Know Your Monster: 5
DAIGORO
Diagoro is one of the more obscure Japanese movie monsters. He appeared in only one film, which never received a theatrical release in the United States. But Daigoro belongs in this Kaiju roundup by virtue of being the most hilarious looking monster of them all. He resembles an overgrown, two-legged hippo whose skin became crinkly and wrinkled after being left in a washing machine too long. His paunch is all bloated, but he’s nevertheless quite bouncy, engaging a deadly, flying drop-kick against his foes. To heighten his sensory perception, Daigoro also has whiskers, like the tiger.
This odd creature starred in the 1971 picture Daigoro Vs. Goliath, battling a ferocious monster from outer space that shoots lightning from a horn on his head. Goliath is the stronger combatant and nearly sends Daigoro to his death. But after suffering a calamitous defeat, Daigoro vows to gain the upper hand in a rematch and trains to perfect his own secret weapon — a fire ray.
This film was made by Tsuburaya Productions, led by Eiji Tsuburaya, the special effects genius who paired with director Ishiro Honda to create all of the original Godzilla movies. To celebrate his company’s 10th anniversary, Tsuburaya received permission from Toho Studios to borrow the Godzilla suit and do a Godzilla side venture that Toho agreed to distribute. But somewhere along the line, the deal got scrapped, so Tsuburaya pressed ahead with Plan B — Daigoro Vs. Goliath.
ARVE error: need id and provider
Tomorrow: Gamera
