ShodaiGoji
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The ShodaiGoji (初代ゴジ) is the Godzilla suit design used in the 1954 Godzilla film, Godzilla.
Name
The ShodaiGoji's name comes from shodai (初代), meaning first generation, and Goji, which comes from Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira (ゴジラ).
Detail
The ShodaiGoji is popular with fans who prefer the first, darker toned Godzilla film. This suit featured a heavy lower body, small arms and a large, round head. The face had pronounced brows while the eyes were completely round with tiny pupils, a feature unique to this costume.
For close-up shots, a hand-held puppet and the prototype suit were used. As a result, when the camera focuses on Godzilla's head in such close-ups, such as when he is firing his atomic breath, Godzilla appears to have larger, more glossy-looking eyes.
The suit also included several features particular to itself and to the GyakushuGoji: fangs, four toes, a rough underside for the tail and pointed tail tip, and staggered rows of Template:Scutes (these features would reappear with the Heisei series of Godzilla films from 1984 to 1999). The Template:Scutes for both the ShodaiGoji and the GyakushuGoji were dynamic in design and unique to the two costumes. During filming, a separate pair of Godzilla legs were used for close-up shots of Godzilla's feet.
A partial ShodaiGoji suit was constructed for flashback scenes in Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla in 2002, in order to recreate the original Godzilla's attack on Tokyo in 1954 and show the monster be reduced to a skeleton by the Oxygen Destroyer instead of completely disintegrated.
Portrayal
The ShodaiGoji was the first of its kind - a suit fully operated by a man inside of it. As there were no established procedures on how to build or operate a suit like the original Godzilla suit, Godzilla special effects artist Eiji Tsuburaya and the production staff had to pioneer a new tecnique later known as suitmation.[1] The ShodaiGoji suit and the original pre-ShodaiGoji suit were built by Eizo Kaimai.
The ShodaiGoji was portrayed by Haruo Nakajima, who would go to portray Godzilla in almost every subsequent film up to Godzilla vs. Gigan. Nakajima has said that he made Godzilla walk like an elephant from observations he made by watching an Indian elephant called "Indira" back around the time of Godzilla's production,[2] so that Godzilla would not look vulnerable and to portray his massiveness.[3] According to Nakajima, temperatures inside the suit reached up to 60 degrees Celsius, and he couldn't move Godzilla's left hand whatsoever in the ShodaiGoji suit.
Use in Other Media
Video Games
- Godzilla Generations
- Godzilla: Trading Battle
- Godzilla: Unleashed
- Monster Strike
- Godzilla: Kaiju Collection
Books
Gallery
Production
Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla Raids Again
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Screenshots
Godzilla (1954)
Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla
Post-Production
The partial ShodaiGoji suit created for Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla alongside the Kamoebas prop from Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.
Merchandise
Covers
The cover for the soundtrack of Godzilla
Toys
Godzilla: High Grade Set 3 Godzilla '54
Godzilla: High Grade Godzilla Resurgence Set Godzilla 1954
Bandai Japan Toho Kaiju Series Godzilla 1954
Bandai Japan 2001 Movie Monster Series Godzilla 1954
Bandai Japan Godzilla 50th Anniversary Memorial Box Godzilla 1954
Bandai Japan 2005 Movie Monster Series Godzilla 1954
Biliken Shokai Godzilla 1954 model kit
Banpresto Godzilla 1954 (Colored Ver.)
ShodaiGoji head from the Godzilla Final Box
A figure of ShodaiGoji by Bandai Creation
A re-molded figure of ShodaiGoji by Bandai Creation
ShodaiGoji figure from the Tokyo Vinyl Bandai Line
X-Plus Garage Toy Toho 30cm Series (2013)
X-Plus 30cm Godzilla 1954 monochrome version
X-Plus 30cm Godzilla 1954 with train in mouth
M1 Godzilla 1954
Steiff 60th Anniversary ShodaiGoji Plush
Steiff 60th Anniversary ShodaiGoji Plush
NECA Godzilla 1954
S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla 1954
Cast Godzilla 1954 ornament
Cast Godzilla 1954 ornament
Cast Godzilla 1954 ornament
Cast Godzilla 1954 emerging from the water ornament
Cast Godzilla 1954 dying from the Oxygen Destroyer ornament
Trading Cards
Battle Spirits BSC26 Godzilla (1954) card
Trivia
- The ShodaiGoji suit was 6.5 feet tall and weighed 200 pounds.[1]
- The ShodaiGoji heavily influenced later Godzilla designs, most noticeably the 84Goji, GMKGoji, and ShinGoji.
- In the film Godzilla vs. Megaguirus, the ShodaiGoji was digitally replaced by the MireGoji in stock footage from the original film.
References
This is a list of references for ShodaiGoji. 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]
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