Godzilla is considered an icon of cinema. Ever since the monster’s debut in 1954 with his first movie Gojira, Godzilla has continued to be relevant in pop culture and movies. It may seem to some people that Godzilla’s lasting popularity is limited to only die-hard fans and students, but that is not the case.
While a large portion of Godzilla fans is most likely geeks and in the younger crowd, there are sections of the fan base that point to Godzilla’s mainstream appeal.
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Series origins
Godzilla was created by Japanese movie studio Toho in 1954. While most people today think that Godzilla is just a giant lizard monster that lives in the ocean and either destroys cities or fights other monsters, the series is actually inspired by real-life events.
In 1945, 2 atomic bombs were dropped on Japan by the US during WW2, and the devastation was massive. The dropping of the atomic bombs inspired filmmakers to make a movie about the horrible effects of nuclear weapons on the world. Godzilla was then born, a lizard exposed to radiation from a nuclear bomb and serves as an allegory for the dangers of nuclear weapons.
Spending time on your studies while loving Godzilla
Godzilla’s hardcore fans are truly dedicated to the series. They line up to watch the latest release regardless if it is in a language they do not speak. For fans, especially students, interest in Godzilla has opened them up to other pop culture monsters like King Kong and the Kaiju from Pacific Rim.
Monster movies do have a dedicated following, but all this time spent on these things means that there will be less time to spend on studying and writing term papers or laboratory reports. Luckily, there is a service that students can turn to for help with their academic work at the Edubirdie coursework service. The service has professional writers ready to help students complete all their assignments on time when an order is placed for a thesis, dissertation, essays, term papers, etc.
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Cult status and Godzilla’s appeal
The Godzilla series is almost 70 years old, and there are dozens of movies in the series, both live-action and animated. Despite the popularity of the monster and sometimes anti-hero enjoys now, Godzilla was originally seen as a cult status symbol. For much of the latter half of the 20th century, Godzilla movies were a mixed bag in Japan. Some were box office hits, others were misses.
When early Godzilla movies were imported to the US, they only had small screenings and relegated to Japanese film festivals. Over time, Godzilla started to build a fan base in the US thanks to the movies’ action and creative assortment of monsters like King Ghidorah and Mothra.
Modern reboot and mainstream success
The series started to take off and attain more popularity in the 2010s thanks to the American Godzilla reboot series. The 1998 American version of Godzilla was a disaster, but the 2014 reboot sought to do right. The movie was met with positive reviews and grossed over $93 million in its opening weekend and more than $500 million at the global box office.
The 2019 sequel was also praised for its fight scenes featuring the different monsters. Godzilla and King Kong are set to have their on-screen match-up later this year. The success of these movies shows that Godzilla has appeal beyond geek culture. It is also interesting to see how culture and writing affect one another.
Future of the series
You could say that Godzilla is currently in a modern renaissance. The new movies coming out have been met with positive reviews and commercial success. More people are becoming aware of Godzilla, and the low-budget stain of movies past is starting to wear off. The series shows no sign of slowing down.
Godzilla remains popular amongst the core fan base because the new movies deliver on what Godzilla fans want in the first place, well-made monster-fighting action. Pacific Rim has shown that if done well, monster-fighting movies can be a hit. There is a reason why Godzilla holds the title of king of the monsters.
Conclusion
Most Godzilla fans were probably not born before 1954. Most of the most likely got into the series decades after the first movie was released. Yet, there remains a passionate fan base that watches all the movies and knows the entire Godzilla lore front to back. The series just has a great appeal to geeks and students because the action is good, and the story is engaging. As time goes on, more people are definitely getting into Godzilla.
Author’s Bio:
James Collins works as a write and researcher in the engineering sector for a company that develops solar panels. He is also a part-time coursework writer for an online essay writing agency for students from the US and UK universities. In his free time, he likes to cook Japanese food, try out the newest restaurants in the city, and oil paint.
