The design of Shin Gojira revealed

@Huge-Ben:

It may well be that we are entering another 'classic' period of Godzilla films. The talent and artistry is certainly there. It also helps that these artists are fans, not only of Godzilla, but of tokusatsu as a whole. This may well be the Godzilla film many of us have been waiting to see in terms of look, style and overall feel. Shin Gojira has the potential to be something that has not been experienced for sometime, a kaiju film akin to the 1954 original masterpiece. It would be rewarding to experience what it is like to be confronted by the specter of something whose reality is apparent, standing in front of you, but, incomprehensible at the same time. That was my immediate feeling when seeing Gozilla, King of the Monsters for the first timem in the mid-1960's. Of course I didn't know about the original Gojira, so the Terry Morse edit was the definitive origin film for me. And it worked! I had not seen or heard anything like it. To see, hear and feel something similar to that again, but updated with the latest in VFX/SPX, and integrated into a powerful, moving narrative, would be a dream come true.

So, we'll see, God willing. Looking forward to what is next in terms of images and information.

@GorillaGodzilla: yeah, you're definitely 'OG.'

These are great, exciting times,and we're right in the middle of them.

It can only get better.

^True. Do you include Godzilla 2014 in this new era?

Hey guys. I just posted my artwork for Shin-Godzilla. Here is the link incase you all want to check it out. :)

http://www.scified.com/topic/41339

 "Do you include Godzilla 2014 in this new era?"

Yes. I loved Gareth Edwards' take on Godzilla. It was made with care and skill.

I, too, like Godzilla as an anti-hero, a territorial defender-inspite of us, not because of us-as well.

Personally, I hope it's nothing like G'14. As far from it as can be. I went into that film full of excitement, and yet came out, "Eh... it was okay." It was a functional film, but ultimately disappointing and rather unoriginal. I'm hoping not to have that reaction with this film.

^Well, whether one prefers the 2014 film or the upcoming movie, I think it's wise that both series avoid what the other is doing from marketing and selling perspective.

The 2014 film was a fairly standard type of Godzilla flick. It some ways it plays it safe and it fits very well with much of the 90s and 00s in terms of quality and characterization.

The 2016 film could be considered a little more of a risk, considering there are so few Godzilla films that characterize the monster in such a way. And it does seem like this will be a solo feature (with the tagline saying "Nippon vs. Gojira" or "Japan vs. Godzilla") and we don't have many of those.

But all of this works for both series. People who want the hero/anti-hero that's largely dominated the franchise since the 90s get to keep that characterization with the Legendary movies and those who want a return to a much, much early idea of the monster get Toho's new take. And those who enjoy both (which should be close to everyone) win the most. Those who don't like either are out of luck, because there's not many more bases that can be covered...

In any case the variety is welcomed and I'm glad Toho's aim isn't to simply copy Legendary's success, but go the other direction. Wise move, even if mostly on an artistic level.

I think we'll see, in Shin Gojira, something very different from the Legendary film. Otherwise, what would really be the point? I expect the stylish flair and look and feel of a tokusatsu film, with effects enhanced by CGI, but very Japanese in the way it looks, feels and moves. We already have the statements of the filmmakers regarding what they're aiming for.

So, I believe the contrast will be there and Shin Gojira will feel like 1954.

And, at the end of the day, Godzilla is Japanese.

Honestly I HATE everyones explanation of this design lol seriously, Godzilla's a walking cancer victim? He's a burn victim? He's Godzilla! He doesn't get cancer or get burned.

You guys are overthinking it. The title of the movie is True Godzilla and Godzilla Resurgence, both titles seem to strongly suggest that the orignal 1954 Godzilla somehow returns to the present day. Based on that, this design is clearly an older 1954 Godzilla...which is what he looks like imo.

^And that 'Original Godzilla' was exposed to the blast of Operation Castle Bravo in the Pacific Ocean in 1954. It had a yield of around 15 megatons. So, with such a release of thermal energy, something is going to get burned and scarred. Tremendously. 

This, would burn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEje927dygM

MECHANI-KONG - That is a rather uncouth statement. I do not expect everyone to agree with the statements of others - nor should I. Disagreement fuels intellectual discourse. However, your rather abrasive assertion and feeling of "hate" precludes civil conversation by virtue of of its uncompromising stance. As such, I feel inclined to point out that you are in a vastly small minority when it comes to the consensus of Shin-Gojira's appearance. Does this mean that the many individuals whom agree with one-another's speculations and observations are incorrect after many days of conversation? I suggest you ameliorate your stance after taking a closer look at how this dialogue has progressed and drawn to the explanations you find so very objectionable.

"Godzilla's a walking cancer victim?"

No one said that.

"He's a burn victim?"

Closer I guess? But no one said that either. The phrasing has been "bomb victim".

"He's Godzilla! He doesn't get cancer or get burned."

He doesn't get cancer, but he's always been burned. The filmmakers of the original 1954 film made a concious decision not to give Godzilla scales, but instead keloid scars reminescent of bomb victim burns.

Godzilla has always been a victim of the bomb. Making him look that way is in line with the perception from the original film.

This thread has more replies than that whole "gill" debate. And I'm afraid that's not a good thing. >.<

Nothing wrong with discussion as long as people are being civil. The amount of replies may have to do with the subject matter: how Godzilla will look in his first Japanese-produced film in what will be 12 years.

"The title of the movie is true Godzilla." Actually, "shin" is representing for "true, new, and God." 

Over thinking it? Negative. Godzilla has been a "victim" of the atomic bomb like everyone who was exposed to it but, in this case, Godzilla is the main "victim."

As you should be fully aware of@Mechani-Kong, radiation causes cancer, burns, mutations, scars, etc to all who has been exposed to it. Godzilla is no different. As Gman2887 pointed out, keloid scars in 54' and seemingly stayed that way from 54'-95'. Gmk 2001 even. 

"He doesn't get cancer or burns." Again, radiation can and will do that. Please, look up "radiation victims "under Google images. I guarantee you will not like what you see. Just imagine how those people felt having to die eventually in the process. Add that pain and suffering to Godzilla. That's what Shinji Higuchi and Hideaki Anno have done. 

I honestly don't know how I feel about the design yet. I feel like I got so attached to the newer designs that this feels like a step backwards to me. I'm not sure how I feel about it yet. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. 

I can understand the concern that some people may have about the design revealed last week. It's something very different from the Heisei and Millennium designs.

I would suggest waiting to see more of it-the full body, other angles, etc., and then wait and see. Upon seeing the new design last week, it did get my attention. I also saw in it what reminded of not only the 1954 Design, but also the atmosphere and 'feel'  of that film. (Within the context and atmosphere of the film, you may find the Shin-Goji 'works.') And what permeates that classic, genre-starting movie and story is dread. The inital ship being destroyed, the subsequent shipping disasters, inexplicable, one after the other, the panic of the crewmembers' families looking for answers at the shipping office that the officials plainly don't have, the latter's confusion-all of this and more made me feel like what I was seeing was really happening. But, through it all, there was this dread. What would he look like? What would he do? Could he be stopped?

Then, the Reveal over the hill on Odo Island.

I hope that Shin Gojira will have tips-of-the-hat, so to speak, to first film, ones that longtime fans will recognize.

For these and other reasons, the released design gives me hope for a remarkable film that will be evocative of that great film, the one that started it all.

What's funny is that this design looks almost exactly like the concept art of the original 54' Godzilla. 

I'm loving the design more and more every time I look at it and draw it. It says exactly what happened to him and made him look this way. For the first time in a long time, this Godzilla is something to feel sympathy for. All due to the arrogance of mankind using the atomic bomb. 15 or 20 megatons of pure Hell on earth equipped into this horrible bomb that not only took out Hiroshima but Nagasaki as well. Such a devastating bomb that not only killed thousands to millions but still haunted and plagued Japan for years. That is what Godzilla has always been. A warning to mankind to drop this power and never use it again. 

As Ishiro Honda once said, "if we can't look past the rubber suits and miniatures sets and look the monster dead in his eye and extinguish that fire, we are all naive."

Battra,
An entire thread dedicated to Godzilla's new design having more replies than an entire thread dedicated to a single, tiny aspect of another design sounds a lot more level headed to me.

Huge-Ben said:

"What's funny is that this design looks almost exactly like the concept art of the original 54' Godzilla." 

And this, I believe, is the whole point. That the design for Shin Gojira is based upon and looks alot like the concept art of 1954 original is telling. To me it means that the filmmakers are bringing Godzilla back to his roots. And this is a great thing: that another generation will have the chance to experience that feeling of the that original horror, that unstoppable monster, but in a story and narrative that addresses the times we live in and their perils.

I believe and I hope, that when all is said and done, fans of the Series will love and treasure this entry, if it turns out the way it has the potential to. Without a doubt, it's going to stand out and be different from what has been produced in the last 25 years or so. And I wouldn't want it any other way. But my hope lies in the fact that Shin Gojira is in good, loving, talented hands. That Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi are sons of tokusatsu, its supporters and advocates -and great, gifted artists, by the way- is just what the Series needed at this time. And how pleasingly ironic that this type of film should be made the the wake of a western-produced CGI spectacle. This says something about how the filmmakers feel about the character, the subject and the art form.

More to the topic, the design for Shin Gojira would seem to indicate that the filmmakers are not attempting to ape the Legendary film. It would be very easy to come up with a design that looked revealingly a lot like the Godzilla 2014 design, with minor changes, in order to cash in on the success of the American-made film. But, they didn't. And it's good to know that Shin Gojira was in development before the Legendary film was released.

And the title, Shin Gojira, is just so right.

You guys need to chill, so I hate the idea of him having tumors and being burned to hell. Don't have to get so sensitive.

All I see when I see the design is a aged 1954 Godzilla. I suspect the new height and teeth are an effect of feeding off radiation but to actually think he got tumors and burns is far fetched to me.

If this is an entirely new Godzilla then maybe your theories are correct but I don't see tumor/burn victim Godzilla becoming a favorite of mine if they blatantly say that in the movie. Makes him sound too weak to me.

To be more precise, they should really leave Godzilla's appearance to just speculation. I really don't want a scene where a character says "he has tumors, burns and radiation sickness" which leads to the "aww poor creature, he's in pain" 

It would be OK to feel sorry for him when he dies but if they go for the cliche "he's just a poor animal!" throughout the movie, I'll hate that.

and so many of you guys stating how much you already feel sad for him makes me worried about this film. I would rather have the sorrow come from good human characters dying or fleeing.

Like I said, its ok if his death is emotional (it was like that in the original) but I don't want an overly sympathetic Godzilla....leave that to Kong.

I want a pure monster, that's why I'm hoping the movie revolves around the original 1954 Godzilla returning to present Japan and the new generations of humans go "oh shit"

The sympathetic elements for Godzilla need to be very subtle and not in your face.

MECHANI-KONG - I understand and respect your viewpoints. I, too, have no desire to feel complete sympathy for Godzilla. It is far more complex than that. Certainly, Godzilla's flame-ruined state will evoke some sense of pity. However, once he begins destroying Tokyo and annihilating its people's, the only sense that I will experience is horror - the same sense of dread one feels when a monster of his or her own making comes out of the night to lay waste to everything he or she knows. Within that dread exists one driving desire: to destroy the horror before it can destroy you. Thus, this hideous, maimed mutant that is Godzilla should embody nothing but dread - a living cautionary story about the very real nightmares atomic energy can unleash. Of course, if you are opposed to this viewpoint there is nothing wrong with that. The best thing about being two, free-thinking autonomous beings is that we can agree and disagree. :)

Mechani-Kong,
What you're describing is no different from what was injected in the 1954 film. Once again, no one called him a "burn victim" or "cancer victim" you're misconstruing words and descriptions and utterly misunderstanding... well, everything.

Godzilla has always had keloid scars that a reminicent of bomb victims. It's been to varying degrees, yes, but that's never not been the case and it was a point that Tsuburaya and his crew tried to flesh out with the original design. What you're seeing in regards to the new design is nothing new.

This is not an idea that makes Godzilla weak, it is a physical manifestation of mankind's own horror that is inflicted on one another. It's doubtful it will be literally brought up in dialogue, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he's supposed to look burnt by atomic fires and walked out of it looking like a victim ready to throw a certain nightmare he lived through back in the faces of humanity.

It's a metaphor that's been with the 1954 movie. I don't understand why you would have a problem with it now.

Also you, and others, are assuming that this monster either IS the 1954 creature or the movie relates to it in some way. We currently do not know if there is any connection with the 1954 film or if it's the same Godzilla (unlikely). Assuming otherwise is cherry picking from an invisible tree.

Gman2887

Well you'll have to pardon me as it's confusing when you guys literally describe him as having tumors on his face and skull and also saying he has burnt off features.

And no actually, I don't think assuming this is the old Godzilla is anymore cherry picking than what you guys are doing. We have the name of the movie in both countries being Shin Godzilla (which most sites emphasize meaning Toho wants to bring back the True Godzilla and put the God back in him) and Godzilla Resurgence.

Now you can easily assume that the titles are just Toho taking a childish stab at Hollywoods Godzilla or assume it has an actual part in the plot. Hence I can't think of a better way of bringing back the true Godzilla than bringing back the original.

Or make another Godzilla that represents the same thing as the original but giving it a modern twist? I think you're taking one definition of shin and looking at it in a literal sense rather than a metaphorical sense.

I would also say the assumption of this being the same godzilla is a little more of a stretch than talking about his burns and tumors which is clearly visible in the picture. You seem to be relating sympathetic with tragic. Tragic characters have happened all throughout cinema history. Ones that had no option of were mislead into situations that altered them, however they dealt with them in ways that didn't necessarily scream for you to feel sympathy for them at all time.

A sleeping monster that is awakened and burned to excruciating pain due to mankinds' arrogance is tragic, going and destroying every boat that he comes across then attacking the whole population of a huge city nearby doesn't make him sympathetic though. You can have him be injured and not have every character awing about it all movie for the point of the character to be understood from an audience viewpoint.

@Mechani-Kong,

Godzilla 54' the original is never coming back. He's dead, toast, history, long gone, bye. Something that's dead can't be resurrected or brought back to life. Too many assume that, the exact same way with the Gmk Godzilla. They are not the same. 

As Durp004 just pointed out, it's clearly visible in the picture of Shin-Godzilla that he does in fact have tumors making up his entire face and his skin is burnt. Cracked and torn even.

"The idea that he got tumors and burns is far fetched to me." Well, unfortunately, radiation does that. Why would it not? You think that the actual victims in Japan when WW2 was happening wanted to be exposed to radioactivity and even die in the process? Or even get cancer? I highly doubt it. Godzilla who is just an animal is no different. Radiation obliterates everything in comes in contact with or really messes people or animals up.

i dont know if this film is taking a completely realistic approach. i mean at the end of gmk godzillas heart was still beating in the middle of the ocean so i dont think we should assume anything about the film until we see a trailer  

Huge-Ben

 You and others keep making the HUGE mistake of comparing Godzilla to normal people and animals to prove me wrong. That will never work. 

There's no way of stating Godzilla does in fact have burns or tumors...especially when you're comparing it to normal things. A rough hide on Godzilla is not new and I'm actually surprised we've all now come to the final conclusion that that means he now has tumors as a irrefutablefact. Toho is going for the most nightmare-ish Godzilla ever, making his features more rough would definitely help that. Until some Toho exec states that Shin Godzilla is burned with tumors on his face, then it's just not a fact, period.

As for this comment "Godzilla '54 is never coming back. Something's that's dead can't be resurrected" again...you're comparing Godzilla to normal things. He's a sci-fi/horror monster who has uncalculable regenerative abilities. Godzilla died in 1954, this takes place in 2016. That's a lot of time for something to happen in between movies. He's a fictional monster.

 At the end of the day though, I like the mystery and suspense that surrounds this movie already pre-release. I hope there isn't any huge plot leaks that aren't inrended to be revealed before release.