SSC 07: Shin Godzilla (Anno, Higuchi, 2016)

Tim and Tay are joined by Rob (our very first guest on the podcast) to talk about bureaucracy, kaiju films, and more in a discussion about 2016's Shin Godzilla.

This 2016 installment in the 67-year Godzilla franchise examines how the modern Japanese government (and allied forces) would respond when a skyscraper-sized lizard comes ashore to wreak havoc in Tokyo. Shin Godzilla was written and directed by Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi, and stars:

• Horoki Hasegawa as Rando Yaguchi
• Mikako Ichikawa as Hiromi Ogashira
• Satomi Ishihara as Kayoko Ann Paterson
• Yutaka Takenouchi as Hideki Akasaka

Tagline — "A god incarnate. A city doomed."

Shin Godzilla is available to rent on Google Play.

Scene  (12:42 - 15:55)

As the first form of Godzilla moves upriver, the Prime Minister begs his team to find new perspectives. Hiromi (Mikako Ichikawa) is called in, immediately cutting through the bureaucratic decorum with radical ideas about Godzilla’s capabilities and rapid evolution, including the idea that it could support its own weight to walk on land.

Bound by procedure, the cabinet agrees that they need to hold a press conference to calm the public, at which the Prime Minister foolishly goes off script and announces that Godzilla cannot leave the sea, according to experts. He is interrupted by an aide, who informs him that Godzilla has in fact come ashore.

Links

• 6:40 — Neon Genesis Evangelion, available to stream on Netflix
• 8:20 — Anno and fan service
• 25:55 — Frilled shark design
• 33:30 — Found footage

Recommendations

Tim: Colossal (Vigalondo, 2016). Available to stream on Amazon Prime and CBC Gem.

Tay: Trollhunter (Øvredal, 2011.) Available to stream on Hoopla.

Rob: The Twentieth Century (Rankin, 2020). Available to stream on Crave.

All links are verified at the time of publication and based on availability in Canada.

Follow:

• SSC on Instagram
• Tim on Letterboxd