Welcome to 2021—which has been a lot like 2020 so far. (Long story I’m not at liberty to tell).
Regardless, here’s my first “Jimmy’s Notes” blog for season two and the Year of Gamera. While the movie was “freakishly mediocre,” as Nate said, the episode itself was good…despite some all-too-convenient Board mandates. That being said, I did make a few notes, as I always do.
- The Mysterian invasion was in 1957, not 1956, Nate.
- I’m happy to report that Toshio “Kenny” Sakurai is still alive. In fact, he was a guest of honor, along with Asagi Kusanagi, at the recently-held Gamera: King of the Monsters Banquet here on the Island.
- According to Wikipedia, “Chibi is derived from the verb 禿びる (chibiru), which means ‘to wear out and become shorter’ (the tip of something). Chibi-debu (ちびデブ or チビデブ) is used to describe something or someone that is both short and chubby. Chibi can be translated as ‘little’ (e.g. Chibi Maruko-chan, which means Little Miss Maruko), but it is not used the same way as chiisana [小さな] and chiisai [小さい] (‘tiny’, ‘small’, ‘little’ in Japanese), but rather ‘cute.’”
- Michiko Sugata, who played “Kenny’s” sister, was actually 20 when she was in this movie, so it wasn’t unreasonable to pass her off as a teenager.
- “Precocious adult,” am I? I guess that’s how you get labeled when you’ve been in the U.S. Air Force and NASA and built two giant robots. Don’t be hatin’! 😛
- Oh, that kid who teamed with Gamera to pull pranks on the other kaiju was annoying! I think his name was Kevin.
- Actually, yes, turtles and tortoises can flip themselves off their backs without using inexplicable jets in their shells. Read here.
- I did a little digging and consulted John LeMay, but I can’t find anything anywhere that says “Commander Curly” and the other American soldiers were played by real U.S. servicemen stationed in Japan. That was sometimes done by Toho, though.
- Nate, we only yell at each other every other workday. 😛
- According to my sources, the “freeze bombs” were cadmium, which isn’t quite the same. Sorta.
- But freeze bombs are cool!
- Yes, I am not Scotty, but I’m working to become a Scotty.
- The trailer Nate mentioned is actually for the Gamera films streaming on the Arrow Channel, not the blu-ray set. #Details
And now for Nate’s first batch of leftover notes in 2021:
The Movie
- Director Noriaki Yuasa was rotund, jolly, and “cuddly” and relatively untested. (Throw a beard on him, and he could be Santa Claus. –Jimmy)
- Starts in North Pole like Beast (from 20,000 Fathoms). Nuclear test awakens monster like Beast. The difference is there are natives (Eskimos), which was a common trope in kaiju films, and the bombing came from Cold War issues. Implicitly Soviet bomb.
- I can see the wires on the planes quite easily. (The drawbacks of hi-def. –Jimmy)
- They waste no time and have Gamea show up in five minutes.
- I don’t understand why the Eskimos speak English. Interestingly, the chief is wearing a crucifix. Implied Catholic?
- The kids run when Gamera is mentioned. Not bad. “We’re being jammed!’ says the radio operator. By who? Gamera? Soviets? Aliens? (All of the above? –Jimmy)
- The foreign newspapers all say, “Gamela.” (Japanese swaps L’s and R’s. –Jimmy)
- Old drunk says Gamera is a “will-o-wisp.” His scene is too dark (lighting).
- Gamera is a ninja. He magically disappears for a second. (He is the true fifth Ninja Turtle. But is he a teenager? Maybe that’s why he never got in. That and not being named after a Renaissance artist. –Jimmy)
- Don’t worry, Toshio, you won’t get cancer from the radioactive turtle! (Actually, he didn’t! –Jimmy)
- Toshio built Chibi a little rock house. And pseudo-beach music plays. Oh yeah. Chibi is totally a mutant turtle now. Yep. (Nope. The scientists have confirmed Gamera isn’t Chibi. -Jimmy).
- The airplane pilot has radio trouble. Is this one of Gamera’s superpowers? Radio interference?
- “By boring.” Describes the movie.
- That’s great. Shoot the big turtle in his shell. Definitely his weak spot.
- What a wonderful name for a hot springs resort: Hell’s Rock. Is it run by a Mr. Morningstar? (As in the comic book character? –Jimmy)
- Oh, Tokyo Tower. A kaiju’s favorite target.
- Toshio says Gamera attacks because he’s lonely and has no friends. So, he’s the goth kid in high school? (More like the nerd in high school. I should know. –Jimmy)
- So, Gamera was eating radiation before it was cool. Take that, Godzilla?
- Gamera says, “I’m crashing your party! No fun for you!” (Now he’s a party animal! –Jimmy)
- “Gamera, don’t do anything bad!” Kid, he already has! Toshio bought a lot of stock in an Egyptian river.
- Oh, yeah. These reporter characters are still here. I forgot about them because the movie forgot about them.
- How is this kid getting access to this military operation? (This happened a few times when I was in the Air Force. It was part of a short-lived “kid consultant” program inspired by Gamera kids. I may or may not have played a part in forming it. –Jimmy)
- Gamera is going to smash those bath toys.
- “Yummy fire!”
- Toshio may have gotten Gamera to leave. Then the crazy reporter starts lighting up buildings to get Gamera to come back. Then everyone goes full-tilt arsonist!
- A countdown in English. Like Luke said, it must be a thing in Japan.
Toku Topic: Energy Consumption in Japan
Energy use and energy independence in Japan
- Currently, Japan gets 10% of its energy from renewables, with the Fourth Strategic Energy Plan setting the goal of increasing that to 24% by 2030. Japan intends to invest over $700 billion in renewables over the next decade or so. Their primary renewable is hydroelectricity, with 1,198 small hydropower plants supplying 6.6% of the total hydropower. Unfortunately, these small plants are expensive to operate.
- In addition, Japan has also explored wind power and waste/biomass energy mas well as experimental tidal and wave power plants in coastal regions.
- Interestingly, unlike most industrial countries, Japan has two national grids instead a unified grid. One in the east and one in the west.
There were fewer leftover notes from the Toku Topic section than I expected. Nate is getting better about not overdoing it.
Join us next week for as Nate continues his series on Toho classics with a very different film (well, compared to what we normally cover): Submersion of Japan (aka Japan Sinks) from 1973. He was joined by Adam Noyes (pronounced like “noise”) of AN Productions, who jumped at the chance to talk about this film, which was a massive hit in Japan but is largely overlooked in the States. Then the Year of Gamera continues next month with Gamera vs. Barugon. Nate’s friends Joe and Joy Metter are returning—and once again Nate won’t get the chance to watch the MST3K episode of a Gamera movie. He has my sympathies.
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