The first Z Gundam movie is titled Heirs to the Stars

In 2005 the 50 episode Z Gundam television series from 1985 was compiled into a movie trilogy titled Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation. I grabbed the DVD set when I saw it on Amazon.com but waited to watch them until my surround sound system was working. It was worth the wait! The movies use dolby 5.1 surround and, together with the full-screen animation, make for an awesome cinematic experience.

The movies were really cool and a lot of fun to watch. They’re a real treat for Gundam fans already familiar with Z Gundam. However, I have a hard time recommending them to people who haven’t already seen the Z Gundam episodes.

The movies mix old, remastered animation from the TV series together with new animation. The new animation is both lush and brilliant. Mobile suits and ships come alive in a way I didn’t know was possible. Battle scenes in space take on new dimensions and captivate the viewer. Details of mobile suit mechanisms (like transformation) are demonstrated proving the animators cared about the material with which they were working – and the fans as well. New animation also showed viewers interesting day-to-day details of life aboard space ships. Details like navigating corridors in zero gravity and the devices provided for crew members to live more efficiently in space were added to the movies. My only complaint is the jarring difference at times between old and new animation. The difference in quality becomes more noticeable when the scenes are mixed together so thoroughly. Although I learned to accept it I doubt new viewers would be so forgiving.

The second Z Gundam movie is titled Lovers

Compressing around 21 hours into three feature films meant many things had to be cut. Sub plots, lighter moments and scenes detailing relationships between characters had to go. For a longtime Gundam fan that isn’t a problem but for someone new to Z Gundam it could give wrong impressions. I wouldn’t doubt that a westerner who knew nothing about Gundam, after seeing these three movies, would think Z Gundam is light on plot and character development. Also, the relentless pace of action scenes, although incredible to see in the movies, can tire a person out. That’s why I wouldn’t show the Z Gundam movies to someone not already familiar with UC Gundam.

One thing that was interesting to see was the emphasis in the movies on the relationship between Emma Sheen and Captain Henken. The original TV series didn’t give enough time to this character relationship and the death of Captain Henken at the end suffers as a result. The movies take time in several scenes to show not only Henken’s pursuit of Emma’s affections but also Emma’s grudging acceptance. This makes Henken’s sacrifice towards the end of the story more moving.

The third Z Gundam movie is titled Love is the Pulse of the Stars

The movies show a radically different ending for Camille Bidan, Z Gundam’s main character. The TV series ends with him suffering so much trauma that he’s a mental vegetable. After 20 years the creators decided to give Z Gundam’s dedicated hero a happy ending with his love and childhood friend, Fa. Although I’m usually a purist on details of plot and theme, I found myself accepting this change easily. After 20 years Camille deserves a break.

Important characters from Z Gundam.

Every mecha fan eventually reaches a point where he (or she) contemplates Tomino’s classic sci-fi anime shows. The potent concoctions of drama and tragedy mixed with epic casts of characters and intricate political maneuvers draw so many of us. After the roller coaster ride is finished we’re left wondering what to make of it all. Why did Camille Bidan, after so heroically defending his friends, have to end up as a vegetable at the end of Zeta Gundam? Why did everyone – I mean everyone – have to die in Dunbine and Ideon? This article is one mecha fan’s attempt to explain what Tomino may have been trying to get across to his viewers. Although what follows is the speculation of a fan from the wrong side of the Pacific Ocean I don’t believe that themes in anime are impossible for non-Japanese to understand. I’ll need to discuss some ideas from Japanese culture but what anime fan isn’t also a student of Japanese culture?

Characters from Legendary God Giant Ideon.

There’s Only One Tomino

First let me clarify what I mean by “classic” Tomino sci-fi anime. Tomino Toshiyuki is a name well-known to most anime fans. He has been involved in a great many anime projects since he began his career in 1964. Mecha fans remember him best for his many science-fiction anime shows. To this day, many fans in North America call him “Mr. Gundam” for his brilliant work on the first several Gundam anime shows. During the 70s and 80s Tomino produced and/or directed a lot of science-fiction anime for television. His trademark during that period of his career were shows with large casts, intricate political situations and bleak stories where the heroes battled against superior forces to save the lives of countless civilians. These stories so often ended in tragedy for characters the audience had grown to love that some Tomino fans call it his “kill ‘em all heyday.”

Despite the harsh stories he told the anime from Tomino’s classic period remain popular today. The Gundam franchise is constantly trying to recapture the magic of Zeta Gundam. Toys and models from Mobile Suit Gundam, Dunbine and Ideon still sell well today – decades after the shows finished their runs on television. With so many obvious similarities between these classic sci-fi shows it’s easy to discern Tomino’s classic style. But why did Tomino adopt that style? Why did he tell such bleak stories? Why did he want us to learn the details of the complicated relationships between so many characters? Why so many factions that created such nuanced politics in shows that were targeted primarily at younger boys? Above all, why did we have to see such tragic deaths after tuning in to the heroes’ fortunes for 50 episodes?

This clip shows the death of King Foizan, Elle’s father.

A Japanese Idea
Tomino wanted to stress the importance of a very Japanese idea: community. By community I mean the values that hold a large group of people, a society, together. Unity, concern for others, self restraint, cooperation – these are the values that lay at the heart of classic Tomino anime. This may seem like a rather abstract set of ideas but they tie together neatly when you consider the fact that the Japanese hold these as traditional values. The Japanese language has many words that mean types of relationships between people (both individuals and groups). Several of these words specifically refer to harmonious social relationships. Words like these in everyday use make this concept more concrete to Japanese people. It was a Japanese audience that Tomino was writing for. In the 70s and 80s not much anime was officially exported from Japan so the animation studios weren’t thinking about how their shows would play for international audiences. A lot of anime of that time stressed the importance to boys of learning these values but Tomino wanted to show what happened when a society lost sight of these lessons.

It Takes a Village to Tell a Story
A large cast of characters is necessary for demonstrating these themes. Unlike a lot of the stories we see, Tomino wasn’t concerned with a character learning to value his or her own circle of family and friends. In order to deal with the issues affecting a society a story needs to show a decent sampling of that society. Tomino’s classic anime featured a group of heroes that helped the audience get a handle on things. However, unlike most anime, Tomino showed us a really large number of characters. The heroes had brothers, parents, friends, etc. Also, a lot of time was spent on the villains so that the viewer was seeing both sides of the conflict. Not only that, but the villains’ family members, friends and acquaintances were also brought into the story. As the story progresses the audience sees how events affect everyone. This stresses the idea that no one is an island. Every decision, every action sends out waves that are felt by everyone. A small cast of characters would make it impossible to see this.

Characters from Mobile Suit Gundam.

Shades of Gray

Western fans have praised Tomino for avoiding the simplicity of good vs. evil in his tales. They point to examples like Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and say that there are no heroes or villains, only shades of gray. As enticing as this sounds it is untrue. Tomino anime had heroes and villains but he didn’t represent them in simple lights. Mobile Suit Gundam is a good example of this. The Principality of Zeon was murdering whole colonies full of people, dropping those colonies on Earth to create disasters that killed countless civilians and using nuclear weapons in battle. They were villains. The Earth Federation was working to stop these atrocities so the Federation were the heroes of the story. To his credit, Tomino showed us Zeon’s desire for freedom from the Federation’s oppressive government so the situation was not as simple as black and white. Still, the story had heroes and villains.

In classic Tomino anime it’s important to see what makes people villainous or heroic. The Zabis, the ruling family of Zeon, by declaring Zeon an archduchy  were returning to a medieval model for society that placed them squarely on top. They placed their own desires before those of the people of Zeon. In their ruthless military tactics they killed many thousands of people without a care and harmed Earth’s natural environment. In their propaganda they declared spacenoids innately superior to people living on Earth. What made Zeon evil was they disregarded the good of other people in their race for their own selfish desires. They were working against the values of unity, cooperation and self-restraint. Zeon’s evil manifested in the fighting that occurred within Zeon’s ranks. Kishiria and Gihren, both members of the Zabi family and leaders in the military, hated each other and wasted resources and lives in their struggle to be on top. Char worked from within to assassinate Zeon’s leadership so he could get revenge on the Zabi family for killing his father. The Federation didn’t have infighting like this. Tomino was showing us the severe disunity within Zeon to emphasize their evil nature.

Camille’s final battle in Z Gundam episode 50.

The Federation’s government, although not nearly as bad as Zeon’s government, also disregarded the values of community. The Federation saw those living on Earth as a kind of elite that deserved a better life. The Federation found it easy to ignore the needs of people living in space colonies. The One Year War of Mobile Suit Gundam was a terrible ordeal for humanity but it wasn’t all Zeon’s fault. The Federation and Zeon shared fault for the situation. The heroes aboard the White Base didn’t want to extend the Federation’s superiority. They fought because Zeon’s evil clearly needed to be stopped. The White Base’s crew were mostly from space colonies and were heroes because they wanted to see society return to a proper balance where those on Earth and in space received equal treatment.

Keep It Together
Tomino was constantly using disunity to make clear who the villains were. In Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985) the AEUG held together well but the villains were an uneasy alliance of the Jupiter fleet, Axis, the Federation and the Titans. Haman Kahn, Paptimus Scirocco and Basque Ohm, each a leader of one of the villainous factions, worked together but were constantly looking for their chances to backstab each other. Aura Battler Dunbine (1983) showed a tight alliance of heroes but terrible discord among the villains. Neal Givens, Elle Hammu and Queen Lapana, leaders of the resistance, cared deeply for each other and never flagged in their loyalty. Drake Luft, King Bishott and Shot Weapon, leaders in Drake’s invading army, were all planning treachery against each other.

Characters from Aura Battler Dunbine.

A Death in the Family
The many tragic deaths of well-loved characters in classic Tomino anime happened for a reason. The tragedies that occurred on both sides of the conflicts we saw in Tomino’s stories brought home the consequences of ignoring the values of community. Tomino was trying to tell us that, ultimately, the results of turning our backs on our community and pleasing our own desires is the loss of loved ones. All people have many bonds with others. Siblings, parents, children, relatives, friends, coworkers – all suffer when someone dies. Each of the characters we see die in Tomino anime had those connections. The conflicts that resulted from people losing sight of the importance of others lead to many losses. The most heart-rending of these on-screen tragedies was probably the conclusion of Legendary Giant-God Ideon (1980). In the grand battle that tears through the Terrans and Buff Clan we see children killed by soldiers as they try to seize control of the Solo Ship. Tomino didn’t pull any punches.

Powers of the Mind
The final point to discuss is the mind powers that showed up in many classic Tomino anime shows. Aura Battler Dunbine (1983) had aura power, Mobile Suit Gundam and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam had newtype abilities. Legendary Giant-God Ideon had the Id. Other shows had mind powers by other names. Tomino used mind powers in his classic anime to emphasize the grief that ensues when people forget their connection to society. In the anime, mind powers were a newly discovered phenomenon that allowed people to better connect with others. Newtype ability and aura power allowed people to sense others at great distances. It allowed insight into the emotions felt by others. These new abilities offered the promise of a new era. An age where people would have additional tools to help them understand each other. An age where it was harder for less outgoing people to be ignored. Sadly, in the anime stories where these mind powers surface people find ways of using them for war. Aura powers helped aura battlers move more quickly and win in battle so people with these abilities were recruited as pilots and sent to fight. Initially, newtype abilities helped people piloting mobile suits avoid enemy fire. Advanced technology let newtypes control sophisticated weapons like remote weapons (bits and funnels). People began to fear newtypes and what should have been a boon to society was instead used to tear it apart with distrust and more destructive fighting.

An Enduring Legacy
The popularity of Tomino’s classic science-fiction anime stories will endure for many years to come. The thoughtfulness he poured into his carefully constructed stories show through so well that their appeal spans the world. Understanding the themes he wanted to impart to his viewers helps us understand why he used the techniques he did. The next time you encounter a fan that scratches his or her head over some of the details of Tomino’s classic style perhaps you can help them to see what Tomino was probably getting at. If my speculations have missed the mark or if you have something to add feel free to leave a comment and speak your mind. I’d like to thank the Austin Otaku for valuable help in writing this piece.

Knights follow Shio as he pilots the Sirbine on his way to attack the Black Knight's fortress

The Tale of Neo Byston Well (1988) is a 3 episode OAV that takes place 700 years after the events of Aura Battler Dunbine (1983). This time the story takes place entirely in Byston Well as no one has access to the Aura Road that was used so much in the first Dunbine story. I first heard about the Dunbine OAV when I was a teenager and have been waiting many years to see it. My enthusiasm was dampened somewhat when I saw that the subtitles, prepared by a group called Freebird, were truly awful. English wasn’t even their second language. My limited understanding of Japanese helped me make sense of the awkward subtitles well enough to feel like I wasn’t missing much of what was being said.

The Tale of Neo Byston Well is one of those OAVs that suffered from a limited budget. The story, although quite different in nature from Aura Battler Dunbine, was interesting and the artwork was very good. The lack of budget showed in the quality of animation. Many scenes consisted of still images being moved slowly across the screen. It wasn’t annoying so much as sad. Mechanical designs as good as the Sirbine and new Zwarth deserve better treatment.

Shio and Remuru, the two main characters of the story. The Fiorene Silky Mau sits on Shio's shoulder.

Neo Byston Well took a very different look at Byston Well than the first Dunbine story in 1983. Aura Battler Dunbine showed us complicated human politics in a fantasy setting with medieval technology. The world of Byston Well was changing as new technology was slowly being worked into human society. The Dunbine OAV takes us to the Byston Well of 700 years later. The new technology that was being integrated 700 years earlier has been forgotten and human society has even lost much of the medieval technology it had before. Neo Byston Well has a strong fantasy feel. Humans scrounge most of what they have and wonder at the mysteries left behind by the people of past ages. The two aura battlers seen in the OAV reflect this fantasy feel with a more ornate and organic look. This time, the aura battlers look like they were hand-crafted by wealthy courts rather than pulled off of an assembly line like in the Dunbine TV series. Since aura battlers were always constructed from the body parts of the immense wild animals of Byston Well, the OAV style actually looks more appropriate than the style of the TV series.

The aura battler Sirbine appears to be a descendant of the Dunbine.

In the midst of this later age, a warlord called the Black Knight has the only functioning aura battler, a new model Zwarth, and is working to expand his domain.  When he attacks the small city of Baran-Baran in an attempt to steal their rumored treasure he makes an enemy of Shio. Shio is a sort of far-ranging hunter scavenger who becomes a warrior when he sees that the Black Knight has captured Princess Remuru and decimated Shio’s favorite trading post. Before long Shio discovers that the treasure hidden in Baran-Baran is a second aura battler, the Sirbine. With the help of a fiorene named Silky Mau, Shio takes the fight to the Black Knight. During a siege of the Black Knight’s fortress by Shio’s new army we discover that a mysterious figure who has been supplying the Black Knight with advanced technology is a cursed character from the first Dunbine story who plans to use ancient missiles to open the Aura Road.

Although the animation quality suffers and the subtitles are poor I still enjoyed The Tale of Neo Byston Well. The character and mecha designs were inspired. The artwork for settings and creatures was top-notch. Although quite different, the new look at Byston Well increased its appeal for me. This OAV is only available via download but it’s worth it for those who have seen the Dunbine TV series.

Captain Harlock

Now that I’ve finally completed all 113 episodes of Galaxy Express 999 (1978) I can understand creator Leiji Matsumoto’s ideal of heroism. Matsumoto anime has been entertaining audiences for thirty years now and I can understand the appeal. Matsumoto’s stories are full of strong heroes fighting against impossible odds but that’s not the whole of the stories’ appeal. Matsumoto is a person who tries to get to the bottom of the concept of heroism. What motivates a hero? What does a hero give up when he faces evil?

Hoshino Tetsuro, hero of Galaxy Express 999

Most of Matsumoto’s heroes are lonely, quiet souls who wander the stars tirelessly carrying out their vows to help those in need. Although these stories have a timeless appeal Tetsuro, the hero of Galaxy Express 999, shows us a different kind of hero that helps us see Matsumoto’s true ideals of heroism.

Every hero needs a villain but a hero that holds to his ideals for a lifetime needs more. A lasting hero needs a rugged frontier – a place where danger is the order of the day and people in need are numerous. Matsumoto grew up watching American Westerns on Japanese television. Wild west themes are constantly cropping up in all of Matsumoto’s science-fiction adventures but the cowboy hats and six shooters aren’t the only thing Matsumoto borrowed from the genre. Matsumoto understood that the stories he took in as a youth took place in a wild frontier. A less civilized place where society’s order was difficult to enforce and strong-willed people could have their way. Matsumoto decided space would be that frontier for his stories. Whether it’s Galaxy Express 999, Captain Harlock or any other Matsumoto science-fiction story space is where adventure is to be found.

Young Tetsuro soon learns that only the tough survive the 999′s journey through a vast and lawless frontier that lies between the few civilized planets of the galaxies. Forged in the furnace of mankind’s last frontier, Tetsuro develops into a hero that can stand tall next to Captain Harlock and others. But a ten year old boy such as Tetsuro could never hold his own in any kind of fight with Captain Harlock. If the ability to mop the floor with enemy troops doesn’t make one a hero what does?

For Matsumoto, the two qualities every hero must possess are compassion and determination. Determination enables a hero to develop the qualities needed to save others. Compassion is necessary to motivate a hero.

Thoughout the episodes of Galaxy Express 999 we see how misguided people can become if they fail to develop both of Matsumoto’s cardinal virtues. Those who have determination but lack compassion become tyrants. Pursuing their dreams without concern for others makes them into dictators that oppress whole planets or schemers that travel between the stars ruining people’s lives. Those with compassion but without determination are sacrificed thoughlessly by tyrants or manipulated by schemers. Though their hearts may be right, people who lack determination can never attain their dreams and have to watch as their lives go nowhere.

Captain Harlock didn’t start out as an unstoppable warrior. He was a man with compassion in his heart who saw others suffering. His determination allowed him to set his mind on gaining the skills needed to become the person other people needed – a warrior. His great determination allowed him to develop great skill in combat, stategy, leadership and all the other qualities he brought to bear on the Mazones and other villains.

Hoshino Tetsuro from Galaxy Express 999 may seem like a different sort of person than Captain Harlock but to Matsumoto he was equally a hero. Tetsuro had a big heart and simply couldn’t stand still when he saw people suffering. Constantly throughout the show Maetel is telling Tetsuro to mind his own business and stay out of trouble but Tetsuro doesn’t listen. He just can’t ignore people in need. Tetsuro discovers during his journey between the stars that the determination needed to stand up to evil was in his heart. Although a boy of only ten years he acquires a warrior’s pistol and uses it fearlessly along with his wits. His courage never falters in the face of danger. He stands by those who need him and always finds the solution needed to save the day.

It isn’t being tough that defeats evil. It isn’t a desire for adventure that leads people to bravery. Compassion for others and the determination to never give in makes a person into a hero. That’s what Matsumoto was really trying to say in his stories. It’s a lesson I hope we all take to heart.

The main characters of Galaxy Express 999

Galaxy Express 999 ran from September 1978 to April 1981 and comprises 113 episodes. It is based on Leiji Matsumoto’s manga of the same name that ran in Shonen King from January 1977 to November 1981. Many consider Galaxy Express 999 to be Matsumoto’s greatest work (though I prefer Captain Harlock).

The story takes place in a future very different from our own. Hoshino Tetsuro is a ten year old boy born into a very poor family. Earth society has statified into the rich who take on mechanical bodies and live in high-tech cities surrounded by comforts and the poor who must remain in their flesh-and-blood bodies and eke out a miserable living in vast, sprawling slums. One of the primary modes of transport between planets in this future world are high-tech space ships that are built to resemble trains of past eras. The most famous of these is the Galaxy Express 999 which resembles a steam locomotive from the 1800′s. The poor people of many planets believe that the Galaxy Express will take passengers to a planet far away in the Adromeda Galaxy where mechanical bodies are free. A mechanical body is a passport to the upper levels of society and a better life. However, tickets for the 999 (commonly called “the Three Nine”) are very expensive.

Tetsuro’s loses his father to the extreme physical labor so many poor men are expected to carry out to feed their families. Tetsuro’s mother decides to take him to work in the city near the 999′s station so they can work to pay for their tickets on the legendary space train. On the way to the city tragedy strikes when Count Mecha, a rich and powerful man who hunts poor people for sport, kills Tetsuro’s mother. In his attempt to escape Count Mecha’s hunting party, Tetsuro is aided by a mysterious woman dressed all in black named Maetel. Maetel offers Tetsuro a free pass for the 999 if he agrees to travel with her. Resolving to get a mechanical body and live a long, happy life for his mother’s sake, Tetsuro agrees. Thus begins the long journey through space that forever changes Testuro.

The 113 episodes of the show tell the story of this journey between Earth in the Milky Way Galaxy and Promethium in the Andromeda Galaxy. Although only ten years old, Tetsuro has the qualities a person needs to complete the dangerous and wondrous journey. Tetsuro learns many lessons that shape his character and prepare him for the nasty surprise awaiting him on Promethium.

I enjoyed Galaxy Express 999 and will show it to my two boys when they’re a little older. However, I hesitate to recommend it to many of the mecha fans I know because it isn’t the sort of science-fiction show that Westerners expect. Matsumoto places very little emphasis on technology and details in his stories. His science-fiction tales swing awfully close to the fantasy genre with their anachronistic technology, lack of detail on technologies pivotal to the story, and his capacity to take all sorts of cultural practices from bygone eras and shove them into high-tech futures. Nowhere is this more apparent than in Galaxy Express 999.

We see a distant future where technology has advanced to the point where humans have colonized countless planets and found ways to transfer themselves to mechanical bodies that enable them to live well beyond a thousand years. Yet in this future setting people travel between planets and stars mainly by way of “space trains”. These trains resemble old Earth trains in every detail. The seating is the same as commuter trains in modern Japan. Many planets have cities that exactly resemble Japanese cities of the 1970′s. Other planets have high-tech, futuristic cities while many more have cities that perfectly resemble American cities from the early 1800′s. It makes for a truly odd galactic society but Matsumoto doesn’t sweat the details.

Matsumoto is a sentimental sort of person who wants to express certain themes and when story details or futuristic technology gets in his way he doesn’t hesitate to jettison them. Although ignoring the details of technologies vital to a story (like how space flight works when the characters are constantly travelling between planets) is usually a hallmark of a bad science-fiction writer, Mastumoto’s characters are so appealing and his stories so compelling that I’m ready to put up with some silliness to enjoy the story. Japanese audiences seem willing to do the same but Western audiences rarely agree.

Galaxy Express 999 has 47 hours and 5 minutes of running time altogether. With all that time one can tell a complicated story but instead Matsumoto tells the story very slowly. The plot develops in small ways once every 12 episodes or so. Tetsuro’s long journey through space is used as a platform for Matsumoto to communicate his views on life. In each episode the 999 arrives at a station on a new planet and Tetsuro is faced with a different place. Each planet has a unique culture with its own problems. Tetsuro visits a planet where the economy has fallen apart and everyone begs for food. Tetsuro contemplates the value of hard work and how it imparts dignity to those who engage in it. Another planet shows Tetsuro a society where everyone obsesses about being the best in their profession and work so much that they lose sight of everything else. Tetsuro muses on how hard work must be balanced with leisure time and directed towards the proper goals. Hard work should help others and enrich one’s life. It should never consume a person’s every waking moment and shut them off from friends and family.

The main idea that connects these stories is Matsumoto’s desire to ask “What makes us human?” and “What really makes our lives better?” In humanity’s push to adopt mechanical bodies people seem to have forgotten the value of having a real flesh-and-blood body that is a part of the natural world. Almost endless life spans give people so much time to waste that they lose sight of what’s important. Tetsuro has many opportunities to consider whether or not he really wants a mechanical body and if a 2,000 year life span is really necessary to accomplish his dreams. Those who are concerned about too much philosophizing need not fear. The episodes have plenty of action and comedy to keep a viewer interested.

One problem with Galaxy Express 999′s lack of science-fiction details is difficult to overlook, however. The inconsistencies with how mechanical bodies are handled makes the central idea of the show suffer. In the first handful of episodes people with mechanical bodies are shown as looking very mechanical. They look like human-shaped robots with dials and bolts showing. Soon after and for most of the show, we see mechanical bodies that look so much like normal human bodies that Tetsuro is surprised to discover that people he’s met have mechanical bodies. Once Tetsuro reaches Planet Promethium mechanical bodies once again look very mechanical. Towards the beginning of the show Tetsuro slowly learns that mechanical bodies ultimately make people unhappy and have bad influences on their character. Later, Tetsuro meets good people who prove that mechanical bodies don’t have to have a negative influence on a person. But when he reaches Promethium it is once again demonstrated that mechanical bodies dramatically lower a person’s quality of life.  Matsumoto’s main theme gets damaged by these inconsistencies.

Although the 2-part episode that wraps up the show leaves a lot of questions unanswered it did resolve many of the most important plot points. It’s easy for me to see why the manga and the television show it created became such a phenomenon in anime. Galaxy Express 999 has spawned many movies, OAVs and television shows. From the beginning until the most recent anime (2007) is a thirty year span. Not many anime franchises have that much staying power. Although it took 47 hours and 5 mintues of my time, I enjoyed Galaxy Express 999 and hope that other English-speakers discover this anime gem as I have.

In what will be the last of my Godzilla posts for a while I wanted to give a review of William Tsutsui’s book Godzilla on My Mind. However, the book is too painfully bad to give a detailed review. Discussing the contents in any detail would be too cruel a thing to do to this blog’s readers. The author has nothing worthwhile to add to any conversation of Godzilla. To borrow a line from Monty Python, this is not a book for reading. This is a book for laying down and avoiding.

Advertising poster from Godzilla's 28th and (so far) final movie. It bids Godzilla farewell and shows him walking away from the big screen.

Now that I’ve finally had the chance to watch all 28 Godzilla movies (and a few other classic Toho films) I can reflect on how the King of the Monsters and his career have effected me. Ever since childhood I watched Godzilla’s 70′s movies on television. I liked the movies but for years I didn’t really understand what Godzilla meant or anything about the context in which the monster’s stories were told.

I continued my interest in Japan and learned many things about the history, culture and mindset of the Land of the Rising Sun. I watched a lot of anime and read manga. It wasn’t until many years had passed that I finally decided to take another look at Godzilla and see if there was anything in those movies that would hold my attention. Watching the original cut of the first Godzilla movie (1954) with English subtitles blew my mind. I had no idea monster movies could have such depth. It appealed to me on many levels and set me on a quest to learn more about the radioactive reptile that had ruled the big screen for 50 years.

Most English speakers think all Godzilla movies are like the ones made in the 70′s. Godzilla vs. Megalon and one or two other movies from that period have been played repeatedly on American television for years. The bad dubbing, added to the fact that Godzilla vs. Megalon was the nadir of Godzilla’s film career lead many people to think Godzilla movies are nothing but junk. Godzilla movies are actually divided into three series. The original series ran from 1954 to 1975. This era, called the Showa Series (getting its name from Japan’s emperor) started out serious and slowly became more light-hearted. By the mid 70′s Godzilla movies were a lot like comic super hero stories. The Heisei Series lasted from 1984 to 1995 and was a return to serious storytelling. The Millennium Series was from 1999 to 2004. This most recent series was mostly unconnected stories that introduced modern special effects techniques.

I started collecting Godzilla’s movies, whether by purchase or rental, in their original form with subtitles so I could be sure I wasn’t missing anything. Books like A Critical History and Filmography of Toho’s Godzilla Series and Eiji Tsuburaya: Master of Monsters filled in gaps in my knowledge and helped me get a better picture of the films’ context. I was genuinely surprised by how much enjoyment I found in these movies. Even when the series reached the 70′s and started getting less serious and more goofy I had grown to like the elements of Godzilla movies so much that my enthusiasm didn’t diminish. In the 90′s when the Heisei Series began and the storytelling shifted into a more serious mode I was amazed again at what I found. I was relieved when the Millennium Series added the higher quality special effects to the movies that had been lacking for so long.

The Godzilla series is rich in not only action, thrills and fun but also engaging storytelling and deeper themes like the responsibilities of using our technology well and holding ourselves accountable for what our society does to the environment and its citizens. Even movies that at first seem like low spots in Godzilla’s career, like All Monsters Attack (1969), reveal mature themes such as the importance of father-son relationships and the affects of a nation’s industrialization on families.

After 28 movies what is the main lesson we can take away? Don’t mess with Godzilla. It may seem like a good idea at the time but it just never is. No scientist, no nation, no army, no alien civilization has ever succeeded in pushing Godzilla around. It’s best to just get out of this monster’s way.

What is the essence of Godzilla? What is his defining characteristic? Tenacity, determination, perseverance – Godzilla never quits, never gives up and never says die. The king of the monsters possesses a determination that is primal and impossible for mere humans to understand. Whether he’s menacing society or defending it, you can’t help but admire him.

It wasn’t easy gathering all the Godzilla movies. I had to purchase 18 of the 28 movies just to watch faithful versions. However, the time and the money I put into my project payed off handsomely. My two sons and I enjoyed the movies immensely and have spent a lot of time talking about them. The mature themes discussed in so many of the movies have given me pause for thought on many occasions. The heart and soul poured into these movies by so many Japanese people, people like Eiji Tsuburaya, Ishiro Honda, Koichi Kawakita and many others, shows through on many levels and has been rewarding viewers for fifty years. If you haven’t seen any Godzilla movies than you should at least sample a few. I recommend starting with the first, Godzilla from 1954.

The Japanese DVD art for Godzilla: Final Wars

Video Daikaiju came to my rescue again and supplied a great subtitled copy of Godzilla: Final Wars (2004). This is the 28th and (so far) final Godzilla movie directed by Kitamura Ryuhei. Godzilla’s Millennium Series ended with a bang with this over-the-top, thrill-packed movie.

The North American DVD art for Godzilla: Final Wars

Toho decided that the 6th movie in the Millennium Series (1999 to 2004) would be their last – at least for a number of years. Since 2004 was Godzilla’s 50th anniversary they decided to give him a big farewell party in the form of a movie with everything. This time the big budget action would not just be for the monsters. The human characters, often consigned to watching from the sidelines as the monsters battle, have plenty of battles of their own in Final Wars. A large host of the most popular monsters from past Godzilla movies were rounded up to appear again and give the King of the Monsters a proper farewell. Final Wars doesn’t follow the serious storytelling of the Heisei (1984 to 1995) and most of the Millennium movies. As a tribute to the Godzilla movies the creators of this film no doubt grew up with, they decided to emulate the light-hearted, fun feel of many of the later Godzilla movies of the Showa Series (1954 to 1975). Although I prefer the serious storytelling mode used by the Heisei Series I also enjoyed many of the lighter movies from the 1970′s. Godzilla: Final Wars was just too much fun for me to resist.

Godzilla's new look for his 28th movie

Starting with the first of Godzilla’s attacks in 1954, Earth has been ravaged by many giant monsters. To deal with the threat Earth’s governments have cooperated to fund and operate the Earth Defense Force (EDF). When some humans were discovered to have unusual strength, endurance and agility research uncovered a unique genetic sequence dubbed M base. These people were called mutants and enlisted by the EDF to form Organization M. Organization M soldiers form the vanguard of the EDF’s efforts to fight monsters both as heavily armed infantry and as bridge crew on the EDF’s combat air ships.

Japanese movie posters that bid farewell to Godzilla

Organization M soldier Ozaki is assigned to protect genetic scientist Otonashi Miyuki as she begins to study a new monster unearthed in Hokkaido. Otonashi is beautiful but proud so sparks fly immediately between the two. When many giant monsters appear at the same time and attack several major cities the EDF is thrown into a panic. Just as all hope seems to be lost mysterious aliens from Planet X appear in the skies over the besieged cities and make the monsters vanish. The aliens announce their intentions are peaceful but many doubt the Earth’s new guests. Ozaki and Otonashi gather a small group to get some answers and Otonashi’s sister, a television news reporter, discovers that UN Secretary General Daigo is actually an alien imposter. When the aliens’ ruse is exposed the aliens’ leader is assassinated by his aide who now announces that all diplomacy with Earth is over. The X-ians have come to dominate the Earth and will brook no resistance. The giant monsters of the world have M base within them and are completely under the X-ians control. These monsters are quickly released to cause havoc in Earth’s cities to demoralize the human race and make them ready to submit to their alien masters.

Ozaki and his team resolve to revive the fragmented EDF and break the rebellious Colonel Gordon out of solitary confinement. Although locked up for insubordination, Colonel Gordon is a strong leader and the EDF’s last hope against the X-ians. Gordon wastes no time getting his crew aboard the airship Gotengo. He reveals a bold scheme to revive Godzilla, locked in ice at the South Pole, to battle the monsters terrorizing Earth’s cities while the Gotengo takes the fight to the X-ian mother ship. Godzilla sets to with a vengeance and makes short work of the monsters around the world. He even puts the beat down on Anguirus, King Caesar and Rodan when they all attack him at once. The Gotengo mounts an attack on the X-ian mother ship. After taking out the alien ship’s force field with an act of heroism the heroes are captured by X-ian soldiers and lead to the control room to confront their leader, the maniacal Controller.

A meteor sent to Earth by the X-ians finally makes impact and a fearsome new monster confronts Godzilla in a ruined Tokyo. When things seem at their darkest Mothra appears from her island hideaway and helps Godzilla narrowly escape a combined attack from Gigan and the new monster. Mothra takes out Gigan while Godzilla battles the new monster to a standstill. Rather than lose the fight the new monster throws away its disguise and transforms into King Ghidora. King Ghidora seizes Godzilla in a death grip and begins sucking out his life force.

Not to be outdone, the heroes aboard the X-ian mother ship resolve their battle with the Controller and his elite X-ian soldiers. Ozaki learns that he is more than an M Organization mutant. He is a rare kaiser, a being capable of controlling humans and mutants with more power than any mutant can muster. The Controller attempts to bend Ozaki to his will but Otonashi, using a relic left behind by Mothra’s tiny priestesses, snaps the mind control and releases Ozaki’s true potential as a kaiser. In a hand-to-hand battle with the Controller Ozaki reveals his power and gives the Controller a fatal blow. Colonel Gordon leads the evacuation as the mother ship self destructs and Ozaki just barely makes it on board as they flee.

Once outside, Ozaki uses his newfound powers to revive Godzilla. Shaking off King Ghidora’s fatal embrace Godzilla savagely defeats the alien dragon and sends it into orbit with a radioactive blast that shatters the monster’s body. Godzilla then turns his rage upon the damaged Gotengo and its crew and almost destroys them when Minira (from Son of Godzilla) pleads with him to stop. Godzilla and Minira head for the sea while the human characters resolve to rebuild their shattered world.

Godzilla: Final Wars was a lot of fun to watch. The movie is not only action packed but features every kind of action I can think of – kung fu fights, gun fights, sword fights, motorcycle battles, giant monster rumbles, aerial battles. It was great to see so many of Godzilla’s famous rivals rounded up in one movie. Mecha Godzilla was absent but since this monster was featured prominently in the previous two movies, this omission was forgiveable. The special effects were great but not as good as the previous two or three movies. Because this movie was a tribute to Godzilla’s long career it seems the director wanted to return to more traditional rubber suit acting. Although newer CG effects were used they weren’t used as often or as wells as they were in other Millennium Series movies.

Some aspects of the film did disappoint me, though. Colonel Gordon was a great character but the writers seemed to focus on his tough guy persona too much. He had plenty of attitude and tenacity but they gave him so many sarcastic lines and so few intelligent ones that he ended up looking like more of a fool than a capable leader. In a nod to films like Song of Godzilla and All Monsters Attack, Minira appeared in the movie in a few scenes before making his impassioned plea to Godzilla at the end. Minira’s scenese, although mercifully few, were annoying and should have been taken out altogether. Not everything from Godzilla’s illustrious past was illustrious, after all. Also, when the mutant Kazama makes his heroic sacrifice and crashes his fighter plane into the heart of the alien mother ship to take out the force field we’re treated to a Star Wars cliche that just shouldn’t have been there.

One great thing about this movie was the explanation scene at the beginning. The writers did a great job of helping the audience understand what world the movie is set in and how humanity and the monsters relate. When the action started I didn’t have to wonder what it meant.

As is fitting in a tribute to Godzilla’s career, the movie was full of references to earlier movies. The movie itself is almost a remake of Attack of the Marching Monsters (Destroy All Monsters in North America). When Attack of the Marching Monsters was made it was a rousing return to classic Godzilla themes and featured more action and more monsters than any movie that came before it. Old time Godzilla actors returned in supporting roles for Godzilla: Final Wars. Akira Takarada, who starred in the very first Godzilla movie, appeared as UN General Secretary Daigo. Godzilla’s encasement in ice was borrowed from the end of the second Godzilla movie (and the beginning of the third). In keeping with early Godzilla traditions, we have a scientist and a reporter among the band of heroes. We also have a soldier and some EDF officers. This combination of the older and newer types of Godzilla heroes was a good mixture of the old and the new.

Godzilla: Final Wars was a lot of fun to watch and I enthusiastically recommend it to everyone. I watched it a second time with my two boys and they’re asking when they can watch it again. Don’t cheat yourself by missing out on this movie.

After much waiting I finally received my copy of Godzilla 2000 (1999) subtitled this week. I’ve been waiting to see this movie for a long time. Although I enjoyed it, it was one of the weaker entries of the six movies in the Millenium Series.

In Godzilla 2000 Dr. Shinoda left a high profile position as a professor at a large university to create a small company that tracks and studies Godzilla. Dr. Shinoda hopes that his Godzilla warnings will help people avoid the worst consequences of the monster’s rampages. During his time in the field studying Godzilla Dr. Shinoda once again meets Mr. Katagiri, a government official in charge of Japan’s Crisis Control Institute (CCI). Katagiri is unsuccessful in his attempts to persuade Shinoda to join his team. Shinoda does not want to help the CCI destroy Godzilla.

Godzilla is back - with a whole new look.

While Godzilla is rampaging another team in the CCI accidentally awakens an alien artifact that has rested at the bottom of the sea for millions of years. Upon awakening, the artifact takes an interest in Godzilla and confronts the monster. After a brief battle Godzilla disappears and the artifact, now revealed to be a space craft, finds a place to rest and recover.

It isn’t long before the space craft pulls itself together and rests atop a skyscraper in Tokyo. As it sits silently atop the building Shinoda, temporarily cooperating with the CCI to gain access to their labs, works with his former university colleague Dr. Miyasaka (now with the CCI) to study a tissue sample from Godzilla. They learn Godzilla has amazing regenerative abilities. Meanwhile, members of the CCI discover the alien ship is sitting on the building so it can gain access to Japan’s best data store.

Godzilla faces off with Orga

Yukiko Ichinose, a photographer who has been tagging along with Dr. Shinoda, breaks into the building to try and discover just what information the aliens are after. Katagiri has his forces set bombs in the building to try and destroy the alien ship. Shinoda breaks into the building to rescue Ichinose and just barely makes it out alive as the bombs go off. When the CCI team sees the bombs had no effect on the aliens they are at a loss for what to do. Shinoda reveals the aliens plan to transform Earth’s atmosphere to their liking before they invade but first they want to take the secret of Godzilla’s regeneration directly from the monster himself.

The aliens use their new-found knowledge to make a monster called Orga to defeat and consume Godzilla to unlock the last secrets of the monster’s amazing ability. Godzilla, seeking revenge for the earlier confrontation, isn’t willing to cooperate with the aliens’ scheme. Godzilla wastes no time destroying the alien space craft and Orga in a climactic battle. After his victory, making a break with tradition, Godzilla immediately resumes his rampage across Tokyo.

The American DVD cover

I spent a large portion of the movie trying to figure out what was going on. The movie starts off with no information for the audience about the movie’s setting. Most movies in the Millenium Series create their own timeline that has no connection to the others. The audience needs some information at the start of the movie to help us know what came before in this timeline and where Godzilla stands in relation to mankind. Did Godzilla just appear? Has he been around for years? What does humanity think of the monster? Without answers to any of these questions the movie races on with a confused audience in tow.

The movie tried to show us two villains; the aliens and CCI head Katagiri. The aliens were certainly evil but Katagiri spent most of the movie being a competent, level-headed government official who worked hard to protect Japanese civilians. He wanted to destroy Godzilla but after the death and destruction the monster has caused this is certainly understandable. The writers suddenly remember their mistake towards the end of the movie and have Katagiri proceed with the building detonation even though he knows Shinoda may be inside. After that he has an odd breakdown and refuses to flee when Godzilla notices him atop a building. The breakdown makes no sense but allows the audience to care less when he dies.

In this movie Godzilla isn’t in search of radioactive energy on which to feed. Instead, the monster seems to be interested in destroying sources of energy. Electrical power stations, nuclear reactors – anything that powers mankind’s cities. Not only is this a break from the previous Godzilla movies but we’re never really told why Godzilla has this agenda.

Like some movies that came before, Godzilla 2000 has statements about how humanity’s science and technology are out of control. Unfortunately, this time the statements ring hollow. There are two scenes in the movies where Dr. Shinoda and his companions rail against the evils of science but the statements don’t make sense and certainly don’t pertain to anything going on in the movie. It’s traditional to have a moment for humility and reflection on behalf of mankind at the close of the movie and Godzilla 2000 retains this tradition. However, this time the statements are shallow and artificial. They are so out of place that they feel like they were poorly tacked on by writers who had a sense of Godzilla traditions but lacked any understanding for those traditions.

One of the really strange things about Godzilla 2000 is the ending. Usually Godzilla is tired after his final fight and retreats to the ocean. This is the time when the human characters reflect on what they’ve been through. This time, however, Godzilla immediately resumes his destruction of the city. It sets a decidedly depressing tone for the end of the film.

The special effects and fight scenes were definitely cool. The Godzilla movies have needed effects this good for a long time. The movie’s pacing was too slow but when the action got started I was well entertained. Godzilla looks rough and bestial in this movie. The overall look is good but his spines are just too large and the look established in the Heisei Series suited Godzilla better.

Godzilla 2000 offered good action and interesting characters but it falls short when compared to many recent Godzilla movies. Although I enjoyed the movie and would recommend it to Godzilla fans I wouldn’t recommend it to people who aren’t already fans. There are much better movies in the series to introduce people to the iconic monster’s career.