Godzilla Island – Story Arc 21

1997

Directed by Shun Mizutani

President Skroob – Salute! Hail, Skroob! We all hail Skroob, and it looks like the Japanese do as well, because part of the plot of this Story Arc is lifted from Spaceballs! Unfortunately, Godzilla does not fight a giant robotic maid, but we do have an air shield, and the people beneath it lose all their air. Also, the Secret of Godzilla Island is revealed, A new warship is unveiled, and the plot moves towards the final battle as we hit the next to last Story Arc. Anyone new should head over to Story Arc 1, everyone else get to reading. And may the Schwartz be with you….

G-Guard Commander (Jiro Dan) – G-Guard Commander runs the Godzilla Guard unit on Godzilla Island. He’s all alone except for sassy robot Lucas, so of course he’s bored out of his skull normally. He seems to have been stationed there because it’s a low-priority assignment they could dump someone who can’t work under pressure, because that’s exactly what he is. Luckily Torema shows up to save his pants. I do not know if he has a name but it may be Oji. Lucas (Kenichiro Shimamura) – Annoying robot, Godzilla Island-style! Makes sarcastic remarks, and seems to be even mean at times. An annoying Kenny kid in floating metal sphere form. He must be destroyed! Translates from monster language to Japanese. Misato (Kaori Aso) – The new monster doctor who is dedicated to her craft. Works hard, argues with G-Guard Commander, and flies Medical Jet Jaguar around all the time. Landes (Kaoru Ukawa) – The new Xilien assigned by Giant Dark Emperor to take over Godzilla Island. She has crazy eyes. Always using a pink fluffy fan. Her ship is another Vabaruda. Nao (Sho Sawamura) – The latest cast addition to Godzilla Island, and the most mysterious because she came out of nowhere and seems obsessed with food. Who is she? Why does G-Guard Commander seem to know her and get annoyed at her constant talk of food? Will we ever get answers? I sure hope so, because otherwise you have to put up with this explanation for the remainder of the series. At this point I think she is G-Guard Commander’s daughter. I translated Sho Sawamura’s name myself so hopefully it is right. Camero (???) – Landes’s floating robot, sounds bored when he talks. Just what we needed, another annoying Lucas. Hopefully he can be the entertaining Meowth to the lame Pikachu. Looks suspiciously like MST3K’s Cambot (Last design)! Narrator – (Yutaka Aoyama) – He’s not a character but the guy who recaps the previous episode in the beginning of the episode. That means thirty seconds of each three minute episode is Narrator recounting events, padding running time beyond levels I want to think about. He’s a typical Japanese male announcer, amazingly excited and epic about even the most mundane things. Giant Dark Emperor (???) – Giant flaming head who commands the Xiliens and Planet X. Do not look behind the curtain. The great and powerful Giant Emperor commands you, and can hear your sarcastic backtalk! Still, being a flaming head in space has got to be pretty boring.

Different monster feature in each episode, so we’ll keep track of them in each story arc. The complete Godzilla Island Daikaiju List is located here. We’ll also list any new monster match-ups that weren’t in any film but now exist thanks to this series, such as Black Mechagodzilla fighting Gigan or something. The R2 Japanese DVD release is unsubtitled, so most of what is going on will be educated guesses thanks to our limited Japanese speaking ability. But here at TarsTarkas.NET we don’t need no stinking subtitles!

Featuring the monsters –

Anguirus – Godzilla’s first foe and now a close friend. His only power is a spiky back but he’s brave on the battlefield. One of the usual residents on Godzilla Island who shows up to watch the action as stories progress. Baragon – Big ears, big horn on the nose, likes to dig underground. One of the usual residents on Godzilla Island who shows up to watch the action. Destoroyah – He killed Godzilla and all he gets is a villain slot on a kids TV show. And beat up on said show. That will learn him! Try as I might I will never like him. Godzilla – The King of Monsters. Godzilla is pure awesome in giant fire-breathing lizard form. Everyone who comes to Godzilla Island wants a piece of Godzilla. And they all get kicked to the curb. Godzilla Junior – Godzilla’s lamest son is here also. Looks likes some sort of lizard squirrel or something. Give me Minya! I’ll even take nephew Godzooky! Gorosaurus – Old foe of King Kong who spends most of his days watching whatever happens on Godzilla Island. His special move was to do kangaroo kicks. King Caesar – King Caesar is King of Zen as well. He’s a Samurai Lion who will kick your behind! He is some sort of Taoist/Shinto priest or something in addition to being a giant monster. Mechagodzilla – This is the second Mechagodzilla, which was created by humans to fight Godzilla. Now stationed on Godzilla Island as one of its defenders. Usually automated, but can be piloted at times (and has been by G-Guard Commander.) Usually paired with Moguera. Megalon – Drills for hands, the former guardian of Seatopia now works for Zaguresu because he hasn’t been beat up by Godzilla or Jet Jaguar enough yet. Moguera – The Mobile Operation Godzilla Universal Expert Robot Aero-Type, or MOGUERA, was also built to fight Godzilla, and is also stationed on Godzilla Island to defend it now. In one episode we see Torema pilots Moguera, but other episodes it is unclear who is in control. Moguera can separate into Star Falcon and Land Moguera pieces in the movies, but doesn’t here. Mothra Larva 2 – This Mothra Larva is the sister of Mothra Leo, her egg was hidden by Mothra when Battra attacked. Kidnapped before hatching, Mothra Larva 2 was brainwashed to be evil by Battra until brought ack to the side of good by the Mothra song. Mothra Leo – a boy Mothra who has extra powers, from the Rebirth of Mothra series. Can zap things with antenna and wing blasts. No one has a good explanation on how male Mothra Leo is supposed to continue the Mothra line. But don’t worry, as an egg magically appears anyway. Rodan – A prehistoric monster awakened in modern day, Rodan is a former foe of Godzilla who has learned to work with him to fight off the evil monsters. Has some hot springs named after him on Godzilla Island. Will eventually become Fire Rodan, because he did so in the Heisei movie series that was still recent, in addition to giving Bandai another toy.

Episode 219 – The Hieroglyph Floats in the Sky
Misato and G-Guard Commander argue about the secret of Godzilla Island, while Landes yells at Camero, who is again spying on the island. A lot of anger issues in this episode. Misato takes off in the Tart-coupe, and witnesses Baragon emerge from the ground with a weird metal sphere in his mouth. He kicks it, gets bored, and leaves, but the sphere shines a message into the sky, written in hieroglyphics. Landes’s ship flies back towards earth as we tsuzuku.

Episode 220 – Pick Up That Object!
G-Guard Commander realizes there is something weird about Godzilla Island, and tells Misato to get the metal sphere. But the Vabaruda attacks and tractor beams away the sphere. We get a new shot of the Vabaradu flying over Earth afterwards, a welcome distraction to the same stock shot and angle of the Xilien ship we always get. Landes and the ship’s computer attempt to analyze the sphere as we tsuzuku.

Episode 221 – An Unexpected Relationship
G-Guard Commander and Misato talk, while Giant Dark Emperor calls Landes, who reports on the metal sphere. Then the computer reports to her, and we tsuzuku. What an exciting episode! Will more people talk next episode? Stay tuned!

Episode 222 – A Disappointing Victory
Misasto researches as Landes decides to send Megalon and Destoroyah down to attack. Godzilla fights them both, and brings the mountain down on top of them. Misato takes off in the Tart-coupe to check on the monsters, and we tsuzuku.

Episode 223 – Two Kaiju Die
Misato scans the two monsters, and the scans say they are dead. So it’s funeral time! And the Northern Lights show up to the funeral. The Northern Lights are apparently horrible enough that we get Landes plotting and a tsuzuku. Damn Nothern Lights! Go back to the North Pole!

The death of two kaiju
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Episode 224 – An Aurora of Mystery
Misato analyzes the sphere some more, and realizes it is a time capsule. From 10,000 BC. No relation to the terrible film of the same name. Misato takes a drink of water and gets tired, but is interrupted by G-Guard Commander calling to check on the kaiju. When she flies out, all of them have collapsed by the graves. Tsuzuku.

Episode 225 – The Invisible Wall
Misato attempts to fly higher, which turns out to be a problem as there is now an invisible wall over Godzilla Island, which shocks her ship so it crashes in the sea. The subtitles label a “Kuukisui tori suura” that is a vaccuum cleaner-looking thing sitting on the barrier and sucking out all the air, put there by Landes. So now we are stealing ideas from President Skroob. Misato’s ship sinks as Godzilla and Junior look on. Tsuzuku.

Episode 226 – Enormous Barrier
Misato flies up after a few seconds, then tells G-Guard Commander about the barrier, which is surrounding the whole island and blocking air, while all the air inside is being sucked out. The barrier is bad, monsters are sad, so tsuzuku is rad.

Episode 227 – Top Secret
Moguera and Mechagodzilla are sent to the barrier, but when they shoot the barrier, it shoots back and they are shot down. Air is running out. Misato and G-Guard Commander argue, and she analyzes the hieroglyph, decoding part of it. Tsuzuku.

Episode 228 – The Illusionary Continent
Misato is given a data disk from Nao, and thus concludes that Godzilla Island sits where the ancient continent of Mu once was. Camero reports on more monster suffocation to Landes. Tsuzku for suffocation!

Episode 229 – The Forbidden Super Weapon
Misato uses her computers to pick a spot on Godzilla Island where something interesting is. I’m not sure what. She flies there in her ship, and Camero follows after reporting to Landes. Misato goes by a mountainside and fires, revealing a cave. She goes in, as Landes tells Destoroyah and Megalon to stop pretending to be dead and go after her. Tsuzuku as they burst out of their graves. This is a close as we’ll get to zombie kaiju, monster pretending to be dead.

Episode 230 – The Revival of the Two Kaiju
Misato flies into the cave as G-Guard Commander tells her that Megalon and Destoroyah are free and alive. The two monsters arrive at the entrace of the cave, and Godzilla also arrives to beat them up again. What is that shadow at the end of the cave Misato is heading down? We shall have to wait until the next episode, because we have tsuzuku.

Episode 231 – Godzilla in a Large Pinch
As Godzilla and Destoroyah fight, Megalon sneaks into the cave, but a giant drill thing scares him off. I believe we all know what vehicle has a giant drill on it in the Godzilla universe! Outside, Godzilla is losing to Destroyorah, but then the drill thing begins to exit the cave and everyone becomes confused. Tsuzuku.

Episode 232 – All-Purpose Battleship (Gyotengo)
Misato is flying the Gyotengo, which is like the Gotengo except spelled differently, and flyable by one person. Landes salivates at the thought of taking that superweapon. She has Gyotengo-fever. Misato flies the ship through the barrier and heads toward the air vaccuum, while the vaccuum fires lasers at the Gyotengo that are ineffective. Landes orders the Vabaradu down to try and capture the Gyotengo, while a suffocating G-Guard Commander sends out a distress call saying “Goodbye Princess Vespa…” Misato fires the Gyotengo‘s big weapon as we tsuzuku.

Episode 233 – Delicious Air
The Gyotengo blows up the air vaccuum, destroying the barrier as well. Air, precious air! Delicious air, according to the episode title. It taste like choclate. Now Godzilla is free to beat the tar out of Destoroyah and Megalon again, and he does, so they run off and escape. Don’t ask how Megalon and Destoroyah weren’t affected by the lack of air. Just don’t do it. Landes vows that she’s going to totally capture the Gyotengo and we tsuzuku to another story arc. The last story arc!

This Story Arc was filled with references to the movie Atragon, as the Kingdom of Mu and the Gotengo are both mentioned, but here it is the Gyotengo. The future film Godzilla Final War would make the Gotengo more aware in the average G-fans subconcious, but seeds are planted way back with this series.

We got one whole Story Arc left! The Final Chapter! Join us for Story Arc 22: Tsuzuku Is For Losers, as March of Godzilla Island concludes! Tsuzuku!!!

Rated 7/10 (Camero again, Giant Dark Emperor, Shot out of the sky, Epic failure of a movie, The Air Shield, Mysterious Shadow, Ship of Mu)

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