Guilala
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Guilala (ギララ Girara) is an alien kaiju created by Shochiku that first appeared in the 1967 film The X From Outer Space.
Name
Prior to Guilala's name being decided, the monster was referred to by generic names such as Monster Bug (怪虫 Kaimushi) and Monster Bug X (怪虫Ｘ Kaimushi Ekkusu) in the film's first draft, while later revisions referred to it by the temporary names Demora (デモラ) and Demos (デモス Demosu). Following the completion of Guilala's concept art, a prototype clay model of the creature was created, engraved with the name "Pratonical Gilaladonishious" (プラトニカル・ギララドニシウス Puratonikaru Giraradonishiusu). Ultimately, Guilala's name was determined by public vote, with 210,564 people choosing the final name, and a formal "Giant Space Monster Naming Ceremony" (宇宙大怪獣命名式 Uchū Daikaijū Meimeishiki) was held on the set of the film. The name "Guilala" (ギララ Girara) was said to have been derived from the combination of a Greek word meaning "huge" and a Latin word meaning "giant" or "large." Guilala is also sometimes referred to by the name Monster X in English such as in the title of Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, a name which it shares with several other kaiju including Jiger and Toho's Monster X.
The Guilala from The X from Outer Space is given the subtitle Giant Space Monster (宇宙大怪獣 Uchū Daikaijū), such as in the film's Japanese title, while the film's trailer calls it the Mysterious Giant Monster (謎の大怪獣 Nazo no Daikaijū).[1]
Design
In general, Guilala resembles a large, birdlike creature with a bulky, muscular body and strange antennae on top of its head. Guilala's head is silver with pink eyes, while his body is dark grey. The tips of his antennae are bright gold. Guilala also has a series of horns on the back of his head which curve upwards, and his forehead has a strange, periscope-like appendage rising out of it, which may be a third eye. Guilala's feet are large, and have well-developed claws. On the front of each of his thighs, he has wave-like ridges which run vertically down towards his shins.
History
The X from Outer Space
A species of kaiju created by the explosions of stars, Guilala was made out of a special form of condensed energy, normally found in small, contained spores. An unknown alien race once attached spores to the AAB Gamma, a space ship from Earth. One spore was carried back to Earth for research. The spore broke open and Guilala came out and grew to monstrous proportions. It destroyed most of Japan in the search for energy. Guilala was lured by powerful nuclear energy to the Mt. Fuji spaceport, but was doused in a special element named 'Guilalanium' (ギララニウム Giraraniumu) which was able to limit Guilala's energy intake. Unable to absorb enough energy, Guilala was forced to revert to his spore form. The spore was then loaded into a rocket and launched towards the sun, where it would orbit the star for the foreseeable future, preventing Guilala from ever returning.
Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit
Eventually, another space probe, the AAC-Beta, returned to Earth after a mission that was similar to that of the AAB Gamma. This ship carried another spore which transformed into a second Guilala. Realizing the danger of the creature, the president of the United States of America convinces the other world leaders to personally fight back against Guilala instead of fleeing, and each country decides to use their own secret weaponry against the beast. A North Korean general plans to destroy the Guilala with a nuclear missile, but he is warned that if he did so, he will spawn hundreds, even thousands of Guilalas, and backs down. The monster is unopposed until two Japanese journalists discover the legend of Take-Majin, a god who will fight for the humans to defend Earth. The president of North Korea fires the missile at Japan anyway, but Take-Majin appears in the nick of time to save the people from a nuclear strike as well as Guilala themselves. Take-Majin and Guilala fight, with Take-Majin eventually defeating the alien creature.
Abilities
- Guilala can run at over 80 miles per hour.
- Guilala can absorb a variety of different forms of energy, which help him power his attacks.
- Guilala can reduce himself into a spore to allow himself to be undetected. However, this can be turned against him. If enough Guilalium is placed around him, his energy absorption ability is blocked, reverting him back into a spore.
- Guilala can spit fireballs from his beak.
- Guilala can turn into an orb of energy which is capable of igniting or destroying everything around it. Using this ability, Guilala can also traverse great distances with extreme speed.
- Apart from Guilalium, Guilala is resistant against most radioactive or chemical countermeasures.
- Guilala can shrug off most blows to his thick hide with little injury.
Filmography
- The X from Outer Space (1967)
- The Bad News Bears Go to Japan (1975) [stock footage]
- Tora-san’s Forbidden Love (1984) [stock footage]
- Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit (2008)
Gallery
- Main article: Guilala/Gallery.
Videos
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Trivia
- In Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit, visible tears can be seen in Guilala's neck. This is either to allow Take-Majin's suit actor to cut the suit's head off, or damage caused by repeated attempts at filming that scene.
- Multiple tiny Guilalas and a full-sized Guilala were featured in a commercial for the job search website The Ladders, using the suit from Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit.[2]
References
This is a list of references for Guilala. These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]
Comments
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