Godzilla (Get Going! Godzilland)
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Godzilla (ゴジラ Gojira) is a juvenile monster who appears in Gakken's 1994-1996 educational Get Going! Godzilland original video animations (OVAs).
Name
- See also: Godzilla#Name.
Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira (ゴジラ), comes from a combination of the Japanese approximation of "gorilla" (ゴリラ gorira), and kujira (クジラ), the Japanese word for "whale."
Development
Two studios animated Godzilla in the Get Going! Godzilland OVAs: Film Magic for "You Can Read! You Can Write! Hiragana" and "You Can Count! Counting 1-2-3!" in 1994, and Group Tac for "Let's Play with Godzilla! Addition" and "Let's Play with Godzilla! Subtraction" in 1996.
The adult version of this Godzilla appears to be portrayed by an attraction suit built to promote the Heisei era Godzilla films, as its colors are flatter than those on the suits used in the films and its jaw does not move.
Design
This Godzilla is portrayed in a super-deformed or "chibi" style, with a very short rounded body with no defined neck and a very large head and eyes. He is entirely green in color, with his dorsal fins being a lighter shade of green than the rest of his body. The design originated in Bandai's 1984 Godzilland merchandise line, and was previously seen in animated for in Toho's 1993 promotional television show Adventure! Godzilland 2. At the time, no live-action Godzilla had been green, although he was sometimes portrayed as such in non-film media, especially in the United States.
In the addition and subtraction OVAs, there are live-action scenes featuring the now-adult Godzilla interacting with a human woman he calls his "big sister" and telling her about his childhood, represented through the animated segments. He strongly resembles the Heisei Godzilla designs used from Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989) to Godzilla vs. Spacegodzilla (1994), although his arms are relatively shorter and thicker and his skin has a smoother texture.
Personality
This Godzilla is a childish monster with a short temper, which often causes him to get into fights with his best friend, Anguirus. However, Godzilla is shown to care about Anguirus and his other friends, and he is usually able to overcome any disputes with them. In the addition and subtraction OVAs, Godzilla is shown to have strong feelings for a pink female member of his species named Gojirin. Godzilla frequently tries to impress Gojirin and win her affections, but often does so clumsily, such as leaving her flowers in her bedroom that he had previously stolen from her garden. Both Anguirus and Baragon try to win Gojirin's affections as well, producing some conflict between them. Godzilla and his friends respect Mothra, who acts as an adult figure to them and often tries to mediate conflicts between them.
Another trait this Godzilla exhibits is his tendency to eat a lot of food and not share it with others. This is demonstrated when he tries to get food for Gojirin but ends up eating most of it himself, as well as when he eats the pancakes his sister is making during one of the live-action segments. This Godzilla is also very clumsy and prone to accidents, as he frequently injures himself in each OVA.
Origin
Godzilla hatches from an egg and immediately fires his atomic breath at the start of the "You Can Read! You Can Write! Hiragana" and "You Can Count! Counting 1-2-3!" OVAs. His parentage is unknown.
History
- Get Going! Godzilland (OVA 1994-1996)
Get Going! Godzilland
"You Can Read! You Can Write! Hiragana"
Godzilla practiced his atomic breath, firing a powerful stream into a river. Mothra dropped a letter in front of him which he sucked onto his face while preparing a second blast, causing him to burn himself. It was an invitation, sent to all of Godzilland's monsters, to eat the strawberries she had grown - but like Anguirus, Godzilla couldn't read it. As King Ghidorah, Rodan, and [[[Baragon]] chowed down, Godzilla and Anguirus got into a fight, inadvertently chasing him to the table where the other monsters were eating. Mothra broke up the fight. Godzilla and Anguirus were shocked when they realized the other monsters ate their share of strawberries; embarrassed, they admitted they couldn't read. Ghidorah offered to teach them hiragana, to which they both agreed.
In the OVA's educational segment, Godzilla introduced か、き、く、け、and こ, having his snout bit by a fox disguised as a turtle in the process. He briefly tied it up before it transformed into a top and spun away. He also watched aghast as Rodan stole his noodles; introduced た、ち、つ、て、and と; participated in a quiz show hosted by Baragon, winning a flight to the same island he lived on; laughed at a tanned swan and an owl afraid of the dark on a giant TV set; danced in a circle with all the other monsters; had his tail bit by Anguirus; and added diacritic marks with his footprints to change characters' meanings.
Thus educated, Godzilla played the word-chain game shiritori with the other monsters, though he lost.
"You Can Count! Counting 1-2-3!"
While Anguirus prepared tea for Godzilla's birthday party, Godzilla noticed movement underground while walking along the beach. When he caught it, it was revealed to be Baragon, who was approaching Anguirus's place for the party. When told about it, Godzilla also expressed excitement for the event. A worried Mothra flew over them, also looking forward to it. At the party, Anguirus started handing everyone cupcakes, but gave the last one to Rodan instead of Godzilla. Godzilla was angered over this and started crying due to it being his birthday party. Anguirus then noticed his mistake and became sad also, but due to already being worried about it, Mothra assured Anguirus that she brought three extra cake slices. Now with eight cakes, each monsters had their own (Ghidorah needing three for each head), and they all started eating them. Godzilla asked Mothra to teach them to count, and then they all learned counting.
"Let's Play with Godzilla! Addition"
Godzilla prepared pancakes for him and his older sister. When she noticed the number of pancakes, Godzilla told her a story of his childhood. He recalled getting into a fight with Anguirus because the latter bit his tail, while Mechagodzilla watched. Some time later, Godzilla walked through the forest and found Gojirin. He started telling her how "heartless" Anguirus was, only to realize he started the scrap by biting Anguirus's leg. Afterwards, Baragon notified Godzilla and Gojirin that Mechagodzilla was trying to kidnap Anguirus. After seeing Mechagodzilla take Anguirus, Godzilla tried firing his atomic breath, but couldn't, since he had an empty stomach. Mechagodzilla took Anguirus to a volcano, as Godzilla, Gojirin, Baragon, and Mothra looked on. As Gojirin confessed to being hungry, the friends decided to gather some food to get Godzilla and Gojirin prepared to confront Mechagodzilla. After the monsters gathered the fruit, they summed it up, and Godzilla ate it up. They gathered more food, which Gojirin ate. The monsters then learned addition, with Rodan showing up and turning into a plus sign. Later on, Godzilla and the others found a colony of ants blocking their path. They got into an argument, until the friends realized the ants didn't let them pass because they were standing in their flower yard. They apologized and moved on to the volcano where Mechagodzilla had hid. The machine forced them to take part in a quiz show; where Godzilla, Gojirin, and Baragon answered all three addition questions right, Mechagodzilla reluctantly freed Anguirus. Back in the present, Godzilla and his sister ate all the pancakes.
"Let's Play with Godzilla! Subtraction"
Godzilla and his big sister prepared six cupcakes and four strawberries. Godzilla pointed out that they are two strawberries short, as 6-2=4. His big sister congratulated him and then brought up his past girlfriend Gojirin. Godzilla recalled that she was popular among the monsters of Godzilland. When asked to tell her more, he said that she was nice and liked fruit. In a flashback, a young Godzilla walked along with oranges in his hands, which he wanted to share with Gojirin. He offered them to her while she was watering her flowers, but she instead ate them all in one bite. Later, Godzilla walked along with five oranges like last time. When Mothra approached him, Godzilla told her the problem, so then they learned subtraction. Godzilla and friends decide to all celebrate Gojrin's birthday. Anguirus arrives late and handed Gojirin a basket containing 5 apples, which Godzilla and Baragon took as a challenge. When Anguirus told Gojirin about how he picked five apples just for her, Godzilla arrived with five apples. Mothra then compared the number of apples they have using subtraction. Gojirin ended up with a pile of apples, but said she wont be able to eat them all, causing them all to laugh. While Gojirin was sleeping in her room, Godzilla adds three more flowers to her porch; Gojirin then noticed that her garden was missing flowers and angrily chased him around. Godzilla and friends then started singing about subtraction. Back in the present day, Godzilla's sister asked him if he was still close with Gojirin, to which Godzilla responded "Of course." When they prepared to eat the cakes, his sister asked him to tell her more, resulting in Godzilla falling back from embarrassment. In another flashback, while Godzilla and Anguirus were surfing, Rodan told them that Mechagodzilla was trying to abduct Gojirin. Godzilla and his Ankylosaurus buddy arrive on the scene. Mechagodzilla challenged them to a subtraction-themed game show. Godzilla and Anguirus answered all questions correctly and won the game show, freeing Gojirin. Godzilla and friends then started singing about subtraction again while playing jump-rope. Mechagodzilla returned and asked them if he could play with them; they forgave him and agreed.
Abilities
Atomic breath
Even as a child, this incarnation of Godzilla is able to spit a blast of atomic fire from his mouth, much like the Godzilla's from the Hanna-Barbera Godzilla show and Marvel Comics' Godzilla comic. In the opening to the "Let's Play with Godzilla! Addition" and "Let's Play with Godzilla! Subtraction" OVAs, Godzilla blows up a chunk of the moon with his atomic breath, although it never demonstrated that level of power in the narratives.
Physical abilities
In the Addition and Hiragana OVA, Godzilla, despite being younger, gets into a few fights with Anguirus.
Roar
This version of Godzilla speaks Japanese instead of roaring. The child Godzilla in the animated segments is voiced by Yuko Mita, while the adult Godzilla in the live-action segments is voiced by Naoki Bando.
Gallery
Scene in the opening of Addition and Subtraction OVAs
Scene in the opening of Addition and Subtraction OVAs
Scene in the opening of Addition and Subtraction OVAs
Godzilla cooking pancakes
Anguirus bites Godzilla's tail
Gojirin hugs Godzilla
Trivia
- This is the first incarnation of Godzilla to be portrayed by a woman, being voiced by Yuko Mita in the animated segments. Subsequent examples have also been young versions of the character: Godzilla-kun in the web series Godziban, voiced by Yumiko Takahashi, and Chibi Godzilla in the web series I'm Home! Chibi Godzilla, voiced by Serika Hiromatsu.
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