What’s usually the one most common weak link in any
Godzilla film? Nine times out of Ten,
it’s the Humans. No one goes to Godzilla
films to watch a bunch of normal civilians get into mostly pointless
shinanigans while Monsters are terrorizing a city. However, there is that one time out of ten
where a Godzilla film produces a Human character worth investing time in along
with the Kaiju action, it’s rare but it’s doable. And to help point out the exceptions to the
rule, as promised, my friend JMT-117 is back with a new Godzilla themed list of
his own to close out the T5W portions of Godzilla Month III. So without further ado, let’s turn things
over to JMT with his picks for the Top 5 Human Characters in Godzilla Films.
#5-Bryan Cranston as Joe Brody (Godzilla 2014) In bringing a new American-produced Godzilla film,
learning the lessons of the failure of Godzilla in 1998 was critical. Not only
did the Big-G need to be a proper 'Godzilla,' but better characters were needed
for Legendary's new venture. They got that in spades when critically acclaimed
actor Bryan Cranston joined the 2014 film, and in the first trailers for the
film, it proved to be one thing besides the glimpses of Godzilla that everyone
talked about. He was set up as the central character with a deep connection to
Godzilla, one that would haunt him and drive the story. And we…sort of got
that, just not enough of it.
Joe Brody, an American nuclear engineer living in Japan
with his wife and son, has his life turned upside down when an unexplainable
disaster destroys the nuclear power plant they're working at. Joe is haunted by
the loss of his wife, who unfortunately had a hand in sealing her fate. To
prevent a catastrophic release of radiation, Joe was forced to close an
emergency door and trap his wife in with the lethal radiation. As time passes,
Joe becomes distant from his son and new family. Living still in Japan, Joe is
determined to discover what happened and expose it to the world.
Everything above was an excellent setup for Bryan's
character in the film. While I had wished Godzilla had been directly
responsible for the attack on the nuclear reactor, having it revealed the MUTOs
were responsible still works. Cranston's performance is top-notch, especially
in several scenes when Monarch puts him into a holding cell. I was looking
forward to him interacting with Ken Watanabe's Dr. Serizawa. And then, when the
Male MUTO escapes, Joe just dies. It's on-screen, but it's such a whiplash moment
and an absolute waste of talent.
It might have worked better if Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who
played Joe's son, Ford Brody, stepped up to fill the void left by Cranston's
performance. Or, if the creators wanted Joe to die as part of his journey. It
should have been saved for the end of the film. Maybe he sneaks into San
Francisco while Ford is inserted with the military for the climax, with Joe
destroying the MUTO's nest. I think, had Cranston been up for it. Letting Joe
live through the entire film and being there for future Legendary projects
would have been best. However, given how 'Showa' the Monsterverse seems these
days, maybe bowing out was best. I wish his character could have concluded his
story better.
While his role was too short, Cranston knocked it out of
the park, helping to establish the original serious intent of the Legendary
Godzilla films.
#4-Megumi Odaka as Miki Saegusa (Godzilla vs
Biollante, Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs Mothra, Godzilla vs
Mechagodzilla II, Godzilla vs Space Godzilla, Godzilla vs Destroyah) When first introduced in the second film of the Heisei
Era, I can't imagine anyone believed Miki Saegusa would reappear. Outside of
Godzilla himself, reoccurring characters just weren't a thing in the Showa Era
films. While Dr. Yamane made a brief cameo in Godzilla Raids Again, and the
Shobijin, Mothra's twin fairies, had reappeared a few times, human characters
generally didn't repeat in Godzilla films. While many actors would star in
multiple Godzilla outings, they never played the same character again. Thus, I
can envision the surprise some G-Fans had seeing Miki return in Godzilla vs
King Ghidorah and continue to do so through the rest of the Heisei Era.
Miki was inspired by the lead character from the manga
‘Mai: The Psychic Girl.’ Actress Megumi Odaka had won the 1987 Toho Cinderella
Audition, a competition for aspiring actresses who almost always went on to
appear in Godzilla films. Megumi initially feared the Godzilla suit, but Suit
Actor Kenpachiro Satsuma helped ease her fears. In Godzilla vs Biollante, Miki
and other psychic children in Japan sense the awakening of Godzilla from the
volcanic slumber he entered in Return of Godzilla. Her psychic powers allowed
Miki to establish an understanding of Biollante, and she mentally battled
Godzilla to delay his advance on Osaka. However, the effort exhausts Miki and
establishes a psychic link between Miki and Godzilla. Miki’s popularity led her
to return for Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, where Miki begins her work with the
government to track Godzilla. Additionally, Miki was added to the manga
adaptation of Return of Godzilla, given the backstory that her parents were
killed in Godzilla's attack from that film.
Miki's character would sadly be an afterthought for most
of the first half of the Heisei series. Her role is minimal in King Ghidorah
and Godzilla vs Mothra. It was only in Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II that Miki’s
character began to grow, albeit slightly. Working with G-Force, Miki begins to
have doubts that Godzilla should be killed. Her main moment comes when using
the G-Crusher weapon from Mechagodzilla to try and cripple Godzilla; Miki
hesitates. Megumi does a good job in the brief scene conveying her conflicted
emotions. After a bark from her superiors, she reluctantly goes forward with
the plan. After the Big-G recovers and destroys Mechagodzilla, Miki uses her
powers to unite Godzilla with Baby Godzilla, ensuring the misunderstood
creatures become a new family.
Miki isn't higher on this list due to the lack of using
her in a greater role. It's a shame that the movie that focuses most on her is
the unfortunate Godzilla vs Space Godzilla. Miki's character is the film's
lead, but a less-than-stellar story and mostly unengaging co-stars and love
interest for Miki let her down in the film. Her connection to Godzilla remains
as Miki once more struggles to find the right path. Her sympathies for Godzilla
are now clear as she understands via her connections/meetings with Godzilla
that he's a creature with feelings and not inherently evil. However, I find a
far better outing, and thankfully, a good note to go out on, is Megumi's
performance in Godzilla vs Destroyah.
In the final Heisei film, Miki's journey with Godzilla
comes full circle as she struggles to find Godzilla Jr. and weighs the morality
of using Godzilla Jr. as bait for Godzilla, who is threatening the world with
nuclear disaster due to his decaying and overheating body. Megumi conveys the
proper emotions when Junior is killed and when Godzilla dies. Quiet poetically
referring to her history with Godzilla as a character and actress, Megumi says,
'My work with Godzilla is finished.' Her eyes filled with tears, as it seemed
Godzilla had died, only for her realization to come as a new Godzilla rose;
Junior, now a full adult, had absorbed his father's power. And just like
Godzilla returning, Megumi Odaka would have one final interaction with
Godzilla, providing the opening narration for the digital short film Godzilla
vs. Gigan Rex.
While Miki Saegusa was not used to her full potential, I
feel she provided a real throughline for the Heisei Era. While Godzilla would
evolve from villain of the era to antihero and finally a tragic creature, Miki
was always there to help reflect these different views. She was the first major
recurring character and one to define the Heisei Era.
#3-Akihiko Hirata as Dr. Daisuke Serizawa (Gojira)
All throughout Gojira, we're treated to talk of the
mysterious eye-patch-wearing Dr. Serizawa. While others like Dr. Yamane work to
understand Godzilla, Serizawa continues to work in secrecy, not even aware or
seemingly caring of how his fiancé Emiko has fallen for another man. Serizawa seemed
determined to focus all his attention on something, which we learn may be
deadlier than even Godzilla and the key to stopping the radioactive horror.
After over 70 years of Godzilla films, it's hard to
remember that in a series where giant monsters, robots, and aliens of all sorts
have appeared. The original movie, which launched this monster of a franchise
(pun intended), was a serious and dark reflection of Japan’s experience in the
Second World War. Director Ishirô Honda sought to tell an anti-war film with
serious characters and plot. A man who quite revered science, it's not
surprising to find that one of the film's three central characters is the conflicted
Serizawa.
Serizawa combines elements of the post-WWII feeling that
scientists were responsible for seeing their work used for the right purposes.
In addition to being a reflection of the very scientists who worked on the
device that helped end World War II, I'd highly suggest checking out
Oppenheimer and then watching Gojira to see some of the parallels between the
‘father of the atomic bomb’ and Serizawa as he works on his Oxygen Destroyer.
Serizawa worried about what his work in the wrong hands could do and, thus, why
he's so secretive. He even goes as far as to fight Ogata when Emiko tells him
of the Oxygen Destroyer and how it might be the one weapon that can kill
Godzilla. While Godzilla is a horror, Serizawa worries that a far worse thing
might be unleashed if his Oxygen Destroyer is used for war.
Though much like those scientists who had no love of
building a weapon in the Manhattan Project but thought it was needed to deal
with a greater evil, the Axis Powers, Serizawa ultimately decides to use his
device against Godzilla. Though much like the atomic bomb, he vows this must be
the weapon's only use. Going as far as to sacrifice all his research and
himself in the end. It was a powerful moment in the film and for Japanese
audiences who, due to American Occupation censorship laws for years, had not been
allowed to see elements of self-sacrifice or suicide in Japanese cinema.
Akihiko Hirata delivers a standout performance throughout
the film, becoming the bar against which other scientist characters in other
Godzilla films can be judged. He stands high above most, as no one ever quite
lives up to his personal struggle and performance, cementing his place among
the Godzilla actors and characters.
#2-Yumiko Shaku as Akane Yashiro (Godzilla Against
Mechagodzilla)
A soldier with a personal grudge against Godzilla is not
an original idea in the series. The Heisei Era featured this with Major Akira
Yuki, who wished to avenge the death of his friend Gondo from Godzilla vs
Biollante. The character Kiriko Tsujimori in Godzilla vs. Megaguirus would be a
proto version of our next entry, with a similar setup. However, Director
Masaaki Tezuka improves upon the idea from that lesser film in the form of
Akane Yashiro.
Akane, a member of JSDF's anti-kaiju forces, first
battles and encounters Godzilla on a stormy night. Godzilla kills her comrades,
and in the investigation by the JSDF, Akane is given the blame. However, the
officials didn't need to scapegoat Akane as she entirely blamed herself.
Deciding to live in exile in a desk job till she gets her chance for redemption
and maybe revenge when she's chosen to become a pilot of Japan's new
superweapon, Mechagodzilla, aka Kiryu.
If a different actress had been in the role, given a less
commanding performance, Akane would have come across as forgettable as other
'revenge' driven Godzilla characters. However, Yumiko Shaku's performance is
what makes this character work. Akane's determination to make up for her
perceived earlier failure, combined with her sense of 'worthlessness,' gives
you a character who you want to see them accept the idea that life is indeed
precious. Sara, the isolated and lonely kid Akane feels kindship in, tries to
convince her of this through the film.
The parallels between Kiryu and Akane also can't be
missed. When the former goes berserk and fails to stop Godzilla once the spirit
of the original Godzilla is awakened within it (long story, go see Gundam's
review). Like Akane, at first, no one wants to give Kiryu a chance to redeem
itself. However, the belief in Akane by others, and in turn, Kiryu, gives both
the pilot and mecha a chance to do the right thing and stop Godzilla's rampage.
The fact that actress/model Yumiko Shaku is quite a
bubbly and fun person in reality shows how well she did in this role. I'd never
have guessed it based on her performance if I hadn't learned that through other
resources. Akane is the sign of, even in more fantastical Godzilla films, you
can still have excellent characters. The fact she's written out of the
follow-up film, Tokyo SOS, and how that feature suffers from a lack of engaging
characters proves that.
#1-Ryonosuke Kamiki as Koichi Shikishima (Godzilla
Minus One)
If there’s one thing that somewhat frustrates me as a
Godzilla fan, it is when people go, 'I don't want to see the human characters;
just do more monsters.' I always feel that this is a view that has no basis in
reality. You can’t make a 90-minute or over two-hour film with just monsters.
It's true that not every Godzilla or Kaiju film needs super serious or detailed
characters…but man, isn't it amazing when they do have them?
In the last days of the Second World War, Koichi
Shikishima, a Kamikaze pilot, lands on remote Odo Island, claiming to have
issues with his plane. Despite the mechanics' checks, they didn't find anything
wrong. During that night, however, the terror that will haunt Koichi arrives, a
prehistoric beast which, after Koichi is paralyzed by fear, kills the Japanese
unit except for him and one other survivor. As the war ends, Koichi returns
home to find the firebombing of Tokyo has obliterated his home, killed his
parents, and left his neighbor cursing his cowardice and blaming him for what's
happened. Against the backdrop of all this, Koichi finds an unexpected new
family in the form of Noriko and a child she’s saved, Akiko, on top of his new
comrades who, with a rickety boat, sweep mines from the seas. But as Koichi
finds himself terrorized by his nightmares, a living nightmare comes to Japan
following an American nuclear test. Koichi's nemesis now turned into
Godzilla.
Koichi Shikishima is probably the best-written Godzilla
character possibly ever. Ryunosuke Kamiki gives his all playing this man who
reflects not just Japanese veterans of the war but many veterans in general.
Those who are haunted by their experience, and as Koichi puts it so simply in
the film, ‘his war is not over.’ Director and Writer Takashi Yamazaki gave us a
character we can sympathize with, feel despair for, and even get frustrated
with. Koichi's struggle, his guilt over not firing on Godzilla in his
permutated form, over not wanting to die uselessly in the war, but then
confronted by the anger of characters like Sumiko who blame the death of her
children, and in essence, all who died in Japan because of 'cowards' like
Koichi. All that weighs on him as he tries to find his way in a devastated
Japan.
His trauma prevents him from fully embracing the new life
he has built. Noriko and he can't quite get close despite people thinking
they're a couple. When Akiko calls Koichi her 'Daddy,' he doesn't want the
title despite the fact that she and Noriko are her parents for all intents and
purposes. Again, how many veterans or victims of trauma have this happened to
them with their lives? Then, just as he tries to put these things aside, a
vengeful Godzilla arrives to seemingly take everything away from him again.
Koichi’s journey through Godzilla Minus One is one of the
best character-driven stories in the series. If I could, I'd put all the
characters from Minus One, as even the supporting characters are all written
well, if not as deep as Koichi. A shout out to Hidetaka Yoshioka and Kenji Noda
in the film, who, while not the best-written character of the film, is my
favorite. Minami Hamabe is a perfect counterpart to Ryunosuke, playing Noriko
as someone who has their own experience from the war but moves to go on and
take care of Akiko.
With the announcement that Yamazaki is returning to helm
Toho’s next Godzilla film, whether it is a direct sequel to Minus One or
something else, I sincerely hope he's able to give us an excellent Godzilla
film with these rich and engaging characters once again, setting a new standard
against which the best Godzilla films can be judged.
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