The anime version of Godzilla continues from where the first part ended, although this time, the non-Godzilla, non-battle aspect seems to be much improved. Let us take things from the beginning though.
Following the events of “Godzilla: Planet of the Monsters“, the Aratrum is unable to contact Haruo and the rest of the forces, after their encounter with the original Godzilla. The Captain orders that if drones do not find survivors by forty-eight hours, the Aratrum will withdraw from Earth. On the surface of the planet, Haruo and his companions make contact with the indigenous Houtua tribe, who, after a “to-know-us-better” that involves much violence, introduce themselves at their full glory, and even agree to help the “crusaders” in their effort to kill Godzilla.
Furthermore, in a search for nanometal instigated by Galu-gu, they discover the remains of Mechagodzilla, who has actually transformed into a city Galu-Gu dubs as “Mechagodzilla City”. Using nanometal technology, they come up with three robots to be flown by Haruo, Yuko, and Belu-be, and an intricate plan to capture and kill Godzilla. However, as the monster reawakens and comes towards the city, not everything goes as smoothly as planned and Haruo has a dire decision to make.
As I mentioned before, I found the progression of the story quite interesting, with the part where our protagonists are introduced to a tribe that seems to have taken a different genetic path towards humanity, quite interesting and definitely very intriguing. The fact that this race is led by religion provides another level to the debate between creed and science that started in the previous episode, with the presence of the military and their warmongering opinion becoming a third pole of interest in a rather intricate sociopolitical comment. The fact that the story seems to pin all three against each other is also very interesting, considering the “eternal” ties between religion and the military, as dictated by fundamentalism.
Furthermore, as the story progresses, a number of new plot twists are also revealed, while the presence of Mechagodzilla works quite well in the narrative, although I have to admit, I would prefer a battle between two huge creatures, similar to the one at “Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla. As we begin talking about action though, Kobun Shizuno and Hiroyuki Seshita continue to use the latest trend in the franchise, that has the monster appear late in the film, which actually strengthens its impact. The intricate battle plans are also here once more, as is the despair of having to fight a seemingly indestructible force.
The drawing is once again impressive, as it finds its apogee in Godzilla and Mechagodzilla City, but also at the premises of the Houtua, with the latter implementing a combination of eeriness and ritualism. The new characters are also interesting in their presentation, with the animation by Polygon Pictures being exceptional in highlighting their extreme physical abilities. The same prowess applies to the movement of all characters, monsters and mecha, with the technical aspect finding its apogee, once more, in the final battle.
“Godzilla: City on the Edge of Battle” is a great second part for the trilogy, which surpasses the first part almost in all aspects, while the progression of the story cannot but leave the audience hungry for more.
