Monster Japan Travel Guide Update

by Armand Vaquer

Above, the Godzilla mural at Toho Studios will be included in the new edition. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things are progressing on the new, updated edition of The Monster Movie Fan's Guide To Japan.

I have selected the publishing program, the publisher and most of it is written. I am waiting, at present, for more information on the new Toho Pictures production of Shin Godzilla (to be called Godzilla Resurgence outside of Japan). Also, I am trying to decide on what photograph to use on the cover. Maybe I'll post a poll or survey of some kind involving Godzilla fans to see what photo they like.

Above, the life-size Godzilla in Shinjuku will be also included in the new edition. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

I have contacted director Shinji Higuchi for information on the locations and/or landmarks used in the movie so that they can be included. Fans would then be able to go to those places when they visit Japan.

Stay tuned!

Hideaki Anno Designs The Biggest Godzilla In History For 'Shin Godzilla'

Toho Opens Official Website for 2016 "Shin Godzilla" Film

From Crunchyroll by Mikikazu Komatsu

Toho today opens the official website for the upcoming new Godzilla film scheduled for Summer of 2016, announcing its official title Shin Godzilla and three main cast. It will be the first Japanese Godzilla film in 12 years since Ryuhei Kitamura's box office failure Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004.

See Also: Monster Zero - Godzilla, Rodan, King Ghidorah - Retro Style Lobby Card Print

The new film is co-directed by Hideaki Anno (Evangellion) as chief director and Shinji Higuchi (Heisei Gamera series, Attack on Titan) as director. Anno provides the screenplay and Higuchi also serves as special effects director. According to the executive producer Akihiro Yamaguchi, the "Shin" is named by Anno, and can stand for "新 (new)," "真 (true)," or "神 (god)." It is easy to point out the similarity with Anno's yet-released anime film Shin Evangelion, the final fourth chapter of the Rebuild film series.

While the details of its story is unknown, 38-year-old Hiromi Hasegawa and 44-year-old Yutaka Takenouchi are cast as government officials, and 28-year-old Satomi Ishihara plays an American agent. Both Hasegawa and Ishihara recently performed in Higuchi's two-part live-action film adaptation of the mega hit manga series Attack on Titan; Hasegawa portrayed an original character for the film, Shikishima, and Ishihara as Zoë Hange.

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The visual of the new Godzilla is designed by Anno, and its size is expected to be the largest in the 60-year-old franchise, much bigger than the recent one appeared in the Gareth Edwards-directed American film in 2014, which was 108 meter tall. The shooting has already begun in August, and is scheduled to be finished by the end of October.

Recomended: Production of Toho’s ‘Godzilla 2016’ Now Under Way - and - Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi to Direct ‘Godzilla 2016′

Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi to Direct ‘Godzilla 2016′

From Variety
Written By Patrick Frater

Top Japanese filmmakers Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi will team up to co-direct “Godzilla 2016”, the new Japanese version of the iconic Godzilla monster movie franchise.

The Toho studio, which licensed remake rights to Warner Bros. for the hit 2014 revival by director Gareth Edwards, produced the seemingly terminal “Godzilla: Final Wars” back in 2004.

But interest was revived by Edward’s 2014 “Godzilla,” which earned $525 million worldwide and JPY3.2 billion ($26 million) in Japan, with Toho and Warner Bros. Japan co-distributing.

“Ever since Hollywood announced that ‘Godzilla’ was to be resurrected, the expectation for another Japanese Godzilla grew. And if we were to newly produce, we looked into Japanese creators who were the most knowledgeable and who had the most passion for Godzilla” said Toho in a statement.

Anno will also be responsible for the screenplay while Higuchi will oversee the picture’s VFX.

The two directors previously collaborated on “God Warrior Appears in Tokyo.” “Their drive to take on such new challenges was exactly what we all had been inspired by,” said Toho.

Anno worked on the animation of Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli-produced “Nausicaa in the Valley of Wind.” He later directed anime series including “Gunbuster,” “Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water” and the “Neon Genesis Evangelion” series for which he is best most known. He also curated a touring exhibition Tokusatsu — Special Effects Museum.

Higuchi also worked on the “Evangelion” series, before debuting as a feature director with “Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean” in 2005 and scoring a major hit with “The Sinking of Japan.”

Meanwhile, Edwards has been signed to make “Godzilla 2,” which is set for a June 8, 2018, bow, with Legendary and Warner Bros. again co-producing.

In total Toho has produced 28 Godzilla movies since 1954 when Ishiro Honda directed the first. Ryuhei Kitamura’s “Godzilla: Final Wars” earned a disappointing $12 million.

Shinji Higuchi Bringing Monster Magnitude 9 To Television

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Sources: Nippon Cinema / Toho Kingdom / Avery Guerra

Japanese special effects master, Shinji Higuchi (Heisei Gamera Series), has developed a brand new giant monster television series for late night television called, "MM9" (Monster Magnitude 9).

The series will take place in an alternate universe, where Japan is constantly attacked by monsters. MM9 is a special unit of Japan Meteorological Agency who's job it is to predict the arrival of these monsters in very much the same way that the National Weather Service predicts rain and snow.

When the monsters do show up, and you know that they will in every episode, a team of monster specialists called “Kitokutai” are dispatched to combat them. Only one problem, these specialists are not from the military, so they don't have any weapons. The group will have to rely on their skills, knowledge, and experience to prevent the monsters from reducing Japan to toothpicks.

That's a new twist! You would think that a group that specializes in dealing with 200ft tall creatures would get a maser tank or two......or at least a bazooka or something?

"MM9" stars Anna Ishibashi as the teams rookie, Sakura Fujisawa, along with Machiko Ono as Sakura's mentor, Mikazuki. Rounding out the cast are Issei Takahashi, Yasuhi Nakamura, Satoru Matsuo, Sarutoki Minagawa, Takako Kato, and Yutaka Matsushige.

"MM9" also has a great list of directors lined up, including Tomoyuki Furumaya, Kiyotaka Taguchi and Ataru Oikawa. So far all of the shows episodes have been written by Kazunori Ito (Patlabor, Gamera).

Back on April 1st, posted a fake message, that hinted that this show was coming, about a new series called, "XX9". The post featured the cast of "MM9" dressed in sci fi costumes with futuristic weapons.

As a late night sci fi dorama "MM9" will go toe-to-toe with Kadokawa's "Daimajin Kanon".

"MM9" is set to premiere July 7th on the Mainichi Broadcasting System (MBS).

Why can't we get any great shows like this here in America?

See Also: New Images And Video From "Daimajin Kanon" / In The Absence Of Godzilla, Japan Has Had A Real Giant Monster Boom!

New Production Art And Figure For Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara

Written By: Ken Hulsey
Source: Avery Guerra

Avery Guerra has dug up a couple of interesting bits in conjunction with Jun Miura and Shinji Higuchi's kaiju parody, "Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara" (Chohatsu Daikaiju Gehara).

The first item is an early production sketch/artwork of the monster Gehara.

The second, is news that famous Japanese toy company, Marmit, is releasing a vinyl figure of the monster. Now, many Japanese monster fans should be very familiar with Marmit. The company has been manufacturing Godzilla and Ultraman figures for decades. Though not as detailed as the kaiju related figures produced by Bandai, these figures are treasured by collectors worldwide.

It is somewhat fitting that Marmit produce a figure of Gehara. The companies style really fits the design of the monster, plus the film itself was a throwback to the 'Golden' age of Japanese monster cinema, an era when Marmit figures were the mainstay.


Fans can find out more about this Gehara figure over at the Marmit website - HERE

See Also: Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara

Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara

A new made-for-television daikaiju parody mini-movie 「長髪大怪獣ゲハラ」 (Chohatsu Daikaiju Gehara) or Long-Haired Giant Monster: Gehara is set for broadcast on February 24 as part of a 50-minute special. The mini-movie has a 15-minute running time.

Cult writer/Artist/Painter Master Jun Miura teamed up with spfx master Shinji Higuchi (the 1990s Gamera trilogy) to create this feature.

August Ragone's blog, The Good, The Bad and Godzilla has the full story on this feature. To read it, go here.