Yuriko Sinjou (Ayumi Sonoda) and Kenji Uozaki (Kouzou Nomura) apparently see something even more exciting than the giant monster rampaging behind them in a publicity paste-up for the early Toho daikaiju movie VARAN. Photo courtesy of Media Blasters. © 1958 Toho Co., Ltd.
Author: Sean Kotz On March 31, 2010, New York City’s Japan Society launched a fascinating film series called “Mad, Bad... and Dangerous to Know: Three Untamed Beauties” highlighting counter-culture images of women in Japanese society featuring the work of three actresses--Ayako Wakao, Meiko Kaji and Mariko Okada. In contrast to the customary Japanese model of deferring, silent and bashful servants, their upstart female characters challenge the tradition but mostly with negative (and often downright evil) characters. However, as early as 1958’s VARAN (Daikaiju Baran), Toho’s monster films were offering positive, even heroic, alternatives to the accepted molds of housewife and office lady—the female reporter, a role that would develop into a staple during the Showa period and beyond. It is something of an unfortunate accident of history that VARAN is not well known, even among kaiju fans. Riding the giant monster boom of
