FinalGoji: Difference between revisions

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(The suit in the short is definitely not the primary suit.)
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|type        =[[Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla designs|designs]]
|type        =[[Godzilla|{{stroke|white|black|Godzilla}}]] [[:Category:Godzilla designs|{{stroke|white|black|designs}}]]
|name        =FinalGoji
|name        =FinalGoji
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|prev        =KiryuGoji
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|name        =FinalGoji
|name        =FinalGoji
|type        =Suit
|type        =Suit
|nicknames  =FWGoji, FiGoji, 50Godzilla,<ref name="Wakasa">{{Cite web|url=http://www.henshinonline.com:80/archive2004.html|title=GODZILLA FINAL WARS INTERVIEW: SHINICHI WAKASA|work=Henshin!Online|author=Aiken, Keith|date=7 November 2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815173059/http://www.henshinonline.com:80/archive2004.html|archivedate=15 August 2006}}</ref> Godzilla 2004
|nicknames  =Final Godzilla, FWGoji, FiGoji,<ref name="Wakasa">{{Cite web|url=http://www.henshinonline.com:80/archive2004.html|title=GODZILLA FINAL WARS INTERVIEW: SHINICHI WAKASA|work=Henshin!Online|author=Aiken, Keith|date=7 November 2004|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060815173059/http://www.henshinonline.com:80/archive2004.html|archivedate=15 August 2006}}</ref><br>50Godzilla,{{R|Wakasa}} Godzilla 2004
|portrayed  =[[Tsutomu Kitagawa]]<br>[[Naoya Matsumoto]]{{sup|[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|GvH]], [[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks|GA]]}}
|portrayed  =[[Tsutomu Kitagawa]],<br>[[Naoya Matsumoto]]{{sup|[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|GvH]], [[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks|FG3]]}}
|used        =''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'',<br>[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' (2021)]],<br>''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]''
|used        =''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'',<br>[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' (2021)]],<br>''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]''
}}
}}
{{Notice|This article covers the 2004 Godzilla design. For the Godzilla incarnation, see [[Godzilla (Godzilla Final Wars)]].}}
{{Notice|This article covers the 2004 Godzilla design. For the Godzilla incarnation, see [[Godzilla (Godzilla Final Wars)]].}}
The '''FinalGoji''' {{Nihongo|ファイナルゴジ|Fainarugoji}} is the [[Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla designs|suit design]] used in the [[2004]] [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla Films|film]] ''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]''.
The '''FinalGoji''' {{Nihongo|ファイナルゴジ|Fainarugoji}} is the [[Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla designs|suit design]] used in the [[2004]] [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] [[:Category:Godzilla Films|film]] ''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]''. It was reused in two of [[Kazuhiro Nakagawa]]'s short films for Godzilla Fest.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Name==
==Name==
The FinalGoji's name comes from ''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]''{{'}}s title, specifically the word ''final'' {{Nihongo|ファイナル|fainaru}}, and ''Goji'', which comes from [[Godzilla]]'s [[Japan]]ese name, ''Gojira'' {{Nihongo|ゴジラ}}. Prior to the release of ''Final Wars'', fans referred to this design as the '''FiGoji''' {{Nihongo|ファイゴジ|Faigoji}}, a shortened combination of "final" and "Goji."<ref name="Wakasa"/> Modeler [[Shinichi Wakasa]] instead suggested '''50Godzilla''' {{Nihongo|五十ゴジラ|Gojūgojira}}, after Godzilla's 50th anniversary.<ref name="Wakasa"/>
The FinalGoji's name comes from ''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]''{{'}}s title, specifically the word ''final'' {{Nihongo|ファイナル|fainaru}}, and ''Goji'', which comes from [[Godzilla]]'s [[Japan]]ese name, ''Gojira'' {{Nihongo|ゴジラ}}. Prior to the release of ''Final Wars'', fans referred to this design as the '''FiGoji''' {{Nihongo|ファイゴジ|Faigoji}}, a shortened combination of "final" and "Goji."<ref name="Wakasa"/> Modeler [[Shinichi Wakasa]] instead suggested '''50Godzilla''' {{Nihongo|五十ゴジラ|Gojūgojira}}, after Godzilla's 50th anniversary.<ref name="Wakasa"/>
==Development==
For [[Godzilla]]'s 50th anniversary film, director [[Ryuhei Kitamura]] aimed to emphasize monster battles, wishing to portray "a more powerful Godzilla."<ref name="SCW">{{harvnb|Matsui|2005|p=86}}</ref> Camera tests were conducted using an [[KiryuGoji|SOSGoji]] suit from the previous ''Godzilla'' film, ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo SOS]]'', but Kitamura and monster modeler [[Shinichi Wakasa]] concluded that its movements were not suitable.{{sfn|Matsui|2005|pp=86=87}} Wakasa recalled a ''Godzilla'' fighting game his child had played and showed it to Kitamura, who agreed that it was closer to what he was looking for.<ref name="SCW 2">{{harvnb|Matsui|2005|p=87}}</ref>
Though Yasushi Nirasawa and Yoji Shinkawa submitted concept art of the new Godzilla,{{sfn|Matsui|2005|pp=83, 85}} neither of their designs were selected;<ref name="ATMPB">{{harvnb|Ozawa|Tomoi|Nakamura|2016|p=300}}</ref> instead, Wakasa designed the new Godzilla himself<ref name="Monstermaker">{{harvnb|Wakasa|2017|p=236}}</ref> with input from Kitamura and special effects director [[Eiichi Asada]].{{R|Wakasa}} In designing Godzilla's face, Wakasa thought it appropriate to combine characteristics of several prior suits for the character's 50th anniversary, namely the [[ShodaiGoji]], [[MosuGoji]], and [[Godzilla (Heisei)|Heisei Godzilla]] designs.{{R|Wakasa}} Godzilla's muscles and facial expression were emphasized to align with Kitamura's vision.{{sfn|Matsui|2005|p=88}} His dorsal fins were also made smaller so as not to interfere with the choreography,{{R|ATMPB}} and the whites of his eyes were removed so that he would not seem willful.{{R|SCW}}
The FinalGoji was realized by Wakasa and his company MONSTERS, Inc.{{R|SCW}} Three total suits were produced: the main suit for close-ups, another for "action," and one for "super action."{{R|SCW 2}} Wakasa sculpted the suits' heads,{{R|Monstermaker}} while the body of at least one was patterned by Naoto Nishikawa and sculpted by Akira Yamada.<ref name="Monstermaker 2">{{harvnb|Wakasa|2017|p=237}}</ref> All of the suits' body parts from the waist down were not sculpted, but rather fabricated by gluing together pieces of urethane.{{R|SCW}} The modeling team took care to keep the suits lightweight and easy to act in; though the materials used were no different than on previous suits, the space inside was not filled with latex, ensuring [[Tsutomu Kitagawa]]'s movements wouldn't be restricted.{{R|SCW 2}} The suits' arms were the only parts which fit snugly, and they had a dual joint at the armpit to increase their range of motion.{{R|SCW 2}} Also different from previous suits was a lack of internal lighting in Godzilla's dorsal fins, both to reduce weight and to accomodate the fins' reduction in size.{{R|Wakasa}} The only lighting installed in any of the suits were in their mouth for Godzilla's atomic breath.{{R|Wakasa}} The head of each suit was attached to a helmet-like "skullcap" worn by Kitagawa, allowing his neck movements to translate to Godzilla's.{{R|SCW|ATMPB}} The suits' eyeballs were created by Shigeaki Yoshida,{{R|Monstermaker 2}} and the close-up suit also possessed a radio-controlled jaw.<ref name="G-Fan">{{harvnb|Holland|2021|pp=8-9}}</ref>
Either the action or super action suit was reused close to two decades later in [[Kazuhiro Nakagawa]]'s short film ''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'',{{R|G-Fan}} while the action suit appeared in its sequel, ''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa/status/1583425566338056194|title=今回のゴジラはアクション用を使いました。|author=Wakasa, Shinichi|date=21 October 2022|work=Twitter}}</ref> It was donned by [[Naoya Matsumoto]] both times.
==Detail==
==Detail==
For [[Godzilla]]'s 50th Anniversary film in [[2004]], ''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'', director [[Ryuhei Kitamura]], special effects director [[Eiichi Asada]], and [[Shinichi Wakasa]]'s company Monsters, Inc. collaborated on the title character's new design.<ref name="Wakasa"/> It was Wakasa's idea to use features from multiple older designs. The arms and legs are slimmer than usual, and Godzilla's thighs are also one size smaller. FinalGoji also has much more noticeable ears than many previous suits. The small dorsal plates resemble those of the [[Showa era|Showa series]]: a single prominent row with smaller surrounding plates.
The FinalGoji's arms and legs are slimmer than usual, and its thighs are also one size smaller. FinalGoji has much more noticeable ears than many previous suits. The small dorsal plates resemble those of the [[Showa era|Showa series]]: a single prominent row with smaller surrounding plates.


To make this suit leaner and more flexible, Shinichi Wakasa's company Monsters, Inc., used less urethane foam and latex rubber. Instead, they added a special material called "foam latex," a chemical compound made with latex and some additional agents that bake to become a soft rubbery material. This reduced the weight of the suit by almost 44 pounds, allowing the actor inside much more movement and flexibility. An even lighter secondary suit, built for action-heavy shots, was reused for when Godzilla received a star in the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and was also reused for the 2021 short film ''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]''.<ref name="GFan-134">Lees, J.D. "Fifty Years Later, Godzilla and Hedorah Clash Again." ''G-FAN'' winter 2021, pp.8-9.</ref> Either this same suit or another action suit was also utilized for the 2022 short film ''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]''. It lacked the radio-controlled jaw present in the primary suit.<ref name="GFan-134"/> While very similar to the primary suit, this suit had some visible differences. Its skin was darker and its dorsal plates were white instead of a bone-white color, these ones also being more pointy. The head was flatter and had bright orange eyes and a longer lower jaw. The torso was slightly shorter, and the toes, toenails, and tail were elongated. This suit was also considerably smaller than the primary suit. During the Hollywood Walk of Fame event, a device that could shoot smoke was put on the suit's mouth, which was later removed for its appearence in the 2021 short film.
The action suit, while very similar to the close-up suit, had noticeable differences during its use in ''Godzilla vs. Hedorah''. Its skin was darker and its dorsal plates were white instead of a bone-white color, these ones also being more pointy. The head was flatter and had bright orange eyes and a longer lower jaw. The torso was slightly shorter, and the toes, toenails, and tail were elongated. This suit was also considerably smaller than the close-up suit. This or another suit appeared during a Hollywood Walk of Fame event, for which a device that could shoot smoke was put in its mouth.
==Use in other media==
==Use in other media==
===Video games===
===Video games===
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==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla Final Wars Super Complete Works]]|edition=2nd|editor-last=Matsui|editor-first=Satoshi|date=1 March 2005|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|isbn=4-09-101498-4}}
*{{cite book|title=[[All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book]]|edition=4th|editor-last1=Ozawa|editor-first1=Ryoko|editor-last2=Tomoi|editor-first2=Taketo|editor-last3=Nakamura|editor-first3=Satoshi|date=4 September 2016|publisher=Yosensha|isbn=978-4-8003-0362-2}}
*{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]|last=Wakasa|first=Shinichi|author-link=Shinichi Wakasa|date=21 October 2017|publisher=Yosensha|isbn=978-4-8003-1343-0}}
*{{cite magazine|title=Fifty Years Later, Godzilla and Hedorah Clash Again|work=G-FAN|last=Holland|first=Edward L.|date=January–February 2021}}
{{Suits}}
{{Suits}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments|scroll=yes}}
{{Era|TOH|MIL|GOD|SUT}}
{{Era|TOH|MIL|GOD|SUT}}
[[Category:Godzilla designs]]
[[Category:Godzilla designs]]

Revision as of 03:39, 6 November 2022

Godzilla designs
KiryuGoji
FinalGoji
GareGoji
FinalGoji
The FinalGoji as it is seen in Godzilla Final Wars
Type Suit
Nicknames Final Godzilla, FWGoji, FiGoji,[1]
50Godzilla,[1] Godzilla 2004
Portrayed by Tsutomu Kitagawa,
Naoya MatsumotoGvH, FG3
Used in Godzilla Final Wars,
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (2021),
Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks
This article covers the 2004 Godzilla design. For the Godzilla incarnation, see Godzilla (Godzilla Final Wars).

The FinalGoji (ファイナルゴジ,   Fainarugoji) is the Godzilla suit design used in the 2004 Godzilla film Godzilla Final Wars. It was reused in two of Kazuhiro Nakagawa's short films for Godzilla Fest.

Name

The FinalGoji's name comes from Godzilla Final Wars's title, specifically the word final (ファイナル,   fainaru), and Goji, which comes from Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira (ゴジラ). Prior to the release of Final Wars, fans referred to this design as the FiGoji (ファイゴジ,   Faigoji), a shortened combination of "final" and "Goji."[1] Modeler Shinichi Wakasa instead suggested 50Godzilla (五十ゴジラ,   Gojūgojira), after Godzilla's 50th anniversary.[1]

Development

For Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, director Ryuhei Kitamura aimed to emphasize monster battles, wishing to portray "a more powerful Godzilla."[2] Camera tests were conducted using an SOSGoji suit from the previous Godzilla film, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, but Kitamura and monster modeler Shinichi Wakasa concluded that its movements were not suitable.[3] Wakasa recalled a Godzilla fighting game his child had played and showed it to Kitamura, who agreed that it was closer to what he was looking for.[4]

Though Yasushi Nirasawa and Yoji Shinkawa submitted concept art of the new Godzilla,[5] neither of their designs were selected;[6] instead, Wakasa designed the new Godzilla himself[7] with input from Kitamura and special effects director Eiichi Asada.[1] In designing Godzilla's face, Wakasa thought it appropriate to combine characteristics of several prior suits for the character's 50th anniversary, namely the ShodaiGoji, MosuGoji, and Heisei Godzilla designs.[1] Godzilla's muscles and facial expression were emphasized to align with Kitamura's vision.[8] His dorsal fins were also made smaller so as not to interfere with the choreography,[6] and the whites of his eyes were removed so that he would not seem willful.[2]

The FinalGoji was realized by Wakasa and his company MONSTERS, Inc.[2] Three total suits were produced: the main suit for close-ups, another for "action," and one for "super action."[4] Wakasa sculpted the suits' heads,[7] while the body of at least one was patterned by Naoto Nishikawa and sculpted by Akira Yamada.[9] All of the suits' body parts from the waist down were not sculpted, but rather fabricated by gluing together pieces of urethane.[2] The modeling team took care to keep the suits lightweight and easy to act in; though the materials used were no different than on previous suits, the space inside was not filled with latex, ensuring Tsutomu Kitagawa's movements wouldn't be restricted.[4] The suits' arms were the only parts which fit snugly, and they had a dual joint at the armpit to increase their range of motion.[4] Also different from previous suits was a lack of internal lighting in Godzilla's dorsal fins, both to reduce weight and to accomodate the fins' reduction in size.[1] The only lighting installed in any of the suits were in their mouth for Godzilla's atomic breath.[1] The head of each suit was attached to a helmet-like "skullcap" worn by Kitagawa, allowing his neck movements to translate to Godzilla's.[2][6] The suits' eyeballs were created by Shigeaki Yoshida,[9] and the close-up suit also possessed a radio-controlled jaw.[10]

Either the action or super action suit was reused close to two decades later in Kazuhiro Nakagawa's short film Godzilla vs. Hedorah,[10] while the action suit appeared in its sequel, Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks.[11] It was donned by Naoya Matsumoto both times.

Detail

The FinalGoji's arms and legs are slimmer than usual, and its thighs are also one size smaller. FinalGoji has much more noticeable ears than many previous suits. The small dorsal plates resemble those of the Showa series: a single prominent row with smaller surrounding plates.

The action suit, while very similar to the close-up suit, had noticeable differences during its use in Godzilla vs. Hedorah. Its skin was darker and its dorsal plates were white instead of a bone-white color, these ones also being more pointy. The head was flatter and had bright orange eyes and a longer lower jaw. The torso was slightly shorter, and the toes, toenails, and tail were elongated. This suit was also considerably smaller than the close-up suit. This or another suit appeared during a Hollywood Walk of Fame event, for which a device that could shoot smoke was put in its mouth.

Use in other media

Video games

Comics

Short films

Gallery

Production

Godzilla Final Wars

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)

Screenshots

Godzilla Final Wars trailers

Godzilla Final Wars

Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)

Post-production

Merchandise

Covers

Toys

Models

Cards

Books

Magazines

References

This is a list of references for FinalGoji. 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]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Aiken, Keith (7 November 2004). "GODZILLA FINAL WARS INTERVIEW: SHINICHI WAKASA". Henshin!Online. Archived from the original on 15 August 2006.
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Matsui 2005, p. 86
  3. Matsui 2005, pp. 86=87.
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Matsui 2005, p. 87
  5. Matsui 2005, pp. 83, 85.
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 Ozawa, Tomoi & Nakamura 2016, p. 300
  7. 7.0 7.1 Wakasa 2017, p. 236
  8. Matsui 2005, p. 88.
  9. 9.0 9.1 Wakasa 2017, p. 237
  10. 10.0 10.1 Holland 2021, pp. 8-9
  11. Wakasa, Shinichi (21 October 2022). "今回のゴジラはアクション用を使いました。". Twitter.

Bibliography

Comments

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