A kaiju detail I like to see

Kemui52 said

Another thing to consider is that a giant dragon passing through a city is terrifying. But, the dragon taking a moment to dance implies a level of high intelligence, which serves to add further insult to the owners of destroyed property and those it's blocking the way of.

From “Post #462”, 2nd December 2022, 12:24 am

This made me imagine a dragon being very regal and posh as they stomp through the streets. Forcing their self-proclaimed status onto the inhabitants below, while they're heading to do something entirely beyond the civilians' knowledge. It'd be even more belittling to know that the kaiju capable of disrupting an entire day of activity not only vastly outclasses their victims in terms of strength and size, but also in intelligence as well.

Kemui52 said

Kaiju art can be quite interesting in that regard. It is not only a large, detailed character, but can also be a grand landscape piece. It can easily become a blend two subjects of art. I've once heard it joked that it takes longer to draw the city than to draw the macro.

From “Post #462”, 2nd December 2022, 12:24 am

Oh, indeed! Kaijus and landscapes can share the spotlight quite well, even if one clearly dominates the other. To any smaller, more helpless creatures who are spectating, they're still looking at two forces that are far more powerful than they could ever hope to be. It's also quite nice to think about the restraint (or apathy) a kaiju has to have for there to be any landscape left to admire at all.

That sentiment about cities is definitely quite common. Buildings are usually a fair bit more intricate and rigidly/geometrically shaped compared to a giant creature, and there are quite a lot of them in a relatively small space. Although of course that might just make it more satisfying to see it all be forced into the relatively smooth contours of a kaiju's foot.

Kemui52 said

Dragonnnnn! That is a very prime example of an aspect l love about certain giant monsters: How immensely powerful and destructive a monster can be, yet has the capacity to be careful and delicate when it wants to. I swoon at the thought of peacefully hugging a gigantic creature who can easily end my life in less than a second! Not just powerful in strength, but powerful enough to restrain its strength! Raaaawr…!

Bonus points when crushing things while being gentle, too, as per the prime example. How many hundreds of trees? How many unfortunate animals? Raaaawr! Oops, now l'm rawring for the opposite reason.

From “Post #462”, 2nd December 2022, 12:24 am

Exactly! It shows off their physical prowess and skill, how they can have such fine control over their bodies and weight. They can keep intact anything or anyone they value, yet easily destroy anything they wish, as well as crush any unfortunate thing in their path which they're not particularly concerned about.

The duality in macro personalities is kind of hard to explain, really… like, I enjoy a mixture of awareness and unawareness, intentional and collateral damage, friendliness and cruelty, etc. Though that could also just be because I like most macros lol.

BlueOrange said

This made me imagine a dragon being very regal and posh as they stomp through the streets. Forcing their self-proclaimed status onto the inhabitants below, while they're heading to do something entirely beyond the civilians' knowledge. It'd be even more belittling to know that the kaiju capable of disrupting an entire day of activity not only vastly outclasses their victims in terms of strength and size, but also in intelligence as well.

From “Post #463”, 5th January 2023, 5:32 pm

Raaaaaaaawwwwwr!!! I so love that kind of attitude from a giant monster! Seeing everything beneath it as insignificant…! And, those regal dragons tend to have some really pretty designs!

BlueOrange said

That sentiment about cities is definitely quite common. Buildings are usually a fair bit more intricate and rigidly/geometrically shaped compared to a giant creature, and there are quite a lot of them in a relatively small space. Although of course that might just make it more satisfying to see it all be forced into the relatively smooth contours of a kaiju's foot.

From “Post #463”, 5th January 2023, 5:32 pm

Mmm-hmmm! All that work to put them up for the excellent pay off of the kaiju flattening them! Ahh, how l love deformation!

BlueOrange said

Exactly! It shows off their physical prowess and skill, how they can have such fine control over their bodies and weight. They can keep intact anything or anyone they value, yet easily destroy anything they wish, as well as crush any unfortunate thing in their path which they're not particularly concerned about.

The duality in macro personalities is kind of hard to explain, really… like, I enjoy a mixture of awareness and unawareness, intentional and collateral damage, friendliness and cruelty, etc. Though that could also just be because I like most macros lol.

From “Post #463”, 5th January 2023, 5:32 pm

I can say for me, I hone in on a kaiju's gentleness when l'm feeling love‑y dove‑y. The rest of the time, though, I'm feeling monstrous and wanna hone in on the destruction and their dominating power. Hm, though maybe that's a given… I do tend to consider both, anyway. Since my top priority is crushing, I appreciate many kinds of it, I guess. Love‑y dove‑y moods definitely happen for me, though.

Kemui52 said

Raaaaaaaawwwwwr!!! I so love that kind of attitude from a giant monster! Seeing everything beneath it as insignificant…! And, those regal dragons tend to have some really pretty designs!

From “Post #464”, 6th January 2023, 3:27 pm

I do like to think about how something as little as the dragon's gait might influence the destruction they cause. Some moods might cause them to swing their feet lower to the ground every stride, knocking down streetlamps and trees, leaving cars only partially compressed under their toes and leaving significant dents in others that are kicked around, sometimes scraping the top sides of their huge claws against the ground and creating large furrows in the tarmac while vehicles are forcibly pushed along. Possibly grazing the sides of buildings with their hips as well. It's also nice when, if they're wearing any clothing or holding something, those objects end up contributing to the destruction themselves. All that on top of the regal dragon looking stunning and eyecatching to the people they are terrorizing, which I agree they often end up being!

Kemui52 said

Mmm-hmmm! All that work to put them up for the excellent pay off of the kaiju flattening them! Ahh, how l love deformation!

From “Post #464”, 6th January 2023, 3:27 pm

On the topic of deformation… I think I've brought up a few times now the idea of some objects being only partially crushed, or at least being seen in the process of being flattened. I'm thinking the reason why that's so satisfying for me is how much it illustrates that everything is at the mercy of the kaiju. Such as the slight movements that move some object under their foot to the next stage of destruction, and their whims which dictate what part of something gets trampled or how far it's flattened.

Kemui52 said

I can say for me, I hone in on a kaiju's gentleness when l'm feeling love‑y dove‑y. The rest of the time, though, I'm feeling monstrous and wanna hone in on the destruction and their dominating power. Hm, though maybe that's a given… I do tend to consider both, anyway. Since my top priority is crushing, I appreciate many kinds of it, I guess. Love‑y dove‑y moods definitely happen for me, though.

From “Post #464”, 6th January 2023, 3:27 pm

I guess I also just like the idea of befriending a kaiju, who could simultaneously protect me yet, as an added bonus, shape their surroundings however they please (or however else it ends up after their movements). Giving their special attention and affection to a select few individuals or members of a certain species, yet remaining either oblivious or uncaring toward anything else.

BlueOrange said

I do like to think about how something as little as the dragon's gait might influence the destruction they cause. Some moods might cause them to swing their feet lower to the ground every stride, knocking down streetlamps and trees, leaving cars only partially compressed under their toes and leaving significant dents in others that are kicked around, sometimes scraping the top sides of their huge claws against the ground and creating large furrows in the tarmac while vehicles are forcibly pushed along. Possibly grazing the sides of buildings with their hips as well. It's also nice when, if they're wearing any clothing or holding something, those objects end up contributing to the destruction themselves. All that on top of the regal dragon looking stunning and eyecatching to the people they are terrorizing, which I agree they often end up being!

From “Post #465”, 7th January 2023, 12:20 pm

Mmmm, l love when there are lots of little, but weight-y details to a destruction scene! Everything that comes into contact with the kaiju as it walks through is damaged in its own, unique way… It's really superb when there's minimal fog to see all the details, especially! Something specific l've been thinking of recently is electrical wires. I greatly enjoy seeing them stretch out tight until they inevitably snap from the monster's unstoppable stride!

BlueOrange said

On the topic of deformation… I think I've brought up a few times now the idea of some objects being only partially crushed, or at least being seen in the process of being flattened. I'm thinking the reason why that's so satisfying for me is how much it illustrates that everything is at the mercy of the kaiju. Such as the slight movements that move some object under their foot to the next stage of destruction, and their whims which dictate what part of something gets trampled or how far it's flattened.

From “Post #465”, 7th January 2023, 12:20 pm

Grrrrr, yes, indeed. A kaiju can destroy anything to any degree they want to. A little bit of pressure on a car and the windows can shatter. They can squeeze it enough to make the tires pop! They could poke holes in the chassis with their claws! Or, stomping half a car, kicking another over and crushing it on its side… Rawr! Their actions can leave such a variety of lasting impressions!

BlueOrange said

I guess I also just like the idea of befriending a kaiju, who could simultaneously protect me yet, as an added bonus, shape their surroundings however they please (or however else it ends up after their movements). Giving their special attention and affection to a select few individuals or members of a certain species, yet remaining either oblivious or uncaring toward anything else.

From “Post #465”, 7th January 2023, 12:20 pm

Swoon! I've partaken in a few fantasies along those lines. One of the official Godzilla comics has Titanosaurous share a bond with a particular human, and that got my imagination going a few rounds when l read a bit of it. It's such a lovely thought to be on a kaiju's gentle side! … Even though l'm terribly afraid of heights. I'd probably be very terrified to travel by kaiju. But if they're big enough, a ride shouldn't be all that bad.

Kemui52 said

Mmmm, l love when there are lots of little, but weight-y details to a destruction scene! Everything that comes into contact with the kaiju as it walks through is damaged in its own, unique way… It's really superb when there's minimal fog to see all the details, especially! Something specific l've been thinking of recently is electrical wires. I greatly enjoy seeing them stretch out tight until they inevitably snap from the monster's unstoppable stride!

From “Post #466”, 9th January 2023, 12:55 am

Hehe, exactly! The sheer number of ways a monster can shape anything around them, into whatever destroyed shape they could please! It's nice to see all kinds of objects try futilely to resist a creature's weight or strength, and powerlines are a nice example of something that holds out quite long (depending of course on the size and speed of their stride) compared to other objects. When things are in the middle of being tugged on or flattened, it's almost like the kaiju is teasing them, giving them a hope that they could survive, albeit damaged, even though the kaiju is always one inconsequential movement away from wrecking something entirely.

Powerlines are also nice because of how they're attached to the telephone poles, so tugging on them hard enough can cause the poles to be knocked askew or uprooted (like with the behemoth at the end of The Mist). As well as how knocking them out can cause the power to go out in certain parts of a city.

Kemui52 said

Grrrrr, yes, indeed. A kaiju can destroy anything to any degree they want to. A little bit of pressure on a car and the windows can shatter. They can squeeze it enough to make the tires pop! They could poke holes in the chassis with their claws! Or, stomping half a car, kicking another over and crushing it on its side… Rawr! Their actions can leave such a variety of lasting impressions!

From “Post #466”, 9th January 2023, 12:55 am

Ahh, oh my…! It's such a cool aspect of kaiju destruction scenes. Whenever there's a group of cars or a grove of trees laid out in a kaiju's path, you can't really predict how exactly it's going to turn out until it happens. The most I can do is sit and watch in anticipation as the kaiju brings everything into its sphere of influence, each stride and footstep being another opportunity for them to deform their surroundings in a different way. There truly are countless ways a kaiju can leave an impression on an object… each combination of their casual movements and decisions leaves its own wonderful aftermath!

Kemui52 said

Swoon! I've partaken in a few fantasies along those lines. One of the official Godzilla comics has Titanosaurous share a bond with a particular human, and that got my imagination going a few rounds when l read a bit of it. It's such a lovely thought to be on a kaiju's gentle side! … Even though l'm terribly afraid of heights. I'd probably be very terrified to travel by kaiju. But if they're big enough, a ride shouldn't be all that bad.

From “Post #466”, 9th January 2023, 12:55 am

Ooh! Did some digging, is it the third issue of Godzilla Legends? What do Titanosaurus and the human end up doing together?

One example in popular media from my recent memory is the one scene from Pacific Rim Uprising, where the megakaiju lowers his head down to his human ally who'd been watching him from fight from the top of a building, shaking the ground with his stomps as he turns around to face him. It's a pretty short moment and they just leave each other be, but it's nice how the megakaiju's head absolutely fills and dominates the frame, as well as how his deep stomps cause the human to jump slightly in place, and of course, how he manages not to harm the building or the human at all despite how close he brought his head to them, all while he continues stepping around it with his catastrophic footfalls! It's quite surprising that the human doesn't get blown away completely from the megakaiju's breath in that scene.

And yup, I imagine riding a kaiju would be quite risky, since there aren't a lot of spots where you could get a good grip on their body. Some media has riders entrust the kaijus with holding them in their mouth or paws if they can be gentle, their head or back if it's broad enough, or, like in the first half of The Sea Beast, inside the creature's nostrils. All comes down to the kaiju being able to make their own bodies into a safe environment for the little ones, I think.

BlueOrange said

Powerlines are also nice because of how they're attached to the telephone poles, so tugging on them hard enough can cause the poles to be knocked askew or uprooted (like with the behemoth at the end of The Mist). As well as how knocking them out can cause the power to go out in certain parts of a city.

From “Post #467”, 29th January 2023, 3:16 pm

Or when they're attached directly to buildings and some little pieces of them chip off as the wires are teared from their holdings? Rawr!
Behemoth from the end of The Mist, huh? They sound cute.

BlueOrange said

Ahh, oh my…! It's such a cool aspect of kaiju destruction scenes. Whenever there's a group of cars or a grove of trees laid out in a kaiju's path, you can't really predict how exactly it's going to turn out until it happens. The most I can do is sit and watch in anticipation as the kaiju brings everything into its sphere of influence, each stride and footstep being another opportunity for them to deform their surroundings in a different way. There truly are countless ways a kaiju can leave an impression on an object… each combination of their casual movements and decisions leaves its own wonderful aftermath!

From “Post #467”, 29th January 2023, 3:16 pm

I'm a slut for crushing, so I always love it when something unique gets a good stomp! My immediate memory says it's usually cartoons that crush new things, like mailboxes or fire hydrants.

BlueOrange said

Ooh! Did some digging, is it the third issue of Godzilla Legends? What do Titanosaurus and the human end up doing together?

From “Post #467”, 29th January 2023, 3:16 pm

That sounds like the right issue, but oh, I don't think I read the whole thing. l was skimming all the comics for stompies, and l read that part of it because it had a high resolution view of Titano's eye. That's my avatar theming on social media, a close-up view of a monster's eye. So, l don't know what they did together, I'm afraid. Hrrrrrm… I think Titano shares a mental link with a certain human and escapes a military facility to find that person? That's about the best l recall.

BlueOrange said

One example in popular media from my recent memory is the one scene from Pacific Rim Uprising, where the megakaiju lowers his head down to his human ally who'd been watching him from fight from the top of a building, shaking the ground with his stomps as he turns around to face him. It's a pretty short moment and they just leave each other be, but it's nice how the megakaiju's head absolutely fills and dominates the frame, as well as how his deep stomps cause the human to jump slightly in place, and of course, how he manages not to harm the building or the human at all despite how close he brought his head to them, all while he continues stepping around it with his catastrophic footfalls! It's quite surprising that the human doesn't get blown away completely from the megakaiju's breath in that scene.

From “Post #467”, 29th January 2023, 3:16 pm

Raaaawr, that sounds spicy! Hmmm, interesting that you specify 'megakaiju'… Those new kaiju films are something l've been meaning to check out, but I haven't been finding the time and YouTube's suggestions have become completely useless. I know the first Pacific Rim has a truck crush and the Mechagodzilla movie has a building crush, but l'm sure there's more than just that.

BlueOrange said

And yup, I imagine riding a kaiju would be quite risky, since there aren't a lot of spots where you could get a good grip on their body. Some media has riders entrust the kaijus with holding them in their mouth or paws if they can be gentle, their head or back if it's broad enough, or, like in the first half of The Sea Beast, inside the creature's nostrils. All comes down to the kaiju being able to make their own bodies into a safe environment for the little ones, I think.

From “Post #467”, 29th January 2023, 3:16 pm

It all sounds so scary and exhilarating! I can only imagine a quadruped being the easiest, especially if they have back spines. Just knowing l'm high up would prolly mess with me regardless, so l hope l wouldn't have to travel by kaiju a lot… Definitely something that needs a lot of trust.