Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again
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Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, originally published as Godzilla: Tokyo and Osaka Editions (ゴジラ 東京・大阪篇 Gojira: Tōkyō, Ōsaka-hen), is a 1955 book containing novelizations of the first two Godzilla films Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again. Written by the films' storywriter Shigeru Kayama, the book was printed by the Joyo Printing Company on July 10, 1955 and published by Shimamura Publishing that July 20. It is Kayama's second Godzilla publication after the 1954 novel Monster Godzilla, which was instead based on a radio drama of the same name.
The novels have since received numerous reissues. The first was by Kisotengai on September 10, 1976, with a second edition published January 5, 1977. Kisotengai released them again on August 10, 1979, and this version also had a second edition in 1980. Shogakukan and Chikumashobo released two more versions on December 12, 1993 and November 10, 2004, respectively, with the latter receiving a second edition on September 25, 2016. Nearly 70 years after the book's initial publication, an official English translation by Jeffrey Angles was published by the University of Minnesota Press on October 3, 2023.
Differences from the films
Godzilla
- The romantic subplot is removed. Because of this, Emiko and Dr. Serizawa are simply friends.
- Shinkichi Yamane is the main male character instead of Hideto Ogata, who is relegated to a side character.
- Dr. Serizawa is described as having long hair that obscures his missing eye and the scarred part of his face.
- Ogata is promoted to the president of his salvage company and described as an older man than how he appears in the film.
- Dr. Tanabe's surname is changed to Tabata.
- There is a minor human antagonist who spreads fear of Godzilla under the guise of a faction known as the Tokyo Godzilla Society. He is later found trampled to death in the aftermath of Godzilla's attack, his criminal record crisscrossed with similar schemes.
- When Godzilla first appears in Shinigawa, he destroys a lighthouse.
- Godzilla reveals himself while eating a cow. He also attempts to reach out and grab Emiko before she is pulled away by Shinkichi. His first appearance takes place during nighttime.
- Godzilla destroys three jets.
- There is an extended scene on the Eiko Maru where the crewmembers banter amongst each other before dying at the hands of Godzilla.
- Shinkichi interacts with his mother early in the book before going down to check on an injured Masaji.
- Shinkichi's last name is changed from Yamada to Morita.
- Hagiwara unintentionally offends the Odo Islanders during their kagura ritual.
- During Godzilla's attack on inland Tokyo, Shinkichi and Ogata chase down the Tokyo Godzilla Society before they are forced to take cover from Godzilla.
- Shinkichi gets into an argument with Professor Yamane about how he would feel if he had lost Emiko to Godzilla.
- Godzilla's body is described to glow with a whitish-blue light, even when not using the incandecesant light.
- After learning about the Tokyo Godzilla Society, Professor Yamane questions if Godzilla is really an animal, or a machine controlled by humans.
Godzilla Raids Again
- Godzilla attacks Shoichi Tsukioka and Koji Kobayashi before he is ambushed by Anguirus.
- Kobayashi's death is treated with more gravitas.
- Anguirus can use his own atomic breath.
- During the fight in Osaka, Godzilla takes the time to incinerate a platoon of soldiers that were shooting at him with his atomic breath before continuing to fight Anguirus.
- Instead of getting his throat mauled by Godzilla, Anguirus succumbs to wounds inflicted during the battle and his carcass is thrown by Godzilla into Osaka Castle.
Gallery
Front cover of the 1979 reprint
Trivia
- Godzilla's attack on the lighthouse in the first of the two stories is reminiscent of the Rhedosaurus' attack on a lighthouse in The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms.
See also
External links
Comments
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