W: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 12: | Line 12: | ||
{{TOC}} | {{TOC}} | ||
==Development== | ==Development== | ||
''Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W'' was | ''Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W'' was announced as the next entry in the ''[[Gamera (franchise)|Gamera]]'' series following ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]''.<ref name="AprilFool">{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/gamera_info/status/1377437760957472775|title=大スクープ⁉ ネタ探しのために出庫した段ボールから、なんとあの幻の作品の台本が‼『ジグラ』の次回作として、本来第8作となるはずだった『#ガメラ対双頭怪獣W』。71年初秋の新作ラインナップでは発表されていたものの、これまで台本は存在しないと伝えられていましたが・・・。#ガラシャープ|author=@gamera_info|date=31 March 2021|work=X}}</ref> The tentatively named W was designed by Akira Inoue, with clear resemblances to the ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' series villain [[King Ghidorah]]. Production details mentioned in the "Remember the Gamera Series" featurette<!-- Featurette on what?--> indicate this was intentional, as King Ghidorah was on [[Noriaki Yuasa]]'s mind while working on ''Zigra''.<ref name="TheLostFilms">{{cite book|title=[[The Big Book of Japanese Giant Monster Movies: The Lost Films]]|author=LeMay, John|date=15 June 2017|publisher=Bicep Books|pages=31-32|isbn=978-1548145255}}</ref> According to Yuasa, as translated by Yoshihiko Shibata, a "costume" had been created for the monster despite no script ever being completed.<ref name="Milner">{{cite web|url=http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/yuasa.htm|title=Noriaki Yuasa Interview|author=Milner, David|date=July 1996|work=Kaiju Conversations|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221436/https://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/yuasa.htm|archivedate=2 March 2021}}</ref> It is possible that this prop was destroyed amidst a labor riot following Daiei's bankruptcy, as Yuasa recalled that "all the monster props" at the studio were destroyed with hammers.<ref name="G-Fan">{{cite magazine|title=Mr. Yuasa's G-Fest|magazine=G-FAN|issue=65|last=Lees|first=J.D.|date=November–December 2003|publisher=Daikaiju Publishing|page=14}}</ref> | ||
It is a common misconception among fans that ''Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W'' was either the same as ''[[Gamera vs. Garasharp]]'', or replaced by it prior to Daiei's bankruptcy in [[1972]]. However, this is not true, as ''Garasharp'' was created specifically for the Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan LaserDisc set, which came out in [[1991]].<ref name="TheLostFilms"/> ''Gamera vs. Garasharp'' would serve as a fulfillment of Inoue's involvement with a new ''Gamera'' story, though, as he was responsible for contributing illustrations and kaiju designs to the project. | It is a common misconception among fans that ''Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W'' was either the same as ''[[Gamera vs. Garasharp]]'', or replaced by it prior to Daiei's bankruptcy in [[1972]]. However, this is not true, as ''Garasharp'' was created specifically for the Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan LaserDisc set, which came out in [[1991]].<ref name="TheLostFilms"/> ''Gamera vs. Garasharp'' would serve as a fulfillment of Inoue's involvement with a new ''Gamera'' story, though, as he was responsible for contributing illustrations and kaiju designs to the project. | ||
==Design== | ==Design== | ||
W's body is long and snake-like with two necks, large tattered wings and short arms. Its heads have sharp beaks, with one appearing to have spikes around its cheeks and running down its neck, and the other having a dragon-like mane. W's body seems to be covered in scales, and its underside resembles an annelid's segmented body. Concept art depicts W as being at least two times [[Gamera]]'s height and roughly tripling his height in total length. | W's body is long and snake-like with two necks, large tattered wings and short arms. Its heads have sharp beaks, with one appearing to have spikes around its cheeks and running down its neck, and the other having a dragon-like mane. W's body seems to be covered in scales, and its underside resembles an annelid's segmented body. Concept art depicts W as being at least two times [[Gamera]]'s height and roughly tripling his height in total length. | ||
| Line 26: | Line 25: | ||
In an original story scenario, W was a bioweapon engineered jointly by the [[Virian]]s and [[Zigra|Zigran]]s on [[Terra]], incorporating combat data against Gamera.<ref name=OMEGA>{{Cite book|title=[[Be Strong! Gamera]]|author=OMEGA Commandos|date=1995|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|isbn=978-4198602574}}</ref> | In an original story scenario, W was a bioweapon engineered jointly by the [[Virian]]s and [[Zigra|Zigran]]s on [[Terra]], incorporating combat data against Gamera.<ref name=OMEGA>{{Cite book|title=[[Be Strong! Gamera]]|author=OMEGA Commandos|date=1995|publisher=Tokuma Shoten|isbn=978-4198602574}}</ref> | ||
==Abilities== | ==Abilities== | ||
Concept art of W appears to show it breathing flames from its proper right head and a freeze ray from its proper left. It later demonstrated this ability in ''[[Be Strong! Gamera]]''. Also in this book, W possessed a '''Cell Activity Suspension Beam''' {{Nihongo|細胞活動停止光線|Saibō Katsudō Teishi Kōsen}} not unlike [[Zigra]]'s which it could fire from either of its foreheads. However, this beam proved ineffective against the giant whale [[Killer Whale|God Gein]] due to its size.<ref name=OMEGA/> | Concept art of W appears to show it breathing flames from its proper right head and a freeze ray from its proper left. It later demonstrated this ability in ''[[Be Strong! Gamera]]''. Also in this book, W possessed a '''Cell Activity Suspension Beam''' {{Nihongo|細胞活動停止光線|Saibō Katsudō Teishi Kōsen}} not unlike [[Zigra]]'s which it could fire from either of its foreheads. However, this beam proved ineffective against the giant whale [[Killer Whale|God Gein]] due to its sheer size.<ref name=OMEGA/> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
<gallery widths='120' position='center' captionalign='center' spacing='small'> | <gallery widths='120' position='center' captionalign='center' spacing='small'> | ||
| Line 33: | Line 32: | ||
==Trivia== | ==Trivia== | ||
*A dual-headed monster named [[Doublius]], likely based on W, appeared in the [[1994]] manga series ''[[Gamera the Giant Monster (manga)|Gamera the Giant Monster]]''. | *A dual-headed monster named [[Doublius]], likely based on W, appeared in the [[1994]] manga series ''[[Gamera the Giant Monster (manga)|Gamera the Giant Monster]]''. | ||
*As part of April Fools' Day in 2021, the official ''Gamera'' Twitter claimed that a script for ''Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W'' had been discovered.{{R|AprilFool}} | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{Reflist}} | {{Reflist}} | ||
Revision as of 03:46, 9 August 2023
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
A monster tentatively named "W" (W Daburyū) was planned for an unmade 1972 Gamera film entitled Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W (ガメラ対双頭怪獣Ｗ Gamera tai Sōtō Kaijū Daburyū).
Development
Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W was announced as the next entry in the Gamera series following Gamera vs. Zigra.[1] The tentatively named W was designed by Akira Inoue, with clear resemblances to the Godzilla series villain King Ghidorah. Production details mentioned in the "Remember the Gamera Series" featurette indicate this was intentional, as King Ghidorah was on Noriaki Yuasa's mind while working on Zigra.[2] According to Yuasa, as translated by Yoshihiko Shibata, a "costume" had been created for the monster despite no script ever being completed.[3] It is possible that this prop was destroyed amidst a labor riot following Daiei's bankruptcy, as Yuasa recalled that "all the monster props" at the studio were destroyed with hammers.[4]
It is a common misconception among fans that Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W was either the same as Gamera vs. Garasharp, or replaced by it prior to Daiei's bankruptcy in 1972. However, this is not true, as Garasharp was created specifically for the Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan LaserDisc set, which came out in 1991.[2] Gamera vs. Garasharp would serve as a fulfillment of Inoue's involvement with a new Gamera story, though, as he was responsible for contributing illustrations and kaiju designs to the project.
Design
W's body is long and snake-like with two necks, large tattered wings and short arms. Its heads have sharp beaks, with one appearing to have spikes around its cheeks and running down its neck, and the other having a dragon-like mane. W's body seems to be covered in scales, and its underside resembles an annelid's segmented body. Concept art depicts W as being at least two times Gamera's height and roughly tripling his height in total length.
History
Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W
Little is known of W or what role it would have played in the story, though concept art shows it fighting Gamera amidst what appear to be walls of flame.
Books
- Be Strong! Gamera (1995)
Be Strong! Gamera
In an original story scenario, W was a bioweapon engineered jointly by the Virians and Zigrans on Terra, incorporating combat data against Gamera.[5]
Abilities
Concept art of W appears to show it breathing flames from its proper right head and a freeze ray from its proper left. It later demonstrated this ability in Be Strong! Gamera. Also in this book, W possessed a Cell Activity Suspension Beam (細胞活動停止光線 Saibō Katsudō Teishi Kōsen) not unlike Zigra's which it could fire from either of its foreheads. However, this beam proved ineffective against the giant whale God Gein due to its sheer size.[5]
Gallery
Concept art for the film showing Gamera fighting W
Trivia
- A dual-headed monster named Doublius, likely based on W, appeared in the 1994 manga series Gamera the Giant Monster.
- As part of April Fools' Day in 2021, the official Gamera Twitter claimed that a script for Gamera vs. the Two-Headed Monster W had been discovered.[1]
References
This is a list of references for W. 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]
|
Comments
Showing 27 comments. When commenting, please remain respectful of other users, stay on topic, and avoid role-playing and excessive punctuation. Comments which violate these guidelines may be removed by administrators. Loading comments...
|
|
|
|
|
