It’s Tough Being a Blog Writer [A Personal Perspective]

Disclaimer: This editorial was meant to be published in two parts, but ultimately I decided against it. Therefore, there was a two-week delay on the blog between posts. The whole text was meant to be much shorter, but it happened to (figuratively and literally) grow on me as I was writing it. In consequence, I apologise for the length of the whole thing.

 

Introduction

I have to be honest from the get go and explain that I was really hesitant to start writing this post, and ultimately I decided against it for fear of sounding too pompous or egocentric, but I received a positive dosage of inspiration and encouragement after reading Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan’s 5th Anniversary Post – Getting Personal?. After learning about her concerns about blog writing, I decided to share my own experiences and provide a small toolkit filled with pieces of advice for aspiring bloggers, but also personal musings about the craft of writing. Therefore, I divided the whole text into subchapters, so it would be easier for you to navigate through it. So here we are, please buckle up and be patient because this is going to be a slow ride.

 

How It Started

     The running theme of this editorial is the fact that I am my own worst critic, so I am rushing to call this out: I was never a skilled writer. My journey with this wonderfully exciting craft began in my teenage years with writing fan-fiction stories in my native language. To be honest, I sucked at every form of writing in my native language, be it fiction or non-fiction. Either guiding a narrative or making for-and-against arguments were the tasks to which my mind was not accustomed to.
     However, it was in high school and during my university years, when I started studying English for real, and this reinvigorated my passion for writing, but this time in a foreign language. Each school writing assignment (essay, story, article, you name it) was regarded by me as a personal challenge and I always tried to do my best with it: be creative, use decent vocabulary, maintain correct structure, etc.
     The process of writing, especially academic papers, got me to a point where I felt confident enough that I could write something of my own in English, which was not an assignment. In view of my enthusiasm towards Asian Cinema, I decided to start a blog centering on movie reviews. That was eight years ago.

     I do not want to get into the technical details of my first steps with the Blogger platform (playing with HTML and other shenanigans), so let me cut to the chase and say that I regard many of my early movie reviews posted here (see the Archive for years 2015-2016) as very basic and at times rudimentary, filled with unnecessary nitpicking and negativity.
     Of course, I did not know it at the time, but I lacked experience in writing reviews, but one more thing that was also amiss concerned good knowledge of Asian Cinema in general: the names of filmmakers and actors, the dates, major influences, etc.
     Thankfully, these two issues got resolved with practice. Indeed, practice is the first major step for every blog writer. Do not give up and keep on writing. I was at a point when I wanted to give up blogging. I was so critical of myself that I was genuinely convinced my writing sucked, and that I was not generating any creative input. I thought that I was good for nothing as a blogger and nobody out there does not have even the slightest incentive to read my stuff. On top of that, at that point in my life, I was battling an illness that was slowly and painfully destroying me.

     Thankfully, I managed to regain my health and it was then that I regained my peace of mind. I became less critical of myself and I started noticing small signs that people actually read something on my blog. This gave me the motivation to write more, and to better myself as a blogger, and to become more active even beyond the blogosphere.
     From that point on I learned that I should not do anything in my power to please the prospective readers (in other words, to give my texts some sort of overarching narration) but to look at films in an objective manner and write about their pros and cons, what I liked and I what I disliked, and also try to find out why I felt in this or that particular way about movies in question.

 

Beyond the Blog

     The recipe for a good review/article/editorial sounds easy, but believe me, it is easier said than done. There are many texts out there on the internet written in 400 words or more that seem to be reviews, but are just too pretentious, nitpicky, or straight up boring. Of course, the authors frequently do not see any problems with their creations, and proceed to create pamphlets or definitive guides on how movie reviews or critical analyses should be done whilst running their sites like cotton fields, profiting on the good will and free work of the contributors. To stay out of trouble in the Wild West of the internet, I will leave these people unnamed.
     Obviously, I met such “esteemed movie critics” (because it is hard to call them proper bloggers or reviewers) during my writing endeavours outside of the blogosphere. This is not to say that my experiences in this regard were entirely negative. My first non-blog writing gig took place on MyDramaList in 2018 and the experience couldn’t be more positive! I responded to the new writers draft announcement (they used to post such back in the day), got in touch with an editor, wrote my first editorial with much trepidation (it was a Weekend Movie Recommendation list), and the positive response of the wonderful community only encouraged me to keep on writing, and to keep on tackling more interesting and more challenging topics. MyDramaList truly became my second home in the vast abyss of online communities.

     I also greatly enjoyed contributing editorials to Grimoire of Horror. I dare to say that if it had not been for the enthusiasm and encouragement of the admin of the site, Thomas Norman, I wouldn’t submit anything there(!) because I do not consider myself to be a horror fan. What is more, I regard it as a privilege to be able to provide contributions to J-Canuck’s KayoKyokuPlus blog, the definitive site in English which is centered on City Pop music and beyond.
     Therefore, if you want to try your strengths outside your blog, just go ahead and do it! However, if you happen to encounter any sort of toxic people who may be wanting to take advantage of your craft, then kindly remove yourself and try your luck elsewhere. In addition, if you are afraid to start your blog due to the fear of putting up with technicalities, then hooking up with a team of creative people contributing for one site may be a good alternative for you.

 

Writer’s Burnout

     Evidently, if you keep on generating content for an extensive period of time, you will suffer from burnout sooner or later, but do not get discouraged by this. Treat lack of motivation as an opportunity to relax yourself. What is more, do not set for yourself some rigid dates for blog posts or editorials for other sites. I learned this the hard way. You need to remember that your private life comes first and foremost, regardless of how important your interests seem to you. If you get proper mental rest, then new ideas will start coming to you on their own, and you will be able to reignite the creative spark yet again. Don’t worry, just let it go.

 

Plagiarism

     This is a topical problem, which should be addressed more often by content creators. It goes without saying that we live in an age of digital immediacy, but unfortunately there is an enormous amount of internet users out there who lack proper education about ownership and copyrights. In pursuit of recognition and instant gratification (or sometimes out of vanity), they steal other people’s work and put it out there as “their own”. This practice is the most visible on YouTube with channels shamelessly stealing trailers from each other or worse. One Youtuber may “get inspired” by the contents of an interesting video and make a very similar recreation of the original. In addition, a Youtuber may simply translate an article from a popular site and turn it into a video.
     I am really surprised that someone even stole content from me. A few months ago, it was noticed by the MDL community that a certain Letterboxd user was copying and pasting reviews from the site onto their profile. I was shocked to see that this thief even took stuff from my blog, but there it was out in the open. Thankfully, after multiple reports, Letterboxd banned the account.
     As a result, we all should be wary of our texts on the internet. Of course, proper citation and attribution when someone wants to quote us is more than acceptable, but content stealing is a practice beyond the pale. If you see that somebody plagiarised your work, report that person and/or get in touch with the admins of a hosting site. You can also reach out to the thief and directly confront them. In some cases (but not always) the culprit will get scared and delete the stolen text. To make sure that nobody steals my stuff, I sometimes randomly google my articles and check the search results.

 

Youtube Quantity over Blogging Quality

     Since I mentioned YouTube, allow me to expand on the problem with that particular platform. I have nothing against good YouTube videos, but in my opinion, many modern video essays are designed in a very shrewd manner. Oftentimes (but, then again, not always) these focus on clickbait topics, which are poorly researched and edited in a way that decreases our attention span (TikTok also excels at that). Consequently, blogging loses the battle with shiny, visual narratives time and time again. I believe the best example of what I have in mind is the video called How Star Wars was saved in the edit. It is basically a video editorial that on the surface seems highly informative, but it is actually filled with misinformation on the topic which it strives to present. After watching this, please give a shot to How "How Star Wars was saved in the edit" was saved in the edit (sort of, but not really), a two-hour dissection of the aforementioned essay which exposes every bit of misinformation. This video, in contrast to the previous one, is an exemplary instance of stellar research.
     What I am getting at is that YouTube is definitely a more powerful tool than blogging platforms when it comes to getting people’s attention. However, the desire to become popular shouldn’t be your main goal when writing. Just be passionate and diligent in what you are writing about and people will appreciate your work. They may not turn up in great numbers, but they will most definitely read your stuff and leave genuine feedback in contrast to bots who make basic, uninspiring comments under popular videos.

 

Spam

     Speaking of bots, this reminds me about the issue of spam. Regardless of which platform hosts your blog, you will always be plagued by spammers who will try to leave comments written in broken English that will also contain links to shady sites. Seeing such comments crop up a lot may be annoying, but there are means to fight it: you can set up captcha verification, make the ability to comment only for logged in users, or turn on comment moderation. In this way, you are in total control of the spam content and you can prevent it from appearing on your blog.

 

Pressure to Create vs. Emotional Laissez-faire

     One more thing which I wanted to mention in this editorial is the issue of time. In general, I just write about what I personally find interesting. To me, it’s just fun, especially in view of the fact that I don’t get paid for doing it. My only struggle, however, is to find time to write because I work full time at the moment. This, consequently, creates tension because very often I am unable to prepare my blog post for a weekly update.
     My advice is once again: Don’t get stressed out and be patient. If your blog schedule is interrupted by work or private life, let it go and try to get back on track next time. I admit that the lack of time is annoying and infuriating at times, but peace of mind is the most important thing. As a result, at a snail-like pace I am currently working on a new editorial for MDL and upcoming blog projects.

     All things considered, this was my personal, simple, yet long-ish toolkit for bloggers. I have never done this before, but to end the whole thing on a positive note, allow me to give special shoutouts to people who continue to inspire me on my writing journey. Not all of them are writers per se, but their content is always icing on the cake. So, my thanks go to Rise from Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan; Daisuke Beppu; SumiTheCat, Penel, Reika and many other kind souls from MDL; Joanne from Letterboxd; J-Canuck from KayoKyokuPlus, the admins of Asian Cinema Enthusiastic group. I could continue on indefinitely, so let me end it here.

 

Epilogue

     To be honest, I do not aspire to the nowadays trendy term “film critic”. If anything, I resent that kind of categorisation. In a way, I regard my writing as a chronicle of my cinema journey. I may be a victim of the Dunning-Kruger effect, but I learnt a lot during the past few years and I keep on learning. Thank you for reading.

 

Acknowledgement: The title of this editorial was inspired by Otoko wa tsurai yo (1969), which was translated to English as It’s Tough Being a Man. All credit goes to Yoji Yamada and Shochiku.

Image sources:

Feature image: Drive My Car (2021),

How It Started: In the Mood for Love (2000), Zokki (2021), Beloved (2022),

Beyond the Blog: Fish Story (2009), Extreme Job (2019),

Writer's Burnout: A Better Tomorrow II (1987),

Plagiarism: High Risk (1995),

Youtube Quantity over Blogging Quality: Battle Royale 2: Requiem (2003),

Spam: Zokki (2021),

Pressure to Creature vs. Emotional Laissez-faire: A Scene at the Sea (1991), Hanagatami (2017)

Epilogue: Chungking Express (1994), After the Storm (2016).

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Godzilla X Mechagodzilla (2002) [Tokusatsu Review]

Godzilla X Mechagodzilla; or, Kiryu to the Rescue
     Why Godzilla? I wish they'd bring Mom back to life, not a monster.
After the successful release of Shusuke Kaneko’s Godzilla, Mothra King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (2001), the producer Shogo Tomiyama continued the trend of rebooting the Godzilla universe with each new entry of the Millennium series. However, Toho decided to bring back one of the classic monsters yet again to please the fanbase. As a result, director Masaaki Tezuka was brought back on board together with screenwriter Wataru Mimura and music composer Michiru Oshima. Their task was to provide a new 2000s reimagining of Mechagodzilla. Indeed, the creative team completed the task by turning the robotic kaiju into a peacemaker who fights the Big G on equal terms.

Release Info

Directed by: Masaaki Tezuka Starring: Yumiko Shaku, Shin Takuma, Kana Onodera

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゴジラ×メカゴジラ Runtime: 88 min

Synopsis
45 years after the destruction of the original Gojira, a new member of the species emerges from the sea depths and wreaks havoc across Japan. The JSDF troops are sent to fight the new Godzilla. Due to a tragic accident during the fight, Lieutenant Akane Yashiro (Yumiko Shaku) is demoted. In the meantime, the government decides to use top-of-the-line technology and remains of the original Gojira to create an advanced Mechagodzilla cyborg, which is nicknamed Kiryu. Akane in order to regain her honour in the JSDF relentlessly trains and becomes the pilot of Kiryu. When Godzilla strikes again, Kiryu is dispatched to stop the King of the Monsters once and for all…

No I in Team
Allow me to explain that this particular text is actually a re-review of the film because I did write about it on the blog 7 years ago, but I was not a well-versed writer back then with the capacity to express my thoughts efficiently. Therefore, I thought it would be fun, as in the case of Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992), to revisit Godzilla X Mechagodzilla and provide fresh opinion on one of my favourite entries of the franchise.

The first major advantage which makes the film work is the fact that Godzilla X Mechagodzilla is not a stand-alone adventure like the previous three Millennium movies, but it harkens back to the classic era of Toho Tokusatsu flicks, creating a fictional universe out of Gojira (1954), Mothra (1961), and The War of Gargantuas (1966). It is actually explained in the film by the Prime Minister character, played by Kumi Mizuno, that Japan used to defend itself from many other Kaiju monsters after the destruction of Gojira. This, in and of itself, functions as a better love letter to the franchise than the mountain of throwbacks included in Godzilla: Final Wars (2004).

In addition, I appreciate the brisk pacing of the film done mainly due to skillful editing by Shinichi Fushima and Shinichi Natori. The movie’s runtime is 88 minutes, relatively short for a Godzilla flick, but the crosscutting of action, pathos, and human interest stuff never feels boring. Huge part in setting the right tone of the picture has the music score by the legendary Michiru Oshima. I already wrote tons of praise for this composer in my article series The Sounds of Awe and Terror: Revisiting the Music of Godzilla, so let me just say that Oshima nails it to the cross when it comes to scoring battle sequences or small, poignant moments between human characters. Indeed, she reinvented the sound of the Godzilla franchise.

When it comes to creature design and special effects, these are icing on the cake. I love the evil Godzilla appearance, which makes the King look more animalistic, like a wolf. Kiryu, on the other hand, is just outstanding. He is definitely my favourite incarnation of Mechagodzilla out there. The blending of practical and CGI effects coupled with great cinematography by Masahiro Kishimoto also enhances the viewing experience, especially during the fight scenes.

My only problem with the film after many years is the uneven screenplay. Screenwriter Wataru Mimura yet again delivers light, swashbuckling, science-fiction adventure, but the romantic subplot and the trauma of the main character barely work in the film. Lieutenant Yamane is cold and inaccessible, which makes it hard to believe that a nerdy scientist and a single-father Yuhara (Shin Takuma) falls for her. What is more, the plot involving Sara (Kana Onodera), the scientist’s daughter, also seems underdeveloped. The child suffers from the loss of her mother, and (from what I understand) desires to cherish all life, including that of Kiryu and Godzilla, but she has zero problem when Yamane reboots Kiryu to fight the King in the epic finale… Either something was lost in translation, or there were Sara-Yamane scenes shot that ended up on the cutting room floor and will never see the light of day.

With regard to performances, Yumiko Shaku does well as the main lead, but her character lacks development, unfortunately. Shin Takuma and Kana Onodera are sweet as the father and daughter, but there are not enough scenes between them. In addition, director Masaaki Tezuka riddled Godzilla X Mechagodzilla with episodic roles and cameos. We can spot the franchise veterans, such as Kumi Mizuno and Akira Nakao, but also baseball player Hideki “Gojira” Matsuki, actor Takehiro Murata (known from Godzilla 2000: Millennium) appearing as a bystander, and actress Misato Tanaka (known from Godzilla vs. Megaguirus) appearing as a nurse who is saved by Kiryu.

Recommendations
All things considered, Godzilla X Mechagodzilla is a fun, entertaining film, which is a true highlight of the Millennium series. I remember watching it for the first time on TV in the mid-2000s and being hooked instantly. Later on, I taped a rerun of the film, and eventually got the 2004 DVD release from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment. The movie was also issued on Blu-Ray in 2014.Overall score: 9/10

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Poisson d’Avril (1986) [Film Review]

Poisson d’Avril; or, Manic Dinner
     A long time ago, the new year began on April 1st. On that day, people would play little jokes on each other, known as poisson d'avril. That was how April Fools' Day started. Eventually, a custom developed where people would exchange chocolate fish...
This particular week I was in the mood for some kind of light-hearted motion picture, so I decided to follow a MDL recommendation made on the feeds a couple of months ago by @kura2ninja. The original suggestion centered on the 1986 romantic comedy film Poisson d’Avril directed by the late Nobuhiko Obayashi and starring the late Yukihiro Takahashi in the leading role. I admit that I missed out on this movie while preparing my guide devoted to Obayashi last year, but I do not feel disappointed that I finally watched this little gem cooked up by one of my all-time favourite directors.

Release Info

Directed by: Nobuhiko Obayashi Starring: Yukihiro Takahashi, Kyo Kanoko, Miyoko Akaza

Language: Japanese Original Title: 四月の魚 Runtime: 109 min

Synopsis
Shohei Nemoto (Yukihiro Takahashi) used to be a prolific movie director who unfortunately made a box-office bomb and was unable to get a filmmaking gig since then. He is married to Fujiko Kinugasa (Miyoko Akaza), an extremely popular actress who plays lead parts in dramas alongside handsome idols. All of a sudden, Shohei receives a letter from the South Seas where he shot a commercial. A good friend of his, Chief Panapora (Tetsuro Tanba), is coming to Japan. Shohei sees this as an opportunity to pitch a movie idea to an influential friend, but he remembers that he is obliged to fulfil a controversial promise so as not to offend the Chief. In order to fool the Chief, and protect the dignity of his wife, Shohei hires a young actress Mari (Kyo Kanoko) to “play” Mrs Nemoto for one night…

The Name of the Candy
I have to say that I was a bit wary of the movie at first because of its absolutely distasteful theatrical poster, which gives you an idea that this is going to be a kinky and NSFW comedy. However, Nobuhiko Obayashi actually made an enjoyable comedy of mistakes very much in the style of good old French productions, such as Jean Girault’s Pouic-Pouic (1963) and Éduoard Molinaro’s Oscar (1967). Poisson d’Avril is, indeed, a witty farce that ridiculous celebrity lifestyle, but also poignantly examines the value of marriage and happiness between spouses.

The screenplay written by Obayashi, James Miki, and Tadashi Naito obviously provides the viewers with a much-needed dosage of slapstick humour and over-the-top crazy situations. Nevertheless, it is the execution of the whole thing that turns the film into an enjoyable and delightful experience. Even though the locations are mostly indoors, and the aspect ratio is a simple 4:3 full frame presentation, I can’t help but love the cinematography in this film. Shohei’s house is shot so beautifully and with vibrant colours, especially the kitchen and the living room. There is not a single scene in the film where the setting is bland or makes you feel bored.

What is more, Obayashi’s editing really spices up the wacky tone of the film. When there is some heated situation going on, some sense of urgency involving the main character, Obayashi resolves to the usage of not only quick cuts, but also of rudimentary time lapse to make events go even faster! In addition, similarly to House (1977), the director also extensively uses sound effects during slapstick moments, almost as if playfully winking at the audience, reminding them not to treat the plot all too seriously because it is a comedy after all.

Now, we get to the nitty gritty of Poisson d’Avril, the late Yukihiro Takahashi. Enthusiasts of Japanese culture obviously know that this man was a prolific musician, a pioneer of Electronic Pop, and the lead vocalist of Yellow Magic Orchestra. It makes me all the more sad that Yukihiro had not had a blooming acting career after Poisson d’Avril. The man steals every scene he is in, and many of his exaggerated facial expressions (*cue PTSD flashbacks to his South Seas visit*) are so darn funny!

His performance in the film clearly demonstrates that he could do comedy as well as drama. Perhaps he got too worried and shied away from the acting spotlight, because rumour has it that Yukihiro got ulcer and did not participate in the film’s official premiere press conference. Apart from Poisson d’Avril, he appeared in episodic roles in The Island Closest to Heaven (1984), Norwegian Wood (2010), and Labyrinth of Cinema (2020).

What is more, Yukihiro Takahashi also helmed the soundtrack in the film which is a joy to listen to and it truly alleviates the mood of the story, starting from the main theme and finishing on long-ish segments of incidental music. Some bits and pieces of the latter actually reminded me of Ryuichi Sakamoto’s compositions for The Last Emperor (1987). I guess it goes to show that great minds from YMO think alike.The original soundtrack was released in limited edition on vinyl in 2022.

With regard to other performances, Kyo Kanoko appears in her debut role as Mari and she has a wonderful onscreen chemistry with Yukihiro. Obayashi’s regular, Miyoko Akaza, brilliantly plays the egocentric and overbearing wife who, nonetheless, cares deep inside about her marriage. Wakaba Irie has a supporting role as the wife’s assistant, and she provides a lot of comic relief in the middle section of the film. Tetsuro Tanba basically plays himself as the crazy tribal guy who speaks broken Japanese and French. There are also cameo appearances done by James Miki, Toru Minegishi, and Nobuhiko Obayashi himself.

One word about the availability of the film: I was unable to include it in my guide last year because I tried (and still try) to watch Obayashi’s films as legally as possible. Unfortunately, this movie is completely unavailable anywhere, so the only means to watch it are (sadly) present online. I sincerely hope that this gets a proper release someday either on a streaming platform or on physical media. We need to get Obayashi’s movies out of the copyright hellhole of obscurity. Do not get me wrong, I appreciate the struggle of Obayashi’s fans to find his lost movies and translate them to English, but we have to stop illegal streamers who rob fansubbers from their hard work and profit from it.

Recommendations
If you want to watch an unconventional comedy with the great Yukihiro Takahashi, awesome music, and a touch of romance, then I recommend Poisson d’Avril. It is definitely a feel-good movie with a heart-warming ending that will leave you uplifted. My thanks go to Nobuhiko Obayashi and his unlimited versatility that allowed him to craft such a nice romcom.Overall score: 8/10

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Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) [Tokusatsu Review]

Godzilla vs. Destoroyah; or, Highway to Hell
     First you come and see me to warn me not to make an Oxygen Destroyer. Now you want me to make one?
Citing a popular proverb, all the good things come to an end, and this is also the case with my revisitation of the Godzilla Heisei series. I was a bit reluctant to write this review, especially in view of that fact that I still have conflicting thoughts about the Big G’s 90s swan song that is revered by the fans and considered to be one of the best Godzilla movies out there. Well, here it is, my review of Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.

Release Info

Directed by: Takao Okawara Starring: Megumi Odaka, Yasufumi Hayashi, Sayaka Osawa, Yoko Oshino

Language: Japanese Original Title: ゴジラ対デストロイア Runtime: 103 min

Synopsis
40 years after the detonation of the Oxygen Destroyer by Dr Serizawa that led to the annihilation of the original Godzilla in 1954, a species of tiny, prehistoric creatures emerge from the sea depths and wreak havoc in Tokyo. The United Nations Godzilla Countermeasures Center travels to Birth Island to monitor Godzilla and his son. It turns out that Godzilla’s heart is nearing a nuclear meltdown. In the meantime, the devilish creatures morph into an indestructible monster called Destoroyah. Hoping that Destoroyah would kill Godzilla and prevent the meltdown that would contaminate Japan, the authorities lure the Big G and his son to Tokyo for a battle against a hellish nemesis.

Animal I Have Become
During the promotion of the film, the producer Shogo Tomiyama stated that Toho wanted to finish with Godzilla while he was still a star. Tomiyama explained that the studio wanted to end the series on a high note while they still had some good ideas. In my opinion, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is an unnecessary entry in the Heisei series, and was made only as a “publicity stunt” (Ryfle 1998: 312) because Toho wanted to get more money out of the franchise before handing it over to Hollywood (see Ronald Emmerich’s 1998 remake).

Why Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is a publicity stunt? Well, from the get-go the studio marketed the movie with a gargantuan tagline “GODZILLA DIES”. They did not even care about the spoilers or the emotional impact of the story. Even the early teaser trailer harkening back to the original 1954 movie contained this premise.

To ensure decent box office returns, producers Tomoyuki Tanaka and Shogo Tomiyama essentially rehired the creative team behind the financially successful Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992); that is, director Takao Okawara, writer Kazuki Omori, composer Akira Ifukube, and F/X director Koichi Kawakita. As a result, on the technical front, the movie is a bombastic mash-up of kaiju fights and action sequences, but storywise, numerous characters and their erratic behaviour water down the gut-wrenching finale.

My biggest problem centres on the subplot concerning Miki Saegusa in this picture. In Godzilla vs. Destroyah, her story arc is essentially thrown out the window because she consciously agrees to put Godzilla Junior in danger, just so the Big G could get killed off. Of course, the whole plan fails miserably. It boggles my mind that Kazuki Omori came up with such an idea for a character that accompanied Godzilla for the previous five films.

Apart from this issue, the second act of the film is essentially a remixed version of Aliens and Jurassic Park as we see multiple, unformed Destoroyahs terrorising a journalist Yukari Yamane (Yoko Ishino) and going up against the military. In the meantime, the scientists continue to theorise over and over again about the Oxygen Destroyer and Godzilla’s nuclear meltdown.

Still, I have to praise the fact that Kazuki Omori tried to turn this Heisei movie into a direct continuation of Godzilla (1954). What is more, the special effects done by Koichi Kawakita are simply top notch across the board, especially in the film’s epic final battle. What is more, maestro Akira Ifukube goes all out in his final gig as the film composer and creates a truly captivating and enthralling music that accompanies Godzilla’s death.

I have to say that I saw the film for the first time on TV in the early 2000s and when I saw the King’s death I could not help but cry. “I want people to look at the death of Godzilla knowing that he was created by nuclear power and the most selfish existence in the world: mankind,” director Okawara explained, and indeed, he accomplished his intention (Ryfle 1998: 313).

It is without a doubt, a beautifully executed sequence. After the end credits rolled, I was genuinely convinced that I saw the all-time best Godzilla movie ever; however… this is the main problem with Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. The whole weight of wonderful visuals, emotional engagement, and paper-thin plot rests on this one absolutely magnificent sequence. Without it, and the scene that follows immediately after (no spoilers), Godzilla vs. Destoroyah would not have been held in such high regard as it is nowadays.

Recommendations
All in all, as a grown-up Godzilla fan, I appreciate Godzilla vs. Destoroyah for what it is, but I think that this conclusion of the Heisei era was a bit forced by Toho. I prefer more optimistic take on the King of the Monsters as presented in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, and even Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Well, please stay tuned for more Toku reviews on the blog soon because I am going to finish my reviews of the Godzilla Millennium series and the Polygon anime trilogy as well.Overall score: 7/10

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