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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 26: The Metters vs. Daimajin Strikes Again’

Published October 19, 2020

So…let me explain.

This all started as good-natured ribbing between me and Joy. I was just cracking jokes. However, the more she talked about how good she was with a sword, the more I wanted to test that theory. I’m an engineer, after all. Not to mention this sort of thing happened all the time when a new recruit walked onto base when I was in the Air Force. That’s why I unleashed the Dorats on her. If they scared her, I knew she lacked the courage of a swordfighter. I could’ve tried something a bit more…aggressive (I considered a Meganuron), but I knew that would be too dangerous. In retrospect, something that cute was probably bound to fail as a test of mettle. Obviously, we need to feed those flying gremlins radiation after midnight to unlock their killer instincts.

As for quarantining their dogs…okay, I admit I took advantage of an Island rule to annoy Joy. Her slapping me with a glove and challenging me to a duel was unexpected. Although, not nearly as unexpected as getting my butt kicked by Daimajin. If I believed in karma, I’d say I had it coming. I spent a good three days recovering in the infirmary. The soreness only subsided yesterday. I get a little nervous walking through Serizawa Memorial Park. I swear that statue is watching me. Now I know how Whovians feel around angel statutes.

Anyway, I do have some notes from the episode. I had to listen to the second half after it was published last week since I wasn’t there. It’s the usual stuff, as you’ll see.

My Notes:

  • It’s “Tsuruchiki,” Nathan. Admittedly, it’s a bit of a tongue twister name.
  • Irony would be a great source of renewable energy. Almost as good as plugging Marchand into one of my mechas. He’s practically a human dynamo.
  • Yes, I am proud of my haircut, Marchand, but no, I won’t exchange shampoo recommendations with Joy.
  • It was the Sengoku period, Nathan. After only a few episodes, that info slipped out of your big head. 😛
  • (I confess I got so frustrated with Joy, I broke several pencils points and stopped writing about her).
  • Tamashii is a Japanese toy company.
  • Midi-chlorians don’t exist. 😛
  • Nathan discussed bon festivals briefly for episode 9, which was on The Mysterians. (I liked that one).
  • No, Nathan, it was Emperor Hirohito. Akihito was his son (Emperor Heisei). If only I was there to correct you on that. I lived under Emperor Showa for a while, so I know.

Now for Nathan’s leftover notes. He’s gotten better about remembering that every episode isn’t a doctoral thesis. 😛

The Film

  • Daimjain is similar to the Hebrew legend of the golem.
  • This film is unique in the trilogy in that it stars children. It’s kaiju Stranger Things (or Stand by Me). It’s also like a traditional fantasy story because it’s a journey. They meet strange people (old lady), cross rivers, climb mountains. The mochi are like the elvish bread. (Reminds me of my childhood. –Jimmy)
  • I don’t get the sandal flip for checking on his brother. (Like a coin flip, maybe? I had friends at the Japanese school I attended for a while who did it. What’s weird is a few of my Japanese friends did it while building Gohten. Weird. –Jimmy)
  • Sugi is the least impressive in terms of acting.
  • The Daimajin statue appears 27 minutes in (87 minute movie).
  • The boys ask Daimajin’s forgiveness for entering his mountain. They say they just want to save their dads. He sends his hawk and a small dust storm as a reply, which seems to be affirmatory.
  • No explanation for why this statue is in the middle of nowhere on this mountain.
  • The bad guys use guns again.
  • “Heightened sense of smell.” Okay, Wolverine.
  • Sugi has a dream where he’s running on the mountain and a hawk sort of attacks him. He falls and cries out for his father.
  • Broken posts look like crosses.
  • The villains show no respect to Daimjain when they step on his mountain.
  • Tsuruchiki buries it in snow and prays over it.
  • Daimajin’s shoulder pads still shake.
  • He smashes through a cliff like he did the wall in previous film. (Must be made of paper. –Jimmy)
  • During the finale it becomes quite apparent that the actors are wearing skull caps.
  • Wait…he stomps on the cave but his hand reaches in on impact?
  • How appropriate that Daimjain punishes evildoers in Hell’s Valley.
  • When Sugi calls to Daimajin at the end, is he hoping he will resurrect Kinta?
  • This film actually has credits! Probably because it didn’t have any at the start. Very modern. Ahead of its time.

The Toku Topic: Kami

  • Sources: Encyclopedia of Shinto, “Kami: The Evolution of Japan’s Native Gods” by Hashizume Daisaburō, “Meet the Gods: 13 Japanese Kami” by John Spacey, https://www.ancient.eu/Kami/, “Kami” (Wikipedia), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai%C5%9Brava%E1%B9%87a
  • It’s best to think of “God” and kami as three different concepts.
    • “The written Japanese form, 神, is influenced by the Chinese meaning of the character. Common words in both languages using this character, such as 精神 (pronounced seishin in Japanese), meaning “spirit” or “mind,” and 神経 (shinkei), meaning “nerves,” are related to human mental qualities. Pronounced shen in Chinese, the character 神 carries some divine attributes, but they are of a decidedly low rank and far below those of the highest power in Chinese theology, termed 天 (tian) or 上帝 (shangdi) in Chinese.”
  •  “Kami were believed to possess human-like predilections in other ways as well, enjoying music, dance, and poetry, and disdaining behavior disruptive of natural or social order, together with pollutions (kegare) such as filth, blood, and death.”
  • “Heavenly bodies further include the sun, moon, and planets, while deified meteorological phenomena would include things like the kami of wind (kaze no kami), and kami of thunder (raijin). Kami related to geological formations include kami of earth (jigami or jinushigami); kami of mountains; kami of mountain passes; kami of thickets, forests, and groves; kami of rocks and boulders; kami of the sea (umi no kami); kami of rivers, lakes, ponds, and marshes; kami of islands; and so forth.
  • “So called “culture kami” can be broadly divided into the three categories (1) ‘community kami,’ namely those worshiped by particularistic social groups; (2) ‘functional kami,’ which are related to specific aspects or occupations in human life; and (3) ‘human kami,’ namely historical human beings treated as kami.
    Community kami may include yashikigami (kami of dwellings) buraku kami (kami of geographical communities); familial kami (tutelaries of consanguineous families); dōzokushin (kinship group tutelaries); and dōsojin and sai no kami (kami which stand at the entryways or borders of villages and protect residents from the intrusion of baneful outside forces).”
  • Speaking of which: “While studying to achieve enlightenment, Amida had vowed that he would strive to have all living things be reborn in this realm, which he reached upon becoming a Buddha. Rebirth in the superior realm of the Western Paradise meant being just one step from Buddhahood and was considered extremely important. The idea that people could become Buddhas after death spread through the doctrine that death could lead to the pure land, which in turn was a stage on the way to Buddhahood.”
  • “The new Shintō movement of Hirata Atsutane (1776–1843) triggered a great change in the way Japanese people thought about kami from the waning years of the Tokugawa shogunate through the early Meiji era (1868–1912). Hirata professed to be a disciple of Motoori, and his study of Shintō led him to proclaim that when people died, they did not become Buddhas or go to Yomi, the land of the dead, but instead became spirits (rei). In particular, those who died for Japan suffered no defilement and became eirei, “glorious spirits,” who would protect future generations. The revolutionary idea that people became spirits after death, maintaining their individuality throughout eternity, leads some to think Hirata had studied the Christian concept of the soul by secretly reading a Chinese translation of the Bible (then banned in Japan).” This paved the way for state Shinto. It also meant that the dead could be enshrined, which led to the construction of the controversial Yasukuni Shrine in 1869.

That does it for today.

Join us next week to hear our Halloween special when Nathan was joined by Kaiju Weekly co-host (and raging Kamen Rider fan) Travis Alexander for an extended mini-analysis to discuss Frankenstein Conquers the World (or as we like to call it here on the Island, “Frankie v. Barry”). (#Justice4Baragon)

Then we cover our first Ray Harryhausen film on the show with Nathan’s friend and returning Tourist Nick Hayden with The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need two aspirin and a nap. Marchand is busy reminding me of my comeuppance.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow the Board on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

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#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 25: Dogora, the Space Monster (feat. Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton)’

Published October 6, 2020

Normally, my notes on mini-sodes—even extended ones—tend to be short.

Not today!

This week I earn my paycheck (and the ire of Marchand and “Mr. Groupie”) with a list of notes that would make Glen and the rest of my NASA trainers quite proud.

Five, four, three, two, one…

Liftoff!

My Notes

  • It’s “mark 3” not “mach 3,” Mr. Groupie. Do you have Kilara on the brain?
  • Regardless, I tried to ask the Board which “friend” I was building the Serpentera Mk. 3 for, and they wouldn’t tell me. I admit I’m a little concerned given that the previous models were used by alien invaders, and I have a history with extraterrestrial invasions.
  • Mr. Groupie got me swearin’ on the air! I went back to my New York roots!
  • Yes, the beginning of this film reminds me of being at NASA. And let me tell you, their space monster procedures were abysmal! I blame the bureaucracy.
  • Mr. Groupie, I’m as nostalgic as the next NASA engineer. We’re by definition geeks, and nostalgia runs deep in geek culture. You know this.
  • “Space junk”? You realize how often that joke came up while I was in NASA? Pshaw!
  • Yeah. That so-called “podcast.” 🙄
  • Oh, come on! You can’t put the word “space” in anything and make me like it. (Okay, maybe “space dog.”)
  • The scientific name given the giant bees (besides “Dogora deterrent”) by the Japanese scientists here is Kyodai Mitsubachi. Security Chief Douglas Gordon, on the other hand, nicknamed one the “Queen B—ch’ (although, I think he stole that from Tab Murphy).
  • Yes, I met Cthulhu. I’ve read the right pages of the Necronomicon to know how to deal with him.
  • Nathan, I’m surprised you didn’t compare Dogora’s weakness to the Martians dying from the common cold in War of the Worlds.
Star Wars Yoda GIF - StarWars Yoda Sad GIFs
  • Yes. I’m an unabashed fanboy for Kumi Mizuno and Nick Adams.
Tom Cruise Deal With It GIF
  • I think Nathan and Mr. Groupie were a bit confused. I’d sent feedback for 20 Million Miles to Earth not Monster Zero at the time of this broadcast. I tried to correct them, but they didn’t catch it. (Speaking of which, I did write that Monster Zero e-mail for Kaiju Weekly).
  • Yes, Carl Craig and I can both speak Japanese. I’m proud of that. Perhaps I should use it more often.
  • Yeah, Marchand, I’m going to have to give you some laser pistol safety training before I take you to my range again. And yes, you shoot like a Stormtrooper. But sure, Mr. Groupie, I’ll take you to my range next time you’re here.
  • Oh, I’m serious about that duel, Mr. Groupie. I’ll get it approved with the Board. Perhaps they’ll allow it if our weapons are set to stun. Too bad you backed down
  • I think you mean “west coast” not “west side,” Nathan. Or do you have Russ Tamblyn on the brain?
  • Yeah…Yakuza friend. I used to know him back in my scouting days. It’s not Masao. Gamera kids would never become Yakuza. Mostly because I think he might eat them if they did.
  • You called it “Daimajin Strikes Back” again, Marchand!
  • Yes, the Board likes 100 Grand bars. I tried Reese’s Pieces at first because of a movie I saw in the early ‘80s, but it didn’t work.
  • It wasn’t easy getting that clause added to your contract, Nathan. That’s how I discovered the Board liked 100 Grand bars.
  • Nathan eats super-spicy Jelly Belly jellybeans to put up with me.
  • “Like somebody I know”? Oh yeah. I know all about him. That was the last time I let him near my armed drones.

Now for Nathan’s leftover notes.

The Film:

  • Jimmy has a soft spot for this one because he’s a sucker for space monsters. (And I feel no shame. –Jimmy)
  • The opening and credits do remind me a bit of Battle in Outer Space.
  • Komai: Who’s almost the same character in Ghidorah.
  • (Typo in subtitles: “big jib.”) (They should’ve had me edit it. –Jimmy)
  • They were very trusting that the truck drivers would see her and not run her over.
  • Mark Jackson is Herbie’s new driver. (Only because he stole that Love Bug. –Jimmy)
  • The references to monsters as if they’re normal lends credence toward this being in the Showa-verse like Danny and I said. (See video and bonus episode. –Jimmy)
  • “Wine delivery”? When was that a thing before InstaCart?
  • This is the only time I can think of in a Showa Toho film that references ninjas—and it’s by an American! (Of course! Because they’re awesome! –Jimmy)
  • The big metal box—is that how you get some of your figures shipped, Michael?
  • The goon eating the rock candy that isn’t a diamond is trademark Sekizawa.
  • Oh crap! Dogora sounds like a Matango! Dr. Douriff might try to summon him! (Uh…someone keep every Lovecraft book away from him! –Jimmy)
  • I love how Komai casually climbs down the building to the next room.
  • The old “crystallographer” is a typical scientist who somehow knows all sciences.
  • This could almost be an Ultra Q episode.
  • The Ifukube music during the venom manufacturing montage sounds like what he’d compose for destroying the control device in Destroy All Monsters.
  • Labs around the world work to study and manufacture the wasp venom. Honda’s “brotherhood of man” theme.
  • Now we have the Mission: Impossible! scene with fuse and trying to get the gun. (A Walther PPK, to boot). Thank God Komai is a decent shot! (Where’s Tom Cruise when you need him? Oh yeah, in the gif above. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • There is some real military stock footage in this.
  • This guy’s obsession with dynamite and throwing sticks of it is hilarious!
  • And of course, the woman dies clutching a fistful of diamonds. (You sexist! Just kidding, of course. –Jimmy)
  • Ever seen ThunderCats? There was an episode where it rained rocks like in this.
  • Spin on Sekizawa’s formula: kaiju doesn’t solve human problem, but solving kaiju problem does solve human problem.
  • And all the diamonds are fake!
  • “Peaceful applications” of the tech developed to kill Dogora? Very idealistic. Very Honda.

Honda Biography

  • Japanese criminologists call the early 1950s-early 1960s the “period of gang wars.” Economic growth led to red light districts where crime thrived. This accounts for the popularity of gangster (yakuza) films during this time and why such elements were added to this film and Ghidorah the Three-Headed Monster.
  • The authors argue that one could interpret Dogora’s destruction of a TV satellite at the beginning of the film as a commentary on the banality of television or the monster’s appetite for coal a concern over industrial pollution. Even the specter of radioactive isotopes left over from the nuclear bombings. But they say the film doesn’t think much of these.
  • Jojiro Okami wrote the treatment, which was changed by Honda and Sekizawa, who added cops and robbers. He wasn’t consulted, which was usual.
  • Robert Dunham’s phrase, “Oh, Kami-sama” (“Oh, God!”) is a very western use of Japanese.
  • The original script was much more ambitious, with several ‘luminous monsters attacking New York and space stations while consuming diamonds and carbon. The Japanese authorities capture one and learn it can be killed with beta rays. Sadly, the film suffered from budget cuts.
  • It left so little of an impression, actor Natsuki didn’t recall being in it in 1996.

LeMay

  • TV Guide description read on Sanford and Son: “A giant coal-sucking jellyfish from space runs afoul of gangsters and is defeated wasp venom.”
  • “Uchu kaiju” = “space monster” (We knew all about those at NASA. –Jimmy)

Brothers

  • Influenced by the James Bond series (particularly Goldfinger)
  • Fewer deaths, more laughs in these films now.
  • Argues that the characters are overshadowed by the monsters. Honda’s characters are a “side-element” to the monsters.
  • The film’s poor box office made Tanaka take this formula further.

Notes on the Yakuza:

  • “Boryokudan, another word for Yakuza, is considered an insult. It refers to degenerate, violent gangsters with no sense of tradition or honor. This i­s how the Japanese police refer to the Yakuza.” (https://people.howstuffworks.com/yakuza.htm)
  • “Members are meant to observe strict codes of loyalty, silence, obedience, and the like.” (https://allthatsinteresting.com/yakuza-history/2)
  • Unlike in the film, women are marginalized in the Yakuza. Even wives and daughters are mostly servants. Sometimes they’re even used as prostitutes. However, Fumiko Taoka filled the power vacuum left by her husband for several months after he died, making one of the few women to be a boss (and it was for one of the largest gangs in Japan).
  • The Japanese government has employed them, but details are hazy. When President Eisenhower visited Japan in 1960, he was flanked by Yakuza bodyguards.
  • The drug trade is quite profitable for them. They run most of the drug traffic in the country, particularly meth. One member said, “One sure way of making money is drugs: that’s the one thing you can’t get hold of without an underworld connection.”
  • They also got involved in white-collar crime. “Early on, the Yakuza’s role in white-collar crime was mostly through something call Sōkaiya – their system for extorting businesses. They would buy enough stock in a company to be able to send their men into stockholder meetings, and there they would terrify and blackmail the companies into doing whatever they wanted.” … “At their peak, there were 50 registered companies listed on the Osaka Security Exchange that had deep ties to organized crime.” (https://allthatsinteresting.com/yakuza-history/4)
  • They now prefer using these legitimate businesses to make money rather than commit crimes.

That wraps things up.

Mr. Groupie insisted on driving Serpentera Mk. 3 back to West Virginia. Despite my hesitation, I let him. Thankfully, he didn’t wreck it (although we did have a close call with the Gateway Arch. Stop flying that low, Groupie!)

Tune in next week when Nathan is joined by Joe and Joy Metter to wrap up the “Daimajin Days” with Daimajin Strikes Again. I’m still recovering from injuries I suffered in that episode—but not from Joy!

Then Mr. Groupie’s partner in crime at Kaiju Weekly, Travis Alexander, joins us for an MIFV Halloween with Frankenstein Conquers the World (#Justice4Baragon).

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow the Board on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 24: The Metters vs. Return of Daimajin’

Published September 15, 2020

Well, if I was a supervillain, this is the part where I would say,

I learned a valuable lesson during the episode 24 broadcast. Apparently, Dorats aren’t as aggressive as I thought they’d be. And I even fed them some gamma rays before unleashing them on Nathan’s friend Joy Metter. (However, I didn’t feed these little winged gremlins any radiation after midnight because we know how that turns out). Her dogs’ good vibes must’ve calmed them or something.

Perhaps I do need to try something “scarier” next time, as Joy joked, to truly test her mettle since she keeps acting like she’s a master swordsman (“swordswoman”? “swordsperson”? Damn you, political correctness!) Sadly, anything else would probably get me in trouble with the Board for endangering a tourist, but I’ll think of something.

Anyway, let’s get on to my notes from the episode:

  • I will admit, the new Board-mandated uniforms are growing on me. Pink is the new orange.
  • I neglected to include the IMDB scores for the first two Daimajin films in the Entertaining Info Dump. Oops. They’re 6.7 and 6.4, respectively.
  • It’s “Sama-no-suke,” not, “Sama-na-suke.” But hey, none of you grew up in Japan like I did.
  • I’ll give Joy credit for one thing: we can agree that Anakin Skywalker is as charming as a brick in Attack of the Clones.
  • It’s “Dodohei,” not, “Todohei,” Nathan. You think he’s a dog from Kansas?
  • Yes, Joe, Ryuta does have an arm. Two of them, in fact.
  • I can make an argument that Frozen is a kaiju movie: the big snowman. If Half Human counts….
  • Nathan, it’s “Iwamatsu” not “Imatsu.”
  • I’m pretty sure “Heian” is pronounced, “hay-on.” You know, like “Heisei” (“hay-say”).
  • It’s “kami” not “gami,” Joy.
  • Yawns, last I checked, were by definition audible, Joe.
  • I didn’t realize this until now because I liked the Star Wars reference, but the third film is Daimajin Strikes Again not Back. Also, Nathan used the wrong title for the DVD cover he used on the blog post just like ADV did. Oh well.

And now, in fulfillment of my contractual obligations, here’s Nathan’s leftover notes:

The Film

  • Barr says it “explores the clash between tradition and modernity, between peacefulness and warmongering.”
  • The first two films put a premium on the “old ways” of worship. Are we supposed to sympathize with the persecuted nobles, villagers, and Daimajin?
  • Interesting that the characters don’t bow before passing through the torii gate.
  • We get some foreshadowing with Daimajin’s face glowing red. Said to be a sign of misfortune and his anger.
  • In this, the priestess is also the dead lord’s daughter. The characters are combined.
  • Daimajin is fond of mountains. (I would correct him by saying he’s on an island in this one, but it’s at least mountainous. –Jimmy)
  • Ifukube’s music shines in this score.
  • The priestess calls Daimjain “Kamisama.” Is this the Japanese word for the Christian God? (That’s what most westerners think. It makes sense since it would translate as “Lord God” or “lord of the gods.” Or at least “lord of the kami.” –Jimmy)
  • “They have taken our statue but not our soul.” –Sayuri (Probably the best line in the film. –Jimmy)
  • I think Juro would’ve been better off killing Danjo. (Actually, he kept him alive for leverage. –Jimmy)
  • “Juro’s in the well?!” (Call Lassie! Or Teddy Kong! –Jimmy)
  • There is some added suspense thanks to the statue being shattered.
  • Another divine warning with the soldier in a boat stabbed with a rock. This gives a kid the chance to set Katsushige free.
  • Sayuri hanging on the cross and praying—offering her life to Daimajin—echoes the Christ story. Then she cries and her tears awaken him. The wind extinguishes the fire.
  • The statue emerges whole from the water. He appears 61 minutes into the 78-minute movie.
  • This reminds me a bit of the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal.
  • They try to blow up Daimajin again, and this time it doesn’t work. The shot of him in the smoke is great.
  • His footsteps are ominous.
  • Sayuri’s tears fall from her face to her praying hands to the lake water, and Daimajin dissolves into water.

Toku Topic

  • SHRINES: “The etymology of the early word for shrine, yashiro 社 is thought to have meant a temporary structure (yashiro 屋代) erected for worship, in the same way that nawashiro meant a hut for raising seedlings, and an ajiro meant a spot for drying fishing nets.” Festivals would be held there. “Accordingly, the concept of the sacred also changed from one in which kami were thought to be visiting deities (raihōshin) that descended at set times each year, to one in which the kami resided permanently in the shrine as a tutelary of its parishioners.”
  • SHRINES: “By contrast, another term denoting a shrine, miya 宮, is believed to derive from the honorific expression for a building (miya 御屋). Until the early Heian period, however, few shrines were permitted the status of miya, and of the 2,861 shrines listed in the Engishiki’s “Register of Divinities,” only eleven are included in this category.”
  • SHRINES: “The earliest type of shrine architecture is seen in the shinmeizukuri style of the Shōden (honden) of the Grand Shrines of Ise, and the taishazukuri style of the Izumo Shrine’s honden. The former originates in the style of grain storehouse used to store rice, while the latter is based on the style of ancient dwellings in the Izumo area. Both styles are reflected in ancient palace architecture, and eventually they were used in permanent shrine buildings, becoming the source for more complicated styles….”
  • SHRINES: While governors got more involved with the festivals centered around kami worship in medieval Japan, this system dissolved as warrior families arose, and “ancient imperially granted shrine lands (shinryō) and other lands commended by secular houses were gradually transformed into the system of estates known as shōen. Under this system, powerful shrines tried to ensure their territorial integrity by commending their lands to the imperial house or other power clans who acted as ‘rights holders’ (honjo) for the land. … “At the outset of Hōjō Yasutoki’s Jōei shikimoku (1232) appears an exhortation to keep shrines in good repair and to be diligent in worship, and this became a maxim for future generations. This pattern was also incorporated and continued in the Edo shogunate’s laws regulating shrines and their priests, the Shosha negi kannushi hatto of 1665. On this basis the shoguns and daimyō bestowed “vermilion-seal” or “black-seal” land grants upon important shrines and diligently contributed to the rebuilding or repair of shrine buildings.”
  • SHRINES: 70% of Japanese people visit a shrine at least once a year at New Year. This is called Hatsumōdë.
  • TORII: Most are made of wood and painted red, but a few are black or made of stone. (This was brought up in the episode, but I left it in this blog to explain why they’re red. While torii were once white for sacredness, they are painted red because to the Japanese that is the color of vitality and protection against evil. It had a practical reason, too. Red paint contains mercury, which preserves the gate. –Jimmy)

I’m glad that was easier than in past weeks. Thanks, Nathan!

Next Wednesday, you’ll hear an episode featuring my former online nemesis Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton (MIFV Patron and co-host of the Kaiju Weekly podcast, among other things), who discusses Dogora, the Space Monster with Nathan. Then the Metters return to finish the “Daimajin Days” with Daimajin Strikes Again.

Also, this month is our first anniversary (hoo-ah!), so Nathan will be joined by Danny DiManna of the Godzilla Novelization Project for a special bonus episode to celebrate.

Join us!

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow the Board on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

#JimmyFromNASALives
#WeShallOvercome

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 23: Atragon’

Published September 1, 2020

This week’s “Jimmy’s Notes” on episode 23 (Atragon) is short and sweet. Good, I say. Jet Jaguar and I have been very busy continuing to rebuild Mechani-Kong in my garage. I ordered mech parts from a Chinese company on eBay, and they arrived a week late. Then the shipment was delayed because the Board of Directors implemented more safety protocols for off-Island shipments. When I heard that I was more forgiving. I don’t think I’ll order from that eBay seller again, though. (Poor Nathan is still waiting for his S.H. FigureArts Ultraman figure to show up from China, though).

Along with that, our continued frustrations with a new condenser microphone in our recent broadcasts with Joe and Joy “How-Did-I-Not-Get-Scared-By-The-Dorats?” Metter has required that I procure a replacement. That’s arriving today, thankfully.

This intro is longer than usual because, to my surprise, I only have a few notes for this episode besides Nathan’s leftovers. Let’s get to them.

  • Keep denying the super-special Godzilla vs. Kong premiere will happen in November, Marchand. You’ll feel real lonely that night. Ozaki and the EDF Mutants will be the security detail that night, so don’t even think of sneaking in!
  • Nathan said, “expectation,” when he meant, “affection.” Your mouth does go faster than your brain, doesn’t it?
  • You called the Gotengo “Atragon” once, which is technically wrong, but it was how it was written in the subtitles. You get a pass this time.

Nathan’s Leftover Notes on the Film:

  • Starts “in media res.” Almost feels like a trailer. A little confusing.
  • Sekizawa humor. Swimsuit model sneezes because of cold.
  • Feels a bit like a Universal monster movie from 1950s, especially with half-melted diver.
  • I’d make an Uber joke, but the guy has a cabbie hat.
  • Man made out of vapor—wrong movie, dude! (“Human Vapor.” Haha. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • Kenji Sahara is almost unrecognizable with the chinstrap beard. (He looks like your brother. 😛 –Jimmy)
  • “Action Magazine.” What kind of mag is that? It could be taken a few ways—especially if they want photos of a swimsuit model. (How dirty is that mind of yours, Marchand? –Jimmy)
  • (Former Rear Admiral) Kusumi: represents modern Japan that has moved on from war to join world community
    • Was silent out of loyalty to Jinguji until situation was dire.
    • Doesn’t salute back to soldiers, only nods; evidence of his change?
  • Gotengo is derived from real super-subs supposedly developed by Japan in WWII. (Yep. I have several blueprints for those subs. And the Gotengo. –Jimmy)
  • Capt. Jinguji: represents old imperial japan and those who didn’t move on.
    • “Enslaved” natives of island?
    • Was going to be played by Toshiro Mijune. Would’ve been different. (It would’ve made the Island’s chaplain happy. –Jimmy)
    • Asks who made Japan renounce war in new constitution, but Kusumi is too shocked to answer. Then conversation moves on. Interesting. US isn’t mentioned directly.
    • He seems shaken by his daughter’s words, yet doesn’t chase after her.
    • Wears old field uniform during operation against Mu.
    • Takes action when Makoto is kidnapped. True change? (As someone who has met the man on two occasions—and survived—I’d say, “Yes.” –Jimmy)
    • “I think I was wearing rusty armor. I took it off and feel fine.”
    • “We will attack so long as you tell us to surrender! But we’ll listen to peace talks.” Indicates change. Empress refuses like Imperial Japan in WWII.
  • The Mu Empire is modeled Imperial Japan.
    • Sank 12,000 years ago. Atlantis. Related to Seatopia? 😛 (According to you and Danny DiManna, they are. –Jimmy)
    • Has a powerful navy with submarines.
    • Seeks to conquer surface because they believe it is rightfully theirs. Like Japan seeking to build pan-Asian empire.
    • Calls humans “people of the colonies.” “Return our colonies immediately!” Presumptive. UN building, London Bridge, Arch de Triumph, the Kremlin(?), Manhattan (bridge) shown. Worldwide threat. Says New York and Tokyo are first targets. Appropriate. Alliance between U.S. and Japan.
    • The Empress refuses to lower herself to undressing in front of foreigners (and men?) to change into diving suit. Pride that is broken.
    • Empress accuses Jinguji of defying them, and he says the Mu defied “us.” “Killing me cannot kill our empire’s heart!” He’s taken aback, as if it sounded like something he believed. (It’s a literal reference to the Mu power source, but it’s also an effective metaphor).
  • The Mu city looks, well, like a model. On the other hand, some shots remind me of Metropolis. (Except without the cool robot lady. –Jimmy)
  • Manda was added later, but he doesn’t feel shoehorned unlike Magma in Gorath. (Everything is less shoehorned than that walrus! –Jimmy)
  • An ultimatum on film: forerunner to Xiliens in Monster Zero. ( J -Jimmy)
  • It’s the satellite from The Mysterians! (24:00)
  • Red Satan is the name of world’s largest submarine. And it’s an American sub. Oh boy…. Could it be a commentary on nuclear power and not an anti-American sentiment? (I doubt it. –Jimmy)
  • H-bomb usage limited by water depth and “moral principles.” Japan’s anti-nuclear principles? (This was several years before those were codified. –Jimmy)
  • The UN wants Gotengo to be used. Requests it. International feel.
  • One of Jinguji’s men follows Makoto. Gets captured. Only gives ‘reservation number” (8561), a Navy tag to be used for Yasukuni Shrine. Very interesting. Only time I can think of that this was mentioned in a Honda film. Amano snaps to attention when he learns who Kusumi is.
  • True Stories magazine. Sounds more legit.
  • Mu leader called Hierarch. Interesting. Subservient to Empress.
  • “Transfer our hardships to the slaves on earth!”
  • 35:00: Lots of extras. Another sign Honda wanted to direct a musical. (I’d watch a musical of this film! But I’m strange. –Jimmy)
  • Protagonists are met by soldiers wearing well-maintained WWII Japanese military uniforms.
  • Has WWII-era “rising sun” flag. Not used now because of war connections.
  • The Gotengo is a crazy-cool vehicle. Flying sub with drill on front and freeze laser. Not unlike Nautilus in 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Film spends several minutes showing it off. (Just like Robert Wise would do 16 years later in the first Star Trek film. –Jimmy)
  • 47:45: Thunderbirds are go!
  • Unusual for a Sekizawa script because of how political it is; but it wouldn’t have been appropriate for Kimura because he was too cynical. This is a story of moving on, redemption. It reflects his attitude. Kimura wouldn’t have been right for this story.
  • The second dance number makes me think of The Ten Commandments for some reason. The set and costumes, maybe?
  • Is Manda their god or the messenger? He’s called both.
  • Manda appears 63 minutes in.
  • Mt. Mihara. I associate that with G84/vs. Biollante.
  • The sinkhole scene is spectacular. Incredible effects. Horrifying.
  • The Mu ships with the dragon figureheads look great. I love how lasers fire from the mouths.
  • Now Jinguji has his white uniform?!
  • The Empress packed her clothes?
  • Manda looks like a Chinese dragon. Is that saying something? (Not everything is a hidden message, Nathan. Cool your English major jets. –Jimmy)
  • Manda is dispatched pretty quickly. Sign of being added last minute during short production.

That’s a wrap for this week!

Our next episode will be part two of the “Daimajin Days” with Return of Daimjain and the return of Joe and Joy “I-Don’t-Look-Like-a-Swordfighter” Metter. Then my former nemesis Michael “The Kaiju Groupie” Hamilton makes his first appearance on the show (remarkably) for a Board-approved extended mini-sode on Dogora, the Space Monster. I’ll be nice to him since he’s a Patron. He helps to keep the emergency evacuation system (EES) working properly in the radio studio.

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 22: The Metters vs. Daimajin’

Published August 17, 2020

Episode 22 was beset by many-a-peril during its production, both in front of the mics and behind the scenes. It was late for our Patreon Patrons, but we did manage to get it published on time. We’re a stubborn and determined lot.

That being said, I have more notes on this than I usually do—mostly because Marchand was copy-and-pasting stuff from his research as opposed to writing paraphrases. I’ve spoken with him about this and convinced him it would be better for everyone involved—especially the Tourists on the show—to do that less from now on. He agreed.

So, after some copious editing, here are my notes.

  • Nathan, goofball that you are, you didn’t set up your new microphone correctly, which is why the episode doesn’t sound as good as it normally does. Live and learn. And research your mic next time!
  • There has actually been more kaiju films where the suit actor’s eyes could be seen than you think. I’m surprised Nathan forgot to mention these. Besides Daimajin and War of the Gargantuas, there was King Kong (1976) (how could he forget that?), Yeti: Giant of the 2oth Century (unfortunately for everyone besides Travis from Kaiju Weekly), and if you want to count him, the Snowman from Half Human. The Babylonian Demon from Yokai Monsters: Spook Warfare has a suit actor whose eyes can be seen. I was also told if you pause Ebirah, Horror of the Deep at the right spot when Godzilla rips off the crustacean’s claw, you can seen Haruo Nakajima’s eyes, although that’s a filmmaking mistake.
  • Haniwa weren’t so much guardians as they were grave markers and boundary markers, and later were believed to house the spirit of the deceased. Read more here.
  • Moses pleads for Israel in Exodus 32:11-14.
  • It’s pronounced, “Samanosuke,” Nathan. And Joe. Man, this name is a tongue twister for us Americans.
  • You don’t believe I have a lightsaber, huh? Just wait. Also, Disney can have it—when the Mouse pulls from my cold, dead fingers!
  • The line from Firefly Nathan was trying to remember was said by Captain Mal: “If I ever kill you, you’ll be awake, you’ll be facing me, and you’ll be armed.”
  • Joe and Joy are going to start saying, “You wants to take Teddy to see Gamera?” as a euphemism for a walk.
  • Nathan says, “Fascinating,” a lot in this episode. Is he Spock?
  • He also says, “Interesting,” a lot. Expand your vocabulary!
  • It wasn’t the Onin War you referenced in episode 13, Nathan, it was the Genpei War.
  • Joe didn’t say it was Portuguese missionaries, Nathan. He said it was Catholic missionaries.
  • Dainichi is the central deity worshipped in esoteric Buddhism. You can read more about him here.

Here’s Nathan’s overabundance of leftover notes.

The Film

  • Eyeball at beginning is meant to symbolize Daimjain contentedly watching events.
  • I didn’t remember the scene of the kid being chased by the forest spirits. The hand was just a tree branch. What’s with the quick cuts of animals? Was this real?
  • The princess is pale, unlike the others. (Old timey view of feminine beauty. I preferred tanned girls, myself. –Jimmy)
  • The bullets don’t hurt Daimajin. Chains cannot hold Daimajin. Daimajin controls the elements, like fire.

Toku Topics

Sengoku Period

  • “The beginning of the Sengoku period witnessed the Onin War (1467-1477 CE) which destroyed Heiankyo. The fighting that followed over the next century would eventually reduce the warlords to only a few hundred in number as the country was effectively carved up into princedoms.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The Ashikaga Shogunate (1338-1573 CE) held control of the central part of Japan, and the bureaucracy at the capital was relatively efficient, but the outer provinces were left semi-independent as local warlords or daimyo ruled their own lands how they saw fit. Local officials and estate managers such as the jito found it much more difficult to secure the taxes the state was due from landlords who now had no fear of any government reprisals.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “In the absence of a strong central government…the rule of law was very often replaced by the rule of force. The more powerful lords absorbed the lands of their weaker rivals and became known as sengoku daimyo. The warlords then passed on their position of strength to their male heir and so the position of daimyo became hereditary unless challenged by ambitious subordinate commanders. The wealth of the daimyo came from commerce, trade, and taxes imposed on those peasants who farmed on their estates. Daimyo may have been a law unto themselves but many of them did formulate law codes to better regulate the sometimes thousands of people under their command.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The Warring States period kicked off with the Onin War (Onin No Ran, 1467-1477 CE). This civil war – its name derives from the year period – broke out because of the bitter rivalry between the Hosokawa and Yamana family groups. By the end of the decade, though, the fighting had sucked in most of the influential clans of Japan. The conflict revolved around each side backing a different candidate for the position of shogun – a particularly pointless debate since shoguns, like the emperors, no longer had any real power. Rather, the war is seen by historians as merely a result of the overly aggressive warlords of Japan being rather too keen to put their samurai to some use – good or bad. Even when the war ended in 1477 CE there was no victor and no resolution to the inherent militarism that fractured Japan for the next century as warlords fought each other with no one in particular ever achieving any dominance.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The Onin War had sorted out who were the weak and the strong daimyo, who thus became much fewer in number (by 1600 CE there would be only about 250 of them in all of Japan).” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The upheaval resulted in the further weakening of central authority, and throughout Japan, regional lords, called daimyōs, rose to fill the vacuum. In the course of this power shift, well-established clans such as the Takeda and the Imagawa, who had ruled under the authority of both the Kamakura and Muromachi bakufu, were able to expand their spheres of influence. There were many, however, whose positions eroded and were eventually usurped by more capable underlings.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period)
  • “As a result of the constant threat of war and pillage in this period, castles were built with much greater frequency than previously in towns, at mountain passes, along vital roads, and on larger estates. The latter type, which could take the form of fortified mansions, was known as yashiki; Ichijodani (base of the Asakura family) and the moated Tsutsujigasaki (of the Takeda family) were excellent examples of this building trend. Some castles, such as Omi-Hachiman near Lake Biwa, caused an entire town to later spring up around them, the jokomachi. … Constructed on large stone bases, the wooden superstructures included walls, towers, and gates, which had narrow windows for archers and from which hung boulders on ropes, ready to be dropped on any attackers.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “As trade with Ming China grew, the economy developed, and the use of money became widespread as markets and commercial cities appeared. Combined with developments in agriculture and small-scale trading, this led to the desire for greater local autonomy throughout all levels of the social hierarchy. As early as the beginning of the 15th century, the suffering caused by earthquakes and famines often served to trigger armed uprisings by farmers weary of debt and taxes.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period)
  • “Towns and cities became larger, with many having a population of over 30,000, thanks to a boom in international trade (daimyo wanted foreign luxury goods like Ming porcelain to demonstrate their status), weekly markets, and the development of trade guilds. Measures, weights, and currencies were standardized in many domains to facilitate trade. Meanwhile, the fortunes of the many Buddhist temples scattered across Japan plummeted as no longer backed by the state they could not so easily extract contributions from local communities.” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The Ashikaga Shogunate would be terminated by the warlord Oda Nobunaga (l. 1534-1582 CE) who finally brought some stability to central Japan. Oda Nobunaga had expanded his territory gradually through the 1550/60s CE from his base at Nagoya Castle as he defeated all comers thanks to his martial skills and innovative use of firearms. The Warring States period comes to an end with the seizure of Heiankyo by Nobunaga in 1568 CE. The warlord then exiled the last Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshiaki, in 1573 CE. The unification of the country would continue under Nobunaga’s immediate successors, Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537-1598 CE) and Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616 CE).” (https://www.ancient.eu/Sengoku_Period/)
  • “The Sengoku period ended when Toyotomi loyalists were defeated at the Siege of Osaka in 1615.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period)

Christianity Comes to Japan

  • “The Portuguese land on Tanegashima, becoming the first Europeans to arrive in Japan, and introduce the harquebus into Japanese warfare.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sengoku_period)
  • “In 1543 the first Europeans arrived in Japan. Two (maybe three) Portuguese merchants aboard a Chinese ship were blown off course and forced to land on the island of Tanegashima, just south of Kyushu. Only six years later, the first Christian missionary came to Japan. What followed was, what some historians call, Japan’s ‘Christian century.’ Despite 100 years of Christian dominance, today only about 1% of the Japanese population is Christian. … Those first Portuguese men to arrive at Tanegashima also brought the first guns to Japan. Today’s article will focus on the sixteenth century, during which time guns and Christianity were often entwined. Both had a heavy impact on Kyushu and Japan at large during this period, known as the Warring States period (sengoku jidai), a century where central authority in Japan had lost its sway and samurai clans vied for dominance.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “The Shimazu family who ruled Satsuma also controlled Tanegashima, the island where the first Europeans had landed. The Shimazu had been impressed by European firearms and were quick to reproduce them. So, when Xavier arrived they respectfully welcomed him, curious to see what he might have brought along. They gave him permission to speak to their subjects and, through translators, they began to preach. Xavier and his Spanish colleagues began studying Japanese, and soon were attempting the occasional sermon in Japanese, transliterated into the Roman alphabet for them. For the most part, Xavier and European missionaries who followed were quite impressed with the Japanese people.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • Ten months after Xavier’s arrival, the Shimazu changed their stance towards the Christians, prohibiting proselytizing and further conversions. This was probably prompted by the landing of a Portuguese ship at Hirado, in northern Kyushu and outside of Shimazu territory, which dashed Shimazu hopes of securing European trade through the missionaries. … (he went several journeys and preached, winning some converts).” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “Nobunaga never converted, and it doesn’t seem that he ever believed in the Christian message, but he certainly had no love for Buddhist institutions either. A number had been thorns in his side. He burned the great temple complex on Mt. Hiei, killing roughly 25,000, and spent eleven years fighting the ikko-ikki, a type of militant Buddhist group. … Unfortunately…in 1582 Nobunaga was betrayed by one of his generals, and chose to kill himself rather than be captured. … Nobunaga had been a source of hope for the Jesuits, and with his death there were even harder times ahead for the Christian mission in Japan.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “Just before leaving Japan in 1551, Francis Xavier met with Otomo Sorin (1530-1587), lord of Bungo (in eastern Kyushu). … In 1578, he converted to Christianity, taking the name Francisco in honor of Xavier. Actually, a marital problem led to his conversion. Sorin had married a woman in 1550, who was staunch in her traditional religious beliefs and shared a contentious relationship with the Jesuits. She is known only as Jezebel, the name the Jesuits used to refer to her. In 1578, Sorin became ill, which the priest Luis Frois claimed was Jezebel’s fault. He was nursed by one of her ladies-in-waiting, with whom he fell in love. Sorin had his new paramour spirited away to a seaside villa where they were free to hear Christian instruction. First, she converted, taking the name Julia. Later Sorin also converted. They soon married, and Jezebel, as a pagan, was no object. To many observers Sorin’s behavior was scandalous, but to the Jesuits he was a hero. Sorin’s happiness did not last long.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “…in 1582, (Sorin) and two other Christian lords sponsored the first official Japanese embassy to Europe. The embassy was the brainchild of Italian Jesuit, Allesandro Valignano (1539-1606), who had been preaching in Japan for three years. The Tensho Embassy (named after the reign-name of the time) consisted of four Japanese converts. … The embassy arrived in Lisbon in 1584, and from there went on to Rome. During their European tour, they met several kings and two successive popes. In Rome, one of the converts was made an honorary citizen. They returned to Japan in 1590, after which Valignano ordained them as the first Japanese Jesuit fathers.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “Crucifixion was introduced into Japan during the Sengoku period (1467–1573), after a 350-year period with no capital punishment.[116] It is believed to have been suggested to the Japanese by the introduction of Christianity into the region,[116] although similar types of punishment had been used as early as the Kamakura period. Known in Japanese as haritsuke (磔), crucifixion was used in Japan before and during the Tokugawa Shogunate. Several related crucifixion techniques were used. Petra Schmidt, in “Capital Punishment in Japan”, writes:[117] ‘Execution by crucifixion included, first of all, hikimawashi (i.e, being paraded about town on horseback); then the unfortunate was tied to a cross made from one vertical and two horizontal poles. The cross was raised, the convict speared several times from two sides, and eventually killed with a final thrust through the throat. The corpse was left on the cross for three days. If one condemned to crucifixion died in prison, his body was pickled and the punishment executed on the dead body. Under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of the great 16th-century unifiers, crucifixion upside down (i.e, sakasaharitsuke) was frequently used. Water crucifixion (mizuharitsuke) awaited mostly Christians: a cross was raised at low tide; when the high tide came, the convict was submerged under water up to the head, prolonging death for many days.’ Crucifixion was used as a punishment for prisoners of war during World War II. Ringer Edwards, an Australian prisoner of war, was crucified for killing cattle, along with two others. He survived 63 hours before being let down.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crucifixion#Japan)
  • “Added to the fear of foreign conquest, one of the biggest concerns that Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawa Ieyasu had always had with Christianity was the matter of loyalty. For a Christian samurai, did allegiance to the shogun or the pope take precedence? In 1612 there was a bribery scandal, involving a daimyo and a member of Ieyasu’s council, both Christians. This showed that ties between the faithful might be stronger than those to the central authority. In addition, at the execution of a Christian, a priest told the crowd that obedience to the Church should trump obedience to their daimyo. …Then in 1614 he issued the ‘Statement on the Expulsion of the Bataren,’ in which accusations against the priests were leveled. They were commanded to leave the country at once, and Japanese converts were ordered to renounce their faith. Most missionaries left the country, but some continued to operate in secret. Those who were caught were executed. Anti-Christian measures became even harsher under the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, who took power in 1623. It’s estimated that in 1612 there were approximately 300,000 Christians in Japan, but by 1625 there were half that or fewer.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “The Tokugawa shogunate had begun to persecute Christians, largely out of a fear that Christianity would subvert the order and hierarchy that they had struggled for so long to create and maintain. In 1614, Tokugawa Ieyasu issued a proclamation expelling Catholic missionaries from Japan. Japanese Christians were forced to go underground, becoming known as Hidden Christians (kakure kirishitan). Under successive shoguns, persecution intensified. The final straw was to come in 1637, when a revolt broke out in Kyushu.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “The Shimabara Peninsula lies on the western part of Kyushu, somewhat out of the way. … The life of a Japanese peasant was generally filled with a good deal of suffering. It wasn’t unusual for a lord to treat them poorly. Yet, Matsukura Shigemasa (the new lord as of 1610) was exceptionally cruel. He taxed everything, even births and deaths, and didn’t take kindly to those who couldn’t pay. Being thrown into a water-filled prison was perhaps the best one could hope for. His most notorious punishment was called the raincoat dance (mino odori), so named because the victim, wearing a straw raincoat, was doused in oil and set on fire, causing them to dance about. Sometimes the family members of those who failed to pay were taken hostage or punished as well. In 1637, when one of Shigemasa’s men assaulted a farmer’s pregnant wife the people finally snapped.”
  • “This led to a rebellion that holed up in Hara Castle, which was defensible despite the peasants only using farming tools since weapons were illegal for them.” 
  • “This young man was Amakusa Shiro (c. 1621-1638). Born on one of the Amakusa Islands, he was the son of a former Konishi clan retainer (the family’s Christian head, Konishi Yukinaga was killed for picking the wrong side at Sekigahara). He studied with Jesuits in Nagasaki, and according to local lore, made a name for himself preaching equality and dignity for the poor on the island of Oyano. Little else is known about him, but during the rebellion his followers began to think he was the one foretold years earlier by Father Marco Ferraro, a priest who worked in the area before being expelled. He said that, ‘After 25 years a child of God will appear and save the people.’” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • “The rebels were able to hold out for a surprisingly long time. However, as the winter months wore on, hunger took its toll and the defenses were breached. The victors spent three days slaughtering the rebels. An estimated total of 37,000 were killed, including Amakusa Shiro, and as John Dougill points out, ‘It’s invidious to play the numbers game when it concerns the dead, but the number killed at Shimabara is almost identical to the 39,000 who died in the Nagasaki atomic bomb.’ 10,000 heads were staked up around the castle, and 3,300 were sent to Nagasaki for the same treatment: a clear warning to the people.” (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)
  • Following the Shimabara Rebellion, the Tokugawa took the final step in guarding the country against foreign subversion by expelling all Europeans from Japan and banning their reentry on pain of death. The one exception to this was the tiny island of Dejima, just off Nagasaki’s coast, where an extremely limited number of Dutch ships were allowed to dock and trade. (https://www.tofugu.com/japan/history-of-christianity/)

If you read all of this, you’re my hero(es).

Join us next week when Nathan analyzes a film with one of the most beautiful ships ever constructed: Atragon. Maybe I’ll tell the story of how I took that ship for a joyride in my younger days. (Oh wait, I already did on Kaiju Weekly). Then the Metters return next month for part two of the “Daimajin Days” to discuss Return of Daimajin. I’ll be keeping my foil handy in case Joy tries starting anything with me. 😛

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 21: Matango (Mini-Analysis)’

Published August 5, 2020

It’s been a rough week on Monster Island, what with the Board of Directors mandating masks (again). I’m a big fan of them hiring Douglas Gordon as the Island’s security chief, though. Plus, the Board is sharing some…inside info with me you may hear on a future episode.

Anyway, I only have a few of my own notes plus Nathan’s notes from his independent study for this week’s blog. I think he only has a few more of the films from that study left. Atragon and Frankie v. Barry, I think. Regardless, I have some snark to deliver.

  • It’s “Ghost in the Shell,” Nathan, not “Ghost in a Shell.” Direct vs. indirect articles. Big difference, as you know.
  • Trust me when I say some things in Tokyo will follow you everywhere. At least for a while. And I don’t mean puppies.
  • Birds get sucked into jet engines a lot, man. We pilots do have our own superstitions. Canada geese are the worst offenders. (Sorry, Chris Cooke).
  • To learn more about Hahajima, which has the big mountain Dd G told us about, click here. Let me tell you, it is a beautiful place. Nathan, Jet Jaguar, and I will be taking a hike there soon.
  • If you’re curious about the DC Comics villain Matango, read this.

Here are Nathan’s leftover notes:

  • Kubo’s face is seen. He’s unscarred. (Which makes the ending that much more interesting. –Jimmy)
  • Music during credits is weirdly upbeat.
  • “Tokyo and all her dust.” Men and money are left behind.
  • Writer loses his pages in water. I’d be upset. But he thinks writers steal everything. (You would know better than me, Nathan. –Jimmy)
  • “Top lady” = mistress (and double entendre?) (Yep. –Jimmy)
  • 40 million yen yacht. Best that money can buy. Destroyed by storm.
  • Scare girls and then treat them tender. “That’s not psychology—that’s a paperback novel!” (One of the best lines in the film! –Jimmy)
  • Professor is a psychologist. Appropriate and ironic.
  • The women are polar opposites. Mami (Mizuno) is a flirtatious harlot while Akiko is a chaste, shy girl who’s never been kissed.
  • 7 characters for the 7 deadly sins. (You can thank Danny DiManna for that idea. I still can’t figure out which character is which sin, though. Maybe Rev. Mifune could help explain?  –Jimmy)
  • Music is somewhat minimalistic for the most part. Not Ifukube or Sato. (It was Sadao Bekku. –Jimmy)
  • The hallucinations begin before they reach the island with the phantom ship. Perhaps an indication that Yoshida is already unhinged.
  • Fog is a common motif. It obscures. It clouds. Drug reference?
  • This film is Lost meets Gilligan’s Island with a Twilight Zone ending.
  • The set design for the ship is great. The mold everywhere. Unique. Like a haunted house. Reminiscent of classic Universal horror.
  • Is it possible this whole film is Akira Kubo’s fever dream? How much of it is true? There are things that don’t add up. (Given what we heard from Dr. Dourif, I’m pretty sure it was real. –Jimmy)
  • The mold is great foreshadowing for Matango.
  • Eyeless turtle: foreboding.
  • Matnago is said to be a radiation mutant. Anti-nuclear. Doesn’t explain everything.
  • Nationality of boat concealed. Communist and western. Even Japan. Humanity represented. No one is innocent.
  • Matango is the forbidden fruit. May eat everything else but that.
  • Plays on natural need—eating—and makes it scary. Do it and suffer. Much like Nightmare on Elm Street with sleeping. (“Never eat again…”. –Jimmy)
  • The location photography is amazing.
  • Is this island attracting boats to it and sinking them? Bermuda Triangle?
  • First Matango appears almost 43 minutes in.
  • Two characters fire at Matango but not sure they hit it or saw anything but audience sees mushroom goo on ground.
  • This film was almost banned because of the mushroom man make-up. Looked like bombing victims. (The Hibakusha, which we’ll be discussing in a future episode. –Jimmy)
  • Even the characters think they saw ghosts—but there are footprints.
  • Illustrates why William Golding had no girls in Lord of the Flies: aggravates things. Aggravates men. Unlike that story, they are just as corruptible. (To hear his full reasoning from the foreword to his book, watch this video. –Jimmy)
  • “Akiko…this is Mother.” (Clearly that was the mushrooms talking. Those lying Matango! –Jimmy)
  • Yoshida says frayed nerves make people see witches and devils. Tries to explain strange happenings away. (That just sounds like trick-or-treaters at Halloween. –Jimmy)
  • Yoshida and Mami have a full-on make-out session. Most sexual thing in a Honda film.
  • Koyama pulls rope as he falls. Lifeline. Symbolic. Body has bills strewn about him. Also symbolic. Died amassing useless wealth.
  • Mami’s wardrobe changes to reflect her allegiance. Green and plantlike.
  • One character eats Matango and has vision of dancing showgirls amid Tokyo neon. Drugs. Revelry. Opulence.
  • The Matango laugh was recycled later for Baltan on Ultraman. (And it’s just as disturbing coming from those big beetles! –Jimmy)
  • Sakuta runs, but he eventually jumps overboard. Then writes on wall that everyone else is dead. Betrayal.
  • The professor and Akiko decide to leave. Almost happy ending. Then mushroom people show up. Like a zombie movie. Night of the Living Dead? Hacks off an arm. (Maybe George Romero saw this movie? –Jimmy)
  • Seems a little convenient that he leaves on boat and gets found. Why take him to psychiatric ward?
  • Doctor says, “We are grateful that you were able to come back.” Are they speaking of him as a patient? (Another parallel to The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. –Jimmy)
  • (In “The Voice in the Night,”) John and his fiancée are like the prof and student in the film: innocent but they succumb to temptation. And are corrupted spiritually and physically. (Read more about this story here. –Jimmy)

That does it for my notes this week.

Join us next Wednesday to hear the start of the “Daimajin Days” when Nathan’s friends Joe and Joy Metter returned to start their journey through the Daimajin trilogy. Then this month’s mini-analysis will be on Ishiro Honda’s other 1963 classic, Atragon.

As the Board says, “Together we can find a better way forward.”

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

Follow the Board on Twitter: @MonsterIslaBOD

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 19: Gorath (feat. Jack GMan Hudgens)

Published July 1, 2020

I still can’t believe that I don’t remember meeting GMan at the Monsterland Tavern when he visited. I’m starting to think the barkeep mixed some Faro Island red berry juice into my Jack Daniels. I especially would’ve remembered the emergency evacuation switch only launching the walls and ceiling and not the whole building. That was a fun recovery mission. The damn thing flew all the way back to the Japanese mainland and landed on a beach. Thankfully, it was closed due to COVID-19, so no one got hurt.

Regardless, I have my notes to get into for episode 19 on Gorath:

  • Yes, Ryo Ikedbe died in 2010.
  • It’s “Kimura” not “Kimaira,” Jack.
  • Near as I can tell, it was Honda who decided to change Moguera into a robot in The Mysterians.
  • You said “Kimura” when you meant “Shimura,” Nathan. But considering how similar their names are—Takashi Shimura vs. Takeshi Kimura—that’s understandable.
  • Confirm with Danny that “Maguma” wasn’t in Ultra Q originally.
  • Yes. I like Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla. Fight me!

Now for Nathan’s leftover notes, which I must include to fulfill my contractual obligations:

  • Starts with two women stripping to go swimming before being interrupted by rocket launch. I don’t remember if we see them again.
  • Gorath is a rogue star with 6,000 Earth’s mass but is ¾ the size. Very dense. For perspective, the Sun has 330,000 times Earth’s mass and is 109 times the diameter. (You’ve made this NASA engineer happy. –Jimmy)
  • Explore Gorath like Columbus, huh? (Before or after his statue is torn down? –Jimmy)
  • Does gravity increase exactly in relation to mass? (Indeed, it does. Read about it here. –Jimmy)
  • Jun Tazaki is the captain of the JX-1. He says he’d tell his men if they were going to die to reassure them—then tells them they can’t escape a few minutes later. (Reminds me of my first training mission. It was a lot like the Kobayashi Maru. –Jimmy)
  • Would it be in poor taste for them to yell, “Banzai!” just before dying? (Not in Japan. But that might be why it was cut in the U.S. release. –Jimmy)
  • The zero G scene is pretty good.
  • A light, even comical scene in a Kimura script?! What?! For some reason, I feel like it belongs in M*A*S*H*. No subtitles for the song for some reason. It’s a singing joyride. Yet more evidence that Honda secretly wanted to direct a musical. Composed by Kan Ishi.
  • Over 11.8 billion yen invested in JX-1. (Chump change compared to the Gohten! –Jimmy)
  • Other ships are being built in other countries, but they say Japan’s ship is putting them to shame. Nationalistic? (Nope. Patriotic. –Jimmy)
  • Hey, it’s Dr. Who in the bar! (Let’s hope not. I’m not giving him his “Robot Kong” back! –Jimmy)
  • The wide shot of the ship fleet looks like models on a board.
  • The music during the construction scene almost sounds like Ifukube. The models look cool, though.
  • They have a 13th floor! (Good thing I’m not superstitious. –Jimmy)
  • The power core looks like the TNG warp core! (I know, right! –Jimmy)
  • The evacuation scene actually reminded me of G2014.
  • UN Gorath Countermeasures Center. They have a lot of countermeasures centers in the Heisei era.
  • They send Shimura to South Pole but won’t tell him why. Probably because Maguma looks stupid.
  • The composite shot with Maguma looks good.
  • I thought Tsuburaya didn’t want blood in his film? Maguma’s death is gory.
  • And staring at Gorath on a TV screen cures amnesia. Huh? (Yeah, I got nothing on this. –Jimmy)
  • They celebrate saving Earth at the end despite the fact it only cost the Moon and billions in damages. (Still better than being dead. –Jimmy)
  • Science and scientists are credited with saving the world. Another thematic statement.
  • They do at least talk about putting the Earth back in its orbit. (Which is good, because, well, I haven’t the time to list all the dire consequences of moving it. –Jimmy)

LeMay

  • Maguma was to come back for DAM but didn’t.
  • Kenji Sahara had a broken leg during production, but Honda insisted he be in the film.
  • Had more time and money given to it than other tokusatsu films.

Galbraith IV

  • Former military pilot turned sci-fi author Jojiro Okami’s story was the inspiration for this. As was Battle in Outer Space, The Mysterians, and Dogora.

Honda Biography

  • Released just six months after the USSR launched the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin. Embodies Honda’s twin ideals of international cooperation and science above politics.
  • It was made at the height of the space race. It borrows the plot of When Worlds Collide by Gorge Pal. Honda shows science being pursued ethically and positively, unlike in his previous sci-fi films.
  • Endo possibly takes a shot at Pal’s film: “Mankind [used to be] separated into white, black, and yellow races before the United Nations. Trust, honor, and cooperation were qualities that brought us together.”
  • “The common folk cannot be at the forefront of big problems, but there are so many of them…so, those scenes create depth for the story. These are the types of people that I want in my films. This is the very foundation of my films.” –Honda
  • There’s no panic because Honda thought that wouldn’t seem real.
  • Honda regretted letting the walrus Magma be added to the film. “That was definitely the human weakness of Ishiro Honda. That idea came from above. They make more profit with monsters [in the movie]. I think that left a scar on the film.” It was originally scripted as a “dinosaur-like creature,” but Honda didn’t want to remind audiences of Godzilla.
  • Ryfle and Godizewski argue that the controversial US-Japan alliance casts a shadow on the film. The “futuristic” 1980s Japan looks like post-Occupation Japan of 1961. Japan and America are above reproach, while fictional nations like Crenion and the USSO offer mild dissent before acquiescing. Japanese scientists are more advanced.

“Intergalactic star” (Wikipedia) (These are excerpts from that article. –Jimmy)

  • “Another hypothesis, that is not mutually exclusive to the galactic collisions hypothesis, is that intergalactic stars were ejected from their galaxy of origin by a close encounter with the supermassive black hole in the galaxy center, should there be one. In such a scenario, it is likely that the intergalactic star(s) was originally part of a multiple star system where the other stars were pulled into the supermassive black hole and the soon-to-be intergalactic star was accelerated and ejected away at very high speeds. Such an event could theoretically accelerate a star to such high speeds that it becomes a hypervelocity star, thereby escaping the gravitational well of the entire galaxy.[6] In this respect, model calculations (from 1988) predicts the supermassive black hole in the center of our Milky Way galaxy to expel one star every 100,000 years on average.[7]”

 “Star unlike any found in the Milky Way appears to be an intergalactic intruder” by Michael Irving (Again, these are excerpts from the article. –Jimmy)

  • “Astronomers have discovered a star in the Milky Way that doesn’t belong. Officially known as J1124+4535, the star has a chemical composition unlike any others ever observed in our home galaxy, suggesting it’s an intergalactic interloper that may have come from a dwarf galaxy that was swallowed up by the Milky Way.”
  • “Through LAMOST observations and a follow-up using the Subaru Telescope in Japan, J1124 was found to have a relatively low amount of magnesium and high levels of europium. This particular chemical composition so far seems to be unique to this star, compared to the rest of the Milky Way.”
  • “This kind of galactic merger happens all the time. The aftermaths of collisions between the Milky Way and smaller galaxies are visible all around us, and many more are predicted in the future – culminating in a spectacular merger between the Milky Way and Andromeda in about four billion years’ time.”
  • “J1124+4535 isn’t the first intergalactic star to be discovered in our neck of the woods. Stars traveling at hypervelocity speeds have been found to be hurtling towards the Milky Way from other galaxies, with the Large Magellanic Cloud, a dwarf galaxy that orbits our own, the most likely point of origin.”

“Lost in Space: Half of All Stars Are Rogues Between Galaxies” by Charles Q. Choi (Once again, these are excerpts from the article. –Jimmy)

  • “As many as half of all stars in the universe lie in the vast gulfs of space between galaxies, an unexpected discovery made in a new study using NASA rockets. These stars could help solve mysteries regarding missing light and particles that theory had suggested should exist, scientists say.”
  • “In the study, astronomers investigated the extragalactic background light, the sum of all light emitted by stars in the universe throughout history. Prior research had detected fluctuations in this light that did not appear to come from any known galaxies. Scientists had suggested these fluctuations might come from primordial galaxies, the very earliest galaxies, whose light has yet to be detected.”
  • “Instead, this finding of bright, blue light unexpectedly reveals these fluctuations may come from something called ‘intrahalo light,’ which is created by stars flung into intergalactic space during titanic collisions and mergers of galaxies. The researchers found that there was as much light from these intergalactic stars as there was from stars located in galaxies.”

“HUBBLE FINDS INTERGALACTIC STARS” (For the last time, these are excerpts from the article. –Jimmy)

  • “NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope has found a long sought population of ‘stellar outcasts’ – stars tossed out of their home galaxy into the dark emptiness of intergalactic space. This is the first time stars have been found more than 300,000 light-years (three Milky Way diameters) from the nearest big galaxy.”
  • “The isolated stars dwell in the Virgo cluster of galaxies, about 60 million light-years away. The results suggest this population of ‘lone stars’ (Haha! –Jimmy) accounts for 10 percent of the Virgo cluster’s mass, or 1 trillion Sun-like stars adrift among the 2,500 galaxies in Virgo.”
  • “Intergalactic stars have been predicted to exist as a result of galaxy interactions and mergers early in a galaxy cluster’s history. These close encounters should have ripped stars out of their home galaxies and tossed them into intergalactic space, where they drift free of the gravitational influence of any single galaxy.”
  • “The stars are bright red giants – stars late in their lives. Presumably there are many fainter stars – perhaps as many as 10 million – in the same field but are below Hubble’s sensitivity.”

I wish they’d spent more time discussing rogue stars, but we were pressed for time thanks to our contracts. Jack understood that. Perhaps in the future MIFV could do “redux” episodes as Nathan as suggested once or twice. Then I could go nuts researching rogue stars (again)!

In the meantime, our resident “Mothrian” Bex from Redeemed Otaku returned to finish up the “Summer of Mothra,” which you’ll hear next week. Let’s just say things got…Star Trek-ian. Then Nathan does a mini-analysis of Matango as the second episode in July.

Be there or be square!

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 18: Bex vs. Rebirth of Mothra II’

Published June 17, 2020

I have to be honest, listeners—I didn’t see Bex’s conversion to Mothrianity coming. (Did she make that up, or is that a real religion? Do the Shobijin know?) I’m not a religious guy myself, but it still took me aback. I hope Bex is happy. It’s still weird, though.

What was I doing? Oh, yeah. Writing about…Rebirth of Mothra II. The deep valley between two short mountains, as Nathan said. Oh, man….

Let’s get my notes done first.

  • I sleep…sometimes. I mean, I was dead once (maybe? 😛 ), so I got plenty then.
  • The character from The Tick Nathan brought up was a hero, not a villain. He was the Living Doll, who was part of a team called the Decency Squad.
  • You can’t terminate me, Marchand—you haven’t the “fire” power! 😛
  • What? I flung a bug at my teacher because she was annoying. You know what that’s like, Nathan. We’ve had talks about your terrible kindergarten teacher.
  • Bex is right. Hikari Mitsushima (who played Shiori) is pretty.
  • The thorax is the midsection of an insect, Marchand. To quote Sherlock, “Do your research!”
  • Ghogo predates Furby by a year!
  • “Buzzkill”? Well, you just guaranteed that I won’t tell you.
  • NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
  • You meant to say “first,” not “second,” Nathan.
  • You meant to say, “Rebirth of Mothra II,” at the end, Nathan.
  • Gorath is a rogue star, not a planetoid, Nathan. I should’ve said that live, but I was in shock from Bex’s revelation.

And now, because I’m contractually obligated, here are Nathan’s leftover notes (plus my comments).

The Movie:

  • You killed Furby, you punk! And took his bling!
  • What?! What happened with the cat and cigarette?
  • Shiori uprooted a Furby.
  • Gorgo? Gorgo is a giant British lizard who’s looking for her son.
  • Dagahra appears about 24 minutes in.
  • “Eat at McDonald’s every day.” I bet that’s a product of the dubtitles. (Well, as you pointed out on Kaijuvision Radio, Nathan, McDonald’s broke into the Japanese market in the early ‘70s, so it’s possible. I saw it happen.  –Jimmy)
  • 27 minutes in, and we’ve already found the temple. Sheesh.
  • Wait, what?! How’d the kids get into the giant waterslide?
  • Okay, the temple rising out the water looks pretty cool. The water actually scales really well when that and fire usually have trouble with that.
  • Why is the fat kid so dumb he really walks off the ledge? (He’d never get picked as a Gamera kid. Not precocious enough. –Jimmy)
  • The two morons are on the temple? When did that happen?
  • I’m confused. Did Belvera want the treasure to conquer the world or just Dagahra? (Yes. –Jimmy)
  • The temple has lightning and lasers as a security system.
  • Dagahra can fly and swim? Because shut up.
  • Wait, now Dagahra can damage the temple? What happened to the security system?
  • Mothra Leo just won a game of chicken with Dagahra. (I played chicken with Dagahra once with the Gohten. Koji wasn’t happy with me. –Jimmy)
  • Mothra Leo got his belly beam back.
  • Are the morons even under Belvera’s control anymore? Yes, they are.
  • Gorgo has a mouth? Where? He just bit a guy. (You don’t want to know. Trust me. –Jimmy)
  • The singing sequences are a littles less impressive this time.
  • Suddenly Mothra Leo is reenacting his mother’s death…and it has the impact of a thrown sponge.
  • This underwater sequence is hokey. No bubbles.
  • Barem cannon!
  • This movie overuses superimposition.
  • Really, kids? See! They lied! Also, why couldn’t we see Fairy zap them?
  • You know, at least these are mostly real sets. Not CGI. (No Star Wars Prequel-it is here. –Jimmy)
  • Isn’t that the opal egg for Barugon? 😛 Wait? There are two? Or three? (I can confirm it isn’t. Did you forget Barugon is on the Island, Nathan? You should know these things. –Jimmy)
  • “Help me, kids, you’re my only hope,” says Tall Leia while growling like a monster.
  • So…is Tall Leia the new Mu Empress? Again, someone call Jinguji! Is she an AI? A ghost? (It just raises too many questions).
  • “I have some Turkish Delight for you!” (So, I guess Jadis the White Witch is also her cousin? –Jimmy)
  • How did they magically gain the ability to super jump? And to super throw? (You’re asking questions of this movie again. Haven’t you learned? –Jimmy)
  • The Elias do speak in unison sometimes.
  • Did the falling bridge breach the temple’s warp core? (Now I want to examine this temple. –Jimmy)
  • So…why does a civilization that has nothing to do with Mothra have a creature that reinvigorates Mothra? (Again, you ask questions. It’s futile. –Jimmy)
  • Great. Now Mothra Leo has shields like a starship. (I can get behind this. For scientific purposes, of course. –Jimmy)
  • The morphing effects look all right.
  • The ancient civilization’s temple was just offshore.
  • The fat kid wears an Oakland A’s shirt the whole time.
  • It’s a pearl—also, “She’s got the whole world in her hands!”
  • What is with this end theme? Is it trying to be rap? It almost sounds like the first theme for Rurouni Kenshin.
  • Also, the soundtrack keeps almost being Ifukube Godzilla music.

Japan’s Green Monsters by Sean Rhodes and Brooke McCorkle

  • Eschews family concerns for streamlined message on water pollution.
  • Mothra Leo soars over ocean with school of dolphins following. Makes message clear.
  • Like Godzilla vs. Biollante, this film says humanity can’t anticipate what will happen when they tamper with nature through genetic engineering.

The Toku Topic:

“Marine pollution” (Wikipedia) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_pollution)

  • “In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there were several controversies about dumping radioactive waste off the coasts of the United States by companies licensed by the Atomic Energy Commission, into the Irish Sea from the British reprocessing facility at Windscale, and into the Mediterranean Sea by the French Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique. After the Mediterranean Sea controversy, for example, Jacques Cousteau became a worldwide figure in the campaign to stop marine pollution. Marine pollution made further international headlines after the 1967 crash of the oil tanker Torrey Canyon, and after the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill off the coast of California.”
  • “Marine pollution was a major area of discussion during the 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm. That year also saw the signing of the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and Other Matter, sometimes called the London Convention. … The London Convention applied only to waste dumped from ships, and thus did nothing to regulate waste discharged as liquids from pipelines.”
  • “Dust from the Sahara moving around the southern periphery of the subtropical ridge moves into the Caribbean and Florida during the warm season as the ridge builds and moves northward through the subtropical Atlantic. Dust can also be attributed to a global transport from the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts across Korea, Japan, and the Northern Pacific to the Hawaiian Islands.”
  • “In a study published by Environmental Science & Technology, Schmidt et al. (2017) calculated that the Yangtze, Indus, Yellow River, Hai River, Nile, Ganges, Pearl River, Amur, Niger, and the Mekong ‘transport 88–95% of the global [plastics] load into the sea.’”
  • “The remains of an albatross containing ingested flotsam. Many animals that live on or in the sea consume flotsam by mistake, as it often looks similar to their natural prey. Plastic debris, when bulky or tangled, is difficult to pass, and may become permanently lodged in the digestive tracts of these animals. Especially when evolutionary adaptions make it impossible for the likes of turtles to reject plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish when immersed in water, as they have a system in their throat to stop slippery foods from otherwise escaping. Thereby blocking the passage of food and causing death through starvation or infection.”
  • “Many animals that live on or in the sea consume flotsam by mistake, as it often looks similar to their natural prey. Plastic debris, when bulky or tangled, is difficult to pass, and may become permanently lodged in the digestive tracts of these animals. Especially when evolutionary adaptions make it impossible for the likes of turtles to reject plastic bags, which resemble jellyfish when immersed in water, as they have a system in their throat to stop slippery foods from otherwise escaping. Thereby blocking the passage of food and causing death through starvation or infection.”
  • “Many of these long-lasting pieces end up in the stomachs of marine birds and animals, including sea turtles, and black-footed albatross. In a 2008 Pacific Gyre voyage, Algalita Marine Research Foundation researchers began finding that fish are ingesting plastic fragments and debris. Of the 672 fish caught during that voyage, 35% had ingested plastic pieces.”
  • “Noise also makes species communicate louder, which is called the Lombard vocal response. Whale songs are longer when submarine-detectors are on.[101] If creatures don’t “speak” loud enough, their voice can be masked by anthropogenic sounds. These unheard voices might be warnings, finding of prey, or preparations of net-bubbling. When one species begins speaking louder, it will mask other species voices, causing the whole ecosystem to eventually speak louder.[102]”
  • “The amount of awareness on marine pollution is vital to the support of keeping the prevention of trash from entering waterways and ending up in our oceans. The EPA reports that in 2014 Americans generated about 258 million tons of waste, and only a third was recycled or composted. In 2015, there was over 8 million tons of plastic that made it into the ocean. The Ocean Conservancy reported that China, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam dump more plastic in the sea than all other countries combined. Through more sustainable packing this could lead to; eliminating toxic constituents, using fewer materials, making more readily available recyclable plastic. However, awareness can only take these initiatives so far. The most abundant plastic is PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) and is the most resistant to biodegradables. Researchers have been making great strides in combating this problem. In one way has been by adding a special polymer called a tetrablock copolymer. The tetrablock copolymer acts as a laminate between the PE and iPP which enables for an easier breakdown but still be tough. Through more awareness, individuals will become more cognizant of their carbon footprints. Also, from research and technology, more strides can be made to aid in the plastic pollution problem.”

“Ocean Pollution” (NOAA) (https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/ocean-coasts/ocean-pollution)

  • “Some debris sinks, some is eaten by marine animals that mistake it for food, and some accumulates in ocean gyres.” (A gyre is a large system of rotating ocean currents.)
  • “The majority of pollutants that make their way into the ocean come from human activities along the coastlines and far inland. One of the biggest sources of pollution is nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff. Nonpoint source pollution can come from many sources, like septic tanks, vehicles, farms, livestock ranches, and timber harvest areas. Pollution that comes from a single source, like an oil or chemical spill, is known as point source pollution. Point source pollution events often have large impacts, but fortunately, they occur less often. Discharge from faulty or damaged factories or water treatment systems is also considered point source pollution.”
  • “However, if they are too abundant in a body of water, they can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, triggering an event called an algal bloom. Harmful algal blooms (HABs), also known as “red tides,” grow rapidly and produce toxic effects that can affect marine life and sometimes even humans. Excess nutrients entering a body of water, either through natural or human activities, can also result in hypoxia or dead zones. When large amounts of algae sink and decompose in the water, the decomposition process consumes oxygen and depletes the supply available to healthy marine life. Many of the marine species that live in these areas either die or, if they are mobile (such as fish), leave the area.”
  • “Local, national, and international efforts are needed to address this environmental problem. The Save our Seas Act of 2018 amends and reauthorizes the Marine Debris Act to promote international action, authorize cleanup and response actions, and increase coordination among federal agencies on this topic.”
  • “Garbage patches are large areas of the ocean where trash, fishing gear, and other marine debris collects. The term ‘garbage patch’ is a misleading nickname, making many believe that garbage patches are “islands of trash” that are visible from afar. These areas are actually made up of debris ranging in size, from microplastics to large bundles of derelict fishing gear.”

“Marine Pollution” (National Geographic) (https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/marine-pollution/#:~:text=Marine%20pollution%20is%20a%20combination,59)

  • “The Pacific Garbage Patch is one example of such a collection, with plastics and microplastics floating on and below the surface of swirling ocean currents between California and Hawaii in an area of about 1.6 million square kilometers (617,763 square miles), although its size is not fixed. These patches are less like islands of trash and, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says, more like flecks of microplastic pepper swirling around an ocean soup. Even some promising solutions are inadequate for combating marine pollution. So-called ‘biodegradable’ plastics often break down only at temperatures higher than will ever be reached in the ocean.”
  • “Nonetheless, many countries are taking action. According to a 2018 report from the United Nations, more than sixty countries have enacted regulations to limit or ban the use of disposable plastic items.”

“OCEAN POLLUTION: 11 FACTS YOU NEED TO KNOW” (https://www.conservation.org/stories/ocean-pollution-11-facts-you-need-to-know)

  • “Eight million metric tons: That’s how much plastic we dump into the oceans each year. That’s about 17.6 billion pounds — or the equivalent of nearly 57,000 blue whales — every single year. By 2050, ocean plastic will outweigh all of the ocean’s fish.”
  • “More plastic in the ocean comes from China and Indonesia than anywhere else — together, they account for one-third of plastic pollution.”
  • “With each load of laundry, more than 700,000 synthetic microfibers are washed into our waterways. Unlike natural materials such as cotton or wool, these plasticized fibers do not break down. One study showed that synthetic microfibers make up as much as 85 percent of all beach trash.”
  • “One effect of greenhouse emissions is increased ocean acidification, which makes it more difficult for bivalves such as mussels, clams and oysters to form shells, decreasing their likelihood of survival, upsetting the food chain and impacting the multibillion-dollar shellfish industry.”
  • “Noise pollution generated by shipping and military activity can cause cellular damage to a class of invertebrates that includes jellyfish and anemones. These animals are a vital food source for tuna, sharks, sea turtles and other creatures.​​​​​​”

I’m glad I got this over with. Let me assure you that it’s only up from here. While our schedule was screwed up by the delay of Godzilla vs. Kong, the rest of the season will feature better films.

Next week we’re joined by the most loved and hated G-Fan on Twitter, Jack “GMan” Hudgens, to discuss the increasingly obscure Toho classic, Gorath.

After that is the final part of the “Summer of Mothra” when the now Mothra-worshipping Bex returns for Rebirth of Mothra III. (Oh, boy…).

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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Jimmy’s Notes on ‘Episode 17: The Last War (Mini-Analysis)’

Published June 4, 2020

I’m a day late but not a dollar short. I wasn’t able to get access to Marchand’s notes on The Last War because his laptop charger just had to die, followed by his laptop itself. And wouldn’t you know it, even with all the technology here, we didn’t have anything compatible with it. That’s what you get for having a computer verging on retirement age in technological years, Marchand!

On the bright side, even I know these blogs aren’t as important as the podcast. After almost nine months of doing this show, if the worst we’ve done is have a few of my blogs be a day late while the podcast stays on time, I’d call that an accomplishment.

As usual with Nathan’s scripted episodes, I don’t have anything to add to what he said since we take care of that before recording. However, he left out a surprising number of his notes on the film in his analysis. Let’s dive in (like I did when eluding the Messiah 13 Aliens during the War in Space).

Nathan’s Leftover Notes:

  • Starts with an overture. This wasn’t common anymore in 1961. It only lasts 80 seconds.
  • Opens with a montage of normal everyday things: steel mill, traffic, showgirls, ship launching. Life is proceeding as usual. (Showgirls are “normal”? Do you live in Vegas? –Jimmy)
  • Acknowledges World War II. Rebuilt city. Didn’t think it would burn down again.
  • Random American takes kids’ photo.
  • Alliance (USSR) and Federation (NATO). Stand-ins. Much like Rolisica and New Kirk City in Mothra, though more obvious. (Makes me wonder which one Rolisica would join. I could go either way. – Jimmy)
  • America is mentioned. Stocks.
  • Radio reports of tensions rising between Alliance and Federation. Meanwhile, the family goes about its business. They’re charming and happy.
  • If this was a different movie, the flash in the sky would be an alien ship. (If I had a dollar for every time I confused an ICBM for an alien spaceship, I could buy the Gohten! –Jimmy)
  • The husband says he worked hard and saved after the war to build his “castle” (i.e. middle class lifestyle). This was becoming more common at the time in Japan. Economic Miracle.
  • The daughter, Saeko, says she will find her own happiness. Counter. Fell in love before getting married. Takarada wants to make her happy despite not being rich. Parents more like older generation. Traditional. Oh, wait. Parents weren’t so traditional, actually.
  • The dad says the intelligent people of the world don’t mean much if they don’t care about the “little people.” He can’t believe the gods wouldn’t care.
  • In Japan, children throw balls at spherical piñatas? (Yep. I had one for my ninth birthday while living in Japan as a kid. –Jimmy)
  • There are a lot of families and children in this film.
  • Takarada says the world seems to be at “peace.” Polite way of saying it.
  • 38th line = 38th parallel? Yes. Korea.
  • The Japanese government urges both sides to have 2nd and third meetings after Africa summit dissolves to maintain peace and refrain from nukes. PM is said to have kidney problems.
  • Sakai’s friend says only people with money can relax at this time. He says only a moron would relax. Anyone who knows the alternative (nuclear war, I assume) must work hard for peace.
  • Hard work is venerated in this film. (As it should be. –Jimmy)
  • A black man in a Toho film! Rare sight!
  • The scene where the Federation officer muses about peaceful coexistence is interrupted by an almost comical sign that says, “The Outbreak of War.” He then says, “God, forgive me,” and presses the button. No order was given to fire. He panicked. It’s barely stopped. Short circuit. (Undermined a bit by the acting). (And people say David Perin’s crying was terrible. Just sayin’. –Jimmy)
  • Sometimes the English spoken by Japanese bit actors is hard to understand.
  • Soldiers’ bodies are shown burnt to ashes and blowing in the wind. Small nuke.
  • PM pushes through health issues (hard work).
  • The classroom has a banner with the flags of many nations hung up on doorway.
  • Alliance forces speak English, too. Hmm.
  • Alliance missile base nearly fires nuke because of damage from an avalanche. Alliance officers’ uniforms stained with sweat as they work on warhead. Shows fragility of situation. The soldiers in these bases at the very least don’t want war.
  • News of a ceasefire on 38th parallel comes in. Japanese officials mention a Federation officer confused a meteor for a missile and nearly launched. (If I had a dollar for every time this happened, too…. –Jimmy)
  • Both sides have nukes mounted on fighter planes?! Geez! (Did you forget about the scene in Independence Day where they fired nukes at the alien ship from a stealth bomber? That was in the ‘90s, but it shows it’s possible. It’s still a horrifying thought, though. –Jimmy)
  • Seako and Takarada speak often of how a war would ruin their lives together. The big decisions made by leaders trickle down to the common people and disrupt their lives.
  • PM still believes the world can be saved. Issues statement for peace that is broadcast constantly.
  • We get a traditional crowd fleeing scene like in a kaiju film, but this time they’re trying to flee a war.
  • Suzue’s mother promises nothing will happen to her. Is she lying to protect her daughter? Does she believe that?
  • There’s a shot that pans down from a painting of a crucified Christ to the famous “Scream” to a street filled with decimated cars and debris. Cuckoo clock rings. “Time’s up”? (“The Scream” is an 1893 painting by Edvard Munch. –Jimmy)
  • Teacher reads a story to children about two goats who meet on bridge wanting to cross but refusing to move. They butt heads and almost fall off bridge. One finally says he will duck down and let the other one jump over him. They reach a peaceful agreement. Parallels world politics except neither side is willing to compromise. (Is this a sequel to “The Three Billy Goats Gruff”? –Jimmy)
  • I love the kanji of what Saeko and Takarada talking to each other over Morse code. It’s beautiful.
  • Sakai’s family prepares a fancy meal like it’s New Year’s Day. They didn’t run. Last meal? Kids can eat all they want. They listen to radio reports about what’s happening. Sakai wonders if he was a bad father working a lot. His wife says no.
  • The tulips haven’t sprouted and Saeko says they will survive underground and bloom after they die. Sakai won’t accept that. Idealist to the end. He rails against powers he can’t control and decisions he can’t influence. Powerlessness.
  • The characters all sit around at the end waiting for death.
  • Interestingly, the Diet is the first thing we see be destroyed. (This seems to be a thing in Toho films. It happened in Godzilla 1954, too. –Jimmy)
  • In the end, Takarada’s captain decides they will return to the devastated Tokyo. The attendant muses that humans are a unique irony. They will die with their people.

This is a film whose message is still relevant, especially with everything that’s happening right now. I may not be in America currently, but I see what’s going on. We need more compassion and understanding than ever.

That’s all I have to say on the matter for now.

Anyway, join us next week for part two of “The Summer of Mothra” when Bex from Redeemed Otaku returns for Rebirth of Mothra II. Then Jack “GMan” Hudgens joins us to discuss Gorath later this month.

Follow me on Twitter: @NasaJimmy

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