FinalGoji
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Candidate for deletion This article has been marked for deletion. Reason: Plans to merge Godzilla design pages with Godzilla incarnation pages are underway. For more information, see the forum topic. |
- This article covers the Godzilla design from Godzilla Final Wars. For the Godzilla incarnation, see Godzilla (Godzilla Final Wars).
The FinalGoji (ファイナルゴジ is the Fainarugoji)Godzilla suit design used in the 2004 Godzilla film Godzilla Final Wars. It was reused in four of Kazuhiro Nakagawa's short films for Godzilla Fest.
Name
FinalGoji's name comes from Godzilla Final Wars's title, specifically the word final (ファイナル, and Goji, which comes from fainaru)Godzilla's Japanese name, Gojira (ゴジラ). Prior to the release of Final Wars, fans referred to this design as the FiGoji (ファイゴジ, a shortened combination of "final" and "Goji." Faigoji)[2] Modeler Shinichi Wakasa instead suggested 50Godzilla, after Godzilla's 50th anniversary.[2] It is also commonly called Final Godzilla (ファイナルゴジラ. Fainaru Gojira)[1]
Development
For Godzilla's 50th anniversary film, director Ryuhei Kitamura aimed to emphasize monster battles, wishing to portray "a more powerful Godzilla."[3] Camera tests were conducted using an SOSGoji suit from the previous Godzilla film, Godzilla: Tokyo SOS, but Kitamura and monster modeler Shinichi Wakasa concluded that its movements were not suitable.[4] Wakasa recalled a Godzilla fighting game his child had played and showed it to Kitamura, who agreed that it was closer to what he was looking for.[5]
Though Yasushi Nirasawa and Yoji Shinkawa submitted concept art of the new Godzilla,[6] neither of their designs were selected;[1] instead, Wakasa designed the new Godzilla himself[7] with input from Kitamura and special effects director Eiichi Asada.[2] In designing Godzilla's face, Wakasa thought it appropriate to combine characteristics of several prior suits for the character's 50th anniversary, namely the ShodaiGoji, MosuGoji, and Heisei Godzilla designs.[2] Godzilla's muscles and facial expression were emphasized to align with Kitamura's vision.[8] His dorsal fins were also made smaller so as not to interfere with the choreography,[1] and the whites of his eyes were removed so that he would not seem willful.[3]
The FinalGoji suits were realized by Wakasa and his company MONSTERS, Inc.[3] Three total suits were produced: the main suit for close-ups, another for "action," and one for "super action."[5] Wakasa created the head sculpt,[7] the upper body was patterned by Naoto Nishikawa and sculpted by Akira Yamada,[9] and the dorsal fins were shaped out of polyethylene foam.[10] Molds were then created from these parts, with the head and torso cast in latex[11] and the fins in urethane.[10] Conversely, the suits' body parts from the waist down were fabricated from scratch by gluing together pieces of urethane.[3] The suits' eyeballs were created by Shigeaki Yoshida.[9]
The modeling team took care to keep the suits lightweight and easy to act in; though the materials used were no different than on previous suits, the space inside was not filled with latex, ensuring actor Tsutomu Kitagawa's movements wouldn't be restricted.[5] The suits' arms were the only parts which fit snugly, and they had a dual joint at the armpit to increase their range of motion.[5] Also different from previous suits was a lack of internal lighting in Godzilla's dorsal fins, both to reduce weight and to accommodate the fins' reduction in size.[2] The only lighting installed in any of the suits was in the mouth for Godzilla's atomic breath.[2] The head of each suit was attached to a helmet-like "skullcap" worn by Kitagawa, allowing his neck movements to translate to Godzilla's,[3][1] and the mouth of at least one of the suits could be controlled remotely.[10] These mechanisms were created by Nobuhiro Ekubo.[10]
Aside from the screen-used suits, several "attraction" suits were pulled from the same molds and finished to similar specifications for use in public appearances.[12] One such suit was used close to two decades after Final Wars in Kazuhiro Nakagawa's short film Godzilla vs. Hedorah (2021), where it was donned by Naoya Matsumoto.[13] Lacking any radio-control mechanisms, its jaw had to be manipulated by a wire.[14] A year later, Matsumoto returned to act in the sequel short Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks, which instead featured the screen-used action suit.[12] MONSTERS also returned to remodel it, modifying its size to better fit Matsumoto's body.[12]
Detail
The FinalGoji's arms and legs are slimmer than usual, and its thighs are also one size smaller. The FinalGoji has much more noticeable ears than many previous suits. The small dorsal fins resemble those of the Showa series: a single prominent row with smaller surrounding fins.
The suit used in the Godzilla vs. Hedorah short is very similar to the close-up suit, but had some noticeable differences. Its skin was darker and its dorsal fins were white instead of a bone-white color, these fins also being more pointy. The head was flatter and had bright orange eyes and a longer lower jaw. The torso was slightly shorter, and the toes, toenails, and tail were elongated. This suit was also considerably smaller than the close-up suit. This or another suit appeared during a Hollywood Walk of Fame event, for which a device that could shoot smoke was put in its mouth. In the short film Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar (2023), Godzilla possesses a scar on his cheek left by Gigan in the previous short film Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks (2022).
Use in other media
Video games
- Godzilla Kaiju Collection (2015) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Defense Force (2019) - Android and iOS
- Godzilla Battle Line (2021; added in 2022) - Android, iOS, and PC
- XR World (2022) - Android, iOS, and PC
Comics
- Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters #6 (2011, Cover B)
- Godzilla #13 (2013, Cover B)
- Godzilla Rivals: Vs. Gigan (2022)
- Godzilla: Here There Be Dragons (2023)
Short films
- Godzilla vs. Hedorah (2021)
- Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks (2022)
- Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar (2023)
- Fest Godzilla 5: All Monsters Showdown (2024)
Web series
Gallery
Production
Godzilla Final Wars
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)
Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks
Fest Godzilla 4: Operation Jet Jaguar
Screenshots
Godzilla Final Wars trailers
Godzilla Final Wars
Godzilla challenges Zilla
Godzilla gets tangled in Kumonga's web
Godzilla passes by the dying Kamacuras
Godzilla vs. Hedorah (short film)
Fest Godzilla 3: Gigan Attacks
Post-production
The FinalGoji suit with Kumi Mizuno
Merchandise
Covers
The cover for the soundtrack of Godzilla Final Wars
A Godzilla Final Wars disc
Toys
Bandai 2004 Movie Monster Series Godzilla 2004
Bandai America Godzilla 2004
Hazawa-Gumi Godzilla 2004
Monster Heaven Godzilla 2004
X-Plus Godzilla 2004 Large Monsters figure
Bandai King of the Monsters Series Godzilla FINAL WARS
S.H. MonsterArts Godzilla (2004)
Playmates 12" Godzilla (2004)
Bandai Shokugan Godzilla 2004
Models
Daimos Godzilla 2004 vs. Kumonga
Image chibi Godzilla 2004 vs. Monster X
Material Models Godzilla 2004 and Minilla
Godzilla 2004 vs. Zilla by T'sFacto
Cards
Books
Magazines
References
This is a list of references for FinalGoji. 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
- Ozawa, Ryoko; Tomoi, Taketo; Nakamura, Satoshi, eds. (4 September 2016). All Toho Monsters Pictorial Book (4th ed.). Yosensha. ISBN 978-4-8003-0362-2.
- Matsui, Satoshi, ed. (1 March 2005). Godzilla Final Wars Super Complete Works (2nd ed.). Shogakukan. ISBN 4-09-101498-4.
- Wakasa, Shinichi (21 October 2017). Godzilla - King of Monstermaker. Yosensha. ISBN 978-4-8003-1343-0.
- Kimura, Manabu, ed. (4 April 2023). Godzilla Final Wars Completion. Hobby Japan. ISBN 978-4-7986-3135-6.
- Holland, Edward L. (January–February 2021). "Fifty Years Later, Godzilla and Hedorah Clash Again". G-FAN. No. 134.
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