Gamera: Rebirth

It's great to see Gamera back, but perhaps he should've taken a few more years off. This series is painfully mediocre, offering up: one-dimensional characters, plotline clichés with convoluted 'twists', and cheap animation. It serves as a solid celebration of the franchise it represents, but has little to justify the road from kaiju to kaiju. If you're a fan of Gamera, Rebirth provides heavy nostalgia by revisiting & reimagining many of the more recognizable kaiju from his Showa era. These are beautifully executed & redesigned, even if a few of them fall flat in terms of delivery. Nonetheless, I think that's where this series shines. It's afun experience filled with quality kaiju battles and a handful of duds, but if you're looking for anything more that's where this starts to fall apart. Characters are largely unlikeable & shallow. There are a few occasions where the series tries to expand on and grow characters, but it's never done in a way that feels organic. Sometimes, it feels like subverting expectations just for the sake of it. Other times, it tries to create an emotional payoff without any meaningful build-up. The plotline is about as good as you can expect from a Showa entry, existing solely to move from one kaiju to the next - often borrowing clichés and overused ideas from the genre as a whole in a way that doesn't feel particularly satisfying. It's really the kind of anime you just want to watch for the action sequences, but even those are often held back by its lackluster animation. Though, admittedly, the animation is best during those climactic moments whereas more clumsy animation tends to show up during the build-up of an episode. Most characters look unnatural, static, and often even lifeless throughout the series. Ultimately, Gamera: Rebirth sets out to be a love-letter to the series and as such it delivers well enough. Returning kaiju are well utilized, and there are plenty of homages for a long-standing Gamera fan to sink their teeth into. If you're looking for something that might measure up to the depth & storytelling of Gamera's Heisei trilogy, however, you're not going to find that here. And if you're new to Gamera entirely, I'd recommend skipping this one until you've become more acquainted - ideally through the aforementioned Heisei trilogy.

You know how the Monster verse tends to be. With the Live action Godzilla series and Godzilla vs Kong 2 on their way, we have a lot to expect but Gamera Rebirth assured me that the MonsterVerse will forever continue to live up to its name. The plot was just great. We have 3 childhood friends who want to make sure that no matter how far apart they are , they're always gonna be together. The bond between Joe and Boko was the most intriguing one. We are told how Joe's little brother and mom died while he was in grade school and how his dadspiraled into depression forcing Joe to work as a paper boy to pay off their debts. Character development was also unique in the case of sea weed hair from Eustace(forgive me for I've forgotten his name).😂😂 The art was alright. Not overloaded with too much CGI effects unlike other Netflix series. It was up to my expectations. The characters were amazing. Each was so unique and had their conflicting moments where they had to make choices that will determine how their lives would go. The opening theme was radical!! I got the same feeling whenever I listen to Bloody Power Fame from Bastard!! Overall, the anime was really great. The first fall 2023 anime and I'm already excited for what fall has to throw at us. I suggest you watch this.

For those unaware, Gamera was created in the 1960's to rival Toho's "Godzilla" franchise. And while he started out as what could be considered a "spoof" character, he quickly earned himself a spot alongside the other big monsters (Godzilla, Kong, Ultraman). Hell, Gamera even has managed to outshine Godzilla on more than one occasion! Especially in regards to the 1990's "Heisei Trilogy". However, Gamera disappeared in 2006 after the film "Gamera the Brave". Not even the "kaiju resurgence" in the early 2010's managed to bring him back (with titles like "Pacific Rim", "Godzilla 2014", and "Kong: Skull Island" bring monsters back into the mainstream mediafeed.) So this begs the question, how does Gamera fare after his 17 year hibernation? I'd personally say this series is a great start and I'm just glad the big turtle is back in action. The choice to bring the character back via animation was a questionable one (especially after the reception of the "Polygon / Netflix Godzilla Trilogy" and "Godzilla Singular Point"; which I am going to say are not nearly as bad as the "durr no hooman only monster" crowd would have you believe). The animation is definitely, less than desirable for the human characters. But when it comes to the monsters themselves, the designs are excellent modern interpretations of these classic kaiju! Gamera & co move surprisingly fast and the battles are all very entertaining. And while we wait for these colossal clashes to happen, the human storyline is pretty decent and keeps your attention. Another thing non-fans may not know is Gamera's association with children, he is usually their protector and this series continues that tradition. While the story isn't groundbreaking, its a blend of the Showa & Heisei narratives that delivers about what you'd expect. Now the music is phenomenal, and the ending credits play a wonderful, tear-jerking cover of a beloved Gamera song and it's just perfect! I certainly hope we get to see more of Gamera, and sooner rather than later! The lead up to this show was a lot of fun and it would be terribly sad to see him disappear after finally coming back. (Plus, Gamera whooped Kong's ass this year if you compare this show to "Skull Island"...)

At the time of this review, it has now been 18 years since Gamera, the rocket powered flying turtle kaiju had made any form of on screen appearance. 2006's Gamera the Brave, which received generally unfavourable reviews, would be the last time the franchise would receive any new iteration for years. With the triumphant return of Godzilla in 2014 and the kaiju renaissance started by 2013's Pacific Rim now being in full swing, many fans of the kaiju genre, myself included, clamored for the return of our favourite turtle. Unfortunately, Gamera Rebirth would end up not being the great return we were hoping for. Firstly, the series isdirected by Hiroyuki Seshita who co-directed the atrocious Godzilla anime trilogy and the series is also animated in the same 3-D style which doesn't look good and comes across as stiff and janky in most places. The characters aren't particularly interesting as they just feel dull and the story definitely leaves much to be desired. Gamera Rebirth was definitely a series that had a lot of hype behind it prior to it's release due to the fact that Gamera hadn't been seen for many years but just ended up being a disappointing series that left a bad after taste. And honestly, Gamera deserves better.

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