Summary
Kaijushave been a crucial part of Japanese culture and media for over seventy years, and yet, it seems like these giant monsters don’t have as much of a presence in anime as other classic tropes, like superheroes or Mechas. Nevertheless, the influence that franchises likeGodzilla,Gamera, andUltramanhave had on the industry is palpable and flat-out undeniable.
Fortunately for fans of these Kaiju franchises (and the Tokusatsu genre in general), there are several popular anime series that prominently feature giant, city-destroying creatures that humans have to fight against, which include some of the most iconic and beloved anime IPs in the world. Furthermore,Godzillaand Kaiju fans should definitely give the following shows a try.
Based on a manga by Yukinobu Tatsu,Dandadanquickly became one of the best and most popular new anime of 2024. Curiously enough, it owes a lot of its inspiration to the world of Tokusatsu, with several characters and elements being based on theUltramanseries, like the Serpo Aliens, who look a lot like the Dada Aliens. There’s also its unique interpretation of the Loch Ness Monster, Nessie, which is so blatantly inspired byShin Godzillathat fans of that film will surely be delighted by its appearance.
If all that wasn’t enough, there’s an entire arc in the manga known as the Kaiju Arc, which will be adapted into the anime in Season 2. This arc introduces the character of Bamora, an alien girl who can use a kaiju-like Exosuit that can grow bigger and destroy entire cities with its devastating powers. It’s evident that Yukinobu Tatsu is a big fan of bothGodzillaandUltraman, and this love can be felt throughout all ofDandadan.
It’s easy to forget thatAttack on Titanprominently features giant creatures (the titular Titans)due to its dark atmosphere, grounded setting, and political themes. But, at its core, Hajime Isayama’s revolutionary story is all about humanity’s war with these deadly giants, which will certainly appeal to fans of some of the darkest Kaiju films, especially thanks to the epic scenes of people slaying Titans while jumping around in their omnidirectional mobility gear.
The fact that most of the Titans inAttack on Titanare more human-like in design may not resonate with some Kaiju fans, but this was later rectified with the introduction of the nine Special Titans, who have unique designs and more impressive abilities. Some of the series’ most memorable fights, like the Attack Titan vs. the Female Titan or the Attack Titan vs. the Warhammer and Jaw Titans, look and feel like something straight out of a classic Kaiju flick.
There’s no denying thatNeon Genesis Evangelionis one of the most well-known and critically acclaimed anime in the industryand yet when looking past all its psychological themes and deep and complex characters, it can certainly be said that it mainly focuses on giant mechas who have to protect the earth from the threat of destructive and terrifying monsters known as Angels.
The Kaiju genre is an important part ofNeon Genesis Evangelion’s DNA, and series’ creator Hideaki Anno has always been vocal about its influence. For example, the character of Jet Alone is blatantly inspired by the classicGodzillaally, Jet Jaguar.Neon Genesis Evangelionhas gained such an important place in the Kaiju genre that the series had several crossovers with theGodzillaIP, not to mention that Hideaki Anno himself went on to direct some of the best movies about giant monsters, likeShin GodzillaandShin Ultraman.
Back in 2018,anime fans all around the world were immediately captivated bySSSS.Gridman, a brand-new show about a boy who transforms into a giant superhero named Gridman to fight the powerful Kaiju that are threatening his city. Unbeknownst to most viewers, this was actually a modern reimagining of Tsuburaya Productions’ classic Tokusatsu TV show,Gridman the Hyper Agent.
SSSS.Gridmanis quite simple and effective, seeing as it features several thrilling and ambitious fights against powerful giant monsters. This was all possible thanks to Studio Trigger, a prestigious animation studio that had previously worked on similarly over-the-top series, likeDarling in the FranxxorKill la Kill. Fortunately for fans of this show, a sequel series of equal quality, titledSSSS.Dynazenon, was released in 2021, and Studio Trigger worked on it as well.
Longtime Kaiju fans may be aware ofGamera, an iconic franchise of Tokusatsu films by Kadokawa Daiei that served as the main competitor to theGodzillaseries. While it was never as popular as the King of the Monsters, there have been several high-qualityGameramovies that proved this giant turtle deserves a spot in the industry. Unfortunately, after the release of 2006’sGamera the Brave, the series went dormant for many years.
However, and much to the delight of its fans,Gamerareturned in 2023 with the release ofGamera: Rebirth, a brand-new original CG anime series made by ENGI and released worldwide on Netflix. This excellent show has everything it needs to make the giant turtle relevant and exciting once again: epic battles, solid animation, and appearances of some of its most iconic classic opponents, like Gyaos, Jiger, Zigra, and Guiron.
TheGodzillafranchise has delved into the world of animation on a few occasions but, surprisingly enough, it took until 2017 for fans to finally get an anime adaptation when the animated feature filmGodzilla: Planet of the Monsterswas released in Japanese theaters (and worldwide on Netflix a few months later). However, the King of the Monsters wouldn’t get an actual episodic anime show until 2021,whenGodzilla Singular Pointlaunched on the same streaming platform.
Animated by both Bones and Orange, this anime is infamous for being quite hard-to-follow, due to its precise scientific dialogue and its abstract concepts. Nevertheless, these elements don’t ruin all of its good qualities, like its likable characters, excellent animation, and thrilling kaiju battles.Godzilla Singular Pointmarked the much-awaited return of some of the franchise’s most iconic old-school creatures, like Jet Jaguar, Anguirus, Kumonga, and more, not to mention that it also featured one of the most intimidating incarnations of the titular King of the Monsters. This show is a labor of love thatGodzillafans should not miss.
Kaiju No. 8was yet another one of 2024’s biggest hits, and for good reason. This was the long-awaited adaptation of Naoya Matsumoto’s manga about a world in which humans are constantly fighting against invading giant monsters until one seemingly powerless guy named Kafka Hibino receives mysterious powers that allow him to transform into a devastating human/kaiju hybrid that can take down creatures with ease.
Despite the popularity of both genres, Kaijus have never been prominently featured in action shōnen anime, which means thatKaiju No. 8finally combined them in a satisfying and effective way. The titular main character has an excellent and unique design, the kaiju enemies are as cool-looking as they are threatening, the thrilling battles are expertly animated and the origin of the Kaiju invasion is an intriguing aspect of its world that keeps viewers and readers alike hooked. IfGodzillawas ever turned into a conventional action shōnen anime, it would pretty much look and feel likeKaiju No. 8, which proves that this is something that fans of the King of the Monsters (and other Kaiju franchises) are certainly going to enjoy.
