Summary
Netflix’s anime adaptation of Godzilla offers unique and beautiful depictions of the comic monster, making them a must-watch for fans of the franchise. The anime trilogy takes a dark and downright sci-fi approach, featuring a 1000-foot-tall Godzilla and a city inhabited by Mechagodzilla. The Single Point series uniquely combines the tone and themes of the previous Godzilla films to portray a smaller but more elusive and otherworldly version of Godzilla.
Godzilla Minus One debuted in Japan to critical acclaim and box office success. Before Toho’s latest live-action Godzilla movie opens in North American theaters on December 1st, Godzilla fans should check out the Netflix anime Godzilla adaptation. Consisting of a 2017-2018 movie trilogy and a 2021 sequel, Netflix’s anime adaptations contain some of the best and most unique Godzilla footage in the franchise’s history.
The two Netflix anime Godzilla adaptations are considered to be part of the Reiwa era of the franchise, which began with the release of Shin Godzilla in 2016 and is named after the current Emperor of Japan.
Although both the anime trilogy and the single point are divided with Godzilla fans, their portrayals put a truly unique spin on Godzilla and each has enough style to warrant at least one viewing. Godzilla fans should definitely not overlook the anime trilogy or the Single Point series.
2016’s Shin Godzilla was directed by Evangelion creator Hideaki Anno.
The Godzilla anime trilogy
Planet of the Monsters (2017), City on the Edge of War (2018) and The Planet Eater (2018), written by General Urobuchi
While the Godzilla franchise has had sci-fi elements since the first film and regularly features other planets and alien characters, the anime trilogy is the most overtly sci-fi in the Godzilla story. The plot revolves around the emergence of the kaiju forcing humanity to flee Earth and take to space, and the survivors return to a distant future Earth where Godzilla is an integral part of life. In general, anime trilogies tend to be too dark for its own good, perhaps unsurprisingly, given that the trilogy was written by General Urobuchi, also the author of Dark Puella Magi Madoka Magica.
While aspects of the trilogy’s narrative falter at times, the trilogy offers an undeniably fun take on classic aspects of the franchise. Godzilla Earth, the Godzilla version of the trilogy, is 1000 feet tall, the largest Godzilla ever to appear on screen, Mechagodzilla is a living city that threatens to engulf the entire planet, and King Ghidorah is a creature of immense power. Still, the entire trilogy destroys most of the human cast and ends on a vague note that generally feels pretty pointless. Although undeniably stylish, the Godzilla anime trilogy struggles to deliver much substance despite the franchise’s inventiveness.
Watch it on Netflix
Godzilla single point
The 2021 series was directed by Atsushi Takahashi and written by Toh Enjo
Paradoxically, Godzilla Single Point is a return to the tone and themes of previous entries in the franchise, and is also the most unique Godzilla story in the entire franchise. Fittingly, the paradoxical nature of the single point is consistent with the series’ theme and central idea of quantum mechanics, where two mutually exclusive states can be true at the same time. Single Point Godzilla is smaller than other versions of Godzilla, but as noted in Shin Godzilla, this version of Godzilla is a nightmare due to how incomprehensible and otherworldly it is. The singular point is that Godzilla simply breaks the laws of reality by changing the laws of physics around him and expanding his influence.
The paradoxical nature of the single point fits the theme of quantum mechanics and the central idea that two mutually exclusive states can be true at the same time.
This reliance on the laws of quantum mechanics is the single point’s greatest weakness. Single Point is a very exposition-heavy series where things like time loops and parallel dimensions are explained in detail. While these explanations are broadly correct enough for viewers to learn something about quantum mechanics, they can be difficult to follow. Due to the many sci-fi interactions between the human characters, Single Point has been the target of long-standing criticism of the franchise, which focuses on humans and not enough on Godzilla. Still, the single point is that while Godzilla has so little screen time, he steals every scene he’s in, especially as a unique alien.
Watch it on Netflix
Although Netflix’s Godzilla anime adaptations certainly have narrative flaws, both the film trilogy and the Single Point anime series put undeniably unique spins on the franchise and have plenty of style. For Godzilla fans, both the movie trilogy and the single score are worth watching at least once. Re-watching these Netflix anime adaptations is the perfect way to prepare for Godzilla Minus One’s North American debut on December 1st.
Godzilla: Minus one
Official date: 2023-12-01
Director: Takashi Yamazaki
Level: Not rated yet.
Genres: Action, adventure, horror
Writers: Takashi Yamazaki
Studio(s): That one
antecedents Shin Godzilla
Franchise(s): god