Either Mechagodzilla or Destroyah for me. The way Mechagodzilla makes you switch who you're rooting for mid-battle was great and Destroyah was a fantastic ending for the era.
Godzilla vs Destroyah is my favorite Godzilla film within of the Heisei era films. In all honesty, The Heisei era Godzilla is the best series of Godzilla films in my opinion.
@@brotato2390 That’s a undeniable fact! But personal favorites can still be taken into account. Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla is still my personal favorite Kaiju movie!
I feel like calling Godzilla vs Ghidorah nationalistic is silly when the movie itself refuted the idea. For the whole movie, the veteran insists he understands Godzilla and that Godzilla is ultimately on his side because it saved his life in WW2. But Godzilla didn’t save them out of some sense of loyalty, he was fending off intruders in his territory. The veteran getting blasted in the end by Godzilla is showing that it’s useless to prescribe will or agenda onto Godzilla. Cause at the end of the day, he’s just a force of nature. It’s like trying to say a natural disaster is “on your side”.
There is however sympathy in Godzilla's eyes. He remembers that face, even decades later. That's why Godzilla's eyes tear up, he's remembering a time from before he was a monster.
I never got that from that film with Shindo's character. yes, he does say that he and his men was saved by Godzilla on the island, BUT he doesn't have any fantasies about Godzilla being his best pal. l I found the Japanese scene of his death scene and he acknowledges that the very same dinosaur that saved him back them is still destroying the land of prosperity that he had created and how ironic that is. Shindo WANTS to die at this point as he had a hand in creating Godzilla- both times because he could have mercy killed Godzilla but didn't and left him to die peacefully in his habitat but that didn't happen. He even said "...The same dinosaur that I turned into Godzilla". In Shindo's mind, he damned Godzilla twice and as such...the nod his gives to Godzilla before being killed is more of a "Okay, go ahead" and Godzilla grants him his wish because he remembers Shindo during the scene and knows what Shindo wants, its why Godzilla soften his look with his eyes slowly closing, head tilting slightly before his eyes open again, hardening back into the way they were before.
@@Algeriawindows69 pretty sure that he was so wounded that he couldn't go after the Japanese...or that the Japanese have been on the island long enough that he didn't see them as intruders. I'm more inclined to go with the first one.
My favorite era of Godzilla, with my favorite design of the King. I like the continuity and feel Godzilla's story in this era is tragic and deserves a bit more recognition.
12:28 Simple answer to that question. There's two Godzillas in the Heisei era. The first (being the original incarnation) was irradiated by the H-bomb and proceeded to attack Tokyo in 1954 before ultimately being killed. The second (being the Heisei incarnation) was a dinosaur living on the Pacific Island. The Futurians, thinking that this would be the same monster that attacked in 1954, teleported it into the Bering Sea, thinking it would die. It instead was irradiated by a nuclear submarine in the 1970s and mutated into the Godzilla seen from The Return of Godzilla to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah. It's explained in vs. Biollante that Godzilla has a habit of evading the JSDF's tracking, as shown when he was expected to show up in Iso Bay, but instead appeared in Osaka Bay. So in vs. King Ghidorah when the characters come back and see he's gone, that didn't mean he was erased from history, he just simply moved without anyone noticing. Plus when a nuclear sub is sent to irradiate him, we see not the dinosaur the characters thought was there, but instead Godzilla as we know him, which resulted in him getting a power and size upgrade for the rest of the Heisei Era. In short, the Futurians were idiots for believing the 1954 and Heisei Gojis were the same monster since they got their info from an unreliable book, and neither Godzilla were erased from history.
Well said. This is pretty much what I thought myself. Bunch of dumb humans abusing technology they barely understood with a plan they did barely any research on beforehand having said plan backfire on them horribly.
they never said that the 1954 godzilla was the same godzilla as heisei godzilla. The only way that is represented is the cover of that guy's book having godzilla 1954, but godzilla 1954 is never brought up. Also it could be that the time travel slightly changed the present time, such as godzilla's location. But yeah I don't know why people don't get the explanation given in the film.
Almost all of them have been released on Blu-Ray and DVD at some point, but Godzilla vs. Biollante is difficult to find and perpetually out of print/bootlegged. If you want a genuine copy, be prepared to pay over $300USD second (or third) hand. It got so bad that I made a digitized version of my old VHS copy from the early 90s just so I could watch it again.
My absolute favorite take on the character. A tragic but intelligent animal facing forces old and new in a world he does not belong in but is more than willing to carve his place into. Whether it be striking down humanity's arrogance or challenging the gods themselves, Godzilla never falters. He seeks compassion but is more than willing to fight with all that anger and hatred his nuclear origin brings. Even in his final moments, Godzilla fights to avenge the death of his son, the one being who not only understood him but gave him a chance for happiness. Beautiful storytelling.
This was my favorite version of Godzilla before the Monsterverse. Heisei’s design is iconic and some of my favorite kaiju were introduced here with Biollante and especially Destroyah.
Kazuki Omori (the director of vs Biollante and vs King Ghidorah, the screenwriter of vs Mothra) passed away on November 12th 2022, at the age of 70. Thank you for giving us those masterpieces, the good childhood memories. Rest in peace.
You won't see 2 back to back movies better than 2000 and Magaguirus. For these reasons. First, the Godzilla design was perfect. Second, they were a perfect marriage of past and present special effects. His atomic breath in those two films were epic. Third, Godzilla needed no help. His strength and intelligence was all he needed. No help no luck. Just the King of the Monsters doing what the King of the Monsters does.
The Heisei Godzilla movies hold A TON of nostalgic value for me and forever cemented my fascination with the franchise. "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah", "Godzilla vs. Mothra: The Battle for Earth", "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II" and "Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla" were among some of the first Godzilla movies I ever saw. I distinctly remember watching those movies when they aired on the Sci-fi Channel when I was a kid (Back when Sci-fi used to air the English dubs of Godzilla movies in the early 2000's). When I was a kid, I didn't know anyone who was a fan of Godzilla, letalone seen any of the Heisei movies. I'm very thankful to live in an age of Godzilla where people in America are making in-depth analysis videos about the various films and era's of Godzilla like this. As an American G-fan who grew up with a nostalgic fondness for the Heisei series, these kind of videos really mean a lot to me. While the Heisei Godzilla movies are incredibly flawed (For some G-fans, that's putting it lightly), I still think they have a better understanding of Godzilla, both as a character and as an overall franchise, than the MonsterVerse Godzilla movies think they do.
Really good analysis on the Heisei era of Godzilla. The fact that the films are connected is one of the reasons why I love the Heisei era. Love to see your videos for the Millennium and the current Reiwa era.
I'm 53 and have been a fan of the big guy since I was a little boy, I happen to enjoy all the films in some way as some bring back fond childhood memories. I was fortunate to visit Japan two years ago and my wife surprised me with a three night stay at the Hotel Gracery in the ShinJuku district of Tokyo. This is the GodZilla hotel as a lifesize head of the big guy and a "paw" tower over the hotel and acknowledge the passing of each hour (10am - 8pm) with GodZilla's call and smoke from his mouth, it is so freakin cool. He really is beloved in Japan, the lobby of the hotel has every movie poster framed and nearby is a GodZilla store where I bought some merchandise. The new Shin GodZilla is another fantastic rebirth and reinterpretation of the monster and personally I liked the film a lot. Hard to say what is my favorite, thats hitting a moving target for me, some of the films are pretty terrible of course but are fun anyway. I'm just glad they made (are making) the films, movies are entertainment and these and many other monster movies have entertained me over the years and I'm happy to have seen them. Thanks to you Matt for keeping the big guy around and turning on more people to GodZilla on youtube.
As a casual fan growing up watching old dub vhs' of the big G and his fights against Biolante and mechaG your video essays are absolutely wonderful. I got super back into Godzilla with my Girlfriend who had never seen one and ever since I have just devoured as many bts, docs, and video essays I can. So thank you for this and I truly can't wait for more.
Such a fantastic era. By far my favorite because of the consistency in the continuity and in Godzilla’s design. Seriously, this has got to be THE iconic design for the character. The action is always so entertaining too, and the score by Ifukube is so impactful, especially in that final film. It also has some of the coolest monsters in Godzilla history. Biollante, Battra, Spacegodzilla, and Destroyah are so well done, and the other redesigns for the classic monsters are stellar. Can’t wait to see you cover the next era, which is also full of great entries in the series, including my first ever Godzilla movie.
I love the heisei series, the continuity, creature design, sound track, and special effects were great. I’m only complaint are that there too many wide shots and not enough melee fights. Other then that I loved watching these films.
Pro-Japanese empire era Godzilla becoming a manmade-altered natural disaster after the bomb, as the bomb, is some metacommentary if ever I've heard of such.
So im gonna need that Millennium video asap that'd be great 🤣. Good work, man. The Heisei is actually my favorite era. The stories and Kaiju are among my favorites. I wore my Godzilla vs Space Godzilla tape out as a kid.
Same here. Out of all the Godzilla movies, GvsKG is the one I've see the most times. Even though its story makes absolutely no sense (Especially with the whole time travel aspect), it definitely left an impact on me. When I first saw it as a kid, it fueled my imagination and forever cemented my fascination with the franchise. I still enjoy watching it evey now and again, both for entertainment and nostalgic purposes. :)
Absolutely love the Heisei series! Wish I had gotten them all on DVD before losing all my VHS copies! haha Godzilla's design(especially Burning G) & Akira Ifukube's score sold it all for me!!
I gotta tell you… you’re my favorite channel on TH-cam right now. Your retrospectives and essays on all things comics/Godzilla/movies are incredible and I just needed to express my gratitude! Keep up the great work man!!
Something I've been thinking of. In comparing certain movies of the Heisei era to certain DC Comics stories from around that same time period, I'd say Return of Godzilla is the 'Dark Knight Returns' of the franchise, while Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is the 'Death of Superman' equivalent.
the most interesting thing to me is how the heisei and showa era's blended together in my mind. not having watched the movies in any sort of order or sequence but catching one or two over years meant I couldn't properly form a timeline and these periods really blended together for me. I'm going to watch them all back with a clearer distinction and see how my thoughts form.
The Return of Godzilla is my favorite Godzilla film. It is dark, moody, and frightening. The robot that was we used to depict him moving is something out of a horror movie.
The Heisei series is my favorite. These seven films definitely feel like a progression. Plus, GvD is my favorite. That movie feels like a proper conclusion, a proper send off.
Looking forward to your next Godzilla videos. I have to said Godzilla 85 is my favorite being that it was one of the first Godzilla films I remember watching as a kid.
W O W ... Putting Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs Mother's, & Return of Godzilla/1985 below Godzilla vs Space Godzilla? That movie is overwhelming listed at the bottom of most G-fan's lists. While I agree with them, I respect your opinion. You don't see that often, it takes balls to put that in a list on TH-cam, on a fairly popular channel.
Since there are few more Godzilla films could have and never made after Terror of Mechagodzilla during the Showa Era, I remember there is also one after Godzilla vs. Destroyah during the Heisei Era already had its script in place called Destroyed All Monsters II was also never made and originally the revived Godzilla Junior would lead that franchise.
This is peak Goji for me. Love every era for different reasons, but the Heisei era brought about a nice storyline that had all the action I love. A little serious, a little fun, a lot of great fights!
Honestly love the Godzilla movies that have world-building between each other. Like the various iterations of the Super X and the upgrades from MKG to Mechagodzilla to Moguera. It's a nice thru-line I appreciate.
When I'm running down my top 5 Godzilla films, 1984 and Destroyah often make the list (I say "often" because the list changes when I revisit films I haven't seen in a while).
Also Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is my personal number 1 Heisei film, followed by Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Destroyah, then Godzilla vs Biollante, Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla, the Return of Godzilla and finally vs Mothra
28:50 I wish we got the Destroyah as seen in the theatre release poster. Always found the wings too small and its posture too upright in the actual movie.
The Heise era started with The Terror Mechagodzilla. The suit in 1976(head piece) is very similar to the 1984/85 version of The return of Godzilla or Godzilla 1985.
My introduction to Godzilla is Emmerich 1998 "Godzilla," so yeah even if it is not a Godzilla movie that we all hope for, I cannot hate it since it is the one that introduce me to this legendary kaiju. I ended up loving Big G with the heisei and millenium series, so yeah that is why heisei is my favorite Godzilla era (with some millenium era films too).
My absolute favorite era. While certainly not perfect, this series started the trend followed by Legendary of having Godzilla gradually grow as a character through a closely-knit narrative that sees the King of the Monsters transform from an embittered victim to a father with new-found purpose in life. The first hints of his transformation can be seen with his interaction with Shindo in GvKG, the first indication in the series that he is an emotional creature, and culminated in GvMGII. A deleted scene in Godzilla vs. Biollante would have referenced Godzilla's "humanity" much earlier, showing Godzilla seemingly showing remorse at having killed Biollante in their first round.
The funny thing about Heisei era is it is chaotic, and all over the place (G vs KG). It is also the most coherent at the same time. But man is it fun! Some of the best rubber suit monster battles ever. I only wish I was able to watch them when they came out. Little kid me would have loved it. We did get the trendmasters toys, but I had no idea what a Space Godzilla, Mecha Ghidorah, or Battra was. I also played the hell out of Super Godzilla. 1985 was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw, and I was hooked immediately. My ranking would be Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, G vs Space Godzilla, G vs Mechagodzilla, G vs Mothra, G vs Bollantae, 1985/Return, G vs Destroyah. The send off in 1995 was perfect and still brings a tear to my eye. Excellent video!
Just watched this and the Showa Era video back to back. Awesome work. Definitely looking forward to the one for the Millennium series. Personally my rankings for Heisei are: 7. Space Godzilla 6. Ghidorah 5. Mothra 4. Mechagodzilla II 3. Biollante 2. Return 1. Destroyah
I'm so ready for the next era! I love this series. I'm eager to watch these original films, and this series gives me a good intro and understanding of how to interprete these films with relevant insight into the climate of the times
The GVK time travel story suffered some translation cloudiness, but it's all in there, despite people missing the details - There were two Godzillas, one was still on the island that was hit by the nuke and died in the original movie. The time travellers moved the (2nd) godzilla the expert incorrectly identified. This was a plot point that they wanted to make sure to pick the correct monster but didn't, otherwise the story wouldn't have need the futurians to pick up the expert. They'd have just gone after dino godzilla, because who was expecting more than one. You'd have thought they wouldn't need to identify that one monster. The dino-Godzilla put under the sea was then radiated in the early 80's by the russia sub that crashed and went missing as mentioned in godzilla 1984 movie. So the futurians actually created the godzilla they wanted to get rid of. It was noted that Godzilla's heat signature was on scanners, as he lay under the sea after fighting biollante but if he should move suddenly he may disappear off scanners. So when the people return to the present people still know of godzilla (not erased from time) but they think he has been erased because he has disappeared off scanners. So the government decide to send a modern nuke sub to the resting site of dino godzilla to try and make a new godzilla... but instead the sub is intercepted by still existent godzilla wandering the sea and so absorbs even more nuclear power (not the dino being instantly turned into a new Godzilla). The absorption of more nuke power was part of the beginning of godzilla over charging over the series. The dubbed version however confusingly states that it was a new godzilla born from modern nuke energy, which is where much error in understanding lies. As for Ghidorah's sudden appearance, it is thought that it lay dormant until the futurians activated it on returning to 1992 since they had a control over the monster with their ship.
Heisei Goji will forever be an amazing experience in my life. With Return of Godzilla being my introduction to Godzilla when I was a wee lad. ❤️Heisei Godzilla❤️
This video explains why the Heisei era is the best era of Godzilla. It goes in depth, especially with the messages behind Godzilla vs Destroyah. This era gets a lot of hate and I'm not sure why. It's amazing
Because of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah.And The fact that Miki supports Godzilla and tells the humans to not attack and kill Godzilla despite Godzilla destroying and killing millions of humans for no reason at all.
@@redskull378becauze Godzilla isn’t maliciously killing anyone unlike his enemies he’s like 100ft tall and can spray fire out of his mouth people dying is just gonna happen he’s no different then a hurricane
I took the time to watch all the movies, and here’s what I think are the best movies in that period. This is MY opinion, so don’t get mad at me. 1. Godzilla vs Destoroyah is a perfect ending. Very good characters, design and story. Definitely a good way to end the series. The end didn’t fail to make me and many others sad. They gave LOTS of screentime to all the kaiju in this film. Respect. 2. Godzilla vs Space Godzilla has really cool characters. The human side stories are usually known to suck, but they pulled it off really well in my opinion. I also like the origin of space Godzilla as well as how he built a fortress made of crystals around a building. His power source being the crystals around him is pretty genius not gonna lie. 3. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah makes a really good twist on the backstory of Godzilla and the creation of King Ghidorah. The design of King Ghidorah is honestly one of the best in the Heisei series. Pretty cool looking mecha King Ghidorah. A bit confusing at times, took me a while to understand a majority of the time travel stuff. I also found this movie pretty silly with the terminator reference. 4. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla has amazing designs and somehow manages to create a better version of Minilla. The discovery of the egg and them thinking it was some dinosaur bird egg thing (forgot the name of the thing) was really interesting, so was everything else. Parts with baby Godzilla are really wholesome. I also find it funny how the humans just use the parts from Mecha King Ghidorah and just start making their own stuff. Wow, that would most certainly mess up the timeline. 5. Mothra vs Godzilla has good designs. Mothra in this movie is actually so cool. Who wouldn’t want to hug it? Also, battra is a pretty cool side character, design and story wise. It was cool seeing mothra go from an egg to a moth. The ending was also really good, seeing mothra take off to space surrounded by humans at an airfield. Mothra is really nice and only wants to protect those two tiny lady people (forgot their name lol) 6. Return of Godzilla was a good way to start off the series. Just a generic formula, and that’s ok, since it is the beginning and it needs character building. Godzilla’s head in this though... the ending was very good though, genius use of imagination by saying he uses the same things as birds do (also forgot what that was called and what it did) 7. Godzilla vs Biollante. Yep, that’s last on my list. Kinda generic and bland, not much screentime showing biollante or Godzilla. I like biollante’s origin and Godzilla’s return from the volcano after terrorists wake him up, though. As I said, this is all my opinion, don’t be annoyed if you disagree. I can accept the opinions of others, but this is just my opinion.
I didn't think my Friday the 13th fandom and Godzilla fandom would intersect but here we are. I didn't know they were tied together in such a way. I have a Jason Voorhees tattoo with a Godzilla tattoo drawn up ready to go. This is rad. Thanks for teaching me something I didn't know about the series
Quality of your captures is great. Are these just SD or HD quality? I'm struggling to find a legal way to watch these since Blu-Rays are non-existent in the US.
My list of the movies from worst to best from the Heisei era -Godzilla VS Mothra -Godzilla VS Spacegodzilla -Godzilla VS King Ghidorah -The Return of Godzilla -Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla -Godzilla VS Destoroyah -Godzilla VS Biollante
My favorite Godzilla heisei movie is Godzilla vs King Ghidorah 1991 because it tells the audience to the unexpected realization, by putting time travel, the movie elevates Godzilla from a monster to an almost godly entity that will always appear. Even if it’s erased from history, the arrogance of humanity cannot hide their mistakes. The lesson the movie is giving us a realization that Godzilla is inevitable.
I have always wondered who came up with the names of the Godzilla eras. Is it from Togo themselves? Because the Hesei era didn’t start until 1989, ending in 2019 with the start of the Reina era.
I just finished watching this Era and it's easily my favorite. Just such a consistent set of movies with a great tone for the series 1. Godzilla Vs Destroyah A+ 2. The Return Of Godzilla A 3. Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah A 4. Godzilla Vs Mothra: Battle For Earth A 5. Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II A- 6. Godzilla Vs Biollante A- 7. Godzilla Vs Space Godzilla C+
I will always love one of the rules Toho gave Legendary movie studios. Godzilla can't emote. Enter Godzilla versus Kong and we get Godzilla laughing with a grin on his face. But since the old Godzilla movies have been being rehashed; it will be interesting to see how baby Godzilla will be handled.
Once again wonderful video I have to say my favorite human character in the heisei is Miki sakusa I know you're going to talk about the Millennium at some point but are you going to talk about the monster verse
The end Godzilla vs Destroyah, the peering through the fog only to see the silhouette of Godzilla Jr. with the echo of his roar. Seeing that gives me goosebumps everytime. It really was a perfect ending.
In my opinion, Heisei era Godzilla is what most people today think of when they think of Japanese Godzilla. For me it’s the best. Particularly Godzilla vs Biollante, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs Destroyah. I can watch those movies any day of the week haha
What's your favorite Heisei Godzilla movie?
Godzilla vs. Biollante, I like the themes, the story, the monsters, etc.
Is all of them a valid option? Because that’s my choice.
Either Mechagodzilla or Destroyah for me. The way Mechagodzilla makes you switch who you're rooting for mid-battle was great and Destroyah was a fantastic ending for the era.
Godzilla vs Destroyah is my favorite Godzilla film within of the Heisei era films. In all honesty, The Heisei era Godzilla is the best series of Godzilla films in my opinion.
Godzilla Vs Destroyah
The Heisei was the best era of Godzilla. The dark tone, complex themes and the feeling of finality in the final battle against Destroyah.
Agreed but ngl no Godzilla movie from Any era will ever beat the OG 1954 movie
@@brotato2390 That’s a undeniable fact! But personal favorites can still be taken into account. Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla is still my personal favorite Kaiju movie!
*Godzilla VS MechaGodzilla II forgot to add the 2 lol
Destoroyah
@@SunshineStateCoasters lol yeah wasn't trying to say everyone has to like the OG movie the most, just my personal fav
I feel like calling Godzilla vs Ghidorah nationalistic is silly when the movie itself refuted the idea. For the whole movie, the veteran insists he understands Godzilla and that Godzilla is ultimately on his side because it saved his life in WW2. But Godzilla didn’t save them out of some sense of loyalty, he was fending off intruders in his territory.
The veteran getting blasted in the end by Godzilla is showing that it’s useless to prescribe will or agenda onto Godzilla. Cause at the end of the day, he’s just a force of nature. It’s like trying to say a natural disaster is “on your side”.
I think the guy wanted godzilla to kill him.
There is however sympathy in Godzilla's eyes. He remembers that face, even decades later. That's why Godzilla's eyes tear up, he's remembering a time from before he was a monster.
I never got that from that film with Shindo's character. yes, he does say that he and his men was saved by Godzilla on the island, BUT he doesn't have any fantasies about Godzilla being his best pal. l
I found the Japanese scene of his death scene and he acknowledges that the very same dinosaur that saved him back them is still destroying the land of prosperity that he had created and how ironic that is.
Shindo WANTS to die at this point as he had a hand in creating Godzilla- both times because he could have mercy killed Godzilla but didn't and left him to die peacefully in his habitat but that didn't happen. He even said "...The same dinosaur that I turned into Godzilla". In Shindo's mind, he damned Godzilla twice and as such...the nod his gives to Godzilla before being killed is more of a "Okay, go ahead" and Godzilla grants him his wish because he remembers Shindo during the scene and knows what Shindo wants, its why Godzilla soften his look with his eyes slowly closing, head tilting slightly before his eyes open again, hardening back into the way they were before.
but if he's fending off introders then why didn't he also kill the Japanese too
@@Algeriawindows69 pretty sure that he was so wounded that he couldn't go after the Japanese...or that the Japanese have been on the island long enough that he didn't see them as intruders. I'm more inclined to go with the first one.
My favorite era of Godzilla, with my favorite design of the King. I like the continuity and feel Godzilla's story in this era is tragic and deserves a bit more recognition.
I used to cry as a kid watching these with my brother lol, definitely a tragic story
Same but for some reason I didnt like Godzilla vs mothra when I was younger
Totally agree great period!!
Yeah, same here, heisei godzilla went through a lot of shit and it really makes you feel for bad him, especially when he dies.
I also love how it had reoccurring human leads too.
By far the best Godzilla suit designs of the franchise.
Yes! I love the 1989-1992 suits!
My favorite is the 2002 suit
@@evanmaldonado9799yea, I'll say 89-93, but all heisei movies Godzilla was his best designs thou
12:28
Simple answer to that question.
There's two Godzillas in the Heisei era.
The first (being the original incarnation) was irradiated by the H-bomb and proceeded to attack Tokyo in 1954 before ultimately being killed.
The second (being the Heisei incarnation) was a dinosaur living on the Pacific Island. The Futurians, thinking that this would be the same monster that attacked in 1954, teleported it into the Bering Sea, thinking it would die. It instead was irradiated by a nuclear submarine in the 1970s and mutated into the Godzilla seen from The Return of Godzilla to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah.
It's explained in vs. Biollante that Godzilla has a habit of evading the JSDF's tracking, as shown when he was expected to show up in Iso Bay, but instead appeared in Osaka Bay. So in vs. King Ghidorah when the characters come back and see he's gone, that didn't mean he was erased from history, he just simply moved without anyone noticing. Plus when a nuclear sub is sent to irradiate him, we see not the dinosaur the characters thought was there, but instead Godzilla as we know him, which resulted in him getting a power and size upgrade for the rest of the Heisei Era.
In short, the Futurians were idiots for believing the 1954 and Heisei Gojis were the same monster since they got their info from an unreliable book, and neither Godzilla were erased from history.
t h a n k y o u
Thank god for this comment.
Well said. This is pretty much what I thought myself. Bunch of dumb humans abusing technology they barely understood with a plan they did barely any research on beforehand having said plan backfire on them horribly.
they never said that the 1954 godzilla was the same godzilla as heisei godzilla. The only way that is represented is the cover of that guy's book having godzilla 1954, but godzilla 1954 is never brought up. Also it could be that the time travel slightly changed the present time, such as godzilla's location.
But yeah I don't know why people don't get the explanation given in the film.
Rest in peace, Satsuma. You did an amazing job with this era, and you won’t be forgotten.
The Heisei era will always be my favorite series, and the most memorable.
same
fr
Stay away from heisei godzilla tbf.. I hate sharing what I like .
I wish they'd put out a box set of this series.
Almost all of them have been released on Blu-Ray and DVD at some point, but Godzilla vs. Biollante is difficult to find and perpetually out of print/bootlegged. If you want a genuine copy, be prepared to pay over $300USD second (or third) hand.
It got so bad that I made a digitized version of my old VHS copy from the early 90s just so I could watch it again.
@@BeOurBee I could find godzilla v biollante on DVD, but never godzilla returns it's the one I'm missing
@@uhhhhidk they have the blue ray on Walmarts website for 14 bucks
@@TheHatman168 what a fucking hero, a month later and gives me the scoop to finish my collection years in the making
@@uhhhhidk just helping a fellow Godzilla fan out :)
My absolute favorite take on the character. A tragic but intelligent animal facing forces old and new in a world he does not belong in but is more than willing to carve his place into. Whether it be striking down humanity's arrogance or challenging the gods themselves, Godzilla never falters. He seeks compassion but is more than willing to fight with all that anger and hatred his nuclear origin brings. Even in his final moments, Godzilla fights to avenge the death of his son, the one being who not only understood him but gave him a chance for happiness. Beautiful storytelling.
Rest in peace, Satsuma-sensei.
This was my favorite version of Godzilla before the Monsterverse. Heisei’s design is iconic and some of my favorite kaiju were introduced here with Biollante and especially Destroyah.
Agreed. This was my favorite too. Before the MonsterVerse......
this was my favorite before shin...
Kazuki Omori (the director of vs Biollante and vs King Ghidorah, the screenwriter of vs Mothra) passed away on November 12th 2022, at the age of 70.
Thank you for giving us those masterpieces, the good childhood memories.
Rest in peace.
G vs KG is pretty terrible tho.
@redskull378 Time travel stories can be a pain in the ass to write. Still, it's better than films like Godzilla's Revenge.
RIP Kenpachiro Satsuma. Godzilla of my childhood.
Nakamura’s theme got a big pop from me lmao
Gotta pop for Shinsuke
Mannnnnnn I got chills when I heard that damn guitar..
The King of Strong Style
My first true Godzilla movie was Godzilla 2000. So, I'm excited to see you cover the Millennium era.
Same for me. It’s such an all around great Godzilla movie. It took some chances, and they paid off big time.
You won't see 2 back to back movies better than 2000 and Magaguirus. For these reasons. First, the Godzilla design was perfect. Second, they were a perfect marriage of past and present special effects. His atomic breath in those two films were epic. Third, Godzilla needed no help. His strength and intelligence was all he needed. No help no luck. Just the King of the Monsters doing what the King of the Monsters does.
@@williamchiafos3889Vs Megagurius is shit tho
@@redskull378 oh why ?
The Heisei Godzilla movies hold A TON of nostalgic value for me and forever cemented my fascination with the franchise. "Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah", "Godzilla vs. Mothra: The Battle for Earth", "Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II" and "Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla" were among some of the first Godzilla movies I ever saw. I distinctly remember watching those movies when they aired on the Sci-fi Channel when I was a kid (Back when Sci-fi used to air the English dubs of Godzilla movies in the early 2000's).
When I was a kid, I didn't know anyone who was a fan of Godzilla, letalone seen any of the Heisei movies. I'm very thankful to live in an age of Godzilla where people in America are making in-depth analysis videos about the various films and era's of Godzilla like this. As an American G-fan who grew up with a nostalgic fondness for the Heisei series, these kind of videos really mean a lot to me.
While the Heisei Godzilla movies are incredibly flawed (For some G-fans, that's putting it lightly), I still think they have a better understanding of Godzilla, both as a character and as an overall franchise, than the MonsterVerse Godzilla movies think they do.
Really good analysis on the Heisei era of Godzilla. The fact that the films are connected is one of the reasons why I love the Heisei era. Love to see your videos for the Millennium and the current Reiwa era.
The Heisei Godzilla has also become the default design Toho uses for media-related promotions from video games to store merchandising.
I'm 53 and have been a fan of the big guy since I was a little boy, I happen to enjoy all the films in some way as some bring back fond childhood memories. I was fortunate to visit Japan two years ago and my wife surprised me with a three night stay at the Hotel Gracery in the ShinJuku district of Tokyo. This is the GodZilla hotel as a lifesize head of the big guy and a "paw" tower over the hotel and acknowledge the passing of each hour (10am - 8pm) with GodZilla's call and smoke from his mouth, it is so freakin cool. He really is beloved in Japan, the lobby of the hotel has every movie poster framed and nearby is a GodZilla store where I bought some merchandise. The new Shin GodZilla is another fantastic rebirth and reinterpretation of the monster and personally I liked the film a lot. Hard to say what is my favorite, thats hitting a moving target for me, some of the films are pretty terrible of course but are fun anyway. I'm just glad they made (are making) the films, movies are entertainment and these and many other monster movies have entertained me over the years and I'm happy to have seen them. Thanks to you Matt for keeping the big guy around and turning on more people to GodZilla on youtube.
A new Matt Draper vid and being about the best era of godzilla, holy crap is it my birthday!
This is awesome
I always loved the Heisei era with its continuity and designs. They did an amazing job.
Not expecting to hear Nakamura's theme in this. Almost destroyed my room in a fit of hype.
As a casual fan growing up watching old dub vhs' of the big G and his fights against Biolante and mechaG your video essays are absolutely wonderful. I got super back into Godzilla with my Girlfriend who had never seen one and ever since I have just devoured as many bts, docs, and video essays I can. So thank you for this and I truly can't wait for more.
Such a fantastic era. By far my favorite because of the consistency in the continuity and in Godzilla’s design. Seriously, this has got to be THE iconic design for the character. The action is always so entertaining too, and the score by Ifukube is so impactful, especially in that final film. It also has some of the coolest monsters in Godzilla history. Biollante, Battra, Spacegodzilla, and Destroyah are so well done, and the other redesigns for the classic monsters are stellar. Can’t wait to see you cover the next era, which is also full of great entries in the series, including my first ever Godzilla movie.
I love the heisei series, the continuity, creature design, sound track, and special effects were great. I’m only complaint are that there too many wide shots and not enough melee fights. Other then that I loved watching these films.
Yeah Heisei Era G-Man definitely spammed his atomic breath like it was no tomorrow during his fights lol
@@brookswilliams5239 fr bro
Akira Ifukube’s music for Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is some of my favorite of the franchise. The Godzilla series consistently has great music.
Pro-Japanese empire era Godzilla becoming a manmade-altered natural disaster after the bomb, as the bomb, is some metacommentary if ever I've heard of such.
So im gonna need that Millennium video asap that'd be great 🤣. Good work, man. The Heisei is actually my favorite era. The stories and Kaiju are among my favorites. I wore my Godzilla vs Space Godzilla tape out as a kid.
Loved this video. Thanks. My viewing of Godzilla movies has been sporadic, so this video really makes me want to watch them all.
Satsuma-San just passed away. Such a shame. He brought my favorite era of Godzilla movies to life.
Godzilla vs King Ghidorah was my first Godzilla movie, so it'll always hold a special place in my heart.
Yo same
Same here. Out of all the Godzilla movies, GvsKG is the one I've see the most times. Even though its story makes absolutely no sense (Especially with the whole time travel aspect), it definitely left an impact on me. When I first saw it as a kid, it fueled my imagination and forever cemented my fascination with the franchise. I still enjoy watching it evey now and again, both for entertainment and nostalgic purposes. :)
Biolante is such a tragic kaiju and one of my favorites in the franchise.
Absolutely love the Heisei series! Wish I had gotten them all on DVD before losing all my VHS copies! haha Godzilla's design(especially Burning G) & Akira Ifukube's score sold it all for me!!
The Godzilla vs Biollonte poster (27:56) is one of the coolest Godzilla posters if not coolest movie posters ever made. Beautifully made.
I gotta tell you… you’re my favorite channel on TH-cam right now. Your retrospectives and essays on all things comics/Godzilla/movies are incredible and I just needed to express my gratitude! Keep up the great work man!!
Make a Video about Ultraman Showa, Heisei, New Gen, Reiwa, and Shin Rebuild Era, please
Something I've been thinking of. In comparing certain movies of the Heisei era to certain DC Comics stories from around that same time period, I'd say Return of Godzilla is the 'Dark Knight Returns' of the franchise, while Godzilla vs. Destoroyah is the 'Death of Superman' equivalent.
Thanks Matt for this Godzilla videos from an massive fan . Much ❤ as always 😊
Godzilla is brought back to his roots in this era. A real threat!
Aaah yes the Heisei era. I was collecting Godzilla toys and movies at the time in the 90's before 98 came out.
Fantastic video and interesting insight on the movies. Kinda wish more people saw kaiju films critically instead of "big monster fight"
I think it's often because the easier-to-find entries don't have particularly engaging human characters.
good work as always matt, keep it up, heisei era was a cool era, more down to earth and with a godzilla with a lion face
Love the movies, but the best thing about this era are the Noriyoshi Ohrai movie posters.
Oh I know I have a few posters of them hung up in my house
the most interesting thing to me is how the heisei and showa era's blended together in my mind. not having watched the movies in any sort of order or sequence but catching one or two over years meant I couldn't properly form a timeline and these periods really blended together for me. I'm going to watch them all back with a clearer distinction and see how my thoughts form.
One of the best Godzilla content on TH-cam. I love Heisei Era, thank you.
When Godzilla is mentioned just in general, my brain goes to this Godzilla. This is the bar for me. I absolutely love this design.
RIP Satsuma 😔
The King of Monsters and the King of Strong Style is the tag team I didn't know I needed!
Great video! Looking forward to the others in the series!
The Return of Godzilla is my favorite Godzilla film. It is dark, moody, and frightening. The robot that was we used to depict him moving is something out of a horror movie.
The Heisei series is my favorite. These seven films definitely feel like a progression. Plus, GvD is my favorite. That movie feels like a proper conclusion, a proper send off.
Looking forward to your next Godzilla videos. I have to said Godzilla 85 is my favorite being that it was one of the first Godzilla films I remember watching as a kid.
You clearly have excellent taste in Music & Film.
Subbed.
W O W ... Putting Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, Godzilla vs Mother's, & Return of Godzilla/1985 below Godzilla vs Space Godzilla? That movie is overwhelming listed at the bottom of most G-fan's lists. While I agree with them, I respect your opinion. You don't see that often, it takes balls to put that in a list on TH-cam, on a fairly popular channel.
GREAT Video! I LOVE The Heisei Era. my fav Heisei Era movie is Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah
Since there are few more Godzilla films could have and never made after Terror of Mechagodzilla during the Showa Era, I remember there is also one after Godzilla vs. Destroyah during the Heisei Era already had its script in place called Destroyed All Monsters II was also never made and originally the revived Godzilla Junior would lead that franchise.
I love the music from this series so much I bought the soundtrack. Outstanding!
This is peak Goji for me. Love every era for different reasons, but the Heisei era brought about a nice storyline that had all the action I love. A little serious, a little fun, a lot of great fights!
“Unproblematic queen, Mothra” is my favorite sentence 😂
Honestly love the Godzilla movies that have world-building between each other. Like the various iterations of the Super X and the upgrades from MKG to Mechagodzilla to Moguera. It's a nice thru-line I appreciate.
RIP our Heisei king
When I'm running down my top 5 Godzilla films, 1984 and Destroyah often make the list (I say "often" because the list changes when I revisit films I haven't seen in a while).
I’m hoping one day they will release a complete box set of the hesiei era like Criterion did with the Showa era
Ask and thou shall receive! Thank you so much, dude! I LOVE the Heisei Era!!!
Yessirrr i been waiting on this!
Also Godzilla vs King Ghidorah is my personal number 1 Heisei film, followed by Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla, Godzilla vs Destroyah, then Godzilla vs Biollante, Godzilla vs SpaceGodzilla, the Return of Godzilla and finally vs Mothra
28:50 I wish we got the Destroyah as seen in the theatre release poster. Always found the wings too small and its posture too upright in the actual movie.
Great video! Havent watched these movies and now i want to. Well…most of them.😊
Godzilla: you won't destroy humans, *THAT'S MY JOB!*
The Heise era started with The Terror Mechagodzilla. The suit in 1976(head piece) is very similar to the 1984/85 version of The return of Godzilla or Godzilla 1985.
My introduction to Godzilla is Emmerich 1998 "Godzilla," so yeah even if it is not a
Godzilla movie that we all hope for, I cannot hate it since it is the one that introduce me to this legendary kaiju. I ended up loving Big G with the heisei and millenium series, so yeah that is why heisei is my favorite Godzilla era (with some millenium era films too).
My absolute favorite era. While certainly not perfect, this series started the trend followed by Legendary of having Godzilla gradually grow as a character through a closely-knit narrative that sees the King of the Monsters transform from an embittered victim to a father with new-found purpose in life. The first hints of his transformation can be seen with his interaction with Shindo in GvKG, the first indication in the series that he is an emotional creature, and culminated in GvMGII. A deleted scene in Godzilla vs. Biollante would have referenced Godzilla's "humanity" much earlier, showing Godzilla seemingly showing remorse at having killed Biollante in their first round.
Thank you so much for giving me a better understanding of the difference in eras.
Heisei is my favorite era, with Return of Godzilla being my favorite. Looking forward to Millennium.
The funny thing about Heisei era is it is chaotic, and all over the place (G vs KG). It is also the most coherent at the same time. But man is it fun! Some of the best rubber suit monster battles ever. I only wish I was able to watch them when they came out. Little kid me would have loved it. We did get the trendmasters toys, but I had no idea what a Space Godzilla, Mecha Ghidorah, or Battra was. I also played the hell out of Super Godzilla. 1985 was the first Godzilla movie I ever saw, and I was hooked immediately. My ranking would be Godzilla vs King Ghidorah, G vs Space Godzilla, G vs Mechagodzilla, G vs Mothra, G vs Bollantae, 1985/Return, G vs Destroyah. The send off in 1995 was perfect and still brings a tear to my eye. Excellent video!
Just watched this and the Showa Era video back to back. Awesome work. Definitely looking forward to the one for the Millennium series.
Personally my rankings for Heisei are:
7. Space Godzilla
6. Ghidorah
5. Mothra
4. Mechagodzilla II
3. Biollante
2. Return
1. Destroyah
I'm so ready for the next era! I love this series. I'm eager to watch these original films, and this series gives me a good intro and understanding of how to interprete these films with relevant insight into the climate of the times
The GVK time travel story suffered some translation cloudiness, but it's all in there, despite people missing the details -
There were two Godzillas, one was still on the island that was hit by the nuke and died in the original movie. The time travellers moved the (2nd) godzilla the expert incorrectly identified. This was a plot point that they wanted to make sure to pick the correct monster but didn't, otherwise the story wouldn't have need the futurians to pick up the expert. They'd have just gone after dino godzilla, because who was expecting more than one. You'd have thought they wouldn't need to identify that one monster.
The dino-Godzilla put under the sea was then radiated in the early 80's by the russia sub that crashed and went missing as mentioned in godzilla 1984 movie. So the futurians actually created the godzilla they wanted to get rid of. It was noted that Godzilla's heat signature was on scanners, as he lay under the sea after fighting biollante but if he should move suddenly he may disappear off scanners. So when the people return to the present people still know of godzilla (not erased from time) but they think he has been erased because he has disappeared off scanners. So the government decide to send a modern nuke sub to the resting site of dino godzilla to try and make a new godzilla... but instead the sub is intercepted by still existent godzilla wandering the sea and so absorbs even more nuclear power (not the dino being instantly turned into a new Godzilla). The absorption of more nuke power was part of the beginning of godzilla over charging over the series. The dubbed version however confusingly states that it was a new godzilla born from modern nuke energy, which is where much error in understanding lies.
As for Ghidorah's sudden appearance, it is thought that it lay dormant until the futurians activated it on returning to 1992 since they had a control over the monster with their ship.
How might the Heisei era turned out if it didn’t bring back any Showa monsters?
Heisei Goji will forever be an amazing experience in my life. With Return of Godzilla being my introduction to Godzilla when I was a wee lad.
❤️Heisei Godzilla❤️
Finally been waiting for this
This video explains why the Heisei era is the best era of Godzilla. It goes in depth, especially with the messages behind Godzilla vs Destroyah. This era gets a lot of hate and I'm not sure why. It's amazing
Because of Godzilla vs King Ghidorah.And The fact that Miki supports Godzilla and tells the humans to not attack and kill Godzilla despite Godzilla destroying and killing millions of humans for no reason at all.
@@redskull378becauze Godzilla isn’t maliciously killing anyone unlike his enemies he’s like 100ft tall and can spray fire out of his mouth people dying is just gonna happen he’s no different then a hurricane
@@davidjackson9680 I've changed my mind a long time ago.Thanks for the reminder tho.
Y’all, I think with these Godzilla videos, Matt could defeat Kong easily without even lifting a finger.
I cant argue more
I took the time to watch all the movies, and here’s what I think are the best movies in that period. This is MY opinion, so don’t get mad at me.
1. Godzilla vs Destoroyah is a perfect ending. Very good characters, design and story. Definitely a good way to end the series. The end didn’t fail to make me and many others sad. They gave LOTS of screentime to all the kaiju in this film. Respect.
2. Godzilla vs Space Godzilla has really cool characters. The human side stories are usually known to suck, but they pulled it off really well in my opinion. I also like the origin of space Godzilla as well as how he built a fortress made of crystals around a building. His power source being the crystals around him is pretty genius not gonna lie.
3. Godzilla vs King Ghidorah makes a really good twist on the backstory of Godzilla and the creation of King Ghidorah. The design of King Ghidorah is honestly one of the best in the Heisei series. Pretty cool looking mecha King Ghidorah. A bit confusing at times, took me a while to understand a majority of the time travel stuff. I also found this movie pretty silly with the terminator reference.
4. Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla has amazing designs and somehow manages to create a better version of Minilla. The discovery of the egg and them thinking it was some dinosaur bird egg thing (forgot the name of the thing) was really interesting, so was everything else. Parts with baby Godzilla are really wholesome. I also find it funny how the humans just use the parts from Mecha King Ghidorah and just start making their own stuff. Wow, that would most certainly mess up the timeline.
5. Mothra vs Godzilla has good designs. Mothra in this movie is actually so cool. Who wouldn’t want to hug it? Also, battra is a pretty cool side character, design and story wise. It was cool seeing mothra go from an egg to a moth. The ending was also really good, seeing mothra take off to space surrounded by humans at an airfield. Mothra is really nice and only wants to protect those two tiny lady people (forgot their name lol)
6. Return of Godzilla was a good way to start off the series. Just a generic formula, and that’s ok, since it is the beginning and it needs character building. Godzilla’s head in this though... the ending was very good though, genius use of imagination by saying he uses the same things as birds do (also forgot what that was called and what it did)
7. Godzilla vs Biollante. Yep, that’s last on my list. Kinda generic and bland, not much screentime showing biollante or Godzilla. I like biollante’s origin and Godzilla’s return from the volcano after terrorists wake him up, though.
As I said, this is all my opinion, don’t be annoyed if you disagree. I can accept the opinions of others, but this is just my opinion.
I didn't think my Friday the 13th fandom and Godzilla fandom would intersect but here we are. I didn't know they were tied together in such a way. I have a Jason Voorhees tattoo with a Godzilla tattoo drawn up ready to go. This is rad. Thanks for teaching me something I didn't know about the series
Nice theme song in the background king of strong style
Quality of your captures is great. Are these just SD or HD quality? I'm struggling to find a legal way to watch these since Blu-Rays are non-existent in the US.
My list of the movies from worst to best from the Heisei era
-Godzilla VS Mothra
-Godzilla VS Spacegodzilla
-Godzilla VS King Ghidorah
-The Return of Godzilla
-Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla
-Godzilla VS Destoroyah
-Godzilla VS Biollante
17:34. Where do you find this art?
My favorite Godzilla heisei movie is Godzilla vs King Ghidorah 1991 because it tells the audience to the unexpected realization, by putting time travel, the movie elevates Godzilla from a monster to an almost godly entity that will always appear. Even if it’s erased from history, the arrogance of humanity cannot hide their mistakes. The lesson the movie is giving us a realization that Godzilla is inevitable.
I have always wondered who came up with the names of the Godzilla eras. Is it from Togo themselves? Because the Hesei era didn’t start until 1989, ending in 2019 with the start of the Reina era.
I just finished watching this Era and it's easily my favorite. Just such a consistent set of movies with a great tone for the series
1. Godzilla Vs Destroyah A+
2. The Return Of Godzilla A
3. Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah A
4. Godzilla Vs Mothra: Battle For Earth A
5. Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla II A-
6. Godzilla Vs Biollante A-
7. Godzilla Vs Space Godzilla C+
As a long time Godzilla fan I love your videos!👍
Man I love these movies probably some of the best movies in the genre.
Along with the gamera trilogy
Yeah those are fantastic too.
I actually like how they kept the "Godzilla was a monster known to a remote island" arc in Godzilla Minus 1!!!
I will always love one of the rules Toho gave Legendary movie studios. Godzilla can't emote. Enter Godzilla versus Kong and we get Godzilla laughing with a grin on his face.
But since the old Godzilla movies have been being rehashed; it will be interesting to see how baby Godzilla will be handled.
Once again wonderful video I have to say my favorite human character in the heisei is Miki sakusa I know you're going to talk about the Millennium at some point but are you going to talk about the monster verse
The end Godzilla vs Destroyah, the peering through the fog only to see the silhouette of Godzilla Jr. with the echo of his roar. Seeing that gives me goosebumps everytime. It really was a perfect ending.
In my opinion, Heisei era Godzilla is what most people today think of when they think of Japanese Godzilla. For me it’s the best. Particularly Godzilla vs Biollante, Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla II, and Godzilla vs Destroyah. I can watch those movies any day of the week haha
2:25 am I hearing Shinsuke Nakamura theme song?