Global InformationGodzilla information
| Godzilla | |
|---|---|
| Godzilla character | |
 Godzilla as portrayed by Haruo Nakajima via suitmation in Godzilla (1954)[1] | |
| First appearance | Godzilla (1954)[2] |
| Created by |
|
| Designed by | Akira Watanabe[6] Teizō Toshimitsu[6] |
| Portrayed by |
|
| In-universe information | |
| Alias |
|
| Species | Prehistoric monster[24] |
| Family | Minilla and Godzilla Junior (adopted sons) |
Godzilla (Japanese: ゴジラ, Hepburn: Gojira, /ɡɒdˈzɪlə/; [ɡoꜜ(d)ʑiɾa] ⓘ) is a fictional monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the eponymous 1954 film, directed and cowritten by Ishirō Honda.[2] The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films produced by Toho Co., Ltd., five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, an epithet first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.
Godzilla is a prehistoric reptilian monster, awakened and empowered after many years by nuclear radiation. With the nuclear bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the Lucky Dragon 5 incident still fresh in the Japanese consciousness,[25] Godzilla was conceived as a metaphor for nuclear weapons.[26] Others have suggested that Godzilla is a metaphor for the United States, a "giant beast" woken from its "slumber" that then takes terrible vengeance on Japan.[27][28][29] As the film series expanded, some storylines took on less-serious undertones, portraying Godzilla as an antihero or as a lesser threat who defends humanity. Later films address disparate themes and commentary, including Japan's apathy, neglect, and ignorance of its imperial past,[30] natural disasters, and the human condition.[31]
Godzilla has been featured alongside many supporting characters and over the decades, has faced off against various human opponents, such as the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF), in addition to other gargantuan monsters, including Gigan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla. Godzilla has fought alongside allies such as Anguirus, Mothra, and Rodan as well as had offspring, including Godzilla Junior and Minilla. Godzilla has also battled characters and creatures from other franchises, in crossover media—such as King Kong—as well as various Marvel Comics characters, like S.H.I.E.L.D.,[32] the Fantastic Four,[33] and the Avengers.[34]
- ^ "Haruo Nakajima, actor who played original Godzilla in a monster rubber suit, dies at 88". South China Morning Post. Associated Press. August 8, 2017. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ a b Williams, Owen (March 3, 2021). "An Essential Guide To All The Godzilla Movies". Empire. Archived from the original on August 6, 2022. Retrieved August 6, 2022.
- ^ Ragone 2007, p. 34.
- ^ Doug, Bolton (July 7, 2015). "Godzilla creator Eiji Tsuburaya celebrated in Google Doodle". The Independent. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 24.
- ^ a b c Ryfle 1998, p. 27.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 178.
- ^ a b Ryfle 1998, p. 142.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 360.
- ^ a b Ryfle 1998, p. 361.
- ^ Comey, Jonathan (January 1, 1970). "Critter chronology: the history of Godzilla". Cape Cod Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 263.
- ^ Kalat 2010, p. 232.
- ^ Kalat 2010, p. 241.
- ^ Ashcraft, Brian (August 1, 2016). "Meet Godzilla Resurgence's Motion Capture Actor". Kotaku. Archived from the original on June 5, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2016.
- ^ Mirjahangir, Chris (November 7, 2014). "Nakajima and Carley: Godzilla's 1954 and 1998". Toho Kingdom. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
- ^ Miller, Bob (April 1, 2000). "Frank Welker: Master of Many Voices". Animation World Network. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved March 24, 2018.
- ^ Arce, Sergio (May 29, 2014). "Conozca al actor que da vida a Godzilla, quien habló con crhoy.com". crhoy.com. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2015.
- ^ Pockross, Adam (February 28, 2019). "Genre MVP: The Motion Capture Actor Who's Played Groot, Godzilla, and Iron Man". Syfy Wire. Archived from the original on March 1, 2019. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^ "Godzilla: King of the Monsters Final Credits". SciFi Japan. May 23, 2019. Archived from the original on May 24, 2019. Retrieved May 23, 2019.
- ^ Solomon 2017, p. 32.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 121.
- ^ Sarah Moran (May 31, 2019). "Every Titan In Godzilla: King Of The Monsters". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on October 25, 2019. Retrieved October 25, 2019.
- ^ Ryfle 1998, p. 19.
- ^ Souder, William (2012); On a Farther Shore - The Life and Legacy of Rachel Carson. Broadway Books, New York, 496 pp. ISBN 978-0-307-46221-3
- ^ Merchant, Brian (August 25, 2013). "A Brief History of Godzilla, Our Never-Ending Nuclear Nightmare". Vice. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
- ^ Eric Milzarski (December 12, 2018). "How Godzilla films were actually a metaphor for how postwar Japan saw the world". We Are the Mighty.
- ^ "Is Godzilla a metaphor for the United States?". Fox News. October 13, 2016.
- ^ Ambrosia Viramontes Brody (January 23, 2012). "Trojans explore the fantastic aspects of reality". USC News. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ Barr 2016, p. 83.
- ^ Robbie Collin (May 13, 2014). "Gareth Edwards interview: 'I wanted Godzilla to reflect the questions raised by Fukushima'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on January 11, 2022. Retrieved May 19, 2016.
- ^ Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #1 (Marvel Comics, 1977)
- ^ Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #20 (Marvel Comics, 1979)
- ^ Godzilla, King of the Monsters (vol. 1) #23 (Marvel Comics, 1979)