MilqueChocolate
MemberBaragonJul-04-2015 6:18 PMI would like to ask all you fans a question that i would like you to answer in the best details you can. My mother and I were arguing about my Godzilla animation, I told her that I would add human death and plenty of monster battles and destruction. She told me thats not what makes a godzilla movie. To me, a Godzilla movie is something with human story but doesnt over-exaggerate it. Its a movie that has human death, but not too much. Its a movie with plenty of destruction and Kaiju battling. Now here is a question for all you G-Fans here, what do You think makes a Godzilla movie, a godzilla movie. Like I said, please answer with the best details you have. I will read every single one of them. Thank you for reading!
Durp004
MemberBaragonJul-07-2015 8:40 AMIshyama also says talks about the souls of the pacific conflict and how they have something to do with the monster. In most cases souls are about as close to supernatural as you can get
"but we have books upon books with pages and pages dedicated to WWII."
Because we won that war and are painted in a good light. Every country has things they don't like to acknowledge. Germany WWII, Russia, essentially everything Stalin did, China, dear god China too much to mention, US unfair treatment of african americans prior to and during the civil rights movement. Sure you can find things out about them, but you don't learn that much through base knowledge, The Tuskegee Eximents, among others come to mind never learn about them in the classroom and if you do it's a quick passthrough with no indepth discussion, same for native Americans in eariler times. Most countries do this. Things that didn't paint them in the best light are things they shy away from. I'm not sure how Japan looks at WW2 as I've never been there and I've never looked into their education system on the subject. What are they taking responsibility for that this point? That their country did horrible things? I think they know that due to the ill effects the atomic bomb still has on their country to this day. Maybe they view that as their repentence and don't feel the need to open more wounds detailing why they might have deserved it.
Controlling nature and atomic power falls under the same category, man overstepping his bounds when he clearly doesn't have the restraint needed to control these, and continues to do so. Forgetting the past for whatever reason you may attribute it to, whether that be to distance yourself or, simply plead ignorance doesn't fall into that category in my opinion.
G. H. (Gman)
AdminGodzillaJul-07-2015 2:47 PM"Ishyama also says talks about the souls of the pacific conflict and how they have something to do with the monster. In most cases souls are about as close to supernatural as you can get"
And yet it does not point to Godzilla himself being supernatural. Regan McNeil was not supernatural in The Exorcist, but merely possessed. Vegeta was not supernatural in Dragonball Z's Buu Saga, but merely magically bestowed rage and evil. Harry Potter isn't supernatural, but has power which can be considered supernatural. I fail to see how supernatural entities having "something to do with the monster" suddenly makes the monster supernatural. There are plenty of works of fiction where this does not apply.
"Every country has things they don't like to acknowledge."
Which is essentially what GMK is getting at.
"I'm not sure how Japan looks at WW2 as I've never been there and I've never looked into their education system on the subject. What are they taking responsibility for that this point? That their country did horrible things?"
The education of WWII in Japan is largely glossed over. Although I've not encountered this level of the uninformed in my own travels, I was floored when a friend of mine told me a Japanese student (mid-grade school levels by our standards) was not aware that they started the war with America when the topic came up.
It may be a cliche to say that those who forget history are doomed to repeat it, but between that illuminating encounter my friend had and the concerning news about Japan's political and economic climate resembling the 30s and 40s, Japanese historical critics seem to have reason to worry.
But since you've openly admitted to not understanding said climate or education there, it makes sense you would think this isn't a big issue.
"Forgetting the past for whatever reason you may attribute it to, whether that be to distance yourself or, simply plead ignorance doesn't fall into that category in my opinion."
It depends on the culture. I think many people here forget that these are Japanese movies that will often deal with very important issues seen in their culture-- Whether it's deemed important overseas or not. You're right it doesn't fall in the same category. It falls under a different category, but no less important.