Subject: Daimajin
Documentation: Daimajin (1966), Return of Daimajin (1966), and Wrath of Daimajin (1966)
History: Surviving reports from the feudal era of Japan speak of several instances where an oppressed people were delivered from their enemies by a being with divine power. Many kaiju have been worshiped as gods. It is not an uncommon practice. Kaiju such as Mothra, King Kong, Manda, and Varan were viewed by local villagers and natives as Gods. Not even Mothra however possessed the scale of power written about in these ancient scrolls.
The reports refer to the being as the Majin or Daimajin (The great demon god). Three reports in total mention the Majin. Each report coincides with a great evil besetting a peaceful principality in the mountainous regions of Japan. In each instance there existed a statue high in the mountains near the villages. The venerated mystics within the villages recognized the statues as shrines to the mountain god, Majin. The villagers honored the lands surrounding the statues and payed reverence to the god by burning straw figures of the god and holding a ceremony in commemoration every year.
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| The Majin Statue in his mountain |
In one such village a coup d'etat occurred with the ruling lords. The previous lord was murdered and a new power hungry lord took his place. This new lord had little respect for the Majin and disposed of the villagers as he pleased. The murdered lord's children, a brother and sister, were driven into the mountains for fear of death and made their home beside the statue of the Majin. When the children reach their late teens they attempt to end the evil lord's reign of tyranny, only to be captured themselves. The daughter prays for deliverance from the evil lord, ready to sacrifice her life to move the mountain god into action.
The Majin awakens. The statue breaks free from the mountain, transforming, and marches toward the village. The skies turn red. The wind howls, blowing with the force of a hurricane. And the earth shakes and cracks. The evil lord fights back with everything he can muster. All their attempts end in failure, nothing even so much as slows the Majin down. Scores of his soldiers are killed by the demon god. Eventually the evil lord is stabbed through the chest by a giant dagger.
With the evil lord and all his men disposed of, the Majin turns his wrath upon the innocents of the village. In the end it takes the willingness of the sister to once again sacrifice herself to stay the Majin's rage. The reports state that the Majin transformed back into a stone statue and crumbled immediately.
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| Majin parting the seas |
In the other two reports it is a similar situation where the Majin appears, seemingly inhabiting an identical statue in another region of the mountains. One report claims that the Majin parted the sea and walked across a dry lake bed with walls of rushing water on either side of him. The next report claims that the Majin vanished in a brilliant flash of golden light only to instantly reappear out of the earth several miles away. In both instances, after the oppressed populace is avenged, the Majin miraculously dissolved into the air.
Review: The Daimajin films are something truly special. I've seen many kaiju films and none but the Daimajin films blend samurai with monsters. The way Majin is treated in the films is unique among kaiju too. He can't really be considered a kaiju but more of an ancient deity incarnate. What really makes Daimajin unique is how he effects the world around him. When he comes down off his mountain it really is like the wrath of god. The weather goes crazy and nothing can stop him. No other kaiju that I know of has been presented in such a way.
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| The back cover for Godzilla - Color Special #1 from Dark Horse Comics by Art Adams |
It shows that the power of Daimajin is nigh limitless, what with parting the ocean, teleportation, splitting the earth, and creating hurricanes. Although he has never been tested against the power of another kaiju. He is considerably smaller than most kaiju but with his power set whose to say he couldn't increase his size if he wanted. Closest we've ever come to Godzilla Vs Daimajin was in the Dark Horse Comics Godzilla - Color Special #1.
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| Gekido-Jin ~ The Majin design featured in Godzilla - Color Special #1 |
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| Art Adams's fantastic art |
All in all Daimajin is a unique character in a world of kaiju where there are many many similar characters. He has a unique personality and presentation as well. Besides, who doesn't wish for a melding of the kaiju genre and the samurai film genres? The result is incredible. If you don't know Daimajin very well I suggest you check it out.
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| Godzilla vs Gekido-Jin (Daimajin) |
Threat Level: 10 out 10
Limitless God-like power
daimajin
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