Trivia / Godzilla Raids Again

• Awesome, Dear Boy: Yoshio Tsuchiya wanted to be in Godzilla (1954) film, but because he was doing Seven Samurai, he wasn't able to. He insisted on joining this film and Toho granted his request by casting him as Tajima. He would later rejoin the franchise as an alien invaders or as someone possessed by one, something he enjoys.
• B-Team Sequel: While Shigeru Kayama, Takeo Murata, Eiji Tsuburaya and his special effects staff returned for the sequel, the film was directed by Motoyoshi Oda and the music was provided by Masaru Sato.
• Bad Export for You:
  • The film was heavily edited into Gigantis: The Fire Monster by Paul Schreibman and Edmund Goldman of Warner Brothers, though Schreibman later admitted this was a mistake. This dub has proven unpopular with fans of the franchise.
  • The first version of Godzilla Raids Again commercially available on iTunes is actually Gigantis: The Fire Monster except for having the original title.
  • Averted with the The Criterion Collection and HBO Max release which is the original Japanese version.
• Creator Backlash:
  • Kaiju film regular Hiroshi Koizumi lamented that upon reviewing the movies he appeared in, including this film, he felt he hadn't realized his potential in them.
  • Masaru Sato wasn't feeling for this film's score, citing "It's like listening to a kid trying to learn". However, he would later provide additional scores for the Showa series when Akira Ifukube wasn't available.
• DVD Commentary: The DVD release by Classic Media includes one by Steve Ryfle and a few others. It plays over and talks mainly about the American version, but it also talks about the Japanese version as well and how the movie in general compares to the original.
• Executive Meddling:
  • Paul Schreibeman is the reason why the Gigantis film became what it was, as he said the renaming of Godzilla to Gigantis was to avoid confusion, something made ironic with claiming that the original title was "Angurus" when the original name of the film was Gojira no Gyakushu (Godzilla's Counterattack).
  • On Toho's side, Iwa Omori, the head of Toho Studios, told Tomoyuki Tanaka to make another Godzilla film after the success of Godzilla (1954). Depending who you ask, it was the best or worst direct sequel.
• Follow the Leader: Sort of. Although this film marks the first time two monsters would fight each other in Japanese cinema, this doesn't mean the formula is anything similar to the film that really kicked off the "monster against monster" boom.
• Keep Circulating the Tapes: Godzilla Raids Again was the rarest Godzilla film on video in the U.S. for a long time. Its only official tape release was by Video Treasures in 1989, and it was not reissued by Anchor Bay in 1997. Even before that, it hardly aired on television and was regarded as the "lost" Godzilla film by many. Classic Media has since released the film on DVD, but the U.S. version lacks the original Gigantis, the Fire Monster title, per Toho's insistence, making the tape release still sought after until The Criterion Collection released in 2019 the Godzilla: The Showa-Era Films, 1954–1975 boxset featuring the Japanese version. That version is currently streaming on The Criterion Channel and Max.
• Recycled Script: It's basically Godzilla (1954) with another monster added in. However, since Ishir⁠ō Honda was not involved in this film (he was directing a love story at the time), Shigeru Koyama wrote the script, with no alterations contributed from Motoyoshi Oda. However, without the original means to defeat Godzilla provided by Dr Serizawa, the Japanese are screwed.
• Refitted for Sequel: One of Godzilla's international names was "Angurius". The name would be used as Godzilla's first opponent here.
• Trope Maker: Being only the second Godzilla movie ever made and released only a year later in 1955, this movie would begin the tradition of having Godzilla go up against similarly sized opponents.
• What Could Have Been:
  • Interestingly enough, Godzilla Raids Again wasn't intended to be merely dubbed and distributed. It was going to be called The Volcano Monsters where Godzilla would have been a Tyrannosaurus rex and Anguirus an Ankylosaurus. Godzilla (or rather the T.rex), was to fight the Ankylosaurus and move to the North Pole to lay its eggs. While Toho decided to help by sending new suits and made a catalog of the production, the American company went bankrupt and the suits, which had been sent to Howard Anderson's company for shooting disappeared. As a result, The Volcano Monsters was ultimately cancelled, and a new English dub for the film, 'Gigantis The Fire Monster'', would be made instead.
  • A direct sequel was planned called The Bride of Godzilla where scientists create a female robot designed to kill Godzilla. Godzilla would have actually fallen in love with her, and take her to his colony of surviving Godzillas where she'd detonate a nuclear device which resulted a Downer Ending. This idea was never made and instead King Kong vs. Godzilla became the second sequel of the series.
  • Anguirus had quite a couple prototype names before landing on the one Kaiju fans know and love, some examples being Gyottos, Zottos, Osoros and Sugon. However, it's not known who coined the name Anguirus.
  • Anguirus was to also have the ability to use a Breath Weapon like Godzilla, because he's meant to be as radioactive as him (thus explaining why he No Sells it during his fight with Godzilla). The film version however doesn't have any other powers with his mutation.

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