GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle (2018)
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GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle (GODZILLA 決戦機動増殖都市 is an anime science fiction Gojira: Kessen Kidō Zōshoku Toshi, lit. "GODZILLA: Battle Mobile Proliferation City")kaiju film directed by Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and written by Gen Urobuchi. Produced by Toho and animated by Polygon Pictures, it is the second installment in a trilogy of animated Godzilla films and the 33rd Godzilla film overall, as well as the third in the Reiwa series. It stars the voices of Mamoru Miyano, Takahiro Sakurai, Kana Hanazawa, Tomokazu Sugita, Yuki Kaji, Junichi Suwabe, Kenta Miyake, Reina Ueda, and Ari Ozawa. The film was released to Japanese theaters by TOHO Visual Entertainment on May 18, 2018, and became available to stream worldwide on Netflix on July 18.[3][4][5]
Following the events of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, Haruo Sakaki and his fellow survivors of Godzilla Earth's attack find themselves captives of the indigenous Houtua people who live in Godzilla's shadow. The Houtua are peaceful and let the survivors leave, but warn about the danger of continuing to fight Godzilla. Haruo learns from the Bilusaludo technical officer Mulu-elu Galu-gu that the Houtua make their weapons from Nanometal, the autonomous material used to construct Mechagodzilla 20,000 years ago. They trace the Nanometal's source to the former location of Mechagodzilla's development facility, now the site of a Nanometal replica dubbed "Mechagodzilla City." Controlled by Mechagodzilla's disembodied head, the City seems to be the best chance for defeating the now even more powerful Godzilla. But the twin Houtua priestesses Maina and Miana warn Haruo that this Nanometal is actually a very sinister thing, something he must face when the time comes for the final battle with Godzilla.
City on the Edge of Battle was followed by the conclusion to the trilogy, GODZILLA: The Planet Eater, later in 2018.
Description
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By the advent of the 21st century, much of humanity was dead, having been trampled over by a new master, Godzilla. A select few among mankind took to the stars in a spacefaring vessel called the Aratrum in search of “the promised land,” the planet Tau-e that could sustain human life. But the migration plan fails, and the remnants of the human race decide to return to Earth. But the distortions in space-time and the distance traveled means that mankind is returning to a completely changed Earth some 20,000 years later. The returnees, led by hero Haruo, prepare to take the fight to Godzilla based on a strategy that has been 20 years in the making. Carried out with the help of two alien species, the Exif and the Bilusaludo, the humans succeed in defeating Godzilla in a costly battle to the death. |
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Plot
Shortly after the annihilation of the United Earth's forces at the hands of the now 300 meter-tall original Godzilla, the Central Committee receives a transmission aboard the Aratrum informing them of the situation. They see footage of the enormous Godzilla, and comparison with past data indicates that he is indeed the same Godzilla that drove them from the Earth in the past. Deputy Director Takeshi J. Hamamoto asks Admiral Unberto Mori what their next course of action should be, but the Bilusaludo chieftain Halu-elu Dolu-do interjects, saying they can no longer return to Earth. He also wonders what would happen if Godzilla noticed them in the planet's orbit. The Exif cardinal Endurph asks the controller to estimate the range of Godzilla's atomic breath, and she reveals that it could pierce the atmosphere and strike the Aratrum. Hamamoto tells Mori the probability that Godzilla would notice them is low, but Dolu-do says they will have to exit Earth's orbit and retreat to the Moon's orbit. Hamamoto protests and says that they won't be able to send rescue ships, and Dolu-do responds by saying that all of their forces on Earth have been annihilated anyway. Endurph says there is a probability of survivors, and that the Exif are opposed to leaving survivors behind. Mori says they will send Reconnaissance Drones to search for survivors, but if after 48 hours they can find no sign of survivors, then they will withdraw from the Earth.
On Earth, Captain Haruo Sakaki awakens in a strange hut, with a powdery scale-like substance all over his body. He is surprised that the air is breathable without his helmet on, and immediately wonders how he got here. Haruo puts on his suit and decides to go search for other survivors, but as he opens the door to the hut he comes face to face with a young woman in tribal garb. The woman drops the items she is carrying and runs away, climbing up a wooden ladder out of the crater where the hut is. Haruo calls out after the woman and begins climbing after her. As he ascends the ladder, he notices how the fog in the air does not descend into the crater. Haruo chases after the woman, but she easily outruns him. Haruo decides he needs to contact the Aratrum, and tries to locate a nearby surviving Landing Ship. As he walks through the forest, he notes that the woman hides as he advances but advances when he stops. Haruo detects a heat source on the other side of a marsh-like area, and believes it might be the Landing Ship. As he starts crossing the marsh to reach it, the mysterious woman stops on the edge of the marsh and tries to warn him of impending danger. Unfamiliar with human language, she mimics the exclamation "Hey!" that she heard Haruo say earlier. She then telepathically transmits a warning to Haruo's mind, and he notices vine-like tentacles writhing in the marsh in front of him. Haruo exits the marsh and thanks the woman for helping him, and introduces himself. The woman, not quite understanding, simply replies "Hey." Haruo slowly pronounces his name for her, and she replies back "Ha. Ru. Oi." Haruo asks the woman her name, but she receives a telepathic signal and runs off into the jungle. Haruo tries to chase after her, asking if any other humans survived, but to no avail. He then receives a radio communication from Master Sergeant Yuko Tani, and tries to find her position. Yuko is assembled with Major Rilu-elu Belu-be, Second Lieutenant Adam Bindewald, and Corporal Marco Ghione in the wreckage of a Multipodal Battery, where they are cornered by an unknown assailant. Yuko informs Belu-be that she made contact with Haruo, but he tells her that now is not the time. The soldiers all open fire on the assailant with their Infantry-Employed Electromagnetic Induction Rifles, but are unable to hit it. The mysterious attacker fires an arrow that narrowly misses Adam's head and penetrates the Battery's armor. With the others out of ammo, Yuko fires her last bullet at a tree and manages to knock the attacker to the ground. They approach the fallen assailant, and remove its mask, revealing it as another tribal woman who looks identical to the one Haruo saw. The woman jumps back to her feet and runs back off into the jungle. Shortly after, the other woman appears from the jungle, along with Haruo. Haruo asks his comrades to stand down, but they protest by saying that the woman attacked them. Marco panics and fires his gun at the woman, missing to the right. As Haruo tries to explain that the woman was with him the whole time, they are all surrounded by other tribal people wielding spears and bows. They all stand down and surrender to them, and are escorted to an underground village. There, they see many more members of the race, and witness the civilization they have built. Belu-be dismisses them as primitives, saying their "civilization" is more like an anthill. They are brought to a room and locked inside. There, they encounter Colonel Mulu-elu Galu-gu, Major Martin Lazzari, and several other survivors. Haruo asks if Metphies is with them, but is informed that he is not. As they sit in the room wondering what the tribe will do to them, Galu-gu suggests they will use them as a sacrifice, pointing out the skulls stacked in a nearby alcove. Martin says that he doesn't believe they mean to kill them, as they treated many of their wounded. One of the women enters the room with two armed guards, and escorts the prisoners to a large temple.
In the temple, they see many of the tribe's elders seated. The mysterious woman who escorted them walks up an altar along with the woman who helped Haruo, revealing that the two of them are identical twins. They place their hands on a wall on the altar, and begin telepathically speaking to the prisoners, their message converted into the mother tongue of each species. They reveal the name of their tribe as the Houtua, and ask why they have come here and destroyed their home. Haruo responds by saying they have come here to kill Godzilla. The twins respond by saying that Godzilla is a being of destruction and fear, and the enemy of their God. The twins determine that they are not enemies, as they oppose Godzilla and defeated his "servant." They warn that Godzilla cannot be defeated though. Godzilla destroyed their God, they explain, and all that it left behind is the Egg. All who oppose Godzilla, they say, are consumed by fire and disappear. Haruo interjects and says that isn't true, that they can defeat Godzilla. The twins respond that they may reach the end of their journey, but the Houtua will continue to follow a path of peace and harmony. The Houtua elder allows the troops to reclaim their weapons and leave. Marco confronts Haruo, asking if he really intends to fight Godzilla again. When Haruo answers that he does, Marco loses his patience and accuses Haruo of already leading many men to their deaths at Godzilla's hands. Belu-be defends Haruo, stating that Haruo's plan succeeded in destroying one Godzilla, and if they can repeat it they can destroy the larger one. As they are escorted to the exit to the Houtua's village, Haruo asks the twins to thank the elder. Yuko says that the twins can't understand them, but to everyone's surprise they respond by insisting on accompanying them. Galu-gu believes the twins simply want to observe them, but Haruo allows them to come along. As the party passes through the forest, Martin suggests that they learn the twins' names. The twins introduce themselves as Miana and Maina. Haruo recognizes Miana as the one who had rescued him and brought him to her hut, while Maina he says "glares a lot" and is the one who attacked his comrades. Yuko is irritated by the twins accompanying them, and begins picking up a signal which may be the Landing Ship. She wanders off to try and find it, and begins crossing a marsh. As she passes through, the root-like tentacles lash out and grab her, pulling her to the ground and trapping her. Several worm-type Servum emerge from the ground and approach Yuko, who screams out for help. Haruo and the others arrive and open fire, their bullets having no effect. Miana and Maina begin firing arrows at the Servum, which pierce their hide and kill them. Haruo and Martin help Yuko out of the marsh, while Galu-gu asks Maina if he can see one of her arrows. Galu-gu reaches out to try and touch the arrowhead, but Maina pulls it back, warning that it is "poison." A flock of flying-type Servum descend on the marsh to eat the worm types' carcasses, but they quickly turn their attention to the humanoids. Fortunately, a Multipodal Battery emerges from the jungle and opens fire, killing several of the creatures and forcing the others to retreat. Metphies emerges from the cockpit and greets Haruo.
The party joins with the survivors accompanying Metphies, and all assemble near the surviving Landing Ship in a clearing. After establishing communication with the Aratrum, they learn that the Central Committee intends to withdraw from Earth. Galu-gu and Belu-be pull Haruo aside and ask to speak with him. Galu-gu excitedly informs Haruo that they have a way to kill Godzilla. He states that the Houtua's arrowheads are made from Nanometal, the autonomous metal used to construct Mechagodzilla 20,000 years ago. He and Belu-be returned to the Houtua settlement and noticed that they fashioned their tools and weapons from large chunks of Nanometal, and therefore were likely harvesting it from somewhere. He also notes that the Nanometal has evolved over time, likely because its limiter decayed. If they can find the source of the Nanometal, he explains, they can harvest enough to construct weapons capable of killing Godzilla. As the location of Mechagodzilla's production facility is not far from the Tanzawa Pass, they should be able to reach it on foot. Haruo addresses the troops, saying that he plans to continue the mission to reclaim Earth from Godzilla. No one has to stay, he says, but anyone who does stay will be continuing the fight to take back their home and no longer be forced to live in misery aboard the Aratrum. The Bilusaludo all immediately agree to stay, as do Yuko, Adam, and many of the other soldiers. Haruo and the others watch the Landing Ship depart with all of the soldiers who chose not to stay behind. When the ship arrives on the Aratrum, only three soldiers exit, one of them being Marco. Hamamoto angrily asks Marco where everyone else is, but Mori immediately knows Haruo has chosen to remain on Earth to fight Godzilla. Back on Earth, Miana and Maina escort the soldiers to the location of the Nanometal, the site of Mechagodzilla's facility. They pass through a cave covered in glowing moss, where Martin pulls Haruo aside. He reveals that he researched the powder that the Houtua secreted from their skin, and his analysis revealed that part of the Houtua's DNA came from insects. He hypothesizes that just as the planet's other life became more like Godzilla, the Houtua inherited a different "monster factor" to survive and adapt to the planet's new environment. He says that he believes the planet has "selected" Godzilla as the lord of creation. After humans damaged Earth's environment due to pollution and nuclear testing, monsters arose and destroyed their civilizations. But instead of the planet's ecosystem returning to its original state, Godzilla irreversibly altered it to the point all life now serves him. Haruo concludes that it is then humanity's responsibility to destroy Godzilla. Galu-gu tells Haruo that he is detecting a unique signature up ahead, one that only Mechagodzilla could produce. After all of these years, Mechagodzilla is still alive. Miana and Maina point out an exit to the cave, but when the party exits they are descended upon by two flying-type Servum. As the creatures prepare to attack, they are suddenly skewered by spikes of Nanometal that erupt from the ground. Their carcasses are then absorbed by the Nanometal. Yuko looks down into a crater below, and cannot believe her eyes. Haruo and Martin look down as well, and are stunned to see what appears to be a city. Galu-gu and Belu-be look as well, and recognize it as Mechagodzilla's production facility, only made entirely out of Nanometal. In the 20,000 years that passed, the Nanometal from Mechagodzilla's carcass continued to grow and rebuild its facility, creating what they dub "Mechagodzilla City." Several Houtua appear from the cave exit, having noticed the twins were missing. Miana and Maina prepare to leave with their comrades, but warn Haruo before leaving that the City is a "sinister thing, poison." As Galu-gu and Belu-be follow Mechagodzilla's signal, they pass several more Servum carcasses that have been converted into Nanometal. Martin theorizes that Mechagodzilla City was absorbing them and using their metallic tissue to further multiply its Nanometal to construct the City. Adam asks if the City will Nanometalize them too, but Galu-gu assure him that it is only carrying out its directive to destroy Godzilla. Martin points out that the Nanometal is emitting a gas that creates a fog which conceals the City.
As the party approaches the entrance to the building where Mechagodzilla's signal is originating from, Galu-gu acknowledges how astounding the Nanometal's evolution is. It managed to proliferate at several hundred times its original size to create a full-scale replica of Mechagodzilla's production facility. Galu-gu tells everyone that they can remove their helmets, as Mechagodzilla City can regulate its environment and make the air breathable. Haruo points out that many of the structures in the City look strange, with Galu-gu responding that Mechagodzilla constructed them itself. With this City's capabilities, he explains, they can construct even more ambitious anti-Godzilla plans than Mechagodzilla itself. The troops enter the facility, and walk along a corridor as they approach the source of the signal. Behind a door, they find the Nanometalized corpses of several humans. Adam angrily tells Galu-gu he thought Nanometal wouldn't attack humans. Galu-gu replies that it won't attack living humans, and these humans were only absorbed because they couldn't get away in time and were already dead. They eventually reach the source of the signal, and behind the door find Mechagodzilla's head. Belu-be determines that the signal is coming from its head, and after inspecting it finds that half of its artificial intelligence block is still alive. He then accesses Mechagodzilla's artificial intelligence, causing it to recreate its control room. While Godzilla destroyed its body, Mechagodzilla's discarded head continued functioning and fighting Godzilla. Over 20,000 years, its Nanometal grew and created Mechagodzilla City. Monitors are generated in the room that display the area around Mechagodzilla City. Yuko notices that the area is seemingly gouged out of the Earth. Belu-be explains that Godzilla had melted the area with his atomic breath fired from 200 meters away, destroying the facility and killing 730 of his comrades. Metphies remarks that that is nothing compared to how strong Godzilla must be now, since he is six times his original size. Since Mechagodzilla was built to destroy Godzilla from 20,000 years ago, rebuilding it might not be effective against Godzilla now. Galu-gu scoffs at the notion of rebuilding Mechagodzilla, stating that with the power of Mechagodzilla City they can deploy an overwhelming attack strategy with new advanced weapons. Haruo confers with Mori over a monitor, saying that if continuing the fight against Godzilla is disobeying orders, he is willing to accept any punishment. He then cuts off the communication before Mori can respond. Using data transmitted from the Aratrum, Adam points out that Godzilla occasionally wakes up and patrols the area. Belu-be proposes this is because Godzilla is looking for Mechagodzilla City. Haruo agrees, as Godzilla appeared shortly after the smaller subspecies was killed. Martin says Godzilla is suspecting that something happened in this area. Galu-gu assures Haruo that Mechagodzilla City's fortifications should be complete before Godzilla finds it. Later, Belu-be begins analyzing Yuko's Powered Suit to find a way to improve it using Mechagodzilla City's technology. Haruo convenes a meeting to discuss the anti-Godzilla strategy. He explains that once Mechagodzilla City's fortifications are complete, they will lift the cloud bank concealing it. Godzilla will then be lured to the trap point just outside the City by new modified Powered Suits called Vultures. Once Godzilla is diverted to the trap point, the ground beneath him will be detonated, causing him to fall into a channel leading to a capture point. A thermal energy buffer layer of Nanometal particles will be dispersed to prevent Godzilla's atomic breath from damaging the City. Once Godzilla reaches the capture point, the channel will be closed and filled with liquid Nanometal which will instantly harden and immobilize him. They will then isolate the noise of Godzilla's asymmetrically permeable shield, and Mechagodzilla City's railguns will open fire on his dorsal fins as soon as the shield drops. With the shield disabled, EMP Harpoons will be fired into Godzilla's back, overloading him with electromagnetic energy until he explodes.
Later, Metphies approaches Galu-gu and says that in the original Mechagodzilla facility, the Bilusaludo used their technology to repair the Exif's Gematron calculation crystal. He asks Galu-gu if they can replicate that technology using Nanometal. Galu-gu asks Metphies what he wants to do with it, and he replies that he wants to repair a Garbetrium, a ritual component that is important to his race's faith. Back at the Houtua temple, the tribal elder Munak cryptically warns Miana and Maina that the humans in Mechagodzilla City are in great danger. At Mechagodzilla City, Yuko takes the finished Vulture on a test flight in the sky over the City. Galu-gu, Belu-be, and Haruo watch, noting the mech's improvements. As long as Yuko is within five kilometers of the City, her Vulture will be provided with limitless energy. Belu-be remarks that Yuko possesses excellent compatibility with the Vulture. That night, Haruo finds Yuko working at a computer monitor trying to determine how to fix any flaws from her test flight. He suggests she get some sleep and turns to leave. Yuko tells Haruo that the City reminds her of being on the Aratrum, but somehow different. He expresses his doubts about being a leader, but Yuko tries to comfort him, explaining how he provided her with hope while on the Aratrum and saying she trusts his judgement. Yuko tries to embrace Haruo, but he reels back, saying his wounds from earlier still hurt. Haruo then departs, and goes to sit down in a room. Martin enters and tells Haruo that he noticed many of the soldiers who were healed by the Houtua are experiencing health problems when inside Mechagodzilla City. He asks Haruo if he is feeling okay, but Haruo simply says that he's fine and leaves. Haruo visits Metphies' quarters after he has just delivered a sermon to several soldiers. Metphies asks if Haruo has come to join the gathering, but Haruo insists he just wants to talk about their situation. Metphies invites Haruo inside, and expresses his reservations about the Nanometal. He says that it is inherently a wicked thing, and it seems as if the Bilusaludo want to become as monsters themselves. Near the end of every civilization, he says, they often perform actions that lead to the emergence of monsters. He worries that the Bilusaludo may be about to repeat this mistake. Haruo asks if the Exif homeworld was destroyed by monsters as well, with Metphies replying that it was. He says the Exif are hesitant to carelessly speak the name of the being that destroyed their planet, as words possess that much power. However, he says he should tell Haruo its name, so that he can remember it when in battle with Godzilla. Just before he is swallowed by fear, he can know something far more destructive than Godzilla is lurking in space, and compared to it, Godzilla isn't even worth the fear. Metphies leans in and whispers the name into Haruo's ear, and warns him never to speak it to anyone else. As Haruo heads back to the City, he finds Yuko waiting on a bridge. She asks Haruo if on Earth people used to watch the city lights at night. He says that they probably did, and Yuko says that she is jealous he has memories of Earth but she doesn't. He stresses he only has faint memories, since he was only a child at the time. She asks Haruo if he's okay, and he simply responds that he is fine, and once they defeat Godzilla he can finally show her what Earth was like before Godzilla's reign. Yuko leans in and kisses Haruo, to the surprise of Miana and Maina, who are watching from the outside of the City. Back on the Aratrum, Hamamoto informs Mori that the Exif and Bilusaludo aboard the ship are no longer in favor of abandoning Earth, and rather are advocating to assemble in Mechagodzilla City to carry out the anti-Godzilla operation.
Inside the City, Adam and two other soldiers witness several Bilusaludo being absorbed by the Nanometal, causing them to flee in terror. Haruo and Yuko go their separate ways, after which Haruo receives a telepathic warning from Miana and Maina that Godzilla has awakened. Haruo goes the control room, where he learns that Godzilla is moving once again. He asks Galu-gu how much time is left before the City is ready for battle, and Galu-gu replies that it will be at least 12 hours. Haruo tells Galu-gu to postpone the armor plating on the City and focus on completing the weapons. As he says, it is only a race against time to get as much completed before Godzilla finds them. Galu-gu obliges, and the City ceases constructing the armor plating and diverts the energy to the construction of the railguns and EMP Harpoons. Haruo asks how many Vultures are ready for combat, to which Galu-gu replies that they only had enough Powered Suits to complete three. He says that each one has 300 times the power of a Hover Bike, so three should be enough. He updates Haruo on the status of the railguns and EMP Harpoons, both of which are more powerful than the weapons used to kill the smaller Godzilla. Just then, Adam and the other soldiers run into the room, telling Haruo that the Nanometal has started eating the Bilusaludo. Haruo asks Galu-gu to get help, but Galu-gu says that this is not a mistake. The Bilusaludo have willingly given up their physical bodies and become part of Mechagodzilla City. For them, Belu-be says, this is a great honor. Haruo is horrified by this, saying Metphies was right when he said the Bilusaludo wanted to become monsters. Belu-be argues that this is the next step of evolution, to become one with the Nanometal and live in a world of perfect logic. Martin asks how losing one's emotion and being ruled by logic can be called "evolution," with two of the other human soldiers saying they don't want to be Nanometalized. Galu-gu mockingly asks if they are the same as the "bug people," which angers Haruo. As the argument continues, Yuko overhears and steps in, siding with the Bilusaludo and stressing that only volunteers were fused with the Nanometal. A soldier suddenly contacts the control room, saying that the cloud concealing Mechagodzilla City has dissipated before contact is lost. Belu-be concludes that Mechagodzilla City has diverted energy used to produce the gas to completing fortifications. Haruo points out that Belu-be and Galu-gu are the ones controlling Mechagodzilla City, but Galu-gu says the collective intelligence of the Bilusaludo who have become one with Mechagodzilla City have made the decision. With the City exposed, Godzilla immediately locates it and begins approaching. Several Houtua gather on a mountaintop and watch Godzilla approach Mechagodzilla City, remarking that a trial will soon begin. Godzilla suddenly begins decelerating, and Galu-gu declares that at this rate their fortifications will be complete before Godzilla arrives. Godzilla then stops completely and begins charging his atomic breath. Galu-gu orders the City to deploy the thermal energy buffer layer, which succeeds in deflecting most of the blast. A small section of the City is destroyed, with one of the EMP Harpoon launchers being melted. As Godzilla resumes his approach, Yuko volunteers to stall him with a Vulture. Galu-gu says that she can't do it alone, and says that the other two units should be deployed. Belu-be and Haruo volunteer to pilot the other two, but Galu-gu points out that Haruo is the commander and shouldn't be piloting a Vulture. Haruo tells Galu-gu that after their argument, this is the best way to ensure their alliance stays intact. Galu-gu allows Haruo to take command of a Vulture, and all three units take off.
The Vultures begin firing on Godzilla, but fail to get his attention. Haruo orders them to move to close range combat. After several hits from the Vultures' cannons, Godzilla turns his attention to them and fires a super oscillatory wave. The attack nearly hits Yuko's Vulture, but she is able to evade it. Haruo and Belu-be begin firing at Godzilla until he finally changes his course and begins following them to the trap point. As Godzilla nears the trap point, Galu-gu asks how long it will take before the first Harpoon is ready, only to be informed that it still needs time. Once Godzilla reaches the trap point, Haruo tells Galu-gu they can't stall him anymore and tells him to detonate the trap. Galu-gu obliges, and Godzilla falls into a crater below. A channel is opened in front of Godzilla, leading directly to the capture point. A thermal energy buffer layer is deployed as the Vultures begin luring Godzilla to the capture point. Godzilla prepares to fire his atomic breath at Haruo's Vulture, but Miana and Maina send a telepathic warning in time for him to evade it. Godzilla's atomic breath is deflected by the buffer layer, scattering and striking several buildings but failing to do serious damage. As Godzilla continues his approach, he begins swinging his tail at the surrounding structures, sending them flying into the air and crashing into the City. Godzilla finally reaches the capture point, at which point the channel is closed and flooded with liquid Nanometal. Once the Nanometal hardens, the railguns on the sides of Mechagodzilla City's buildings open sustained fire on Godzilla. Inside the control room, the Bilusaludo technicians pinpoint the point where Godzilla's shield will collapse. When it does, the flanking railguns fire at Godzilla's dorsal fins, destroying them. With Godzilla's shield disabled, two EMP Harpoons are fired directly into his back. The Harpoons begin emitting electromagnetic pulses, overloading Godzilla's body with electromagnetic energy and causing him to suddenly stand still. Everyone believes Godzilla has finally been defeated, but for some reason he does not explode. Godzilla's skin begins glowing bright red, and his body temperature climbs. Martin determines that Godzilla has somehow adapted to convert excess electromagnetic energy into heat. Not only does this prevent him from exploding, but it serves as a way to attack them by emitting lethal amounts of heat. Godzilla's temperature continues climbing, making the area around him extremely hot. Belu-be says they can still get Godzilla to explode by making him fire his atomic breath, but the surrounding area is so hot that they can't get close. As the temperature climbs inside Mechagodzilla City's control room, Martin tells Galu-gu that they need to evacuate. Galu-gu dismisses this notion and sits in front of a control console, after which he and all of the other Bilusaludo are absorbed by the Nanometal. Horrified, Martin declares that he can't be part of this and flees with the other humans. Galu-gu remarks that humans truly are weak beings, but says that he hopes Haruo is different. With no way to attack Godzilla up-close, Belu-be proposes one last suicidal strategy. If the Vultures fly all the way up to the tropopause and nosedive into Godzilla's dorsal fins, they can still trigger him to explode. Haruo says that the heat is too intense for their bullets to reach Godzilla without melting, but Belu-be says that there is only one part of the Vulture that is too weak to withstand the heat long enough. If this part is fused with the Nanometal, he says, the pilots should be able to survive the heat for ten seconds. Haruo asks what is the part that is too weak, only for the Nanometalized Galu-gu to appear on his monitor and explain that it is the pilot. He forcibly triggers the Vultures' Nanometal to fuse with the pilots. Belu-be accepts the fusion, while Haruo and Yuko resist, putting them in great pain. Yuko tries to eject from her Vulture, but the intense heat prevents this from working. Her Vulture is disabled and begins to fall from the sky before Haruo catches it with his Vulture. Belu-be tells Haruo that once he becomes one with the Nanometal, they will finally be able to destroy Godzilla. Belu-be then flies up to the tropopause. As Martin and the others flee Mechagodzilla City, they see Metphies waiting near a cave on the other side of a bridge. Metphies contacts Haruo and tells him that after absorbing Godzilla, the Nanometal will continue to proliferate until it absorbs the entire planet. He says that Haruo needs to destroy the control room to stop the Nanometal from spreading and stop Yuko from being assimilated. Galu-gu angrily scolds Metphies for betraying the Bilusaludo, and urges Haruo to let the Nanometal absorb him. To Galu-gu's shock, Haruo's body rejects the Nanometal, and he is able to prevent the fusion. He then flies his Vulture to the control room, still carrying Yuko's Vulture with him. He orders Galu-gu to stop the Nanometal's encroachment, but Galu-gu refuses. He says that monsters are called "monsters" because they cannot be defeated with humanity's capabilities. When Haruo decided to destroy Godzilla, he argues, he made the decision to become a monster. Haruo hesitates, torn apart by the decision to either kill Godzilla and potentially compromise the planet or to kill Galu-gu and stop the Nanometal. Finally, he raises the Vulture's gun barrel and opens fire on the control room. Belu-be begins flying his Vulture towards the ground to try and stop Haruo, but he is too late. The Vulture's gunfire destroys Mechagodzilla's head along with the entire control room, killing Galu-gu and everyone else inside. With the core of Mechagodzilla City destroyed, all of its Nanometal is disabled. Belu-be cries out defiantly before his Vulture plummets out of the sky and crashes into the central building of Mechagodzilla City, triggering an explosion that destroys the entire building. With the Nanometal trapping him inactive, Godzilla resumes activity and reforms his shield. Godzilla begins charging a huge amount of electromagnetic energy before unleashing his atomic breath on Mechagodzilla City. The blast destroys a large portion of the City in a fiery explosion, after which Godzilla fires his atomic breath again. This blast obliterates the rest of the City, and Mechagodzilla City sinks into the burning crater below. As Godzilla roars out victoriously, Haruo's Vulture lands on a nearby peak. Haruo exits and then pulls Yuko out of her Vulture, only to find her unresponsive. He clutches her in his arms and tries to wake her up, but realizes she is dead as a single Nanometal tear rolls down her face. Haruo screams out in agony, and sobs bitterly as he cradles Yuko's lifeless body in his arms.
In a flashback, Metphies whispers in Haruo's ear the forbidden name of the being that destroyed the Exif home planet long ago. The creature's name is Ghidorah.
Marketing
The Japanese title and release date of the second entry in the GODZILLA anime trilogy were announced on November 17, 2017, the day of the release of GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters. In addition, the first teaser image for the film was released, showing several humans standing in front of Mechagodzilla lying on the ground. The news release for the film on the official godzilla-anime.com website stated that the plot would revolve around a strange "city" that still exists on Earth 20,000 years into the future. The website later promised that the film would feature a battle between Godzilla Earth, the gigantic 300 meter Godzilla seen at the end of the previous film, and Mechagodzilla.[7][3]
A presentation for the film took place at Winter Wonder Festival 2018 on February 18, including a display of a three-dimensional model of Godzilla Earth and some United Earth equipment.[3] On March 5, Toho and Polygon released a complete plot synopsis for the film, along with new concept art of Godzilla Earth firing his atomic breath. They also confirmed that the film would be released to Japanese theaters on May 18.[3] On March 19, Toho and Polygon released another poster for the film, and updated the official website with more information. They confirmed that all of the previous film's main cast, with the exception of Daisuke Ono, would be reprising their roles. The new character Maina, a member of the Houtua people and Miana's twin sister, was also revealed. In addition, it was confirmed that XAI, who performed the theme song "WHITE OUT" for GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, would be returning to perform the second film's theme song, "THE SKY FALLS." The site was also updated with a new English description and plot synopsis, which revealed the film's official English title as GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle.[6]
On March 25, the day of a stage presentation for the film at AnimeJapan 2018, Reina Ueda and Ari Ozawa were formally announced as the voices for Maina and Miana, respectively.[3] On March 29, the same day the first episode of the GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters manga adaptation was released, it was announced that GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle would be receiving a tie-in novel titled GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla on April 25, which would also function as a follow-up to GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse.[3]
On April 11, a collaboration poster illustrated by mecha artist Hidetaka Tenjin promoting both GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle and Pacific Rim Uprising was released. The poster depicts Godzilla Earth and the Jaegers Gipsy Avenger, Saber Athena, Bracer Phoenix, and Guardian Bravo.[3] Promotional pamphlets for the film including new information and images began being distributed in Japanese theaters on April 13, to coincide with the Japanese theatrical release of Pacific Rim Uprising.[8]
On April 19, the first trailer for the film was released. In addition, director Hiroyuki Seshita announced via Twitter that all work on the film had officially concluded.[9] The music video for "THE SKY FALLS" was released on April 23. The same day, Toho announced that the film's soundtrack would be released on June 13.[3]
On July 27, over a week after the the film was released worldwide on Netflix, producer Takashi Yoshizawa was present at AsiaPOP Comicon Manila2018, the Philippines' biggest pop culture event, to participate in interviews about the film with overseas media outlets.[10]
Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
English dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
German dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
Spanish dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
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European Spanish dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
French dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
Italian dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
Portuguese dubStaff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
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Cast
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
English dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
German dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
Spanish dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
European Spanish dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
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French dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
Italian dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
Portuguese dubActor's name on the left, character played on the right.
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Appearances
Monsters
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Weapons, vehicles, and races |
Alternate titles
- GODZILLA: A City on the Edge of Battle (erroneous title)[11]
- GODZILLA: Battle Mobile Proliferation City (literal Japanese title)
- GODZILLA: The City Mechanized for the Final Battle (alternate translation)
- AniGoji 2 (アニゴジ2, Japanese abbreviated title)
- GODZILLA: On the Edge of Battle (GODZILLA: No Limiar da Batalha; Portugal)
Foreign releases
GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle had its international premiere at the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France at 7:00 pm local time on Friday, June 15, 2018 in the Bonlieu Theater, the festival's main venue with an audience of 1000 people. The film was screened as part of a double feature with GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, which was also featured in the previous year's festival prior while still a work in progress. Directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita both attended the event.[12][3]
Like GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle was released worldwide via the streaming platform Netflix on July 18, 2018, exactly two months after the start of its Japanese theatrical release.[5] The film is available dubbed into nine different languages, and with subtitles in 22 languages.[1]
Dubs are available in the following languages:
- English
- French
- German
- Spanish
- European Spanish
- Portuguese
- Italian
- Mandarin
- Thai
Subtitles are available for the following languages:
- English
- Traditional Chinese
- Simplified Chinese
- Korean
- Arabic
- Dutch
- Danish
- French
- Finnish
- Italian
- German
- European Portuguese
- Portuguese
- Norwegian
- Spanish
- European Spanish
- Swedish
- Polish
- Turkish
- Thai
- Hebrew
- Greek
Gallery
- Main article: GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle/Gallery.
Soundtrack
- Main article: GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle/Soundtrack.
Box office
GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle debuted at eighth place at the Japanese box office, with an ¥80,000,000 gross in 158 theaters.[13][7] This figure was 22% lower than the opening weekend of the previous film in the trilogy, GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters.
Reception
GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle has received mixed reviews from Western media outlets. Naoya Fujita of IGN gave the film a 4.5 "bad" review score, summing it up with "Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle is a huge failure." One of the major complaints in this review is the film's characters, who Fujita criticizes for being undeveloped and difficult to empathize with, saying "the motivations of the characters and the reasons for their behavior are made so unclear to the audience that whatever happens as the story unfolds, no matter how tragic or hopeless the protagonists’ plight becomes, it’s difficult to care." Fujita also criticizes the film's climactic battle, arguing it fails to to make the viewer emotionally invested and "lacks any feeling of motivation." Fujita elaborates, "We have no particular attachment to this Mecha Godzilla City on this Planet of the Monsters, and nor do the characters, really. The first movie revealed that 20,000 years had passed and Earth had changed beyond recognition. If this is no longer the planet they had called home, who cares if it gets destroyed or abandoned? It’s hard to feel invested in it." Fujita is also critical of the film's story, saying it isn't as interesting as it would have been had it focused on something like the characters scavenging for resources, creating weapons, or forming a more carefully considered plan. Fujita's biggest disappointment is, as the review explains, the fact the film does not feature Godzilla destroying a city. Fujita argues that one of the main draws of a Godzilla film is "to see a gigantic monster break stuff. Seeing Godzilla tower over a familiar landscape brings a sense of scale, but sadly that is missing here." Fujita does find some positive aspects with the film, such as the conflict between the ideologies of the emotionally driven humans, the more cold and rational Bilusaludo, and the religiously devout Exif. However, Fujita criticizes the way these themes are handled in the film, particularly some of Haruo Sakaki's dialogue, which the review says comes across as "self-centered racial dogma." Fujita says compared to other media featuring humans and aliens working side-by-side, such as the Mass Effect series, the film "portrays those subjects in a more simplistic way." While Fujita acknowledges that the film may be trying to depict a hero who fails to make the right decision in the heat of the moment, this review claims it fails to make the proper impact because Haruo is a difficult protagonist to sympathize with. Fujita's review concludes by saying, "Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle takes some promising ingredients, but cooks them into an unpalatable meal. We never really understand what the protagonists are fighting for, and there's not even a satisfying scene of urban destruction (a Godzilla staple). It fails both emotionally and viscerally."[14]
Callum May of Anime News Network gives the film a much more positive "A-" overall review. Comparing the film to GODZILLA: Planet of the Monsters, this review claims that the sequel handles Haruo's character in a much more appealing way and properly explores his motivations. It goes on to say that the film expands upon many of the elements introduced in the first film to create a deeper story. May commends the film's ability to generate tension despite most of the movie taking place within the relative safety of Mechagodzilla City, adding "Fans of Gen Urobuchi's dark twists and ideas will find the tension in Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle very familiar." The main point of praise in this review is the film's climax, which May claims "sets a new standard for Polygon Pictures." May describes the scenes of the Vultures flying around Mechagodzilla City as the highlight of the film. The praise for the climax of the film continues by commending the way action scenes are handled in the film. Although there are few action scenes in the film, May states, the final battle shows the effectiveness of 3-D animation in using such complex designs. The review goes on to say, "While Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle avoids including one much-anticipated action confrontation, the film is better for it and manages to make up for the gap with these stunning moments." One criticism May has is of the character development in the film. While Haruo and the Bilusaludo receive more evolution as characters, May argues that many of the other characters still receive little to set them apart. May also feels that Yuko Tani does not receive much focus outside of her relationship with Haruo, despite getting greater screentime compared to the first film. The review then notes that Metphies also does little of importance in the film's plot outside of teasing the next film. "Minor characters just play the role of window dressing until a relevant plot arises," May feels. The review concludes with, "Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle still feels like an incomplete story, but there's a clearer path to the finish line with the reveal of new narrative elements and a redefined goal at the film's end. While it doesn't fix many of the issues from the first film, Haruo's development manages to sell a more character-driven narrative and makes his relationships more empathetic. It's perhaps not the film that fans were expecting, but it's the film this trilogy needed to lead into an epic conclusion in Godzilla: World Eater."[15]
Awards
Award | Category | Recipient(s) | Result |
---|---|---|---|
7th VFX-JAPAN Awards | Best Animated Theatrical Film | Kenji Ishimaru | Won |
Video releases
Toho Blu-ray (2018) [Collector's Edition]
- Region: A/1
- Discs: 2
- Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, DTS 2.0 Stereo)
- Subtitles: Japanese
- Special features: Special three-way back case; Yuji Kaida-illustrated digipack; Hiroyuki Seshita (director) X Yuji Sakai (monster modeler) interview; opening night stage greetings; director Hiroyuki Seshita's sketch collection; special booklet (32 pages); trailers (1st and 2nd); special information trailer; TV spot; Chapter 3 teaser; staff audio commentary by directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi; cast audio commentary by Mamoru Miyano (Haruo Sakaki), Kana Hanazawa (Yuko Tani), and Junichi Suwabe (Mulu-elu Galu-gu)
Toho Blu-ray / DVD (2018) [Standard Edition]
- Region: A/1 (Blu-ray) or 2 (DVD)
- Discs: 1
- Audio: Japanese (DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Surround, DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Stereo, and 2.0 Stereo for Blu-ray; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround and Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo for DVD)
- Subtitles: Japanese
- Special features: Special sleeve case; special booklet (32 pages); trailers (1st and 2nd); special information trailer; TV spot; Chapter 3 teaser; staff audio commentary by directors Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita and screenwriter Gen Urobuchi; cast audio commentary by Mamoru Miyano (Haruo Sakaki), Kana Hanazawa (Yuko Tani), and Junichi Suwabe (Mulu-elu Galu-gu)
Videos
Trailers
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Commentary
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Miscellaneous
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Trivia
- While the name of the Houtua's god is not spoken in the film, the official prequel novel GODZILLA: Project Mechagodzilla reveals that the egg of their god belongs to Mothra, and was transported to Japan from South America in 2048.[16] There are numerous allusions and references to Mothra in the Houtua's appearance and culture, such as their insect-like traits and the defensive scales produced by their bodies. Most notably, the twin Houtua priestesses who watch over the egg, Miana and Maina, are inspired by the Shobijin, Mothra's miniature twin priestesses in the majority of her film appearances.[17]
- Haruo Sakaki and Yuko Tani's kiss in this film is only the second onscreen kiss in a Japanese Godzilla film, with the first being between Glenn and Namikawa in Invasion of Astro-Monster.
External links
References
This is a list of references for GODZILLA: City on the Edge of Battle. 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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Comments
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