Shobijin
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- Zenichiro Fukuda: “Hey, how did these Shobijin come by to help you?”
- Shinichi Chujo: “Shobijin?”
- Zenichiro Fukuda: “Oh, it's a journalist term. You had a vision of two young ladies. We like to call them Shobijin.”
- ― Zenichiro Fukuda discussing the Shobijin with Shinichi Chujo (Mothra)
The Shobijin (小美人 Shobijin, lit. "little beauties"), also known as Cosmos (コスモス Kosumosu) or Elias (エリアス Eriasu), are tiny twin priestesses of Mothra who first appeared in the 1961 film Mothra, and entered the Godzilla series through 1964's Mothra vs. Godzilla. They have been featured in the vast majority of Mothra's film appearances, as well as in various comics and video games, acting as her link to humanity. The Shobijin can telepathically communicate with Mothra and translate her messages, and often sing in order to summon her or pray for her aid.
For Mothra's first three film appearances, her twin fairies were played by the singing duo The Peanuts, composed of twin sisters Emi and Yumi Ito. In their debut film, they were kidnapped and exploited by a greedy businessman, prompting them to call upon Mothra to rescue them. They then returned in the Godzilla film Mothra vs. Godzilla, where they traveled to Japan to request the return of Mothra's egg and later assisted humanity by sending Mothra to battle Godzilla, who would eventually be defeated by Mothra's twin larvae. In Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, after one of the larvae had passed away, the Shobijin summoned the surviving larva to convince Godzilla and Rodan to join forces with her against the evil space dragon King Ghidorah. In Ebirah, Horror of the Deep, the Shobijin were played by another singing duo, Pair Bambi. In the film, they played an integral role in rescuing their fellow Infant Islanders from the terrorist organization known as the Red Bamboo.
For Mothra's Heisei-era introduction in Godzilla vs. Mothra, her fairies were renamed the Cosmos and played by Keiko Imamura and Sayaka Osawa. Depicted as the last remnants of an ancient civilization lost in a war between Mothra and Battra, the Cosmos warned a group of humans that both divine moths had been awoken once again. The Cosmos were kidnapped and brought to Japan, but were later freed as Mothra and Battra joined forces against the greater threat - Godzilla. The Cosmos then traveled with Mothra into outer space to intercept a meteor bound for the Earth, and later warned Miki Saegusa of SpaceGodzilla's impending arrival on Earth in Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla.
In the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, Mothra's priestesses were known as the Elias, individually named Moll (モル Moru) and Lora (ロラ Rora). Unlike earlier incarnations, they were not mind-linked twins but individual persons. They frequently found themselves in conflict with their human-hating sister, Belvera (ベルベラ Berubera). In addition to accompanying Mothra and Mothra Leo, the Elias utilized the tiny Fairy Mothra as their steed while Belvera used Garugaru.
Masami Nagasawa and Chihiro Otsuka played the Shobijin in two films from the Millennium series, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS and Godzilla Final Wars, though they took place in different continuities. In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, the Shobijin were individually named Hio (ヒオ Hio) and Mana (マナ Mana) and ventured to Japan on a mission to request the return of the first Godzilla's bones, which had been used to create the anti-Godzilla weapon Kiryu, warning that Mothra would be forced to declare war on humanity if mankind continued to desecrate the laws of nature. In Godzilla Final Wars, the Shobijin assisted a group of Earth Defense Force personnel who discovered the mummified body of Gigan.
Beyond their film appearances, the Shobijin are featured in the web series Godziban, the anime series Chibi Godzilla Raids Again, and various comic series from IDW Publishing, most prominently Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths as well as Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors and its sequels.
This is an overview page. To view information on specific incarnations of the Shobijin, please click on their corresponding boxes in the table below.
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Name
"Shobijin" is a direct romanization of the Japanese term 小美人 (Shōbijin), meaning "small beauties." This name is coined by the character Zenichiro Fukuda in Mothra after he hears Shinichi Chujo's account of the Shobijin rescuing him from the Vampire Plant. In Mothra, the Shobijin in are alternatively referred to as the Fairies (妖精 Yōsei) in both Japanese and English. In the English-dubbed version of their debut film, they are only referred to generically in the dialogue as the "beauties" or "little girls." The English-dubbed version of Mothra vs. Godzilla also uses similar informal terms. In the English-dubbed version of Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, they are again referred to as the "Fairies" exclusively.
In the Heisei series, the Shobijin are renamed the Cosmos (コスモス Kosumosu), a term which also refers to the ancient civilization from which they hail in this continuity. In the Rebirth of Mothra trilogy, Mothra's miniature priestesses are a pair of non-identical sisters called the Elias (エリアス Eriasu), individually named Lora (ロラ Rora) and Moll (モル Moru), and are rivaled by a third Elias named Belvera (ベルベラ Berubera). Moll is renamed Mona in Omni Productions' English dub of Rebirth of Mothra.
In Godzilla: Tokyo SOS the Shobijin are given the individual names Hio (ヒオ Hio) and Mana (マナ). Likewise, in Godziban, the Shobijin are named Luna (ルナ Runa) and Lune (ルネ Rune). In Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors, the Shobijin's individual names are May and June.
In Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths, it is stated that "Shobijin," "Cosmos," and "Elias" are all interchangeable names for Mothra's priestesses, with "Elias" being the primary name used for them in the story. While they use the Elias name, these versions of the Shobijin are more closely based on traditional versions of the characters and not Moll and Lora.
History
- Mothra (1961)
- Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
- Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
- Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
- Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)
- Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
- Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
- Rebirth of Mothra 2 (1997)
- Rebirth of Mothra 3 (1998)
- Godzilla: Tokyo SOS (2003)
- Godzilla Final Wars (2004)
- Godziban (web 2019-) [episodes 11, 26, 29, 35, 40, 47, 54, and 56-57; special episodes 3-4 and 11-12]
- Chibi Godzilla Raids Again (TV 2023-) [episodes 3, 6, 11, 17, 23, and 25]
Showa era
Mothra to Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
- Main article: Shobijin (Showa).
The Shobijin were first discovered by a joint Rolisican-Japanese expedition to the irradiated Infant Island, after saving the life of interpreter Shinichi Chujo. They were subsequently captured by the greedy Rolisican businessman Clark Nelson, who brought them to Japan to exploit them for money. They called out to their goddess Mothra, who rampaged through Tokyo and New Kirk City in her efforts to rescue them. They were finally reunited with Mothra through the assistance of Chujo and his allies.
Years later, the Shobijin returned to Japan to request the return of Mothra's egg, which had been washed ashore in a typhoon and claimed by greedy businessmen Kumayama and Jiro Torahata. When their efforts and those of their human allies Ichiro Sakai, Shunsuke Miura, and Junko Nakanishi were unsuccessful, they returned home to Infant Island, only for the three humans to arrive and ask for Mothra's aid against Godzilla. While the Shobijin politely declined, they eventually agreed to help and accompanied Mothra back to Japan. The Shobijin sang to help the twin larvae hatch from Mothra's egg after Mothra was killed in battle against Godzilla.
Later that same year, after one of the larvae had passed away, the Shobijin returned on a goodwill trip to Japan, and were convinced to stay behind after hearing the ominous warnings of a Venusian prophetess. They summoned the surviving larva to Japan to try and convince Godzilla and Rodan to join forces against the marauding King Ghidorah, and translated the monsters' conversation for their human allies. While the initial talks failed and Mothra tried to fight the space monster alone, Godzilla and Rodan had a change of heart and helped her drive off King Ghidorah. The Shobijin then bid farewell to both monsters as they returned home.
Some time later, the terrorist organization known as the Red Bamboo enslaved dozens of Infant Islanders. The Shobijin prayed for Mothra to awaken and save her people. They helped brothers Yata and Ryota prepare for a voyage to the Red Bamboo's base on Letchi Island, asking them to free the slaves and to prepare a giant net. Once Mothra awakened, she traveled to the island with the Shobijin and rescued Yata, Ryota, their allies, and the Red Bamboo's prisoners using the giant net just before the island exploded.
Heisei era
Godzilla vs. Mothra to Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
- Main article: Cosmos (Godzilla vs. Mothra).
The last remnants of an ancient civilization, the Cosmos lived with Mothra on Infant Island for 12,000 years after the ancient world was destroyed in a battle between Mothra and her dark counterpart Battra. They were kidnapped by Kenji Ando and brought to his boss Takeshi Tomokane, head of the Marutomo Company. Tomokane planned to exploit the Cosmos for publicity, but they summoned Mothra to Japan to rescue them. Afterwards, she matured into her imago form and joined forces with Battra to defeat Godzilla in Yokohama. The Cosmos then traveled with Mothra into outer space to intercept a meteor bound for the Earth.
Two years later, the Cosmos sent a telepathic projection of themselves to Miki Saegusa on Earth to warn of SpaceGodzilla's impending arrival.
Rebirth of Mothra, to Rebirth of Mothra 3
- Main article: Elias (Rebirth of Mothra).
The Elias consisted of three sisters - Moll, Lora, and Belvera. Moll and Lora faithfully served Mothra and her son Mothra Leo in defense of the planet, though their sister believed that humans were inherently wicked and made several attempts to rid the world of them with the help of various monsters, beginning with the space dragon Desghidorah. After the space monster was freed, Moll and Lora summoned Mothra to stop it; while Mothra perished in battle, her son Mothra Leo eventually vanquished Desghidorah, thwarting Belvera's plans.
Some time later, Belvera supported the aquatic Dagahra against humanity while Moll and Lora enlisted the aid of several children to help them find the treasure of Nilai-Kanai, which later gave Mothra the strength to defeat Dagahra. Later, Moll and Lora faced off against the dreaded King Ghidorah, who arrived on Earth to eradicate humankind from the planet. The threat posed by King Ghidorah was so dire that Belvera teamed up with her sisters to oppose the King of Terror.
Millennium era
Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
- Main article: Shobijin (Godzilla: Tokyo SOS).
In 2004, the Shobijin appeared to Shinichi Chujo along with Mothra to warn that the first Godzilla's bones, used as the basis for the anti-Godzilla weapon Kiryu, must be returned to the sea, as life must be lived in the time nature allows. They assured Chujo's family that Mothra would defend humanity from Godzilla in Kiryu's place, but said Mothra would be forced to declare war on mankind if the bones were not returned. They later assisted Mothra, her larvae, and Chujo's nephew and Kiryu mechanic Yoshito in the battle against Godzilla.
Mothra ultimately gave her life in battle, but Godzilla's bones were finally laid to rest in the sea soon after, allowing the Shobijin and the larvae to return to the ocean in peace.
Godzilla Final Wars
- Main article: Shobijin (Godzilla Final Wars).
The Shobijin appeared to a group of Earth Defense Force personnel who discovered the mummified body of Gigan, an evil space monster Mothra had fought against long ago. They gave the group a sacred dagger that Miyuki Otonashi later used to free Shinichi Ozaki from the mental domination of the Controller of Planet X.
During mankind's last stand against the Xiliens, the Shobijin sent Mothra to battle the revived Gigan.
Reiwa era
Godziban
- Main article: Shobijin (Godziban).
Luna and Lune - the Shobijin - are the caretakers of a pair of young Mothra larvae known as Moshu-Moshu and Moshuu-Moshuu following the passing of the adult Mothra. The Shobijin are frequently visited by their rival, Luluvera, the priestess of a young Battra larva.
While Luna and Lune frequently try to teach the young larvae about what it takes to be Mothras, they are more often than not content to allow them to simply have fun and enjoy themselves.
Chibi Godzilla Raids Again
- Main article: Shobijin (Chibi Godzilla Raids Again).
Residents of Monster Island, the Shobijin are the best friends of Chibi Mothra and share a telepathic connection with her.
Though Chibi Mothra is perfectly capable of speaking with the other monsters on the island, her shy nature has led the much more assertive and confident Shobijin to act as her psychic interpreters, speaking as one in monotone voices and adding emotion when putting words into her mouth. Their attempts to protect Chibi Mothra's feelings frequently backfire, and Chibi Mechagodzilla has repeatedly questioned the accuracy of their psychic translations of Chibi Mothra's thoughts and Chibi Anguirus's unintelligible roars.
Abilities
Telepathic abilities
Most versions of the Shobijin possess incredible telepathic capabilities, allowing them to communicate with one another, feel others' emotions, speak to others through their minds, and much more. Most prominently, they have a strong telepathic bond with Mothra across all of their appearances, which usually allows them to summon Mothra to their location at will. Their telepathy also allows them to translate the dialogue of other kaiju.
The Cosmos are additionally capable of sending mental projections of themselves to others, which the Shobijin also demonstrated in several IDW Publishing comics.
Flight/levitation
The Cosmos are capable of flying. In Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II, the Elias levitated when introducing themselves to the Power Rangers.
Telekinesis
Several incarnations of the Shobijin are capable of levitating and moving objects with their minds alone. The Elias were able to use their telekinesis on a human boy, while Belvera was able to instill these abilities into her mind-controlled subjects.
Teleportation
Later incarnations of the Shobijin had the unique ability of not only teleporting themselves to other locations, but also teleporting other subjects, as demonstrated in Godzilla Final Wars when they teleported several humans to Infant Island.
Energy attacks
The Elias are able to release energy blasts when combining their powers.
Mind control
The evil Elias Belvera is able to influence the minds and actions of others.
Video games
- Monster's Fair (1985) - Microsoft MSX
- Battle Baseball (1993) - Famicom
- Godzilla: Archipelago Shock (1995) - Sega Saturn
- Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!! (1995) - Sega Pico, PC
- Mothra Tamagotchi (1997) - Bandai Tamagotchi
- Mothra: Dream Battle (1998) - Sega Dreamcast VMU
- Godzilla: Trading Battle (1998) - Sony PlayStation [event card]
- Godzilla: Giant Monsters All-Out Typing Attack (2001) - IBM PC/AT, NEC PC98-NX
- CR Godzilla 3S-T Battle (2006) - Pachinko
- Godzilla: Pachislot Wars (2007) - Pachislot
- CR True King of the Monsters Godzilla (2018) - Pachinko
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS
- 47 Heroines (2019) - Android and iOS
- Symphogear XD UNLIMITED (2017; added in 2019) - Android and iOS
Monster's Fair
In Monster's Fair, the Shobijin are kidnapped by aliens, and it is up to Mothra to rescue them.
The Shobijin in Monster's Fair
Battle Baseball
In Battle Baseball, the Shobijin act as cheerleaders for the Godzilla Megapowers team.
The Shobijin acting as cheerleaders in Battle Baseball
Godzilla: Archipelago Shock
After Mothra’s egg is stolen, Mothra and the Cosmos venture to Japan to retrieve it, and later return to warn the military of other threats to the planet, including aliens and Battra.
The Cosmos pleading for Mothra's egg in Godzilla: Archipelago Shock
Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!
In this game, the Cosmos oversee a minigame in which the player must balance various kaiju and weights on a teeter-totter.
The Cosmos (right, on a tree branch) in Godzilla: Heart-Pounding Monster Island!!
Godzilla: Trading Battle
Both the Shobijin and the Cosmos appear on different event cards in Godzilla: Trading Battle.
Godzilla: Giant Monsters All-Out Typing Attack
In a minigame called "Hatch, Mothra!", the Shobijin lead a series of prayers to help Mothra's egg hatch.
The Shobijin and Mothra in Godzilla: Giant Monsters All-Out Typing Attack
Godzilla: Pachislot Wars
The Shobijin pray to summon Mothra to Japan, and later sing to help Mothra's larvae hatch from an egg.
The Shobijin with Mothra's larvae in Godzilla: Pachislot Wars
Godzilla Defense Force
In the face of a great Xilien invasion, various incarnations of Mothra's fairies appear as unlockable allies who can join forces with the player and the Earth Defense Force against the Xiliens' monsters. These include five different versions of the Shobijin as well as the Cosmos and the Elias.
The Shobijin ('61) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Shobijin ('64) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Shobijin ('66) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Cosmos ('92) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Elias ('96) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Shobijin ('03) in Godzilla Defense Force
The Shobijin ('04) in Godzilla Defense Force
47 Heroines
After the Debuggers mistake Mothra for an enemy, the Cosmos appear before them to explain the monster's history and ask for the Debuggers' help in uniting Mothra and Godzilla against King Ghidorah.
The Cosmos in 47 Heroines
Comics
- Godzilla, King of the Monsters [Street Fighter Godzilla one-shot] (1993)
- "Trampling Tokyo" (1994) [mentioned]
- Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #3 (2011)
- Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths #1-5 (2011)
- Godzilla #6, 8, 10 (2012)
- Godzilla: Rulers of Earth #9, 18-23, 25 (2014-2015)
- Godzilla: Rage Across Time #1, 3 (2016)
- Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors #1-5 (2021)
- Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Mothra (2021)
- Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King! #2, 4 (2022-2023)
- Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - Summer Smash (2023)
- Godzilla: War for Humanity #2-4 (2023-2024)
- Godzilla: 70th Anniversary (2024) ["Ain't No Place For an Angel"]
- Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II #3 (2024)
Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters
The Shobijin witnessed a news report of Battra's hatching from an unknown location.
Godzilla: Gangsters & Goliaths
On Monster Island, the Elias and their human servants, the Keepers of the Elias, served to maintain peace between the monsters and larger cosmic forces at work. After the Elias sent Mothra to protect Detective Makoto Sato from Godzilla and gangsters that were hunting him, he kidnapped the fairies, hoping to exploit their connection with Mothra on a mission of vengeance. Having been framed for murder by crime boss Ryota Takahashi, Sato used Mothra to target locations that were known to be part of Takahashi's criminal syndicate. Despite the protests of the Elias, who repeatedly insisted they be returned to Monster Island alongside Mothra in order to protect a greater cosmic balance, Sato failed to heed their warnings and continued to unleash Mothra again Takahashi's empire. Eventually, Godzilla arrived in Tokyo due to Sato upsetting this cosmic balance, and while a remorseful Sato attempted to right his wrongs by returning the Elias to their island, Takahashi and his men intervened and kidnapped the Elias. Though the Elias pleaded with Takahashi to release them, the crime lord refused, having gone as far as killing the Keepers of the Elias to maintain his hold over them. As Takahashi reveled in the chaos caused by the continued captivity of the Elias, more monsters from Monster Island were drawn to Tokyo. Later, Sato and his sons were able to rescue the Elias from Takahashi using Mechagodzilla before the crime lord was crushed by Godzilla. Mothra then arrived to take the Elias back to Monster Island, which finally put an end to the chaos as the monsters returned to their island in peace. In the aftermath, with balance being restored, Sato moved to Monster Island and became the new Keeper of the Elias.
Godzilla
Following the appearance of the new monster Mothra, the Shobijin revealed themselves to humanity and spoke at the United Nations headquarters to warn the world of "impending calamity". The priestesses cryptically warned the world leaders that the recent rise of monsters on the planet was only the beginning of a larger event, which only led to more questions. After Mothra tried to stop Boxer and Claire Plangman, the remaining members of Boxer's crew attacked the U.N. headquarters in efforts to get the Shobijin to call Mothra off. The Shobijin did so, but not before Mothra left Claire with a vision of space monsters invading the Earth, causing her to realize the monsters of Earth were not their enemies and were meant to protect the planet. Sometime later, while addressing the United Nations, the Shobijin revealed information about the space monsters - SpaceGodzilla, Gigan, Hedorah, and Monster X - once they finally arrived on Earth. After Mothra fought and lost to Monster X, the Shobijin fell unconscious.
Godzilla: Rulers of Earth
Following the invasion of the space monsters, Mothra and the Shobijin disappeared from public view. Sometime later, having survived a monster attack that destroyed the aircraft carrier she had been on, Lucy Casprell washed up on the shores of Infant Island where she was soon greeted by the Shobijin. The Shobijin led Lucy deeper into the island, where she encountered the island’s natives and Mothra herself, accompanied by her two larvae. The Shobijin then began to explain the history of the kaiju on Earth, describing a natural power balance the monsters maintained. They detailed several kaiju uprisings and battles that disrupted this balance, notably one involving Earth’s ancient guardian King Caesar and Megalon that nearly resulted in the extinction of humanity. Back in the present, Lucy noticed that Infant Island’s cave murals appeared to separate the kaiju into specific categories based on the elements, where the Shobijin revealed the belief in an unknown category of monsters that was throwing the balance into disarray once more and causing the monsters to rise again. Lucy then realized that this unknown element was referring to the space monsters, at which point the Shobijin requested that she warn Earth’s leaders of the “grave dangers” facing the planet from beyond; as humanity failed to heed their warnings last time, the Shobijin expressed their belief that Lucy could serve as an ambassador for them who people would truly listen to, at which point they sent Lucy on her way to fulfill their wishes.
Years later, as ancient monsters began to rise up yet again, Battra attacked Infant Island under the influence of psychics Minette and Mallory. Despite Mothra’s best efforts to defend their home, Battra killed her, forcing Mothra’s larvae, the Shobijin, and surviving natives to flee the island before it was completely destroyed by Battra. The Shobijin and the larvae sought refuge on the Monster Islands, where Steven Woods offered them shelter and protection from Battra. There, the Shobijin warned that the alien threat to the planet had only grown due to the Cryog, and that Lucy herself was in grave danger. Inevitably, Battra soon located the Monster Islands to finish off the Shobijin and Mothra’s larvae, but his crusade was cut short when the Cryog sent the Trilopods to Earth and launched an assault on the Monster Islands, which allowed the crew of the islands to escape with the Shobijin and the larvae. The Shobijin later divulged their plans to awaken King Caesar to help defend the Earth from the alien invasion, for which they requested Lucy’s assistance. In Okinawa, the Shobijin located King Caesar’s resting place and found the sleeping guardian, but Lucy became concerned when King Caesar failed to wake. The Shobijin assured her that she must have faith, and that the monsters or Earth would inevitably correct the balance that the aliens had disrupted, just as they always had. Battra then returned to kill the Shobijin, only to be stopped by King Caesar and the Trilopods. Following Battra’s retreat, King Caesar took Lucy’s group and the Shobijin in his hands and allowed the Trilopods to abduct him so they could return to the Trilopod hive. After arriving, King Caesar released the humans and the Shobijin before he began to free the rest of Earth’s kaiju who had been abducted by the Trilopods. The Shobijin assured Lucy and her friends that King Caesar would defend their planet and unite Earth’s kaiju against the Trilopods and Cryog, which he would successfully achieve. During the final battle, Lucy and the Shobijin felt Godzilla growing stronger, with the Shobijin noting that Godzilla was absorbing the energy of his allies to succeed in eliminating the Trilopod threat once and for all. In the aftermath of the global battle, Lucy penned an essay to share what she had learned from the Shobijin – that there are things that will always defend the planet, and that good will always prevail.
Godzilla: Rage Across Time
In Feudal Japan, warriors Gorou Suda and Akio were tasked with journeying to the Shobijin Temple following an invasion led by Mongol forces, who had command of the monsters Gigan and Megalon. Upon arrival, the duo were confronted by Yamata no Orochi, but the Shobijin appeared to offer their help by enchanting Akio's arrows with the power of Mothra and leading Gorou to a relic that would grant him control over the beast. Unfortunately, Godzilla soon appeared and quickly put an end to their plans by defeating Orochi, though the warriors and the Shobijin would nevertheless achieve their goal to save Japan after the warriors lured Godzilla to Gigan, Megalon, and the Mongol army, where he was quick to defeat them.
In medieval England, a group of knights led by Gilder were seeking to slay a dragon believed to be the source of the plague before they happened upon the temple of Mothra. The Shobijin revealed themselves to the knights and offered their aid in the form of Mothra, who they sent to battle and ultimately defeat the dragon, Megaguirus.
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors
After sensing Godzilla's growing anger at mankind's abuse of the planet due to the recent actions of the Linival Corporation, and experiencing a psychic vision of the future in which Godzilla wiped out humanity, the Shobijin - May and June - decided to intervene and show Godzilla that humans could change their ways. Leaving Infant Island, May and June sought out a school to find children with hope for the future and soon arrived in Tokyo, where the duo telepathically enlisted the aid of twin sisters Ann and Steph. Following the Linival Corporation's unveiling of their own genetically engineered monster, Biollante, May and June attempted to use their powers to psychically influence Linival CEO Nomura so he would stop antagonizing Godzilla, but Nomura was able to resist their influence. Ann and Steph, having overheard some of their fellow students discussing the future, introduced May and June to Cedric, Emily, and Anderson, who the Shobijin realized were the perfect candidates for convincing Godzilla that humanity deserved a second chance. May and June then explained their plan of using Mothra to bring the children face-to-face with Godzilla. After summoning Mothra to the school, May and June used their psychic powers to influence JSDF officials and force them to stand down before racing to Godzilla's location as he was in the midst of battling Biollante. Upon defeating Biollante, the enraged Godzilla prepared to go through with his plan of eradicating humanity, but Mothra, May, and June arrived just in time with the children. Using their abilities to link the minds of Godzilla, Mothra, and the children together, the Shobijin at last managed to show Godzilla that humans could learn to live in harmony with nature as seen in the hopes and dreams of the kids. Temporarily pacified by May and June's actions, Godzilla then retreated in peace, giving humanity one more generation to truly change their ways. With the world safe - at least for the time being - Mothra returned the children to Japan before bringing May and June back to Infant Island.
Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Mothra
In 1984, while investigating strange sightings at a lake, photojournalist Mima Kinjo discovered Mothra being held captive by chains underwater, restrained there by the JSDF. After freeing Mothra in the hopes that she would battle the attacking Godzilla, Mima was arrested, but the Shobijin later appeared in her cell and introduced themselves. They explained that Mothra had heard her calls to protect humanity from Godzilla, but needed to regain her strength before facing him. Upon being freed from her cell, Mima raced to the cocoon that Mothra had encased herself in, with the Shobijin explaining that Mothra had grown too weak to free herself. With Mima’s help, Mothra broke free of the cocoon and journeyed to face Godzilla, ultimately going on to stop his rampage.
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King!
Following recent actions undertaken by the Xiliens, May and June telepathically contacted Cedric, Emily, and Anderson, to warn them of coming threats. While the children were in class, the Shobijin appeared to transport the trio to Infant Island alongside their classmate, Karen, though they explained to the kids that they were merely speaking to them within their minds. After warning the kids of the Xiliens and their recent discovery of King Ghidorah, the Shobijin expressed their belief that Godzilla was needed to defend the planet - and the children may be the only ones capable of reaching out to Godzilla now that they were connected to his mind. With Mothra slumbering, May and June also revealed that Karen was connected to another giant monster who may be needed to help as well. While the Shobijin were initially concerned that Godzilla would not listen to the kids' pleas for help, Godzilla did ultimately appear and fought King Ghidorah. Following their battle, the Shobijin contacted the four students once more to warn them that King Ghidorah had not been defeated and now posed an greater threat to Earth upon being freed from Xilien control. They also hoped that Karen would call upon her family's guardian monster to assist Godzilla. Though Karen expressed doubt that she would succeed after having been unable to contact her guardian in the past, May and June assured her that she had a greater role to play in saving the world than even they realized. With that, they bid the children farewell, but remained confident that they would help Earth's kaiju stop the alien threat.
Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - Summer Smash
When the Xiliens unleashed Mecha-King Ghidorah upon Japan in efforts to quell any remaining resistance to their new rule over the planet, Godzilla returned to battle the reborn version of his nemesis while the alien robot Jet Jaguar brought Cedric, Emily, and Anderson to the site of their battle to mentally assist Godzilla through their psychic connection with him. Immediately after arriving, the children were greeted by mental projections of May and June, who were still physically on Infant Island yet were able to psychically appear before the children thanks to the presence of Mothra, who the children witnessed arrive moments later. The Shobijin revealed that Mothra had regained her full strength since last time, which allowed her, Godzilla, and Jet Jaguar to defeat the Xilien cyborg. With the help of the Shobijin, the children were able to convey to Godzilla and Mothra the dire threat that the Xiliens posed to the planet if they were allowed to remain, prompting the Earth defenders to take on the Xilien army and ultimately repel them from the planet. After Godzilla returned to the ocean, May and June explained that Godzilla would be returning to his slumber for good and would only return if humans continued to destroy the plant. However, they also explained that Godzilla would continue to see the Earth through the eyes of Cedric, Emily, and Anderson in his dreams. The Shobijin also asserted that Jet Jaguar, Mothra, and King Caesar would protect the planet in Godzilla's place before reassuring the dejected Cedric that he and his friends were still critically important to the future of the planet, as it was up to them and their generation to reverse the damage that humanity has already done to Earth. With that, May and June bid the children farewell for the last time, though they were inspired by the kids' optimism for the future.
Godzilla: War for Humanity
While attempting to find out why Godzilla was not helping humanity in the fight against the new kaiju Zoospora, Dr. Yuko Honda, her daughter, and Dr. Johnny Wiggum ventured to Mongolia to speak with a legendary "Talking Cave", which explained that Godzilla believed mankind should be eradicated for killing the planet and that Zoospora was saving the Earth. Having dedicated her life to arguing that Godzilla was humanity's savior, Dr. Honda was devastated to hear this until the Shobijin suddenly appeared before her, warning her not to trust so easily. They revealed that Godzilla had only been avoiding Zoospora to protect Minilla from its wrath as opposed to any hatred of humans, and that Mothra would help humanity by recruiting Godzilla against Zoospora. While Mothra was ultimately unable to force Godzilla to help, Dr. Honda's task force still believed they needed the King of the Monsters' assistance and eventually lured Godzilla into the fight by kidnapping Minilla, though Godzilla was soon overwhelmed by an army of poisoned monsters under Zoospora's control, including Mothra herself. Just as all hope seemed lost, the Shobijin once more appeared before the task force and told Dr. Honda that she was the only one who could prevent Zoospora from infecting Godzilla, who was the world's last line of defense now that Mothra had been poisoned. The Shobijin's words galvanized Dr. Honda into acting immediately, allowing her and the task force to save her daughter and Minilla from Zoospora using the heavily damaged mech Super MOGUERA as they aided the severely outmatched Godzilla. During the fight, while attempting to pinpoint Zoospora's weakness, Dr. Honda recalled the Shobijin's previous comments and suddenly realized what they meant when they warned her against trusting the Talking Cave. As it turned out, the Talking Cave was actually Zoospora's brain all along, and later proved to be the key to defeating the fungal kaiju.
Godzilla vs. The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers II
While fleeing from the Kaiju Psycho Rangers by escaping into the Multiverse, the Power Rangers and Godzilla ended up on Infant Island and were greeted by the Elias. The Elias sent Mothra to battle the Kaiju Psycho Rangers before later following the Power Rangers back to their universe with Jet Jaguar's help. There, they assisted the Power Rangers and Zordon to upgrade their Zords with energy from various allies of Godzilla including Mothra and Godzilla himself into the Kaiju Zords.
Songs
The Shobijin sing songs to Mothra in nearly all of their film appearances. This is most likely due to the fact that the actresses who first portrayed the Shobijin, Emi and Yumi Ito, were a popular singing duo in Japan known as the Peanuts. Ever since, the Shobijin have continued to sing in various films featuring Mothra. There are various songs that the Shobijin have sung, including:
- "Mothra's Song" (Yuji Koseki version) - Mothra, Mothra vs. Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Rebirth of Mothra, Rebirth of Mothra 2, Rebirth of Mothra 3, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS
- "Mothra's Song" (Masaru Sato version) - Ebirah, Horror of the Deep
- "Daughters of Infant Island" - Mothra
- "Mahara Mothra" - Mothra vs. Godzilla, Godzilla vs. Mothra
- "Sacred Springs" - Mothra vs. Godzilla, Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster, Godzilla vs. Mothra, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla
- "Call Happiness" - Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster
- "The Song of Prayer" and "Mothra Leo" - Rebirth of Mothra
- "Haora Mothra" - Rebirth of Mothra 3
Gallery
- Main article: Shobijin/Gallery.
Trivia
- The Shobijin are derived from the Ailenas, fairies who accompanied Mothra in the book which Mothra was adapted from, The Luminous Fairies and Mothra. The Ailenas had the same role in the plot, except there were more than two of them.
- The Ailenas name was used in Columbia Pictures' publicity to refer to the Shobijin in Mothra.[2]
- Mothra has only been featured in four films without the Shobijin: Destroy All Monsters, Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack, Godzilla: King of the Monsters, and Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire. In GMK, they are alluded to as two women clad in white (played by sisters Ai and Aki Maeda) watch as Mothra flies over Yokohama. In Godzilla: King of the Monsters, they are referenced through the twin sisters Ilene Chen and Ling. In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, Jia fills a role similar to that of the Shobijin and is the key to awakening Mothra.
- In the comic series Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors, the Shobijin were originally meant to create human-sized disguises using their telepathic powers - an ability they had not demonstrated before. Ultimately, Toho vetoed the idea.[3] The original idea can be seen in a early cover.
- While the Shobijin accompany Mothra in the vast majority of their appearances, they make two comic book appearances in which Mothra herself is absent - Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters and Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King!.
- Two characters inspired by the Shobijin, Miana and Maina, appeared in GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle and GODZILLA: The Planet Eater, the second and third entries of the GODZILLA anime trilogy. Rather than tiny twin fairies, Miana and Maina are twin members of the Houtua, a tribal race inhabiting Earth 20,000 years in the future, where it is dominated by Godzilla. Like the Shobijin, Miana and Maina act as priestesses for Mothra's egg, and use their telepathy to translate its messages.
- A singular priestess of Mothra was to appear in the unmade film Godzilla vs. Gigamoth. Named Mana, the tiny psychic woman would have been discovered on an uninhabited island before being brought to Japan to warn officials about Mothra and Gigamoth. Shortly after her arrival, however, Godzilla would have appeared, prompting Mana to merge with Gigamoth by teleporting herself into Gigamoth's body to gain control over the creature and use him to battle Godzilla. Following the battle, Mana would have attempted to merge the protagonist, Murakami, with Mothra before eventually merging with Mothra herself to defeat Godzilla, seemingly sacrificing herself in the process. The story also featured a unique subplot in which the human protagonist fell in love with Mana, something that has never been explored with any version of the Shobijin.
- In 2023, the Cosmos appeared in several commercials for a collaboration campaign between the Godzilla franchise and McDonald's.
See also
- Minette and Mallory
- Miana and Maina
- Luluvera
- Ilene Chen and Ling
References
This is a list of references for Shobijin. 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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