Shē

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Godzilla's victory dance in Invasion of Astro-Monster, incorporating the shē pose
A happy moment.
„ 

— The Controller of Planet X, observing Godzilla's dance (Monster Zero)

The shē (シェー), also misspelled as shie,[1][2] was a recurring gag in Fujio Akatsuka's 1962-1969 manga series Osomatsu-kun, debuting in 1964. Consisting of a trademark pose and the nonsensical exclamation "shē!", it was performed by the character Iyami when surprised, and came to be both the character's signature move and catchphrase as well as a cultural phenomenon of 1960s Japan. Special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya famously incorporated the pose into a victory dance performed by Godzilla in the 1965 film Invasion of Astro-Monster, reinforcing a then-ongoing shift toward portraying the monster as a child-friendly hero. This dance has since been referenced in other Godzilla media, as well as the 2024 animated Ultra Series film Ultraman: Rising, where it is performed by the baby monster Emi.

The shē pose is characterized by a raised leg crossing over the other, one hand placed over the torso, and the other hand held over the head.

Development

The shē was devised by late manga artist Fujio Akatsuka and his staff for Osomatsu-kun. Though a pose similar to that of the shē had been performed by a guest character in the manga's October 20, 1963, issue the shē would not officially debut until a spring 1964 issue, where it was first performed by Iyami and accompanied by the eponymous exclamation.[3] According to Akatsuka's daughter Rieko, the shē pose was arrived at after numerous other discarded poses, and even after its creation, Akatsuka's staff were instructed to visit the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and perform the pose in front of visitors to gauge how it would be received. The reception was so positive that it was approved for the manga. The shē went on to be hugely popular in Japan in the 1960s, with Rieko commenting that, "If you were a [Japanese] kid in the 1960s, you probably have at least one photo in your albums of someone doing the shē."[4]

The shē's inclusion in Invasion of Astro-Monster was decided by special effects director Eiji Tsuburaya. Actor Yoshio Tsuchiya also took some measure of credit for the idea, due to his suggestions to Tsuburaya that Godzilla act humanlike.[5] Tsuburaya's cameraman Sadamasa Arikawa later recalled that he was "totally against it" and that Godzilla suit actor Haruo Nakajima "didn't want to do it either", but Tsuburaya insisted that it would "make the children happy." According to Arikawa, the scene also caused laughter and questions about the series' future when a rough cut was shown to the staff, and "Later on, fans told us that after the shē pose, Godzilla movies had changed in quality."[1]

Less than a month after the film's release the January 9, 1966, issue of Weekly Shonen Sunday (the magazine in which Osomatsu-kun was serialized) prominently featured a still of Godzilla striking the shē pose on the cover, and included an article compiling images of various celebrities performing the pose. Among them were Invasion of Astro-Monster stars Yoshio Tsuchiya, Kumi Mizuno, Nick Adams, and Keiko Sawai in their costumes from the film—accompanied by an illustrated backdrop of an alien planet and one of its residents in shē pose, as references to Planet X—as well as Godzilla himself, accompanied by an illustration of Iyami doing the pose in shock.[6]

History

Showa era

Invasion of Astro-Monster

After Godzilla and Rodan successfully drove King Ghidorah from Planet X, Godzilla repeatedly jumped in the air in victory.

Reiwa era

Godziban

"The Xilien Who Turned Red"

Following Godzilla-kun and Anguirus's defeat of Monster Zero, Godzilla-kun celebrated with a victory dance alongside Godzi Godzi Island's other residents.

"Special Training: Discus!"

When Minilla tossed a rock directly onto Godzilla-kun's toes, the latter began hopping in the air in pain, striking the shē pose as he did so.

Chibi Godzilla Raids Again

"Godzilla King Showdown"

To commemorate Godzilla Day, Chibi Godzilla held a quiz, jumping and striking the shē to begin. When the other chibi monsters reacted in confusion, he explained it as being the same pose Godzilla performed in Invasion of Astro-Monster, referred to in the English subtitles as the "Sheeh".

Video games

  • Godzilla (2014) - PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4
  • Godzilla Battle Line (2021; added in 2024) - Android, iOS, PC [Battle Memory]
  • GigaBash (2022) - PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch
  • DAVE THE DIVER (2022; added in 2024) - PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5 [figurine]

Godzilla

Godzilla performs the shē dance as an attack called "Jump Attack", which must be unlocked using one Anguirus Cell, one Jet-Jaguar Circuit Boards, one Mechagodzilla Parts, and 300 Evolution Energy, all obtained from Evolution Mode.[7]

GigaBash

The monster Rawa performs Godzilla's shē dance as part of the "King's Victory" taunt. Godzilla himself, added in a DLC, also does it in "Taunt 01," and it can additionally be performed by the Ultraman: Rising DLC character Emi.

DAVE THE DIVER

In the final mission of the Godzilla Content Pack DLC, Miki assigns the player to retrieve lost kaiju figurines, one of which is "Godzilla (1965)" in the shē pose.

Tabletop games

Battle Spirits

The "Godzilla [1965]" card, added in a 2016 booster pack, shows Godzilla in the shē pose. The card was later reissued in a 2019 starter deck, and an updated version was released in a 2023 booster.[8]

Godzilla: Tokyo Clash

The "Victory Pose" card in the Godzilla Deck shows Godzilla in the shē pose.

Comics

Godzilla: Monsters & Protectors - All Hail the King! #1

Godzilla performs the shē victory dance in an anti-littering sprite comic created by Cedric Nishimura.

Gallery

Merchandise

Miscellaneous

Trivia

External links

References

This is a list of references for Shē. 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]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Ryfle 1998, p. 124
  2. Ragone 2014, p. 95.
  3. "シェー" [Shē]. ja.wikipedia.org. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  4. "赤塚不二夫「娘が語る"シェー"誕生の瞬間」" [Fujio Akatsuka: The Moment the Shē Was Born, As Told by His Daughter]. Asagei Plus. 14 May 2013.
  5. Ryfle 1998, p. 128.
  6. @nezumikootoko (13 December 2016). "本日の一品は「週刊少年サンデー 昭和41年2号」
    http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e20...
    「シェー年賀状:牧伸二/林家三平/ゴジラ/藤田まこと/赤塚不二夫/長島茂雄/ほか」
    ゴジラの原爆シェー、な一品。
    #本日の一品"
    . X.
  7. "Godzilla - Evolution Mode [Playstation 3/Playstation 4]". Toho Kingdom. Retrieved 31 October 2024.
  8. "ゴジラ[1965]" [Godzilla [1965]]. Battle Spirits Wiki. Retrieved 31 October 2024.

Bibliography

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