Baas Island
Baas Island (バース島 Bāsu-tō) is a fictional island in the Pacific Ocean which serves as the home of Godzilla and LittleGodzilla in the film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.
Name
Baas Island's name contains the Japanese transliteration of the English word "birth" (バース bāsu). In several early drafts of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, the island was explained in-universe to be named for its primeval jungle, where flora from the Jurassic still thrived, making it a crucial discovery for the history of life on Earth.[1] This explanation was removed from the script's final three drafts, though the jungle was still mentioned; it was dropped altogether in the film itself.[2] Prior to the name Baas Island being decided, the unproduced Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla predecessor Godzilla Super Wars had LittleGodzilla live on Mikadoroi Island (ミカドロイ島 Mikadoroi-tō), possibly a reference to Toho's 1991 tokusatsu film Mikadoroid.
The dialogue in the international export versions of Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla and Godzilla vs. Destoroyah, as well as onscreen text in the former, consistently translate the island's name as "Baas Island".[3] Subsequent English-language media, such as The Official Godzilla Compendium[4] and the video games Godzilla for the PS4, Godzilla Defense Force, and Godzilla Battle Line have instead used Birth Island.
Location
The prop map of Baas Island used in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla included the coordinates 11° S, 141° E,[5] which would place it between Australia and New Guinea. This is contradicted in supplementary sources, some of which also contradict each other; it is variously described as being near the Mariana Islands in Micronesia[6][7] or in Polynesia.[8][9] A Godzilla vs. Destoroyah–themed special issue of Uchusen speculated that Godzilla and BabyGodzilla likely migrated to Baas Island due to its relative proximity to Godzilla's original home of Lagos Island,[10] which is located in the Micronesian Marshall Islands. Moreover, four early drafts of SpaceGodzilla placed Baas 2,000 kilometers east of Minamitorishima.[1]
History
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
- Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
Heisei era
Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
Baas Island is introduced as a lush island idyll that is home primarily to LittleGodzilla, whilst Godzilla comes ashore frequently to look after him. A group of U.N.G.C.C. researchers also visit the island. It is here where SpaceGodzilla makes his first attack on Earth, and captures LittleGodzilla in a series of crystals after temporarily incapacitating Godzilla. After SpaceGodzilla flies off, Godzilla gives chase, and leaves the island. After SpaceGodzilla is defeated by both Godzilla and MOGUERA, LittleGodzilla is set free from his crystal prison, and jumps about for joy.
Godzilla vs. Destoroyah
When uranium deposits on Baas Island unexpectedly ignited, the ensuing explosion devastated the island, leaving behind only a few smoldering rocks. This explosion also overloaded both Godzilla and LittleGodzilla with nuclear energy, causing the former's body to begin melting down and the latter to rapidly grow into Godzilla Junior. With nowhere left to live, Junior decided that he would travel north to his birthplace: Adonoa Island, in the Bering Sea.
Inhabitants
Trivia
- Baas Island is likely inspired by the many monster-filled islands of the Showa series, namely Letchi Island, Sollgel Island, Monster Island, and Monsterland.
References
This is a list of references for Baas Island. 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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Bibliography
- Kimura, Manabu, ed. (31 March 2021). Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Completion. Hobby Japan. p. 80. ISBN 978-4-7986-2463-1.
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