SciFi Japan
    Godzilla in Episode 1 of the upcoming Apple TV+ series, MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS. Photo courtesy of Apple TV+. © 2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary Source: Apple TV+ press releaseOfficial Site: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/monarch-legacy-of-monsters/Special Thanks to Alizee Serena, Evan Seymour, Phil Zimmerman and Alexandra Finegersh   Apple TV+ announced the title of its highly anticipated sci-fi drama based on Legendary’s Monsterverse as MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS, and unveiled the first images from the 10-episode series starring Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Anna Sawai, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Joe Tippett and Elisa Lasowski.   Logo courtesy of Apple TV+. © 2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary   Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that

    Photo courtesy of Studio Ghibli. ©2023 Studio Ghibli Source: Studio Ghibli   Studio Ghibli has finally released images of the latest film from legendary Academy Award-winning filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki. The movie opened in Japanese cinemas on July 14th with the title HOW DO YOU LIVE? (君たちはどう生きるか, Kimitachi wa Dō Kiru ka) but is being marketed internationally as THE BOY AND THE HERON. GKIDS has acquired North American distribution rights with a theatrical release planned for late 2023.   Knowing that moviegoers would turn out to see the first new feature film by Miyazaki in a decade, Studio Ghibli decided to limit promotion of THE BOY AND THE HERON to a single Japanese poster. No other press materials, images, trailers, synopses, advertisements, or information about the movie were made available to the public prior to, and in the weeks following, its release in Japan.

    Source: DeAgostini Japan Photo courtesy of DeAgostini Japan. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD.  The collectibles company DeAgostini Japan is now accepting orders for their limited edition GODZILLA RAIDS AGAIN (1955) Soft Vinyl Kit Grey ver. (ゴジラの逆襲(1955)ソフビキット グレーver., Gojira no Gyakushū (1955) Sofubi Kitto Gurē ver.). The figure is sculpted by Kenichi Matsumoto and based on Godzilla as seen on icy Kamiko Island, looking up at the attacking jets during the climax of the second film in the series. This soft vinyl kit requires some minor assembly.   ■ Details Size: Height Approximately 195mm  (7.7 Inches)Material: PVCMade in JapanPrice: 13,000 円 (Approximately $89.63 US) Order Deadline: Sunday, December 31, 2023Order Link: https://deagostini.jp/select/detail.php?id=20714   TM & © TOHO CO.   Photo courtesy of DeAgostini Japan. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Photo courtesy of DeAgostini Japan. TM &

    The makers ofHOSHI 35 present the first look at the suit for the film's monster, Hoshikuzu . Photo courtesy of 3Y Film. Source: 3Y FilmSpecial Thanks to Avery Guerra A SCIFI JAPAN EXCLUSIVE 3Y Film and MRTS have provided a first look at the monster suit for the adult Hoshikuzu from their upcoming kaiju film, HOSHI 35 (星35). The monster will appear onscreen in two forms, with the prop for the baby Hoshikuzu version revealed back in June. The adult Hoshikazu will be played by suit actor Akira Ohashi, known for portraying Gamera in GAMERA 2: ATTACK OF LEGION (ガメラ2 レギオン襲来 Gamera 2 Rregion Shūrai, 1996), Trauma Gamera and Iris in GAMERA 3: THE REVENGE OF IRIS (ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒), King Ghidorah in GODZILLA, MOTHRA, KING GHIDORAH: GIANT MONSTERS ALL OUT ATTACK (ゴジラ・モスラ・キングギドラ 大怪獣総攻撃, Gojira, Mosura, Kingu Gidora: Daikaijū Sōkōgeki, 2001), and the titular creature in 3Y

    Source:  Ghost X Ghost press release Special Thanks to Brock Otterbacher Baragon returns to Ghost X Ghost with a new look! The new NIGHT HUNT Variant Baragon Metalcropolis T-Shirt is now available for PREORDER! Also, we're bringing back the original version in a new form, with a few twists - as a BLACKLIGHT screen-printed poster with updated art! T-shirt preorders run until FRIDAY, August 25th, at NOON PST, and the poster is a limited edition of 100!   ■ Baragon METALCROPOLIS Night Hunt Variant T-Shirt Photo courtesy of Ghost X Ghost. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. BARAGON, the subterranean monster, has been reimagined as a metal band! in this limited edition t-shirt! This is the latest in our METALCROPOLIS series of designs- taking your favorite characters, and making them METAL! Screen printed on a 100% soft spun cotton black t-shirt.   ESTIMATED DELIVERY

    DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS: THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS is coming to Blu-ray in North America, courtesy of Media Blasters. The sleeve art is not final. Photo courtesy of Media Blasters, Inc. ©Kinema Junposh Source: Media Blasters, Inc. Special Thanks to Carl Morano Media Blasters will release DOOMED MEGALOPOLIS: THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS (帝都物語, Teito Monogatari, 1988) on Blu-ray in North America on September 26. Also known as TOKYO: THE LAST MEGALOPOLIS, this live-action, supernatural thrill-ride was directed by Akio Jissoji (ULTRAMAN, ULTRASEVEN, THIS TRANSIENT LIFE) and produced by Takashige Ichise, producer of classic J-horror hits such as RINGU, JU-ON and DARK WATER that spawned Hollywood remakes. The movie also features stunning creature designs by H.R. Giger of ALIEN fame. A psychic, Yasunori Kato, plots to destroy Tokyo and revert the city back to it's ancient origins as a desolate 'holy ground.' This leads Kato to resurrect Masadako, hoping that he

    Photo courtesy of FOX Corporation. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Source: FOX Corporation press release Official Site: https://caseplay.shop/pages/godzilla CASEPLAY, a service operated by FOX Corporation (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Rio Isabata, President) that provides smartphone-related accessories (on-demand printing,) has started selling Godzilla slim protection cases. The cases come in 23 designs, including American comic book styles and a collection of Godzilla posters from the Showa to Reiwa eras, and will be available for 96 models, including iPhone and Android phones. Photo courtesy of FOX Corporation. © FOX Corporation CASEPLAY offers the pleasure of enjoying fashion with cases not only to users of the latest iPhone models, but also to Android smartphone users who have been unable to find the case they want, or to users who want to buy a new case but are having trouble finding the case they want due to

    ©Hollywood Theatre   Four giant Godzilla films crash into the Hollywood in one weekend! Source: Hollywood Theatre Official Site: https://hollywoodtheatre.org/# Special Thanks to Michael Calhoun   "Godzillathon" returns to the Hollywood Theatre (located at 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland, Oregon 97212) with screenings of four classic movies the weekend of September 16-17. These giants deserve to be seen on the big screen so be sure to attend if you're in the area! Tickets can be purchased online or at the Hollywood Theatre Box Office, which opens 30 minutes prior to the first showing of the day/evening. Tickets for most films are $12 for adults, $10 for students/seniors (65+)/children. Special events may have different pricing; please check online event descriptions for the most accurate info. For additional details please visit the theater's official website. TM&©TOHO

    Photos courtesy of Cospa Co., Ltd. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD.  T-Shirts and Tote Bags Featuring "Fictional Weapons," "Godzillas of the Past" and More! Source: Cospa Co., Ltd. press release Cospa Corporation, a Japanese company that designs and manufactures official character costumes and apparel goods, has announced a new wave of T-shirts and tote bags from the Godzilla series. The designs include familiar "fictional weapons" from the franchise, "Godzillas of the past," and "Infant Island," the legendary home of Mothra. These items will first be available from Toho's official Godzilla Store in mid-September 2023. Other hobby stores across Japan will begin stocking them in mid-October 2023, though some retailers-- including Cospa mail order -- are already accepting pre-orders.  View Cospa's full line of Godzilla goods and collectibles at https://cospa.co.jp/itemlist/id/01542/mode/series.   Photo courtesy of Cospa Co., Ltd. TM & © TOHO CO.,

    The Meitetsu Department Store hosts a festival featuring the Zanenai Ikimono books and Chibi Godzilla. Photo courtesy of Meitetsu Department Store. Zanenai Ikimono TM Takahashi Shoten Co. Chibi Godzilla TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Source; Meitetsu Department Store Co., Ltd. press release Official Site: https://www.e-meitetsu.com/mds/event/2023summerfes/ Through August 29th, the Meitetsu Department Store in Nagoya is hosting the "Meitetsu Summer Fest" (めいてつ夏フェス, Meitetsu Natsu Fesu), a summer vacation that has sold more than 5 million copies.event for children and parents alike. The main theme of the festival is based on Zannen na Ikimono Jiten (ざんねんないきもの事典, "Encyclopedia of All Things Zanena"), a popular children's book series published by Takahashi Shoten that has sold more than 5 million copies. The books offer humorous descriptions of animals and dispell common misconcenceptions about them, so the 7th floor of the Meitetsu Department Store has an exhibit featuring live animals from the

    Source: Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Ltd. press release Photo courtesy of Graphic-sha Publishing Co. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Graphic-sha Publishing Co., Ltd. will release Godzilla Great Anatomical Picture Book: The Abyss of Monsters Unraveled by Shinji Nishikawa (ゴジラ大解剖図鑑 西川伸司が紐解く怪獣の深淵, Gojira Dai Kaibō Zukan Nishikawa Shinji ga Himotoku Kaijū no Shinen) on August 8th. Godzilla Great Anatomical Picture Book is written and illustrated by Shinji Nishikawa, a popular artist who created the monster designs for many of the Godzilla movies produced by Toho from 1989 to 2004, drew storyboards for Tsuburaya Productions' Ultraman series and designed monsters for the anime series SSSS.GRIDMAN (SSSS.グリッドマン, SSSS.Guriddoman, 2018).Described by the publisher as "an unparalleled, in-depth Godzilla compendium," the Japanese book looks at the different live-action Godzilla designs from the first film (released in 1954) to SHIN GODZILLA (シン・ゴジラ, Shin Gojira, 2016) plus other monsters that appeared in those movies. In

    Collector’s Edition 4K UHD and Standard Edition Blu-ray Disc Available October 17, 2023; Digital Download to Own Available October 3, 2023 Source: Shout! Factory press release, GKIDS Official Site: https://www.evangelion.co.jp/final.html (Japan) Special Thanks to Sarah J. De Bruin GKIDS, celebrating its 15th anniversary as producer and distributor of award-winning and artist-driven animation from around the world, with home entertainment distribution from Shout! Studios, announced it will issue the critically acclaimed fourth and final installment of the new theatrical “Rebuild” editions of the EVANGELION franchise in an expansive 4K UHD Collector’s Edition Set, Standard Edition Blu-ray; and as a digital download-to-own. To celebrate the acclaimed feature’s home entertainment release, GKIDS will be bringing the feature back to cinemas in select markets this fall.  EVANGELION:3.0+1.01 THRICE UPON A TIME (シン・エヴァンゲリオン劇場版𝄇, Shin Evangerion Gekijōban) was released in Japanese theatres in 2021, where it was a critical and box office

    Source: SRS Cinema LLC press releaseSpecial Thanks to Avery Guerra The 1962 Daiei film THE WHALE makes its long-awaited North American premiere on Blu-ray. Image courtesy of SRS Cinema. ©KADOKAWA CORPORATION 1962 Distributor SRS Cinema has announced the launch of preorders for their limited edition Blu-ray of THE WHALE GOD (鯨神, Kujiragami). Released by Daiei (now Kadokawa) in 1962, the film was directed by Tokuzo Tanaka, stars Kojiro Hongo (Gamera series) and Takeshi Shimura (SEVEN SAMURAI, GODZILLA), with music by Akira Ifukube (GODZILLA, RODAN), and features stunning life-size practical effects. This is the first official North American release for THE WHALE GOD-- thanks to SRS Cinema. Note: Fans can be a part of this release - submit a testimonial about what this release means to you, and maybe we will include it in the extras! Email Ron Bonk at This email address is being protected from

    Photo courtesy of Toy's King. Hedorah and Godzilla TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Virus King ©Team Better Tomorrow Source: Toy's King press release The toy purchasing company Toy's King (headquartered in Nakamura-ku, Nagoya; Yusuke Yamamoto, President), operator of T-BASE JAPAN, will be selling at the sculpture and figure festival, Wonder Festival 2023 [Summer], on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at Makuhari Messe in Chiba, Japan. Photo courtesy of Toy's King. © TOY'S KING. T-BASE JAPAN sells original soft vinyl products from creators and artists. It carries many products that can only be purchased at the T-BASE stores in Shibuya and  Ginza, or at special events. For Wonder Festival,  T-BASE will exhibit and sell soft vinyl figures of special effects monsters such as Toho's Godzilla and Hedorah, Virus King from the indie daikaiju movie YUZO THE BIGGEST BATTLE IN TOKYO (『特撮喜劇 大木勇造 人生最大の決戦』, Tokusatsu Kigeki Ōki Yūzō Jinsei

    Photo courtesy of Sun-Star Stationery Co. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Photo courtesy of Sun-Star Stationery Co. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. Source: Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. press release Sun-Star Stationery Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Taito-ku, Tokyo; President: Yukiyoshi Yoshimatsu) is now taking pre-orders for their Godzilla PET Bottle Holders (ゴジラ ペットボトルホルダー, Gojira Petto Botoru Horudā) on the Premium Bandai site. There are three cute plushie designs, featuring monsters from the 2004 film GODZILLA FINAL WARS (ゴジラ FINAL WARS, Gojira FINAL WARS), each made to hold standard PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic beverage bottles. The Godzilla and Gigan designs can hold 500-600ml (17-20 ounce) bottles, while Mothra is for 280-350ml (9.5-12 ounce) bottles. The inner fabric contains an aluminum sheet to reduce the risk of condensation droplets leaking from the bottles. The zipper and hook & loop fastener make it

    Photo courtesy of Playmates. © Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary Source: Playmates Toys Official Site: playmatestoys.com/godzilla-vs.-kong-movie Special Thanks to Sarah Gumina Playmates has provided SciFi Japan with product info and photos of their new Titan Tech Rodan. The figure is part of the Monsterverse Titan Tech Monsters series  that already includes Godzilla and Kong. Titan Tech Rodan is a Target Exclusive and will be arriving on store shelves across North America in September. Photo courtesy of Playmates. © Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary Photo courtesy of Playmates. © Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM & © TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM & © Legendary Monsterverse: 8” Titan Tech Transforming Rodan Action Figure Legends collide as Godzilla, Kong and

    Photo courtesy of Kadokawa. ©2023 KADOKAWA/ GAMERA Rebirth Production Committee Source: KADOKAWA Corporation Global Anime Business Official Sites: https://gamera-rebirth.com (Japan), https://www.netflix.com/title/81087387 (US) Official Twitter: @gamera_rebirth #Gamera Rebirth #gamera_rebirth Special Thanks to Anna Haas and Yuna Kishita KADOKAWA Corporation has provided SciFi Japan with English and Japanese language press notes for GAMERA -Rebirth-  (ガメラ リバース, Gamera Ribāsu), their new anime series based on the long-running daikaiju film franchise. The 6 episode series will be distributed worldwide on Netflix on September 7, 2023. A presentation this past weekend at Comic-Con International in San Diego revealed new details, artwork and a trailer (all included  in this article). Tie-in Japanese language novels and an online manga series have also be announced. For more on GAMERA -Rebirth- , please see the earlier coverage here on SciFi Japan... GAMERA -Rebirth- Official Press Release From

    Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong cover artwork by Christian Duce. Photo courtesy of DC. © & TM DC. All Rights Reserved. ©2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved. TM&© TOHO CO., LTD. MONSTERVERSE TM&© Legendary HEROES AND MONSTERS COLLIDE IN THE CROSSOVER EVENT OF THE YEAR! DC press release DC and Legendary Comics are celebrating the first day of San Diego Comic-Con 2023 with a colossal announcement: DC will collide with Legendary’s Monsterverse in Justice League vs. Godzilla vs. Kong, the cataclysmic crossover event of the year you never expected! In partnership with Toho International, the 7-issue series, launching in October, is from acclaimed writer Brian Buccellato (The Flash, Injustice, Detective Comics), bestselling artist Christian Duce (Batman/Fortnite: Zero Point) and colorist Luis Guerrero! Photo courtesy of DC. © & TM DC. All Rights Reserved. ©2023 Legendary. All Rights Reserved.“As a comics fan—there’s nothing more fun and

    Source:  Super7 Photo courtesy of Super7. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Fans of Godzilla and Kaiju collectors everywhere rejoice, because looming on the horizon are a pair of new titans to add to your collection! Super7’s latest Toho ULTIMATES! are a pair of Heisei-era favorites: M.O.G.U.E.R.A. and SpaceGodzilla! Featuring intricate sculpting and premium paint detail, these 7” scale, highly articulated, made-to-order Toho ULTIMATES! are ready to take on foes, human and Kaiju alike, and garner a place of honor in your Godzilla collection! Super7 is also offering the figures together as a Toho ULTIMATES! Wave 4 collection that comes with an excluisive set of alternate heads specific to these characters. See below for details.                     Photo courtesy of Super7. TM & ©TOHO

      The Godzilla (2023) SOFVICS figure is the first prize revealed for Bandai Spirits' Ichiban Kuji Lottery Godzilla-1.0. TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Source: Bandai SpiritsOfficial Site:  https://1kuji.com/products/godzilla4 TM & ©TOHO CO., LTD. Bandai Spirits has revealed details and prizes for their upcoming GODZILLA MINUS ONE (ゴジラ-1.0/ゴジラマイナスワン, Gojira Mainasu Wan) Ichiban Kuji Lottery. Ichiban Kuji is a Japanese character lottery where participants win original colectibles based on a specific brand like Godzilla, My Hero Academia, Wizarding World, Dragon Ball Z, Toy Story and Crayon Shin-chan. Customers can purchase their entries online and at the Ichiban Kuji Official Shop, convenience stores, bookstores, hobby shops, and other retailers  across Japan, with each entry guaranteed to win one of the products offered in the lottery.  In addition, the contestant who purchases the last lottery entry at a shop will get a special "Last One" prize. Members of the

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