Gamera

Template:Short description Template:For Template:Distinguish Template:Distinguish Template:Copy edit Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox character Template:Nihongo is a giant monster, or kaiju, that debuted in the 1965 film Gamera, the Giant Monster by Daiei Film. The character and the first film were intended to follow the success of Toho's Godzilla film series, while various staffs have participated in both and related franchises, and the two franchises have influenced each other.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Fangoria /> The Daiei franchise has become a Japanese icon in its own right and one of the many representatives of Japanese cinema,<ref name=Perfection /> appearing in a total of 12 films produced by Daiei Film and later by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Daiei Studio (Kadokawa Corporation) respectively, and various other media such as novels, anime, videos, manga and cartoons, magazines, video games, television programs, shows, other merchandises, and so on.

Gamera is depicted as a giant, flying, fire-breathing, prehistoric turtle. In the series' first film, Gamera is portrayed as an aggressive and destructive monster, though he also saved a child's life. As the films progressed, Gamera took on a more benevolent role, becoming a protector of humanity, especially children, nature, and the Earth from extraterrestrial races and other giant monsters.Template:Sfn

The Gamera franchise has been (both directly and indirectly) very influential in Japan and internationally.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Denner /> This is seen notably in the productions of the Daimajin and Yokai Monsters film franchises and influences on the entire tokusatsu genre, including the Godzilla franchise, and the domestic television industry.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Karasawa /> The franchise directly and indirectly contributed in starting of two influential social phenomena (the two "Kaiju Booms" (jp)(jp) and their successor "Yōkai / Kaiki Boom"), and Gamera and Daimajin franchises were part of the "Kaiju Booms".<ref name=Ono2018 /> Gamera and Daimajin and other related characters have been referenced and used in various topics, such as the naming of prehistoric turtles (Sinemys gamera (jp) and Gamerabaena), an algorithm to study plasma bubbles,<ref name=Williams>Template:Cite news</ref> and many others. 27 November is publicly referred as Template:Nihongo in Japan,<ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=Niigata /> and Gamera and related characters are used as mascots by the city of Chōfu.<ref name=AllAbout />

Despite its popularity and influence, expansion of the franchise and public recognition of the character<ref name=RebirthInterview3 /><ref name=Leap>Leap Event Technology, September 25, 2025, Gamera: 60 Years of The Kaiju Genre's Underdog</ref> were severely hindered by Daiei Film and its successors' (Tokuma ShotenTemplate:RefnTemplate:Refn and Kadokawa Corporation) precarious financial conditions,<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /> facing repeated copyright transfers of Daiei properties, failed global expansions despite featuring foreign casts,<ref name=IGN2022 /> diminished media attentions,<ref name=Perfection /> and cancellations of various projects escalated by controversial aspects of the highly acclaimed Heisei trilogy, and the competition against the Godzilla franchise.<ref name=Pearce>Sam Pearce, September 12, 2023, Review: Netflix's 'Gamera: Rebirth', The Cosmic Circus</ref> On the other hand, both franchises bear connections in productions and distributions, and their filmmakers and producers did not have senses of rivalry and have paid respects to each other.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=DestoroyahCompletion /><ref name=Fantasy /> Additionally, there had been failed attempts to produce a direct crossover, and a scrapped Gamera project served as one of predecessors of Godzilla (2014) by Legendary Pictures.<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom /><ref name=Plan01 />

Despite being a major film studio and Masaichi Nagata being a highly influential figure,Template:Refn Daiei Film was facing a dire fiscal condition and was suffering internal and external factors, including the decline of the film industry itself (even including Toho and its Godzilla franchise) from the competition against the rising television industry,<ref name=Romero /><ref name=Denner /> which was boosted by the 1964 Summer Olympics, a recession, and the aforementioned "Kaiju Booms" most notably Ultra Q and Ultraman where Nagata's attempt to save the film industry resulted in the governmental supports for kaiju and tokusatsu productions, and the booms were ironically shaped.<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /> Consequently, the original Gamera film became a black-and-white film.Template:Refn

Daiei Film's situation improved thanks to the Gamera franchise, which solely supported the company and its subcontractors until Daiei's bankruptcy in 1971.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Romero>Anthony Romero, April 5, 2004, The fall of Daiei Studios, Toho Kingdom</ref> On the other hand, not only budgets, schedules, ideas,Template:Refn and (both physical and human) resources, but also labor conditions continuously declined and impoverished remaining employees,Template:Refn leading to deteriorations of qualities and distributions, and to deaths of the actor Template:IllTemplate:Refn and a staff of Gamera vs. Jiger (1970).<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name="Kishi" /><ref name=Ono2018 /> A riot, losses of various materials and expertises, and disputes over the legal rights of the franchise (and Niisan Takahashi's isolation from all stakeholders) were evoked as the company was officially declared bankrupt, triggering further issues on subsequent situations by Tokuma Shoten.<ref name=YuasaInterview /><ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Overview

Conception

Template:See also The name Template:Nihongo derives from the Japanese kame ("turtle"), and the suffix -ra, a suffix shared by such other kaiju characters as Godzilla (Gojira) and Mothra.Template:Sfn Gamera's name was spelled Gamela on a French newspaper in the 1965 film, and Gammera in the title of Gammera the Invincible, the re-titled American release of the first film in the franchise, Gamera, the Giant Monster.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=dvdtalk>Template:Cite web</ref> The character was named by Masaichi Nagata, who pushed ahead the name to contend Godzilla, while other executives were against it for its resemblance to Godzilla, however others eventually didn't come up with any sufficient names for the turtle kaiju along with their reluctances to resist the president.<ref name=Treasured />

The original idea for Gamera was developed by Template:Ill,Template:Sfn Masaichi Nagata, Hidemasa Nagata, Niisan Takahashi,<ref name=BraveGuide /> and Noriaki Yuasa. The character was created as a property of the production company Daiei Film, and was intended to compete with the Godzilla film series, owned by rival studio Toho.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Prior to the idea of the flying turtle monster, there existed preceding concepts of an octopus kaiju called Template:NihongoTemplate:Refn and Template:Nihongo the rat monsters.<ref name=BraveGuide />Template:Refn These pre-Gamera projects resulted in failures by using live animals for filming, presumably due to the efforts to avoid the Toho-based tokusatsu techniques under the constraints from the Six-Company Agreement (Five-Company Agreement), which was led by Masaichi Nagata himself.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Karasawa />

There had been contradicting testimonies regarding the original conceptor and models of Gamera. Noriaki Yuasa believed it was Niisan Takahashi's idea, while Takahashi noted that he heard Masaichi Nagata came up with the idea of a "giant, flying turtle".Template:Refn There had also been rumors of "lewd turtles" as the model(s) of Gamera, either true stories or jokes, among Daiei staffs including Template:Ill.Template:Refn Alternatively, Template:Ill, a student of Eiji Tsuburaya and had repeatedly associated with Daiei Film and crews of the Gamera and other Daiei tokusatsu productions, claimed that the concept of Gamera originates in his demo reel, while Yonesaburo Tsukiji, another student of Tsuburaya, declared it was Hidemasa Nagata's idea.<ref name=Ushio>Template:Ill, 20 June 1999. Spectreman vs. Lion-Maru: Souji Ushio and P Productions, p.91, p.176, Ohta Publishing</ref>

File:Ddol-mangM.jpg

The Black Tortoise, a possible source of inspiration for Gamera.

Gamera's turtle-like design may have been inspired by the Black Tortoise, one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations in East Asian mythology.<ref name=kotz>Template:Cite web</ref> The Black Tortoise is known as Genbu in Japanese, and is usually depicted as a turtle entwined together with a snake.<ref name=kotz /> Each of the Four Symbols are said to act as guardians over each of the four cardinal directions: with the dragon Seiryu in the east, the tiger Byakko in the west, the bird Suzaku in the south, and the tortoise Genbu in the north.<ref name=kotz /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Gamera, the Giant Monster, the first film in the franchise, Gamera is depicted as awakening in the Arctic, the northernmost region on Earth.<ref name=kotz /><ref name=Spinning /> Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, the 11th film in the franchise, contains a scene featuring a book describing the Four Symbols, including Genbu.<ref name=kotz /> Before the character was officially referenced to the Black Tortoise in the 1999 film, designs and background stories of Gamera and Gyaos (jp) were also inspired by ancient Chinese aspects during the production of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe while the original script of the film, so-called "Konaka Gamera" focused more on the ancient India.<ref name=Perfection />

• Prior to Kazunori Ito's appointment, there existed two scripts for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, one by Chiaki and Template:Ill, the other by Template:Ill. The former has been expediently referred as "Konaka Gamera", which later became the basis for Gamera the Brave and Digimon Tamersby Toei Animation and Ultraman Tiga by Tsuburaya Productions, with additional influences on Gamera Rebirth,<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> had introduced ideas to refer kaiju to both ancient civilizations and deities.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Masaichi Nagata set the policy to make Gamera as the hero of children.<ref name=Ono2018 /> Gamera's characteristics as a hero who protects humanity and animals, his non-fauna diet, his emerging from the north,<ref name=Fantasy /> and his liking of light and nuclear explosions were also designed to differ from Godzilla having a hatred for humanity, man-made lights, and nuclear explosions. While Godzilla may represent a terror of nuclear war, Gamera was aimed to be a contrasting character,<ref name=Doland /> whom children can always believe in, as an antithesis to adults trying to manipulate children with nationalism and propaganda, based on Noriaki Yuasa's own traumatic experiences of pre and post-war situations as a child.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=YuasaInterview>Template:Cite web</ref> Hidemasa Nagata's intention to make the franchise child-friendly was also due to his desire to create positive emotional influences on child developments.<ref name=Treasured /> In addition, while a nuclear explosion played roles in both Godzilla and Gamera, the Giant Monster, the latter didn't symbolize it to illustrate negative aspects of the humanity unlike the Godzilla film.<ref name=YuasaInterview />

• As below-mentioned, all domestic film studios were forced to produce war propaganda films by the order of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces, and a number of filmmakers, including Masaichi Nagata and Eiji Tsuburaya were temporary purged after the World War II.<ref name=Ui /> The Cold War, which affected film productions such as both of Gamera and Godzilla franchises, Dr. Strangelove, and Fail Safe, used innocence of children as political tools.<ref name=Ono2018 />

Under Masaichi Nagata, Daiei Film distributed the re-released edition of King Kong in 1952 and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in 1954. The former was the first post-war release of monster films in Japan, and these distributions might have influenced productions of Godzilla and the Gamera franchise. Gamera, the Giant Monster depicted the titular monster to being awoken with a nuclear explosion in the Arctic who later destroys a lighthouse, akin to The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms. There also exist minor references to the novelization of King Kong, such as relationships between titular monsters and humans and pets of the same or related motif with the titular monsters. Subsequent Gamera films in Showa and Heisei eras also bear remembrances in plot to King Kong.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Noma /><ref name=Ui />

Template:Main In contrast to Godzilla in his earlier films with a concept to represent the "god of destruction", Daiei's filmmakers paid attentions to zoom in on Gamera to feature him as a character with personality, and his roars were designed to be emotional with several variations to depict his emotions. During the production of the 1965 film, Noriaki Yuasa and others "became fond of" Gamera, therefore they decided not to kill him and developed a friendly side of him. A number of crews and audiences initially did not favor the idea of Gamera becoming a hero, as kaiju were generally regarded to be fearsome beings at that time.<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=BraveGuide />

Yuasa and others didn't intend to make Gamera films to be "good in quality", but being "good in performances", by appealing to young audiences to aim for additional revenues; unlike today where sales of video and DVD also contribute, theater attendances were more important at that time, therefore child-friendly films were effective to attract additional audiences (accompanying adults), and margins between tickets for children and adults were recoverable with sales of merchandise and snacks and drinks.<ref name=Karasawa /> Filmmakers focused on how not to bore child audiences, and scenes depicting Gamera performing bizarre behaviors such as acrobatic (due to the popularity of the 1964 Summer Olympics)<ref name=YuasaInterview /> and musical acts (to play Template:Ill with the dorsal fins of Zigra), and daily life of people, such as having meals, were also inserted to attract attentions of children.<ref name=Karasawa />

Masaichi Nagata, who pushed ahead the production of Gamera, the Giant Monster, solely supported the film while others (including Noriaki Yuasa himself) anticipated it to flop since the beginning but couldn't resist Masaichi's authority and unwillingly changed their reviews, and even Yuasa was baffled with its unexpected success.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview />

Characteristics

File:角川大映スタジオ ガメラ - Panoramio 64715589.jpg

Gamera's illustration and items on display at the Kadokawa Daiei Studio office in Chōfu; the city features Gamera and related charactersTemplate:Refn and characters from (indirectly related) GeGeGe no Kitarō as mascots.<ref name=AllAbout>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=HotCorner />

Gamera resembles an enormous prehistoric turtle, and is capable of both bipedal movement and flight. He occasionally walks on all four legs in Showa films and Gamera the Brave in 2006. He has a pronounced crest on his head, his mouth contains rows of teeth, and two tusks protrude upward from each side of his lower jaw.<ref name=sequart>Template:Cite web</ref>

He can fly by means of "jets" which can be ignited out of his limb holes when he retracts into his shell.<ref name=deusner /> The jets allow Gamera to rise into the air and spin, propelling him forward.Template:Sfn In later films, he is shown to be able to fly with only his rear legs drawn inside his shell, allowing his front limbs more freedom.Template:Citation needed

Gamera's shell is presented as being incredibly resilient and strong (only ever being damaged by Guiron, Legion (jp), Iris, and Zedus), and can deflect projectiles such as missiles. His plastron (lower shell) is more vulnerable than his carapace (upper shell).

Gamera never feeds on any fauna or plant organisms, and exclusively relies on thermal energy, electricity, radiation, and other energy sources.Template:Refn<ref name=OFS1995 /> Using conventional weapons, even including nuclear weapons, against Gamera may also empower him instead,<ref name=OFS1995 /> although his durability may change on occasions.Template:Refn

All incarnations of the character have an affinity for humans (especially children) and nature, and protect them at all costs even by sacrificing themselves.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref name=BraveGuide /> They may also save animals, wildlife, yokai,<ref name=Minemori /> and innocent kaiju even if they are offspring of antagonists.Template:Refn On the other hand, they may get mistaken by the humanity as a threat, and may face hostilities despite their intentions to protect and befriend with the humanity.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Perfection />

All incarnations of the character possess several supernatural abilities, most notably telepathy, and others such as healing and reviving humans,<ref name=Vanishing /> understanding human speech, sensing antagonistic kaiju and extraterrestrial races from afar, sharing ancient memories with humans, using life forces (mana in the Heisei trilogy) for offensive and supplemental usages, and potential reincarnation.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Friend /><ref name=BravePamphlet /> Mystic depictions of monsters increased after the Heisei trilogy, and there have been additional powers exclusively performed in literatures by respective divine incarnations such as materialization and time manipulation.<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=HolyBeast /> The lore of Gamera the Brave also loosely connects Gamera to a deity with supernatural depictions,<ref name=Friend /> however his exact origin remains unclear with the sequels of the 2006 film being cancelled.<ref name=Perfection />

In canonical productions, the character has never been depicted to die precisely unlike fan fictions, Template:Ill and Gamera: The Last Hope;<ref name=Frank /> Gamera was artificially revived in the 1994 manga Giant Monster Gamera which serves as a substantial sequel to Gamera: Super Monster,<ref name=MangaBoys /> the "Gamera graveyard" represented in Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was regarded as the disposal site for defective flops to create the living Gamera,<ref name=Noma /> and Toto is speculated to be the reincarnation of Avant Gamera in Gamera the Brave.<ref name=Friend />

Template:Nihongo, as transformations of other kaiju, had appeared in several medias as antagonists,<ref name=Perfection /> and the cancelled 2006 anime by Yoshitomo Yonetani intended to introduce a corps of Template:Nihongo,<ref name=Yonetani /> aside from exoteric examples.Template:Refn

Showa

File:Turtle meat.png

Gamera's inconsistent rampages in the first two films, where the protagonist boy from the first film was the sole defender of the misunderstood monster, might have been due to 8,000 years of starvation and confusion after the entrapment by the Atlanteans, and he intentionally attacked humanity and lured military operations to feed on their thermal energies and electricity.<ref name=OFS1995 />

During the franchise's Shōwa era, Gamera was depicted as feeding on flammable substances, such as oil and fire.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn According to notes by frequent series director Noriaki Yuasa, Gamera's internal anatomy includes sacs which allow him to store oil, lava, coal, and uranium.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Gamera, the Giant Monster and Gamera vs. Barugon, extreme cold temperatures are shown to weaken Gamera, although he is capable of being active in the outer space and the deep ocean.Template:Sfn Gamera is also capable of performing additional feats including supernatural ones such as emitting electricity and electromagnetic waves,<ref name=Noma /> telepathy, and remote sensing. Additionally, he has a high intelligence which is used to outsmart antagonists, to tactically use artificial objects, to behave cautiously to mind humans, and to repair an alien spaceship. Gamera's intention behind bizarre displays including acrobatic and musical acts in later filmsTemplate:Refn was presumably to calm and entertain children.<ref name=OFS1995 />

The original 1965 film, Gamera, the Giant Monster, depicts Gamera's origins as being a result of United States military fighters launching an attack on enemy bombers (presumably belonging to the Soviet Union), which causes the detonation of an atomic bomb on board one of the aircraft. The nuclear blast releases Gamera from a state of suspended animation in the ice. Meanwhile, a Japanese research team stumbles upon an Inuit tribe in possession of an ancient stone etching that depicts a giant turtle, which the tribe refers to as "Gamera".Template:Sfn

His exact origin was not verified aside from his association with the ancient civilization of the Atlantis,<ref>Stephen Miller, 15 June 2023, Gamerathon: Gamera: The Giant Monster,</ref> while he was potentially known to the inhabitants on the Mu continent because of his fights against Jiger back then, as the civilization had been troubled by the parasitic monster.<ref name=OFS1995 /> The Inuit fear of Gamera and his confinement in the Arctic, contrary to his heroic personality and favor of thermal energy, was presumably due to his entrapment by the Atlanteans and inherited memories of their ancestors to mistake him as a threat, along with the loss of records by Atlanteans after the demise of the ancient civilization.<ref name=OFS1995 />

His incongruous ferocity in Gamera, the Giant Monster and the beginning of Gamera vs. Barugon was presumably due to an uncontrollable starvation and confusion after 8,000 years of hibernation caused by the entrapment by the Atlanteans,Template:Refn and Gamera's rampage against humanity was only to feed on thermal energy and electricity. He learned of modern human technology through the atomic bomb explosion, and his attacks on cities were also to lure military operations so that he could feed more on thermal energy of weapons. The protagonist boy (Toshio) in the 1965 film kept claiming that Gamera was not villainous but had been misunderstood by the humanity because of his hunger and loneliness. Gamera's uncontrollable appetite was gradually satisfied, and he regained his natural calmness as the films progressed, and began saving the humanity voluntarily.<ref name="OFS1995">OMEGA Flying Squadron, Template:Ill (issuer), Noriaki Yuasa (adviser), Niisan Takahashi (adviser), Template:Ill (adviser), 1995, Gamera is Strong!, pp.18–25, pp.32–35, pp.36–39, pp.82–87, pp.108–109, pp.132–133, pp.166–167, pp.186–187, pp.194–197, Tokuma Shoten</ref>

• Gamera in the first film was originally planned to "cry" to cause child audiences to feel pity, sorrow, and sympathy towards the kaiju.<ref name=Treasured /> The second and the exceptional Showa installment, Gamera vs. Barugon depicted Gamera as an antihero in general, however it was originally planned to insert a scene for Gamera to save people from Barugon's freezing breath.<ref name="OFS1995" />

The incarnation of the character appeared in Gamera: Super Monster (1980) was depicted to be potentially a different individual from the previous films where the film itself is a new story, and a normal pond slider was magically turned into a kaiju by the spacewomen, a group of supernatural female aliens. At the end of the film, Gamera sacrificed himself to destroy the Zanon, the spaceship of the antagonists. While the 1994 manga Giant Monster Gamera depicted this as Gamera's fate, Gamera was resurrected by the descendants of Atlanteans with ancient technology of Atlantis, gaining characteristics of the Heisei trilogy Gamera, and was sent back to the ancient period to change the history to prevent his own demise, as well as to save and monitor humanity.<ref name=MangaBoys>Kenichiro Terasawa (jp), Hurricane Ryu, 1994, Giant Monster Gamera, Gekkan Manga Boys, November 1994 – February 1995, Tokuma Shoten.</ref>

Heisei trilogy

In the franchise's Heisei period, which began with the 1995 reboot film Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, Gamera's in-universe origins were changed. In the Heisei films, Gamera is portrayed as an ancient, bio-engineered creature from Atlantis, created for the purpose of defending the people of Atlantis from Gyaos (ギャオス), a bat-like creature which breathes a destructive supersonic beam to attack.<ref name=sequart />Template:Sfn Human researchers find Gamera floating in the Pacific Ocean, encased in rock, and mistaking him for an atoll.<ref name=Ebert>Template:Cite web</ref> Within the rock, they discover a large monolith explaining Gamera's origins, along with dozens of magatama made from orichalcum, which allow for a psychic link between Gamera and humans. In Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, an undersea graveyard containing numerous Gamera-like fossils is shown. While this may suggest that the Gamera was not the only one of his kind, one character in the film refers to these fossils as "beta versions" of Gamera, possible failures in Atlantis' attempts to create the final version.

This iteration of Gamera has retractable claws within his elbows,<ref name=sequart /> and is shown to be able to shoot plasma fireballs from his mouth.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gamera has also been shown as being able to absorb mana from the Earth,Template:Sfn to fire a plasma beam from his chest, and to manipulate energy to create a pseudo arm composed of fire to destroy a foe. Within the first and the third films of the trilogy, Gamera magically healed harmed humans including reviving temporarily deceased or nearly dead individuals, although he was unable to revive humans whose corpses were physically destroyed.<ref name=Vanishing /> In the 2003 comic, he was depicted to be supernaturally capable of triggering eruptions in volcanoes.<ref name=Kondo>Kazuhisa Kondo, 25 December 2003, Template:Ill, p.55, p.232, pp.237–238, KADOKAWA</ref> Within the comic book adaptation of the 1999 film by Kazunori Ito and Template:Ill, who had also published another Gamera manga Gamera vs. Morphos in 1999, Gamera performed extreme regeneration to restore his head from mimicked plasma fireballs by Iris, and defeated the antagonist with either an empowered fire blast or fireball instead of the "vanishing fist".<ref>Template:Ill, Kazunori Ito (story), 1999, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, Vol. April 1999, p.301, Shogakukan</ref> In Gamera vs. Morphos, Gamera performed additional abilities including telepathy without a magatama, an earthquake, and a powerful fireball with himself glowing red, akin to the "Toto impact" in Gamera the Brave.

Gamera the Brave

The franchise was rebooted a second time with the 2006 film Gamera the Brave, the 12th entry in the film series. This incarnation was modeled after the African spurred tortoise, and also possesses supernatural traits<ref name=BraveGuide /> such as instant growth, telepathy, comprehending human speech, sensing and foreseeing emerging evil monsters from afar, and reincarnation.<ref name=BravePamphlet /><ref name=Friend>Template:Ill, Ryuta Tasaki (supervisor), 8 May 2006, Friend: Gamera the Brave, pp.114-115, pp.209–215, pp.217–218, p.236, pp.289–298, pp.305–307, Enterbrain</ref> Gamera's origin is unclear, while a top scientist was utterly shocked with the virtual replica of Gamera's cells and consequently committed a suicide,<ref name="HardLink">Template:Ill, Jun Yanagisawa, Shinji Yamaguchi, Template:Ill (Issuer), 28 April 2006, Gamera 2006: Hard Link, pp.132–135, Kadokawa Shoten</ref> and Gamera has been referred to sacred entities; one of scientists described the kaiju as a deity, and some of villagers saved by Avant Gamera kept the red pearlsTemplate:Refn as amulets and called the objects as "fragments of the guardian angel"; the items became a center of public attentions and brought economic effects, and significantly contributed in the reconstruction of the region.<ref name=Friend /> Stranger children were driven by incomprehensible instincts to carry the red stone to Gamera; they somehow knew the term "Toto" and the importance of delivering it to Gamera. With the light from the stone, children also "recalled" and understood the ancient period before their births, and understood what Gamera is. Gamera (Toto) also somehow performed a judo technique which was a specialty of one of the protagonist boys presumably through telepathy.<ref name=Friend /> Governmental officials and scientists try to use him as a weapon against villainous kaiju while protagonists try to save him.<ref name=BraveGuide /> Gamera and Gyaos were designed to be much smaller yet heavier than previous incarnations,<ref name=BraveGuide /> corresponding with the "Konaka Gamera" script for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe which became the basis for the 2006 film.Template:Refn

The opening scene of the film, set in 1973, depicts the original Gamera, called "Avant Gamera", sacrificing himself by means of self-destruction to save a coastal village from four Gyaos.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=midnighteye>Template:Cite web</ref> 33 years later, a young boy named Toru Aizawa finds a glowing heart-shaped rock near his home, with a small egg lying on top of it.<ref name=midnighteye /><ref name=Aiken>Template:Cite web</ref> A baby turtle hatches from the egg, and begins to grow in size at an alarming rate. The turtle, dubbed "Toto" by Toru after his own nickname by his deceased mother,<ref name=BraveGuide /> quickly forms a bond with the boy and develops the ability to breathe fire and fly.<ref name=Aiken /> After consuming the glowing rock found with his egg, Toto fully transforms into the next incarnation of Gamera,<ref name=Friend /> gaining the power to defeat a lizard-like monster known as Zedus. Zedus was once a normal reptile, but turned into a kaiju by feeding on Gyaos' corpse, and was presumably controlled by the vengeful spirits of the villainous flying creatures.Template:Sfn<ref name=BravePamphlet>Akihiko Kikawa, Junichi Nakamura, 2006, "これはびっくり!! 大怪獣ガメラ完全解剖図" and "やっぱりびっくり!! 海魔獣ジーダス完全解剖図", Official film pamphlet of Gamera the Brave, Kadokawa</ref>

In one of novelizations, additional mutants spawned from Gyaos cells made appearances, including Space Gyaos, Barugon,Template:Refn Viras, Guiron, Jiger and its offspring, and Zigra, and Toto fought against a legion of these kaiju.<ref name=Friend />

Gamera Rebirth

Gamera Rebirth, the first installation in the Reiwa era introduced monsters' characteristics to represent not only homages to previous films but also some of unused ideas of previous films and scrapped projects. All kaiju in this series are artificial life forms created by ancient civilizations for warfare and to control the overpopulation of humanity.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> This incarnation of Gamera was also originally created for mass-massacres, however he was re-programmed by a rebellious figure to become the protector of civilians from other kaiju. During the downfalls of ancient civilizations, Gamera presumably stood against 24 different kaiju to protect the humanity.<ref name="RebirthNovel2">Template:Ill, Jin (jp), 25 May 2024, Gamera Rebirth Official Novelization Part 2, pp.27–28, p.311, p.318, Kadokawa</ref>

While previous incarnations of the character possessed affinities to elements most notably fire, electricity, plasma energy, electromagnetic pulse, and jamming,<ref name=Noma /> Gamera in Gamera Rebirth further expanded combat attributes to include gravitation, an energy shield, and baryon.Template:Refn This incarnation also possesses several supernatural traits such as telepathy, a psychic link with humans, interfering mental contact by other kaiju on humans, bestowing a power to sense presence of other kaiju on children, and his name itself contains a power to somehow encourage specific children and makes humans to feel that the name "Gamera" is the correct one.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref name="RebirthNovel1">Template:Ill, Jin (jp), 2023, GAMERA -Rebirth- Official Novelization Part 1, p.82, pp.99–102, p.107, p.141, p.182, pp.196–197, pp.251–252, pp.268, KADOKAWA</ref>

Gamera appeared to protect children from other monsters trying to feed on children and other humans. Through battle, Gamera was severely damaged and nearly died. During the battle against S-Gyaos, an enormous Gyaos mutant who fed on Viras' corpse, Gamera was injected with specific RNA viruses to reprogram him for the original usage. However, Gamera managed to regain his consciousness by willpower and a telepathic link with a boy. To prevent himself from being enslaved for carnage, Gamera sacrificed himself to destroy the Moonbase of the antagonists, the descendants of nobles of an ancient civilization who were using kaiju. Using all of his remaining power for the planet-penetrating Charged Baryon Cannon, the "Moon Buster", Gamera dissolved into ashes, leaving behind an egg for the new incarnation of Gamera who strongly resembles Toto from the 2006 film.<ref name=RebirthArtbook>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=RebirthNovel2 />

Others

There have been multiple other incarnations of the character appeared in various other media from novelizations to manga and video games.

The origin of the Gamera appeared in the 1995 novel Gamera vs. Phoenix by Niisan Takahashi, which was redeveloped from a script for a cancelled film in 1994,<ref name=DaieiScripts>1956–2006 『大映特撮の世界』篇</ref> is unclear. Showa era Gamera defeated villainous kaiju like in previous films while the "new" Gamera who emerged from underneath the Nazca Lines possessed characteristics of the 1995 film Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. This "new" Gamera initially attacked chemical plants all over the world, resulting in hostility from humanity, though his intention was to prevent an oncoming catastrophe caused by environmental degradations and to warn humanity. After sealing the Phoenix, an immortal but suicidal, fiery entity constantly suffering due to its immortality, the new Gamera sacrificed himself to save the Earth from further destruction caused by harmful sunlight triggered by air pollution, following a similar fate as the Phoenix where both monsters cannot die for the sake of the planet which was damaged by humanity.<ref name=Perfection />

The incarnation of the character, the "Black Tortoise", appeared in Template:Nihongo, a spin-off novelization of the 2021 film The Great Yokai War: Guardians by Takashi Miike, was uniquely portrayed to be an actual goddess. This incarnation was capable of various supernatural abilities such as materialization, human speech, and making yokai and humans they have known her since childhood even if it is their first encounter with her. In spirit-like form, she appeared from Mount Ooe and surrounding mountains north of Heian-kyō (Kyoto) and manifested a physical form and battled Nue, a gigantic yokai being empowered by vengeful Abe no Seimei to save the world from antagonistic humans and yokai. Gamera overwhelmed and severely weakened Nue with her fireballs and spinning jet, and left the rest to yokai and humans so they could fulfill their destiny, and secretly disappeared (dematerialized).<ref name=Minemori />

• While Gamera was previously mentioned in Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005), the 2021 film and its novels were the first direct appearances of Gamera and Daimajin in the Yokai Monsters franchise, where Miike's attempt to revive Daimajin<ref name=EigaHiho2007 /> was cancelled due to the box office result of Gamera the Brave, but was instead redeveloped as Daimajin Kanon.<ref name=Nezura1964 /> The settings of the novel were presumed references to classic Daiei films such as The Demon of Mount Oe (1960), and GeGeGe no Kitarō, and lyrics of Template:Ill, Template:Ill, The Myth (ja), and GeGeGe no Kitarō's Song (ja) were used during the battle between Gamera and Nue.

The presence of the "Black Tortoise" was also confirmed in the 2015 novel Template:Nihongo, a tribute to Masaichi Nagata and his Nichiren-themed films. The author Template:Ill has published literatures about Gamera and Daimajin,<ref name="HardLink" /><ref name="Fantasy" /> and has participated in both Daimajin Kanon and Gamera Rebirth; his attempt to revive the franchise was also redeveloped as the 2015 anniversary short film.<ref name="CGWORLD" /><ref name="RebirthArtbook" /> In this novel, Barugon and Jiger directly appeared as the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, respectively. Each monster is a spiritual and sacred entity, being regarded as deities with supernatural powers such as telepathy, weaponizing the weather, energy beams, levitation, and time manipulation. These monsters choose specific humans as summoners and form supernatural links with them through magatamas, and bestow them superpowers. The chosen ones can summon materialized monsters to perform tremendous feats, however, if summoners use monsters for destructive deeds, the world would be spiritually poisoned and requires other members of the Four Symbols (and their chosen ones) to purify. Nichiren, the current summoner of the Black Tortoise who was also bestowed abilities including a time manipulation, tried to restore the world after the battle of Barugon and Jiger during the Mongol invasions of Japan.<ref name="HolyBeast">Template:Ill, 2015, 聖獣戦記 白い影, p.294-305, 怪獣文藝の逆襲, Kadokawa</ref>

Gamera made several appearances in the two tokusatsu television series Template:Ill and Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight series (Ver.1.0, Ver.1.3, 2: Revenge of the Empire) in 1995 and 1996 (as a "Capsule Monster" in the 1996 video,<ref name=Perfection /> presumably based on similarly styled characters from Ultra Seven, which later inspired Pokémon.<ref>MAG MIX (jp), 19 September 2020, 『ウルトラセブン』で活躍の「カプセル怪獣」…その魅力はポケモンにも影響?</ref><ref>MAG MIX (jp), 30 September 2023, 「ポケモン」を生んだ? 『ウルトラセブン』カプセル怪獣のたまらない可愛さ</ref> Noriaki YuasaTemplate:Refn directed a related 1996 video Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight 2: Revenge of the Empire and appeared in it as the character "Dr. Yuasa", making it his posthumous work. Hurricane Ryu, who was also working for the 1994 manga Giant Monster Gamera, played Gamera in the video.<ref name=HurricaneRyu>Hurricane Ryu, 14 June 2020, 本日は昭和ガメラでおなじみ湯浅憲明監督の御命日。, Twiiter (X)</ref>

In the 2015 short film to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the franchise,<ref name=WebNewType /> Gamera saved a boy from a swarm of Gyaos attacking Tokyo and incinerated them with a powerful fire blast. A decade later, another monster appeared in Tokyo to cause havoc, and the boy again witnessed Gamera return to fight it.

Within the USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari series by Natsuhiko Kyogoku, in which multiple Kadokawa stakeholders, Daiei (Kadokawa)-related characters,Template:Refn and characters from GeGeGe no Kitarō made cameo appearances as unsubstantial entities along with various other characters from multiple different franchises.Template:RefnTemplate:Refn<ref name=Kyogoku />

Relationship with Godzilla

Overview

Both Gamera and Godzilla franchises have played significant roles in expanding modern culture in Japan, influenced various other productions, and influenced each other on various occasions.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Denner /> Both along with other tokusatsu productions, most notably Daimajin and Tsuburaya's Ultra Q and Ultraman franchises, formed the Template:Ill, which became the basis for the Template:Ill and the Yōkai / Kaiki Boom.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=KaijuYokai>Template:Ill, 25 February 2021, 妖怪に息づく怪獣王ゴジラの遺伝子 – 後編　怪獣化する妖怪、妖怪化する怪獣, Media Arts Current Contents, Agency for Cultural Affairs</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite the restraints by the Six-Company Agreement, which was led by Masaichi Nagata himself, the success of Daiei Film's own Gamera prompted non-Toho kaiju productions. This, and Masaichi's contributions in the launching of the Japanese Film Export Promotion Association, encouraged the Japanese government to value kaiju and tokusatsu productions for exports,<ref name=Futaesaku /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /> and the First Kaiju Boom became a social phenomenon with notable influences on modern popular cultures in Japan.<ref name=Karasawa />

Daiei Film's objective was not to surpass the Godzilla franchise, but to coexist with it, and the Gamera franchise achieved differentiation from Toho productions, gained popularity notably among children, and rivaled the Godzilla franchise.<ref name=Karasawa>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Yanagita /><ref name=AllAbout />

Especially by global<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=Pearce /> and post-Daiei domestic perspectives,<ref name=Vanishing /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> Gamera has often been described as a cheap, uncool, and inferior rip-off of Godzilla,Template:Sfn<ref name=deusner>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Denner /> and such impressions along with declined public recognitions<ref name=RebirthInterview3 /><ref name=Leap /> and limited advertisements and media attentions<ref name=Perfection /> have negatively affected the franchise most notably on box office results of post-Daiei productions, furtherly hindering revival attempts by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Corporation.<ref name=Vanishing /><ref name=KanekoDiary /><ref name=Perfection />

On the other hand, Masaichi Nagata's intention to explore potentials for giant monster films began with the releases of King Kong and The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, and potentially influenced the production of Godzilla (1954), aside from Eiji Tsuburaya and others' early associations with Nagata and Daiei Film prior to their eventual returns to Toho; they participated in Japan's first post-war science fiction tokusatsu films by Daiei with their intentions to join the company, and Godzilla franchise was later launched. Following the Gamera-related Warning from Space (1956) which was the first-colored tokusatsu film in Japan,Template:Refn Daiei produced its first kaiju film The Whale God in 1962,Template:RefnTemplate:Refn and the company's attempt to create its own monster franchises resulted in the failures of the aforementioned Dagora and Nezura presumably to avoid using Toho-based techniques and styles for the Six-Company Agreement led by Masaichi Nagata himself; its aftermath triggered additional issues on the near-bankrupt company, and "Gamera" was instead produced eventually.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Tajima /><ref name=Ushio /><ref name="Tomoi" /> As below-mentioned, both franchises various stakeholders in productions, and Toho has distributed Daiei productions including the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref name=Shiraishi />

Godzilla films including later Showa films,<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Ryfle /><ref name=Scified />Template:Refn Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994),<ref name=Biodrowski /> Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995),<ref name=Biodrowski>Steve Biodrowski, 20 November 2004, Godzilla Director Masaaki Tezuka Interview, Hollywood Gothique</ref> Godzilla 2000 (1999),<ref name=Scified>G. H. (Gman), 15 March 2014, Remember When Godzilla "Ripped Off" Gamera?, Scified</ref><ref name=Biodrowski /> Godzilla vs. Megaguirus (2000),<ref name=Scified /><ref>Toho, 2000, SPECIAL EDITION ゴジラ×メガギラス―G消滅作戦, 東宝SF特撮映画シリーズ, pp.10–12, "Main Staff Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama"</ref> Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack (GMK) (2001), Shin Godzilla (2016),<ref name=Ono2018 /> Godzilla Minus One (2023),<ref name=CinemaToday>Template:Cite web</ref> and MonsterVerse series by Legendary Pictures have been pointed out to be influenced by Showa Gamera films and Shusuke Kaneko's Heisei Gamera trilogy and GMK.<ref name=Kinema>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Eiga>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>BANGER, 2019, ネタバレ全開！ 徹底解説『ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ』は「平成ガメラ」から「ストレンジャー・シングス」までオマージュだらけだ!!</ref> Gamera was represented within a concept art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters,<ref name=Bernstein /><ref name=Peters>Megan Peters, 4 June 2019, Godzilla: King of the Monsters Art Book Reveals Gigan, Classic Kaiju Designs, ComicBook.com</ref> and Kaneko himself acknowledges similarities between his films and MonsterVerse films<ref name=Kinema /><ref name=Eiga /> where the scrapped 2011 project Gamera 3D by Yoshimitsu Banno served as one of predecessors of the 2014 film Godzilla.<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom /><ref name=Plan01>Plans01 of Advanced Audiovisual Productions Inc.</ref> According to Jared Krichevsky, "Shimo" appeared in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire was partially inspired by Barugon.<ref name=Krichevsky>Jared Krichevsky, 2 April 2024, i did try a version that was based on this one yes, it wasn't selected but it did lead to the final version of Shimo, X (Twitter)</ref> Shusuke Kaneko used some aspects of Showa Gamera and his Heisei Gamera trilogy for GMK such as "submarine within kaiju's body" from Gamera vs. Jiger, and Kaneko reused ideas which he originally wanted for the Heisei trilogy and its cancelled sequel(s).<ref name=Ono2018 />

Eiji Tsuburaya depicted Godzilla to be more heroic and to bleed in later Showa films despite disliking bleeding kaiju, and having avoided this in previous Showa films due to his belief in Christianity.<ref name=OFS1995 /> Later Showa Godzilla films featured more child-friendly aspects, emotional interactions between kaiju and children,<ref name=Otakuma /> introducing theme songs,Template:Refn depicting kaiju as characters than monsters with increased scenes to zoom in on kaiju, increasing the number of scenes involving kaiju, and adding more fancifully designed kaiju. Yoshimitsu Banno, who later planned to direct Gamera 3D,<ref name=Joblo /> made Godzilla to flyTemplate:Refn in his Godzilla vs. Hedorah.Template:Refn<ref name=Yanagita>Template:Ill, 3 November 2021, 『ゴジラ』公開から67年目の今日、考えたい。ゴジラとガメラが戦ったら、勝つのはどっちだ?, Template:Ill, Yahoo! Japan Corporation</ref> These later Showa Godzilla films were presumably influenced by Gamera.<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=BraveGuide>ASCII Media Works, 2006, Gamera the Brave Official Guide Book, p.13, p.19, p.25, p.32, pp.36–38, pp.42–44, pp.50–57, pp.62–66</ref><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Scified /><ref name=Otakuma>Template:Cite web</ref> The creations of Minilla (a child-friendly son of Godzilla) and Kamoebas (jp), Toho's own turtle kaiju, were also possibly influenced by the Gamera franchise where possible references between the two turtle kaiju had been made in later Godzilla productions.<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Ryfle>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Fuentes /><ref name=MonsterApocalypse /> On the other hand, Toto in the 2006 film Gamera the Brave in return bears physical and conceptual similarities to Minilla, Godzilla Junior in the 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, and Daigoro vs. Goliath by Toho and Tsuburaya Productions.<ref name=Perfection /> While Gamera the Brave re-used the original script of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, which also affected productions of Digimon Tamers and Ultraman Tiga, the plot of the 2006 film was also influenced by the Heisei Mothra trilogy where crews such as Template:Ill had participated in both productions.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=NEC>Template:Cite web</ref>

Ishiro Honda highly praised the 1967 film Gamera vs. Gyaos, pleasing Niisan Takahashi greatly and freeing him from his feeling of inferiority towards the Godzilla franchise, and Honda suggested Takahashi to work together in the future.<ref name=Fantasy /> There was a failed attempt to produce a Daimajin film involving Honda in 1980s,<ref>Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, 2017, Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa, p.285, Wesleyan University Press</ref><ref name=Sloss>Steven Sloss, 2023, Idol Threat: Daimajin's Colossal Cultural Footprint, Arrow Films</ref> and Takahashi later sent his script for the cancelled 1994 film, which later became the basis of the novel Gamera vs. Phoenix, to several tokusatsu film makers including Honda; however, despite Honda's encouragement, Takahashi's attempt failed to materialize.<ref name=Stuart>Galbraith IV, Stuart, 2020, Gamera vs. Gyaos Audio Commentary, 01:25:02, Arrow Video</ref><ref name=DaieiScripts />

• On the other hand, Honda himself was among those (such as Yukiko Takayama) who were concerned with Godzilla's transition into a heroic and child-friendly character and emphasized the importance to stay loyal to its original concept to represent fears and destructions, where the franchise also faced financial difficulties to continue destructions of urban areas by Godzilla and other monsters.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> As aforementioned, the Japanese film industry itself was declining and resulted in bankruptcies of major companies most notably Daiei Film and Shintoho (which originated in Toho), and this was also due to the recession of Japanese economy at that time, and the competition against the rising television industry, which was ironically boosted by the two "Kaiju Booms" (jp)(jp) involving Eiji Tsuburaya and other stakeholders from both Gamera and Godzilla franchises, while the two franchises had significant influences on these television productions.<ref name=Romero /><ref name=Denner /> Following the temporal hiatus of the Toho franchise after Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975) for decreased box office results,<ref name=IGN2022 /> its Heisei era installments beginning with The Return of Godzilla (1984) rebooted the monster with more original-esque characterizations.

The Six-Company Agreement led by Masaichi Nagata prevented other companies from easily chasing after the success of Toho, and the Godzilla franchise didn't have notable competitors until the Gamera franchise; the agreement ironically made Daiei Film's own Dagora and Nezura to fail by using live animals (octopuses and rats) to avoid the Toho-style, and Daiei Film changed the direction for Gamera, the Giant Monster. As below mentioned, non-Toho kaiju productions suddenly increased after Daiei's The Whale God and early Gamera films, which were produced under Masaichi Nagata, and the aforementioned Template:Ill became an influential social phenomenon among post-war Japanese popular cultures.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Ono2018 />

• Masaichi Nagata's intentions to save the declining domestic film industry including the Godzilla franchise,<ref name=Romero /> and to export "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" productions for global markets also influenced the castings of later Showa Gamera films. Involvements of foreign cast members and enhanced childish direction began in Gamera vs. Viras due to requests from global buyers, because of governmental attempt to acquire foreign currencies<ref name=Futaesaku>Masamitsu Futaesaku, 11 February 2023, 【なぜゴジラやガメラはアメリカで支持された?】日本の怪獣映画が受け入れられた知られざる背景とは?, Template:Ill, Yahoo! Japan Corporation</ref> and to support struggling Japanese film industries of that time,<ref name=Romero /> (Nagata had previously tried to export Japanese films to support the post-war reconstruction of the Japanese economy in early 1950s),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> partially due to the recession of Japanese economy and the prosperity of television including Tsuburaya's Ultraman<ref name=Denner /> by increasing film exports to global market;<ref name=Fantasy /> ironically the success of the Gamera franchise indirectly contributed in this situation and the arise of the "Yokai Boom" for cost-effectiveness.<ref name=Ono2018 /> Template:Nihongo was established, and Gamera vs. Gyaos obtained a loan from the association.<ref name=Fantasy /> The establishment of the association was largely influenced by Masaichi, who was also called as the Template:Nihongo for his connections with political circles.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequent kaiju and tokusatsu films, not only Gamera vs. Gyaos and Wrath of Daimajin and other Daiei Film productions such as critically acclaimed Botan Dōrō and The Snow Woman, but also various others such as Gappa: The Triphibian Monster and The X from Outer Space by Eiji Tsuburaya's team, obtained tax-based loans from the association.<ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle />
  • Despite positive reviews and domestic popularities of these (tokusatsu and non-tokusatsu) films, many of their exports, even including tokusatsu productions, ended up in deficits mostly due to culturally unfamiliar themes (even yokai) akin to the previous situations of Daiei's acclaimed literary movies such as Nagata's Rashomon. However, while Nagata's intention to save the industry wasn't rewarded in a broad perspective, kaiju and kaijin productions were among few exceptions and succeeded to gain global fan bases. Nagata was later entitled as the Template:Nihongo for his contributions to the domestic film industry. On the other hand, Nagata's efforts also contributed in the launching of the "Kaiju Booms", which itself involved participants from Gamera and Godzilla franchises. The booms played important roles in the rise of the television industry, and this new industry became the biggest competitor of the film industry and caused its decline, including Daiei itself.<ref name=Tanigawa>Takeshi Tanigawa, August 2014, 海外輸出向けコンテンツとしての怪獣映画と日本映画輸出振興協会（輸振協）の活用, International Research Center for Japanese Studies</ref><ref name=Cercle>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Futaesaku /><ref name=Romero /><ref name=Denner />

Joint appearances

Although the two franchises have often influenced and referenced each other and there existed attempts to conduct direct crossovers,<ref name=MagMix /><ref name=BraveGuide /> Gamera and Godzilla have never met onscreen officially as of 2025.<ref name=Fangoria>Template:Cite web</ref>

During the production of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1995, Template:Ill, the founder of Tokuma Shoten, expressed his interest in producing Godzilla vs. Gamera and proposed a crossover to Toho, however this attempt failed to materialize, and Yasuyoshi's death in 2000 and the financial situation of Tokuma Shoten eventually resulted in the disposal of Daiei Film properties,<ref name=Nikkei /> along with the cancellation of "Gamera 4" due to box office results and limited revenues of the trilogy that were caused by multiple factors,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> the destruction scenes by Gamera in Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, and the planned plot of the scrapped sequel.<ref name=MWP /><ref name=Kaneda>Kenichiro Terasawa (as Masumi Kaneda) (jp), 15 July 2024, 徳間康快社長が平成ガメラ第1作発表会で突然「ゴジラ対ガメラも考えている」といったのは漫画の後書きに関連。, Twitter (X)</ref><ref name=MagMix>Tatsuji Nagano, 2 May 2023, 夢の対決「ゴジラvsガメラ」は実現するか? BS12で、『ゴジラ』『ガメラ』一挙放映, MAG MIX (jp)</ref>

In 2002, Kadokawa acquired the copyrights of Daiei Film properties from Tokuma Shoten, and Template:Ill announced a crossover plan between Gamera and Godzilla, along with a plan to reboot Daimajin.<ref name=Zakzak>ZAKZAK, 13 November 2002, 角川大映、「ゴジラvsガメラ」製作へ – 「大魔神」のリメーク版も, Template:Ill</ref> The company approached Toho to achieve it, however the latter turned down the offer and Kadokawa therefore produced Gamera the Brave instead<ref name=Aiken /> as Toho temporary ceased Godzilla productions after Godzilla: Final WarsTemplate:Refn.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> Zedus, the main antagonist of the 2006 film was intentionally designed to resemble Toho monsters<ref name=Perfection /> such as Varan<ref name="HeiseiModels">Template:Ill, 1 September 2023, 平成ガメラ造型写真集, p.174, pp.198–202, pp.208–217, Hobby Japan</ref> and Gorosaurus,<ref name=HeiseiModels /> TriStar Pictures' Godzilla,Template:Sfn and it notably resembles both Toho's Godzilla<ref name=BraveGuide /> and Jirahs,<ref name=HeiseiModels /> the Godzilla-based kaiju from Ultraman.Template:Refn Shogo Tomiyama was aware of the demand for the crossover, however clarified it lacked merits for filmmakers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, Shusuke Kaneko has also expressed his interest in producing a crossover.<ref name=Wilentz>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2023, the Netflix series Gamera Rebirth was directed by Template:Ill who previously directed the anime Godzilla trilogy. This time, Toho instead proposed an offer for a crossover due to a large number of requests from players of the mobile game Godzilla Battle Line,<ref>Official Godzilla Channel, 1 September 2023, 第9回 ゴジバトサミット ～怪獣大進撃スペシャル～, at 50:40, Youtube</ref> and an official collaboration between the Netflix series and the mobile game was made where Seshita's incarnation of Godzilla was chosen for the key art, and Gamera and Gyaos (jp) and Guiron appeared in the game as playable characters, followed by Showa incarnations of Gamera and Gyaos.<ref name=ScifiJapan>SciFi Japan, Godzilla vs Gamera in New GODZILLA BATTLE LINE/GAMERA -Rebirth- Collaboration</ref><ref>Godzilla Game Portal, 28 June 2024, Part 2 of the GAMERA -Rebirth- Collab!</ref><ref>Godzilla Battle Line Official X Account, 3 November 2024, 【ゴジバトサミット 速報】映画『大怪獣空中戦 ガメラ対ギャオス』より「#ガメラ(1967)」「#ギャオス(1967)」が11/5(火)よりゴジバトに参戦決定！, X (Twitter)</ref>

Additionally, Template:Ill once suggested using Gamera instead of the aforementioned Kamoebas (jp) for the 2003 film Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.,<ref name=Fuentes>Dave Fuentes, 3 September 2015, Masaaki Tezuka & the Proper Etiquette for Accepting a Godzilla movie!, Terror from Beyond the Dave</ref> and the novelization of the anime Godzilla trilogy by Template:Ill, who later directed Gamera Rebirth, made a possible reference to Kamoebas in the 2003 film and Gamera as the "Kamoebas IV" who was slain by Godzilla.<ref name=MonsterApocalypse /> Additionally. Gamera was at one point considered to appear in the 2007 video game Godzilla: Unleashed while the 1999 video game Gamera Dream Battle was able to connect to Mothra Dream Battle in which Mothra and King Ghidorah appeared as playable characters.<ref name=IGN2022 />

Gamera's voice effect was used in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah,<ref name="Wong">Template:Cite book</ref> and Gamera was represented within a concept art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters,<ref name=Bernstein>Abby Bernstein, 2019, The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters, p.11, Titan Books</ref><ref name=Peters /> and additional Godzilla productions, such as Godzilla: The Series, aforementioned series (the anime Godzilla trilogy and MonsterVerse), and Godzilla: Final Wars, have presumed references to Gamera.<ref name=TheSeries>Characters / Godzilla: The Series</ref><ref name=FinalWars>Film / Godzilla: Final Wars</ref><ref name=MonsterApocalypse>Renji Ōki, 2017, GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse, pp.114–115, Kadokawa.</ref><ref name=Squires>John Squires, 13 March 2017, Did 'Kong: Skull Island' Tease Future 'Gamera' Movie?, Bloody Disgusting</ref> Atelier Koganemushi, who had produced a puppetry show which involved Gamera, Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Ultraman, Kamen Rider, and additional characters from different franchises, later produced the Godziban series, and had sporadically introduced Gamera references into the series.<ref name=Koganemushi /><ref name=Netlabo>Kikka, November 19, 2022, ゴジラの人形劇「ゴジばん」がYouTube上でじわじわ話題に! 制作現場を取材しヒットの秘密を探ってきた, Netlabo, Template:Ill</ref>

Gamera and Godzilla and other characters from respective and related franchises (including Daimajin and Yokai) co-appeared in several exoteric productions and events, and some of them directly involved stakeholders from both franchises. In Showa, these characters had been featured together and interacted each other on multiple occasions on magazines.<ref name=Perfection /> Additional cases include Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball,Template:Sfn The Simpsons,<ref name=Simpsons /> Urusei Yatsura,Template:Refn Daicon III and IV Opening Animations,Template:Refn MegaTokyo, City Shrouded in Shadow,<ref name=Ono2018 /> GigaBash,<ref name="Stockdale" /> Robot Chicken,<ref name=RobotChicken>Robot Chicken Characters, Behind The Voice Actors</ref> The Slammie Brothers vs. Godzilla and Gamera,<ref name=Noma /> USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari,<ref name="Kyogoku" /> miscellaneous comics,<ref name=Tanigami /><ref name=Richardson /> stage and puppetry shows,<ref name=26Facts>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Haruo Nakajima, 2010, 怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄, pp.173–176, Template:Ill</ref><ref name=Koganemushi>Atelier Koganemushi, 22 December 2017, 21年前の懐かしい記念写真が見つかりました。, X (Twitter)</ref><ref name=Netlabo /> and television shows (jp)(jp)(jp).<ref name=Sumo /><ref name=Vocaten />

Several franchises such as the aforementioned Dr. Slump,<ref name="Gatchan">MyAnimeList, Gajira "Gatchan" Norimaki</ref> Detective Conan,<ref name="Conan" /> Sailor Moon SuperS,<ref name="Sailor">Sailor Moon Trivia, 13 December 2020, In episodes 141 & 143, "Gazulla" plays at the movie theater. The title character is a combination of kaijū Gamera and Godzilla., Twitter (X)</ref> and Template:Ill<ref name=ITmedia /> have characters with the names "Gamera" and "Godzilla". There had also been various toy merchandises, generally refereed as Template:Nihongo, literally meaning "counterfeit" (jp), based on various tokusatsu characters by major studios including Gamera and Godzilla and Ultraman franchises.<ref>Template:Ill, November 01, 2007, 歓喜と失望と, Takurama net.</ref> In 2005, Shusuke Kaneko directed the 11th episode on Ultraman Max, choosing to include a scene of children playing with toys of Gamera and Godzilla as a reference to the films he had directed in both franchises.Template:Refn Ayako Fujitani also made an appearance as a guest in the episode.<ref name=UltramanMax>Uchusen, 30 October 2006, ウルトラマンマックス マックス!マックス!マックス!怪獣大画報, pp.52–53, Tsuburaya Productions, Asahi Sonorama's Fantastic Collection</ref><ref>Uchusen, 20 April 2006, Uchusen Year Book 2006, p.58, Asahi Sonorama's Sonorama Mook</ref><ref name=MagMixMax /><ref name=Visual /> On the other hand, Kaneko's attempt to make Gamera to appear in his live-film adaptation of Minna Agechau (1985), which originally intended to involve Kazunori Ito and use the aforementioned Gappa, and Shinji Higuchi indirectly participated in. The film included various vulgar references to classic characters such as Godzilla, King Ghidorah, Template:Ill, Indiana Jones, and below-mentioned Bruce Lee, however Tokuma Shoten turned this down while using Mother of Ultra eventually resulted in Kaneko's connections with Tsuburaya Production, and influenced productions of The Samurai (jp), and the below-mentioned scrapped Ultra Q project and Ultraman Max, whose productions are related to the Heisei Gamera trilogy.Template:Refn<ref name=UltramanMax />

The 1998 Shochiku film Giant Monsters Appear in Tokyo represented off-screen appearances of two battling kaiju, the "jet-flying turtle appeared on Fukuoka" and the "80 meters tall, fire-breathing, bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur-like lizard appeared on the port of Tokyo Bay", clearly referencing Gamera in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and Godzilla in The Return of Godzilla where several casts from the Heisei Gamera Trilogy such as Hirotarō Honda and Tomorowo Taguchi appeared in the film.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Noma>Norikazu Noma, Seinosuke Ito, Jinni Tohmon, 25 January 2001, ガメラ 完全化読本, p.124, p.145, pp.160–164, p.191, Paradigm</ref><ref name=itscom>大怪獣東京に現わる</ref>

Productions

Daiei Film produced and distributed films that played major roles in forming tokusatsu and kaiju genre under Masaichi Nagata, one of creators of Gamera. After the dissolution of the Dai Nippon Film following the end of the World War II, Nagata, who was the chief founder and the vice president of Dai Nippon Film, instead launched a new company Daiei Film. Since then, Nagata emphasized to develop diverse tokusatsu productions as one of core strategies, ranging from historical drama to disaster, thriller, classic novels, romance, horror, fantasy, science fiction, and so on. These films especially themed wars, historical events, natural and animal disasters, extraterrestrial life, yōkai, ghost, kaijin such as Tetsu no tsume (1951), and kaiju.<ref name=Ui />

Nagata's intentions made the company to distribute foreign films, such as Disney productions due to Masaichi's connections with Walt Disney,<ref name=Ui /><ref>Isao Ogawa (jp), June 2015, The Study of Fictitiousness in Theme Parks : True-False Discussion of Nara Dream Land from a Tourism-Sociological Viewpoint, The Hikone ronso, vol.404, pp.64–79, Shiga University</ref> and to produce innovative productions, resulting in the productions of the first post-war science fiction tokusatsu films in Japan; Template:Ill and The Invisible Man Appears in 1949. Eiji Tsuburaya, who had repeatedly associated with Masaichi Nagata since early 1930s,Template:Refn and Template:Ill and Template:Ill participated in these and other Daiei productions before the signing of the Six-Company Agreement in 1953 (which was also led by Masaichi),Template:Refn and they intended to join Daiei Film with the 1949 films after Tsuburaya's exile from Toho because of the 1948 purge due to his involvements in war propaganda, and Arikawa and Araki's voluntary resignations after Toho strikes. However, Tsuburaya was rather dissatisfied with the tokusatsu production (or effects) in The Invisible Man Appears (or their attempts to join the company didn't materialize), and eventually didn't join Daiei Film. The three later participated in Godzilla and various other Toho tokusatsu productions.<ref name=Ui /><ref name=TohoSF93>Toho SF Tokusatsu Series, 11 December 1993, Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II, p.165, vl.8, Toho</ref><ref name=Godzilla60>Magazine House Mook, 22 July 2014, Godzilla 60: Complete Guide, p.36, Magazine House</ref> The 2020 biopic Nezura 1964 ambiguously portrayed Tsuburaya's association with Daiei Film before Gamera.<ref name=Furuya>Template:Cite web</ref> Additionally, various members among Tsuburaya's coworkers and students from Godzilla and other productions later participated in Gamera and Daimajin and other Daiei productions.<ref name=Ui />

• Akin to Tsuburaya, Masaichi Nagata was also purged for a brief period; all domestic film production companies including Dai Nippon Film and Toho and Nikkatsu (Nagata was once a Nikkatsu employee) were forced to produce war propaganda films due to the commands from the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces. These propaganda films eventually became the starting point of the post-war tokusatsu genre (and Daiei Film's war movies),<ref name=Ui /> and Nagata with his Daiei Film had played significant roles in the expansion and exporting of the tokusatsu genre which itself ignited the prosperity of the post-war popular cultures in Japan.<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> As aforementioned, Nagata's decision along with Noriaki Yuasa's view towards war and political propagandas and nationalisms were one of factors shaped the process to make Gamera becoming a friendly and heroic figure.<ref name=YuasaInterview />

Daiei Film, along with its own productions of various tokusatsu films, including Gamera-related Warning from Space (1956) and the first Daiei kaiju film The Whale God (1962), also distributed the re-released edition of King Kong in 1952, making it the first post-war release of monster movies in Japan, and also distributed The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms in Japan in 1954, and these presumably influenced the productions of the 1954 film Godzilla by Toho and Daiei Film's own tokusatsu productions including the Gamera franchise.Template:Refn<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Ui />

Due to the Six-Company Agreement, other companies, including Masaichi's Daiei Film itself, could not "openly" use tokusatsu techniques and staffs and actors of Toho. However, according to Keizō Murase, Eiji Tsuburaya's teams were secretly appointed for Gappa: The Triphibian Monster by Nikkatsu and The X from Outer Space by Shochiku,Template:Refn and other subsequent productions, and Toho's techniques were secretly used in these films. For Gamera, the Giant Monster, some crews who had previously participated in Godzilla and other Toho kaiju filmsTemplate:Refn joined its production despite the agreement, and Eiji Tsuburaya gave a tacit approval to their actions. However, while there had been suggestions to seek Tsuburaya's help, even by an executive who is a friend of the father of Template:Ill and Tsuburaya,<ref name=Treasured /> filmmakers intentionally avoided receiving any technological assistances from Tsuburaya for the Gamera franchise to differentiate their productions from Toho, and produced Gamera and other tokusatsu films without Toho-based techniques, choices of materials, direction, and so on.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Karasawa />

Successes of Gamera, the Giant Monster and Gamera vs. Barugon resulted in sudden increases of non-Toho kaiju productions, such as afroementioned Gappa: The Triphibian Monster and The X from Outer Space.<ref name=Karasawa /> Film makers were suspicious of Tsuburaya's involvements to these non-Daiei productionsTemplate:Refn despite the Six-Company Agreement because of sudden increases in non-Toho kaiju productions after Gamera films, despite the only non-Toho tokusatsu film of that time before the 1965 Gamera film to feature gigantic creature was Daiei Film's The Whale God (Killer Whale) in 1962.<ref name=Karasawa />

Showa Gamera films, especially since Gamera vs. Gyaos, were intended to appeal to children. This was to deal with budgetary problems and the Six-Company Agreement to differentiate from the Godzilla franchise. Due to the agreement and the direction to differentiate from Toho, Gamera's characteristics such as to breathe traditional non-atomic fire, occasional quadrupedalism along with his foes and brutal and animalistic fight scenes,Template:Refn his personality as both a friendly creature and a hero rather than Godzilla's theme to represent a "god of destruction". Material choices for suits and miniature models were devised to avoid duplicates with the Toho productions. Plots of Showa Gamera films intentionally avoided to focus on "standards" of kaiju films by Toho, such as the JSDF and other military forces, weapons, scientific explanations, destructions of urban areas, and so on. Instead, subsequent films since Gamera vs. Viras featured simple, childish, and eccentric plots for young audiences. In the Showa films, children play significant roles with the eccentric ideas presented, and children, unlike adults, always believe in Gamera,<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=OFS1995 /> partially due to Noriaki Yuasa's antithesis against war and political propaganda and nationalism.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> This direction was initially decided because a number of children watching Gamera vs. BarugonTemplate:Refn got bored with the plot and left their seats,<ref name=IGN2022 /> and also to deal with drastically decreased budgets due to the financial situation of Daiei Film; the budget of Gamera vs. Viras was ¥24 million compared to budgets of Gamera vs. Barugon (¥80 million) and Gamera vs. Gyaos (¥60 million), with limitations of further elements such as designs and abilities of monsters, amounts of special effects, destructions of urban areas, cancellations of new monsters and battle scenes,<ref name=Ono2018 /> limited locations,<ref name=Denner>Template:Cite web</ref> and so on.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Treasured />

On the other hand, a number of new tokusatsu expertise were obtained through productions of Showa Gamera films to compensate for lack of resources and avoiding Toho-based techniques and materials,<ref name=Treasured /> however those were lost due to the bankruptcy of the company and influenced the production of the Heisei trilogy; expertise from various other tokusatsu productions, especially the Ultraman franchise (most notably Ultraman 80 which was directed by Noriaki Yuasa), were instead used for the production of the trilogy.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

As below mentioned, diminished public recognition of the franchise due to repeated hiatuses in productions and limited marketing, limited productions of associated products and their revenues, and limited media attentions,<ref name=Perfection /> along with misconceptions among new audience segments, such as Gamera being a cheap, "corny", and inferior imitation of Godzilla and Gamera belonging to the Toho franchise, might have negatively affected box office results of the post-Daiei productions by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Corporation.<ref name=Vanishing /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> Additionally, negative reactions by global audiences towards the franchise in comparison to the Toho franchise were also presumably influenced by the Mystery Science Theater 3000.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Shusuke Kaneko, and Shinji Higuchi, who have previously participated in The Return of Godzilla, respectively directed GMK and Shin Godzilla<ref name=Ono2018 /> where Kaneko and Kazunori Ito originally wanted to take the 1992 film Godzilla vs. Mothra (the relationship between Mothra and Template:Ill might have influenced the depictions of Gamera and Asagi Kusanagi in the Heisei Gamera trilogy),<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=GMK /> however Kaneko and Ito and Higuchi's preferences of Godzilla and other Toho productions, along with their disfavor of Gamera and dissatisfactions for the Heisei Godzilla continuity resulted in controversial outcomes of the Heisei trilogy,<ref name=Perfection /> while Kaneko had expressed his concern and unpleasantness towards tokusatsu fans who criticize the Godzilla continuity in comparison to the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref name=KanekoDiary />

Distributions and releases

One of factors restricted revenues from Daiei Film productions was its weak distribution systems including limited theater chains; releases of Daiei Film productions relied on movie theatres by Toho, Shochiku,Template:Refn and Toei Company. Daiei Film later launched the Template:Nihongo to gain directly managing movie theaters, however the attempt failed as feasible properties were already acquired by other companies, further accelerating financial difficulties of Daiei Film. The deterioration of the company including its distribution system was partially caused by rather prodigal operations by Masaichi Nagata; his extensive achievements granted him the title "Father of the cinema", however his career ironically formed a dictatorial company culture which even restricted executives, and Noriaki Yuasa described Hidemasa Nagata being "too artistic" to run a company. On the other hand, it was also Masaichi who pushed ahead to produce Gamera, the Giant Monster and decided to make Gamera a heroic and friendly figure, and Masaichi's authority rather compulsively overturned overall negative pre-release reviews of the 1965 film within Daiei Film as he complimented it, and the first Gamera film indeed succussed where even Yuasa anticipated it to fail since the beginning and couldn't understand why it didn't flop.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview /> Additionally, Masaichi's attempt to save the declining Japanese film industry itself resulted in the prosperity of "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" genres aimed for global markets,<ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> while their rising competitors (television industry) was also ironically boosted by the Kaiju Booms (jp)(jp) which were influenced by Masaichi himself's efforts to rescue the industry, influences from Gamera and Godzilla franchises including involvements of Eiji Tsuburaya and other participants from both franchises, along with a recession of the Japanese economy back then.<ref name=Romero /><ref name=Denner />

Ever since the last Daiei Film installment Gamera vs. Zigra was distributed by Dainichi Eihai for financial reasons,<ref name=OFS1995 /> Daiei productions by Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Corporation have always relied on other companies to distribute, further restricting their productions and revenues.<ref name=IGN2022 /> The Heisei trilogy was distributed by Toho as Daiei Film lost its theater chains after its bankruptcy.<ref name=Romero /> However, the trilogy was distributed by Toho Western Films unlike Godzilla films, and the number of movie theatres for the trilogy was much smaller than Godzilla films, further reducing potential box office results.Template:Refn<ref name=Shiraishi>Template:Ill, Shōgo Tomiyama, 20 January 2003, Heisei Godzilla Encyclopedia, "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla: close encounter Godzilla vs. Gamera !?", pp.256–257, Futabasha</ref> However, Shōgo Tomiyama noted that he did not perceive the Gamera franchise as a rival, but was instead happy to see its revival along with the Godzilla franchise which was the sole support the kaiju genre received for years.<ref name=DestoroyahCompletion>Hobby Japan, 19 December 2017, Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Completion, "Staff interview – Shōgo Tomiyama", p.86,</ref> Filming of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe was also affected by the 1994 film Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla as both films were filmed in Fukuoka.<ref name=Shiraishi />

Global distributions of videos of the franchise was also affected by the Godzilla franchise. For financial reasons, Daiei avoided the market in the United States and instead focused more on European countries to decrease competition with Toho productions. Foreign cast members became increasingly well-represented due to requests from European buyers; however, these buyers also requested to avoid hiring black cast members. Daiei Film obliged, though some criticized Daiei Film for this decision.<ref name=Karasawa /> On the other hand, its increasingly childish direction along with involving foreign cast members were also prompted by the Japanese Film Export Promotion Association under the Japanese government where Daiei Film's Masaichi Nagata contributed in its establishment, and governmental policy to export tokusatsu films to the global market also boosted serializations of Gamera and Daimajin franchises.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> Gamera franchise's child-friendly directions, limited productions, and much smaller global expansions than the Godzilla franchise, presumably restricted public recognition of the Daiei franchise and established inferior public impressions on it globally to the Toho productions.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

After the bankruptcy of Daiei Film, the franchise increased its efforts avoid direct competition against the Godzilla franchise, including the Heisei trilogy, and Gamera: Super Monster by Tokuma Shoten and Gamera the Brave by Kadokawa were released in 1980 and 2006 respectively because Toho temporary ceased producing Godzilla films due to declined box office results.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> While the franchise was not rebooted after the 1980 film,<ref name=Ui /> there also existed scrapped projects in early 1990s prior to the Heisei trilogyTemplate:Refn, where the Heisei Godzilla continuity had been continuously developed since Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989).<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> After the commercial failure of the 2006 film, which was originally launched as a proposal for a crossover with Godzilla in 2002,<ref name=Aiken /> Kadokawa cancelled various projects, including its sequels, anime production(s), Gamera 3D, and reboot attempt(s) in 2010s,<ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=ANN /><ref name=Nezura1964>Template:Cite web</ref> and instead released a short film for the 50th anniversary of the franchise in 2015;<ref name=WebNewType /> MonsterVerse by Legendary Pictures (which was at one point a Gamera project Gamera 3D<ref name=THKingdom />) began in 2014, and subsequent Godzilla productions were continuously developed among theatrical releases and streaming media. Shin Godzilla and the anime Godzilla trilogy were directed by filmmakers who have either previously or subsequently participated in Gamera productions.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=ScifiJapan /> Gamera Rebirth was released on Netflix in 2023 after Godzilla Singular Point in 2021.

• The Heisei Godzilla continuity was originally scheduled to end with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II in 1993,<ref name=Gakken93>ゴジラ大百科, 1993, p. 96, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama – Future of Godzilla films", Gakken</ref> corresponding with the timing of launch of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.<ref name=Perfection /> The Godzilla continuity was further continued up to Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995) due to the postponement of the American film by TriStar Pictures.<ref>Hobby Japan, 31 March 2021, Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla Completion, pp. 76–77, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama", ISBN 9784798624631</ref> Additionally, box office results of Gamera: Super Monster, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, and Gamera the Brave might have also been negatively affected by the timings of their releases, so-called "winters" of the kaiju genre when the popularity of kaiju genre itself stagnated so as the Godzilla franchise.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Vanishing />

Participants

While Eiji Tsuburaya and Template:Ill and Template:Ill eventually didn't join Daiei Film, a number of Tsuburaya's coworkers and students, who had previously participated in Godzilla and various other Toho productions, participated in Gamera and Daimajin and other Daiei productions,<ref name=Ui /> and a number of staffs involved in Gamera productions later participated in various Godzilla and Ultraman productions, including Gamera the Brave and Ultraman Tiga (and Digimon Tamers) reusing the same early script for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe.<ref name=Perfection />

A number of crews and filmmakers,Template:Refn actors, voice actors, extras, and suit actorsTemplate:Refn have participated in both and related franchises (including other Tsuburaya works).<ref name=MangaBoys /><ref name=HurricaneRyu /> Keizō Murase and Template:IllTemplate:Refn and Template:Ill and Template:Ill, who have previously participated in Godzilla and other Toho kaiju films and worked with Eiji Tsuburaya, and Template:Ill and Template:Ill founded the tokusatsu modelling company the Ex Productions after Gamera, the Giant Monster. Murase also founded another company Template:Ill afterward.Template:Refn These companies contributed in various tokusatsu productions including Gamera and Daimajin, and non-Daiei franchises by Tsuburaya such as Godzilla and its related Zone Fighter, Ultraman, Kamen Rider,Template:Refn and so on.<ref name=HobbyJapanMook>Hobby Japan Mook, 28 March 2016, Uchusen Extra Volume: Kamen Rider Kaijin Daigahō 2016, "Masao Yagi and the Ex Productions", p.53, Hobby Japan</ref>

P Productions

As aforementioned, there have been contradicting theories regards the original conceptor of Gamera where even Noriaki Yuasa and Niisan Takahashi and Template:Ill weren't truly aware of. Template:Ill, the founder of P Productions, had repeatedly participated in Daiei Film productions most notably The Whale God and Buddha (jp). Sagisu claimed that his 1962 demo reelTemplate:Refn for the project STOP Series, could be the original idea of Daiei's Gamera. Sagisu initially showed the demo reel to his teacher Eiji Tsuburaya, who had repeatedly associated with Masaichi Nagata and Daiei Film before Gamera. In response to this, Toho paid attention to Sagisu's idea, and the company later brought the project to Fuji Television, however STOP Series was eventually cancelled. Later, Sagisu instead brought the reel to Daiei Film to launch a project, and believed that this eventually became the prototype of Gamera. Sagisu once inquired Yonesaburo Tsukiji, another student of Tsuburaya and participated in both Nezura and Gamera, however Tsukiji didn't agree with Sagisu's claim and instead noted Hidemasa Nagata as the inventor.<ref name=Ushio />

There is also a testimony about the development of Gamera by the designer Template:Ill, which might not entirely correspond with Sagisu's claim; Inoue designed over 50 different designs of Gamera for the 1965 film, including drastically different ones from the final version, such as a limb-less monster to crawl on the ground like a centipede.<ref name=Ui />

Despite this, P Productions and Daiei Film retained a tie and shared various crews from productions including the Gamera franchiseTemplate:Refn where Eiji Tsuburaya's co-woker and student from Daiei Film (Takayama and Watanabe) were two of founders of P Productions. Additionally, Template:Ill and Tamotsu Taga and others abandoned Daiei Film, which was already at the brink of bankruptcy and was in a chaotic state, and joined P Production after the failure and the aftermaths of Nezura, such as a labor dispute, multiple hygiene issues involving neighborhoods resulted in interventions from public health centres, mass mortality of rats, and near-fatal dust mite allergy on Template:Ill and others.Template:Refn These troubles were caused by using live rats (akin to Dagora which used a live octopus) presumably due to the restraints from the Six-Company Agreement led by Masaichi Nagata himself; as aforementioned, Daiei Film used live animals for these pre-Gamera projects, presumably to avoid Toho-based styles and techniques to deal with the inter-company agreement, forcing them to change the direction to the more traditional, suit-acting character (Gamera).<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Tajima /><ref name=Ushio /><ref name="Tomoi" /><ref name=Nezura>Template:Cite web</ref>

Thanks to the success of the Gamera franchise, which was the successor of Dagora and Nezura, Daiei Film's fiscal condition was temporary improved, and the turtle kaiju solely supported the company and its subcontractors.<ref name=Karasawa /> Crews of Gamera and other Daiei productions, even including Noriaki Yuasa and Niisan Takahashi and Shunsuke Kikuchi and Template:Ill, later participated in projects by P ProductionsTemplate:Refn since before the 1968 incidents on P Productions, and increased their involvements afterward where P Productions was no longer able to produce tokusatsu productions by itself and was forced to make its staffs as contract employees,Template:Refn and crews from P Productions projects later joined Gamera films.<ref name=Ushio /><ref name="Tomoi">Template:Cite book</ref>

The Daiei-based P Productions founders, Template:Ill and Template:Ill, continuously worked for both Daiei Film and P Productions including Gamera, Daimajin, Yokai Monsters, and Sagisu-related productions such as The Whale God and Buddha (jp). Additionally, aforementioned former Daiei Film crews, who once abandoned the near-bankrupt and disoriented Daiei Film for P Productions because of Nezura, later participated in Gamera and other Daiei productions. For instance, Tamotsu Taga, along with Noriaki Yuasa and other Gamera staffs and crews from P Productions such as Template:Ill, co-participated in projects such as ones by Daiei TV-Film (jp),Template:Refn and Gamera: Super Monster after the bankruptcy of Daiei Film.<ref name=Tajima>Template:Cite book</ref>

Shirō Sagisu, the son of Tomio and the current owner of the company, has also participated in several Daiei TV-Film dramas after the bankruptcy of Daiei Film,Template:Refn and Shirō, Hideaki Anno,Template:Refn and Shinji Higuchi co-participated in Toho and Tsuburaya Production projects, which have been influenced by the Gamera franchise; Shin Godzilla, Shin Ultraman, Attack on Titan, the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise, and the Gridman franchise. Shirō also introduced Higuchi to the pianist Junko Miyagi (jp) during the production of Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo because Miyagi is also a fan of the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

History

Template:See also The Gamera film series is broken into three different eras, each reflecting a characteristic style and corresponding to the same eras used to classify all kaiju eiga (monster movies) in Japan. The names of the three eras refer to the Japanese emperor during production: the Shōwa era, the Heisei era, and the Reiwa era.

Since original 1965 film production and merchandising budgets of each film have been confined due to financial situations of Daiei Film, Tokuma Shoten, and Kadokawa Corporation respectively,<ref name="Perfection" /> resulting in repeated copyright transfers of Daiei properties and limited productions and distributions overall, including cancellations of various projects and failed global expansions despite frequently featuring foreign casts in Shōwa films<ref name=IGN2022 /> and Nagata's own contributions to the prosperity of the genre by its export.<ref name=Tanigawa /> Because of further declining public recognition of the character due to years of inactivity of the franchise and limited advertising expenses and media attentions,<ref name=Perfection /> Gamera's heroic concept and irrelevance from Godzilla franchise were "forgotten",<ref name=Leap /> and new audience segments often viewed him as a mere, "corny" (as a turtle)<ref name="Ebert" /> and "childish" imitation of Godzilla.Template:Refn This, along with other factors such as the loss of Daiei theater chains, has negatively affected on box office results and made it more difficult for Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Corporation to restore the series along with other Daiei tokusatsu franchises such as Daimajin and Yokai Monsters,<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> especially the Daimajin which requires more budgets due to life-sized props.<ref name=Takahashi2021 />

There have been several major hiatus in productions: one between Gamera vs. Zigra in 1971 and Gamera: Super Monster in 1980, followed by Gamera: Guardian of the Universe in 1995, Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris in 1999 followed by Gamera the Brave in 2006 and Gamera Rebirth in 2023.

The Daimajin, another iconic tokusatsu character by Daiei Film, was originally designed to be an antagonist for the second film, and its concept was fed back into both Daimajin and Barugon, the foe in the 1966 film Gamera vs. Barugon, and Daimon the vampire was instead yielded through Daimajin.<ref name=26Facts /><ref name=Takaki>Template:Cite book</ref> Gamera vs. Barugon was also an exception among the Showa films; not being directed by Noriaki Yuasa while it was the only installment to appoint his father Template:Ill,<ref name=26Facts /> didn't involve child actors, and didn't target child audiences. After the success of the first film, it became the first colored and the most expensive Showa installment, yet its plot made young audiences got bored and shaped the subsequent direction of the franchise.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=IGN2022 />

Daiei's yōkai films most notably the Yokai Monsters were also launched due to the success of the Gamera franchise, and productions of them and related later films such as Template:Ill were largely influenced by Gamera and Daimajin series. Collaborations of the Daiei films with Shigeru Mizuki and Kazuo Umezu started because of Daiei's yōkai films and formed the "Yōkai Boom" together,<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=KaijuYokai /> resulted in minor crossovers between Gamera and Daimajin and Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitarō series and Hiroshi Aramata's Yasunori Katō from Teito Monogatari.<ref name=Minemori>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Kyogoku>Natsuhiko Kyogoku, 2018, USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari, "Kyu", 373–375, p.392, Kadokawa</ref><ref name=Chronicles>Matsunomoto, Kazuhiro, 1996, The Gamera Chronicles, p.104-105, Takeshobo</ref><ref name=YokaiFilms>甦れ!妖怪映画大集合!! 2005, p.97, p.116-119, Takeshobo</ref><ref name=Sumo>Qvarie, 天才・たけしの元気が出るテレビ!! ～輝けスーパーヒーロー大相撲大会～</ref><ref name=Vocaten>Qvarie, タモリのSuperボキャブラ天国</ref>

Daiei Film, which was already at the brink of bankruptcy, somewhat recovered due to the unexpected success of the 1965 film, which was considered to be "a mere rehash of Godzilla", "cheap"Template:Refn, "being forced on Noriaki Yuasa as no one wanted"Template:RefnTemplate:Refn, and "destined to flop",Template:Refn<ref name=BraveGuide /> and launched the Daimajin and the Yokai Monsters, and these tokusatsu franchises gained popularity despite limited and continuously decreasing budgets and the declines of the Template:Ill and domestic film industries (partially due to the success of the Gamera franchise)Template:Refn and the arise of the more affordable "Yokai Boom".<ref name=IGN2022>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Chronicles /><ref name=YokaiFilms /><ref name=Ono2018 /> Serializations of Gamera and Daimajin franchises were also promoted as the Japanese government valued exportations of tokusatsu productions to the global markets to acquire foreign currencies.<ref name=Futaesaku /> Gamera vs. Viras was originally considered as the last Showa production, however the franchise was further continued in response to its popularity.<ref name=26Facts />

There had been several failed attempts to reboot the franchise after Gamera: Super Monster (1980),<ref name=Ui /><ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> and the Heisei trilogy originally started as an attempt to revive either (or both of) the Daimajin and the Yokai Monsters by Tokuma Shoten, however the projects faced budgetary problems, and surveys revealed higher popularity of Gamera instead,<ref name=MWP /> while Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa Corporation also aimed to revive the Daimajin along with the Gamera franchise respectively;Template:Refn<ref name=Zakzak /> one in the late 1990s along with the Heisei Gamera Trilogy by starring Steven Seagal, the father of Ayako Fujitani who played Asagi Kusanagi, the human protagonist of the trilogy,Template:Refn<ref name=Nakamura>Kengo Nakamura, 1999, From Princess Mononoke to My Neighbors the Yamadas, pp.38–41, Tokuma Shoten</ref> and another by Takashi Miike in late 2000s along with Gamera the Brave<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Takahashi2021 /><ref name=EigaHiho2007>Template:Ill, April 2007, 実写限定!巨大ロボット映画ベスト30!-「トランスフォーマー」襲来間近!「ガンヘッド」もやってくるぞ!, Template:Ill</ref> which was eventually redeveloped into Daimajin Kanon,<ref name=Nezura1964 />Template:Refn and Miike made the Daimajin to appear in the 2018 film The Great Yokai War: Guardians where Gamera also made a cameo appearance within its spin-off novelization.<ref name=Minemori />

Daiei Film's decay

Daiei Film was once one of leading film studios in Japan and contributed in the golden era of the Japanese cinema, with its president and one of Gamera's creator Masaichi Nagata was an influential figure not only among the film industry but also other fields including the political circles. However, at the time when Gamera, the Giant Monster was released, economic clout of the company was already significantly declining, and the original Gamera film and Daiei Film's first kaiju production The Whale God (1962) were forced to produced as black-and-white film for budgetary constraints despite they were produced after the first colored tokusatsu film in Japan, Warning from Space (1956) which bears connections with the Gamera franchise in their productions.<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Ui />

Nagata's extensive achievements shaped his profligate and autocratic management of Daiei Film to prioritize production-first philosophy, and this resulted in major weaknesses of the company and stagnations of its productions, such as its weak distribution systems. On the other hand, the Japanese film industry itself (even including the Godzilla franchise) was declining in general, and about the half of entire movie theaters in Japan were closed. This was mostly due to the competition against the television industry, which was boosted by several factors such as the aforementioned "Kaiju Booms" (jp)(jp) itself ironically especially Ultra Q and Ultraman franchises by below-mentioned Eiji Tsuburaya himself and other figures related to Gamera and Godzilla and related productions,Template:Refn the 1964 Summer Olympics, and an economic stagnation of the nation.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Romero /><ref name=Denner /> Additionally, Nagata's intention to explore monster films, and his attempt to save the film industry resulted in expansions of kaiju and tokusatsu genres, however this also contributed in the launching of the "Kaiju Booms" which ironically supported the television industry. As a background of these social phenomena (booms), a governmental association was established as the result of Nagata's efforts for the sake of the film industry,<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=Fantasy /> and the Japanese government encouraged and supported productions of kaiju and tokusatsu works to export to the global markets to obtain foreign currencies.<ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku />

However, while Daiei and Toho were leading the genres, increased competitions, and depletions of ideas and resources were inevitable because of abrupt entries of other major film studios into the genres, and the two "Kaiju Booms" including the Godzilla series didn't last long also due to the shortage of ideas, repercussions from receiving tax-based funds from the association (this resulted in the arise of the aforementioned, more cost-effective "Yokai Boom"), and additional factors such as declines of the nation's economy and the film industry, 1970s energy crisis, and so on. Gamera and Daimajin didn't play major roles for the Template:Ill, as the company faced the bankruptcy shortly after Gamera vs. Zigra in 1971, at the beginning of the boom.<ref name=Otakuma /><ref name=Ono2018 />

There had been additional factors that damaged Daiei Film back then, such as producing three Daimajin films within the same year (1966) which consequently hindered the franchise,<ref name=IGN2022 /> resignations of experienced staffs (this also influenced productions of subsequent films especially the Gamera franchise), losing leading stars particularly Nagata's relative Ichikawa Raizō VIIITemplate:Refn from a colorectal cancer, and so on.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Ono2018 /> Furthermore, the aforementioned Six-Company Agreement (Five-Company Agreement) led by Nagata himself presumably affected the productions of Dagora and Nezura to avoid Toho-based tokusatsu techniques, and the latter caused further resignations of employees due to serious hygiene and health and animal welfare issues.<ref name=Nezura /> The agreement also restrained careers of various actors and actresses, and Template:Ill eventually committed a suicide six months after his appearance in Gamera vs. Gyaos.<ref name="Kishi">Template:Cite web</ref>

According to Noriaki Yuasa, Daiei Film "borrowed more money" from Niisan Takahashi than anyone else, but the company eventually couldn't reimburse to him, and Takahashi also didn't receive some of his wages due to his nonparticipation in the Template:Ill. After the company's bankruptcy, Takahashi visited Masaichi Nagata and received all rights to Gamera. However, Tokuma Shoten didn't inform the production of the 1995 film Gamera: Guardian of the Universe to Takahashi, and the company reneged the agreement between Takahashi and Nagata regards the rights to Gamera, declaring that the company is independent from Daiei Film and thus doesn't accept Nagata's treaty. Takahashi was highly dissatisfied with this decision, and he severed ties with all stakeholders, damaging the friendship with Yuasa in the aftermath.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> Takahashi independently developed a script to produce a new film, which later became the basis of the novel Gamera vs. Phoenix (1995).<ref name=Stuart /><ref name=DaieiScripts />

The Gamera franchise solely supported Daiei Film and its subcontractors until the 1971 bankruptcy. However, various materials including kaiju suits and models and props were lost with the company, resulting in the poor production of Gamera: Super Monster and limited amounts of publications and exhibitions. There exist contradicting testimonies about the actual cause of this; Noriaki Yuasa destroyed them due to his frustration and distress when he heard about the bankruptcy of the company,<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=OFS1995 /> or by a riot among employees. The demise of the company also triggered confusions and losses of negative prints and other materials, resulting in changes in the running time of Gamera vs. Viras for video and DVD releases.<ref name=26Facts /><ref name=Spinning>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Treasured />

All villainous monsters since Gamera vs. Viras (Viras, Guiron, Jiger, Zigra) received their names from public submissions, and this was to draw public attention to compensate for limited advertising expenses.<ref name=OFS1995 /> Concepts for monsters' designs and abilities were also restricted due to budgets,Template:Refn cancellations of new monsters,Template:Refn decreased destructions of urban areas, and film crews focused more on brutal melee fights to compensate for limited amounts of special effects, although the franchise occasionally received global compliments for its brutalness, such as Guiron beheading a Space Gyaos in Gamera vs. Guiron.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Treasured /> In the 1992 Gamera-themed television special, its presenter commented as "Gamera was not enduring his enemies but budgets".<ref name=Otakuma />

The plot of Gamera vs. Zigra, the last film of the Showa continuity, was particularly poor in consistency and logics due to the confusion of the company prior to its bankruptcy. Since the previous film Gamera vs. Jiger (1970), Noriaki Yuasa was forced to become a contract director without overtime pay, impoverishments of employees and resources became evident, and production systems were disrupted due to increased labor negotiations.<ref name=Ono2018 /> Niisan Takahashi also didn't receive some of his wages, and the company couldn't pay back debts to him.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> In the 1970 film, one of kaiju battles were also eventually scrapped due to budgetary and schedule limitations.<ref name=26Facts /> According to Yuasa, all staffs were stressed out for their fears of bankruptcy, and one of lighting staffs died from an intracranial hemorrhage shortly after the completion of Gamera vs. Jiger.<ref name=Karasawa />

Gamera: Super Monster (1980), the first installment by Tokuma Shoten, almost exclusively relied on stock footages from previous films. The direction to re-edit stock footages of former films was also influenced by budgetary and schedule problems,<ref name="Fantasy" /> along with the aforementioned loss of suits and models by either Yuasa or staffs, and the success of the 1979 Ultraman video by Akio Jissoji (jp), which contributed in the revival of the Tsuburaya Productions franchise.Template:Refn<ref name=BraveGuide /> Its box office result was not excellent partially due to the timing; kaiju genre in general stagnated between late 1970s and early 1980s where Toho ceased producing Godzilla films because of the box office result of Terror of Mechagodzilla in 1975.<ref name=IGN2022 /> The 1980 film also faced several other conditions to restrict its production, such as the music copyright, resulting in the lack of previous music materials including the Template:Ill.<ref name="Fantasy" />

The Heisei trilogy had greatly affected the entire tokusatsu genre afterward, while various other tokusatsu productions significantly influenced its production to compensate for the loss of tokusatsu expertise obtained from Showa Gamera films due to the collapse of Daiei Film, especially Noriaki Yuasa himself's Ultraman 80 (1980) after his Gamera career in Daiei, along with other Ultraman and Ultra Q series, Kamen Rider, Choujyu Sentai Liveman, Gridman the Hyper Agent, Gunhed, and many others.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=Perfection />

Revenues of Daiei Film productions were repeatedly restricted due to lack of exclusive movie theaters,<ref name=IGN2022 /> and ever since Gamera vs. Zigra which was co-distributed with Nikkatsu due to the financial problems and was released several months prior to the bankrupt,<ref name=OFS1995 /> the franchise has always relied on co-distributions as Daiei Film lost its theater chains after its bankruptcy; the Heisei trilogy was done so by Toho, so as Gamera the Brave by Shochiku, and Gamera Rebirth by Netflix. The Great Yokai War and The Great Yokai War: Guardians were also co-distributed by Shochiku and Toho. Heisei trilogy was distributed by Toho Western Films with much fewer theatres than Godzilla films, further declining box office results.<ref name=Shiraishi />

• The box office returns of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, the first installation of the reboot by Tokuma Shoten in 1995, were also negatively affected by the Great Hanshin earthquake (and the Tokyo subway sarin attack for a lesser extent<ref name=Ono2018 />) as the numbers of film theaters further reduced and the scenes of destructions of buildings triggered PTSD among the earthquake victims,Template:Refn<ref name=KanekoDiary />

Financial vulnerability resulted in repeated avoidances from direct competitions against the Godzilla franchise, although there had been failed attempts to make a crossover in 1990s<ref name=Kaneda /><ref name=MagMix /> and 2002,<ref name=Zakzak /> leading to the production of Gamera the Brave in 2006 due to Toho's temporal pause of Godzilla film productions since Godzilla: Final Wars while both films shared some of crews.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Aiken />

Influences of the Heisei Trilogy

The Heisei Trilogy by Shusuke Kaneko, despite its limited budgets less than half of Godzilla films at that time,Template:Refn distributions, marketing, media attentions, and revenues, was highly acclaimed among audiences, partially because a number of hardcore kaiju (tokusatsu) fans at that time, including Kaneko and other crews themselves, were dissatisfied with the Heisei Godzilla continuity (although Kaneko instead condemned fans who unjustly treat those Godzilla films by comparing with the Gamera trilogy,)<ref name=KanekoDiary /> and filmmakers that they are often considered as one of best kaiju and tokusatsu productions ever made,<ref name=IGN2022 />Template:Refn and it greatly influenced entire tokusatsu genre afterward, including the Godzilla franchise but most notably on Ultraman and Kamen Rider franchises.Template:Refn However, there are pros and cons regarding the outcomes of the trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide />

• The production of the trilogy faced obsracles, such as the financial situation of Tokuma Shoten and the intercompany treaty for co-funding to grant Kaneko's demand to increase budgets,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> losses of Daiei theater chains and its tokusatsu expertise,<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> and the Great Hanshin earthquake and the Tokyo subway sarin attack.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=MWP /><ref name=KanekoDiary /><ref name=Nikkei /><ref name=Ono2018 /> Additionally, as aforementioned, the trilogy might have originally tried to avoid a direct competition against the Heisei Godzilla continuity, which was originally supposed to end with Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II.<ref name=Gakken93 /> Distribution by Toho Western Films unlike Godzilla films potentially restricted box office results of the trilogy.<ref name=Shiraishi />

Continuation of the series after Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was cancelled due to the overall box office results of the trilogy, partially due to diminished public recognition of the franchise and limited advertising expenses and limited distributions,<ref name=Shiraishi /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> and the struggle to produce sequels after depicting the titular heroic character as an unintentional threat to humanity in the 1999 film where the film plot such as a girl (child) to detest Gamera, and depictions of human casualties in the battles of Shibuya and Kyoto largely displeased Noriaki Yuasa and Niisan Takahashi and others; Yuasa criticized the trilogy and emphasized the importance to differentiate from Godzilla,<ref>Hurricane Ryu, 5 May 2024, ガメラに拘りがあったのは、脚本の高橋二三氏でしたね。ただ湯浅監督も「俺達はゴジラと違う事をやろうとガメラを創ったから、ゴジラと同じ事はやっちゃダメだ」とは話されてました。, X (Twitter)</ref> and the draft by Shusuke Kaneko and Kazunori Itō for the sequel to portray Gamera to be a further threat was immediately turned down.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP>En Takenouchi, 28 January 2021, 金子修介監督、平成ガメラ三部作を語る！令和ガメラにも「やる気十分」, Template:Ill</ref> According to Kazunori Ito, Daiei (Tokuma Shoten) absolutely disapproves a story beyond G3,<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> and the concepts of the cancelled G4 was later reused for the 2003 independent film Template:Ill by Template:Ill.<ref name=Imai>Atsushi Imai, 2016, COLUMN 「ガメラ生誕50周年祭」レポート, Tokusatsu Hihō, vol.3, pp.164–165, Template:Ill, Template:Ill</ref>

Kaneko noted that he was at one point almost dismissed during the production of the 1995 film (and the production was at the brink of cancellation)<ref name=MWP /> due to considerable disagreements between Kaneko and Itō against executives and Showa staffs to depict Gamera as an intimidating-looking character being both an artificial and mechanical "living robot" and a threat to humanity without caring at all for humans, not even children,Template:Refn partially because Kaneko and Ito originally wanted to make the 1992 film Godzilla vs. Mothra instead of Gamera,<ref name=GMK>Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack Template:Ill, 2002, p.2, 世紀を越えて「金子ゴジラ」は誕生した。 by Shōgo Tomiyama, Shogakukan</ref> and wanted to "take revenge on with Gamera" while the two were not delighted with the offer to produce Gamera films as they and Shinji Higuchi have always preferred Toho productions since their childhoods, and disliked and regarded the concept of Gamera being rather absurd and "childish",Template:Refn especially his ability to fly, his heroic concept as a protector of the humanity and affinity to children, child protagonists, and being a turtle.Template:RefnTemplate:Refn

During the trilogy, Kaneko and Ito tried to exclude children completely from the plot, and also tried to depict human casualties by Gamera from the start, however executives and Showa staff didn't approve such ideas, and scenes to involve children were briefly inserted as an "excuse" to convince stakeholders although such scenes mostly depicted children to be helpless "burdens" unlike Showa films, and human casualties were not featured until Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris.<ref name=BraveGuide /> The 1999 film instead situated a girl (child) named Ayana Hirasaka as one of central antagonists to detest Gamera, however she was again portrayed as a "burden" that her parents and pet cat named "Iris" were accidentally killed by Gamera because their evacuation from the battle between Gamera and a Gyaos was delayed due to Ayana's hospitalization, and she brings a mass destruction with her misdirected hatred for Gamera, and Gamera loses his right arm to save her.Template:Refn Especially the 1999 film intentionally avoided to appeal to child audiences, and the trilogy in general didn't contribute in increasing young audiences due to the difficulty of the plot, lack of points that children can empathize, and fearsome and gruesome scenes especially the destruction of Shibuya by Gamera caused family audiences to exit theaters because children started crying,<ref name="Fantasy">Template:Cite book</ref> while Kazunori Ito claimed that he dislikes to depict Gamera as the hero of children, and advocated that he refuses to make Gamera as a child-friendly hero, and making child audiences crying in fears is correct for kaiju films.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> The trilogy also triggered a misconception amongs new audience segments; Gamera as the character exclusively originates artificially, would sacrifice humans for the sake of the planet and nature, and turtles and tortoises (as normal organisms) don't exist (or went extinct) in the universes of the franchise.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /> On the other hand, production of Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris was delayed and was intentionally designed as a horror because of box office results of 1995 and 1996 films, declined popularity of kaiju genre, and contrasting popularity of horror films among children at that time, including Ring and Ghosts at School (jp) franchises which possess indirect connections with the Gamera franchise.Template:RefnTemplate:Refn

These aspects resulted in controversies, even among film crews of the Heisei trilogy, and a disapproval of the films, especially Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, by a number of executives and Showa staff where Tokuma Shoten's revenues were also reduced due to the intercompany treaty with Nippon TV and Hakuhodo to achieve Kaneko's demand to increase budgets.Template:Refn Parts of two previous films in the trilogy, such as Gamera's origin as an artificial lifeform, the depiction of Gamera doing damage to Fukuoka in the 1995 film, and the "Ultimate Plasma" technique in Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, were also controversial, but were eventually approved.Template:Refn The plot of Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris and Gamera's depictions within the film partially followed those original ideas by Kaneko and Itō and Shinji Higuchi, while some of the originally cancelled depictions of Gamera for the 1995 film, such as his intimidating appearanceTemplate:Refn and the ability to transform his arms into flippers during flights, were partially approved in Gamera 2: Attack of Legion. As aforementioned, the 2003 independent film Template:Ill partially re-used the plot of cancelled "G4" in which Gamera no longer protects humanity and causes tremendous collateral damages to exterminate remnants of Gyaos.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP />

The 1999 documentary film Template:Ill by Hideaki Anno focused on ruptures among film crews, even between Kaneko and Higuchi. Kaneko described that the documentary film was a harassment by one of producers to target Kaneko by using Anno.

Ironically, the popularity of the Heisei trilogy indirectly triggered another setback for the franchise. While the box office returns of the trilogy and their revenues for Tokuma Shoten along with proceeds of merchandises targeting maniac audiences weren't particularly excellent due to aforementioned factors,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> the company was already struggling financially and it eventually disposed the copyrights of Daiei Film properties after the death of Template:Ill in 2000.<ref name=Nikkei /> Sequels after Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, potentially up to "G5" or more, were cancelled also due to the plot of "G3" for Gamera to act hazardous, and the plot of "G4" in which Gamera becomes a further threat.<ref name=MWP />

The 2006 film Gamera the Brave, which was released shortly after the death of Noriaki Yuasa and during a "winter" of kaiju genre (akin to the situations of Gamera: Super Monster and Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris) since Godzilla: Final Wars in 2004,<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=KanekoTweet>Shusuke Kaneko, 24 March 2012, 「ゴジラファイナルウォーズ」と「ガメラ小さき勇者たち」が大コケしたんで誰も作ろうと言わなくなった。, Twitter (X)</ref> was the first reboot attempt by Kadokawa Corporation reusing the original script "Konaka Gamera" of the 1995 film. Gamera the Brave aimed to restore the basis of the franchise,<ref name=Doland />Template:Refn with a slogan to "return Gamera to children" despite knowing the obvious popularity of the Heisei trilogy and the risk to fail by changing the direction. In the early stage of its production, Kadokawa carefully considered whether or not to expand the continuity of the trilogy, with either sequels, prequels, or side stories, or trilogy-esque different series, but eventually decided to change the direction to correct the course of the franchise and to avoid declines in the fan base which may result in the ultimate demise of the franchise and the character.Template:Refn It was also aimed to avoid "standards" of kaiju films akin to Showa films, partially due to a slump of kaiju genre itself (including the box office result of Godzilla: Final Wars) and the success of Heisei Mothra trilogyTemplate:Refn, and was also influenced by various other films including Daigoro vs. Goliath by Toho and Tsuburaya Productions,<ref name=Perfection /> Helen the Baby Fox, which also collaborated in distribution of the 2006 Gamera film, and Rex: A Dinosaur's Story.Template:Refn<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Ono2018 />

However the 2006 film was generally not well-accepted by fans of the Heisei trilogy, but it was more welcomed by children and female audiences who were not specially targeted for the Heisei trilogy,Template:Refn<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Ono2018 /> resulting in the commercial failure of the film and cancellation of its sequels<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /> and other subsequent productions such as (one or two) anime(s) by Cartoon Network and Yoshitomo Yonetani,<ref name=ICv2>ICv2, 31 October 2005, Cartoon Network Licenses 'Gamera'</ref><ref name=Yonetani>Yoshitomo Yonetani, 19 August 2023, 2006年の没企画「牙滅羅(ガメラ)」, Twitter (X)</ref> Gamera 3D by Yoshimitsu Banno,<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom /><ref name=Plan01 /> and one or more presumed reboot attempt(s) in 2010s,<ref name="Suzumura">{{refn|Template:Ill, 28 November 2023, 好きですガメラ。先輩の田﨑竜太監督の小さき勇者たちも好きだし、昭和も平成3部作も好き。我が師匠が撮る予定だったガメラが中止なったのは残念だった。。。#ガメラの日, Twitter (X)</ref><ref name=ANN /><ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=Nezura1964 /> and the franchise was again in a period of inactivity until the 2023 Netflix series Gamera Rebirth.Template:Refn Takashi Miike's Daimajin project was presumably cancelled due to the aftermath of Gamera the Brave,<ref>SciFi Japan, Daiei`s Idol of Terror: DAIMAJIN, THE AVENGING GOD</ref> while it resulted in the production of Daimajin Kanon,<ref name=Nezura1964 /> and Daimajin appeared in Miike's The Great Yokai War: Guardians (2021), along with Gamera in its spin-off novelization;<ref name=Minemori /> Miike's The Great Yokai War (2005) also made brief references to Gamera.

According to Shusuke Kaneko, Kadokawa "doesn't offer" him a new production despite him having new ideas for either "G4" or a new production; Kaneko brought a new idea to Kadokawa at one point, however Gamera Rebirth was already in production.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Gamera Rebirth Official Website, 17 November 2022, 「平成ガメラ三部作」監督・金子修介氏より応援コメントも到着！</ref> Kaneko prefers villainous characters (by comparing Gamera and Godzilla),<ref name=Wilentz /> and one of his new ideas is Gamera's attack on the Pearl Harbor.<ref>Template:Ill, 14 October 2023, 山崎貴が「『ゴジラ-1.0』は『GMK』の影響下にある」と明言！金子修介は"ガメラ4"のアイデアをポロリ, Template:Ill</ref>

Shusuke Kaneko, who dislikes the concepts of Showa Gamera, is aware both of criticisms against him and the intention of Gamera the Brave (to recover the ideology of the franchise from the Heisei trilogy),<ref name=Doland>Template:Cite web</ref> however he in return openly disfavored the 2006 film and criticized its concept, describing it a commercial failure<ref name=KanekoTweet /> and a failed serialization, and instead advocated the superiority of his direction and the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP /> Kaneko also believes Gamera the Brave and the aforementioned Godzilla: Final Wars were responsible for the decline of the genre afterwards.<ref name=KanekoTweet /> On the other hand, Kazunori Ito, who also doesn't favor Showa Gamera films but prefers Toho productions, instead suggested to free the franchise from the "curse" of the Heisei trilogy after he watched the anniversary short film in 2015.<ref name=EigaHiho2021>Template:Cite book</ref>

Gamera Rebirth, a tribute to Noriaki Yuasa, prioritized to be faithful to previous productions most notably the Showa films, and the series was produced with several policies about Gamera-human relationship, such as a reciprocal relationship between Gamera and children to protect each other,<ref name=AnimateTimes /> and to avoid human casualties by Gamera. While reducing battle scenes among urban areas is effective to reduce production costs, Gamera was also intentionally depicted to arrive at Tokyo in the first episode after most evacuations were completed, and he threw Gyaos and Jiger at open areas without people in early episodesTemplate:Refn for this reason.<ref name=RebirthArtbook />

As aforementioned, artificial origins of kaiju in Gamera: Guardian of the Universe was highly controversial among Daiei and caused a misconception among audiences that the kaiju in the franchise has always been bioengineered creatures. This disagreement almost resulted in either a cancellation of the project or dismiss of Shusuke Kaneko while such setting was introduced by Kaneko and Kazunori Ito to rationalize illogical biology (flight capability) of Gamera.Template:Refn<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP /> While the lore of the trilogy itself possessed supernatural aspects and introduced souls and a ghost in a manga side story,<ref name=Kondo /> the franchise, along with Niisan Takahashi's 1995 novel Gamera vs. Phoenix,<ref name=Perfection /> subsequently increased supernatural depictions, including Gamera the Brave which was redeveloped from the "Konaka Gamera" script,<ref name=Friend /> such as mystic identities of kaiju, and to involve entities such as deities, spirits, yokai, souls, and ghosts.<ref name=Kyogoku /><ref name=Minemori /><ref name="HolyBeast" /><ref name=Frank>Matt Frank, Joshua Bugosh, 6 August 2018, Gamera: The Last Hope, pp.93–108, Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe, Dark Horse Comics, Phase Six Inc.</ref> Within the aforementioned spinoff prequel of The Great Yokai War: Guardians, Gamera was emphasized as a divine beast based on her capabilities to fly and to breathe fire.<ref name=Minemori />

• Nagata's Daiei was already prominent in horror and yokai and fantasy genres prior to the Gamera franchise, and Daimajin and Yokai Monsters were launched thanks to the kaiju series.<ref name=Ui /> Yoshimitsu Banno's Gamera 3D also intended to introduce mythological characters most notably Sun Wukong,<ref name=THKingdom /> where the Journey to the West trilogy (jp) was among the popular Daiei tokusatsu productions before Gamera.<ref name=Ui /> While Gamera in Gamera Rebirth is a bioengineered weapon, Kadokawa conducted a collaboration with the sake brand Shinkame because the latter represents "turtles as the servants of deities".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Additional controversies of Gamera 2: Attack of Legion include its uneasy ending regards the relationship between Gamera and humanity, and the depictions of the JSDF which were reviewed "excessively praising"; Shusuke Kaneko described the difficulty to depict the JSDF as a war metaphor in subsequent kaiju films in 2020s.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />Template:Refn

As aforementioned, there had been a number of hardcore kaiju and tokusatsu fans with their dissatisfactions with the Heisei Godzilla series back then, including Kaneko and Ito and Higuchi and some of the crews of the trilogy, and their demands for realistic and serious kaiju productions contributed in the direction of the trilogy and its positive receptions. However, this indirectly triggered an atmosphere among inconsiderate fans to use the Gamera trilogy to deny those Godzilla films, discomforting Kaneko instead.<ref name=KanekoDiary />

Additionally, Tokuma Shoten's dispute with Niisan Takahashi regarding Gamera's legal rights and the production of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe indirectly damaged relationships between Takahashi and all other Daiei and Gamera stakeholders even including Noriaki Yuasa.<ref name=YuasaInterview />

Shōwa era (1965–1980)

Daiei film

The film series began in 1965 with Gamera, the Giant Monster, directed by Noriaki Yuasa, which is the first and only entry in the entire series to be shot in black-and-white due to budgetary constraints.<ref name=Treasured /> To date, it is the only Showa Gamera film to be released theatrically in the United States; however, it was heavily edited, dubbed and retitled Gammera the Invincible.<ref>Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. pg. 114. ISBN 0-89950-853-7.</ref> In the United States, Gamera attained prominence during the 1970s due to the burgeoning popularity of UHF television stations featuring Saturday afternoon matinée showcases such as Creature Double Feature,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and later in the 1990s, when five Gamera films were featured on the television series Mystery Science Theater 3000. As aforementioned, Gamera franchise was often viewed as a cheap, inferior competitor to the Godzilla franchise especially by global audiences, and this tendency was presumably caused by not only its direction, limited productions and global distributions, but also due to the rather ridiculing atmosphere created with the television series.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

A total of seven Gamera films were produced between 1965 and 1971, with one being released in Japan each year. These films, several of which were also directed by Yuasa, became popular with child audiences. During this time, five of the seven films were picked up for television distribution in the United States by American International Television. Just as Gamera, the Giant Monster becoming Gammera the Invincible, each film (except for Gamera vs. Zigra) was dubbed into English and re-titled for American viewers—Gamera vs. Barugon became War of the Monsters;Template:Sfn Gamera vs. Gyaos became Return of the Giant Monsters;Template:Sfn Gamera vs. Viras became Destroy All Planets;Template:Sfn Gamera vs. Guiron became Attack of the Monsters;Template:Sfn and Gamera vs. Jiger became Gamera vs. Monster X.Template:Sfn

Despite several sources stating that a monster called Garasharp was to appear in the eighth entry in the Gamera series slated for a 1972 release,Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> director Noriaki Yuasa stated that Garasharp was created specifically for the short film Gamera vs. Garasharp featured on the 1991 LD set, Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan,<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> and that a new two-headed monster was planned for the next film,<ref name=YuasaInterview /> which was canceled because Daiei Film went into bankruptcy in 1971 and the Gamera films ceased production as a result.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

Niisan Takahashi later published a revised graphic novel of Gamera vs. Garasharp illustrated by Yutaka Kondo, known for his illustrations of kaiju and other fictional characters for the Kūsō Kagaku Dokuhon series (which has featured both Gamera and Godzilla franchises and theoretical battles between the two titular characters),<ref name=Yanagita /> and it was recorded in the 1995 CD-ROM of Gamera, the Giant Monster. This edition depicted Garasharp with a different appearance and the ability to emit electricity.<ref>Official X account of Gamera 55th anniversary project, 1 April 2021, 台本発見というのは、願望たっぷりの #エイプリルフール ネタでした。みなさま流石です・・・。とはいえ、頭の中が #ガラシャープ になっている方も多いと思いますので、「大怪獣ガメラ」CD-ROMから近藤豊さんのイラストの『ガメラ対ガラシャープ』をご紹介‼#ガメラ3 先行公開迄あと15日。 on X</ref>

Tokuma Shoten

After Daiei was purchased by Tokuma Shoten in 1974, the new management wanted to produce another Gamera film, resulting in Gamera: Super Monster (also known as Space Monster Gamera), released in 1980. The filmmakers were forced to make the movie because of the contract for one more Gamera film that they owed to Daiei. Approximately one-third of Gamera: Super Monster is composed of stock footage from six of the previous seven films.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Yuasa had Takahashi end the film by having Gamera be presumably killed by sacrificing his life to save Earth, while the later-published manga by Hurricane Ryu depicted that Gamera was artificially resurrected.<ref name=MangaBoys />

In 1985, the American distribution rights to the Gamera films were bought by producer Sandy Frank, who distributed five of the eight films with new English dubbing.Template:Sfn In 1988 and 1989, Frank's versions of Gamera, the Giant Monster (simply re-titled Gamera),<ref name=dvdtalk /> Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos (re-titled Gamera vs. Gaos), Gamera vs. Guiron, and Gamera vs. Zigra were each used in episodes of the television program Mystery Science Theater 3000, during the show's first season, which aired on KTMA-TV.<ref name=dvdtalk />Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The attempt to reboot the franchise following Gamera: Super Monster (1980) didn't materialize.<ref name=Ui />

Heisei era (1995–2015)

Tokuma Shoten

In the 1995 series reboot by Tokuma Shoten, Gamera: Guardian of the Universe, three Gyaos are discovered on a remote island. The Japanese government discovers that they are all female and decides that since they are the last of their kind, they should be captured and studied. Meanwhile, scientists search for a moving atoll in the Pacific. When the atoll is located, small gems made of an unknown metal are discovered on it, as well as a stone that protrudes from the center of the island. The scientists take pictures and collect some of the strange gems, but the stone crumbles and the atoll moves off towards Japan at high speeds. The atoll is found to be an ancient monster of Atlantean origin called Gamera. He attacks the Gyaos; two are killed, but one escapes. The remaining Gyaos grows to Gamera-like proportions and returns to resume the battle. Gamera defeats this foe and heads out to sea.

In Gamera 2: Attack of Legion, released in 1996, Gamera defends the Earth from attacks by an alien force known as Legion (jp).

In Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, released in 1999, Gamera has to face hordes of Gyaos Hyper and a new foe known as Iris which is a subspecies of Gyaos. Shusuke Kaneko originally wanted to end the film with Gamera's victory against the swarms of Gyaos, however his idea was cancelled partially due to budgetary problems.<ref name=KanekoDiary />

Template:Ill's proposal for a crossover with Godzilla didn't materialize,<ref name=Kaneda /><ref name=MagMix /> and "G4" was cancelled,<ref name=MWP /> and Tokuma Shoten eventually disposed Daiei Film properties due to Yasuyoshi's death in 2000 and the financial condition of the company.<ref name=Nikkei />

The 2003 independent film, Template:Ill, which presumably reused a part of the scrapped plot of "G4", was produced by Template:Ill with featuring Yukijirō Hotaru.Template:Refn Tokuma Shoten gave a permission to it under the condition to not to take fees, and it has been repeatedly co-screened with canonical Gamera films on occasions.<ref name=Imai/>

In early 1990s, there existed attempts to produce new productions which were different from the Heisei trilogy. Prior to the actual development of the trilogy, Niisan Takahashi independently developed an idea for a new film in 1994 and sent its script to several filmmakers including Ishiro Honda, and this later became the basis of the 1995 novel Gamera vs. Phoenix;<ref name=Stuart /><ref name=DaieiScripts /> Takahashi had experienced a discord against Tokuma Shoten for the production of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe and severed ties with all stakeholders.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> Additionally, there was another scrapped project to produce a new V-cinema around 1991 according to Template:Ill, where a stakeholder from Tokuma Shoten revealed to Haraguchi after the release of Mikadroid.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Prior to the production of Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris, there existed a film project "Gamera 2.5"Template:Refn by Shusuke Kaneko and Kazunori Ito and others due to Shinji Higuchi's reluctance to participate in the 1999 film. Its plot never involved Gamera directly, and instead focused on a juvenile Gyaos attacking on a depopulated, mountainous village, and aged villagers resisting the monster. Higuchi eventually joined the 1999 film due to the cancellation of the project by Mamoru OshiiTemplate:Refn, which was the preceding project of Garm Wars: The Last Druid (2014).<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Kadokawa Corporation

In Gamera the Brave, the first reboot attempt by Kadokawa Corporation released in 2006 two years after the death of Noriaki Yuasa, Gamera (Avant Gamera, later as Toto) battles a flock of Original Gyaos and Zedus, a mutant kaiju under the influence of Gyaos.<ref name=BravePamphlet /> It was initially intended to be either a related story of the Heisei trilogy (either a sequel or prequel or side story, or a similar production),Template:Sfn or a crossover with Godzilla, and the company also initiated reboot attempts of Daimajin and Yokai Monsters, and the 2005 film The Great Yokai War was produced and Gamera was briefly mentioned in this film.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Zakzak /><ref name=Aiken /> Afterward the 2006 film, various subsequent productions including its sequels, along with a Daimajin project were cancelled, and Daimajin Kanon was instead produced,<ref name=Nezura1964 /> while Miike's wish to revive Daimajin was eventually granted in 2021 as The Great Yokai War: Guardians, along with the appearance of Gamera in its spinoff prequel novel.<ref name=Minemori />

In March 2014, Anime News Network reported that a new Gamera production was planned, with no release date specified.<ref name=ANN>Template:Cite web</ref>

At the New York Comic Con held in October 2015, Kadokawa Daiei Studio's senior managing director Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and producer Template:Ill screened a full proof-of-concept film in honor of the franchise's 50th anniversary; the short was directed by Katsuhito Ishii and its music was composed by Kenji Kawai.<ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=WebNewType>Template:Cite web</ref> The proof-of-concept film featured a newly designed Gamera, a swarm of newly designed Gyaos and a new, as yet unnamed monster, all of which were created and rendered through the use of computer-generated imagery.<ref name=amaya>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It has been rumored since the film's showing at New York Comic Con that it was never completed. However, the film's official website<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and an interview with the director both state that it was only a short proof of concept film. However, Inoue was actually trying to reboot the franchise with a new film for five years.<ref name=CGWORLD>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=Nezura1964 />

Reiwa era (2023)

An anime series, titled Gamera Rebirth, was released globally on Netflix in 2023.<ref name="November Rebirth">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="Variety 3-24-23">Template:Cite web</ref> A number of references to previous films and scrapped projects were made, including the reuse of the iconic Template:Ill.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> For example, designs of Gamera and Gyaos<ref name=AnimateTimes /> and the scene for Gamera to shoot down a flock of smaller Gyaos with his fireball in the first episode are reused from the 2015 short film, and Katsuhito Ishii was credited as the designer of Gamera.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> It yet again suffers insufficiency in budget and schedule;<ref name=AnimateTimes /> it features poorly done 3D models for humans,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and lacks an Template:Ill which is a common feature of Japanese anime.<ref>KADOKAWA Anime, 9 September 2023, 『GAMERA -Rebirth-（ガメラリバース）』オープニング映像｜WANIMA「夏暁」, Youtube</ref> The battle scenes were also cut in half or even less (20%) from what was originally intended to be,<ref name="Dengeki" /><ref name=AnimateTimes /> including cancellations of a number of monsters' abilities and characteristics,<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> and the director Template:Ill noted that inserting kaiju battles in every episode was very difficult for budgetary problems.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> While crews are willing to produce additional seasons (potentially up to 5) with more budgets and increased fighting scenes,<ref name=Interview4>Kadokawa Anime, 12 October 2023, GAMERA -Rebirth- | Special Interview Part 4, at 01:37 and 06:15, Youtube</ref> the future of the series is uncertain.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref name="Dengeki">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=AnimateTimes>Template:Cite web</ref> Seshita also pointed a possibility of the series to be adapted into live-action productions,<ref name="Dengeki" /> and expressed his wish for the series to contribute to the recovery of public recognition of the character and the revival of the franchise.<ref name=RebirthInterview3>KADOKAWA Anime, 5 October 2023, 『Making of "GAMERA -Rebirth-"』ガメラリバースインタビュー映像③【Netflix世界配信中】, at 00: 34, 02:32, 04:04 and 04:24, Youtube</ref>

Filmography

Films

No.	Title	Year	Director(s)	Monster co-star(s)	Licenses
Shōwa era (1965–1980)
1	Gamera, the Giant Monster	1965	Noriaki Yuasa	None	Arrow Video<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set"/>
2	Gamera vs. Barugon	1966	Shigeo Tanaka	Barugon
3	Gamera vs. Gyaos	1967	Noriaki Yuasa	Gyaos (jp)
4	Gamera vs. Viras	1968		Viras
5	Gamera vs. Guiron	1969		Guiron, Space Gyaos
6	Gamera vs. Jiger	1970		Jiger, Jiger's baby
7	Gamera vs. Zigra	1971		Zigra
8	Gamera: Super Monster	1980		Gyaos, Zigra, Viras, Jiger, Guiron, and Barugon
Heisei era (1995–2006)
9	Gamera: Guardian of the Universe	1995	Shusuke Kaneko	Gyaos	Arrow Video<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set"/>
10	Gamera 2: Attack of Legion	1996		Legion (jp)
11	Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris	1999		Iris, Gyaos HyperTemplate:Sfn
12	Gamera the Brave	2006	Ryuta Tasaki	Original Gyaos,Template:Sfn Zedus

Original net animation

Title	Year	Director(s)	Monster co-star(s)	Eps	Ref(s)
Gamera Rebirth	2023	Template:Ill	Gyaos, Jiger, Zigra, Guiron, Viras, and S-Gyaos<ref name=RebirthNovel2 /><ref name=AnimateTimes />	6	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Short film

Title	Year	Director(s)	Ref(s)
Gamera	2015	Katsuhito Ishii	<ref name=WebNewType /><ref name=CGWORLD />

Documentary

Title	Year	Director(s)	Ref(s)
Template:Ill	1999	Hideaki Anno	<ref>Gamera 1999</ref>

Drama

Title	Year	Director(s)	Ref(s)
Gamera – Council for gigantic organisms -Template:Refn	1999	Shusuke Kaneko	<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Other media

Home media

In 2003, Alpha Video released the American versions of four Shōwa films on pan and scan DVDs: Gammera the Invincible,Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Gamera vs. Barugon (as War of the Monsters),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gamera vs. Viras (as Destroy All Planets)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Gamera vs. Guiron (as Attack of the Monsters).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2010, Shout! Factory acquired the rights from Kadokawa Pictures for all eight of the Showa Gamera films to release the uncut Japanese versions on DVD for the first time ever in North America. These "Special Edition" DVDs were released in sequential order, starting with Gamera, the Giant Monster on 18 May 2010, followed by Gamera vs. Barugon and two double features: Gamera vs. Gyaos with Gamera vs. Viras, and Gamera vs. Guiron with Gamera vs. Jiger. On 15 March 2011, Shout! Factory released the last two films of the Showa series in a double feature of Gamera vs. Zigra with Gamera: Super Monster. Shout! Factory later released MST3K vs. Gamera, a special 21st volume of Mystery Science Theater 3000 containing the episodes featuring all five Gamera movies from the show's third season.

On 29 April 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released the eight Showa Gamera films (1965–1980) on Blu-ray in two volumes, Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1 and Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 2, featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles, and also the first 11 films (1965–1999) on DVD again as The Gamera Legacy Collection: 1965 – 1999, also featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Heisei trilogy was re-released on Blu-ray earlier from Mill Creek Entertainment on 27 September 2011, once again featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles.

On 17 August 2020, Arrow Video released a Blu-ray box set titled Gamera: The Complete Collection. The set features the original Japanese cuts for all 12 films, with English audio options; the Blu-ray debut of Gammera the Invincible and War of the Monsters; digital HD transfers and 4K restorations of the Heisei trilogy; case artwork by Matt Frank; audio commentaries by August Ragone, David Kalat, Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, Sean Rhoads, and Brooke McCorkle; a full color hardcover reprint of Dark Horse Comics' four-issue comic book miniseries Gamera the Guardian of the Universe; the English-language printing debut of the comic book story Gamera: The Last Hope by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh, which was originally published as a fan fiction;<ref name=Frank /> and an 80-page book featuring a retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias with illustrations by Jolyon Yates.<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set">Template:Cite web</ref>

Comics

File:Gameracomic.jpg

The first issue of the comic book miniseries Gamera the Guardian of the Universe by Dark Horse Comics

Aside from movie and anime based manga, there have been supplemental manga productions to expand lore of film and anime productions, such as Giant Monster Gamera (1994),<ref name=MangaBoys /> Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (1996) by Takashi Teshirogi,<ref name=Perfection /> Gamera Side Story: Version 2.5 (1999),<ref name=Perfection /> Gamera vs. Morphos (1999), Template:Ill (2003), Gamera 2006: Hard Link (2006),<ref name=HardLink /> and Gamera Rebirth Code Thyrsos (2023).<ref>BOOK WALKER, GAMERA-Rebirth- code thyrsos　Chapter 1, Kadokawa</ref>

Dark Horse Comics, which had previously involved Gamera and other characters including King Kong and Godzilla and Mothra and additional Toho monsters within a 1988 comic,<ref name=Richardson>Template:Cite book</ref> published a four-issue miniseries based on Gamera called Gamera the Guardian of the Universe in 1996.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The miniseries features Gamera, Gyaos, Zigra, and Viras.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The manga series Dr. Slump, written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, depicts several individuals of Gamera, along with Guiron and a human named Gyaos, as appearing in the land of Penguin Village.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gajira "Gatchan" Norimaki's name is also a reference to Gamera.<ref name=Gatchan /> In the manga series Dragon Ball, also by Toriyama, a flying turtle which resembles a smaller version of Gamera is summoned by Master Roshi to carry him to Fire Mountain.Template:Sfn There are references to Gamera in chapters of the manga series Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo, written and illustrated by Osamu Akimoto, and Kinnikuman, created by Yudetamago. These chapters appear in Gamera: Super Monster, the eighth film in the franchise.<ref name=Dent>Template:Cite web</ref>

Novels

Aside from film and anime based novelizations, Gamera and Daimajin and enemy monsters made appearances in several exoteric novels, such as the one by Template:Ill,<ref name="HolyBeast" /> the spin-off novelization of The Great Yokai War: Guardians,<ref name=Minemori /> the USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari series by Natsuhiko Kyogoku,<ref name=Kyogoku /> and several others.<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Jodo />

Television

The first, local TV season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 includes five episodes which each feature a film from the Gamera franchise's Shōwa period: Gamera, the Giant Monster, Gamera vs. Barugon, Gamera vs. Gyaos, Gamera vs. Guiron, and Gamera vs. Zigra. The same five films were re-used in the show's third national season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The thirteenth season of the show also contains an episode that features Gamera vs. Jiger. Re-edited edition of the 2023 Netflix series Gamera Rebirth was broadcast on NHK General TV in 2025.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Gamera repeatedly appeared in the two television series Template:Ill and Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight from 1995 to 1995, including the Gamera vs. Sailor Fighter, Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight Ver, 1.0 (and 1.3), and Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight 2: Revenge of the Empire.<ref name=HurricaneRyu /><ref name=Perfection />

There have been numerous references to the franchise, and Gamera along with his foes and Daimajin have appeared in various television programs and anime such as Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball,Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Urusei Yatsura,<ref name="Dijeh" /><ref name=Visual /> The Simpsons,<ref name="Plumb">Template:Cite web</ref> Franklin,<ref name=TUM /> the 1979 show Template:Ill, several popular variety shows (jp)(jp),<ref name=Sumo /><ref name=Vocaten /> and so on.<ref name=Otakuma /> Gamera was also featured in advertisements for Calbee in 1989, and the one by Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group in which he co-appeared with Maki Horikita and others, and it was produced by Template:Ill and his Monsters (jp) and Template:Ill. Akira Ohashi again played Gamera for the latter.<ref name=Perfection /><ref>Akira Ohashi. 22 February 2016, 僕が今のところ最後に演じたガメラはCM「三井住友海上GKガメラ篇」(2010年)です。懐かしです。, Twitter (X)</ref>

Video games

Gamera appeared in several video games released in 1995, including Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen for the Game Boy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gamera: Gyaosu Gekimetsu Sakusen for the Super Famicom,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Gamera: The Time Adventure for the Bandai Playdia.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1997, Gamera 2000 was released exclusively in Japan for the PlayStation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, Gamera appeared in the video game City Shrouded in Shadow, released for the PlayStation 4, alongside such characters as Legion (jp), Godzilla, Ultraman, and Evangelion Unit-01.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Additional collaborations have been made with The Tower II,<ref>The Tower II スペシャルガメラパック</ref> Monster Gear,<ref>4Gamer.net, 20 November 2015, 「モンスターギア」，特撮映画「ガメラ」とのコラボイベントが本日スタート。コラボクエストクリアでギロンやギャオスのギア獲得のチャンス</ref> Symphogear XD Unlimited,<ref>4Gamer.net, 8 November 2021, 「シンフォギアXD」×「ガメラ」のコラボイベントが復刻開催</ref> Godzilla Battle Line,<ref name=ScifiJapan /> Template:Ill, GigaBash,<ref name="Stockdale">Template:Cite web</ref> Mothra Dream Battle,<ref name=IGN2022 /> and so on.

Reception

Box office performance and critical response

Many of the Gamera films were commercially successful in Japan, rivaling the Godzilla franchise at the box office during the 1960s.<ref name=deusner /> However, they were commonly regarded as being inferior to the Godzilla films, with criticism being aimed at the derivative and absurd nature of the series.Template:Sfn Despite this, the 1995 reboot Gamera: Guardian of the Universe was both a critical and financial success, remaining in the top 10 films in Japan for its first six weeks of release and grossing more than Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla, which was also playing in Japanese theaters at that time.Template:Sfn

For the global receptions, aspects of the Showa films with child-friendly direction, limited productions and distributions, and a rather ridiculing atmosphere created through the Mystery Science Theater 3000 presumably enhanced public impressions towards the franchise as a cheap and inferior competitor to the Godzilla franchise.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Legacy

File:Sinemys gamera fossil.png

Sinemys gamera (jp) and Gamerabaena were named after Gamera.

As aforementioned, the Gamera franchise has been prominent in expanding post-war popular cultures in Japan, such as contributions in the creations of Daimajin and Yokai Monsters, and the launches of the two "Kaiju Booms" (jp)(jp) and the "Yōkai Boom"; these booms became influential social phenomenons, and were pushed by Masaichi Nagata's efforts to save the declining Japanese film industry<ref name=Romero /> and to appeal the significances of "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" genres globally.<ref name=Futaesaku /><ref name=Tanigawa /> The franchise's direct and indirect influences extend among not only "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" genres, but also other entertainment industries; aside from the kaiju and yokai booms, Noriaki Yuasa also became one of the best hitmakers for domestic television industries at that time through his experiences of Gamera and other Daiei Film productions. Additionally, Yuasa and Niisan Takahashi and others had also engaged in non-Daiei tokusatsu productions including ones by the aforementioned P Productions, and contributed in the expansion of the "Kaiju Booms".<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Karasawa /> In 2006, the franchise was chosen for special stamps (jp) as one of representative properties among Japanese cinema.<ref name=Perfection />

Todd McCarthy, in his review of Gamera: Guardian of the Universe for Variety, wrote that "Despite its horrific countenance and plated shell, Gamera remains one of the most likable of all movie monsters".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Brian Solomon of the website Bloody Disgusting ranked Gamera eighth on his list of "Most Kick-Ass Giant Monsters in Movie History".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Gamera was also ranked eighth on Rick Mele of Sharp's list of "Greatest Giant Monsters in Movie History".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Chris Coffel of Film School Rejects wrote that "I would argue that the Gamera franchise is better than the Godzilla franchise", complimenting Gamera's turtle-like design and his affinity for children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Ken Watanabe, who played a major role in the aforementioned MonsterVerse series, noted that he preferred Gamera to Godzilla during his youth.<ref>Izumi Hasegawa, 15 May 2014, Exclusive interview with Ken Watanabe: "Gojira vs. Godzilla", What's Up Hollywood</ref> Guillermo del Toro noted that Gamera, the Giant Monster is one of favorite kaiju films, and he as a child often created his own kaiju and robots based on classic characters including Gamera and Barugon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Ill, Vol. September 2013, p.9, Template:Ill</ref>

Several authors such as Hiro Arikawa<ref>Daisuke Yoshida, 2017, 有川浩作品の原点は『ガメラ』と『大脱走』? Template:Webarchive, Da Vinci, Kadokawa Corporation</ref> and Jeremy Robinson and Kōhei Horikoshi noted that Gamera is one of their favorite kaiju and had influences on their works such as Nemesis Saga and My Hero Academia.<ref>Jacob Lyngle, 25 October 2023, Interview: Jeremy Robinson, Kaiju United</ref><ref name=Horikoshi /> Atsuji Yamamoto noted that Gamera was one of inspiration sources for his images of protagonists of his works.<ref>Atsuji Yamamoto, 2023, 27 November 2023</ref> Hideaki Anno and Hajime Isayama also drew inspirations from Gyaos for their images of angels and titans in Neon Genesis Evangelion and Attack on Titan respectively where Anno directed the 1999 documentary Template:Ill, and Shinji Higuchi directed the live-action film adaptation of Attack on Titan.<ref>Yasuo Nagayama, 2021, 『進撃の巨人』にそっくり!?　実現しなかった『エヴァンゲリオン』幻の完全新作劇場版, Bunshun Online</ref><ref>Magazine House, November 2014, BRUTUS, No.790, p.96</ref> Several authors such as Kō Machida and Yoshiki Shibata (jp) have also published original stories of Gyaos.<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Jodo>Kodansha Book Club, 浄土, Kodansha</ref> Template:Ill and Template:Ill participated in the 2020 disaster film Fukushima 50, and Inoue clarified its style to insert a number of telops is an homage to the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Higuchi used expertise from the Gamera trilogy for his later works such as Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean, Sinking of Japan, Shin Godzilla, and so on.<ref name=Ono2018 />

Showa Gamera staffs were involved in the production of the 1967 South Korean-Japanese film Yongary, Monster from the Deep, and the titular monster Yonggary bears several resembrances to Gamera such as to breathe traditional non-atomic fire and favors a song and dance with it.<ref>Template:Cite AV media</ref>

The Heisei Gamera Trilogy is widely applauded both by film makers and audiences in Japan, and Keiichi Hasegawa remarked that it had a great impact on entire tokusatsu genre afterwards especially the Ultraman and the Kamen Rider franchises,Template:Refn including various references, and several important tokusatsu techniques were created by the trilogy while expertise and connections from previous Ultraman works including a scrapped Ultra Q project by Kaneko and Kazunori Itō and Shinji Higuchi,<ref name=BraveGuide /> Ultraman 80, and Template:Ill and various other productions such as Gridman the Hyper Agent<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> in return influenced the Heisei Gamera Trilogy where Showa staffs such as Noriaki Yuasa participated in the production of Ultraman 80.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=IGN2022 /> Digimon Tamers by Toei Animation and Ultraman Tiga by Tsuburaya Productions were re-developed from the aforementioned "Konaka Gamera" script for Gamera: Guardian of the Universe<ref name=MWP /> which also became the basis for Gamera the Brave.<ref name=Perfection>ASCII Media Works, 2014, Heisei Gamera Perfection, p.14-16, pp.61-63, p.75, p.80, p.87, p.131, p.145, p.159, pp.196–205, pp.213–215, p.237, p.250, p.254, p.261, p.264, p.270, p.274, p.282, pp.285–287, p.291, Kadokawa Shoten</ref> As aforementioned, several Godzilla films have been pointed out to be influenced by Heisei Gamera Trilogy, and GMK and Shin Godzilla were directed by Shusuke Kaneko and Shinji Higuchi.<ref name=Kinema /><ref name=Eiga /><ref name=CinemaToday/> Kaneko acknowledges the similarities between Heisei Gamera Trilogy and MonsterVerse series,<ref name=Kinema /> and the scrapped Gamera project "Gamera 3D" which was the successor of "Godzilla 3D" by Yoshimitsu Banno served as one of predecessors of MonsterVerse.<ref name=Joblo>Yoshimitsu Banno to turn Gamera into an environmentalist! Will shoot in 3D?</ref><ref>See these guys? At one point they were meant to appear in a Gamera movie.</ref><ref name=THKingdom>Godzilla 3D to the Max</ref> Higuchi also adapted his experiences and miniature models from the Heisei Gamera Trilogy for his 2012 short film Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo where Daiei franchises and Studio Ghibli were owned by Tokuma Shoten at that time,Template:RefnTemplate:Refn and distributions of the trilogy were also affected by Studio Ghibli productions, while the production of the 2000 film Shiki-Jitsu by Ayako Fujitani and Hideaki Anno was instead influenced by the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Nakamura /><ref>Animage, Vol. January 2001, p.97, I fell in love with Gamera, and bloomed in Shiki-Jitsu</ref> Character designs of Gamera Rebirth was also somewhat affected by Studio Ghibli due to involvements of Naoya Tanaka (jp) and Mitsunori Kataama (jp).<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> A popular television series How Do You Like Wednesday? is also strongly influenced by the trilogy.<ref>Tadahisa Fujimura, 2008, Official Staff Blog</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Numerous media globally have references to the franchise. Such examples are; Godzilla franchise,<ref name=TheSeries /><ref name=FinalWars /><ref name=MonsterApocalypse /><ref name=Squires /> Ultra Q and Ultraman,<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=UltramanMax /><ref name=Visual /><ref>Template:Ill, 22 November 2018, Ultraman Designs Artbook by Hiroshi Maruyama (jp), pp.241–243</ref><ref>Template:Ill, 30 March 2000, Earth is Ultraman's planet, pp.422–429, Template:Ill</ref> Gridman,<ref name=~Gridman>ガメラ映画文書館, 17 February 2014, これ、ガメラ3だ。（SSSS.GRIDMAN最終回） on Togetter (jp)</ref> No.1 Sentai Gozyuger,<ref>Uchusen, 1 July 2025, pp.62–63, vol.189, Hobby Japan</ref> Sadako DX,<ref name=SadakoDX /> Giant Monsters Appear in Tokyo,<ref name=Noma /> Crossfire,Template:Refn Love & Peace,<ref>Mynavi News (jp), 17 July 2015, 特技監督・田口清隆が語る、特撮怪獣映画としての『ラブ＆ピース』-「特撮ファンには見逃してほしくない」</ref> Pokémon,Template:Refn Bowser from the Mario series and Super Smash Bros.,<ref>Kazuki Motoyama, 1992, Super Mario, Vol.7, Kodansha</ref><ref>Yukio Sawada, 1994, Super Mario-kun, Vol.11, Shogakukan</ref><ref name=Yadayo /> Digimon,Template:Refn The Legend of Zelda,<ref>Zac Pricener, 23 May 2019, Tingle's Maps: Turtle Rock (World Turtle Day), Zelda Universe</ref> Castlevania and its parody Kid Dracula<ref>Gamera</ref> Mega Man,<ref>Video Game / Mega Man 7</ref> Sonic the Hedgehog,<ref>Sega Retro, Interview: Craig Stitt (2025-08-02) by Alexander Rojas</ref> Dungeons & Dragons,Template:Refn Magic: The Gathering,<ref>Dragon Turtle, MTGNexus.com</ref><ref>Gianluca Aicardi, April 28, 2020, Know Your Kaiju: A Guide to Ikoria's Giant Monster PromosTemplate:Dead link, Cardmarket.com</ref> World of Warcraft,<ref>Off Topic: There's a new Godzilla movie coming at the end of May. I might be excited.</ref> Final Fantasy XIV,<ref>ガメラ～♪ガメラ～♪</ref> Dragon Quest,<ref>Wyrtle in Dragon Quest X and Wyrtoise in Dragon Quest Rivals</ref> Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game,<ref>Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju</ref> Xenoblade Chronicles X,<ref>The creature called "Jet Turtle".</ref> King of Tokyo,<ref>Friend of Children the giant turtle, Hobby Japan, 東京が沈黙する日『キング・オブ・トーキョー（King of Tokyo）』</ref> Five Nights at Freddy's,<ref>Graffitis of Gamera and Godzilla were represented in the chapter Into the Pit,</ref> Naruto: Ultimate Ninja,Template:Refn The Battle Cats,<ref>"Guardian Gamereon" physically and etymologically resembles Gamera with crests on the head, a pair of tusks on the lower jaw, spikes on elbows, and has an attack to breathe fireballs.</ref><ref>にゃんこ大戦争 ゴジラのライバル！？ 大怪獣ガメラ東京に上陸！</ref> Palworld,<ref>【パルワールド】鉄の採掘用にガメラみたいの捕まえたけど自分で掘った方が早いな</ref> Dinosaur Simulator,<ref>Kaiju skins for Archelon and Helicoprion updated in March 2024 were based on Gamera and Guiron.</ref><ref>Project Anime, 10 March 2024, Dinosaur Simulator – Kaiju Archelon / Gamera showcase – Is it Worth the DNA?</ref> and many other video games,<ref name=Yadayo>●映画 か</ref> Star Wars,<ref>Tars Tarkas.NET, January 13, 2015, Star Wars Expanded Universe craziness!</ref> Star Trek: Deep Space Nine,<ref>The alien race named Gameran in Bloodletter in 1993</ref> Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump franchizes,Template:Sfn<ref name=Gatchan /> The Simpsons,<ref name=Simpsons>Lisa on Ice, Thirty Minutes over Tokyo, Treehouse of Horror XXVI</ref><ref name="Plumb" /> a South Park episode "Mecha-Streisand",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,<ref>The Ever-Burning Fire</ref><ref>Sophie Campbell, 28 November 2018, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series, "Leonardo", IDW</ref> Justice League Unlimited,<ref>Chaos at the Earth's Core</ref> Green Lantern,<ref>While Rome Burned, Part 5</ref><ref>Screenshot</ref> Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo,<ref name=Dent /> Kinnikuman,<ref name=Dent /> Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter,<ref>Gamera's model was represented among creature models owned by Tommy Jarvis.</ref> Frankenweenie,<ref>DNA of the king of Kaiju (Godzilla) is alive and well across the world No. 4: All Kaiju attack</ref> The Good News (Mad Men), Captain Underpants,<ref>Captain Underpants</ref> The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy,<ref name=Imitative /> Inuyasha and Urusei Yatsura,Template:Refn<ref name="Dijeh">Gyaos and Gamera in Urusei Yatsura, episodes 186/209 and 191/214.</ref><ref name=Visual /> Sailor Moon SuperS,<ref name=Sailor /> Gintama,<ref>IGN, 19 July 2016, Top 10 Anime Beach Episodes</ref> My Hero Academia,<ref name=Horikoshi>Template:Ill, 19 June 2016, 堀越耕平『僕のヒーローアカデミア』インタビュー　師弟関係の描写はあの映画からの影響大!! そして今後の展開でデクたちの"アレ"が変わる……!?, Kono Manga ga Sugoi!</ref> Franklin,<ref name=TUM>Technical University of Munich, Franklin In The DarkTemplate:Dead link</ref> The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police,<ref name=Imitative /> The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Volume IV: The Tempest,<ref>Panelwise, LoEG The Tempest 4 annotations</ref> Ready Player One,<ref>Melda Kaptan Yuksel, August 1, 2018, References From "Ready Player One", Medium</ref> Yakitate!! Japan,<ref>Joseph Luscik, June 2005, High Carb Heaven, Animefringe</ref> Sgt. Frog,<ref>Gamera the Brave – Connections on IMDb</ref> Negima! Magister Negi Magi,<ref>Salio Gamera</ref> Gunbuster,<ref>Anime News Network, Gunbuster (OAV)</ref> Devilman,<ref>Sakama (tokusatsu writer), 10 November 2017, ビッグコミック『デビルマンサーガ』の新ジンメンが『G3』版 平成ガメラにソックリで、殆んど夢の対決, X</ref>Template:Refn Lucky Star,<ref>Lucky Star (TV) on Anime News Network</ref> Megas XLR,<ref name=Imitative /> Detective Conan,<ref name=Conan>Alex Mateo, 21 September 2019, Quatre épisodes originaux pour Detective Conan, Anime News Network</ref> Template:Ill,<ref name=ITmedia>Template:Ill, 17 October 2013, Huluで幼児向け番組「バ怪獣 ゴメラ」を配信開始</ref> Daicon III and IV Opening Animations, Megatokyo,<ref name=MT>The Shame of the Gamera Family</ref> Robot Chicken,<ref name=RobotChicken /> Usagi Yojimbo,<ref>Stan Sakai, 2004, Usagi Yojimbo, Vol.3 #66–68: "Sumi-e, Parts 1–3", Vol. 18. Travels with Jotaro, Dark Horse Comics</ref> Uzumaki,<ref>In the chapter 15 Chaos, a figure of Gamera was represented in a wreckage.</ref> Welcome to My Life,<ref>Western Animation / Welcome to My Life</ref> The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World,<ref>The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World</ref> Voltes V and Voltes V: Legacy,<ref name=Voltes>Shout Out / Voltes V</ref> Nurse Witch Komugi,<ref name=Visual>Toho Sightings (TV) – Visual</ref> Pani Poni,<ref name=Visual /> Pacific Rim<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Pacific Rim Uprising, La Blue GirlTemplate:Refn, Mountain Dew Code Red,<ref>Shawn Robare, 11 October 2023, Monsters Attack Mountain Dew, Plastic Rocket Pop!</ref> domestic variety shows,<ref name=Sumo /><ref name=Vocaten /> and many others.<ref>Daikaijû Gamera – Connections</ref> Other cases include companies<ref>Gamera Games</ref><ref>Gamera Interactive</ref><ref>Gamera Studios</ref> and musicians and songsTemplate:Refn feature Gamera in their names or lyrics.

Gamera and his foes' roars were used in various other media such as Godzilla,<ref name="Wong" /> Fireman,<ref>Guiron's roars for Scoradon as Daiei Film co-produced Fireman.</ref><ref>Kodansha Series MOOK, 8 December 2021, Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK VOL.35: Fireman, "大異変と侵略 太古からの挑戦！", vol.35, pp.4–5, Kodansha</ref> GeGeGe no Kitarō,<ref>As roars for Nozuchi in the episode Hiderigami on 27 October 1968, and Ushi-oni in the episode Gyūki on 13 January 1972</ref> Pokémon,Template:Refn Yu-Gi-Oh!,<ref>As Stardust Dragon's roars in Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's</ref> Aura Battler Dunbine,<ref>ダンバインの怪獣の鳴き声、ガメラと同じじゃない?</ref> Reideen the Brave,<ref>Toho Sightings – Roars</ref> Voltes V,<ref name=Imitative>Toho Sightings (TV) Imitative</ref> Chargeman Ken!,<ref>As giant Stegosaurus's roar in Dynamite in the Brain.</ref> and so on.

27 November is publicly referred as Template:Nihongo in Japan as the first film was released on the day in 1965.<ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=Niigata>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Dengeki Hobby Magazine, 27 November 2023 「11月27日ガメラの日」に予約開始！『ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒』ガメラがPVC製塗装済完成品フィギュアとなって登場！</ref> Akira Ohashi, who played Gamera and Iris in the Heisei Trilogy and also participated in related works including GMK and Nezura 1964, noted the coincidence that the day is also the birthday of Bruce Lee where Ohashi was inspired by Bruce Lee for his acting of Gamera in the Heisei Trilogy.<ref>Akira Ohashi. 27 November 2023, #特撮見たことない人が嘘だと思うけど本当の事言え</ref>

Chōfu features Gamera and Daimajin along with characters from Shigeru Mizuki's GeGeGe no Kitarō and Akuma-kun as symbols where there have been several minor-crossovers between these franchises,<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=AllAbout /><ref name=Kyogoku /><ref name=HotCorner /> and an official mascot character Template:Nihongo was designed and named after Gamera.<ref name=Gachora>「映画のまち調布」応援キャラクター</ref><ref name=AllAbout /> There also exist a number of boulders publicly referred as Template:Nihongo across the Japanese archipelago.<ref>Shiretoko Shari-cho Tourist Association, 10 September 2009, 味めぐり・湯めぐり 2009</ref><ref>Geo_Information Portal Hub, ガメラ岩</ref>

The extinct Cretaceous sinemyidid turtle with long spines on its carapace, Sinemys gamera (jp) , classified in 1993, was named after Gamera.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> The extinct Cretaceous baenid turtle Gamerabaena sonsalla, classified in 2010, was named after Gamera.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A specimen of Nodosauridae was also nicknamed after the kaiju.<ref>Template:Cite tweet</ref>

A magnetosphere code to study plasma bubbles was named after the kaiju, and the Applied Physics Laboratory partnering with Johns Hopkins University launched an associated eponymous project.<ref name=Williams />

The University of Maryland Gamera I human-powered helicopter, along with its successor, was named after Gamera.<ref name=berryetal>Template:Cite journal</ref> Developed by University of Maryland engineering students in 2011 and 2012, respectively, the name was also chosen in reference to the university's mascot, the diamondback terrapin, as well as to flights undertaken by Japanese human-powered helicopters years prior.<ref name=berryetal />

In July 2011, Washington State University veterinarians successfully fixed a prosthetic caster onto an African spurred tortoise named Gamera (after the giant turtle), who was a single amputee<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where Avant Gamera and Toto in Gamera the Brave were designed after African spurred tortoise.<ref>Takunori Yasuda, 30 July 2017, まるでメロンパン、実は「ガメラの孫」リクガメ続々誕生 Template:Webarchive, The Asahi Shimbun</ref>

J/FPS-5 (jp), an early-warning radar of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force is often referred as Template:Nihongo due to its shape somewhat resembling a turtle shell.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> A Japanese free climber Template:Ill is known with a nickname "Gamera" being named after the kaiju.<ref>Template:Ill, Climbing-Guide Books</ref> The Japanese esports player "Gamera" was named after the kaiju,<ref>Kog Shoji, 2 June 2020, 【第12回・プロゲーマー小路KOGの「勝つための『グラブルVS』立ち回り指南】〜初の全国大会「RAGE GBVS 2020 Summer」の見どころ〜, eSports World</ref> and a technique for esports is called "Gamera" in Japan after the kaiju.<ref>E Sports Kit, 10 December 2024, ストリートファイター用語・格闘ゲーム用語まとめ</ref>

In 2024, Itochu acquired BIGMOTOR Co., Ltd (jp) after multiple scandals of the latter, and the code name for the acquiring project was named "Gamera" after the kaiju.<ref>Fumiko Kitagawa, 16 August 2024, 【直撃】伊藤忠がビッグモーターを買収した｢本当の理由｣, Template:Ill</ref> Tokyo Gas also uses the trademark "GAMERA" for one of its meter data management systems.<ref>J-PlatPat, GAMERA, Japan Patent Office</ref> The Second generation model (C130; 1972) of the Nissan Laurel is also known by the nickname "Gamera Laurel" for its design.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Naoyuki "Gyaos" Naitō (jp), a TV personality who was formerly a baseball player and a manager, took his stage name from Gyaos, the most recurring foe of Gamera of the series.<ref>第55回 ＜怪獣ブーム50周年企画　PART-6＞ 『大怪獣空中戦　ガメラ対ギャオス』</ref> The comedy troupe "Gyaos" which was later renamed to "Denshamichi" (jp), presumably took its name from Naitō as the comedians focused on baseball topics.<ref>The Shin Nihonkai Shimbun (jp), 27 March 2023, アシストスタッフサービス　代表取締役　島津江英樹さん Template:Webarchive</ref> There also exists a comedian called Gamera Wataru.<ref>TIGET.net, 『ミネルヴァモータース』CD②配信チケット</ref> Similarly, Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki was nicknamed after the Daimajin, the character redeveloped from the Gamera franchise,<ref name=Takaki /><ref>Oricon, 25 March 2010, 「ホントに大きい!」『大魔神カノン』主演女優・里久鳴祐果、リアル大魔神・佐々木主浩のデカさに口あんぐり</ref> where Chikara Hashimoto, who portrayed the Daimajin and Daimon the vampiric demon in Yokai Monsters and participated in Gamera and other related productions,<ref>Takeshobo, 1996, ガメラ画報 大映秘蔵映画五十五年の歩み, P.99</ref> was also a baseball player and also co-acted with aforementioned Bruce Lee in the 1972 film Fist of Fury.<ref>『大魔神』4Kで観てもすごい！見事な"職人技"を堪能できる名作特撮</ref><ref>Sankei Sports, 19 October 2017, 橋本力さん死去　元プロ野球選手の俳優、ブルース・リーと共演、大魔神のスーツアクターも</ref> Hashimoto was also appointed for other monsters and yokai films most notably Gamera vs. Viras and The Whale God (Killer Whale) where the latter presumably influenced the Dai-kaiju, the right whale-based kaiju with an alias of the "Whale God", from GeGeGe no Kitarō franchise.<ref>Shigeru Mizuki, 1964, Dai-kaiju Part 3 from The Secret Story, p.1, Tōkōsha (jp)</ref>

See also

• Daimajin
• Gamerabaena
• Sinemys gamera (jp)
• Warning from Space
• The Whale God
• Yokai Monsters

References

Sources

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite AV media
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite AV media
• Template:Cite AV media
• Template:Cite AV media
• Template:Cite book

External links

• Gamera 60th Anniversary Project by Kadokawa
• Official Gamera: Rebirth website by Kadokawa
• Official 2015 50th Anniversary website Template:Webarchive
• The Shrine of Gamera