YMMV / Son of Godzilla

• Americans Hate Tingle: Whilst most American fans seem to have a great disdain for Minya, he is very well-liked in Japan. In 1992, he was low in the top ten most popular "Godzilla Rivals" that year and in 2017, Minya was listed by the Japanese at number four in the top 20 non-Godzilla Toho monsters.
• Awesome Music: Sato graces the music again with Preparing for the Experiment, an upbeat and snazzy piece that plays during the scientist’s A-Team Montage as they prepare their weather experiment.
• Contested Sequel: Aside from Godzilla Raids Again, this film is the most divisive entry in the Showa era. Some fans deem it one of the worst entries, criticizing it for its lackluster monster suits for Minya and Godzilla, the decision to set it on an island again only one movie after the last, and felt that the Lighter and Softer tone took away from what made the earlier films so effective. Others, however, see it as one of the better films, praising it for its cast of likable and relatable characters, a wonderfully fun score by Masaru Sato, and the impressive effects from the set design to the wireworks. Then there are those who see it as a fun movie in its own right, even if it doesn’t rank on par with some of the better entries.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • The ending, which is mixed with Tear Jerker. Godzilla embracing Minya as the Island freezes over, forcing them into hibernation.
  • Heartwarming mixed with awesome: Father and Son take out Kumonga together, and each gives a victory roar afterwards.
  • Admit it: Minya riding on Godzilla's tail is really cute.
• Hilarious in Hindsight: Kamacuras, the giant praying mantis, may seem weird, but it's been done before.
• Memetic Mutation: The frame of Godzilla holding his wounded right eye after Kumonga stabbed it has been turned into a memetic reaction Face Palm image.
• Nightmare Fuel: For arachnophobes (and even some people who aren't) Kumonga easily qualifies.
• Special Effect Failure: In one scene in which Godzilla is fighting the Kamacuras, you can see the top of the backdrop that's in frame.
• Ugly Cute:
  • Minya has an appearance that looks less dinosaurian and more apelike, but for those who don't find him too ugly are taken in by those big gentle eyes and the fact that he's, well, a baby.
  • The Musuko Goji suit, too. Deliberately softened to match Minya, it's a frequent pick for least-favorite suit by G-Fans.
• Unintentional Uncanny Valley: Both the Musoku Goji suit and Minya (especially his first appearance) can qualify, because they look almost human, probably in an effort to make them more relatable. Godzilla looks okay from certain angles, but it still takes some getting used to. In some later flicks, they opted to make Godzilla's face more cartoony and "kiddish", rather than human-like.
• Visual Effects of Awesome: The wireworks on Kamacuras and Kumonga by Sadamasa Arikawa are among some of the most well renown special effects from the Showa era.

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