Shinpei Hayashiya’s daikaiju film, Shinkaijû Raiga (2009), which we’ve all being referring to as “Deep Sea Monster Raiga”, has now been given the official English title of Raiga, the Monster From the Deep Sea.
This is probably a good idea as the film is a follow-up to the director’s previous kaiju epic, Shinkaijû Reigô (2005), which is generally referred to as Deep Sea Monster Reigo, and the similarity between the two names could get confusing. Of course, Shinkaijû Reigô has also be designated in English as Reigo vs. Yamato and Reigo the Deep Sea Monster vs. The Battleship Yamato.
Shinkaijû Raiga, or Raiga, the Monster From the Deep Sea, is due to hit Region 3 DVD on 25 August 2010.
Film Details:
“SHINKAIJÛ RAIGA” (2009)
English Title: RAIGA, the Monster from the Deep Sea
Genre: Sci-fi
Format: Digital Betacam / 85min / Color
Year of Production: 2009
[Theatrical] Release Date (Japan): June 27, 2009
Production Company: Crossroad
Director: Shinpei Hayashiya
Producers: Atsuko Iwai
Screenplay: Shinpei Hayashiya
Director of Photography: Toshiharu Nakagawa
Music: Keiichiro Kitazono
Main Cast: Yukijiro Hotaru, Miyu Oriyama
Now, three English synopses have surfaced:
Synopsis 1:
Set 60 years after the events from the previous film “Deep Sea Monster Reigo”, the threat of global warming is causing the southern polar ice-cap to slowly melt. Because of this, the ecosystem is disturbed and sea monsters are heading to Japan. [As] if things couldn’t get any worse, a huge sea monster by the name of Raiga arrives at Asakusa and begins its path of destruction on the town. (J-Film2009)
Synopsis 2:
A monster from the deep-sea attacks again! This time in Asakusa, where many temples attract visitors from not only Japan, but also all over the world, the sparkling thunder brings a gigantic monster from the deep-sea with deadly fangs. It will burn Asakusa to ground. (JETRO-USA)
Synopsis 3:
The second theatrical film directed by Shinpei Hayashiya, a rakugo master (comic storyteller). Raiga, the evolved version of the deep-sea aquatic dinosaur “Reigo” from his first film Deep Sea Monster Reigo, runs rampant in the town of Asakusa! …
It has been over six decades since the battle of Deep Sea Monster Reigo and Battleship Yamato. As global warming worsens, throwing the ecosystem off balance, a disaster approaches Japan. A mysterious, massive creature emerges from the nearby ocean and a fishing boat encounters an ominous deep-sea creature in Tokyo Bay. Then a giant monster “Raiga” lands in Asakusa, Tokyo! The Taito Guard is called out at the request of the government, and a cut-throat battle beyond all imagination begins… (Taito International Comedy Film Festival)
About the Director:
Born on Oct. 26, 1955, Shinpei Hayashiya trained under Hayashiya Sanpei as “Rakugo-ka”, a comic storyteller. Besides performing classical and contemporary rakugo, he has produced and directed monster films such as “Godzilla X Desugirasu”, “Gamera 4”, which are both based on well-known monsters in Japan. He created and filmed his own original monster, Reigo, in 2007.
Below is a picture of Shinpei Hayashiya from a magazine article about his work as a rakugo-ka, published in 1980:
Undead Backbrain has posted the film’s trailer before, but here it is with English subtitles (poor quality unfortunately):
Just in you’d like to watch the visuals again in HD, here is the trailer sans subtitles:
The Gallery at the end of this article contains lots more pictures of Raiga and crew.
- Sources: J-Film2009; JETRO-USA; Taito International Comedy Film Festival; Starchild; Raiga Blog
- Previous Undead Backbrain article (including links for more on Raiga); see also Undead Brainspasm
- Writing: Robert Hood | Research: Kaiju Search-Robot Avery
Gallery:
