Shiro Mizushima
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What? You didn't? That makes me and Shikishima equals.
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— Mizushima upon learning Shikishima didn't see combat during World War II (Godzilla Minus One) |
Shiro Mizushima (水島 四郎 Mizushima Shirō) is a supporting character and a crewman aboard the minesweeper Shinseimaru in the 2023 Toho Godzilla film Godzilla Minus One.
Description
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An apprentice who boards the ship Shinseimaru, which takes on special missions for post-war cleanup.
(戦後処理の特殊任務を請け負う船・「新生丸」に乗り込む見習い。[1]) |
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— Mizushima's character description from the official Godzilla Minus One Twitter account |
History
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Godzilla Minus One
In March 1946, Koichi Shikishima secured a job aboard the Shinseimaru and arrived at the dock. After Kenji Noda introduced himself, Captain Akitsu, and Mizushima, Akitsu explained the process of minesweeping to the new crewman. The captain attempted to demonstrate the detonation of a mine but failed, with Shikishima successfully shooting it. When Mizushima learned Shikishima didn't see any action during the war, he boasted that him and Shikishima were equals. When Akitsu reminded Mizushima that he couldn't fly a plane, the young crewmate mused that he wished the war had lasted longer so he would have been able to enlist, prompting a sharp rebuke from Shikishima. Akitsu scolded Mizushima for his remark. Over the next year, the crew of the Shinseimaru and Kaishinmaru continued disposing of sea mines.
Akitsu and the crew of the Shinseimaru visited Shikishima for dinner one night. When Noda snapped a picture of Noriko Oishi, Akitsu jokingly told Noda to not covet her. The men assumed Oishi to be Shikishima's wife and were startled to learn that she was not. When Akiko, Shikishima and Oishi's adopted daughter, called him her father, he told her to not call him that, to their alarm. After Akitsu encouraged Shikishima to accept that he had found a family, Mizushima teased Shikishima that he should make them happy, but he angrily refused.
In May 1947, the Shinseimaru and Kaishinmaru were deployed near the Ogasawara Islands, where they found a capsized American Liberty ship. When Shikishima explained that a monster called Godzilla was responsible, Mizushima questioned why they were sent to stop the creature in their inadequate boats. Noda explained that the two minesweepers were tasked with delaying Godzilla's advance towards Japan until the cruiser Takao could arrive from Singapore, having been returned to Japan to respond to the crisis. Mizushima became elated upon hearing the news, calling the ship a "beast". Their orders suggested they use the mines that they recovered as weapons and forbade them from telling anyone else about the mission.
Soon, dozens of deep-sea fish floated to the surface next to the Shinseimaru. Shikishima rang the bell of the minesweeper, warning of Godzilla's imminent approach. Akitsu told the crew to prepare, and radioed Kaishinmaru's crew to get ready to land the big one. Shikishima and Noda urged Akitsu to flee, but he was determined to face the monster, not wanting to see Tokyo destroyed again. Suddenly, Godzilla grabbed Kaishinmaru from below and dragged it beneath the waves, shocking the crew of the Shinseimaru. Akitsu changed his decision immediately and pushed the engine throttle forward, only for it to give out. As Godzilla swam towards them, Noda repaired it and ordered Akitsu to full throttle, and the minesweeper began moving at last. Godzilla swam dangerously close and began following their boat. Akitsu ordered them to drop their mines, yelling at Noda to try anything. The first lodged between Godzilla's spines and was detonated by Mizushima, but only provoked and angered the monster as he raised his head above the surface. Shikishima manned the machine gun but froze, only shooting at Godzilla once Akitsu snapped him out of it. The captain continued driving the boat until Shikishima detonated the second mine in Godzilla's mouth, destroying the stern of the Shinseimaru. Mizushima's arm broke because of the blast. Akitsu wondered if they succeeded, but Godzilla regenerated his injury quickly and rose up. Before Godzilla could destroy the boat, the guns of the Takao fired on him and momentarily incapacitated him. Godzilla turned his attention toward the Takao, destroying the heavy cruiser with his atomic breath as the Shinseimaru's crew watched helplessly.
Mizushima and the minesweeper crew waited with Shikishima in a Yokosuka hospital until he woke up. Akitsu told Shikishima they were airlifted there and that the Kaishinmaru and Takao didn't make it. Shikishima protested they must warn everyone, but Noda told Shikishima the government wasn't telling the public to prevent mayhem and confusion, with Akitsu remarking on Japan's specialty in information control.
After Godzilla's rampage in Ginza and the memorial service for Oishi, Mizushima attended a meeting alongside many former navy personnel to devise a plan to defeat the monster. The young crewman was amazed seeing the amount of naval veterans present. He and his crewmates were surprised when Noda was the one who devised and explained the operation.
The crew of the Shinseimaru went out for drinks, where Noda voiced the belief that Godzilla would return to Japan in as soon as 10 days. Akitsu expressed his skepticism of Noda's plan, with Noda admitting that it could fail in many different ways, but challenged them to come up with a better one. Mizushima excitedly proposed pulling Godzilla to the surface with Yukikaze and Hibiki, but Noda dismissed his idea, explaining that the monster was too heavy. Shikishima finally spoke up, offering to help with luring Godzilla if Noda could procure a fighter plane. Akitsu asked if Shikishima had a death wish, then grabbed him, saying he couldn't avenge Noriko and that he missed his chance to marry her. Shikishima explained that he wanted to, but his war wasn't over.
At the dock where the former Japanese warships were being prepared for the operation, Mizushima and Akitsu met up with Noda, with Akitsu telling him to cheer up. Noda expressed concern about his plan failing without a miracle, but the captain reassured him they were going to make a difference. When Godzilla was located by radiation-detecting buoys, Mizushima and the other private citizens held a meeting where Noda ordered them to spend the night with their families. Mizushima was excited to participate, but Akitsu and Noda told him he wasn't coming. When Mizushima urged his crewmates to take him with them, Akitsu told him that never having gone to war is a badge of pride. Mizushima continued to plead as they walked away.
The morning of the operation, the private citizens began boarding the stationed ships, with Noda and Akitsu abord Yukikaze. Noda asked if Mizushima took their advice, and Akitsu answered it was the best for him. Godzilla arrived faster than anticipated, with Akitsu saying the plan was ruined. Noda told him and the private citizens to set sail anyway, with the task of bringing Godzilla into position now entirely up to Shikishima.
After Shikishima lured Godzilla to Sagami Bay and Godzilla was forced underwater by the Freon canisters, the balloons were inflated to draw the monster to the surface. Unfortunately, they were torn through by Godzilla, and the destroyers tried pulling him the rest of the way themselves. As Noda predicted, the monster's weight was too great, and Yukikaze's crane collapsed. His plan seemed hopeless until a fleet of tugboats, led by Mizushima, arrived to help the destroyers, surprising Akitsu. Upon the monster surfacing, Mizushima and the others accepted their fate as an enraged Godzilla coursed with power and prepared to unleash his atomic breath. Shikishima interceded, flying the Shinden toward Godzilla as Noda and Akitsu shouted for him to stop. The plane exploded in Godzilla's mouth as Shikishima ejected.
Mizushima and the private citizens saluted Godzilla as his body crumbled into the ocean. He and the rest of the crew accompanied Shikishima to the dock, where Mizushima hugged the pilot and cried, tearful yet proud that his crewmate succeeded.
Books
- Godzilla Minus One (2023)
Gallery
Godzilla Minus One
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The Shinseimaru crew at the private citizens meeting -
Mizushima and Akitsu with Noda at the dock -
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Akitsu telling Mizushima why he can't participate in Operation Wada Tsumi -
References
This is a list of references for Shiro Mizushima. 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]
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