Negadon: The Monster from Mars
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Negadon: The Monster from Mars (Wakusei Daikaijû Negadon - 惑星大怪獣ネガドン - literally "Great Planet Monster Negadon") is a 2005 tokusatsu-style CG-animated anime short film from Japan. Created by Jun Awazu and his independent company Studio Magara, this animated film captures the "Golden Age" of tokusatsu cinema of the 1960s. The film has a high-tech modern edge added for good measure, but tries hard to maintain the "hand-crafted" feel of classic tokusatsu movies. Production of this 25-minute film actually started in 2003. It has also been broadcast across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax.
[edit] Summary
It is the 100th year of Showa (2025, to be exact). Earth sends an expedition to Mars in the spaceship "Izanami". A huge rock formation is discovered beneath the surface, and is transported back to our planet, on which the seemingly-harmless rock grows into a colossal floating saucerlike crustacean lifeform called "Negadon," which proceeds to attack Tokyo. At the same time, Ryûichi Narasaki, a downcast robotics constructor, is still devastated by the death of his only young daughter (and the loss of his left eye, replaced with a bionic eye), caused by the malfunctioning of his masterpiece, the giant super-robot MI-6 2 "Miroku." Because of the ominous threat of Negadon, Narasaki faces the painful choice of reactivating (and piloting) the Miroku to battle the space monster and protect our world . . .
"Negadon" was released in North America on DVD on July 11 2006 by Central Park Media.
[edit] Tributes to vintage tokusatsu eiga
- As a nod to tokusatsu in the mid-Showa era of Japan (1926-1989), Showa continues into the future in this film. Thus, a "retro-style" future.
- Outer space is dark blue (rather than black).
- The high-tech military and Japan Self-Defense Forces, which has become the staple of many tokusatsu films, from kaiju eiga to space-invader films.
- The hero/main character, Ryûichi Narasaki, is similar to Dr. Daisuke Serizawa from the 1954 classic, Godzilla, as both scientists are tormented and possess the only weapon capable of destroying the monster (Also, Serizawa has an eyepatch and Narasaki has a bionic eye).
- The title monster Negadon is similar to not only Toho's Dogora (which floated over a huge city ripping up objects), but Shochiku's Guilala as well (In Earth's atmosphere, Guilala grew from a spore picked off a radioactive asteroid in far space).
- The JSDF usually have "ultimate weapons" such as lasers and vehicles, but as a departure from those conventions, Negadon has a giant robot (the Miroku), similar to the kind seen in "Super Robot" and "Real Robot" anime shows.
