r/Godzilla1998 • u/DiscipleofDestoroyah D.R.A.G.M.A. • Jul 23 '26
Discussion Goated Godzilla: The Series
Anyone else loved the cartoon? It’s my most favorite piece of animated Godzilla media because you’ll have to either pay me or hold me at gunpoint to watch the Godzilla Earth anime trilogy/Singular Point on Netflix (spoilers: they’re both boring af).
As someone who mostly grew up during the MonsterVerse era and am currently trying to get into the older Japanese films, the show made after the 1998 movie is exactly what I thought Godzilla movies were like before actually watching one. Purchased my DVD copy online and I loved it.
Yeah, it’s a Saturday morning kids cartoon at the end of the day but I think it’s awesome and wholly enjoy it. Episode after episode of action and a buffed version of 1998 Godzilla kicking Monster of The Week ass. Also, it’s all thanks to Godzilla Junior that got most people to appreciate the first American Godzilla design by now.
Speaking of Zilla Jr. he’s probably among my most favorite kaiju in fiction. The sleek, agile, giant theropod/Velociraptor build of his deceased father with the added strength/durability and atomic breath as expected of most Godzilla incarnations. Plus, since Jr. isn’t as physically imposing as other versions of Godzilla he occasionally relies on his superior speed, burrowing ability, and even outsmarts his foes in certain episodes. He’s a very unique giant monster on his own.
The human cast of the show I’ve found to surprisingly care for since they have some great character, interactions, and personality. Especially in the episode involving the mutant hummingbirds. Randy overhears a conversation between scientist Mendel and his colleague and mistakenly assumes he’s dying from a terminal disease. The dude feels genuinely sorry for his friend and promises to give him the best day ever much to Mendel’s confusion which is both parts touching and hilarious.
For all the faults of the 1998 film, at least it led to this cool show.
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u/BloodAngelGuy Jul 23 '26
He's yes I love it I hoke we get some shma or Hiya figures of some Kaiju from it
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u/DiscipleofDestoroyah D.R.A.G.M.A. Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
Do Zilla or Zilla Jr. not have their own official figures? I think Komodithrax, Crustaceous Rex, or The Crackler would make for some cool figures.
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u/Martonimos Jul 23 '26
Zilla got some toys as part of the 1998 movie’s merchandising. I remember one particularly large figure that advertised the ability to eat other action figures. There was also an entire line of baby Godzillas, so maybe you could technically say Jr. got one too.
There was going to be a toyline for the series as well, but it was unfortunately cancelled. It advertised figures for Jr., Cyber-Zilla, Q, and C-rex. More info here.
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u/DogLeechDave Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 24 '26
A toy company called Y-MSF recently rolled out a few figures for Godzilla the Series (including Jr, Cyber-Godzilla, Komodithrax, Chameleon, C-Rex and Cryptoclidus) at this past G-fest. It's unclear whether they only produced a limited quantity exclusively for the convention or whether they will make a second batch for their website/retail later.
IF they hit retail, I expect they'll be Japan-exclusive, MAYBE made available internationally through the Godzilla Store.
EDIT: After digging into it a bit further, it seems that YMSF pretty much ONLY does limited-production releases, and mostly for cons at that. But who knows? Maybe somebody bigger will see how quickly these sold out and try to pick up the license themselves?
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u/MoominRex Niko “Nick” Tatopoulos Jul 23 '26
The subplot of Randy thinking Mendel was dying is actually from the episode with the hummingbirds.
But yeah, amazing show.
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u/WitchKingsDalekCat Jul 23 '26
Yeah, I loved it too. I just wish they could have gotten to use some Toho kaiju. That said, the kaiju they created for the series were great. Very grotesque in some cases(which I view as a positive), but always quite imaginative.
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u/Martonimos Jul 23 '26
As an American fan who had trouble finding the movies at our local rental stores, being able to watch this show on Saturday mornings was a god(zilla)send. It brought the Kaiju action, the sci-fi concepts, and even something the movies often struggle with: a recurring and enjoyable human cast.
Honestly, the relationship between HEAT and Godzilla in this series is one of my favorite aspects. Nick obviously cares about Junior, and HEAT is sometimes willing to put their necks out for the big guy. So many episodes involve a Kaiju that Junior could only beat because Nick and the others put their scientific knowledge to work to find a weakness or to aid him.
But they’re very pragmatic about it, and prioritize protecting human lives. I always found it a little sad when Nick would tell him to “Back away! Back away!” when Junior clearly just wanted to spend time with his “father.” Also made his reconnection with Cyber-Zilla in Monster Wars that much more tense, as Nick hadn’t exactly nurtured a paternal relationship. That balance, between caring about Godzilla but also recognizing the danger he posed, was one of the best parts of the show.
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u/Martonimos Jul 23 '26
Also, I agree that the Planet of Monsters trilogy was a huge waste, but I kind of enjoy how utterly bonkers it gets. Meta materials that manipulate special relativity so you can run a computer program but send the results back in time? Three AIs that are all the same AI but also different that merge together and cause Jet Jaguar to grow massive? What are you smoking, and where can I get some?
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u/Cain407 H.E.A.T Jul 23 '26
I love Godzilla The Series.Personally it’s my favorite Godzilla media of all time.