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Overanalyzing Anime
Blog Owner & Lead Writer
MechaGodzilla City has been destroyed; and with it, humanity’s final chance of killing the unstoppable Godzilla.. or is it? With Captain Haruro’s focus split between the loss of his closest friend and his likely court martial for his actions against the Bilusaludo, the Exif Priest, Metphies, has used the chaos as a catalyst to induct a considerable amount of crew members into his religious cult. With his true machinations exposed, and the majority of crew members - both on the ground and on the Aratrum - won over, the Exif bring forth the power of the other-worldly monster, Ghidorah. Does the Exif God have the necessary mettle to take down Godzilla - and, if it does, will the Earth be the creature’s next target?
There’s a lot to love about the final installment to this new Godzilla trilogy. Firstly, this film sees a return to the characters roots, as we get an opportunity to see Godzilla go toe-to-toe with another indomitable Kaiju. The previous film subverted expectations with its unique take on MechaGodzilla - choosing to forgo a brawl, and instead have MechaGodzilla take the form of an entire city; and, while that was great, it really doesn’t get any better than watching the titular Kaiju duke it out with another monster. While the fight between Godzilla and Ghidorah isn’t too extensive - as the focus of these movies has always been the humanoid characters - it was still a treat.
Spoilers follow.
Speaking of the humanoid characters, they all shone especially bright as their stories came to a close. This is especially true of Captain Haruro, who was forced to endure a considerable amount of suffering in this final chapter. The relationship between he and Metphies has been an interesting one, and with Metphies being responsible for bringing Ghidorah to Earth - and for wiping out the Aratrum (what a f**king scene, by the way) - he had no choice but to take down his former ally. The scenes they share together - wherein Metphies tries to get Haruro to understand his viewpoint - are poignant and speak to an interesting philosophical viewpoint that I didn’t expect from this movie.
Both the Exif and the Bilusaludo both had interesting viewpoints on how to destroy Godzilla, but both of their methods we’re self destructive from the viewpoint of any human. The Bilusaludo sought to merge everyone into a singly, collective consciousness, which is something that’s inherently inhuman; as humans, we strive to be independent of one another - to be unique. To give up our individuality to become a part of something else is something we like to discuss in the philosophical sense (such as with religion) but it’s not something we’d ever do in the literal sense.
Speaking of religion, what makes the Exif’s God so enticing is that it requires little effort on humanity’s part. Instead of forcing us to become a literal part of a collective, it allows for us to make the choice, all while keeping our inherent individuality. The Exif religion quickly sweeps through the crew members because it gave them hope, which they were desperately in need of, given their perilous situation. Once they were brainwashed, they were willing to give themselves over to Ghidorah, even if it meant sacrificing their bodies.
What makes it even more interesting is the fact that, while the Exif religion seemed like the better choice, it ultimately led those who followed it to their demise, while the route of the Bilusaludo would have, at least, preserved their lives - albeit in a different state.
The most powerful moment of the film comes in its final scenes as Captain Haruro makes the ultimate sacrifice to ensure that humanity has a chance at a future. When he first spoke to Miana, I didn’t understand what it was he was trying to do. But as he gave his final monologue it clicked, and it honestly was a terrific way to choose the story. Haruro knew that his hatred for the creature would ultimately taint the others, and he couldn’t allow that. So, with one final act, he wiped away the past in the hopes that it would lead to a better future.
Spoilers End.
All in all, “The Planet Eater” was a great send-off to what has been an incredible trilogy of movies. This series had a depth to it that I wasn’t expecting prior to starting the first film, and I’m really glad that I got the chance to experience it. The “Planet of the Monsters” movies are not only the best Godzilla films I’ve seen, but also some of the best storytelling I’ve experienced from anime.. and that’s saying something. If you haven’t seen it yet, I recommend the hell out of it. Check it out on Netflix now!
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