As one of the longest running franchises in entertainment history, the Godzilla film and television series have succeeded in sustaining their fame and recognition over many years. After the critically acclaimed 2023 film Godzilla Minus One, the franchise ventured into its second television series titled Monarch: Legacy of Monsters based on the the events following 2014’s Godzilla.
The show, which is currently streaming on Apple TV+, has also caught the eye of gifted video game designer Hideo Kojima. The Japanese celebrity who is widely regarded as the pioneer of the modern video game concept, had many positive things to say about the show, but was also critical about the lack of certain key elements that could have taken the series to a different level.
Hideo Kojima Pointed Out A Major Flaw In The New Godzilla Series
The new television series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters is the latest entrant into the vast Godzilla franchise originally created by the Japanese company Toho. The ten-episode series follows members of the Monarch organization as they encounter Godzilla and other monsters called Titans across a half century.
Following the show’s release on Apple TV+, famed video game designer Hideo Kojima spoke in detail about his opinion on the series. While the gaming icon was extremely appreciative of various aspects of the show, he also pointed out a few flaws that worked against it. Speaking of his pet peeve with the show and its contrary approach to the title, Kojima write on his X handle,
“I’m not really interested in the history of Monarch, and I was sick and tired of the cutbacks to the character’s past every episode. Although I understand the emphasis is on drama, there are too few monster scenes in each episode. Moreover, it is not satisfying to see only a few insect-like “monsters” rather than “Toho monsters”. I want to see well-designed monsters. I can imagine that there is a Toho restriction”.
On the positive side, Kojima wholeheartedly appreciated the casting of Kurt Russel and Mari Yamamoto, and praised the emotional gravitas of the final episode in the series that pulled at heartstrings.
How Godzilla Minus One Became A Superhero At The Box Office
Set in post-war Japan, Takashi Yamazaki’s Godzilla Minus One took the original Japanese kaiju film genre and expertly reinvented it for the modern palette. Along with stunning special effects that were also extremely realistic, the film benefited from a powerful story that featured a world thrown into further chaos after being ravaged by war.
While previous films used formidable artillery to fight the monster and its tribe, Yamazaki’s film relied on the intrinsic strength and intellect of people to ultimately overcome disaster. According to Yamazaki in an interview with Vulture, the introduction of the human angle was the film’s unique selling point that made it stand out from its predecessors.
“Once you have Godzilla fighting any kaiju, the human story ends up taking a backseat. It’s great to have Godzilla fighting whoever, but my personal challenge would be to resolve that balance. The kaiju can battle, but the human story needs to be there.”
As it turned out, Godzilla Minus One became a huge success at the box office and brought in big collections, beating out massive contenders along the way.
Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters is currently streaming on Apple TV+.
