This a repost of a thread I started on MLW, sadly I created it in its dying days so it didn't take off as much as I was hoping. So I've decided to repost here for all to see and hopefully get involved in!

Well what do we have here? Yes, I've finally created a thread entirely about kaiju, or as they are more commonly referred to: Giant Monsters.

I've wanted to make this for quite some time given its one of my biggest interests and passions in life. So I created this thread as just a general kaiju related thread whether it be specific creatures, films and tv shows, comics, fan works, news and updates, etc.

Examples include:

-Godzilla (obviously)

-Gamera

-King Kong

-Pacific Rim

-Ultraman


I think you get the overall idea. Pretty much anything giant monster related for anyone with similar interests, or is just curious.

Heh, it was, now that you mention it. XD

Came across this image just now:

Also, just for the record:

Gamera is the best kaiju.

I was doing some reading up on the spiritual and religious beliefs surrounding turtles...and the more I read the more I began to think of Gamera 3: Revenge Of Iris. (Bear with me here)

Throughout the course of the film, it is believed by a group of cultists that Gamera himself is an evil spirit, and that when Heaven and Earth are face to face, the result is destruction.

Then I read this little bit of information concerning the spiritual aspect of which the turtle is regarded in Eastern cultures, concerning the fact that film is steeped with a supernatural aspect most kaiju films do not have.

"In the Far East, the shell was a symbol of heaven, and the square underside was a symbol of earth. The turtle was an animal whose magic united heaven and earth."

Towards the end of the film, the closing title that appears as Gamera roars in anticipation of battling the Gyaos, it states:
GAMERA: 1999
The Absolute Guardian Of The Universe

The term "Absolute" in this context indicates a deity status, as spiritual creatures of significance like the turtle are often regarded as. In fact Shusuke Kaneko stated that Gamera is DESTINED to defeat the Gyaos, you must believe he will win.

And then of course is Gamera's connection to the legend of The Black Tortoise Of The North, one of four guardians that protects Kyoto (from the north obviously). And where does the final fight of the film take place? Kyoto. The city itself being steeped with ancient spiritual Buddhist temples and gardens, Shinto shrines, and palaces.

In closing, I felt as though this writing about the spiritual aspect of the turtle fit hand in hand with Gamera and the hope he brings.

"Turtles remind us that the way to heaven is through the earth. In Mother Earth is all that we need. She will care for us, protect us, and nurture us, as long as we do the same for her. For that to happen, we must slow down and heighten our sensibilities. We must see the connection to all things. Just as the turtle cannot separate itself from its shell, neither can we separate ourselves from what we do to the earth."

Gamera's existence in the trilogy is undoubtedly a spiritual one. And of goodness and hope.

I picked up the collected Ultraman on DVD a while back, but I haven't gotten around to watching it. Maybe when I have a little more free time in my schedule I should give it a whirl...

I posted this on the old Kaiju thread on MLW, so... yeah, moving it over because
Oh, so there's a name for giant monsters. Well, I've got one tale related to one. It's not really relevant here, but I will give you a little background on the beast itself.

I'm intimately familiar with a particular giant kraken at the bottom of the sea in my Equestria. His name is Ruul. He swims endlessly in circles around the magical battery that enabled the planet's evolution, a massive, swirling arcane storm of temporal energy. During Twilight's 'studies' of chronomantic magic, we heard his cries echoing from the abyssal depths.

He's slightly larger than Cloudsdale, which is a massive, sprawling city in the sky. I apologize for the poor comparison, but his size is truly difficult to comprehend without seeing it for yourself. He's also the largest creature in the world, and is the only creature I know of capable of swimming relatively close to the arcane storm without being disintegrated by its overwhelming power. I first read about him in a book of sailor's tales; to surface-dwellers, he's largely considered to be a myth. While he's not a myth, his influences on the tides and sailors' passage are all speculated about. Truthfully, he's pretty much harmless where he is, as far as I know. And I only know so much about him 'cause after reading about him, I had to blink myself down to the bottom of the ocean and see for myself if it was true or not. Because, you know, dream omnipotence.

I looked into that book originally simply because Equestria's home to a number of interesting entities, especially to one who hails from a place of no magic, and I was curious about how big the biggest creatures on the planet could be. Ruul doesn't disappoint.

Been a bit...so here, have a fantastic stop motion fight.

(05-30-2015, 02:07 PM)Chrysalislover Wrote: I'm posting this with the utmost confidence that people aren't going to suddenly bash me for it, but I actually like the 1998 American Godzilla movie, while we're on the kaiju topic. Based on the little I know of Godzilla, I can see why "Zilla" is pretty widely panned and I can understand, yet he'll always hold a spot in my heart. It's a long story, but around the time the movie came out, and for years to follow, I was literally OBSESSED with God"Zilla", if mostly also due to my love for dinosaurs. Again, I won't champion the movie or that rendition of Godzilla as being THAT good, tough I do find it hilariously ironic that it gets a lot hate, yet growing up I actually had a huge (childish) love for it. lol

Zilla as an individual is typically regarded as an okay kaiju, and does have a small following.

As someone who's grown a bit distant from the Godzilla fanbase I can admit the overly devoted fanboys can be...unpleasant, to say the least. I realized this when I finally admitted I preferred Gamera more than Godzilla.