Written By Ken HulseyThe 1933 American classic "King Kong" had a profound influence on Asian filmmakers. As soon as the iconic monster movie hit the scene, Japanese studios began producing their own "Kong" adaptations, like "Wasei Kingu Kongu" and "Edo Ni Arawarita Kingu Kongu," both featuring actors in gorilla costumes. The film also left a lasting impact on two legends of Japanese cinema - director Ishiro Honda and special effects pioneer Eiji Tsuburaya. Years later, this duo combined their talents to create the cinematic monster icon "Gojira" (Godzilla). For Tsuburaya in particular, "King Kong" held a special place, as the young cameraman studied the film frame-by-frame to learn how its groundbreaking visual effects were achieved. This hands-on analysis would inspire Tsuburaya's own storied career in movie magic.
Futaba, located in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan, offers visitors a unique and moving experience as they explore the town's resilience and rich history, particularly in light of the recovery following the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster. Known as a center for "hope tourism," Futaba invites travelers to learn about its past while witnessing the community's ongoing revival.
One of the main attractions is the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum, which provides important insights into the events of 2011. Here, visitors can learn about the evacuation challenges faced by locals and discover the remarkable rebuilding efforts that followed. Nearby, the Futaba Art District captivates visitors with beautiful murals that reflect local culture and history, including representations of the famous daruma dolls. As you stroll through this area, you’ll embark on a visual journey that leads you to the reimagined JR Futaba Station.
In 1997, Banpresto approached Go Nagai to create an advanced version of his famous mecha, Great Mazinger, for the later stages of their Super Robot Wars video game. The design Nagai came up with, Mazinkaiser, is considered one of the most powerful mechas ever created. Its popularity led to its eventual inclusion in the Mazinger franchise's storyline. In 1999, a seven-episode Original Video Animation (OVA) series was produced to explore the origins of the mecha.
Filmmaker Hiroto Yokokawa, the creative force behind 3Y Films, the independent Japanese studio known for its imaginative projects like The Great Buddha Arrival (2018), Nezura 1964 (2022), and Hoshi 35 (2023), is on a thrilling new adventure with his latest film, Fukuiraptor! This exciting project aims to capture the magic and wonder reminiscent of the Jurassic Park series.
Written By: Ken HulseyAfter the tremendous success of the first two Godzilla films, visionary director Ishiro Honda and producer Tomoyuki Tanaka embarked on an ambitious project that would elevate the giant monster genre to new heights. This bold cinematic venture eventually became known as "Sora no daikaiju Radon." The initial idea for the film sprang from the creative mind of writer Ken Kuronuma, who was inspired by a unique tale he had translated for the Japanese edition of *Amazing Stories*. It centered around a Kentucky Air National Guard pilot who crashed his plane while pursuing a UFO, a narrative ripe with suspense and intrigue.
Written By Ken HulseyPicture a wild future where hospitals are only for the perfectly healthy, the two hottest women in town are part android, and the criminals are so outrageous that the police need tanks to handle them. Welcome to Newport, Japan—our fictional playground and the setting for Koichi Mashamoto's quirky 1988 anime series, "Dominion Tank Police."
Written By Ken HulseyExciting news for fans of kaiju cinema! The highly anticipated sequel to the Academy Award-winning masterpiece, *Godzilla Minus One*, is officially in production at Toho Studios in Japan. Renowned filmmaker Takashi Yamazaki is stepping up once more as a versatile powerhouse, taking on the roles of screenwriter, special effects supervisor, and director. His multifaceted involvement promises to elevate the franchise further.
The Cruise Train “Seven Stars in Kyushu” was designed with a commitment to heartfelt hospitality and to showcase the incredible beauty of Kyushu—an area rich in nature, delicious food, vibrant culture, and fascinating history. We invite you to embark on a remarkable journey aboard this train, which beautifully connects the unique qualities of each prefecture and reflects the warmth and friendly smiles of the local people. Every moment aboard will be filled with warmth and excitement, leaving you with cherished memories that will shine long after your adventure ends.
For the filming of "Kaminofude" (Brush of the God), the production team utilized "tokusatsu" live-action special effects, suspending actors in full-body creature suits on wires to depict the rampage scenes.
At the age of 88, legendary suit designer Keizo Murase, known for his work on "Gamera," "Godzilla," "Daimajin," and numerous other monster and fantasy films, made his feature film directorial debut. Murase served as the general director on the project.
Build, pose, and display this Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Freedom Movie Black Knight Squad Shi-ve.A High Grade 1:144 Scale Model Kit. Add it to your Gunpla collection!
From Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid comes this Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid Lucoa Bunny Version B-Style 1:4 Scale Statue! She features a black bunny suit, colorful hair, and real net tights! Made of plastic, she measures approximately 19-inches tall. Add her to your anime collection!
Millenium Godzilla Movie Monster Series Vinyl Figure:
Collect all your fan favorite monsters from the world's longest running film franchise! This rendition of Godzilla captures its appearance in Godzilla 2000: Millennium. The Millennium Godzilla Bandai Movie Monster Series Vinyl Figure measures approximately 10-inches long x 6-inches tall. Bandai's Movie Monster Series offers durable, highly detailed, vinyl figures with true to film likeness of iconic kaiju. Don't miss this atomic monster for your Godzilla collection!
Above, Haruo Nakajima at G-FEST in 2008. Photo by Armand Vaquer.
This is a Japanese advertisement for Boss Coffee, a major coffee brand (part of Suntory) in Japan. This ad is three years old, but it is only now that I've seen it (thanks to Stan Hyde).
Although a coffee ad, it pays tribute to Haruo Nakajima and what he endured while playing the King of the Monsters.
Venus Wars is a true classic in Japanese Animation. Both the story and animation are truly before their time. The film is in the upper level of the genre. Japanese Anime first really gained popularity in the United States with the release in the mid 1980's of an Americanized version the Macross Series known to most as Robotech. This was the beginning of an underground fan base that began to gobble up all titles that crossed the Pacific. Titles were scarce at first but soon the overwhelming demand led to more titles being released in America. I first learned of Venus Wars from an 1998 issue of Newtype Magazine I purchased at a local comic shop. I wasn't until 1994 when the Sci-Fi Channel ran the movie during their annual Japanese Animation Marathon that I first saw the film. I was amazed at what I saw. The film to this day remains one of my favorite movies of all time.
In the year 2003, a collision with the giant comet has transformed the surface of the planet Venus. In the year 2089, Venus has been colonized and divided into two continents, Ishtar and Aphrodia. Susan Sommers, a bubbly reporter from Earth, travels to Venus hoping to get a scoop on the military tensions that have arisen between the two nations. She arrives in the Aphrodian capital of Io shortly before the city is invaded by the forces of Ishtar, led by General Donner.
Meanwhile, a brutal, Rollerball-esque racing game is being held in a local stadium. One team, the Killer Commandos, is led by hotshot Hiro Seno. The game is disrupted by the invasion and the team quickly evacuates. Hiro's teammate Will picks up Sue on the way and takes her to the garage where the rest of the team is lying low. The invasion of Io is completed in one day, and the politicians, police, and press submit to Ishtar's authority. The city is put under martial law and a curfew imposed. Many of Io's citizens, including Hiro's girlfriend Maggy, try to pretend that nothing has changed since the invasion, but Donner's iron grip on the city is too tight to ignore.
Hiro visits his teammate Jack, who's staying in his uncle's high rise apartment. However, the police see them as trespassers and lead an unprovoked assault against Hiro. He makes a daring escape from their custody, but not unscathed; his leg is pierced by a bullet and he barely makes it to Maggy's home before he collapses. She tends to his wounds, and Hiro shares a few secrets about his past. A photograph of Maggy's father's spurs memories of the farm where he was raised; Hiro reveals that many of the terra-forming farms funded by the Aphrodian government were frauds simply meant to secure land away from Ishtar. That their crops continually kept failing since the plants couldn't endure the constantly changing weather conditions of the planet (despite convincing claims from so-called government sources)! He bitterly notes on how only the politicians made any money out of this situation, that all governments are corrupt, and expresses his frustration and anger at the state of the world. His words trouble Maggy; so much so, that she bursts into tears and collapses into his arms in a crying fit! Hiro comforts her, leading to both sharing an embrace and a passionate kiss. The moment is ruined when her father returns from work; Hiro is ushered into a back room and overhears the ensuing conversation. Maggy's father is a bureaucrat, and he's pulling strings to have the two of them evacuated out of Io as he did with her brother and mother. Maggy is horrified at the thought of abandoning her friends and defiantly stands up for them against her livid father (who views them as just self-centered adrenaline junkies), before he furiously shouts her into silence as Hiro secretly storms out.
Meanwhile, Miranda of the Killer Commandos discovers that their manager, Gary, has been secretly smuggling arms into the city. Raiding his cache, she reveals her plan to demolish the Ishtar tanks that are parked in the old stadium. Gary says that the Commandos would be fools to try such a suicidal mission, but Hiro likes the idea and inspires his teammates. The Killer Commandos lead an assault against the tanks, but underestimate the strength of Ishtar's military. Jack and Gary are killed in the melee, and Hiro nearly shares their fate. At the last minute, however, the team is saved by the Aphrodian Freedom Force, which had also been planning to attack the stadium that night.
Sue and the Killer Commandos are forcibly recruited by Lt. Kurtz, who thinks that their skills as monobikers would be useful in his Bloodhound Squadron. Tensions run high among the Killer Commandos and the team is divided; Will and Sue think that it's important to fight for Aphrodia's freedom, but Hiro and Miranda want nothing to do with war. Will is called out on a mission and Sue begs him to take her along. He instead convinces her to wire her camera to his monobike so he can film their attack. But to Sue's horror, Will disappears in battle. Sue steals a buggy to search for him on the battlefield, only to stumble upon the terrible truth of his death.
Upset over Will's fate, Hiro and the Commandos demand to be freed from the Freedom Force's custody. Lt. Kurtz and Hiro quickly strike up an animosity, and Kurtz challenges Hiro to a race across a ravine in their monobikes. Despite having a ten second head start, Hiro is taken out by Kurtz. Nevertheless, Kurtz is impressed by Hiro's raw talent, and makes him a deal: he will release the Killer Commandos on the condition that Hiro joins the Bloodhound Squadron. Hiro grudgingly accepts his offer, and says goodbye to Miranda and his friends.
Back in Io, General Donner is visited by Sue, who requests an interview with him for the Independent Press on Earth. Once alone with him, Sue pulls a gun and threatens to kill him in order to avenge Will and all the other innocent people who have died in the war. She fails to release the safety however, and is quickly disarmed and arrested. Displaying his sadism Gerhard accosts Sue, snatches away her firearm, then discharges her pistol inches from the side of her head, before putting it to her skull and pulling the trigger, cruelly revealing he's used up all the bullets.
Kurtz leads the Bloodhound Squadron in a surprise and intense strike on Io. Kurtz is disabled, but Hiro manages, through sheer luck and skill, to corner Donner's tank and destroy it by getting Gerhard to fire on him (raging that he shall not be beaten by children), with his shots missing Hiro and striking a runway that collapses ontop of (a screeching with frustration) Gerhard in his tank. With their leader dead, the Ishtar forces are quickly disbanded and Aphrodia is freed from their control. Kurtz and Hiro end their animosity and Kurtz gives Hiro his monobike as a sign of goodwill. While driving through the streets, Hiro encounters the recently released Sue, who's being evacuated to Earth. She thanks him for all of his help, and he tells her to come back and visit Venus again.
Following Sue's tip, Hiro makes the long trek to a refugee camp; there, he and Maggy are happily reunited (thanks to her Siamese cat Andrew). Back on Earth, Sue has given a world exclusive on the Venus Wars. She plans to spend her vacation on Venus so she can rejoin her friends.
The Japanese production company BIGONE Inc has just launched a Kickstarter campaign in both Japan and the United States to raise funds to produce a special effects heavy trailer for their proposed 'Getter Robo' live action movie to be released in 2025 to celebrate the classic anime's 50th anniversary. BIGONE is a newly founded production company by Japanese producer Junya Okabe (Godzilla vs Biollante & Gundam - Mission to the Rise) and Getter Robo would be it's first production.
From Kickstarter:
Getter Robo was first published as manga and anime in Japan in 1974. Since then, there have been many sequels and adaptations in manga and anime.
To celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, Getter Robo will finally make its debut in theatres in Japan as a live-action feature film.
Junya Okabe will write, produce, and direct the live-action Getter Robo feature film.
Getter Robo was originally a manga series by Go Nagai & Ken Ishikawa published in Weekly Shonen Sunday (a magazine in Japan) between 1974 and 1975, which was also made into a TV anime series.
Among numerous works in the 70s featuring giant robots patterned after the mainstream hit show "Mazinger Z," Getter Robo established the gold standard by incorporating robot combination and transformation elements.
Three pilots respectively controlling "Eagle-Gou," "Jaguar-Gou," and "Bear-Gou," merge their ships to form "Get Machines". They transform into three variations of a giant robot named "Getter-1," "Getter-2," and "Getter-3," each optimized for different combat situations when confronting the Dinosaur Empire, which vows to annihilate humankind.
While the anime series on TV was simplified as a moral story of good guys versus bad guys to fit younger viewers’ taste, the original manga adaptation by Ken Ishikawa was violent and hardcore, which still attracts cult fans today.
In 2025, the series will celebrate its 50th anniversary, beloved by countless fans of anime and manga.
Since obtaining the rights to produce a live-action film of Getter Robo by Go Nagai ＆ Ken Ishikawa, we have been aiming for a theatrical release of the film in 2025 - in celebration of its 50th anniversary.
The Getter Robo live-action film will be full of amazing but technically challenging visual effects.
Ordinarily, visual tests and techniques take place during the preproduction of a feature film. However, unlike Hollywood productions with abundant budgets, most Japanese films must produce and budget these works, separately - on a smaller scale and within a short timeframe.
After countless discussions, we concluded that it would be best to produce a 3 – 5 minute trailer focused on realizing the most challenging visuals necessary for the feature.
The series, called "Giant Robo" in Japan was produced by Toei Company Ltd., and aired on NET (now TV Asahi) from October 11, 1967 to April 1, 1968, with a total of 26 episodes. The English dubbed version of the series was produced by American International Television as "Johnny Sokko and his Flying Robot".
The entire series was first broadcast in the United States in 1969 by American International Television, and became quite popular in syndication over the next several years, particularly from 1971-74 when it reached its peak in distribution. The series was still in active syndication through the early 1980s. In 1970, several episodes were edited together to create the movie Voyage Into Space, which has now reached cult film status.
The series was astonishingly violent by American standards of children's programming in the 1960s (in its home country of Japan, though, it was no more violent than any other tokusatsu airing at the time). Gunplay are staples of every episode of the series, and the series' two child leads - Johnny Sokko and Mari Hanson (Mari Hanamura in the Japanese version; a 9-year-old girl introduced in the seventh episode who speaks 39 languages and is a crack shot with a firearm) were frequently seen shooting along with the rest of the Unicorn agents. In one episode, Johnny and Mari are captured and tied to trees by Gargoyle, and are within seconds of being executed by firing squad, when Unicorn agents rescue them. Oddly enough, though practically every Japanese anime exported to the United States during that period was edited due to violent content, Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot seemed to have escaped close scrutiny in that regard, and what editing was done on the show seemed to have been more for the purposes of squeezing in another commercial or two rather than in the interest of curbing the show's violence.
Plot:
The Earth is under invasion by a terrorist group called Big Fire (Gargoyle in the US version), an Illuminati style organization led by the alien Emperor Guillotine, who spends almost the entire series in a multicolored space ship hidden at the bottom of one of the Earth's oceans (presumably the Pacific) whence he issues his orders to the members of Gargoyle (frequently referred to in the series as "The Gargoyle Gang").
The members of Gargoyle, as it turns out, are an ambitious but somewhat incompetent bunch who appear to have a fairly high mortality rate due either to Unicorn actions or Guillotine's own fits of anger. Their wardrobe is an interesting collection of what appears to be an assortment of castoffs from Soviet officers, wartime Wehrmacht personnel, Central American guerrillas, and the designers of Italian sunglasses. In addition, at least one Gargoyle member is always seen with a beatnik beard. Most of Gargoyle's members wear berets adorned with a skull on the front. All members of Gargoyle have an explosive device implanted within their bodies that can be detonated in the event they are captured, though this seems to be used only rarely.
Guillotine himself has a large blue head with tentacles extending from the bottom of the head; not unlike Cthulhu. He wears a long robe, and carries a staff with a white orb at its furthest end. Like his head, the rest of his body is blue. He is capable of growing to an enormous height, though this is only seen once in the series; specifically, it is only seen in the last installment, where he himself actually fights, and loses to, the Flying Robot.
Guillotine leaves day-to-day matters in the hands of various commanders; principally Spider (a human who is eventually killed by a spray of acid), Doctor Botanus (Doctor Over in the Japanese series; a silver-skinned alien capable of teleportation), Fangar (Red Cobra in the Japanese series, and also alternatively referred to as Dangor the Executioner in the US series - a bizarre alien with a peg-leg and crutch, a greatly enlarged forehead, protruding upper teeth, and a costume that looks like a traditional striped prison outfit in front and a red velvet jumpsuit in back), Harlequin (Black Dia in the Japanese version, who has a fascination with the suits of playing cards), and The Golden Knight (Mr Gold in the Japanese series; a gold colored armored knight).
The group captures scientists to create an army of giant monsters to rampage the Earth. But fate stumbles on a little boy named Daisaku Kusama (Johnny Sokko in the US) and a young man named Jūrō Minami (Jerry Mano in the US), the latter is secretly Member U3 of the top-secret peacekeeping organization, Unicorn. Daisaku and Jūrō are shipwrecked on an island after the ocean liner they were on was attacked by a giant sea monster called Dracolon, and are captured by members of Big Fire. When trying to escape, they end up in an elevator that leads down to a huge construction complex where a giant robot is being built. Pharaoh-like in appearance in that the design of his head resembles the headdresses worn by the Pharaohs of ancient Egypt, this nearly indestructible humanoid robot is being built by captive scientist Dr. Lucius Guardian, who decides to give the two escapees its control device, a miniature transmitter built into a wristwatch. The robot can only be controlled by the first voice recorded in his electronic brain; however, he first needs to be charged up by atomic energy. Dr. Guardian helps Daisaku and Jūrō escape, only to be shot to death, but not before he set an atomic bomb that destroyed the base, the resulting explosion activates the giant robot, which moves to Daisaku's every command. As the controller of the robot (heretofore known as "Giant Robo," or just "Giant Robot" in the US), Daisaku is invited by Jūrō and his chief Azuma to join Unicorn as its 7th member, U7. As U7, Daisaku fights the evil forces of Big Fire with the help of U3/Jūrō and Giant Robo.
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