AnimeCon Japan 2023 is about to begin in just one day as of writing this and Gamera: Rebirth is set to have a panel at this convention. To get the hype started Kadokawa and the anime Twitter page has revealed a new poster that shows Gamera and Gyaos in greater detail along with a tease of Gamera's second opponent.
Right away, the first thing this poster has me thinking when I look at it reminds me of the poster for Godzilla: King of the Monsters from SDCC 2018 in terms of artistic direction. It captures the idea that Gamera: Rebirth is going to be telling a dark story of his battles. He is surrounded by swarms of the Gyaos that look demonic and the sky gives a hellish environment. It has that beautifully chaotic and horrifying style.
The details on Gamera's design is very reminiscent to the design from Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris with his face looking like a snapping turtle, the bulky body, and the edge of his shell looking like a saw blade. The plastron (or the underbelly) is more ridged and designed in a way that reminds me of rocks. It is as if the design also takes inspiration from the Monsterverse Godzilla which is also very rigged and scaly. You can even see it a little bit in the face that it is box shaped just like Godzilla. I bet we will see even more of Gamera's design during AnimeCon Japan tomorrow. There is the S.H. MonsterArts figure that was unveiled back in late November, so maybe we will see this action figure in full detail.
He also has this other monster in front of him that challenges Gamera to a fight. It has red eyes and a horn protruding from his head. What this monster could be many fans are already guessing this is one of Gamera's former foes from the Showa era called Jiger. It has a horn on top of its head, needle like protrusions sticking out in front of the eyes, saber-like teeth, a sail on its back, and a stinger on the end of its tail.
Jiger first debuted in Gamera vs Jiger, which was about this monster that was once sealed away on Wester Island by a mysterious statue many years ago and was woken up by human intervention in removing the statue. When the statue was removed, Jiger was released from dormancy and Gamera had to fly in and save the day. You will see my review for this movie in my Gamerathon review, which I will start posting once a release date for Gamera: Rebirth is revealed. Jiger had only appeared in two movies: Gamera vs Jiger and Gamera: Super Monster (which mainly used stock footage from Gamera vs Jiger). Since then, it did not appear in any more Gamera movies and it looks like this monster from the bygone era will really get to debut once again with an updated design. So I am interested to see what Kadokawa has done with this monster and what kind of origin (if he has one) this version will have.
Along with the poster reveal, there is also the anime's story summary that was revealed along side the poster. The official synopsis reads:
"The last summer. Friends. And kaiju - -. In the summer of 89, Boko, Joe, and Junichi, all sixth grade elementary school students, were having their last summer vacation. Each of them is worried about their future.
Brody, the son of a US military commander, appears before the three of them and steals aways the money they have saved together. Boko and his friends are furious and plan to get their money back. As they are about to carry out the plan, the town is threatened.
The kaiju Gyaos suddenly attacks Tokyo. The four are petrified in a town ruined by Gyaos. As Gyaos sets its sights on them, a huge kaiju appears. Its name is GAMERA. This is the beginning of their 'Summer of Kaiju.' Kaiju appear one after another, and Gamera fights back despite his wounds. The boys witness the legend."
Based on the summary, we now learn that this show will be taking place in the summer of 1989 and based on the poster the show could not be going for the monster of the week approach similarly with Godzilla: Singular Point. If we see get a trailer during AnimeCon, I hope we get to see more of the story so we get a better understanding of what we should expect from this anime.
Currently, fans are iffy towards Gamera: Rebirth because director Hiroyuki Seshita (known infamously for Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters, Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle, and Godzilla: The Planet Eater) is directing this show. I totally understand why that would be the reaction from the fans. Seshita really pinned the blame on everyone, including the fans, for the failures of the Godzilla movies he had directed. I can totally see a scenario playing out similarly if Gamera: Rebirth turned out to be a disappointment, as well. On the other hand, I believe in giving someone a second chance. Maybe he had learned from his mistakes and wants to correct those mistakes with Gamera. If the show is successful and pulls off a great anime, then that should be credit that is well earned. So I am willing to give Seshita a second chance.
What are your thoughts on the new Gamera: Rebirth poster and story synopsis? What do you hope to see revealed at AnimeCon Japan? Leave a comment in the comments section of your thoughts on the new reveals. Make sure to follow me on Facebook, Minds, MeWe, Gab, and TRUTH Social to stay up to date for more news, reviews, and discussions.
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