Godzilla Island – Story Arc 18

1997

Directed by Shun Mizutani

Once again we are stepping down the path of Godzilla Island! Yet another story arc, yet another new monster, and yet another use of Fireman Jet Jaguar! Sorry for the excitement, but we love us some Jet Jaguar. This story features Space Godzilla, who returns to cause more havok on Godzilla Island. Or does he???? Newbies, hop on over to Godzilla Island Story Arc 1 to start the journey, everyone else read along for Story Arc 18, the next stop on the March of Godzilla Island!

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 Godzilla fighting Giant Dark Emperor 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. Fireman Jet Jaguar – The third form of Jet Jaguar seen on the show, this one puts out forest fires, distributes Smokey the Bear comics, and gets beat up by Megalon and Destoroyah. Only you can prevent forest fires, but only Fireman Jet Jaguar can up them out while looking so cool. That name suits 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. 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. Super Special Space Godzilla High Grade Type Two – His name is too damn long! The second, new, improved Space Godzilla replaces the original, who was killed and later returned in ghost form only to be re-killed. This one is tougher, smarter, and appears without any special fanfare. But his parents gave him an unfortunately long name that probably took him months to learn to write in kindergarten. Smart enough to run away when his crystals are destroyed, unlike his predecessor.

Episode 189 – The Strongest Monster
Who is the strongest monster? Who will it be? Godzilla? Gigan? Gabara? This episode will answer that question for all time! Or not, as instead it opens as Giant Dark Emperor calls Landes to yell at her, but has to wait until she’s done in the shower! Women. Then the plot is put into motion. On Godzilla Island, Nao is describing a monster she saw to G-Guard Commander and Misato, and it is pretty clear she is talking about Space Godzilla. Misato flies out in the Tart-coupe to check, instead only to find Gorosaurus unconscious in a field. Tsuzuku!

Episode 190 – The Evil Spirit Revives
G-Guard Commander fills in Misato on Space Godzilla’s previous outings on the island, including stock footage of when he possessed Godzilla and sucked the life force out of everyone. Nao butts in about King Caesar saving the day, which means she somehow has knowledge of events that happened before her time. Nao must have meta-knowledge of the entire universe. Misato goes to visit King Caesar, but to everyone’s dismay the Temple where King Caesar lives is on fire, and that’s where the Taoist tracts or whatever that cured Godzilla last time are kept. Were kept, because now they are ash. Tsuzuku.

Episode 191 – Who is the True Criminal?
The temple is burned to the ground. G-Guard Commander tells Misato to take photos of all the monsters, because you can see Space Godzilla’s spirit on film. But nothing shows up in the pictures. Neither Rodan nor the Mothras were there, so maybe they are possessed. Soon enough Lucas is giving an alert that Space Godzilla’s spirit is detected, right where an unconscious Rodan is. Tsuzuku.

Episode 192 – The Evil Spirit Takes Form
Misato does research to try to figure out what is what, when she gets a call that Baragon and Anguirus are fighting, so she goes to investigate. But soon something spooky this way comes, and Space Godzilla’s ghost appears, behind King Caesar! Look out, King C! Tsuzuku!

Episode 193 – The Frightened Monsters
Rocks are tossed at Space Godzilla/King Caesar, which knocks King Caesar out, and Space Godzilla then jumps to Baragon! Then Baragon is pelted with rocks, and Space Godzilla jumps to Anguirus! Do you sense a pattern here? Space Godzilla’s ghost cannot be injured, and it jumps from body to body. Space Godzilla jumps into Mothra Leo, and out again. By this time, all the monsters run for it, because why stick around and get possessed? Camero reports this to Landes, and she laughs and plots. Tsuzuku.

Episode 194 – Search Gabara Pond
Research by Misato shows that Gorosaurus and Rodan both drank from Gabara Pond before being possessed and KOed by Space Godzilla. Misato goes to investigate, Sherlock Holmes-style, just like when he solved the Hound of the Baskervilles by hopping into his space cruiser and looking at a lake. Space Godzilla’s ghost attacks G-Guard HQ, and is immune to the new Maser Gun that was installed recently but not mentioned on the show. Godzilla then shows up to save G-Guard HQ once again, except not really because Godzilla ends up damaging G-Guard HQ as his blasts go right through Space Godzilla. Oddly enough, Space Godzilla didn’t damage G-Guard HQ at all. Hmmmm…. Tsuzuku.

Episode 195 – The True Nature of the Evil Spirit
Misato returns to inform everyone that Space Godzilla is just a hologram! Did I just walk into a bad episode of Star Trek: Voyager? (CORRECTION: EVERY episode of Star Trek: Voyager was bad.) Those Xiliens sure are running out of monsters, having to resort to a fake one. The hologram machine is destroyed, and Camero reports to Landes of the destruction, causing Landesto cry. But Nao tells the gang she didn’t see a hologram, but a real monster, and is soon shown to be true when Space Godzilla in real life appears! Tsuzuku for plot twists of epic proportions.

Episode 196 – Landes Sulks
Space Godzilla is real, and as the Godzillas fight it is the grass that suffers. Giant Dark Emperor appears to tell Landes that this Space Godzilla is Super Special Space Godzilla High Grade Type Two. Landes gets annoyed, probably because that name is ridiculous! The monster fight continues regardless of stupid names. Tsuzuku.

Episode 197 – The Super Gigantic Godzilla Appears
Super Special Space Godzilla High Grade Type Two (SSSGHGTT) blasts Godzilla to the ground and starts stomping on his head as Misato gets an idea. She’ll invent a deodorant that is strong enough for a man, but made for a kaiju. Or not. She gets into Fireman Jet Jaguar (at this time I finally notice the sound effects inside a Jet Jaguar cockpit is the classic bridge sound from the original USS Enterprise!!!) and sprays the fire extinguisher mouth spray at Space Godzila 2: Electric Boogaloo. This does nothing…until a Super Gigantic Godzilla Appears! (as the episode title states..) We all know that it is a hologram, but we tsuzuku anyway.

Big, bad Mo-fo!
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Episode 198 – Landes’ Anger
The hologram scares Space Godzilla 2: Godzilla Harder enough that Godzilla can kick off one of his crystals. Space Godzilla 2: The Legend of Gabara’s Gold is smart enough to escape after one crystal is destroyed, and it is “Yatta!” time. That’s what everyone says when they win the fight. The hologram was created by Fireman Jet Jaguar’s eyes, in case you were wondering. Giant Dark Emperor is upset, but Landes says she will capture Godzilla Island, no matter what! Tsuzuku, even though we’ve all heard that before.

Just wait until Supreme Ultra Maxi Mega Double Secret Probation Space Godzilla Limited Edition Collector’s Cup Platinum XP! That will be the version of Space Godzilla to watch out for. Will he show up in Story Arc 19: He Who Laughs Last Will Laugh Alone? Find out! March of Godzilla Island will continue, monsters will get longer names, and G-Guard HQ will get attacked once again. Their insurance premiums would bankrupt most countries.

New monster matchups – Baragon vs. Anguirus, Godzilla vs. Super Special Space Godzilla High Grade Type Two.

Rated 7/10 (Pouty, Crystally, Camaro againy, Drinky, Surprisy, Escapy, Crazy Eyes-y)

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