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Tag: Moll

Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 20: Bex vs. Rebirth of Mothra III’

I’m not a religious man—which may sound strange given that I work on an Island with a giant moth goddess—but even I was concerned about Bex after her sudden conversion to “Mothrianity.” Honestly, I was happy to see the good Reverend Mifune bring her to senses and Christianity by breaking Belvera’s influence on her. It was not unlike what Shota did for Lora in Rebirth of Mothra III.

Now if only Marchand will let me live down the whole female clone and teleporter business. It wasn’t my fault!

The things I put up with.

I kid (for the most part…).

Let’s get into my notes from the episode:

  • Nathan and Bex never talked about Moll speaking in tongues to Mothra Leo. They discussed it briefly before the broadcast, so I’m surprised they didn’t bring it up given their religious backgrounds.
  • So, back when I was a kid and growing up in japan for a bit, my best friend, Masao, fell into a deep depression after our scout master wouldn’t give him a monster rustler badge after we helped a certain famous kaiju defeat a certain space squid. He said it was discipline for “stealing” a yellow submarine. I was a Beatles fan, what can I say?
  • I preferred Kilik myself in the Soul Caliber games. It drives Nathan crazy. Every time I poke his Siegfried to death, he keeps singing, “Kilik is cheap! Kilik is cheap!”
  • Dinosaurs were wiped out twice. Or is it the “Power of the Retcon” again? It may have—according to Nathan—saved my life in the War in Space, but it’s scarier than the Infinity Gauntlet at this point. 😛
  • As for my T-Rex and triceratops story, the long and short of it is it happened, I confess, while I was field testing the ORCA on Skull Island. That’s all.
  • Gravity manipulation explains how Ghidorah can fly with one wing, but then why would be need wings at all? #sciencequestions
  • It makes Mothra Leo 130,000,002 years old, Nathan! Duh!
  • I anticipated Bex going from NEET to hikikimori. Miki’s powers might be rubbing off on me.
  • Nathan didn’t make it clear that the Tower of Waves novel (which has several different title translations, as you’ll see in his notes) ended in Aokigahara.
  • Sometimes I wonder, as unscientific as this sounds, if we have yurei wandering the jungles on the Island….
  • Nathan’s description of Sea of Trees is almost right. Both the American and the Japanese man intend to commit suicide there. IMDB summaries it like this: “A suicidal American befriends a Japanese man lost in a forest near Mt. Fuji and the two search for a way out.”

And now, as per my contractual obligations, her are Nathan’s leftover notes but with my snarky commentary:

Rebirth of Mothra III Notes:

  • This random dude is a Yankees fan. That’d make my alma mater’s b-ball coach happy. (Nathan told me he called Yankee Stadium “Mecca.” –Jimmy)
  • “Old Tanaka”? A nod to the producer?
  • Huh? Who’s the bust? Why are there lots of pictures of westerners in a Japanese classroom? (The increased westernization of Japan? –Jimmy)
  • No one is panicking on the street as Ghidorah flies over at 18:35 or so. (This is Japan. Kaiju attacks are as common as thunderstorms. –Jimmy)
  • Oh man! The sisters get sparkles this time! (And now so does your new “sister,” Nathan. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Mothra leo appears 20 minutes in.
  • Some of these CGI effects—like the soccer ball hitting the membrane—look hokey.
  • The classic wing problem: they don’t flap enough.
  • Fairy shoots at Ghiddorah—and it does nothing.
  • Of course Lora betrays Moll—she’s played by a new actress. 😛 (A great man once said, “And I thought my jokes were bad.” –Jimmy)
  • Those CGI tentacles looked terrible.
  • This is starting to remind me of Gamera 3, and this was a year before it! (I don’t know if that’s too nice to this movie or too mean to Gamera 3. –Jimmy)
  • Oh no! Tiny grape Koolaide volcanos! (Sounds like my delicious science fair project. –Jimmy)
  • The set design for the dome is cool.
  • Hilariously, I think all three sisters wear go-go boots this time. (Do you have a thing for go-go boots, Nathan? This is the third episode you’ve mentioned them. 😛  –Jimmy)
  • Now the dome walls don’t dissolve things?
  • We still have 25 minutes to go, and thus feels like the end!
  • Moll dies—and becomes a Tron animation. (I’m sad this wasn’t said on the air. –Jimmy)
  • There’s a prehistoric Mothra. Because shut up.
  • Oh whoa! Belvera rides Fairy!
  • “Different opinions.” Yeah, on genocide, child murder, mind control. You know, small stuff. (You know, little things. –Jimmy)
  • It would’ve been cooler if the sister had to stab Moll with the sword to resurrect her. (That sounds a bit sadistic. –Jimmy)
  • Whoa. Did they actually have a bunch of child extras at the end or was it CGI?
  • These might be my favorite kids in the trilogy, but they do disappear for a bit in the middle.

Big Book 2 by John LeMay

  • There’s a photo of Tanaka in the parents’ house.

“Inside Japan’s ‘suicide forest’”

  • “More than 100 people who were not from the area surrounding Aokigahara committed suicide there between 2013 and 2015, according to a local government report. Countrywide, suicides totaled roughly 24,000 people in 2015 alone, according to the country’s Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. These numbers do not include attempted suicides.”
  • “One study found suicide death rates to be on the decline in many peer nations from 1985 to 2010, except in Japan and South Korea, where rates increased by 20% and 280%, respectively.”
  • “Other studies and government materials have cited a number of risk factors, including academic pressures, depression, overwork, financial struggles and unemployment.”
  • “Beyond that, there’s stigma around receiving mental health care, especially for men, and a greater tendency in Japan to view suicide as ‘a rational decision.’ One of the terms for suicide is ‘jiketsu,’ which means to decide for yourself.”

“Aokigahara Forest” (http://www.aokigaharaforest.com/)

  • “Because the landscape is so similar, the brain is distorted and it is difficult to keep direction at any time.”
  • “According to some Japanese spiritualists, the trees themselves soaked in themselves a malevolent energy accumulated over centuries.”

“What is Aokigahara? All About The Most Haunted Forest in Japan”

  • “It all started with a mystery novel called “Kuroi Jukai” (translated as Black Sea of Trees) by Seicho Matsumoto in 1960. The novel ends romantically with the lovers committing suicide in the forest, which revitalized the Suicide Forest’s popularity among those who wanted to end their life.”

I have to give it to Nathan: he got through most of his notes. Mind you, it was our second-longest episode yet, but listeners seem to like it. He does have a terrible habit of over-preparing, though.

Next week Nathan is solo—well, unless you count me heckling him—next week when he does a mini-analysis of 1963’s Matango, which was directed by Ishiro Honda. Then next month we start the “Daimajin Days” when Joe and Joy Metter return to see 1966’s Daimajin.

Also, I have some juicy super-secret inside information about Godzilla vs. Kong. 😉

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Episode 20: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra III’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Twelve-centimeter girls, tiny robot dragons, and redemption—and we’re not talking about the movie!

After some shenanigans with Jimmy From NASA’s teleporter, Nathan and resident “Mothrian” Bex (Redeemed Otaku podcast) finish the “Summer of Mothra” with the surprisingly good Rebirth of Mothra III. Although, maybe they’re just riding high on Bex’s hyperbolic enthusiasm over this movie. But it isn’t hard to improve on the empty, fluffy whimsy of the second one. There’s a lot of meat (bubble) to chew on thematically. Not to mention it also features one of the best-looking King Ghidorahs ever, time travel, and dinosaur puppets. However, Bex gets so carried away with her newfound faith in Mothra, she gets a visit from Monster Island’s chaplain, Rev. Mifune! Uh-oh….

For the first time, we’re covering not one but two Toku Topics: the hikikimori and Aokigahara (Aoki Forest). The child hero, Shota, is likely a member of the former, and much of the movie is set in that infamous forest.

It’s an episode that spans the emotional gamut, that’s for sure!

BE SURE TO LISTEN UNTIL AFTER THE CREDITS!

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna (Godzilla Novelization Project), elizilla13, and Joejira! Thanks for your support! (And also to Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton, who joined just before this episode was posted).

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Prologue: 0:00-2:20
Intro: 2:20-6:25
Entertaining Info Dump: 6:25-12:57
Toku Talk: 12:57-1:24:26
Promo: 1:24:26-1:25:16
Toku Topic: 1:25:16-2:10:53
Outro: 2:10:53-2:19:46
Epilogue: 2:19:46-end

MIFV Social Media:
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Facebook
Instagram
Patreon

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media (and Becky “Bex” Smith)

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Episode 18: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra II’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

The “Summer of Mothra” continues with Rebirth of Mothra II—the valley between two short mountains in the ‘90s Mothra trilogy. Once again Nathan is joined by Bex from the Redeemed Otaku podcast, and they try their hardest to do a deep dive on a shallow movie. While the first movie had an obvious environmental theme, this one barely gives 20 seconds of screen time to anything substantial. Even Belvera and Elias aren’t as exciting this time around. Then there’s Ghogo/Gogo/Go-Go (aka “Japanese Furby”), the “token cute thing” whose plushy Bex has no interest in buying because, well, magic urine. Yeah….

But nothing can prepare you for the Shyamalan twist at the end of this episode. Nathan and his intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, never saw it coming.

Also, Jimmy introduces his new garage assistant, who’s either popular or infamous, depending on who you talk to.

Here’s the Kaijuvision Radio episode Nathan mentioned: Episode 19: Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974) (The Reversion of Okinawa: History and Culture).

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander (host of Kaiju Weekly), Danny DiManna, elizilla13, and Joejira! Thanks for your support! (Sorry we didn’t mention you on the air, Joejira. You signed up after the initial broadcast).

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-3:57
Entertaining Info Dump: 3:57-8:44
Toku Talk: 8:44-1:17:00
Toku Topic: 1:17:00-1:40:01
Outro: 1:40:01-end

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Patreon

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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Episode 16: Bex vs. ‘Rebirth of Mothra’

Hello, kaiju lovers!

Today we’re giving you something you perhaps didn’t know you wanted—a deep dive into Rebirth of Mothra, the first of a trilogy produced by Toho after retiring Godzilla (again). Depending on how you feel about this movie, you may love or hate this episode. What you will love, though, is the Tourist joining Nathan this week is none other than Bex from Redeemed Otaku. Since Nathan appeared on her podcast to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy, he’s having her on three episodes as part of the “Summer of Mothra” while we all await the release of Godzilla vs. Kong (yes, much to anime-loving Bex’s chagrin, she’s filler). Their spirited discussion references and compares this film to a multitude of unrelated media, including The Lion King, Power Rangers, The Neverending Story, Sentinels of the Multiverse (a card game), and Panzer Dragoon(a video game). It’s quite meme-tastic with catchphrases like, “lightning and lasers,” and Nathan’s favorite, “Deus ex Mothrica” (he has issues with the movie’s ending). The Toku Topic is deforestation in Japan. While that may not sound exciting, it has deep connections to the movie and the Japanese national spirit. All this plus some Jimmy From NASA antics and more in the latest episode of MIFV!

Here are the Redeemed Otaku episodes Nathan (and his friend Eric Anderson) appeared on to discuss the Godzilla Anime Trilogy:

Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters
Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle
Godzilla: The Planet Eater

ANNOUNCEMENT: We now have a Patreon! If you’re able to support the show in these crazy times, please do. There are three levels, each with its own perks. Here’s a link. Shout out to our first Patron, Travis Alexander (co-host of Kaiju Weekly), who pledged at the Day Pass Tourist level! Thanks, man!

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-5:11
Entertaining Info Dump: 5:11-11:55
Toku Talk: 11:55-1:29:31
Toku Topic: 1:29:31-2:09:11
Outro: 2:09:11-end

MIFV Social Media:
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram

Follow Jimmy on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

www.MonsterIslandFilmVault.com

#JimmyFromNASALives

© 2020 Moonlighting Ninjas Media

Bibliography/Further Reading:

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