"Kaiju" (JP) is a term for a mysterious gigantic monster character.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Kaiju (怪獣) is a combination of "kai" (怪), meaning "strange" or "mysterious", and "juu" (獣), meaning "beast".[2][3]
The term "kaiju" is said to date back to the 1843 Sunkuni Zoshi historical records where it was initially used as a generic term for any unidentified creature. However, in today's Japan the term kaiju refers to the giant monsters that appear in fictional works.[4][5]
Alternate Romanization
It is also sometimes romanized as kaijū or kaijuu, though these are less common.[1]
History
Early Influences
The first gigantic movie monster is widely considered to be the character of King Kong, from the 1933 American film King Kong. After the film was released in Japan in 1952 it became extremely popular and would even inspire the later creations of other giant monsters, such as Godzilla two years later. King Kong would even be loaned to the Japanese creator for a crossover with Godzilla for the 1962 film King Kong vs. Godzilla (JP).[6]
Origin
Rhedosaurus from The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms
The modern meaning of the term "kaiju" as a fictional character archetype for giant monsters appears to originate from the 1953 live-action American film The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms which followed a monster known as Rhedosaurus, a 200-foot tall carnivorous dinosaur that was frozen in ice for millions of years and was awakened after a series of nuclear bomb tests in the Arctic Circle. After its awakening, it rampages throughout North America and is confronted by the US military. When the film was released in Japan it was retitled to Genshi Kaiju (JP), being the first film to use the term "kaijuu" in reference to a giant monster. The film was so popular in Japan that is directly inspired the creation of Godzilla.[5][7]
Popularization of Godzilla
Following in the footsteps of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Toho in Japan would create the 1954 live-action film Godzilla (JP). In the story, the titular monster Godzilla was similarly depicted as a prehistoric sea creature that was awakened and mutated as a result of nuclear radiation. Godzilla was a mysterius dinosaur-like creature that was 100 meters tall, weighed over 60,000 tons, and was capable of spitting out an atomic heat beam with the nuclear radiation in its body. The massive success of Godzilla directly lead to the establishment of the kaiju monster movie genre in Japan with many other kaiju being created soon after resulting in a monster movie boom.[8]
Characteristics
Kaiju are gigantic monsters, often so large that they even tower over skyscrapers. Almost all kaiju have special abilities in addition to their massive size, such as being able to breathe fire or have electrical powers. A common story trope is that they are the result of mutations from nuclear radiation.[5]
They are usually depicted attacking major cities and battling either the military or other kaiju.
Since they are described as being strange "beasts", kaijuu are generally based on real-life animals, such as dinosaurs, turtles, insects, or apes, but they may also be based on mythical animals such as dragons or hydras.
Sub-Types of Kaiju
Daikaiju
The most powerful kaiju are often referred to as "Daikaiju" (JP), with the prefix "dai" meaning "great" or "large" and emphasizing their size or status. The most well-known daikaiju is Godzilla, who is often referred to as "the king of monsters".
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Kaijin: A term for a strange and mysterious monstrous humanoid character. There is no clear rule that distinguishes kaijin from kaiju, but monsters that are life-sized and have human attributes (such as being humanoid, walking upright, understanding language, being a human who changed their appearance, etc.) are considered to be kaijin (strange people), while those who do not are called kaiju (strange beasts).
- Mecha: A term for a mechanical robot character. Mecha characters are often very large in size, similar to kaiju.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Godzilla from Godzilla: King of the Monsters  Godzilla from Godzilla Minus One  Godzilla and King Kong from Godzilla vs. Kong |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Kaiju No. 8. Kaiju No. 8 Official Website (2020/07/03).
- ↑ What is Kaiju. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2010/01/27).
- ↑ Kaiju. Wikizilla (2014/07/15).
- ↑ Kaiju. Wikipedia JP (2003/12/25).
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Kaiju: Everything You Need To Know About Japan's Giant Monsters. Neokyo (2022/12/06).
- ↑ How The Original 'King Kong' Influenced 'Godzilla'. SlashFilm (2021/03/29).
- ↑ Genshi Kaijuu. Filmarks (1953).
- ↑ Godzilla Movies. Godzilla Official Site (2024/03/29).