{"id":829,"date":"2008-05-19T18:51:50","date_gmt":"2008-05-19T08:51:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/roberthood.net\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/05\/19\/top-20-craziest-kaiju-number-2\/"},"modified":"2008-05-19T18:51:50","modified_gmt":"2008-05-19T08:51:50","slug":"top-20-craziest-kaiju-number-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/roberthood.net\/blog\/index.php\/2008\/05\/19\/top-20-craziest-kaiju-number-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 20 Craziest Kaiju: Number 2"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Craziest<\/a><\/p>\n

2<\/font><\/h1>\n

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Gamera <\/strong><\/font><\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

first introduced in <\/strong>Daikaiju Gamera<\/strong>
\n[trans. Giant Monster Gamera] (1965; dir. Noriaki Yuasa)
\n[aka Gammera the Invincible (US, 1966)]<\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

Gamera! Gamera!
\nYou’re so groovy, Gamera!
\nYou’re so groovy, Gamera!
\nYou are groovy, Gamera!
\nSun, Moon, Mars, Mercury
\nThere’s a big monster headed our way
\nComing out of deep freeze
\nWhether we like it or not
\nHere it comes, flying down
\nGo! Go! Go!
\nDown it with jet flame
\nGroovy, groovy Gamera!
\nGroovy, groovy Gamera!
\nYou are groovy, Gamera!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The creators of this Japanese kaiju hero, the “friend of children”, were either big-time drug users or had incredible imaginations. In their attempt to rip off the success of Toho’s Gojira<\/em> (Godzilla) but to do something different with the concept, Daiei Studios came up with something very different indeed! A giant fireball-spewing, often bi-pedal, jet-propelled flying turtle from space! (Or, in Kaneko’s superior 1990s trilogy, a bio-engineered Gaia figure, designed to protect the Earth.) The huge lumbering creature retracts his legs, shoots flames from the holes and takes to the air, spinning like a giant nuclear-powered top. All you strange supporting kaiju villains beware! Groovy!<\/p>\n

\"Gammera<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Gamera<\/a><\/p>\n

A collection of Gamera trailers (US versions):<\/p>\n

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Gamera vs Zigra<\/em> trailer (original Japanese version):
\n

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And the trailer for what might be the best daikaiju eiga of all time, Gamera 3: Iris kakusei<\/em> (1999; dir. Shusuke Kaneko) [aka Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris<\/em>):<\/p>\n

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