Monster Seafood Wars (2020)
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Three Monsters Gourmet (2020)
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You'd be a baka uma to eat these monsters!! (この怪獣、食べたらバカウマ!!)
Squid, octopus, and crab monsters turn National Stadium into a seafood bowl!! (イカ・タコ・カニ怪獣で国立競技場を海鮮丼にせよ！！) |
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— Japanese tagline |
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They are filled with tasty meat!
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— English tagline |
Monster Seafood Wars (三大怪獣グルメ San Daikaijū Gurume, lit. "Three Monsters Gourmet") is a 2020 Japanese tokusatsu kaiju film directed by Minoru Kawasaki, who co-wrote it with Masakazu Migita. Funded by the Monster Seafood Wars Production Committee (consisting of Dentsu, Takeshobo, Pal Entertainments, Mobacon, Rivertop, and JVCKenwood Victor Entertainment) and produced by Rivertop with special effects produced by the Tokusatsu Lab, it is based loosely on both a film that Kawasaki made as a student[3] and a story featuring a giant octopus that was proposed by Eiji Tsuburaya prior to Godzilla.[1] It was released to Japanese theaters on June 6, 2020, becoming the first kaiju film of the new decade. Its international premiere took place at the virtual Fantasia Festival on August 20, 2020.[4] SRS Cinema released it on Blu-ray and VHS in North America in April 2021.[5]
Plot
A television special on a disaster three years prior interviews Commander Hibiki, formerly of SMAT, at National Stadium, and the chief priest of Namiyoke Shrine in Tokyo. The priest discusses the yearly offerings of Yuta Tanuma, the son of a sushi bar owner, which set the disaster into motion. Most of the rest of the film is an extended flashback, shot traditionally, with interviews from the special interspersed.
Yuta encounters a neighbor while biking to the shrine and explains that his offerings are an octopus, a squid, and a crab. A passerby then knocks him off his bike, and he finds all three animals missing from his basket. The octopus and squid emerge transformed into giant monsters and begin battling each other. The Prime Minister authorizes a missile attack with helicopters, but it proves ineffective. As the government scrambles to learn the monsters' origins, Yuta’s former employer, the Institute of Super Physical and Chemical Research (ISPCR), names him as the one responsible, due to his development of a drug called Setap Z which causes dramatic growth in animals.
Yuta visits his friend Shohei Niimi, founder of Niimi Kitchenware, whose headquarters houses an enormous bust of a chef on the roof. Niimi, playing Street Fighter V while blindfolded, also concludes that he made the monsters. While entertained by the destruction, he warns Yuta that he should expect to be arrested. Yuta responds that someone else stole the animals and Setap Z prior to the monsters emerging. Niimi abruptly changes the subject to Nana Hoshiyama, a former classmate of theirs now working for the Defense Ministry, who he believes Yuta had a crush on. He also teases his near-completion of the “world’s strongest thing”, which is awaiting a final test of its rockets.
The police call Yuta in for questioning, and he is visited by Hibiki, recently named the leader of the Seafood Monster Attack Team (SMAT), and Nana at the station. She explains to Hibiki that Yuta has been obsessed with monsters since childhood. Hibiki asks him how to reverse the effects of Setap Z, but the ISPCR has seized all of his research and he believes that the thief, who he finally names as his rival Shinjiro Hikoma, modified his invention. Hibiki recruits Nana to join SMAT, and Yuta convinces him to let him help as well.
The government officially designates the octopus monster as Takolla and the squid monster as Ikalla. At SMAT headquarters, Yuta proposes engineering a fight between the two monsters and helping Takolla win. SMAT would then capture the tired victor in a giant octopus trap pot. Hikoma, who has joined SMAT as a technical advisor, scoffs at the plan. Instead, he calls for a rice vinegar cannon which will extract salt from their bodies, which Hibiki approves, then asks Nana to dinner in front of Yuta.
Hikoma and Nana's date is going well until she receives a call that Takolla and Ikalla are attacking the Keihin Industrial Zone. SMAT’s Vinegar Shooters, mounted on two Jeeps, stun both monsters, but a third suddenly appears: Yuta’s crab, now grown into Kanilla. It cuts off two tentacles apiece from Takolla and Ikalla, shrugs off the Vinegar Shooters, and destroys both Jeeps with its swinging claws, though all four SMAT members fall clear of the explosions. Hibiki tries to convince Yuta and Hikoma to combine their intellects to defeat the monsters, but their hatred of each other is too strong. SMAT is soon distracted by Takolla and Ikalla’s severed tentacles, which are safe to eat and impossibly delicious. Yuta explains to Nana that the intended purpose of Setap Z is to end world hunger, not make monsters, but immediately ruins the moment by quipping that she'll get fat from eating too much monster meat.
Dishes prepared from the three monsters become a national obsession. Nana has a chance encounter with Niimi, who reveals that his invention is a giant robot, but explains it in too esoteric a way for her to understand. He also tries to explain that Yuta has a crush on her, but she walks away. She meets Hikoma at the same restaurant for another date, but seems less interested in him. This time, Yuta interrupts to berate them for enjoying monster meat when the destructive creatures are still at large and accuses Hikoma of creating them. However, his only proof is a picture of the coat in Hikoma’s locker, which matches that worn by the passerby who knocked him over. Hikoma makes a bet with him that whoever defeats the monsters can date Nana, which she finds ridiculous. Nana follows Yuta out of the restaurant, but he calls her a slut for dating Hikoma instead of admitting his feelings for her, and they depart furious with each other.
The next plan Yuta puts in front of SMAT is Operation Seafood Bowl: luring the monsters inside National Stadium, currently the site of the World Food Expo, to make them easier targets. Hikoma refuses to allow SMAT to use the Vinegar Shooters at first, but Nana convinces him otherwise. Hibiki allows Yuta to join SMAT for the operation. Yuta modifies the composition of the rice vinegar to be more effective, while Hikoma develops a new rocket launcher to pierce Kanilla’s shell.
Hikoma falls off a ladder while trying to clean the air conditioning filter and on top of Nana; Yuta overhears and attacks him, thinking that he's assaulting her. Nana explains the situation as Hikoma storms off, vowing revenge. All three monsters soon make landfall, with SMAT successfully luring them to the stadium with the Vinegar Shooters. Kanilla is unfazed by Hikoma’s rocket launchers, retaliating with a barrage of fireballs. Suddenly, the stadium’s sprinkler system comes to life, revitalizing Takolla and Ikalla. Nana and Yuta discover that Hikoma is the saboteur as Niimi arrives, offering the use of his giant robot, Jumbo Cook, to destroy the monsters. The Niimi Kitchenware building separates to reveal that its chef statue is really the robot’s head. Powered by salt-and-pepper rockets, Jumbo Cook flies into battle.
Hikoma rages against Yuta for overshadowing him, although it was he who perfected Setap Z, made the monsters, and designed the Vinegar Shooters. Jumbo Cook touches down in the stadium and begins to rout the monsters, but Hikoma hacks its controls as Takolla and Ikalla constrict it. Kanilla cuts off its right arm, which seemingly crushes Hikoma. Undaunted, Niimi activates the giant Japanese Knife Sword hidden in the remainder of the arm. A warning light flashes red on its chest, indicating that the machine is almost out of gas. Niimi finishes the fight blindfolded, using Jumbo Cook’s jets to spin its body and kill all three monsters with the sword.
National Stadium becomes a seafood bowl filled with the monsters’ remains. Three years later, Setap Z has spread throughout the Japanese ecosystem, mutating mosquitoes and the farm animals that they bite. With the mosquitoes a particular threat, it remains in development. Yuta, Nana, and Niimi visit Namiyoke Shrine once more to deliver a lobster, a sea urchin, and two globefish. A masked acolyte receives them, explaining that the chief priest is ill. He walks inside the shrine, where the chief priest is tied up, and reveals himself as Hikoma, laughing maniacally.
Staff
Staff role on the left, staff member's name on the right.
- Directed by Minoru Kawasaki
- Supervised by Masayuki Kusumi
- Written by Masakazu Migita, Minoru Kawasaki
- Based on a story by Eiji Tsuburaya (uncredited)[1]
- Executive producers Hiroyuki Fujita, Akinobu Goto, Wataru Suzuki, Takafumi Ohashi, Minoru Kawasaki, Minoru Iwabuchi
- Planned by Kenzo Ishiguro, Akitoshi Maeda, Akihiro Ito, Osamu Iwamura, Tatsuo Shibano
- Produced by Minoru Kawasaki, Shinichi Saguma
- Music by Kogi Asaka
- Cinematography by Makoto Matsuo
- Edited by Yuta Kawasaki
- First assistant director Shingo Amamiya
- Director of special effects Minoru Kawasaki
- First assistant director of special effects Yuichi Takayanagi
- Visual effects by Kentaro Hitomi, Yuta Kawasaki
Cast
Actor's name on the left, character played on the right.
- Keisuke Ueda as Yuta Tanuma
- Ayano Yoshida Christie as Nana Hoshiyama
- Yuya Asato as Shinjiro Hikoma
- Shojiro Yokoi as Shohei Nimi
- Reon Kurosaki as Kishida
- Gota Ihashi as Yamanaka
- Satoshi Kobayashi as Deputy Captain Koda
- Hikomaro as Gourmet reporter
- Paradise Yamamoto as Gyoza shop owner
- Ukulele Eiji as Drunk
- Kei Grant, Asato Izumi as Gyoza shop customers
- HEY! TakuChan as Oni Soba Fujiya owner
- Tomotaka Imamichi as Guitarist
- Yuichi Nango as Shigeo Nagashima
- Yasuhiro Takeda as Ibuki Gengoro
- KoreKore as Ingredients-stealing YouTuber
- Terumi Yoshida as Radio star
- Hide Fukumoto as Prime Minister Ube
- Tenshin Yamamoto as Chief Cabinet Secretary
- Toru Muranishi as Chef Nobuhiro Yamashita
- Eiichi Kikuchi as Minoru Hotta
- Masami Horiuchi as Dr. Junichiro Iwamura
- Ryo Kinomoto as Commander Hibiki
- Masayuki Kusumi
- Yuichi Okada as Takolla
- Ryu Hariken as Ikalla
- Yuya Sumikawa as Kanilla
- Hiroyuki Taniguchi as Jumbo Cook
Appearances
Monsters
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Weapons, vehicles, and organizations
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Development
Monster Seafood Wars was inspired by an 8mm film Minoru Kawasaki made as a student called Fut, in which "the tofu, meat, and green onion ingredients for sukiyaki were dropped into the Sumida River and turned into giant monsters, and they [were] destroyed on a baseball field."[6] Eiji Tsuburaya's pre-Godzilla proposal for a giant octopus film was also an influence.[1]
Production
Principal photography of Monster Seafood Wars took place in September 2019, while filming of special effects sequences began that October.[1]
Marketing
SciFi Japan published a preview of Monster Seafood Wars in September 2019, including concept art, an abbreviated cast and crew list, the influence of Eiji Tsuburaya on the project, and an English synopsis:
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Yuta, a young master at the Tsukiji Fish Market, accidentally drops his meal of mixed seafood into the Sumida River. Some time afterwards a gigantic mutated squid monster arises from the depths and begins to wreak havoc upon an awe-stricken Tokyo. Attempts by the Japan Self-Defense Forces to stop the creature prove futile. As it seems things couldn’t get any worse an enormous mutant octopus monster emerges from the deep and heads into a clash of the titans with the gargantuan squid!
As a last ditch effort, the government forms the “Seafood Monster Attack Team (SMAT)” and an all-new plan of attack is immediately put into action. But just as the tide appears to be turning in humanity’s favor, a colossal crab monster appears, joining in the Monster Seafood Wars and plunging the world into culinary chaos…
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A poster and complete cast list were revealed on March 12, 2020,[7] followed by a trailer on March 15.
Gallery
- Main article: Monster Seafood Wars/Gallery.
Alternate titles
- Three Monsters Gourmet (literal Japanese title; alternate English title)[8]
- Monster Gourmet (alternate English title)
- Monster Cuisine (alternate English title)[1]
- Monster SeaFood Wars (alternate English title)
Theatrical releases
- Japan - June 6, 2020
Video releases
Takeshobo Blu-ray + DVD (2020)[9]
- Region: A (Blu-ray) and 2 (DVD)
- Discs: 2
- Audio: Japanese
- Subtitles: Unknown
- Special features: Blu-ray: Audio commentary by Minoru Kawasaki, Keisuke Ueda, and Ayano Yoshida Christie; behind-the-scenes featurette (10-15 minutes); and trailer. DVD: Additional behind-the-scenes featurette (length unknown) and stage greetings (approximately 60 minutes). An acrylic stand is also included.
Takeshobo DVD (2020)[10]
- Region: 2
- Discs: 1
- Audio: Japanese
- Subtitles: Unknown
- Special features: Unknown
SRS Cinema VHS (2021)[5]
- Tapes: 1
- Audio: Japanese
- Subtitles: English
SRS Cinema Blu-ray (2021)[5]
- Region: N/A
- Discs: 1
- Audio: Japanese
- Subtitles: English
- Special features: Monster Seafood Wars trailer; still gallery; text of an interview with Minoru Kawasaki; additional trailers
SRS Cinema DVD (2021)
- Region: 1
- Discs: 1
- Audio: Japanese
- Subtitles: English
- Special features: Unknown
Manga adaptation
- Main article: Monster Seafood Wars (manga).
On September 30, 2019, a Monster Seafood Wars web comic illustrated by Nobuyuki Hori began being released through Web Comic Gamma. It concluded on April 20, 2020, after eight "episodes."
The full run was collected in paperback by Takeshobo on May 22, 2020, though all of the episode titles were changed.
Videos
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Trivia
- The Seafood Monster Attack Team is likely named after the Monster Attack Team from Return of Ultraman, though the former is spelled in katakana rather than kanji.
- Monster Seafood Wars may serve as an homage to the 1970 film Space Amoeba, as it features giant squid and crab monsters similar to Gezora and Ganimes. Promotional art for the film even seems to reference Space Amoeba's Japanese theatrical poster, with Ikalla flipping Kanilla over his head, similar to the poses made by Gezora and Kamoebas. In addition, Matt Frank's cover art for the SRS Cinema Monster Seafood Wars Blu-ray recalls the poster for the U.S. version, Yog, Monster from Space.
- In one concept illustration, the Seafood Monsters' appearances are based directly off anthropomorphic animal characters from two of director Minoru Kawasaki's previous films, The Calamari Wrestler (2004)[11] and Kani Goalkeeper (2006)[12].
- The Takolla creature suit will be reused in Den Ace Q, an upcoming film based on Minoru Kawasaki's titular Ultraman parody.
- Setap Z is reminiscent of Setupp X, which allowed humans to become kaiju-sized in the 2016 Minoru Kawasaki film Kaiju Mono.
- Hide Fukumoto also portrayed the Prime Minister of Japan in Monster X Strikes Back: Attack the G8 Summit. Both characters are parodies of Shinzo Abe.
- One of the SMAT Jeeps has a drawing of Kilroy on its side.
- The decorations at the restaurant where Yamanaka works on the side include a poster for the 1958 tokusatsu film Moonlight Mask - Duel to the Death in Dangerous Waters.
- The film's English tagline references the Mystery Science Theater 3000 version of the "Gamera March".
- The silhouette of Ikalla, along with other monsters, appears in the opening title sequence of the 2019 film Zillafoot, mimicking the opening of the original Ultraman series.
External links
References
This is a list of references for Monster Seafood Wars. 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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