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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
With most of their crew decimated by the overwhelming power of Godzilla, Captain Haruro Sakaki and the remaining Aratrum crew members must regroup and decide their next course of action. Luckily for them, they stumble across the research facility that once housed MechaGodzilla, a technological creature constructed by the Bilusaludo to combat Godzilla. Due to the nature of the “nano-metal” of which MechaGodzilla was constructed of, the facility has not only remained intact but has also grown to the size of a large metropolis, with MechaGodzilla’s AI running the entire system. The Aratrum crew quickly seizes control of “MechaGodzilla City” and attempt to use its resources to defeat the real Godzilla. Will the power of MechaGodzilla be enough to stop the real thing?
What makes “City on the Edge of Battle” such a great movie is the fact that it, much like its predecessor, manages to subvert expectations in the best ways by putting our titular Kaiju in situations we’ve never encountered before. The previous movie alluded to the existence of MechaGodzilla - even going so far as to provide a quick shot of the creature being demolished before it could be released - but nothing ever came of it. This movie takes what we learned in the previous and shows us that the mechanized creature isn’t gone, but instead has found a way to grow into an entirely new form - one that is, arguably, more deadly than its original design. MechaGodzilla City proved to be one helluva threat, especially when combined with the Bilusaludo.
Another aspect of this movie that manages to make it great is the way in which it handles its characters. Typically, the weakest aspect of a Godzilla movie is its characters. I cannot think of an instance wherein I’ve heard someone say they wanted to watch a Godzilla movie because they wanted to revel in the plight of the humans. However, when it comes to these two films, one could certainly make the argument that the human - or alien - element outshines our favorite Kaiju. The characters have an undeniably depth to them that makes you genuinely care about them, which is something I can’t say I’ve experience in the live-action adaptations. While Godzilla’s presence is always a treat to behold, the human characters are what drive the story forward as they try their best to combat what is essentially a force of nature.
“City on the Edge of Battle” manages to raise the stakes of the previous movie in the best ways, and with the iconic named dropped during the end credits scene, I’m sure that the final installment in this trilogy will be one helluva ride. Stay tuned for my review of it soon!
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