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The Shadow of World War II in Modern Japan: Community and the "Victim's History": An exploration of the rewriting of history in Japanese pop culture and the importance of community. Main Menu How to Use this Module Abstract An introduction to this module Module Materials Terminology Introduction to Japan Japan and World War II Community Dragon Head 『ドラゴンヘッド』 "Victim's History" Grave of the Fireflies 『火垂るの墓』 Hiroshima Barefoot Gen 『はだしのゲン』 Godzilla 『ゴジラ』 Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack!『ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ　大怪獣総攻撃』 Godzilla Resurgence 『シン・ゴジラ』 Module Wrap Up

Godzilla Resurgence

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This page is referenced by:

Module Materials To successfully complete this course, you must have access to the following materials:

Films:

Dragon Head (Iida, 2003) [JPN ドランゴンヘッド] {doragonheddo}
Grave of the Fireflies (Takahata, 1988) [JPN 火垂の墓] {hotaru no haka}
Barefoot Gen (Masaki, 1983) [JPNはだしのゲン] {hadashi no gen}
Godzilla (Honda, 1954) [JPNゴジラ] {gojira}
Godzilla, Mothra, and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (Kaneko, 2001) [JPN ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ　大怪獣総攻撃] {gojira, mosura, kingu gidora daikaijuu soukougeki}
Godzilla Resurgence (Anno/Higuchi, 2016) [JPNシン・ゴジラ] {shin gojira}

Readings:

“Images of Armageddon: Japan's 1980s Theatre Culture.” Uchino Tadashi. TDR (1988-) Vol. 44, No. 1 (Spring, 2000), pp. 85-96.

“Panic Sites: The Japanese Imagination of Disaster from Godzilla to Akira.” Susan J. Napier. Journal of Japanese Studies, Vol. 19, No. 2 (Summer, 1993), pp. 327-35.

“Godzilla and the Japanese Nightmare: When "Them!" Is U.S.” Chon Noriega. Cinema Journal, Vol. 27, No. 1 (Autumn, 1987), pp. 63-77.

“Transcending the Victim’s History: Takahata Isao’s Grave of the Fireflies.” Wendy Goldberg. Mechademia, Volume 4, 2009, pp. 39-52.

“No More Words – Barefoot Gen, Grave of the Fireflies and ‘Victim’s History’.” Susan J. Napier. Anime from Akira to Princess Mononoke. New York: Palgrave, 2001, pp. 161-174.
Godzilla Resurgence 『シン・ゴジラ』 6 plain 2019-06-24T17:37:21-07:00
Released in 2016, Godzilla Resurgence, or as it is known in Japan, "New Godzilla," is the latest film and a reboot of the Godzilla franchise by the Toho Studio.

Eschewing the traditional man-in-a-rubber-suit technique, Godzilla was created via motion capture of famed kyogen actor, Mansai Nomura. Similar to the 1954 original, a mysterious beast rises from the ocean and begins rampaging throughout Tokyo. Yet it breaks from tradition by focusing on the human reaction to the monster attack. A great deal of attention is paid to the bureaucracy of the governmental organizations, and it casts a spotlight on how quick and efficient reactions are sometimes hampered by unnecessary red tape.

The story follows Rando Yaguchi as he attempts to artfully deal with the crisis while at the same time being limited by the governmental process. As the government becomes more and more delayed in dealing with the beast, the monster itself begins a metamorphosis. Ultimately, Godzilla transforms into a threat of global proportions, and Japan must figure out how to deal with the creature or risk its own destruction.

Inspired by the 2011 earthquake and Fukushima nuclear disaster, Godzilla Resurgence allows the audience to reconsider the efficacy of government and Japan in its own safekeeping.

Fun Fact: This iteration of Godzilla is the largest beast out of any of the previous incarnations. It even beats out the 2014 American Godzilla, which was considered by the Japanese to be "fat."
Godzilla Resurgence can be purchased at retailers such as Amazon.com.