Having only previously watched the recent Hollywood films about Godzilla, this was a refreshing take which returns to the original Japanese conception of Godzilla. A metaphor for nuclear weapons, Godzilla is Japan's monster; an indiscriminate destroyer and a punishment for their actions in WW2. This metaphor is conveyed through the story of the main character, Koichi Shikishima, a kamikaze pilot who abandoned his duty. He is haunted by survivors guilt and views Godzilla as his punishment for what he failed to do.

For a film about Godzilla, he features very little. The human characters make up the core of the narrative and tell a story of learning to move on and build a life in the aftermath of a war. As a Japanese film, obviously the Japanese soldiers are painted in a more sympathetic light than other countries would perhaps do so, but at its heart is a criticism of the disregard for life that was central to Japanese wartime policy. There is an anger in the men who have to face Godzilla, arguing why do they have to continuously risk their lives over and over again. However, they recognise that by fighting Godzilla they are fighting for a chance to live and for a future, whereas with the war they didn't know what they were fighting for.

The importance of life is emphasis in the final fight scene where Shikishima once again fails his duty as a kamikaze pilot, but this time it is not out of cowardice but out of a desire to live and the acknowledgement that he has the right to do so. Though his survival is a bit 'luck of the main character' and other characters' survivals within the film seem a tad unlikely, the happy ending feels rewarding and is a final push of the message that life is something to be treasured.

In terms of production, this film was fantastically done. In spite of its shockingly low budget in contrast to the American films, the visual effects were pretty much flawless. The budget is probably why Godzilla doesn't appear too often, but his design is brilliant and his general absence from the film makes the moments in which he stars all the more affective. The film's setting in post-war Japan also likely reduced the need for a major budget but this made the film all the better as they had to come up with more innovative ways (even though they did fail) to defeat Godzilla which made the story more interesting and memorable. The use of music and silences was also done really well in this film that emphasised the emotions of the scenes perfectly.

Though this film doesn't need a sequel, the ending did suggest there might be one. If so, I would be really intrigued to see where this Godzilla story goes next.