Godzilla’s Second Film and Biollante

青鉛筆
Blue pencil

浪速の町にゴジラ=写真=が久しぶりに出現する。三十四年前に公開されたシリーズ二作目「ゴジラの逆襲」では大阪城を壊したが、現在撮影の進む十七作目では、お隣の大阪ビジネスパークが主戦場となり、高さ百五十経のツインタワーがポッキリ。

Godzilla (photo) appears in the town of Naniwa for the first time in a while. In the second film in the series, “Godzilla Raids Again,” which was released 34 years ago, Osaka Castle was destroyed, but in the 17th film, which is currently being filmed, the main battleground will be the Osaka Business Park next door, which will be 150 meters tall. The Twin Towers of Ten Kyoto are suddenly visible.

ゴジラファンだった地元出身の大森一樹監督が、念願のメガホンを握る。「核やバイオ(生命工学)の怖さがテーマだが、関西の新しい名所も存分に見てもらいたい」と年末公開へ向けて意欲満々。

Local director Kazuki Omori, who was a Godzilla fan, takes over the long-awaited megaphone. “Although the theme is the fear of nuclear weapons and biotechnology, I also want people to see the new sights of Kansai,” he says, enthusiastic about the film’s release at the end of the year.

前回と同じ、大阪湾から上陸。建設中の新空港を踏みつぶす話もあったが、関西国際空港会社からのアピールで、横目でにらみながら歩くだけ、となった。そのかわり、再生計画の進む中之島の中央公会堂一帯は火の海に消える運命だ。

Same as last time, it landed from Osaka Bay. There was talk of them trampling the new airport under construction, but at the request of the Kansai International Airport Company, they simply walked on, leering sideways. Instead, the area around Nakanoshima’s Central Public Hall, where revitalization plans are underway, is doomed to disappear into a sea of flames.