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|caption          =Shinichi Wakasa holding the S.H. MonsterArts Gamera figure
|caption          =Shinichi Wakasa holding the S.H. MonsterArts Gamera figure
|occupation      =Sculptor, modeler, makeup artist
|occupation      =Sculptor, modeler, makeup artist
|birthday        =March 2, 1960<ref name="Yosensha">[http://www.yosensha.co.jp/book/b313900.html ''Godzilla - King of Monstermaker'' - Yosensha]</ref>
|birthday        =March 2, [[1960]]
|birthplace      =[[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]
|birthplace      =[[Tokyo]], [[Japan]]{{sfn|Wakasa|2017|p=279}}
|first            =''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981)
|first            =''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981)
|notable          =''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993)
|notable          =''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993)
|imdb            =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906729/
|imdb            =http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0906729/
|wikipedia       =https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8B%A5%E7%8B%AD%E6%96%B0%E4%B8%80
|wikipedia-jp    =https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/若狭新一
|twitter          =https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa
}}
}}
{{Quote|If [[Godzilla]] is king of the monsters, then my friend '''Shinichi Wakasa''' is the king's hand.|[[Rick Baker]]<ref>[[File:Godzilla_-_King_of_Monstermaker.jpg|150px]]</ref>}}
{{Quote|If [[Godzilla]] is king of the monsters, then my friend '''Shinichi Wakasa''' is the king's hand.|[[Rick Baker]]<ref>{{harvnb|Wakasa|2017|loc=cover}}<br>[[File:Godzilla_-_King_of_Monstermaker.jpg|150px]]</ref>}}
'''Shinichi Wakasa''' {{Nihongo|若狭 新一|Wakasa Shinichi}} is a [[Japan]]ese model maker and special effects makeup artist.
'''Shinichi Wakasa''' {{Nihongo|若狭 新一|Wakasa Shin'ichi}} is a [[Japan]]ese model maker and special effects makeup artist. He worked as a special effects technician and suit sculptor for nearly every [[Toho]]-produced ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' film from [[1993]] to [[2004]], along with several other [[kaiju]] films produced by Toho and [[Kadokawa|Daiei]]. Wakasa is the founder of MONSTERS Inc., a modeling company which created the kaiju suits for the majority of the films on which he worked.
 
Wakasa worked as a special effects technician and suit sculptor for nearly every [[Toho]]-produced [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] film from 1993 to 2004, along with several other [[kaiju]] films produced by Toho and [[Kadokawa|Daiei]]. Wakasa is the founder of MONSTERS Inc., a modeling company which created the kaiju suits for the majority of the films on which Wakasa worked.
{{TOC}}
{{TOC}}
==Career==
==Career==
In 1980, at the age of 20, Wakasa founded MONSTERS Inc., his own professional special effects sculpting company. That same year, Wakasa worked on [[Tsuburaya Productions]]' series ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'', where he was in charge of sculpting the monster suits. Wakasa's first major film work came in 1991, where he served as the chief makeup artist for [[Toho]]'s horror film ''[[wikipedia:My Soul is Slashed|My Soul is Slashed]]'', directed by [[Shusuke Kaneko]]. Wakasa would go on to serve as the chief suit maker for ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', which arguably launched his career as one of [[Japan]]'s premiere [[tokusatsu]] artists. Wakasa performed the same role for the remaining two [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] films of the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]], and reunited with Kaneko for ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion]]'' in 1996. Wakasa continued to work as the chief suit maker for the ''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' trilogy from 1996 to 1998.
In [[1980]], at the age of 20, Wakasa founded MONSTERS Inc., his own professional special effects sculpting company. That same year, Wakasa worked on [[Tsuburaya Productions]]' series ''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'', where he was in charge of sculpting the monster suits. Wakasa's first major film work came in [[1991]], where he served as the chief makeup artist for [[Toho]]'s horror film ''[[wikipedia:My Soul is Slashed|My Soul is Slashed]]'', directed by [[Shusuke Kaneko]]. Wakasa would go on to serve as the chief suit maker for ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', which arguably launched his career as one of [[Japan]]'s premiere [[tokusatsu]] artists. Wakasa performed the same role for the remaining two [[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]] films of the [[Heisei era|Heisei series]], and reunited with Kaneko for ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'' in 1996. Wakasa continued to work as the chief suit maker for the ''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' trilogy from [[1996]] to [[1998]].
 
For ''[[Rebirth of Mothra 3]]'', Wakasa was credited as a "model producer," the first ever individual credited with this position. Wakasa continued to work as chief modeler for every film in the [[Millennium era|Millennium series]], with the exception of ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|GMK]]''. Wakasa had not worked on a kaiju film in nearly two decades until ''[[What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?]]'', released by [[Toei]] and [[Shochiku]] in [[2022]], though he occasionally worked as a makeup technician on other films. The same year, he helmed the production of a replica of the Showa Gigan suit which was crowdfunded through the "Gigan Suit Rising Project."


For ''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'', Wakasa was credited as a "model producer," the first ever individual credited with this position. Wakasa continued to work as chief modeler for nearly every film in the [[Millennium era|Millennium series]], with the exception of ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''.<ref name="Yosensha"/> While Wakasa has not worked on a kaiju film since 2004, he has occasionally worked as a makeup technician on other films since then. Wakasa has also made appearances at [[G-Fest]], and in 2017 published his book ''[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]''.
Wakasa has made multiple appearances at [[G-Fest]]. In 2017, his book ''[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]'' was published by Yosensha.
==Selected filmography==
==Selected filmography==
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981) - Modeler [uncredited]
*''[[wikia:w:c:ultra:Ultraman 80 (series)|Ultraman 80]]'' (TV 1980-1981) - Modeler [uncredited]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) - [[Mechagodzilla/Heisei|Mechagodzilla]], [[Rodan/Heisei|Rodan]] modeler [with Rikuo Mikami, Yukihiro Kanetsuna, Takuji Yokoyama, [[Shigeaki Ito]], [[Masayuki Kurahashi]]]
*''[[The Cat]]'' (1991) - Special propmaker [uncredited]
*''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994) - [[SpaceGodzilla]], [[Godzilla Junior|LittleGodzilla]] modeler [with Shigeaki Ito, Takuji Yokoyama, [[Akira Yamada]], [[Fumihiko Yagi]], [[Nobuhiro Ekubo]]]
*''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' (1993) - [[Mechagodzilla (Heisei)|Mechagodzilla]], [[Rodan (Heisei)|Rodan]] modeler
*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995) - [[Destoroyah]] modeler [with Shigeaki Ito, Akira Yamada, Masakatsu Yagi, Takuji Yokoyama, Fumihiko Yagi, Nobuhiro Ekubo]
*''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994) - [[SpaceGodzilla]], [[Godzilla Junior|LittleGodzilla]] modeler
*''[[Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion]]'' (1996) - Soldier [[Legion]] modeler
*''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995) - [[Destoroyah]] modeler
*''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'' (1996) - Soldier [[Legion]] modeler
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' (1996) - Modeler [with [[Tomoki Kobayashi]]]
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'' (1996) - Modeler [with [[Tomoki Kobayashi]]]
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'' (1997) - Modeler [with Tomoki Kobayashi]
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra 2]]'' (1997) - Modeler [with Tomoki Kobayashi]
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'' (1998) - Model producer
*''[[Rebirth of Mothra 3]]'' (1998) - Model producer
*''[[Godzilla 2000: Millennium]]'' (1999) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla 2000: Millennium]]'' (1999) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'' (2000) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'' (2000) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' (2002) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' (2002) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'' (2003) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla: Tokyo SOS]]'' (2003) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' (2004) - Modeler
*''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'' (2004) - Modeler
*''[[Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters]]'' (2008) - Bone Fish designer
*''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'' (TV 2010) - Modeler
*''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'' (TV 2010) - Modeler
==Books==
*''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'' (2021) - Modeler{{#tag:ref|Though Wakasa is credited as the short's modeler, he was not present during its filming.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa/status/1584434713623953408|title=撮影に立ち会っていないので、わかりません。|author=Wakasa, Shinichi|date=24 October 2022|work=Twitter|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230405182225/https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa/status/1584434713623953408|archivedate=5 April 2023}}</ref>|group=note}}
*''[[What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?]]'' (2022) - Monster modeler<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/daikaijyu-movie/news/210702/|title=巨大怪獣の死体を前に立ち尽くす2人、ティザービジュアル&超特報解禁!|date=2 July 2021|work=What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?|archiveurl=|archivedate=}}</ref>
*''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]'' (2022) - Modeler
*''[[Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar]]'' (2023) - Modeler<ref name="Fest23">{{cite web|url=https://godzilla.store/gfes/2023/|title=ゴジラ・フェス 2023|trans-title=Godzilla Fest 2023|work=Godzilla Store|accessdate=29 October 2023}}</ref>
*''[[Brush of the God]]'' (2024) - Special modeler
===Interviewee===
*''[[Bringing Godzilla Down to Size]]'' (2008)
==Bibliography==
*''[[Monster Maker: Keizo Murase - Treasured KAIJU Photobook]]'' (2015) - Supervisor [with Yuji Nishimura]
*''[[Monster Maker: Keizo Murase - Treasured KAIJU Photobook]]'' (2015) - Supervisor [with Yuji Nishimura]
*''[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]'' (2017) - Author
*''[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]'' (2017) - Author
==Modeled monsters==
==Modeled monsters==
*[[Rodan/Heisei|Rodan]], [[Mechagodzilla/Heisei|Mechagodzilla]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'')
*[[Rodan (Heisei)|Rodan]], [[Mechagodzilla (Heisei)|Mechagodzilla]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'')
*[[SpaceGodzilla]], [[Godzilla Junior|LittleGodzilla]] (''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'')
*[[SpaceGodzilla]], [[Godzilla Junior|LittleGodzilla]] (''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'')
*[[Destoroyah]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'')
*[[Destoroyah]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'')
*Soldier [[Legion]] (''[[Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion]]'')
*Soldier [[Legion]] (''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'')
*[[Desghidorah]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'')
*[[Desghidorah]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra]]'')
*[[Dagahra]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra II]]'')
*[[Dagahra]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra 2]]'')
*[[Mothra Leo]], [[King Ghidorah/Rebirth of Mothra III|King Ghidorah]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra III]]'')
*[[Mothra Leo]], [[King Ghidorah (Rebirth of Mothra 3)|King Ghidorah]] (''[[Rebirth of Mothra 3]]'')
*[[Godzilla/Godzilla 2000|Godzilla]], [[Orga]] (''[[Godzilla 2000: Millennium]]'')
*[[MireGoji|Godzilla]], [[Orga]] (''[[Godzilla 2000: Millennium]]'')
*[[Godzilla/Godzilla vs. Megaguirus|Godzilla]], [[Megaguirus]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'')
*[[MireGoji|Godzilla]], [[Megaguirus]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'')
*[[Godzilla/Kiryu Saga|Godzilla]], [[Kiryu]] (''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'')
*[[KiryuGoji|Godzilla]], [[Kiryu]] (''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'')
*[[Godzilla/Kiryu Saga|Godzilla]], [[Kiryu]], [[Mothra/Tokyo S.O.S. (Imago)|Mothra]] (''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'')
*[[KiryuGoji|Godzilla]], [[Kiryu]], [[Mothra (Godzilla: Tokyo SOS)|Mothra]] (''[[Godzilla: Tokyo SOS]]'')
*[[Godzilla/Final Wars|Godzilla]], [[Minilla]], [[Mothra/Final Wars|Mothra]], [[Anguirus]], [[Rodan/Millennium|Rodan]], [[Ebirah]], [[Kamacuras]], [[Kumonga]], [[Hedorah]], [[King Caesar]], [[Gigan]], [[Monster X|Monster X / Keizer Ghidorah]] (''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'')
*[[FinalGoji|Godzilla]], [[Minilla]], [[Mothra (Godzilla Final Wars)|Mothra]], [[Anguirus]], [[Rodan (Millennium)|Rodan]], [[Ebirah]], [[Kamacuras]], [[Kumonga]], [[Hedorah]], [[King Caesar]], [[Gigan]], [[Monster X|Monster X / Keizer Ghidorah]] (''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'')
==Videos==
**[[FinalGoji|Godzilla]], [[Hedorah]] (''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)|Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]'') [reused]
{{Videos|
*[[Kibo]] (''[[What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?]]'')
{{vid|<youtube width="300" height="169">O34hEkvXZN4</youtube>|2020 Kaiju Masterclass panel}}
*[[FinalGoji|Godzilla]], [[Gigan]] (''[[Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks]]'')
}}
*[[Jet Jaguar]] (''[[Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar]]''){{R|Fest23}}
 
==Monsters designed==
*[[FinalGoji|Godzilla]] (''[[Godzilla Final Wars]]'')
*[[Bone Fish]] (''[[Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters]]'')
==External links==
==External links==
*[https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa Twitter account]
*[https://twitter.com/shinichiwakasa Twitter account]
*[https://www.instagram.com/shinichi_wakasa/ Instagram account]
*[https://www.instagram.com/shinichi_wakasa/ Instagram account]
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O34hEkvXZN4 2021 Kaiju Masterclass panel]
==Notes==
{{Notelist}}
==References==
==References==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}
{{Real People}}
===Bibliography===
*{{cite book|title=[[Godzilla - King of Monstermaker]]|last=Wakasa|first=Shinichi|date=21 October 2017|publisher=Yosensha|isbn=978-4-8003-1343-0}}
{{Real People|tab=Art}}
{{Comments}}
{{Comments}}
{{Era|REL}}
{{Era|REL}}
[[Category:Real people]]
[[Category:Real people]]
[[Category:Artists]]
[[Category:Artists]]

Latest revision as of 14:30, 30 October 2023

Shinichi Wakasa
Shinichi Wakasa holding the S.H. MonsterArts Gamera figure
Born March 2, 1960
Tokyo, Japan[1]
Occupation Sculptor, modeler, makeup artist
First work Ultraman 80 (TV 1980-1981)
Notable work Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
Imdb.pngWp JA.pngTwitter.png
If Godzilla is king of the monsters, then my friend Shinichi Wakasa is the king's hand.
„ 

Rick Baker[2]

Shinichi Wakasa (若狭 新一,   Wakasa Shin'ichi) is a Japanese model maker and special effects makeup artist. He worked as a special effects technician and suit sculptor for nearly every Toho-produced Godzilla film from 1993 to 2004, along with several other kaiju films produced by Toho and Daiei. Wakasa is the founder of MONSTERS Inc., a modeling company which created the kaiju suits for the majority of the films on which he worked.

Career

In 1980, at the age of 20, Wakasa founded MONSTERS Inc., his own professional special effects sculpting company. That same year, Wakasa worked on Tsuburaya Productions' series Ultraman 80, where he was in charge of sculpting the monster suits. Wakasa's first major film work came in 1991, where he served as the chief makeup artist for Toho's horror film My Soul is Slashed, directed by Shusuke Kaneko. Wakasa would go on to serve as the chief suit maker for Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, which arguably launched his career as one of Japan's premiere tokusatsu artists. Wakasa performed the same role for the remaining two Godzilla films of the Heisei series, and reunited with Kaneko for Gamera 2: Attack of Legion in 1996. Wakasa continued to work as the chief suit maker for the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy from 1996 to 1998.

For Rebirth of Mothra 3, Wakasa was credited as a "model producer," the first ever individual credited with this position. Wakasa continued to work as chief modeler for every film in the Millennium series, with the exception of GMK. Wakasa had not worked on a kaiju film in nearly two decades until What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?, released by Toei and Shochiku in 2022, though he occasionally worked as a makeup technician on other films. The same year, he helmed the production of a replica of the Showa Gigan suit which was crowdfunded through the "Gigan Suit Rising Project."

Wakasa has made multiple appearances at G-Fest. In 2017, his book Godzilla - King of Monstermaker was published by Yosensha.

Selected filmography

Interviewee

Bibliography

Modeled monsters

Monsters designed

External links

Notes

  1. Though Wakasa is credited as the short's modeler, he was not present during its filming.[3]

References

This is a list of references for Shinichi Wakasa. 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. Wakasa 2017, p. 279.
  2. Wakasa 2017, cover
    Godzilla - King of Monstermaker.jpg
  3. Wakasa, Shinichi (24 October 2022). "撮影に立ち会っていないので、わかりません。". Twitter. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023.
  4. "巨大怪獣の死体を前に立ち尽くす2人、ティザービジュアル&超特報解禁!". What to Do with the Dead Kaiju?. 2 July 2021.
  5. 5.0 5.1 "ゴジラ・フェス 2023" [Godzilla Fest 2023]. Godzilla Store. Retrieved 29 October 2023.

Bibliography

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