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|type1      =red
|type1      =red
|type2      =ice
|type2      =ice
|type        =[[Daimajin]] [[:Category:Films|Films]]
|type        =''[[Daimajin trilogy|Daimajin]]'' media
|name        =''Return of Daimajin''
|name        =''Return of Daimajin''
|prev        =Daimajin (film)
|prev        =Daimajin (film)
|prevname    =''Daimajin''
|prevname    =''Daimajin''
|next        =Daimajin Strikes Again
|next        =Wrath of Daimajin
|nextname    =''Daimajin Strikes Again''
|nextname    =''Wrath of Daimajin''
}}
}}
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
{{Infobox Film|ratings=yes
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|image      =Daimajin_Ikaru_poster.jpg
|image      =Daimajin_Ikaru_poster.jpg
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Return of Daimajin
|caption    =The Japanese poster for Return of Daimajin
|name        =''Return of Daimajin''
|name        =''Return of Daimajin''|titles=yes|alt-titles=yes
|jp-title    =''The Angering of Daimajin'' (1966)
|us-title    =''Return of Giant Majin'' (TV 1970)
|dt          =''Return of Daimajin'' (1966)
|dt          =''Return of Daimajin'' (1966)
|director    =[[Kenji Misumi]]
|director    =[[wikipedia:Kenji Misumi|Kenji Misumi]]
|producer    =Masaichi Nagata
|producer    =[[Masaichi Nagata]]
|writer      =Tetsuro Yoshida
|writer      =[[Tetsuro Yoshida]]
|composer    =[[Akira Ifukube]]
|composer    =[[Akira Ifukube]]
|distributor =[[Kadokawa|Daiei]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>[[American International Pictures|American International Television]]{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}
|sfx          =[[Yoshiyuki Kuroda]]
|rating      =Unrated
|distributor =[[Daiei]]{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}, [[American International Pictures|AITV]]{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<ref name="Craig">{{cite book|title=American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography|author=Craig, Rob|date=2019|publisher=McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers|page=305|isbn= 9781476666310}}</ref>
|runtime    =79 minutes {{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 19 minutes)}}
|rating      =Not Rated
|aspectratio =2.35:1  
|runtime    =79 minutes{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 19 minutes)}}<br>78 minutes{{sup|[[United States|US]]}}<br>{{Small|(1 hour, 18 minutes)}}
|aspectratio =2.35:1{{sup|[[Japan|JP]]}}<br>1.33:1{{sup|[[United States|US]] TV}}
|budget      =¥100,000,000{{Citation needed}}
}}
}}
'''''Return of Daimajin''''' {{Nihongo|大魔神怒る|Daimajin Ikaru|lit. ''Angry Daimajin''}} is a [[1966]] [[tokusatsu]] [[kaiju]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|film]] produced by [[Kadokawa|Daiei Motion Picture Company]] it was released to Japanese theaters on August 13, 1966, and is the second film in the [[Daimajin]] trilogy.
{{Quote|Is his rage directed at evil!? Or, at a maiden's tears!? A lake's raging waters are split in two! The miraculous [[Daimajin]] appears again!|parenthetical=悪への怒りか！乙女の涙か！逆巻く湖水をまっ二つ！驚異の大魔神ふたたび現わる！|Japanese tagline}}
{{Quote|An evil and powerful war-lord defies the Sea God Majin... The trial of strength ensues... Terrifying death awaits the defeated!|American tagline}}
'''''Return of Daimajin''''' {{Nihongo|大魔神怒る|Daimajin Ikaru|lit. "''The Angering of Daimajin''"}} is a [[1966]] [[tokusatsu]] [[kaiju]] [[:Category:Kaiju Films|film]] directed by [[wikipedia:Kenji Misumi|Kenji Misumi]] and written by [[Tetsuro Yoshida]], with special effects by [[Yoshiyuki Kuroda]]. Produced by [[Daiei]], it is the second entry in the [[Daimajin trilogy|''Daimajin'' trilogy]]. It stars [[Kojiro Hongo]], Shiho Fujimura, Taro Marui, Jutaro Hojo, Koichi Uenoyama, Asao Uchida, and [[Chikara Hashimoto]]. The film was released to Japanese theaters by Daiei on August 13, 1966.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Plot==
==Plot==
Tired of struggling in their land, separated by mountains from natural resources, the wicked Mikoshiba clan plots to overthrow the Chigusa and Nagoshi clans, whose allied kingdoms surrounded Lake Yakimono, on which there was an island which housed a statue of a mysterious god. Legends claimed that if the statue's face turned red, it was a sign that the kingdom would fall. Shortly after a funeral service for a fallen clansman, escaped Mikoshiba serfs arrived with bales of rice as an offering in return for being taken under Lord [[Juro Chigusa]]'s protection. However, the serfs were in fact spies, with their bales acting as decoys with Mikoshiba warriors hiding inside.  
Tired of struggling in their land, separated by mountains from natural resources, the wicked Mikoshiba clan plots to overthrow the Chigusa and Nagoshi clans, whose allied kingdoms surround Lake Yakimono, on which there is an island which houses a statue of a mysterious god. Legends claim that if the statue's face turns red, it is a sign that the kingdom will fall. Shortly after a funeral service for a fallen clansman, escaped Mikoshiba serfs arrive with bales of rice as an offering in return for being taken under Lord [[Juro Chigusa]]'s protection. However, the serfs are in fact spies, with their bales acting as decoys with Mikoshiba warriors hiding inside.  


The Mikoshiba soldiers overthrow Chigusa, with Lord Juro only barely escaping through a secret passage. However, with the castle under his control, Lord [[Danjo Mikoshiba]] took his army to Nagoshi to search for him. Lord Nagoshi was uncooperative, and was killed. Mikoshiba then takes his son Katsushige Nagoshi hostage, threatening to kill him if they do not surrender Juro. After covering her father's grave, Lady [[Sayuri Nagoshi]] travels to the island to pray to [[Daimajin|the god]] to save the kingdom. However, shortly after she arrives, the Nagoshi army comes and begins to destroy the god's idol. She bursts out in anger, and is taken prisoner. However, as the statue explodes, Sayuri runs toward it, and is entombed in stone. The statue's head sinks in tact into the bay. The Mikoshiba soldiers leave her for dead, and she is dug out unharmed by an aide. She decides to stay on the island, believing that the god's spirit was lingering, and that he had saved them from the explosion. However, at that moment, a skiff with the unconscious Lord Juro aboard washed into the bay. After recovering, he and his aide sailed off to capture Lord Mikoshiba and to trade him for Katsushige. However, they are discovered by Mikoshiba's soldiers, and are nearly attacked when they run aground on some rocks, but the enemy skiff finds itself immobile, and is pulled down into the water.  
The Mikoshiba soldiers overthrow Chigusa, with Lord Juro only barely escaping through a secret passage. However, with the castle under his control, Lord [[Danjo Mikoshiba]] takes his army to Nagoshi to search for him. Lord Nagoshi is uncooperative, and is killed. Mikoshiba then takes his son Katsushige Nagoshi hostage, threatening to kill him if they do not surrender Juro. After covering her father's grave, Lady [[Sayuri Nagoshi]] travels to the island to pray to [[Daimajin|the god]] to save the kingdom. However, shortly after she arrives, the Nagoshi army comes and begins to destroy the god's idol. She bursts out in anger, and is taken prisoner. However, as the statue explodes, Sayuri runs toward it, and is entombed in stone. The statue's head sinks intact into the bay. The Mikoshiba soldiers leave her for dead, and she is dug out unharmed by an aide. She decides to stay on the island, believing that the god's spirit is lingering, and that he had saved them from the explosion. However, at that moment, a skiff with the unconscious Lord Juro aboard washes into the bay. After recovering, he and his aide sail off to capture Lord Mikoshiba and to trade him for Katsushige. However, they are discovered by Mikoshiba's soldiers, and are nearly attacked when they run aground on some rocks, but the enemy skiff finds itself immobile, and is pulled down into the water.  


Eventually they are all captured, and Sayuri is burned alive as an example. However, before she dies, she prays to the god, offering her life in exchange for his protection and restoration of the Chigusa and Nagoshi peoples. As tears fall down her face, winds pick up and blow out the fires, and the full body of the god's image rises from the bay of his island. He causes landslides, and sinks the island before parting the waters of the lake and beginning his walk to the shore. When he arrives, the Mikoshiba enter a panic. The god breaks Sayuri's stake off, and gently lays her on the ground before advancing on the castle in pursuit of Lord Mikoshiba. Despite their attempts to barricade him out, the god continued without breaking pace. They then attempt to slow him down with enormous grappling hooks, which do not hinder the god. They then attempt to blow him up and bury him beneath fallen stones from a wall, but once more, the god continues his advance, and hurls a boulder at Mikoshiba's lieutenant, crushing him beneath it. Mikoshiba then attempts to flee into the lake by boat, and nearly outruns the god, who forces the boat to spin around and face him before launching a ball of fire across the water, igniting his boat. Lord Mikoshiba climbs up the mast in an attempt to escape the fire, but becomes entangled in the rigging, leaving him in an almost identical situation to Sayuri's on her cross-shaped pyre. As the burning ship falls into the sea, the storm the god had brought cleared up. Sayuri then runs into the lake and says a prayer of thanks as the god turns to face her. her tears of gratitude hit the lake's surface, and the god turns back into stone before its body turns into water and it falls into the lake. The island's sunken bell then rang out from the bottom of the lake as a sign that the kingdoms would forever have peace.
Eventually they are all captured, and Sayuri is burned alive as an example. However, before she dies, she prays to the god, offering her life in exchange for his protection and restoration of the Chigusa and Nagoshi peoples. As tears fall down her face, winds pick up and blow out the fires, and the full body of the god's image rises from the bay of his island. He causes landslides, and sinks the island before parting the waters of the lake and beginning his walk to the shore. When he arrives, the Mikoshiba enter a panic. The god breaks Sayuri's stake off, and gently lays her on the ground before advancing on the castle in pursuit of Lord Mikoshiba. Despite their attempts to barricade him out, the god continues without breaking pace. They attempt to slow him down with enormous grappling hooks, which do not hinder the god. They then attempt to blow him up and bury him beneath fallen stones from a wall, but once more, the god continues his advance, and hurls a boulder at Mikoshiba's lieutenant, crushing him beneath it. Mikoshiba then attempts to flee into the lake by boat, and nearly outruns the god, who forces the boat to spin around and face him before launching a ball of fire across the water, igniting his boat. Lord Mikoshiba climbs up the mast in an attempt to escape the fire, but becomes entangled in the rigging, leaving him in an almost identical situation to Sayuri's on her cross-shaped pyre. As the burning ship falls into the sea, the storm the god had brought clears up. Sayuri then runs into the lake and says a prayer of thanks as the god turns to face her. Her tears of gratitude hit the lake's surface, and the god turns back into stone before its body turns into water and it falls into the lake. The island's sunken bell then rings out from the bottom of the lake as a sign that the kingdoms will forever have peace.


==Staff==
==Staff==
{{Staffs
{{Staffs
|Directed by=[[Kenji Misumi]]
|Directed by=[[wikipedia:Kenji Misumi|Kenji Misumi]]
|Written by=Tetsuro Yoshida
|Written by=[[Tetsuro Yoshida]]
|Produced by=Masaichi Nagata
|Produced by=[[Masaichi Nagata]]
|Music by=[[Akira Ifukube]]
|Music by=[[Akira Ifukube]]
|Cinematography by=Fujio Morita, Shozo Tanaka
|Cinematography by=Fujio Morita, Shozo Tanaka
|Edited by=Kanji Suganuma
|Edited by=Kanji Suganuma
|Assistant Directing by=Hitoshi Obuchi
|Assistant Directing by=Hitoshi Obuchi
|Special Effects by=Yoshiyuki Kuroda
|Special Effects by=[[Yoshiyuki Kuroda]]
}}
}}
==Cast==
==Cast==
Line 76: Line 82:
|Keiko Koyanagi|Shige
|Keiko Koyanagi|Shige
}}
}}
===International English dub===
{{Cast
|Warren Rooke|Lord Juro Chigusa
|Linda Masson|Lady Sayuri Nagoshi
|Barry Haigh|Dodohei
|Ted Thomas|Genba Onikojima<ref name="kado_cine">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/kado_cine/status/1418235100697743367|author=邦画クラシックス@角川シネマコレクション|date=22 July 2021|work=Twitter}}</ref>
|Michael Kaye|Lord Heibei Nagoshi
*Saul Lockhart
}}
==Appearances==
==Appearances==
===Monsters===
===Monsters===
Line 84: Line 100:
{{Main|Return of Daimajin (Soundtrack)}}
{{Main|Return of Daimajin (Soundtrack)}}
==Alternate titles==
==Alternate titles==
*'''''The Angering of Daimajin''''' (literal Japanese title)
*'''''Return of Majin''''' (international title)
*'''''Return of Majin''''' (international title)
*'''''Return of the Mountain God''''' (Hong Kong, Singapore)
*'''''Return of Giant Majin''''' ([[United States]])
*'''''Return of Giant Majin''''' ([[United States]])
*'''''Wrath of Daimajin''''' (initial United States video title)
*'''''Wrath of Daimajin''''' (initial United States home video title)
 
==[[United States|U.S.]] release==
In 1970, [[American International Pictures|American International Television]] released ''Return of Daimajin'' as part of its "Fantastic Science Fiction Theater" television syndication package under the title ''Return of Giant Majin''.<ref name="Craig"/> It was dubbed into English in New York City by Titan Productions. [[A.D. Vision]]'s 1998 VHS and 2002 DVD releases accidently switched the titles of ''Return of Daimajin'' and ''[[Wrath of Daimajin]]''. This was corrected in their 2005 re-releases of the DVDs. It has since been released on Blu-ray by [[Mill Creek Entertainment]] alongside the rest of the trilogy. [[Arrow Video]] released its own Blu-ray set of the trilogy on July 26, 2021.
 
The script for ''Return of Giant Majin'' may have been based on Daiei's export dub of the film, which was recorded in Hong Kong. The existence of this first English dub was not known until 2021, when [[Kadokawa]] announced plans to screen it at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho as part of the Yokai Tokusatsu Film Festival.<ref name="Export dub confirmed">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-s9qzBAoq8|title=7/16（金）公開『妖怪・特撮映画祭』予告篇|author=KADOKAWA映画|date=10 June 2021|work=YouTube}}</ref> Their video promoting this event includes a single line by Lord Danjo Mikoshiba, spoken by the same unidentified voice actor who dubbed [[Gengo Odaka]] in ''[[Godzilla vs. Gigan]]'', among others.<ref name="Gengo dubber">{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXQ_iNah0qM|title=Unidentified Hong Kong Voice Actor 1|author=That VHS Guy|date=1 February 2015|work=YouTube}}</ref> Kadokawa included the full dub in its Blu-ray set ''Daimajin Sealed Box'' released on September 24, 2021.


==Video releases==
==Video releases==
'''ADV''' DVD (2002) [The Complete Daimajin Trilogy]
'''A.D. Vision''' DVD (2002) [''The Complete Daimajin Trilogy'']
*'''Region:''' 1
*'''Region:''' 1
*'''Discs:''' 3
*'''Discs:''' 3
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (2.0 Mono)
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (2.0 Mono)
*'''Special features:''' Trailers
*'''Special features:''' Trailers
*'''Notes:''' Out of print. Packaged with ''[[Daimajin (film)|Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Daimajin Strikes Again]]''. Reissued as a single disc in 2005.
*'''Notes:''' Out of print. Packaged with ''[[Daimajin (film)|Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Wrath of Daimajin]]''. Reissued as a single disc in 2005.


'''Mill Creek''' Blu-ray (2012) [Daimajin Triple Feature]
'''Mill Creek''' Blu-ray (2012) [''Daimajin Triple Feature'']
*'''Region:''' N/A
*'''Region:''' N/A
*'''Discs:''' 2
*'''Discs:''' 2
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0)
*'''Audio:''' Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Titan Productions dub)
*'''Special features:''' Trailers for all three ''Daimajin'' films, interviews with cinematographer Fujio Morita on the making of each film (28, 31, and 28 minutes).
*'''Special features:''' Trailers for all three ''Daimajin'' films, interviews with cinematographer Fujio Morita on the making of each film (28, 31, and 28 minutes).
*'''Notes:''' Packaged with ''[[Daimajin (film)|Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Daimajin Strikes Again]]''.
*'''Notes:''' Out of print. Packaged with ''[[Daimajin (film)|Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Wrath of Daimajin]]'' (with the third film titled here ''Daimajin Strikes Again'').
 
'''[[Arrow Video]]''' Blu-ray (2021) [''The Daimajin Trilogy'']<ref name="Arrow Blu-ray set">{{cite web|url=https://arrowfilms.com/product-detail/the-daimajin-trilogy-blu-ray/FCD2153|title=The Daimajin Trilogy Blu-ray|date=30 April 2021|work=Arrow Films}}</ref>
*'''Region''': A or B
*'''Discs''': 3
*'''Audio''': Japanese (Mono) and English (Mono, Titan Productions dub)
*'''Subtitles''': English
*'''Special features''': 100-page book with essays by Jonathan Clements, Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, Raffael Coronelli, Erik Homenick, Robin Gatto, and Kevin Derendorf; audio commentaries by Stuart Galbraith IV (''Daimajin''), Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp (''Return of Daimajin''), and Jonathan Clements (''Wrath of Daimajin''); ''Daimajin'' introduction by Kim Newman; "Bringing the Avenging God to Life" video essay about the trilogy's special effects by Ed Godziszewski; AITV opening credits for ''Majin, the Monster of Terror'' and ''Return of Giant Majin''; "My Summer Holidays with Daimajin" interview with Professor Yoneo Ota about the trilogy's production; "From Storyboard to Screen: Bringing ''Return of Daimajin'' to Life" comparison of storyboards and scenes from the finished film; interview with cinematographer Fujio Mori; Japanese and U.S. trailers for all three films (with the exception of a U.S. trailer for ''Wrath of Daimajin''); image galleries; postcards
 
'''[[Kadokawa]]''' Blu-ray + DVD (2021)<ref name="Kadokawa Blu-ray">{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.jp/-/en/dp/B096G92BM7/ref=sr_1_14?dchild=1&keywords=%E5%A4%A7%E9%AD%94%E7%A5%9E&qid=1623354473&sr=8-14|title= 「大魔神封印函」4K修復版 Blu-ray BOX 【完全初回生産限定】|work=Amazon.co.jp|accessdate=10 June 2021}}</ref> [''Daimajin Sealed Box'']
*'''Region''': A
*'''Discs''': 7
*'''Audio''': Japanese (2.0), English (2.0, export dub)
*'''Subtitles''': Unknown
*'''Special features''': Reproduction of the ''Return of Daimajin'' shooting script; interviews with cinematographer Fujio Mori, Daimajin suit actor [[Chikara Hashimoto]], composer [[Akira Ifukube]], special effects director [[Yoshiyuki Kuroda]], cinematographer Fujio Morita, and director [[Tomoo Haraguchi]]; storyboard reproductions; still gallery; theatrical trailers
*'''Notes''': Uses a new 4K transfer. Packaged with ''[[Daimajin (film)|Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Wrath of Daimajin]]''.
 
==Videos==
==Videos==
{{Videos|
{{Videos|
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">c6xgR4y3u3o</youtube>|Japanese ''Return of Daimajin'' teaser and theatrical trailer and ''Zatoichi's Pilgrimage'' theatrical trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">c6xgR4y3u3o</youtube>|Japanese ''Return of Daimajin'' teaser and theatrical trailer and ''Zatoichi's Pilgrimage'' theatrical trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">yMAgbqUI_b0</youtube>|Mill Creek "Daimajin Triple Feature" Blu-ray trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">yMAgbqUI_b0</youtube>|Mill Creek ''Daimajin Triple Feature'' Blu-ray trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">0jveNLKzqvU</youtube>|Complete English dub}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">voXuMzenQHE</youtube>|U.S. ''Return of Giant Majin'' TV trailer}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">0jveNLKzqvU</youtube>|Complete Titan Productions English dub}}
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">pjx-Vni6blI</youtube>|[[Arrow Video]] ''The Daimajin Trilogy'' Blu-ray teaser trailer}}
}}
}}
==Trivia==
==Trivia==
*This film is the only instance in the trilogy where [[Daimajin]] is first found in an area which isn't mountainous in terrain.
*This film is the only instance in the trilogy where [[Daimajin]] is first found in an area which is not mountainous in terrain.
*ADV's 1998 VHS and 2002 DVD releases swapped the titles of ''Return of Daimajin'' and ''[[Daimajin Strikes Again]]'' (which they called ''Wrath of Daimajin''). This was corrected in their 2005 reissues of the DVDs.
==References==
{{Kaiju Movies}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Kaiju Movies|tab=Daiei}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|DAI|SHO|KAI|FIL|DMJ}}
{{Era|DAI|SHO|FIL|DMJ}}
[[Category:Kaiju Films]]
[[Category:Kaiju Films]]
[[Category:Daimajin]]
[[Category:Daimajin]]
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Films]]
[[Category:Kadokawa]]
[[Category:Showa Series]]
[[Category:Showa Series]]
[[Category:1960's Films]]
[[Category:1960's Films]]
[[Category:Japanese films]]
[[Category:Japanese films]]
[[Category:Films dubbed by Titra/Titan]]
[[Category:Films dubbed by Titra/Titan]]
[[Category:Films dubbed in Hong Kong]]
[[Category:Films dubbed into English twice]]
[[Category:Historical dramas]]

Latest revision as of 09:39, 13 March 2024

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Image gallery for Return of Daimajin
Credits for Return of Daimajin


Daimajin media
← Daimajin
Return of Daimajin
Wrath of Daimajin →
Return of Daimajin
The Japanese poster for Return of Daimajin
Alternate titles
Flagicon Japan.png The Angering of Daimajin (1966)
Flagicon United States.png Return of Giant Majin (TV 1970)
See alternate titles
Directed by Kenji Misumi
Producer Masaichi Nagata
Written by Tetsuro Yoshida
Music by Akira Ifukube
Special
effects by 		Yoshiyuki Kuroda
Distributor DaieiJP, AITVUS[1]
Rating Not Rated
Budget ¥100,000,000[citation needed]
Running time 79 minutesJP
(1 hour, 19 minutes)
78 minutesUS
(1 hour, 18 minutes)
Aspect ratio 2.35:1JP
1.33:1US TV
Rate this film!
4.50
(10 votes)

“
Is his rage directed at evil!? Or, at a maiden's tears!? A lake's raging waters are split in two! The miraculous Daimajin appears again! (悪への怒りか！乙女の涙か！逆巻く湖水をまっ二つ！驚異の大魔神ふたたび現わる！)
„ 

— Japanese tagline
“
An evil and powerful war-lord defies the Sea God Majin... The trial of strength ensues... Terrifying death awaits the defeated!
„ 

— American tagline

Return of Daimajin (大魔神怒る,   Daimajin Ikaru, lit. "The Angering of Daimajin") is a 1966 tokusatsu kaiju film directed by Kenji Misumi and written by Tetsuro Yoshida, with special effects by Yoshiyuki Kuroda. Produced by Daiei, it is the second entry in the Daimajin trilogy. It stars Kojiro Hongo, Shiho Fujimura, Taro Marui, Jutaro Hojo, Koichi Uenoyama, Asao Uchida, and Chikara Hashimoto. The film was released to Japanese theaters by Daiei on August 13, 1966.

Plot

Tired of struggling in their land, separated by mountains from natural resources, the wicked Mikoshiba clan plots to overthrow the Chigusa and Nagoshi clans, whose allied kingdoms surround Lake Yakimono, on which there is an island which houses a statue of a mysterious god. Legends claim that if the statue's face turns red, it is a sign that the kingdom will fall. Shortly after a funeral service for a fallen clansman, escaped Mikoshiba serfs arrive with bales of rice as an offering in return for being taken under Lord Juro Chigusa's protection. However, the serfs are in fact spies, with their bales acting as decoys with Mikoshiba warriors hiding inside.

The Mikoshiba soldiers overthrow Chigusa, with Lord Juro only barely escaping through a secret passage. However, with the castle under his control, Lord Danjo Mikoshiba takes his army to Nagoshi to search for him. Lord Nagoshi is uncooperative, and is killed. Mikoshiba then takes his son Katsushige Nagoshi hostage, threatening to kill him if they do not surrender Juro. After covering her father's grave, Lady Sayuri Nagoshi travels to the island to pray to the god to save the kingdom. However, shortly after she arrives, the Nagoshi army comes and begins to destroy the god's idol. She bursts out in anger, and is taken prisoner. However, as the statue explodes, Sayuri runs toward it, and is entombed in stone. The statue's head sinks intact into the bay. The Mikoshiba soldiers leave her for dead, and she is dug out unharmed by an aide. She decides to stay on the island, believing that the god's spirit is lingering, and that he had saved them from the explosion. However, at that moment, a skiff with the unconscious Lord Juro aboard washes into the bay. After recovering, he and his aide sail off to capture Lord Mikoshiba and to trade him for Katsushige. However, they are discovered by Mikoshiba's soldiers, and are nearly attacked when they run aground on some rocks, but the enemy skiff finds itself immobile, and is pulled down into the water.

Eventually they are all captured, and Sayuri is burned alive as an example. However, before she dies, she prays to the god, offering her life in exchange for his protection and restoration of the Chigusa and Nagoshi peoples. As tears fall down her face, winds pick up and blow out the fires, and the full body of the god's image rises from the bay of his island. He causes landslides, and sinks the island before parting the waters of the lake and beginning his walk to the shore. When he arrives, the Mikoshiba enter a panic. The god breaks Sayuri's stake off, and gently lays her on the ground before advancing on the castle in pursuit of Lord Mikoshiba. Despite their attempts to barricade him out, the god continues without breaking pace. They attempt to slow him down with enormous grappling hooks, which do not hinder the god. They then attempt to blow him up and bury him beneath fallen stones from a wall, but once more, the god continues his advance, and hurls a boulder at Mikoshiba's lieutenant, crushing him beneath it. Mikoshiba then attempts to flee into the lake by boat, and nearly outruns the god, who forces the boat to spin around and face him before launching a ball of fire across the water, igniting his boat. Lord Mikoshiba climbs up the mast in an attempt to escape the fire, but becomes entangled in the rigging, leaving him in an almost identical situation to Sayuri's on her cross-shaped pyre. As the burning ship falls into the sea, the storm the god had brought clears up. Sayuri then runs into the lake and says a prayer of thanks as the god turns to face her. Her tears of gratitude hit the lake's surface, and the god turns back into stone before its body turns into water and it falls into the lake. The island's sunken bell then rings out from the bottom of the lake as a sign that the kingdoms will forever have peace.

Staff

Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.

Cast

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Kojiro Hongo   as   Lord Juro Chigusa
  • Shiho Fujimura   as   Lady Sayuri Nagoshi
  • Taro Marui   as   Dodohei
  • Jutaro Hojo   as   Genba Onikojima
  • Koichi Uenoyama   as   Katsushige Nagoshi
  • Asao Uchida   as   Lord Heibei Nagoshi
  • Chikara Hashimoto   as   Shunpei Ikenaga / Daimajin
  • Takashi Kanda   as   Lord Danjo Mikoshiba
  • Sei Hiraizumi   as   Hayato Tabe
  • Koji Fujiyama   as   Ikkaku Arai
  • Koichi Mizuhara   as   Kamon Doi
  • Gen Takasugi   as   Saburota Ato
  • Hyosuke Kanbe   as   Mohachi
  • Yusaku Terajima   as   Kanetsuki-wasuke
  • Kimiko Tachibana   as   Kume
  • Yuji Hamada   as   Farmer #2
  • Hideo Kuroki   as   Tasuke
  • Kohbu Matsuda   as   Farmer #1
  • Yoshitaka Ito   as   Farmer #3
  • Tadashi Iwata
  • Yutaro Ban
  • Kiyokazu Kagatsume   as   Ryuta
  • Kayo Mikimoto   as   Toyo
  • Keiko Koyanagi   as   Shige

International English dub

Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.

  • Warren Rooke   as   Lord Juro Chigusa
  • Linda Masson   as   Lady Sayuri Nagoshi
  • Barry Haigh   as   Dodohei
  • Ted Thomas   as   Genba Onikojima[2]
  • Michael Kaye   as   Lord Heibei Nagoshi
  • Saul Lockhart


Appearances

Monsters

Gallery

Main article: Return of Daimajin/Gallery.

Soundtrack

Main article: Return of Daimajin (Soundtrack).

Alternate titles

  • The Angering of Daimajin (literal Japanese title)
  • Return of Majin (international title)
  • Return of the Mountain God (Hong Kong, Singapore)
  • Return of Giant Majin (United States)
  • Wrath of Daimajin (initial United States home video title)

U.S. release

In 1970, American International Television released Return of Daimajin as part of its "Fantastic Science Fiction Theater" television syndication package under the title Return of Giant Majin.[1] It was dubbed into English in New York City by Titan Productions. A.D. Vision's 1998 VHS and 2002 DVD releases accidently switched the titles of Return of Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin. This was corrected in their 2005 re-releases of the DVDs. It has since been released on Blu-ray by Mill Creek Entertainment alongside the rest of the trilogy. Arrow Video released its own Blu-ray set of the trilogy on July 26, 2021.

The script for Return of Giant Majin may have been based on Daiei's export dub of the film, which was recorded in Hong Kong. The existence of this first English dub was not known until 2021, when Kadokawa announced plans to screen it at Kadokawa Cinema Yurakucho as part of the Yokai Tokusatsu Film Festival.[3] Their video promoting this event includes a single line by Lord Danjo Mikoshiba, spoken by the same unidentified voice actor who dubbed Gengo Odaka in Godzilla vs. Gigan, among others.[4] Kadokawa included the full dub in its Blu-ray set Daimajin Sealed Box released on September 24, 2021.

Video releases

A.D. Vision DVD (2002) [The Complete Daimajin Trilogy]

  • Region: 1
  • Discs: 3
  • Audio: Japanese (2.0 Mono)
  • Special features: Trailers
  • Notes: Out of print. Packaged with Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin. Reissued as a single disc in 2005.

Mill Creek Blu-ray (2012) [Daimajin Triple Feature]

  • Region: N/A
  • Discs: 2
  • Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0), English (DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0, Titan Productions dub)
  • Special features: Trailers for all three Daimajin films, interviews with cinematographer Fujio Morita on the making of each film (28, 31, and 28 minutes).
  • Notes: Out of print. Packaged with Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin (with the third film titled here Daimajin Strikes Again).

Arrow Video Blu-ray (2021) [The Daimajin Trilogy][5]

  • Region: A or B
  • Discs: 3
  • Audio: Japanese (Mono) and English (Mono, Titan Productions dub)
  • Subtitles: English
  • Special features: 100-page book with essays by Jonathan Clements, Keith Aiken, Ed Godziszewski, Raffael Coronelli, Erik Homenick, Robin Gatto, and Kevin Derendorf; audio commentaries by Stuart Galbraith IV (Daimajin), Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp (Return of Daimajin), and Jonathan Clements (Wrath of Daimajin); Daimajin introduction by Kim Newman; "Bringing the Avenging God to Life" video essay about the trilogy's special effects by Ed Godziszewski; AITV opening credits for Majin, the Monster of Terror and Return of Giant Majin; "My Summer Holidays with Daimajin" interview with Professor Yoneo Ota about the trilogy's production; "From Storyboard to Screen: Bringing Return of Daimajin to Life" comparison of storyboards and scenes from the finished film; interview with cinematographer Fujio Mori; Japanese and U.S. trailers for all three films (with the exception of a U.S. trailer for Wrath of Daimajin); image galleries; postcards

Kadokawa Blu-ray + DVD (2021)[6] [Daimajin Sealed Box]

  • Region: A
  • Discs: 7
  • Audio: Japanese (2.0), English (2.0, export dub)
  • Subtitles: Unknown
  • Special features: Reproduction of the Return of Daimajin shooting script; interviews with cinematographer Fujio Mori, Daimajin suit actor Chikara Hashimoto, composer Akira Ifukube, special effects director Yoshiyuki Kuroda, cinematographer Fujio Morita, and director Tomoo Haraguchi; storyboard reproductions; still gallery; theatrical trailers
  • Notes: Uses a new 4K transfer. Packaged with Daimajin and Wrath of Daimajin.

Videos

Japanese Return of Daimajin teaser and theatrical trailer and Zatoichi's Pilgrimage theatrical trailer
Mill Creek Daimajin Triple Feature Blu-ray trailer
U.S. Return of Giant Majin TV trailer
Complete Titan Productions English dub
Arrow Video The Daimajin Trilogy Blu-ray teaser trailer

Trivia

  • This film is the only instance in the trilogy where Daimajin is first found in an area which is not mountainous in terrain.

References

This is a list of references for Return of Daimajin. 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 Craig, Rob (2019). American International Pictures: A Comprehensive Filmography. McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 305. ISBN 9781476666310.
  2. ↑ 邦画クラシックス@角川シネマコレクション (22 July 2021). Twitter https://twitter.com/kado_cine/status/1418235100697743367. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  3. ↑ KADOKAWA映画 (10 June 2021). "7/16（金）公開『妖怪・特撮映画祭』予告篇". YouTube.
  4. ↑ That VHS Guy (1 February 2015). "Unidentified Hong Kong Voice Actor 1". YouTube.
  5. ↑ "The Daimajin Trilogy Blu-ray". Arrow Films. 30 April 2021.
  6. ↑ "「大魔神封印函」4K修復版 Blu-ray BOX 【完全初回生産限定】". Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 10 June 2021.

Films
 
Godzilla films
Showa era
Heisei era
Millennium era
Reiwa era
American films
Short films
 
King Kong films
King Kong (1933) • Son of Kong (1933) • King Kong vs. Godzilla (1962) • King Kong Escapes (1967) • King Kong (1976) • King Kong Lives (1986) • The Mighty Kong (1998) • Kong: King of Atlantis (2005) • King Kong (2005) • Kong: Return to the Jungle (2006) • Kong: Skull Island (2017) • Godzilla vs. Kong (2021) • Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
 
Other Toho films
Shōwa period
Ramayana (1940s) • Invisible Man (1954) • Half Human (1955) • Rodan (1956) • The Mysterians (1957) • The H-Man (1958) • Varan (1958) • The Three Treasures (1959) • Battle in Outer Space (1959) • The Secret of the Telegian (1960) • The Human Vapor (1960) • Mothra (1961) • The Last War (1961) • Gorath (1962) • Matango (1963) • Atragon (1963) • Dogora (1964) • Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965) • The War of the Gargantuas (1966) • The Killing Bottle (1967) • Latitude Zero (1969) • Konto 55: The Great Outer Space Adventure (1969) • Space Amoeba (1970) • Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972) • Submersion of Japan (1973) • ESPY (1974) • Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974) • The War in Space (1977) • Magnitude 7.9 (1980) • Bye-Bye Jupiter (1984) • Princess from the Moon (1987)
Heisei period
Reiwa period
 
Other Japanese films
Shōwa period
Heisei period
Reiwa period
 
Miscellaneous
Films
The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms (1953) • The Giant Behemoth (1959) • Gorgo (1961) • Bulgasari (1962) • Gogola (1966) • Space Monster Wangmagwi (1967) • Yongary, Monster from the Deep (1967) • A*P*E (1976) • The Mighty Peking Man (1977) • Pulgasari (1985) • Reptilian (1999) • Cloverfield (2008) • 10 Cloverfield Lane (2016) • Colossal (2016) • The Cloverfield Paradox (2018) • Rampage (2018) • Notzilla (2019) • untitled Cloverfield sequel (TBA)
Documentaries
Fan films
Bambi Meets Godzilla (1969) • Gamera 4: Truth (2003) • Waiting for Gorgo (2009) • G vs. G (2019) • Godziban (2019) • Heritage (2020) • Coming Out (2020) • Wolfman vs. Godzilla (TBA)

 
 
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