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We're smoking sequoia banshee boogers.
0:00 - Intro
2:28 - Origins
12:06 - The Film
23:58 - The Unknown
34:35 - Conclusion
Links: linktr.ee/CynicalJustin
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Thank you for watching and I'll see you in the next one!
- Cynical Justin
Shin is my favorite Godzilla. A wandering, mindless, immortal automaton who doesn't understand what's happening to itself.
I've always loved the idea of Godzilla, but the movies themselves were kind of one and done novelties. I expect this to increase by one come December, but so far, there's only been two Godzillas I've really loved. One was the 2014 American film, and the second was Shin Godzilla. After decades of the franchise being handled like a goofy clown show, it's nice to see Godzilla finally getting a serious treatment.
Not mindless initially, this Godzilla is in pain constantly and as you say doesn't understand whats happening to itself. The only thing it wants is death. For the suffering to end. I think it's 5th form biology does away with its pain and its feelings. Thus becoming a careless unfeeling killing machine god.
@@ressljs "so far, there's only been two Godzillas I've really loved. One was the 2014 American film" HUH Thats the one with no story, boring af, completely misled everyone with the trailers, cut away from Godzilla multiple times, had some generic soldier character everyone hated, killed the only interesting character (cranston's) and proceeded to have Godzilla getting bitch slapped by two Z list movie monsters for the majority of the fight. There were no satisfying fights, character arcs, important themes or entertaining relationships. You're not wrong for loving it but it's just baffling not only DO you love it but it's one of two that you love.
@@gwell66v2AnimeReviews Maybe that one got a pass because I was so used to Godzilla being treated like a campy joke. Your criticisms... I can't really say you're wrong. And I was mad that they killed off Brian Cranston and had that cardboard cutout take over as lead. I was just so excited to see a serious take on Godzilla. Had Shin Godzilla come out first, I may not have been so impressed.
@ressljs I have a huuuge hate boner for that one ngl bc my God the advertising was so God tier. Had the Oppenheimer quote godzilla trailer and the leaked footage when he shows up at the airport, the beautifully shot skydive scene, Cranston featured do heavily. Man...they advertised a compleeeeetely different movie to me and had me sooooo gd excited. I definitely don't hate any1 for loving it tho. Np w that
I love the idea of Godzilla being in constant pain, and his skin in his final form in the movie just gives viewers the impression that he’s really been through it. Like his skin is just a shit ton of scabs or something
The end of his tail looks so painful, like a 3rd degree burn. Which I guess is fitting considering his stomach is a giant nuclear reactor
@@damienwonderngl it looks like some weird foreskin looking ahh
Godzillas skin is supposed to represent victims skin after a nuclear bomb, “Their skin turned into a rough char with only a black hole where their mouths were. No screams came out, only a whimper.”
Jesus christ thats fucking horrifying @@stillchillin7580
the song who will know is exactly about this "if I die in this world, who will know something of me, I am lost no one knows there's no trace of my yearning" and the songs also about his animalistic need to survive "but I must carry on" I'll be honest I forgot the rest of the lyrics 😅 sorry for the essay
My favorite take on the story of this masterpiece is that godzilla isn't doing all of that for the sake of revenge or that it is angry,but instead, because its an animal, subject to excruciating pain and anguish, and it's confused, scared and is just acting on instincts. If you look at the movie with the vision that godzilla is an scared animal that just wants to end that pain and anguish,it becomes a tragedy instead of horror, a tragedy where the victim is blamed and punish for lashing out in pain and confusion by the very beings who put it in pain. That first time it uses its laser becomes so different if you see it with this mentality, imagine just how painful curving forwards must be after having your back blown half to oblivion, when it starts spewing the black smog it seems to not be able to stop it, and it just recoils and thrases around uncontrollably.
And the lyrics of the song that plays in that laser scene(Who will know) involves a female voice singing about just wanting to die and be forgotten while a male voice sings about needing to carry on and to just keep fighting, and this could be interpreted as a internal conflict of godzilla where it just wants to die and end the pain while it's instincts force it to keep fighting and struggling.
Who will know(lyrics) (Lyrics in brackets are for the male voice , lyrics outside brackets are the female voice) If i die in this world Who will know Something of me I am lost,no one knows Theres no trace Of my yearning. If i die,in this world (But i must,carry on) Who will know,something of me (Nothing worse,can befall) I am lost (All my fears,all my tears) No one knows (Tell my heart) There's no trace,of my yearning (Theres a hole) I wear a void Not even hope A downwards slope Is all i see. I wear a void (As long as breath comes from my mouth) Not even hope (I may yet stand the slightest chance) A downwards slope (A shaft of light is all i need) Is all i see (To cease the darkness killing me) End of lyrics. For context on my previous comment.
Now me personally if I was shin Godzilla I would not have my back blown but that’s just me tho
@@thomasvollmer583 never heard this take before,interesting
@@thomasvollmer583 well realistically it doesn't want anything its an animal,but this godzilla we are talking about so realism isn't a worry.
I love the ending for Shin Godzilla because it doesn't allude to a sequel, it alludes to how worse it could've been if they didn't do something.
also, what WILL happen if they dont figure out a long term solution
@@2st486 I don't think they even have to figure out a long-term solution. It is said at the end that Shin Godzilla's isotope has a half-time of 20 days, meaning its nuclear power will completely perish in 2-3 years (probably resulting in its permanent demise).
@@Derpowsky that's fair but assuming what godzilla can or can't do is not healthy. what if his freaky evolution allows him to overcome even that?
@@2st486 Even freaky evolution would run up against physical barriers imposed by the laws of the reality if evolution is being used as the explanation for the unique characteristics. It would throw out any believability if not only did it metabolize nuclear radiation but was capable of producing fissile/fusion material and starting one of those chain reactions absent an immense amount of external energy within its body. Would be tantamount to magic, abandoning the connection to evolution and mutation.
The scary part about the 5th form is what it represents. This Godzilla evolves to overcome the challenges it faces in the film. So in the end what is the last challenge it must overcome? Society and humanity. Also there is the theory that Maki is absorbed into the monster before he died. Him being partially in there with it evolving into humanoid creatures is terrifying with him in a way returning but now corrupted.
Maki being eaten by goji makes the 5th form make more sense. That could explain why he made such a humanoid form. His DNA might've been used for that
Nothing about your comment describes Godzilla. Only the SHIN abortion.
@@enterprisecreations1492 ... Which is a version of Godzilla. Just as much as the showa era comedy characters or the '54 & heisei era serious ones are all Godzilla.
The Godzillans wake up and start a political party, top of the monster chain baby!
Almost reminds me a little of the story in the biolante movie, that’s actually a really cool theory 😮😮
Shin Godzilla has to be the most creative and different, yet also the most faithful movie to the original concept ever put to screen. Not only is the message poignant and truly a fair criticism of the Japanese government’s response to the triple disaster, but the film’s aesthetic, imagery, and visuals are some of the most terrifying yet awe-inspiring Godzilla media that I have ever seen.
Minus one is even better
@@a.valepedro in my personal opinion, I think Shin is better, it actually shows what the government is thinking. Minus one is a very close second.
@@Seasy_ Agreed but keep in mind that the two films are from two different time periods. Modern and WW2 so government criticism is different. One is about the government keeping important things secret when it shouldn't and the other is how late the government reacts.
The scariest part about the fifth form creatures is they started spawning *AFTER* Godzilla was frozen.
From what I heard, shin constants evolution have a meaning, like a counterattack to its threats, the first evolution started is from when it’s started to go on land, and then the air strikes, becoming a anti-air strike, then by the final scene of the humanoid like Godzilla is to counter the humankind
Since a committee defeated him, he would create a committee of his own.
Shin godzilla: the council will decide your fate
@@chloeprice4079 Shin Godzilla 2: You Can (Not) Get Disaster Relief Because Bureaucracy Crippled Their Immediate Response To Godzilla's Attack. By the time you finished reading that title, the movie was already over.
@@blackveilvaalhazak1693 This is very much the case. Godzilla evolved to counterattack its own painful existence and would eventually become a cosmic entity beyond comprehension.
Shin is my favorite incarnation of Gojira, but it saddens me to know that he is in constant agony, even evolving his pain never stops, wreaking havoc upon humanity for what they did to him; They turned him into a monster.
I prefer the way of all flesh but i respect your opinion
shin gojira is necrontyr
@@lambsauce5312 that was a good book
Shin Godzilla was the first version on the monster that truly frightened me at a base level. I love the Monsterverse, but in those films, Godzilla's a superhero, like in many of the classic films. Shin G, however, is an Eldridge Abomination - scary in such a way not seen since his first rampage in 1954 - and a true god of annihilation. Highly excited for Minus One.
*eldritch Eldridge is a name
I wonder if Shin G./Shinji was a coincidence or on purpose.
@@bananaboy444 Intentional or not, there's so many things on tokusatsu's territory that involved wordplay/puns.
How ist Godzilla -1?
@ElGitarico absolutely beautiful. Watch it!
This is the only "Godzilla" where I had a great time watching the humans in the film. The incompetence of the government was absolutely hilarious! At the same time, the "Geek Squad" were fantastic to watch as they figured out what they were dealing with and how to stop it. How I wish we got more of these characters (and evolutions of Godzilla) in a proper sequel!
It's why I call this film a political disaster-satire.
Same!!
Not all good things need a sequel.
I feel like the original also has a great cast of characters along with other godzilla films throughout the eras but shin is definitely up there
@@juniorsigala5028 I wasn't including the original in that list. That movie stands alone, triumphant above all the rest! I was referring to the movies that followed.
Shin Godzilla is also a criticism on Japanese politics and culture. I wouldn't call the government officials in the film "incompetent" but I would say that they were definitely more concerned with honorifics and seniority more so than being able to prepare a proper response, hence why ANY response took so long. That's why they created a team that had no true leader because that way they were all equals and able to formulate plans much more efficiently. Really interesting movie.
I’m only on board with leadership that is earned and deserved.
We saw this same type of bureaucratic paralysis with the COVID pandemic,where politicians were making decisions based on their own interests as opposed to realistically dealing with the crisis…meanwhile tens of thousands and eventually hundreds of thousands died and millions were infected…as I watched “Shin Godzilla” I thought of the movie as an allegory of recent past events..
I think it's worth noting that the nuclear waste dumped into the ocean which mutated Shin Godzilla were put there by America, and that it was America who pushed hard for the nuclear bomb to be dropped on Godzilla (specifically to cover up their involvement in the beast's creation). One theory I've heard regarding Godzilla's evolution and the human-like jowls in its tail is that Goro Maki was absorbed into the creature when he attempted to commit suicide out on the water. This may have even been what gave Godzilla some degree of control over its own evolution and perhaps even its higher-than-expected intelligence (remember in the final confrontation where it revealed it kept some energy in reserve when it blasted some of the trucks feeding the blood coagulant into it).
I thought both of those were just theories?
Gojira adapts into the form of those that can defeat it, so if man can defeat Gojira; Gojira would become man.
@@thomasvollmer583 Duuuuuuude, I never thought of that! Good catch!
There is actually another horrifying deleted concept art about Shin Godzilla where Shin Godzilla instead of mutating and evolving to his next stage he is 'shedding' his old form and then to his next form and each time he sheds a nuclear explosion would ensue where his skeleton from him shedding from his old form would be visible in the nuclear explosion like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon after that his skeleton would regenerate and become his next evolutionary form
Where can I find it
@@mrchili473 the website to look at that form has already been deleted
@@mrchili473okay I managed to find a video with the concept art, so search up 'CGI process and visual effects of Shin Godzilla' the video is 10:47 minutes long at around 8:31 to 8:37 around there of the video you will find the concept art
Are you talking about the 8 forms And it can adapt to any enemy it faces?
@@SonGoku-sc8vq no, it's actually a deleted concept, it was supposed to be in a movie but ToHo says no, don't use it in the movie, the 8 forms is a completely different thing and the thing about it can adapt to any enemy it faces is true
Really looking forward to Minus One. I really love Shin, and if this new movie brings about a new era of gripping live action Japanese produced Godzilla films in the same vain as Shin, even if not to the same caliber, I’ll be happy.
Agreed! From the little we've seen of it, it looks like it'll be going back to the very dramatic roots of the original while giving us a modern spin on it. New Goji is always good news to me!
Couldn’t have said it better myself. No Hollywood BS, just straight dread and hopelessness. That’s what Godzilla has always been to me, an unstoppable force.
@@romanhorizon lmao after 1954, it was only really the heisei era in the 80s where he returned to the terrifying force of destruction. Lot of the showa films were straight up comedy
@@Gandalfthewhat never had the privilege of watching those classics when I was a kid. Ended up threading needle.
@@romanhorizon neither did I for most of them. Haven't seen any of the showa films in their entirety. Only recently saw 1954 version, and gotta say it's solid and holds up very well
The reason why godzilla started to make humanoid forms in the end is because they stated that godzilla noticed the committee working together to defeat him and since godzilla evolves to overcome anything he decided to become the committee… it’s scary to think abt it all
Shin Godzilla is one of my favorite movies period. Watched it recently with my wife and her sympathy for what she called "an animal just walking" was a perspective I hadn't previously thought of. It's a rare movie I enjoy rewatching and actively do so any chance I get to introduce it to someone who hasn't seen it before. In a weird way I also consider it the closest to a live action NGE we can hope for.
YESSSS!!!
I very much agree with this. I definitely felt a sympathy for Godzilla in Shin Godzilla, just like what I had for Frankenstein's Monster when reading Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus. Can we really preassume a creature as a malicious monster for simply being "intimidatingly large and ugly" despite its initial indifference to us? And it is it not justified when it lashes out at humanity's active aggression to exact its revenge for causing its misbegotten conception which brings it constant suffering and its continual violent oppression by us as we try to deny our misjudgement of the ethical consequences? When all the misable thing want is be relieved of its suffering and lead a peaceful life without our interference, we refuse to take accountability for our part in its suffering and shove its cries of suffering down until it no choice but to act to be properly represented, creating a monster of our own making which we, in a delued idealization, thought would have symbolized the glorious apotheosis of our selfish and vain ends. That I think is an extremely powerful way to express the value of empathy. If we only had the empathy to motivate us to put in foresight in our decisions, we would have never been placed in such a terrible dilemma to begin with
That ecstatic human form of Godzilla looked awfully like the apotheosis of Rei Ayanami at the time of Instrumentality in Neon Genesis Evangelion. I don't think that was unintentional.
Anno writes what he knows and manages to make it positively horrifying.
I think someone from evangelion had a part in this
@@justaguywithagoodphoto4801 Yeah, Hideki Anno is the creator of NGE
@@justaguywithagoodphoto4801my brother did you not watch the opening bit about how the film came to be?
@@derpfluidvariant0916 no and i haven’t watch evangelion to know if someone did exactly
Can video essayists stop talking like dora the explorer i am begging
Yes please 😢😢
the guy from "The Vile Eye" doubles as ASMR for relaxation XD
Do you know where Shin Godzilla is? ................That's right!
Try watching in 1.25 speed, that helped me
How else do you stretch a 20 min video to almost 40?😂
As a lifelong Godzilla fan, one of the things that made him truly scary as a character was that he was a product of the Nuclear trauma many Japanese people felt. He was a force of mass destruction that should be feared and rightfully so. Hence why the original stood the test of time. Then Shin Godzilla was a whole other level because it portrayed Godzilla as this manifesting being that is in constant pain, even when he's wreaking havoc. When he's breathes his laser breath, it looks like he's vomiting and has no control over it and every shot of him shows how he feels bad at what he's done. Shin Godzilla is a movie that accurately portrays how disasters whether they're nuclear or not, there's no repairing the trauma it has caused its citizens. This is what I look forward to seeing in "Minus One". Chances are, it's going to be terrifying and amazing all at once.
Those 5th form concepts look amazing, I really do hope the film get a sequel one day. Hopefully Minus One give’s similar hopeless and menacing feelings
You wont ever see a sequel to Shin Godzilla....People keep going on and on about it, some of them even going on about "what it should fight" yeah NO....that isn't ever going to happen, with that Godzilla and that story its not the kind of story that then goes on to fight the monster of the week. It was clearly meant to be a one off and should stay that way.
Thank you! I get so sick of gatekeepers crapping on the monsterverse when in reality there would be no shin Godzilla without the success of the M-verse. It brought attention and hype back to the franchise.
All the MV movies are at least decent, in my opinion. Usually in very different ways. 2014 is mostly really exceptional in the first act, with Joe Brody being the main focus. Once it switches back to Ford, it sort of loses a lot of the momentum, but still has some good sequences. Skull Island has a lot of fun characters and great world building, but is otherwise mostly just fluff designed to establish Kong and The Hollow Earth. King of the Monsters is my personal favorite, if only because it feels the most like a classic Godzilla film. The music, the presentation, the story, all come together to make something that feels quintessentially Godzilla. It has plenty of glaring issues, for sure, but is still the one I enjoy the most. GvK has fantastic visuals and fight choreography, with some decent music and a few funny quips, but is overall the worst of the bunch as far as I’m concerned. Really hoping the new Monarch Series can break the mold and become something truly exceptional whilst filling in a lot of the gaps in the story.
@@Gojirawars03 dude...I couldn't agree more with your picks. Kotm was the Godzilla movie I've been waiting for since I was a kid! I liked the look and atmosphere of Kong skull island so it's my second, Godzilla (2014) third, and Godzilla vs Kong last. I just hate how Adam wingard threw everything Edwards and Dougherty had built with Godzilla being a protector out the window and simply made him an animal who wanted dominance.
@@kcadventures1454 Shin gojira was already in production before the MV was even established, but it can be argued toho being aware of legendary making their own godzilla film as far back as 2010 probably did influence toho to work on their own godzilla reboot in the meantime
@@Gojirawars03 I do agree, I appreciate all the MV films do different things while remaining canon, realistically the showa and heisei eras had different tones to each film but all of which tied together in the end.
I'd be considered a gatekeeper being a critic of the Monsterverse, although I'm only looking at objective flaws and stating it is completely fine to enjoy the films. But each film is so different in tone. While yes I understand older movies were like this but the Monsterverse had a choice to have Godzilla serious again, I mean he's a monster after all. And 2014 established the tone and it had went downhill ever since. Most if not all the characters being underwheming. With Joe Brody being the most interesting, and wasted character out of all of them. The pacing in which technology progresses is developing far too fast, and with Godzilla Vs. Kong being the worst example of this, it wasted Mechagodzilla with one of the most cliche and predictable thing to come up in order to have Godzilla and Kong team up at the end of the movie. The Monsterverse is also full of plot holes, inconsistencies and contrivances that no installments can fix. For example, it is established in Godzilla: Dominion that he is able to sense and track Titans around the world. He is set on Kong as Kong wasn't listening to him and was also his rival anyhow. In GVK, Godzilla using this ability tracks down and finds Kong on the ship and after numerous attempts to kill him, one last time he comes above water to locate him but since the humans cut the power to the ships it somehow makes Godzilla think he has won. Why has the connection broke where Godzilla's able to track Titans? Well, bad writing. There is many more examples like this, but all of this is simply pointing out objective problems, if it affects your enjoyment then that's up to you.
Man it's soo hard to not call this the best Godzilla movie ever made.
@sharktopusyvonjr it will soon be impossible to do. Minus one is going to blow this movie out of the water.
@@Bobzilla67 Perhaps
Still second to Gorjia 54 IMO. (In the top 10 of best and most important movies ever made) But it comes very very close
@@salvationsplace Most likely
Ok. 2014 was better. There easy 😅
The fact that Bandai was like “ nah, let them cook”.
Quick side note, can we take a moment to appreciate Moyoko Anno? Hideki has fought a long and now well established battle with his mental health that Shin Godzilla is absolutely a stage in the narrative of and she has been by his side for over 20 years through it all while being a Mangaka herself
She wrote a manga of her own about what being married to him is like.
I think it’s safe to say that this is one of the best reviews/explanations of this film to date. Been a Godzilla fan since I was a very young kid and by far this one really takes the cake keeping his traditional look however somehow making him something fast more terrifying not only on a visual but psychological lvl.
To me he was the most terrifying version yet,because of what was shown at the end of his tail after the freezing. That scene. It was enough when he raged and lit Tokyo to ash,and everything in the sky,everything... But what that tail was spawning at the end that sold me on the full horror he represents.
A little while back, I binged through all of the Showa era Godzilla movies that were available on HBO max. A lot of them were goofy, but the original 1954 movie was creepy. It was admittedly hard to take seriously, especially with how a lot of effects didn’t age well, but there were a few moments were I thought to myself, “wow, that’s dark”. However, I later went into Shin Godzilla blind, and it was much more horrifying. Most movies of the horror genre make you jump or scream. Shin Godzilla didn’t do that. Shin Godzilla made me freeze, something that not many movies have done. Just the thought of the majority of Tokyo’s coast being devoured by flames in mere seconds is terrifying. The thought of how many souls would be lost in such a disaster fills me with terror and dread. Getting to watch such a nightmare unfold was petrifying, and the fact this was based on real events makes me shudder. That scene is a testament to why Godzilla is the longest running movie franchise to date. It’s because Godzilla represents our mistakes, and sometimes the horrible price that we have to pay. In my opinion, Shin Godzilla is easily the scariest Godzilla movie, and one of the scariest horror movies, ever created. This was an excellent retrospective.
As a Japanese citizen, I proudly approve your analysis, my man
I liked Shin Godzilla right off the rip. There was something about his sick ass powers, evolutions, and the government's failure to help it's citizens that just hit different. All of the procedures and norms getting in the way of people finding a solution really spoke to me. Not to mention the pain of the monster and the "you ruined the environment" aspect.
I genuinely loved the video. I liked your interpretations on the whole angel concept art of Godzilla, the idea of Godzilla essentially being Mother Nature Incarnate sounds really interesting. I'd love to see you cover the other two Shin movies, Shin Ultraman especially due to it being a really good companion piece to Shin Godzilla. Keep up the good work Justin!
Thank you so much! I'm very glad to hear that you liked it! There's a very solid chance that I talk about them at some point here in the near future! So stay tuned!
@@CynicalJustin Very surprised you saw my comment lol, Shin Ultraman is definitely a good antithesis to Shin Godzilla's hopelessness. Also, one thing that I really love is how even as remakes it still retains a "Showa-feel" when it comes to character design, sound effects, camera-work, etc.
@@gsanrio Yes! The presentation of it feels a lot more like something you'd see in the Showa era. But with the modern take it has, it is just a super fascinating watch.
and then there’s Shin Kamen Rider…to me it’s a love letter to all things Tokusatsu
Shin Godzilla is also a scathing criticism of Japanese culture and its over-reliance on tradition and strict respect of norms. One scene that stuck with me is the one where the new Prime Minister is revealed, and it's a slow old man closer to death than retirement. In this scene he has a noodle bowl, and by the time he's done giving answers about this urgent matter, the bowl is cold. Showing this country's slowness to react and adapt. And the bowl of noodle itself is the blandest most boring bowl of noodle you can imagine, once again showing that Japan as a country lacks "spice". It's also not a coincidence that the ones who manage to save the day are the relatively young people in the administration. They aren't scared to take initiatives, to move fast and take risks, which in the end pays off. This movie has a lot of layers once you start learning about how Japanese society works and see the social criticisms all throughout its runtime.
I knew of the humanoid figures that begin to sprout from Shin Godzilla’s tail but the actual fission “splitting” of Shin Godzilla into two halves and the final God-form are new to me. The film would have hit different if the latter were included. I discovered and saw this movie only recently and I really enjoyed it, I hope some continuation is made of Shin Godzilla. Great video my man keep it up.
I love Shin Gojira but one thing that changed me and my families life was my father chose to take all our family and immigrate to the USA. We left Japan in 2011 and we do miss Japan but we are glad we were welcomed by the people of the USA. I’m pediatrician today and married to a wonderful man with two wonderful children. We took our children to visit several times before 2020 but our home is the USA today.
How far have we drifted
Welcome to American my brother
I watched Shin for the 1st time about a month ago. I didn’t really understand it and thought it was another kaiju movie. So seeing your analysis of what Godzilla represents has made me appreciate it a lot more. Very Lovecraftian.
Rewatching Shin Godzilla after the pandemic feels very different, as the same kind of government incompetence against a “godzilla” was felt across the world, including where you live and affecting your family.
My sister was living in Japan at the time the movie was released so I was very fortunate to have someone explain the criticisms Anno was leveling at the Japanese government, so going into the movie with that in mind made it so much easier to understand and enjoy the film. It is my favorite Godzilla movie, and I say that as a life long fan
Put the video on 1.25 speed and it’s automatically better
Fair. Lmao.
@@CynicalJustinGreat video, but I would love it more if you'd avoid the KZheadr-voice trope. Tho you're far from the worst (which is most KZheadrs)! I think it's something about how english-speakers change their voices to sound more professional. But it makes it weird. Hope this makes sense
Thank you lol
I feel like Shin Godzilla also sort of represents many of the hard to cure issues of our age. He's the battle against nuclear terror and the destruction of Japan in the Fukushima event, government responses to natural disasters, and even Mr. Anno and the viewers own bouts with mental illness. The human hero points out at the end, resigned "We will just have to learn to live with it."(ircc) We have to learn how to deal with these problems, to minimize and reduce the damage of them, even if they will never conveniently just go away.
As someone who is an Evangelion fan, I will never forget seeing Shin Godzilla in theaters with my brother (who is the biggest Godzilla fan I know). He had not seen Evangelion at that point, so seeing his reactions to some of the f*cked up imagery was priceless. The final shot of the movie is one of my favorite moments of the entire Godzilla franchise. The implications of the final shot of the film are truly horrifying. I'm a Godzilla fan as well, and I was insanely excited when I first heard about Anno directing a Godzilla movie. Shin Godzilla was basically exactly what I expected from Anno, and I love it. The artbook to the film is a beast in of itself, too. Anyone who is a fan of horror should 100% own the Shin Godzilla artbook at the very least.
Genuinely terrifying film if you ask me, haven’t stopped thinking about it since I watched it, and with each second that passes, I’m just more and more convinced it’s one of the best films of the century so far.
Shin has been my favorite incarnation of Godzilla no matter what. He genuinely feels different from all the other versions, and I LOVE it.
I felt so bad for Godzilla in this one. He looked so scared and in pain the whole movie.
5:07 "The parts where I see myself" ... Anno just needs a hug dude... That genuinely tore me open to see him say that
His depression got so bad during original NGE that he had to be declared legally insane by a court so he wouldn't self destruct.😢
The best description I give about this Godzilla to everyone is John Carpenter's what if apocalypse scenario. Just the idea that this Godzilla is constantly evolving and responding to threats and the possibilities are terrifying.
"an organism...that surpasses..." my mind autocompleted "METAL GEAR"
The ending of Shin Gojira means, "If the committee defeated godzilla then Godzilla Have To Become The Committee"
I just saw this movie today with friends after seeing the title of this very video. WOW. I am still gabberflasted but in a good way. This movie captures the exact feeling of hopelessness and horror because at many points I screamed "What do you EVEN DO???? WHAT DO YOU EVEN -DO-" if you're just a citizen, not anyone with any power, or in charge. I don't feel scared watching most things, but this had me literally biting my fingers as I watched. When that scene with the body lasers happened, my loud ass fell completely silent like I was one of the characters who had to watch that all happen. That has never happened to me with a movie before. I did not fight, think of flight, I fucking froze like a deer in headlights and my heart and soul both dropped down into my feet. 100/10 film, nostalgic but cranked the horror feeling up to a trillion.
Now one thing very vew people point out about this film is: The directing, my god, I love the directing in this movie, the shots, transitions, script and stuff, is sooo good!
Phenomenal video. The depth you go into is wonderful, and though there have been other retrospectives on the film and lore of Shin Godzilla, this one seemingly trumps them all. I appreciate the time and research you took to produce this. Great job, I always love more Shin Godzilla content. It would be terrifyingly jaw-dropping to see Shin's 5th form past concept and what may come after it; even though I fear it would become too unrecognizable from the iconic Shin Godzilla. I'm glad this film weaseled it's way up your list of favorites.
Thank you so much! All that means a lot to me! This film has done a lot for me and I view it as one of my favorites in general. So I waited for a few years before tackling it in the hopes I could do it the justice it deserves!
Thanks for the lovely video! I absolutely loved Sjin Godzilla; it might even be my favorite Godzilla movie so far. Personally, I am glad they didn't implement the more humanoid version(s) of Godzilla, because I vastly prefer the horrific final form he ended up having in the movie. His final form in the movie is by far my favorite Godzilla design ever.
Some things are better left unsaid. The WTF at the end of Shin Godzilla is much more haunting than any Godzilla people that could have been shown running around Tokyo after that.
I really liked your editing and the content regarding Anno's vision and the concept art for "after Godzilla".
This movie has an allure for me that pulls me back repeatedly going back to when I first saw it. I viewed it three times during its theatrical run (partly because it was only the second opportunity I'd had to see a Godzilla movie in a theater and partly because it was very good), and I haven't bothered to keep track of the number of times I've watched it since it released on blu-ray. Obviously, as covered in the video, it's a thematically rich film, tapping into the basic idea of Godzilla as metaphor that goes back to the original, but updating that metaphor to be something very contemporary to Japan, but not wholly disconnecting from the character's roots. But even beyond that, it's a visually interesting film to watch. Anno constantly keeps tight control over his camera, and makes sure to frame things in a way that is visually pleasing, which is good since so much of the film is taken up by government meetings. And the special effects sequences, while imperfect, are a thrill to watch, and it is still a genuine treat to watch Godzilla display abilities that are still unique to this film, even 7 years later. While I will always be curious to see where it could have gone had they elected to make a sequel, I'm glad they didn't. It's rare for a series this long run by a studio with a history of jumping on sequel opportunities when they smell money to just let something sit. Because they decided to move on, this movie gets to be utterly unique within the history of the franchise. And I think that's neat.
Such a good video! I love Video Essays on Shin Godzilla and yours is easily one of the best! This is so good!
Thank you so much! That's very kind of you to say!
As much as I find Anno's ideas intriguing for Godzilla going beyond his fourth form, I think it was something best left to be implied. The "woman with wings" look simply deviate too much from the character of Godzilla. I believe that Shin Godzilla is a very happy and great middle ground between Anno's freaky vision and TOHO's vision of Godzilla.
Agreed!
the woman with wings is probably a reference to Rei Ayanami from evangelion (which, Anno created). not gonna spoil it though
Just watched this movie yesterday and I was really suprised how exhilarating the whole experience was! Only issue I have now, is that after watching Shin, I am kind of anxious about minus one series, which seems to be more in vein of Godzilla 2000 - Final Wars period, meanwhile I really loved how much trauma Shin Gojira did put on me :D
I just came back from the movies and the new Godzilla is also terrifying. I felt the despair in my bones.
Shin Godzilla is one of my favorite movies. I love horror, and to see a Godzilla movie almost in a horror style is just gold to me. The concept art is something else, this movie could have been super fuckin crazy. RIP to all the lives lost during the 2011 disaster. Edit: what a great video! I love the look and take you give on the art and what could have been.
Fantastic video! I Shin Godzilla is one of my all time favorite movies and I'm always glad to see it get the respect it deserves and have it's themes explored and put forward so well.
If you thought Shin Godzilla was something, wait until you get a load of Femur Godzilla.
Can’t wait for this! Always enjoy your videos! Keep the kaiju content rolling. 😎
Much thanks!
I think a lot of its problems in the US stems from the lack of a theatrical dub. The characters in the film speak very fast, and for those of us that struggle with subtitles, this meant a lot of what was being said was missed entirely. I also didn’t really enjoy it until years later after watching the dub. The part about the man’s wife, what was being discussed in the meetings, and much of the overall message wizzed by as I was unable to focus between the visuals and the written dialogue. After seeing it with dubbing I was able to enjoy it far more. It’s actually become one of my favorites along with Tokyo SOS and the original. Can’t wait for minus one as my speed reading has gotten a bit better.
Thanks for the video, I had no idea Anno worked on this movie. But now the tail-people thing makes perfect sense. It's a very Anno design for a monster. As someone who doesn't like Eva, I can at least say the man made my favourite Zilla movie.
I mean this sincerely, please view it as constructive criticism and not just mindless internet whinging - please speak faster. The dramatic tension you add at the end of your sentences is so painfully drawn out at times that I had to watch at 1.25x speed. But this is a minor thing. Your videos and content are A+++, thanks!
Believe me when I say that I'm hearing you all on this one! Will rectify in future videos! Thank you for the critique and helping me improve!
If you ever hear anyone say that "anime is for kids" tell them to watch evangelion trust me they won't say it again
Godzilla Singular Point i guess, because its about a massive universe destroyer causing a catasthrope And then theres Berser-
@@bananawithpajamas6379NO ANYTHING BUT BERSERK
There is a theory circulating online about Goro Maki's disappearance. He jumped into the sea and got absorbed by the mutating Godzilla. The face on Hodzilla's tale is Maki's changed tortured form.
Dude this is a GREAT video. The entire thing was awesome, I've loved this movie for years, but your theory at the end that his unrealized final form is Mother Earth's revenge on people and the damage they've done? So freakin cool. Hell of a job!!
A being that will always overcome any adversity through sheer will. Rather scary to be up against but inspiring to stand beside
I mean sheer force not sheer will. But I imagine he has a strong will. Iron clad!
Kamata-kun is just so derpy. It threads a really narrow path between adorable and totally creepy. It's hilarious. Shin is such a great Godzilla design and movie.
kinda cute tbh
@@bananawithpajamas6379 Agreed, the blood gushing is nasty but his wiggly movement reminds me of a puppy.
@@swampert564 yeah and the big eyes
@swampert for some reason he really freaks me out. :P
He looks very pettable@@bananawithpajamas6379
Shin's bottom jaw splitting open after the American attack was the moment that i knew... This is my favorite Godzilla.
This was one of the few godzilla fims (if not the only one) that carries meaning.
The feminine "God" Godzilla and the multiple humanoid clones remind me very much of End of Evangelion, with Rei attaining godhood and her clones seeking out and reducing humanity to its most basic elemental makeup in order to achieve complete harmony and unity. While it's a cool idea, I feel like it would be too much of a retread of EoE. Still, the idea is captivating, a Godzilla movie where humanity is reduced to total despair with no way out. In EoE, it's overcome by Shinji rejecting this new world and usurping Rei, leaving the world in ruin but with the suggestion that life will return. In Shin Goji 2, I wonder if it would simply end with humanity fighting against but ultimately accepting its fate.
This is my joint favourite Godzilla movie (along with the original Gojira, of course). I thought the final scene was chilling and amazing, and it really deserved a sequel. Hopefully Minus One will live up to expectations.
I was lucky enough to receive a decent look into the 2011 disaster during my high school education. I watched the film earlier today and I loved it immensely. I’m looking forward to finishing the Shin “trilogy”
Just as I thought I’ve seen every essay about Shin Godzilla I found this one which actually surprised me Great fucking vid man!!
I love this film, it's a bit heavy in political talk, but as you cleverly point out it's there for a reason, and it definitely is the movie Toho needed to keep their creature relevant and launch it in the 21st century. I say they 100% succeeded 👍🏻🖤🏴☠️ Edit: as of today Minus 1.0 has debuted, it has a 96% and 98% RT score, which is almost unheard, and it totally deserves it, it's a phenomenal movie. This said, we all loved Shin Godzilla, and I really, really hope that Anno will eventually pick up the gig and gift us with a sequel/second chapter..
Completely agreed. However, I just wish Godzilla minus 1 had more budget for the Godzilla CGI. It’s face looked like a toy..
The Shin Godzilla art book is amazing. It teases the next evolution of Godzilla where it's offspring are human-sized (as Shin-Godzilla continues to evolve to the types of attacks it faces)
This was excellent. You never disappoint. Shin Godzilla is my 3rd favorite Godzilla film after the original Gojira and Godzilla Minus One.
I think I need to rewatch Shin, I expected a simple action flick and just as you, the message went right over my head.
Minus One completely sucking me back in to Godzilla! Going to watch Shin now!
I don't know if you've checked it out yet, but Godzilla Minus One is SO good. Although it does focus more on the human characters in this one, it takes full advantage of that and is absolutely my favorite modern Godzilla movie.
The sequence of who will know was so heart breaking, I constantly go back and watch it just because it’s so amazing
A sequel to Shin _must_ come out and these brilliant ideas _must_ come to fruition! It's too good a concept to let go of.
I don’t know if this is true but I heard there’s a manga about it,if your interested
@@SonGoku-sc8vq Absolutely interested! Thanks for the heads-up. I'll look into it. Love to see a movie about it too, tho.
Imagine Shin versions of all the other titans/kaiju
@@BlooMonkiMan I'm sure they would be equally impressive and awe-inspiring!
I was like you and when I first watched Shin Godzilla I didn’t really care for it. But I was looking for a totally different kind of movie at that time. I wanted the fun monster vs monster fight movie I was used to. But after learning about what Shin was supposed to be I watched again with that in mind and found an amazing movie that is one of the best Kaiju films ever made.
Pretty much exactly what I went through! I was thinking that in order for a Goji movie to be good, it had to be this action packed thing with monster fights and the like. But then, when you realize what it's trying to say, it really starts to resonate with you.
What a lot of people dont understand is in Japan MUCH MUCH more money is made from toys , figurines, demostrations etc of said IP than the actual mpvies/shows/animes/mangas they're based on which is why bandai/namco a toy/GAME company has so much sway.b
Great video definitely going to check out the movie when I get the chance, didn’t know Anno just made bangers
Gonna have to actually side with Toho on that decision for Godzilla's main form, as opposed to the giant humanoid. For one: branding, the iconic character needs to at least resemble the character people recognize. People come to see Godzilla, not a big angel person. Looking at the design I don't think i could ever reconcile "that's a Godzilla," with what im looking at. Honestly, in the grand scheme of having played JRPGs and seen anime like Evangelion, it actually looks kinda generic, I would much sooner see it as a Final Fantasy boss or something. And second: I actually think it would undercut the point. If this thing is supposed to be "a creature that continues to evolve beyond humanity's reach" why would its pinnacle be, a big human? It actually feels kinda underwhelming, like "yup humanity is obviously the pinnacle and nothing could go beyond that." The actual "5th form" we got would be fine, as the humanoids seem like they would just be drones for the bigger monster, introduce a street level threat under the command of the bigger threat, and even then they're only barely humanoid, being more gangly and twisted in shape. But Godzilla himself becoming a humanoid just doesn't fit the theming or the character. That's just what i think at least.
But an angelic humanoid would be ideal since its smaller. Can you imagine how powerful and fast it could be? Just raising its hand and boom atomic breathe that could level a whole city. Shin Godzilla is an easy target and since humans are the dominant species it would make sense if it transformed to said dominant species
@@allworksnew I think you missed the point. The concept of Shin Godzilla is supposed to be a being beyond humans, to surpass the current dominant species not settle for it. Looking like a human would be to step down. The dinosaur like appearance is actually pretty fitting considering, if not for sheer happenstance and luck, the dinosaurs would have evolved long before and humanity would never have become dominant. As for the power output, he can already just stand still and, boom lasers from multiple directions out of his back. If anything a larger form is better for storing larger reserves of energy. As for speed, there's no guarantee it would be fast, if anything it looks like it's losing muscle mass to use for propelling it's body in sprints. It's earlier forms were actually able to run pretty well already. Besides we all saw what a "slow" Godzilla did to fast opponents in Final Wars.
@@ryuuronin9852 I'm sure the humanoid form would be more optimized for combat. Why would it transform to be weaker? That doesnt make sense. It would only get stronger yet smaller. And apparently the back laser going skyward isnt that strong in the grand scheme of things. And I'm sure an alien angel monster wouldnt need muscles to fly I mean your using real life concepts on a godzilla creature dude and I didnt watch final wars so
@@allworksnew Alternatively, instead of transforming into a human, he could just transform into a stronger, faster Godzilla with more powerful beams. If we're throwing science out the window, what's stopping a more Godzilla like form from flying too (like he did in Godzilla vs Hedorah)? The point is that being a humanoid doesn't give any advantages that other body shapes would give (in fact, in terms of physicality, humans are a remarkably weak body structure for something of their size). Godzilla has always been Sci Fi (sometimes dipping into fantasy), but Shin is definitely a more Sci Fi movie, the angel form would be diving headlong into fantasy if it was more powerful.
Is it me or does shin Godzilla feel like a sequel to godzilla minus one.. I mean in the end of godzilla minus one. We see the monster reforming... and shin godzilla comes from the water as a mutated amphibian with crazy nuclear power. I mean I know it's not but it would be cool
that's an interesting point...
I personally think shin Godzilla is just a silly little guy AND it's his birthday (because he is being "reborn" all the time) some one just needs to give him a band-aid,just my opinion tho
28:21 eyyyy that animation, was that for this video specifically? Nice little reference to Evangelion, with how the eye forms The angelic form definitely also harkens back to the angel designs from eva and what made some of them so uncanny and eerie. Love that. I appreciate this analysis comes from the perspective of not only a Gojira fan but someone who clearly has a lot of respect for Anno's creative work and actually gets it. 👏
You gotta speed up your narration speed dude.
Holy shit I know right! its like every line in his script ends like this......
I remember seeing the trailer for Shin and thinking to myself, "That looks hideous! I think they went a little too far with the redesign. Not sure I'm gonna like this one." Shin Godzilla is now my favorite Toho iteration. I will consistently rewatch it. It is abundantly clear that the events of the Triple Disaster directly influenced the look of the devastation Shin brings about, especially in his second form. The word I can use to best describe the film is "haunting". It sticks with you long after the watch. The music is top notch, especially the two tracks you mentioned. I lost my mind during his first atomic breath attack as it is without a doubt the deadliest version of the boy we've ever seen. Seeing the smoke billow out of him so fast, then ignite, then the beam, then the dorsal beams. I mean...what?!? And seeing the Japanese characters have to confront the possibility of having another nuke dropped on them is hard to watch and I can't imagine what that was like for the Japanese audience. The final shot of the film threw so many more questions into the mix and I loved that. I mean what if the coagulant hadn't worked? I'm pretty sure humanity would have been screwed. Looking forward to Minus One, though I would love another entry in the vein of Shin.
I guess you are easily pleased.
Minus One Will Be Better Trust Me
Can we all agree that shins 1st atomic breath scene where he burns the whooe city in the night is one of the best if not THE best godzilla scenes ever!
I remember really enjoying Shin Godzilla as a film but I never fully embraced the design of its different forms. I did not like the weird fish eyes or the shape of its head in the fourth form. Also its movement in the second form looked a bit too much like a puppet for my taste. However, otherwise the way Godzilla was portrayed in the film was terrifying and I did find it getting under my skin. I didn't know there was a concept for a fifth form, but I honestly also think it is better that it was not realized on screen, as diverging that much from the creature's otherwise reptilian nature would have probably felt too out of left field for a movie that otherwise was relatively grounded in its depiction. Really looking forward to seeing Minus One.
as good as this movie was, really looking forward to minus 1. looks like its taking it even further
"all the madness swarming in your head, growing more and more fierce with each passing day" that hit hard...
My fav part about this movie is when he used his beam that scene was cool af
When I watched Godzilla 2014, I said "Yeeeah monsters fighting!". When I watched Shin, I just told myself "It's gonna suck to have this Godzilla in our reality".
If you watch Godzilla 2014 and sum it up as "yay monster fight", and also feel the need to compare it to Shin, then I'm sorry to be that rude but you're watching it wrong.
@@Paugose Or watching it right.
Wonderful video! I don't normally watch a 40 mins video from an unsubscribed channel on KZhead but now I wanted to see more from you. Of all the Godzilla film, Shin is the one I find myself always rewatching, sometimes more than twice a year. It's captivating from almost every aspect, the concept, the visual, the story, the acting, & the score. Now I can't wait for Minus One & Monarch tv series! & definitely hope Toho will someday decide to continue the Shin Godzilla story 🤞
Since I didn't have the chance to watch shin, and -0.1 is out, imma do a double movie marathon ✨