The Godzilla Anime That Fans Can't Stop Binging On Netflix
You've never seen Godzilla like this before. While the radiation-spewing, city-smashing reptile has been a cross-cultural phenomenon for the better part of 70 years, the Japanese giant has seldom found itself in the realm of anime. Sure, the franchise received a trilogy of anime movies a few years ago, but until recently, the titan of Tokyo has never received its own full-length anime adaptation.
That is, until "Godzilla Singular Point." In many ways, the show — which hit U.S. Netflix in June after debuting on Japanese Netflix and other networks earlier in the year — feels like a proper "Godzilla" story. It's got science-fiction, mystery, and a whole lot of giant monsters. However, it also takes the opportunity to combine the unique elements of "Godzilla" with those of anime in a way that feels both familiar and new at the same time. Regardless, the resulting combination feels like a natural fit for both genres. With all of that in mind, it's no wonder why fans — of both kaiju and anime — can't stop binging this recent Netflix release.
Godzilla Singular Point fuses anime and kaiju to great effect
From a narrative perspective, "Godzilla Singular Point" stays true to its source material. Most "Godzilla" stories combine some element of science-fiction with some sort of mystery, usually surrounding one or more kaiju. And that makes sense, as kaiju translates to "strange beast" in Japanese, and they are often aggravated or attracted by the scientific endeavors of humans.
The story follows two egg-heads, a biologist named Mei and an engineer named Yun, as they unravel the various mysteries surrounding the sudden appearance of various kaiju and the existence of a seemingly impossible particle known as the Archetype. As the two delve deeper into the mystery, they discover that the Archetype and the kaiju are key in avoiding a cataclysmic event prophesied by an enigmatic scientist from the past.
This "Godzilla"-reminiscent plot is told beautifully through animation done by the studios Bones and Orange, and combines wonderfully with the story's more anime-esque elements. For instance, "Singular Point" is also a mecha anime, as Yun is responsible for helping with the design and construction of Jet Jaguar. Though it isn't massive, it's the only weapon humans have that can fight the increasing invasion of kaiju on human civilization. As such, the series incorporates many tropes from other mecha and battle anime in order to sell its kaiju-versus-robots dynamic.
If you're a fan of thrilling mysteries, giant robots, or Godzilla himself, then "Singular Point" might be a good pick for your next Netflix obsession.