared to the prequel novels (with the fan-favorite concept of global rampages), the expectations for kaiju fights in shonen style to "make use" of the medium (I wouldve enjoyed dynamic battles also, but the medium of anime is more than that), the lack of a traditional Mechagodzilla & Ghidorah (while not a 1:1 comparison, the fact that some fans dislike GMK Ghidorah for simply being a good guy reminds me of how some fans really prefer traditional takes on characters), put the trilogy in a tight corner to begin with for some of the fandom.

Looking back, I appreciate the trilogy reimagining different aspects and themes of the franchise, even if the execution wasn’t perfect. This ties back to my concern that a lot of Godzilla media is simply content with rehashing decades-old monsters, tropes, and story elements. Experimentation such as role reversals (Godzilla, MechaG, Ghidorah being good/bad over the years), stronger directorial voices even if they upset studio executives (Godzilla vs Hedorah), etc. may be divisive but I think they contribute to the diversity and growth of the franchise in the long run.

Overall, I really like the Polygon trilogy and I hope that as the years pass, the appreciation for it will grow.
Last edited by kaijukurt on Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:39 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Formerly known as kurtzilla

User avatar
Follinollante
Interpol Agent
Posts: 487
Joined: Sat Apr 29, 2023 3:49 am
Location: My own little world

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Follinollante »

I just watched PotM last night, so suddenly seeing this thread is awfully convenient. I thought the movie overall was tolerable; I didn't dislike it. The high point was easily the Godzilla fight sequences. His atomic beam is probably one of the coolest renditions of that power. His powers in general are pretty cool and fun to watch.

User avatar
G.H.B
Interpol Agent
Posts: 446
Joined: Fri Jul 28, 2023 11:00 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by G.H.B »

Planet Eater was unironically fantastic and legitimately one of the most dread inducing and sinister stories in the franchise.


Legion1979
Justiriser
Posts: 15867
Joined: Fri Jul 23, 2010 7:45 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Legion1979 »

Other people like them. That's something positive, right?

User avatar
Gojira18
EDF Instructor
Posts: 2228
Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2016 3:00 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Gojira18 »

Legion1979 wrote: Sun Jul 30, 2023 11:28 am Other people like them. That's something positive, right?
All 12 of them?

In all seriousness, the concepts themselves are brilliant, poorly done as they are. That and POTM's ending with G Earth's reveal was genuinely pretty cool
Image

User avatar
LSD Jellyfish
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 14263
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 11:57 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by LSD Jellyfish »

kaijukurt wrote: Tue Jul 25, 2023 8:38 pm This was originally a Reddit post of mine, but just wanted to share my thoughts over here as well on what I liked about the trilogy:

- A hard sci-fi reimagining of the Godzilla universe: sci-fi elements have always been present in the franchise, so I really appreciate the futuristic, post-apocalyptic setting.

- Haruo’s character: Haruo starts off like a lot of other vengeful, Godzilla-hating franchise protagonists but becomes a very interesting character by the trilogy’s end. I found his dilemma in the 2nd film’s climax to destroy Godzilla or allow the Bilusaludo tech to win to be a great character moment.

- The alien races: I found the Bilusaludo and the Exif to be refreshing takes on Toho’s classic aliens, given their unique philosophies and interactions with the human cast/race and their goals weren’t just “take over the Earth.”

- The monsters: Godzilla as a force of nature has always been a recurring theme, along with some mentions here and there of Godzilla being akin to a god, but I liked the concept of Godzilla Earth as the single most important organism on the planet. From a design standpoint, his lumbering, monolith-like form gave a presence of power. Even if the character himself didn’t get a lot of screen time, he was peppered throughout the films & takes center stage during their climaxes. Add to the fact that hes a constant topic of the films’ dialogue, and his presence is felt throughout the movies.
While I would’ve enjoyed seeing the bipedal MechaGodzilla design in action, I liked the idea of a nanotech A.I. city slowly reclaiming the environment, a nice artificial contrast to Godzilla Earth influencing the planet’s ecosystem.
Ghidorah as an extra dimensional entity felt like a natural evolution of the character in the universe, plus his entrance scene was eerily well-done.

- The themes: I really appreciated the trilogy’s perspectives on the classic man vs nature theme and how our societies/cultures are deeply linked to the monsters we fear or worship, like a “You reap what you sow” theme. I found Godzilla, MechaGodzilla, Ghidorah, and Mothra to be compelling counterparts to the actions/philosophies of their linked humanoid races. (Godzilla & humanity: human’s abuse of technology vs nature, MG & the Bilusaludo: embracing technology to the point of overtaking one’s humanity, Ghidorah & the Exif: nihilism & entropy, Mothra & the Houtua: coexistence/harmony with nature).

As I myself live in a society where even academics are still strongly superstitious and believe in folkloric spirits, I love it when the franchise taps into the cultural aspect of giant monsters.

I think the trilogy being, IMO, unfairly compared to the prequel novels (with the fan-favorite concept of global rampages), the expectations for kaiju fights in shonen style to "make use" of the medium (I wouldve enjoyed dynamic battles also, but the medium of anime is more than that), the lack of a traditional Mechagodzilla & Ghidorah (while not a 1:1 comparison, the fact that some fans dislike GMK Ghidorah for simply being a good guy reminds me of how some fans really prefer traditional takes on characters), put the trilogy in a tight corner to begin with for some of the fandom.

Looking back, I appreciate the trilogy reimagining different aspects and themes of the franchise, even if the execution wasn’t perfect. This ties back to my concern that a lot of Godzilla media is simply content with rehashing decades-old monsters, tropes, and story elements. Experimentation such as role reversals (Godzilla, MechaG, Ghidorah being good/bad over the years), stronger directorial voices even if they upset studio executives (Godzilla vs Hedorah), etc. may be divisive but I think they contribute to the diversity and growth of the franchise in the long run.

Overall, I really like the Polygon trilogy and I hope that as the years pass, the appreciation for it will grow.
Your entire post here is entirely why I can't dismiss or hate on the anime trilogy. I do like a lot of the concepts you list here. I think you hit a lot of nails on the head that there appears to be very purposeful decisions that pay off thematically, like the fact that MG is a foil to Godzilla in that it's also some rapidly growing and powerful metal organism that might take over the earth.

However, it annoys me that people interpret "do not hate/appreciate some aspects" as "Oh you think this is the best/you love it?". It's my personality in general, but I don't see the point of endlessly dragging on something after a certain point, and I also never want media to be put in a corner where you're labeled "crazy" or "joking" for just talking about what kinds of things you like.
Spirit Ghidorah 2010 wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 4:54 pm Anno-san pleasures me more than Yamasaki-san.

User avatar
ShinGojira14
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5340
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:08 pm
Location: Under the Wild Montana Skies

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by ShinGojira14 »

LSD Jellyfish wrote: Sun Jul 30, 2023 6:10 pmHowever, it annoys me that people interpret "do not hate/appreciate some aspects" as "Oh you think this is the best/you love it?". It's my personality in general, but I don't see the point of endlessly dragging on something after a certain point, and I also never want media to be put in a corner where you're labeled "crazy" or "joking" for just talking about what kinds of things you like.
Definitely one of if not the most annoying aspect of some people in fandoms—one that swings both ways. Some people will perceive you as something you aren't for just the slightest little things you say.
"William Knifeman! AH! AH! AH!"

Resized ImageResized Image

User avatar
CamtheGodzillafan
E.S.P.Spy
Posts: 4063
Joined: Tue May 31, 2022 7:16 am
Location: Riding on the back of a sky shark
Contact:

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by CamtheGodzillafan »

I'm glad Polygon animated the trilogy, because if it weren't for them, we might not have gotten the Gamera crossover in Battle Line
Image

User avatar
Angilasman
G-Grasper
Posts: 1443
Joined: Fri Mar 13, 2020 3:12 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by Angilasman »

There's a lot of positive things to say: it's full of interesting ideas and themes. It's the execution that's bad; a dull slog full of identical characters speaking in monotone. This is most demonstrated in the third film, which has some of the most interesting concepts but is also the most boring.

SharkLord
Yojimbo
Posts: 41
Joined: Tue Mar 15, 2022 1:20 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by SharkLord »

-The nanometal city is a genuinely cool concept that was wasted on just giving the battle mechs some wings. Forming the harpoon was neat and all, but you could've had it create metal tendrils, set up traps, form more unique mechs than just the first movie's. Godzilla's been destroying cities for almost 70 years now; It's about time the city itself fights back. And, of course, the missed opportunity to revive the Berserk concept, with the city creating a twisted metal monstrosity that eventually settles on the familiar Mechagodzilla form; Hell, Mechagodzilla would've also greatly benefitted from the applications of nanometal.

-Ghidorah as a truly eldritch being with a cult was also an awesome concept, and Metphies did a great job as a herald. I hope we get to see something like that again, even if it's not the exact same character.

-I thought the Hotua having evolved under Mothra's influence was interesting as well. I wouldn't mind seeing it brought back for future appearances of Infant Island

User avatar
GoKelley86
Samurai
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu May 18, 2023 6:23 pm

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by GoKelley86 »

Ghidorah is the best thing in the trilogy.

User avatar
ShinGojira14
Xilien Halfling
Posts: 5340
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2017 9:08 pm
Location: Under the Wild Montana Skies

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by ShinGojira14 »

Takayuki Hattori went hard as fuck with the music. I’m definitely disappointed that the trilogy never once used Godzilla’s classic theme; but the new music he composed was still absolutely stellar.
"William Knifeman! AH! AH! AH!"

Resized ImageResized Image

User avatar
MC_Lovecraft
G-Force Personnel
Posts: 664
Joined: Fri Nov 03, 2023 10:30 am

Re: Say Something Positive About The Anime Trilogy

Post by MC_Lovecraft »

It dared to try different things for a Godzilla movie. It pretty well screwed up everything it tried, but I can respect the attempt.

Legion1979 wrote: Sun Jul 30, 2023 11:28 am Other people like them. That's something positive, right?

Now that's a damn fine way of looking at it! Bravo. 8-)

Post Reply