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Anguirus (First Generation)

From Wikizilla, the kaiju encyclopedia
Anguirus incarnations
None
Anguirus (First Generation)
Anguirus (Second Generation)
Anguirus® trademark icon
Anguirus®
Anguirus in Godzilla Raids Again
Alternate names Angilas, Angurus, Angiras,[1] Anzilla, Anguirus 1955, Angurius
Subtitle(s) Fierce Dragon (暴,   Bōryū)[2][3]
Fierce Dragon Monster
(暴龍怪獣,   Bōryū Kaijū)[4]
Killer of the LivingGtFM
Species Irradiated Ankylosaurus
Height 60 meters[5]
Length 100 meters[5]
Weight 30,000 metric tons[5]
Place(s) of emergence Siberia[2]
Allies Gyottos, Sugon, Zottos, Osoros
Enemies Godzilla, JSDF
Modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, Kanju Yagi,
Yasuei Yagi, Masao Yagi
Played by Katsumi Tezuka
First appearance Godzilla Raids Again
Roar(s)
noicon
More roars
Dr. Tadokoro:Dr. Yamane, our supposition was correct. It's the worst possibility of all.
Chief of Civil Defense:So, there's another monster besides Godzilla?
Dr. Tadokoro:That's right. The hydrogen bomb test awakened Godzilla. Now, Ankylosaurus has also been roused.
Chief of Civil Defense:Ankylosaurus?
Dr. Tadokoro:That's right. This is an Ankylosaurus. It's also known as Anguirus. It's a dinosaur that walked the Earth in prehistoric times between 70 and 150 million years ago.
― Dr. Tadokoro explaining about Anguirus (Godzilla Raids Again)

Anguirus (アンギラス,   Angirasu) is a giant Ankylosaurus kaiju who appeared in the 1955 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla Raids Again.

Awakened by nuclear testing like Godzilla, Anguirus was first sighted battling the other monster on the remote Iwato Island. The monsters dove into the sea and resurfaced in Osaka to resume their battle. Godzilla managed to fatally wound Anguirus before lighting his foe ablaze with his atomic breath, killing the Ankylosaurus kaiju. Anguirus was Godzilla's first ever opponent as well as the first monster he ever defeated. Despite this Anguirus' demise at the hands of Godzilla, a second one would appear in the coming years and befriend Godzilla.

Name

Anguirus's Japanese name, Angirasu (アンギラス), comes from the Japanese spelling of the name of the dinosaur genus Ankylosaurus (アンキロサウルス,   Ankirosaurusu), upon which the monster's design is based. The name was chosen from several names proposed by employees of Toho during production of Godzilla Raids Again. Actor Yoshio Tsuchiya, who played the character Tajima in the film, proposed the name "Gyottos" for the monster. Many of the rejected names were later used for the original monsters featured in the tie-in manga Rampage Godzilla.[6]

The original English name given to Anguirus by Toho was Angilas, as seen in the company's 1955 international sales booklet.[7] When Godzilla Raids Again was released in the United States by Warner Bros. in 1959 as Gigantis, the Fire Monster, advertising materials spelled the monster's name as Angurus, which was also how it was pronounced in the English dub. However, a dialogue transcript dated April 2, 1959, submitted by Warner Bros. to the New York State Education Department Division of Motion Pictures on April 29, 1959, uses the now-standard romanization.[8] This incarnation is typically called the First Generation Anguirus (初代アンギラス,   Shodai Angirasu) or Anguirus (First Generation) (アンギラス(初代),   Angirasu Shodai), though the video game Godzilla Kaiju Collection referred to him as Anguirus (GyakuGoji) (アンギラス(逆ゴジ),   Angirasu Gyakugoji).

Development

Anguirus concept art for Godzilla Raids Again

The head of the original Anguirus suit in Godzilla Raids Again was modeled by Teizo Toshimitsu, while the body was modeled by the Yagi brothers Kanju and Yasuei. A 2 shaku (60.6 centimeter) clay model of Anguirus was created, and used as a reference for artwork and posters featuring the monster.[9] When this clay model was made, Anguirus was envisioned as having his carapace split into two pieces and turned upward.[10][9] The suit was initially built to reflect this, but as the carapace peeled apart each time it moved, it was eventually joined together as a single piece. However, the battle scene between Anguirus and Godzilla at the Osaka port was filmed before the carapace was joined together, and so the effect of the carapace being composed of two separate pieces can be seen during this scene and in promotional images and artwork.[10] The carapace of the Anguirus suit weighed 3 kan (11.25 kilograms), and as such suit actor Katsumi Tezuka experienced difficulty standing up while wearing it.[9]

Rather than being cut from a plaster mold, the head of the original Anguirus suit was composed of a hard "skull" with the softer material used for the skin applied around it. To depict Anguirus opening and closing his mouth and performing facial expressions, a guignol (hand puppet) model was used. The thorns on Anguirus' back were created from paper wrapped together to look like spikes and painted over in rubber. Because of this, the thorns were actually incredibly soft and prone to be damaged during the filming of fight scenes. Modeling engineer Eizo Kaimai noted that performing repairs to the thorns was difficult.

The color of the original Anguirus suit was unclear onscreen, as the film it appeared in was shot in black-and-white. However, according to modeler Masao Yagi the suit was a light emerald green.[11] Numerous Guignols were created to portray Anguirus in addition to the suit.

Design

Anguirus is a stout, armored, quadrupedal reptilian creature that looks fairly similar to an Ankylosaurus, with aspects of his design also resembling armadillos, hedgehogs, and crocodiles. He has seven inwardly curved horns at the top of his head and a single, short horn on the end of his snout. His face is long, puffy and drawn out, like a crocodile, with two large tusks at the start and rows of smaller, jagged, serrated teeth following suit. His carapace is studded with a plethora of long, sharp, prickly spikes. Anguirus' tail is spiky and longer than his body, accounting for the majority of his total body length. His hind limbs are longer than his forelimbs, enabling him to stand upright to his full height, but he primarily walks upon all fours.

Personality

Anguirus is stated to be a "voracious, carnivorous dinosaur" despite the real-life Ankylosaurus species being herbivorous. He is stated to be incredibly aggressive, especially toward other aggressive creatures. This is demonstrated by the fact he spends the entirety of Godzilla Raids Again battling Godzilla. Despite his tenacity, he attempted to flee once Godzilla gained the upper hand. An in-universe textbook by Polish professor Preterry Hawdon claims that Anguirus has a thorough hatred for "war-like predators".

Origins

In Godzilla Raids Again, it is suggested that Anguirus is an Ankylosaurus that lived during the Cretaceous, 150 to 70 million years ago, around the same time as Godzilla. Like Godzilla, Anguirus managed to survive into the modern day by lying dormant before being awakened and irradiated by nuclear bomb tests in the 1950s.[12] The First Generation Anguirus specifically is said to originate from Siberia, according to official sources.[2] An in-universe textbook by Polish professor Preterry Hawdon, an animal specialist, states that Anguirus was a carnivore and his behavior was common for an Ankylosaurs of his size. It was further theorized that Anguirus had fought Godzilla in the past and had returned to battle him once more.

History

Showa era

Godzilla Raids Again

Anguirus in Godzilla Raids Again

When pilot Shoichi Tsukioka landed on Iwato Island to rescue his friend and colleague Koji Kobayashi, the two men discovered Anguirus and Godzilla locked in battle on the island. The two monsters eventually tackled each other into the ocean, and disappeared. The pilots reported their story to the authorities in Osaka, who determined that Anguirus was a creature that lived alongside Godzilla in prehistoric times, and like Godzilla had been reawakened by nuclear testing. The JSDF enforced a blackout on the city and used flares to draw Godzilla away, but when a group of prisoners escaped from a prison bus as it was evacuating, they led the police on a high-speed chase that ended with a gasoline truck crashing into a refinery and starting a huge fire. This fire quickly spread and drew both Godzilla and Anguirus into Osaka, where they resumed their battle. The monsters tore apart the city as their battle reached Osaka Castle. Godzilla tackled Anguirus into the building, then bit down on his opponent's neck. Anguirus roared out in agony as he began to bleed profusely, and was thrown into a moat by Godzilla. As Anguirus attempted to stagger back to his feet, Godzilla unleashed his atomic breath, incinerating his foe and leaving him victorious.

Abilities

Physical abilities

In Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus attacks with his teeth and claws and likes to charge at his opponent in quick bursts before lashing out. Anguirus is quite agile, charging at enemies with surprising speed and having the ability to make surprise attacks on unsuspecting foes. In his first battle with Godzilla on Iwato Island, Anguirus surprised Godzilla by attacking him from behind. He followed this up by charging headfirst into Godzilla's abdomen. He continued wrestling with the Monster King before tumbling into the ocean while still grappling him. During their second battle in Osaka, Anguirus immediately charged towards Godzilla, slammed his head into the reptilian's chest, and grazed his horns under his chin. He employed swipes from his claws and consistently bit at Godzilla's neck throughout the fight. Anguirus possessed the strength to flip Godzilla over onto the ground, demonstrated when Godzilla attempted to climb onto his carapace. He was also able to quickly get back up after Godzilla pushed him into a collapsing building.

In Rampage Godzilla, Anguirus wrestled with Gyottos before launching him backwards with a single punch. He later picked up a bus with his teeth, and shook one of its passengers out. When fighting Godzilla again, Anguirus grabbed the reptilian by the throat before being tossed away. In the 1993 TurboDuo/TurboGrafx-CD video game Godzilla, Anguirus mainly attacks via his claws, teeth, or by using his tail. He can also jump extremely high; for the Revolving Tail Strike technique, he performs a front flip while hitting the opponent with his tail. He can perform a headbutt or, for his grab attack, use his head to pick up and toss opponents behind him. In the sequel, Godzilla: Great Monster Battle, Anguirus retains his prior moveset while adding a backflip variant of the Revolving Tail Strike and a charge where he rams into an opponent on all fours. In Godzilla Battle Line, Anguirus attacks opponents by biting them.

Spiked carapace

In Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus possesses an armored carapace adorned with rows upon rows of spikes. Despite this, he did not incorporate it offensively in combat against Godzilla, although he did use it to flip over Godzilla when the reptilian tried climbing on him. In Rampage Godzilla, Godzilla stomped on Anguirus's carapace, although he quickly stepped off it in pain after some of the spikes got stuck in his foot.

In 1993 TurboDuo/TurboGrafx-CD video game Godzilla, Anguirus can launch himself backwards, carapace first, into opponents, much as the Second Generation Anguirus did in Godzilla vs. Gigan. This move is called Carapace Slam. In the sequel, Godzilla: Great Monster Battle, Anguirus gains two more attacks involving his carapace: Aerial Diving Body Slam, where he leaps into the air and rolls into a ball horizontally across the screen, and Diving Body Slam, which begins the same but ends with him falling towards the opponent carapace-first.

Ultrasonic roar

Anguirus repeatedly roars at Osaka Castle, causing it to crumble

As Anguirus and Godzilla's fight neared Osaka Castle, the Ankylosaur repeatedly let out powerful ultrasonic roars as Godzilla bit down on his throat, causing the structure to splinter and crumble.[13]

Incandescent Light

During the planning stages for Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus was to be able to fire an Incandescent Light (白熱光,   Hakunekkō) from his mouth, just like Godzilla. In the tie-in manga Rampage Godzilla and in Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus briefly uses this attack.

Amphibiousness

In Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus tumbled into the ocean surrounding Iwato Island while battling Godzilla, before later emerging in Osaka.

In Rampage Godzilla, Anguirus is seen emerging out of the water to attack an aircraft carrier, and is later shown wading in the ocean at the end with the other kaiju.

Durability

Anguirus is unfazed by Godzilla's atomic breath

In Godzilla Raids Again, Anguirus was unaffected by fire from the 24 Twin Rocket Cars. He withstood many vicious attacks by Godzilla, including being body-slammed through a bridge and being pushed into a collapsing building. Most impressively, Anguirus shrugged off direct blasts from Godzilla's atomic breath, only seeming to display annoyance at it. He was severely injured after Godzilla bit down on his throat, tugged him around, and tackled him through Osaka Castle. Anguirus attempted to retreat after this, but was caught by the throat from Godzilla's teeth once more, this time drawing blood. He then lost his footing and tumbled into the moat surrounding Osaka Castle, and was killed after Godzilla sprayed the Ankylosaur with his atomic breath, setting his body on fire.

In Rampage Godzilla, Anguirus endured being tossed away and flipped over onto Osoros by Godzilla while they wrestled.

Weaknesses

Despite his vicious onslaught, Anguirus was unable to best Godzilla in one-on-one combat. Godzilla gained the upper hand and tackled Anguirus through Osaka Castle, after which the ankylosaur attempted to retreat. Godzilla caught Anguirus by the neck with his jaws, drawing a great deal of blood. After Anguirus collapsed into the castle's moat, Godzilla lit him ablaze with his atomic breath, killing him.

Video games

Godzilla Battle Line

Anguirus in Godzilla Battle Line
  • Stars: ★★
  • Energy cost: 4
  • Attack speed: 2.7 seconds
  • Target: Leader/Ground/Facility
  • Movement speed: 13
  • Search range: 50
  • Reach: 40

A defensive unit with high HP that can withstand a beating from enemy units.
However, it is unable to attack aerial units and can become distracted by buildings.
Anguirus works best alongside allied units that can take out enemies with long-range attacks while Anguirus withstands their assault.


Comics

Gallery

Main article: Anguirus/Gallery.

Roar

Like Godzilla, Anguirus' roars were created by a musical instrument: the saxophone.[14]

Anguirus' unaltered roars

Anguirus' roars

Trivia

  • Anguirus was the second kaiju in the Godzilla series, and Godzilla's first-ever enemy.
  • In the 1957 Toho film Tokyo is a Fine Place, a baseball player named William Radon joins a team called the Tokyo Anguirus. The team's uniform includes a shoulder patch with the monster's head in silhouette.[15]
  • A sprite model for the 1955 design of Anguirus can be found in the game files for Godzilla Defense Force, although he cannot be encountered in the game itself.[16]
  • Anguirus' split carapace in Godzilla Singular Point is a reference to a scrapped concept for this Anguirus.

Video

Wikizilla: YouTube Kaiju Profile: Anguirus

Notes

  1. アンギラスもカアッと強烈な白熱光をはきかける

References

This is a list of references for Anguirus (First Generation). These citations are used to identify the reliable sources on which this article is based. These references appear inside articles in the form of superscript numbers, which look like this: [1]

  1. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Common Knowledge of Godzilla. Futabasha. 6 July 2014. pp. 17, 51, 55, 59, 69, . ISBN 978-4-575-30696-5.CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  2. ゴジラ東宝大怪獣図鑑. Shogakukan. 1 April 2005. ISBN 4-09-280052-5.
  3. Godzilla Raids Again movie flyer. p. 2. April 1955.
  4. 5.0 5.1 5.2 J.D. Lees, Marc Cerasini (24 March 1998). The Official Godzilla Compendium. Random House. p. 118. ISBN 0279888225 Check |isbn= value: checksum (help).
  5. Godzilla 40th Anniversary Complete Works. Kodansha. 1994. p. 203. ISBN 406178417X.
  6. "Gigantis the Fire Monster" (Dialogue Transcript). Warner Bros. April 2, 1959.
  7. 9.0 9.1 9.2 Toho Special Effects Movie Complete Works. villagebooks. 28 September 2012. pp. 12–15, 18, 125. ISBN 9784864910132.
  8. 10.0 10.1 Godzilla 1954-1999 Super Complete Works. Shogakukan. 1 January 2000. pp. 80, 130. ISBN 978-4091014702.
  9. Tokusatsu Movie Research Group (2002). The Men who Created Monsters and Heroes. Tatsumi Publishing. p. 27. ISBN 4886418082.
  10. Godzilla Monsters All Encyclopedia (7th Edition). Shogakukan. 10 November 1993. p. 105. ISBN 4092811047.
  11. Yukan Fuji Special Edition: Yukan Godzilla No. 2 (夕刊フジ特別号 「夕刊ゴジラ弐号」). Yukan Fuji. 25 October 2017. p. 5.
  12. Paul, Andrew (30 May 2019). "The History of Godzilla's Iconic Roar". GQ.
  13. Godzilla: Defense Force - Unreleased Content [Android/iOs]

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