Kaiju: The Fantastic World of Japanese Monsters
by MlleSedTortue | created - 04 Aug 2020 | updated - 30 Jan 2022 | PublicLiterally translated as strange beasts, Kaiju is a distinctly Japanese subgenera of monster film. This is a list of media that feature giant monsters (daikaiju), humanoids (kaijin), and aliens (seijin). Films range from from science fiction to horror and fantasy. Also included are notable films that are inspired by Kaiju cinema.
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1. Godzilla (1954)
Not Rated | 96 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
American nuclear weapons testing results in the creation of a seemingly unstoppable dinosaur-like beast.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Takashi Shimura, Akihiko Hirata, Akira Takarada, Momoko Kôchi
Votes: 39,753 | Gross: $2.42M
2. The Invisible Avenger (1954)
70 min | Crime, Mystery, Sci-Fi
A car strikes an unseen object. Blood spreads from an invisible source, which becomes visible as the bleeding man dies. He carries with him a suicide note dedicated to his only friend, who ... See full summary »
Director: Motoyoshi Oda | Stars: Seizaburô Kawazu, Miki Sanjô, Minoru Takada, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 165
3. Godzilla Raids Again (1955)
Approved | 78 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Scout pilots for a fishing fleet are startled to discover a new monster named Anguirus alongside a second Godzilla. The monsters make their way toward Osaka as Japan can only brace for tragedy and relive the horror of Godzilla once more.
Directors: Motoyoshi Oda, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Hiroshi Koizumi, Setsuko Wakayama, Minoru Chiaki, Takashi Shimura
Votes: 8,354
4. Jû jin yuki otoko (1955)
94 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
A yeti terrorizes people on top of Mount Fuji.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Takarada, Akemi Negishi, Momoko Kôchi, Nobuo Nakamura
Votes: 308
5. Rodan (1956)
Approved | 74 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A mining engineer investigates the death of his fellow coworkers and discovers prehistoric nymphs emerging from the mines. As he heads deeper into the mines, he makes a more horrifying discovery in the form a prehistoric flying creature.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Akihiko Hirata, Akio Kobori
Votes: 5,992 | Gross: $0.50M
6. Godzilla: King of the Monsters! (1956)
Not Rated | 80 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
A 400-foot (122-meter) dinosaur-like beast, awoken from undersea hibernation off the Japanese coast by atomic-bomb testing, attacks Tokyo.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Terry O. Morse | Stars: Raymond Burr, Takashi Shimura, Momoko Kôchi, Akira Takarada
Votes: 8,834
7. Madame White Snake (1956)
103 min | Fantasy, Romance
Lavish Japanese-Chinese coproduction based on an ancient Chinese legend about a man who falls in love with a snake goddess in human form.
Director: Shirô Toyoda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Shirley Yamaguchi, Kaoru Yachigusa, Kichijirô Ueda
Votes: 130
8. Warning from Space (1956)
Unrated | 87 min | Drama, Sci-Fi
UFOs are seen around Tokyo. Because they look like giant starfish the aliens cannot approach us without creating panic. Hence one of them sacrifices itself and takes the form of a popular ... See full summary »
Director: Kôji Shima | Stars: Keizô Kawasaki, Toyomi Karita, Bin Yagisawa, Shôzô Nanbu
Votes: 1,272
9. The Mysterians (1957)
Approved | 85 min | Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Shortly after a giant robot destroys a village, aliens from outer space arrive offering friendship. Will the people of Earth tie these two events together?
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yumi Shirakawa, Momoko Kôchi, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 1,900 | Gross: $0.98M
10. The H-Man (1958)
Approved | 79 min | Crime, Horror, Sci-Fi
When a narcotics deal goes sour and a suspect disappears, leaving only his clothes, Tokyo police question his wife and stake out the nightclub where she works. His disappearance stumps the ... See full summary »
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Yumi Shirakawa, Kenji Sahara, Akihiko Hirata, Eitarô Ozawa
Votes: 1,645
11. Varan (1958)
87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Original Japanese version. Research in the Tohoku region comes across a monster known to the locals as the mountain god Baradagi.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Motoyoshi Oda | Stars: Kôzô Nomura, Ayumi Sonoda, Koreya Senda, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 909
12. Gekkô kamen (1958– )
30 min | Adventure, Action, Mystery
Japan's first superhero TV show, in which a caped/masked avenger fights assorted evil in modern-day Tokyo.
Stars: Kôichi Ôse, Mike Danning
Votes: 28
13. Gigantis, the Fire Monster (1959)
78 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The heavily re-edited American version of Godzilla Raids Again. A prehistoric monster called Gigantis emerges alongside another creature named Angurus.
Directors: Hugo Grimaldi, Motoyoshi Oda, Jack Bernhard, Ishirô Honda, Sam Newfield, Hal Roach Jr., Hal Roach | Stars: Minoru Chiaki, Shôichi Hirose, Miyoko Hoshino, Toku Ihara
Votes: 196
14. The Three Treasures (1959)
112 min | Adventure, Drama, Fantasy
A prince, framed for murder and starved for affection from his father, is sent on a quest.
Director: Hiroshi Inagaki | Stars: Toshirô Mifune, Yôko Tsukasa, Akihiko Hirata, Kyôko Kagawa
Votes: 368
15. Battle in Outer Space (1959)
Approved | 90 min | Action, Sci-Fi
The nations of the Earth unite in a common cause to fight off an invader from outer space.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Kyôko Anzai, Minoru Takada, Koreya Senda
Votes: 1,544
16. Densô ningen (1960)
85 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Men are being murdered by a psycho called "The Telegian," who uses a matter-transmitting device to locate his victims.
Director: Jun Fukuda | Stars: Kôji Tsuruta, Yumi Shirakawa, Seizaburô Kawazu, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 270
17. The Human Vapor (1960)
Not Rated | 81 min | Crime, Sci-Fi, Thriller
A librarian is subject to a scientific experiment which goes wrong and transforms him into 'The Human Vapour'. He uses his new ability to rob banks to fund the career of his girlfriend, a ... See full summary »
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Tatsuya Mihashi, Kaoru Yachigusa, Yoshio Tsuchiya, Keiko Sata
Votes: 508
18. Mothra (1961)
Passed | 101 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
An expedition to Infant Island discovers a native population and tiny twin fairy priestesses of the island's mythical deity. Named Mothra, she sets out to rescue her fairies after they are kidnapped by an exploitative businessman.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Furankî Sakai, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kyôko Kagawa, Yumi Itô
Votes: 5,307
19. Gorgo (1961)
Unrated | 78 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Greedy sailors capture a giant lizard off the coast of Ireland and sell it to a London circus, inciting the wrath of the creature's mother.
Director: Eugène Lourié | Stars: Bill Travers, William Sylvester, Vincent Winter, Christopher Rhodes
Votes: 4,236
20. King Kong vs. Godzilla (1963)
Not Rated | 91 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A UN reporter broadcasts a report on the appearance of a prehistoric monster that emerges from hibernation while a pharmaceutical company seeks publicity with a monster of their own. (US Version)
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Tom Montgomery | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Kenji Sahara, Yû Fujiki, Michael Keith
Votes: 11,242 | Gross: $2.73M
21. Gorath (1962)
Not Rated | 83 min | Sci-Fi, Thriller
A Tokyo scientist and his colleagues shift Earth to avoid a red-hot planet on a collision course.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Ryô Ikebe, Yumi Shirakawa, Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno
Votes: 896
22. Killer Whale (1962)
Not Rated | 100 min | Drama, Fantasy
A fishing village is terrorized by a giant whale, and the fishermen are determined to kill it. A Japanese variation of the "Moby Dick" story.
Director: Tokuzô Tanaka | Stars: Kyôko Enami, Shiho Fujimura, Kôji Fujiyama, Chikara Hashimoto
Votes: 130
23. Varan the Unbelievable (1962)
Unrated | 70 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
Heavily alerted American version of Japan's Varan. A prehistoric behemoth is unwittingly awoken from hibernation due to a U.S-Japanese military experiment for economic means on it's watery lair.
Directors: Jerry A. Baerwitz, Ishirô Honda, Motoyoshi Oda | Stars: Myron Healey, Tsuruko Kobayashi, Clifford Kawada, Derick Shimatsu
Votes: 849
24. Matango (1963)
Unrated | 89 min | Horror, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Shipwrecked survivors slowly transform into mushrooms.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Kubo, Kumi Mizuno, Hiroshi Koizumi, Kenji Sahara
Votes: 3,546
25. Atragon (1963)
TV-Y7 | 94 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When an ancient underground civilization and their snake-like guardian plots to reclaim the surface world, those of the surface fights back.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Yôko Fujiyama, Yû Fujiki, Kenji Sahara
Votes: 1,525
26. Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
Not Rated | 89 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Mothra's egg washes ashore and is claimed by greedy entrepreneurs who refuse to return it to her fairies. As Godzilla arises near Nagoya, the people of Infant Island must decide if they are willing to answer Japan's own pleas for help.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Takarada, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Yû Fujiki
Votes: 10,331
27. Dogora (1964)
83 min | Crime, Horror, Sci-Fi
An amorphous cellular life-form descends from the atmosphere to consume carbon in the form of diamonds.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Yôsuke Natsuki, Yôko Fujiyama, Hiroshi Koizumi, Nobuo Nakamura
Votes: 1,005
28. Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster (1964)
Not Rated | 85 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A detective is assigned to protect a princess who prophecies the Earth's end with the arrival of a powerful space monster. Mothra and her fairies must persuade Godzilla and Rodan to set aside their differences or face the invader alone.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Yôsuke Natsuki, Yuriko Hoshi, Hiroshi Koizumi, Akiko Wakabayashi
Votes: 7,941
29. Agon (1968– )
30 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A truck carrying uranium falls off a cliff into the ocean awakening a giant monster that wreaks havoc on Japan.
Stars: Shinji Hirota, Asao Matsumoto, Nobuhiko Shima, Akemi Sawa
Votes: 66
30. Invasion of Astro-Monster (1965)
G | 93 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Astronauts investigate Planet X and encounter the Xiliens, who ask Earth's people to help save their world from "Monster Zero". As one astronaut forms a romance with a mysterious woman, he uncovers the Xilien's true intentions.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Nick Adams, Akira Takarada, Jun Tazaki, Akira Kubo
Votes: 7,456
31. Gamera: The Giant Monster (1964)
Not Rated | 81 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
From out of the arctic comes a gigantic flying, fire-breathing turtle that sets its sights on destroying Tokyo.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Eiji Funakoshi, Harumi Kiritachi, Junichiro Yamashita, Yoshiro Uchida
Votes: 3,804
32. Frankenstein vs. Baragon (1965)
Unrated | 87 min | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller
Near the end of WWII, Germans transport the immortal heart of Frankenstein's monster to Japan, where it is seeming lost in the bombing of Hiroshima. Years later a wild boy is found, born from the immortal heart.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Nick Adams, Kumi Mizuno, Tadao Takashima, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 2,428
33. Ultra Q (1965–1967)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Mystery, Sci-Fi
The first entry of Tsuburaya Productions' "Ultra Series," in which an aviator/amateur sci-fi writer, his plucky assistant, and a young female newspaper reporter investigate strange phenomena, usually involving aliens and giant monsters.
Stars: Kenji Sahara, Yasuhiko Saijô, Hiroko Sakurai, Yoshifumi Tajima
Votes: 330
34. Ebirah, Horror of the Deep (1966)
PG | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young man searching for his brother steals a boat that shipwrecks on Letchi island, where terrorists have enslaved the Infant Island natives. Discovering Godzilla asleep, he and some others decide to awaken him to liberate the natives.
Director: Jun Fukuda | Stars: Akira Takarada, Kumi Mizuno, Chôtarô Tôgin, Hideo Sunazuka
Votes: 6,383
35. The War of the Gargantuas (1966)
G | 92 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The sole survivor of a fishing boat recounts sightings of hairy giants. A scientist investigates, revealing mutated creatures, growing from remains of a previous monster. Nearly indestructible, they battle in Tokyo until only one remains.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Russ Tamblyn, Kumi Mizuno, Kenji Sahara, Nobuo Nakamura
Votes: 3,537
36. Gamera vs. Barugon (1966)
Not Rated | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A giant monster that emits a destructive ray from its back attacks Japan and takes on Gamera.
Directors: Shigeo Tanaka, Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kyôko Enami, Yûzô Hayakawa, Takuya Fujioka
Votes: 2,838
37. Ultraman: A Special Effects Fantasy Series (1966–1967)
TV-14 | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A human member of a defense force is given the life and ability to change into a giant super-hero to battle the monsters that wreaks havoc on Earth.
Stars: Susumu Kurobe, Sandayû Dokumamushi, Masaya Nihei, Bin Furuya
Votes: 1,040
38. Ultra Q no oyaji (1966 TV Movie)
30 min | Documentary
Director: Akio Jissôji | Star: Eiji Tsuburaya
39. The Magic Serpent (1966)
Not Rated | 86 min | Adventure, Fantasy, Horror
In ancient Japan, a good lord is killed and his throne is taken by the trecherous Yuki Daijo and his wizard friend Oroki-maru. The young prince Ikazuki-maru is rescued from the jaws of ... See full summary »
Director: Tetsuya Yamanouchi | Stars: Hiroki Matsukata, Tomoko Ogawa, Ryûtarô Ôtomo, Bin Amatsu
Votes: 427
40. The Space Giants (1966– )
30 min | Sci-Fi
Goldar and his family of robots are sent to earth to stop Rodak the conqueror, in his plans of destroy the earth aided by his giant kaijus and shapeshifting minions: the lugo-men.
Stars: Ranfan Ou, Ulf Ôtsuki, Harold Conway, Jacques Enghien
Votes: 203
41. Maguma taishi (1966– )
30 min | Action, Sci-Fi
Based on the manga by Osamu Tezuka, Magma, a long-haired golden transforming giant, helps young boy Mamoru Murakami and his news reporter father Atsushi save our world from space invader Goa and his legion of henchmen and giant monsters.
Stars: Tetsuya Uosumi, Tôru Ôhira, Masumi Okada, Ranfan Ou
Votes: 28
42. The Golden Bat (1966)
73 min | Adventure, Action, Sci-Fi
When the Earth is threatened by an evil alien, a group of UN scientists travel to the lost city of Atlantis where they unearth a superhuman mummy named The Golden Bat who is prophesied to help the humans survive this terrible attack.
Director: Hajime Satô | Stars: Shin'ichi Chiba, Osamu Kobayashi, Wataru Yamagawa, Hisako Tsukuba
Votes: 318
43. Son of Godzilla (1967)
PG | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
A reporter stumbles upon weather experiments on a tropical island, discovering giant mantids, a cast away woman, and an infant monster that Godzilla must adopt and learn to raise as one of his own.
Director: Jun Fukuda | Stars: Tadao Takashima, Akira Kubo, Bibari Maeda, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 5,889
44. King Kong Escapes (1967)
G | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Family
The evil Dr. Who captures King Kong to dig for Element X when his robot duplicate, Mechani-Kong, is unable to do the job, but Kong soon escapes and battles his doppelganger.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Rhodes Reason, Mie Hama, Linda Miller, Akira Takarada
Votes: 3,197
45. Gamera vs. Gyaos (1967)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Family, Fantasy
Volcanic activity unleashes a bloodthirsty monster called Gyaos that Gamera must confront.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Kichijirô Ueda, Reiko Kasahara, Naoyuki Abe
Votes: 2,489
46. Ultraseven (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
An alien superhero from M-78 protects Earth from extraterrestrial threats in this popular classic follow-up to the original "Ultraman" TV series.
Stars: Kôji Moritsugu, Yuriko Hishimi, Sandayû Dokumamushi, Shôji Nakayama
Votes: 505
47. The X from Outer Space (1967)
PG | 89 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
When a crew of scientists returns from Mars with a sample of the space spores that contaminated their ship, the sample escapes and grows into an enormous, rampaging beaked beast.
Director: Kazui Nihonmatsu | Stars: Shun'ya Wazaki, Itoko Harada, Shin'ichi Yanagisawa, Keisuke Sonoi
Votes: 1,513
48. Gappa the Triphibian Monster (1967)
PG | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Magazine reporters Hiroyuki Kurosaki and his colleagues brought back to Japan a monster child who had just hatched from an egg issued on the isolated island of Obelisk in the South Sea.
Director: Hiroshi Noguchi | Stars: Tamio Kawaji, Yôko Yamamoto, Yûji Odaka, Kôji Wada
Votes: 1,741
49. Johnny Sokko and His Flying Robot (1967–1968)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A young boy aids in the fight against a terrorist organization as the sole controller of a prototype giant robot.
Stars: Mitsunobu Kaneko, Toshiyuki Tsuchiyama, Kôichi Chiba, Akio Itô
Votes: 584
50. Ôgon batto (1967–1968)
Action, Animation
The Golden Bat, a masked vigilante, opposes evil at every turn in the battle for justice
Votes: 63
51. Destroy All Monsters (1968)
G | 88 min | Action, Adventure, Horror
At the end of the 20th century, all of Earth's monsters have been safely rounded up and sent to Monsterland for scientific study. Chaos erupts when a race of she-aliens known as the Kilaaks unleashes the monsters on the world.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Jun Fukuda | Stars: Akira Kubo, Jun Tazaki, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yoshio Tsuchiya
Votes: 7,587
52. Gamera vs. Viras (1968)
Not Rated | 75 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Gamera the Flying Turtle falls under the spell of evil aliens, but two children free him and he returns to fight the aliens' monster, Viras.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Kôjirô Hongô, Tôru Takatsuka, Carl Craig, Michiko Yaegaki
Votes: 1,868
53. The Green Slime (1968)
G | 90 min | Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi
After destroying a giant asteroid heading towards Earth, a group of scientists unknowingly bring back a strange green substance that soon mutates into a monster.
Director: Kinji Fukasaku | Stars: Robert Horton, Luciana Paluzzi, Richard Jaeckel, Bud Widom
Votes: 3,956
54. Goke, Body Snatcher from Hell (1968)
PG | 84 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
The survivors of a plane crash in a remote area are attacked by blob-like alien creatures that turn their victims into blood-thirsty vampires.
Director: Hajime Satô | Stars: Teruo Yoshida, Tomomi Satô, Hideo Kô, Masaya Takahashi
Votes: 1,950
55. Genocide (1968)
Approved | 84 min | Horror, Sci-Fi
All the insects on Earth become wild and attack humans, causing Armageddon.
Director: Kazui Nihonmatsu | Stars: Keisuke Sonoi, Yûsuke Kawazu, Emi Shindô, Reiko Hitomi
Votes: 744
56. All Monsters Attack (1969)
G | 70 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A latchkey child living in the industrial city of Kawasaki confronts his loneliness through his escapist dreams of Monster Island and friendship with Minilla.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Jun Fukuda, Kengo Furusawa | Stars: Kenji Sahara, Machiko Naka, Tomonori Yazaki, Hideyo Amamoto
Votes: 5,495
57. Gamera vs. Guiron (1969)
Unrated | 80 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Aliens kidnap two children and take them to another planet for the purpose of getting knowledge from their brains, but Gamera follows and tries to rescue them.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Nobuhiro Kajima, Miyuki Akiyama, Christopher Murphy, Yûko Hamada
Votes: 3,050
58. Latitude Zero (1969)
G | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A journalist is saved by a giant submarine captained by a 200-year-old man who takes him to an underwater paradise city where no one ages. That's when monsters and mutants sent by the captain's rival, a 200-year-old scientist, attack.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Takarada, Joseph Cotten, Cesar Romero, Richard Jaeckel
Votes: 1,038
59. Space Amoeba (1970)
G | 84 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A space probe is infiltrated by alien beings and then crashes on a remote Pacific atoll. A group of people discover it to be inhabited by giant mutant monsters, created by the aliens in an attempt to conquer the world.
Director: Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Kubo, Atsuko Takahashi, Yukiko Kobayashi, Kenji Sahara
Votes: 1,494
60. Gamera vs. Jiger (1970)
Not Rated | 83 min | Action, Adventure, Family
When an ancient statue is moved for display in Expo '70, a giant, vaguely Triceratops-like monster is released. The monster goes to Japan in pursuit of the statue and ends up battling Gamera, the giant flying turtle.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Tsutomu Takakuwa, Kelly Varis, Katherine Murphy, Kon Ômura
Votes: 1,544
61. The Vampire Doll (1970)
Not Rated | 85 min | Horror
Keiko and her friend are trying to find her missing brother after he disappeared visiting his girlfriend Yuko.
Director: Michio Yamamoto | Stars: Kayo Matsuo, Akira Nakao, Yukiko Kobayashi, Yôko Minakaze
Votes: 1,346
62. Godzilla vs. Hedorah (1971)
PG | 85 min | Animation, Action, Family
An ever-evolving alien life form from the Dark Gaseous Nebula arrives to consume rampant pollution. Spewing mists of sulfuric acid and corrosive sludge, neither humanity or Godzilla may be able to defeat this toxic menace.
Directors: Yoshimitsu Banno, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Akira Yamanouchi, Toshie Kimura, Hiroyuki Kawase, Toshio Shiba
Votes: 6,599
63. Lake of Dracula (1971)
Not Rated | 82 min | Horror
A doctor investigates the murders of several women at a lakeside resort. His investigation leads him to believe that a vampire is responsible for the murders. He sets out to track the vampire down.
Director: Michio Yamamoto | Stars: Chôei Takahashi, Sanae Emi, Midori Fujita, Shin Kishida
Votes: 1,070
64. Gamera vs. Zigra (1971)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Space aliens arrive on Earth with their giant shark and intend to take over the planet but they must first destroy Gamera.
Director: Noriaki Yuasa | Stars: Kôji Fujiyama, Daigo Inoue, Reiko Kasahara, Daihachi Kita
Votes: 1,881
65. Return of Ultraman (1971–1972)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Another being from Nebula M-78, identical to the original Ultraman, combines with car racer-turned-MAT patrol member Hideki Gô, and fights assorted menaces in a frightening new "Age of Monsters."
Stars: Jirô Dan, Shunsuke Ikeda, Kô Mitsui, Akira Nagoya
Votes: 317
66. Kamen Rider (1971–1973)
TV-G | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A grasshopper-like, motorcycle-riding cyborg (joined by another one later in the show) fights the evil organization that transformed him for their evil deeds.
Stars: Akiji Kobayashi, Shinji Nakae, Gorô Naya, Jirô Yabuki
Votes: 428
67. Godzilla vs. Gigan (1972)
PG | 89 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A manga artist becomes suspicious of his employers when a garbled message is discovered on tape. As he forms a team to investigate, Godzilla and Anguirus set out to help defeat the invaders.
Directors: Jun Fukuda, Yoshimitsu Banno, Ishirô Honda, Shûe Matsubayashi | Stars: Hiroshi Ishikawa, Yuriko Hishimi, Minoru Takashima, Tomoko Umeda
Votes: 5,740
68. Daigoro vs. Goliath (1972)
85 min | Action, Family, Fantasy
An inventor and his family try to raise funds to feed a giant monster named Daigoro so that he doesn't shrink. Meanwhile, a meteor lands into the sea bringing with it another giant monster ... See full summary »
Director: Toshihiro Iijima | Stars: Hiroshi Inuzuka, Akiji Kobayashi, Fusako Amachi, Stanley Furnis
Votes: 127
69. Ultraman Ace (1972–1973)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After being mortally wounded in a monster attack, grocery man Seiji Hokuto and medical girl Yuko Minami are revived by (and given two Ultra Rings, with which they unite into) a new Ultra-being, Ultraman Ace.
Stars: Keiji Takamine, Tetsurô Sagawa, Shunichi Okita, Masaaki Yamamoto
Votes: 198
70. Iron King (1972–1973)
30 min | Sci-Fi, Adventure, Comedy
Anti-hero Gentaro and his sidekick Goro (who has the ability to transform into the Iron King) must do battle against against various threats including a vengeful ancient clan, phantom terrorists, and invading extraterrestrials.
Stars: Shôji Ishibashi, Mitsuo Hamada, Shinzô Hotta, Chiaki Ukyô
Votes: 63
71. Mazinger Z (1972–1974)
30 min | Action, Animation, Sci-Fi
Teenager Koji Kabuto pilots the amazing super-robot Mazinger Z to avenge its inventor (his grandfather) against the Mycene Empire, led by the evil mad scientist Doctor Hell.
Stars: Jôji Yanami, Hiroya Ishimaru, Isamu Tanonaka, Osamu Katô
Votes: 1,511
72. Godzilla vs. Megalon (1973)
G | 78 min | Action, Adventure, Family
An inventor creates a humanoid robot named Jet Jaguar that is seized by the undersea nation of Seatopia. Using Jet Jaguar as a guide, the Seatopians send Megalon as vengeance for the nuclear tests that have devastated their society.
Directors: Jun Fukuda, Yoshimitsu Banno, Ishirô Honda | Stars: Katsuhiko Sasaki, Hiroyuki Kawase, Yutaka Hayashi, Robert Dunham
Votes: 6,924
73. Ultraman Taro (1973–1974)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After being killed in a monster attack, adolescent young man Kotarô Higashi is transformed by the entire Ultra Family into a powerful new Ultra-being, Ultraman Tarou.
Stars: Saburô Shinoda, Toyoyuki Kimura, Shûsuke Tsumura, Kiyoko Matsuya
Votes: 208
74. Kamen Rider V3 (1973–1974)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
As Masked Rider V3, Shiro Kazami carries on for Riders 1 and 2, and fights the evil Destron organization.
Stars: Hiroshi Miyauchi, Akiji Kobayashi, Hizuru Ono, Gorô Naya
Votes: 152
75. Horror of the Wolf (1973)
78 min | Horror
Enigmatic teenager Akira Inugami is, by night, a powerful werewolf, who falls for a beautiful young teacher, and copes with a ruthless teen gang leader, whose yakuza father murdered Akira's parents years before.
Director: Masashi Matsumoto | Stars: Tarô Shigaki, Yôko Ichiji, Michiko Honda, Yûsaku Matsuda
Votes: 86
76. Esupai (1974)
87 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
A bad ESP syndicate is planning to kill world leaders through mental telepathy. The good guys are a top secret group called ESPY and they're in charge of stopping the killer psychics.
Director: Jun Fukuda | Stars: Hiroshi Fujioka, Kaoru Yumi, Masao Kusakari, Yûzô Kayama
Votes: 153
77. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla (1974)
G | 84 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
An Okinawan prophecy appears to foretell Earth's destruction at the hands of Godzilla, only for the true Godzilla to reveal his doppelganger as a mechanical alien weapon.
Director: Jun Fukuda | Stars: Masaaki Daimon, Kazuya Aoyama, Reiko Tajima, Akihiko Hirata
Votes: 7,923
78. Kamen Rider Amazon (1974–1975)
TV-MA | 24 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Wildman Daisuke Yamamoto, raised in the Amazon Jungle, transforms into the Masked Rider-like reptilian mutant Amazon, and travels to Japan to fight the evil Gedon Empire, which completely slaughtered his jungle's inhabitants.
Stars: Toru Okazaki, Yôji Matsuda, Mariko Matsumura, Gorô Naya
Votes: 132
79. Prophecies of Nostradamus (1974)
88 min | Action, Sci-Fi
A scientist fears that the prophecies of Nostradamus, including the end of all life on Earth, are coming true one after another.
Directors: Toshio Masuda, Shûe Matsubayashi, Shirô Moritani | Stars: Tetsurô Tanba, Toshio Kurosawa, Kaoru Yumi, Yôko Tsukasa
Votes: 313
80. Terror of Mechagodzilla (1975)
G | 79 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Attempts to salvage Mechagodzilla are thwarted, causing an INTERPOL investigation that uncovers the work of a shunned biologist and his daughter, whose lives become entwined with the resurrected machine.
Directors: Ishirô Honda, Jun Fukuda | Stars: Katsuhiko Sasaki, Tomoko Ai, Akihiko Hirata, Katsumasa Uchida
Votes: 5,759
81. Secret Squadron Gorenger (1975–1977)
TV-PG | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
As world peace is being unbalanced due to the emergence of the Black Cross Army, the United Nations has established a peacekeeping organization called "EAGLE" or the Earth Guard League to ... See full summary »
Stars: Naoya Makoto, Hiroshi Miyauchi, Yukio Itô, Lisa Komaki
Votes: 149
82. The Last Dinosaur (1977)
Not Rated | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
A wealthy big game hunter and his group become trapped in prehistoric times where they are stalked by a ferocious dinosaur.
Directors: Alexander Grasshoff, Tsugunobu Kotani | Stars: Richard Boone, Joan Van Ark, Steven Keats, Luther Rackley
Votes: 914
83. Gamera: Super Monster (1979)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Family, Sci-Fi
Using several clips from previous Gamera entries, this film deals with alien forces sending all the monsters Gamera has faced in one final battle to rid the planet of its last hope.
Directors: Noriaki Yuasa, Shigeo Tanaka | Stars: Mach Fumiake, Yaeko Kojima, Yoko Komatsu, Keiko Kudo
Votes: 1,109
84. Ultraman 80 (1980–1981)
TV-14 | 30 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
Ultraman 80, disguised as mild-mannered schoolteacher Takeshi Yamato, defends the Earth from ferocious giant monsters, which are the result of negative energy from human anger.
Stars: Hatsunori Hasegawa, Masaaki Daimon, Yûsaku Yara, Jin Nakayama
Votes: 151
85. Daicon Film's Return of Ultraman (1983)
28 min | Short, Sci-Fi
Daicon Film's fanfilm parody of the 1971 TV series of the same name stars Hideaki Anno as the titular "Ultraman" (a nerdy bespectacled giant in Ultraman-like clothes) fighting the marauding giant monster Kiruan (AKA: Bug Jewel).
Director: Hideaki Anno | Stars: Yasuhiro Takeda, Shiyuichi Hayashi, Takeshi Sawamura, Takashi Gyôten
Votes: 84
86. Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushu (1985)
72 min | Sci-Fi
A amateur parody on tokusatsu daikaiju films.
Director: Takami Akai | Stars: Kagumi Takahashi, Tatsuto Nagayama, Kenichiro Mera, Yasuhiro Takeda
Votes: 9
87. The Return of Godzilla (1984)
103 min | Action, Drama, Horror
The Japanese government suppresses the horrifying news of Godzilla's resurrection as political tensions increase between the United States and Soviet Union, both of whom are willing to bomb Japan to stop the monster.
Director: Koji Hashimoto | Stars: Keiju Kobayashi, Ken Tanaka, Yasuko Sawaguchi, Shin Takuma
Votes: 2,337
88. Godzilla vs. Biollante (1989)
PG | 104 min | Action, Fantasy, Horror
Desolate by the loss of his daughter, a geneticist creates a monstrous new mutation.
Directors: Kazuki Ômori, Koji Hashimoto, Kenjirô Ohmori | Stars: Kunihiko Mitamura, Yoshiko Tanaka, Masanobu Takashima, Kôji Takahashi
Votes: 6,788
89. Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Time travelers use Godzilla in their scheme to destroy Japan to prevent the country's future economic reign.
Directors: Kazuki Ômori, Koji Hashimoto | Stars: Kôsuke Toyohara, Anna Nakagawa, Megumi Odaka, Katsuhiko Sasaki
Votes: 7,204
90. Otaku no video (1991)
50 min | Animation, Comedy, Drama
A half animated/half live-action mockumentary about the world of Japanese geekdom.
Stars: Yuri Amano, Toshiharu Sakurai, Kôji Tsujitani, Shôji Murahama
Votes: 650
91. Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth (1992)
Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Japan is caught in the middle of a three way battle between Godzilla, the divine Mothra, and her dark counterpart Battra.
Director: Takao Okawara | Stars: Tetsuya Bessho, Satomi Kobayashi, Takehiro Murata, Saburô Shinoda
Votes: 5,513
92. Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993)
PG | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
The United Nations assembles the ultimate weapon to defeat Godzilla, while scientists discover a fresh pteranodon egg on a remote Japanese island.
Directors: Takao Okawara, Kazuki Ômori | Stars: Masahiro Takashima, Ryoko Sano, Megumi Odaka, Yûsuke Kawazu
Votes: 5,840
93. Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla (1994)
Not Rated | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Godzilla is threatened by two new forces: Mogera - another UN built machine; and Space Godzilla - a beast spawned from Godzilla's particles in space.
Directors: Kenshô Yamashita, Takao Okawara, Kazuki Ômori | Stars: Jun Hashizume, Megumi Odaka, Zenkichi Yoneyama, Akira Nakao
Votes: 5,580
94. Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995)
Unrated | 103 min | Action, Horror, Sci-Fi
The aftermath of the Oxygen Destroyer brings forth Destoroyah, a beast intent on killing Godzilla, who is on the verge of a nuclear meltdown.
Directors: Takao Okawara, Ishirô Honda, Koji Hashimoto, Shûe Matsubayashi, Kenshô Yamashita, Kazuki Ômori | Stars: Takurô Tatsumi, Yôko Ishino, Yasufumi Hayashi, Megumi Odaka
Votes: 7,447
95. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995–1996)
TV-MA | 24 min | Animation, Action, Drama
A teenage boy finds himself recruited as a member of an elite team of pilots by his father.
Stars: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Kotono Mitsuishi, Spike Spencer
Votes: 85,412
96. Gamera, the Guardian of the Universe (1994)
Unrated | 96 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
An ornithologist investigates reports of a monstrous new species of bird just as a teenage girl is gifted an amulet found on mysterious atoll. As the creatures begin to attack, an ancient guardian with a bond to the girl emerges.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Tsuyoshi Ihara, Akira Onodera, Shinobu Nakayama, Ayako Fujitani
Votes: 4,086
97. Rebirth of Mothra (1996)
Unrated | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Family
A new Mothra takes to the air and must battle Death Ghidora to save humanity.
Director: Okihiro Yoneda | Stars: Megumi Kobayashi, Sayaka Yamaguchi, Aki Hano, Kazuki Futami
Votes: 1,520
98. Gamera 2: Attack of the Legion (1995)
Not Rated | 99 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
A meteor lands in Japan and unleashes hundreds of insect-like "Legion" creatures bent on colonizing the Earth. Gamera shows up to deal with the ever-evolving space adversary but the battle may result in him losing his bond with humanity.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Toshiyuki Nagashima, Miki Mizuno, Tamotsu Ishibashi, Mitsuru Fukikoshi
Votes: 3,104
99. Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End of Evangelion (1997)
TV-MA | 87 min | Animation, Action, Drama
Concurrent theatrical ending of the TV series Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995).
Directors: Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki | Stars: Megumi Ogata, Megumi Hayashibara, Yûko Miyamura, Kotono Mitsuishi
Votes: 64,358
100. Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris (1998)
Not Rated | 108 min | Action, Drama, Fantasy
Gamera's ties to humanity have been severed as the Gyaos re-emerge. Nagamine and Asagi investigate as an orphaned girl named Ayana discovers a new creature. Named Iris, Ayana seeks revenge on Gamera for the death of her family.
Director: Shûsuke Kaneko | Stars: Shinobu Nakayama, Ai Maeda, Yukijirô Hotaru, Ayako Fujitani
Votes: 3,269
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