Episode 23: 'Atragon' (Mini-Analysis) - The Monster Island Film Vault

Hello, kaiju lovers!

This month’s mini-sode is yet another excerpt from the paper Nathan wrote for his Ishiro Honda independent study in grad school, and it’s on one of his favorite tokusatsu films: Atragon. This Jules Verne-ian sci-fi adventure story has deep connections to the Japanese national spirit as it was inspired by a militaristic 1899 novel and the ongoing newspaper stories about World War II stragglers being found on Pacific islands. The film also comments on resurgent Japanese nationalism in the early 1960s. All this plus listener feedback, and MIFV’s intrepid producer, Jimmy From NASA, tells a bit of his story about taking the Gotengo (the flying super-sub in the film) for a joyride in the ’80s. (If you want to hear the entire story, listen to Kaiju Weekly episode 38). And much to Nathan’s annoyance, Jimmy relays an outrageous announcement from the Monster Island Board of Directors about Godzilla vs. Kong.

Episode thumbnail created by Michael Hamilton.

We’d like to give a shout-out to our Patreon patrons Travis Alexander and Michael Hamilton (cohosts of Kaiju Weekly); Danny DiManna (author/creator of the Godzilla Novelization Project); Eli Harris (elizilla13); Chris Cooke (host of One Cross Radio), and Bex from Redeemed Otaku! Thanks for your support!

You, too, can support us on Patreon!

This episode is approved by the Monster Island Board of Directors.

Read Jimmy’s Notes on this episode.

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Bibliography/Further Reading:

“Has the Empire Sunk Yet?—The Pacific in Japanese Science Fiction” by Thomas Schnellbächer (Science Fiction Studies, Nov. 2002, vol. 29, no. 3)
Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa by Steve Ryfle and Ed Godzisewski
“Ishiro Honda-thon Ep. 2: Atragon (1963) Review” by Adam Noyes (AN Productions)
Japanese Army Stragglers and Memories of the War, 1950-75 by Beatrice Trefalt
“Kaijuvision Radio, Episode 46: Atragon (1963) (Hiroo Onoda and Japanese Holdouts)”
Mushroom Clouds and Mushroom Men: The Fantastic Cinema of Ishiro Honda by Peter H. Brothers

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Episode 23: ‘Atragon’ (Mini-Analysis)

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