MIDNIGHT THE ERA - A Look Beyond Godzilla and Into Indie Tokusatsu

MIDNIGHT THE ERA is an indie film with a blend of traditional tokusatsu techniques for the kaiju with anime-style animation for the human characters.

Welcome to the corner of my blog, A Look Beyond Godzilla and Into Indie Tokusatsu. Here, I explore the world of independent tokusatsu films, talking about stories and filmmakers in the genre. Links to the films will always be at the bottom of the page.

Tokusatsu, a genre known for its special effects that bring gigantic kaiju and heroes to life, has been thriving lately with big-budgeted, CGI-saturated movies like Godzilla X Kong.

However, the indie scene in Japan, which produces some of the most innovative work, is keeping the true art style of suitmation (スーツメーション), miniature models, and hand-crafted sets alive.

In this series, I’ll talk about various independent tokusatsu films and their creators. Looking at how the new generation of toku films maintains traditional effects techniques while telling new innovative stories.

I also believe many of these young filmmakers will be the directors of the Godzilla, Gamera, Ultraman, and Kamen Rider series of tomorrow.

This is part of my ongoing series; if you want to read more, check out “Insanity! Kaiju Livestream!” the second entry in the series.

*Disclaimer*

Remember, if you go watch one of these indie kaiju films I cover, most are made by non-English speakers, so if you do leave a comment for them, make sure you say something short and nice. Also, please don’t say anything like, “Show more kaiju” or “Need English subtitles.” Independent films are almost always shot on a tight budget, and they do their best, given the constraints of time and budget. That said, I hope you learn something new and enjoy the blog.

MIDNIGHT THE ERA

Created by STUDIO MUJAKU, this tokusatsu project is unlike any that I’ve talked about before, and is more akin to Dinosaur War Aizenborg than anything else that comes to mind.

MIDNIGHT THE ERA blends regular tokusatsu techniques like suitmation and miniatures for the kaiju with anime-style animations for the human characters. I like to see different genres blending together to capture someone’s artistic vision.

I normally reach out and request the use of images and other assets to add to my articles, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get a hold of the filmmakers, so I will only be providing the public trailer at the bottom of the article.

MIDNIGHT THE ERA’s Story

From what I can gather and Google translate, the story is about how nuclear weapons became the dominant form of deterrence, and countries no longer needed the once-feared monsters they had created for defense.

Monsters were considered too costly and unpredictable compared to the reliability of nuclear arms. Slowly, nations began eliminating these creatures, including Japan's two domestically bred monsters. These monsters awaited their eventual demise, left in the shadows of the more efficient and controllable nuclear arsenal.

However, things take a dramatic turn when it's discovered that one of Japan's monsters, Karankoe, has developed intelligence. What was once a mindless tool of destruction now shows signs of reasoning and thought.

This revelation forces Japan to confront a new ethical dilemma—how do you deal with a creature capable of thinking in a world that no longer has a place for monsters? The decision becomes much more complicated when the monster isn’t just a threat, but possibly something far more.

This intriguing plot was the result of a collaborative effort by over 30 students, each bringing their unique ideas and creativity to the table.

The Kiyotaka Taguchi Connection!?

Unfortunately, I do not know yet if Mr. Taguchi supported this project, but as soon as I see the credits I’ll be looking out for his name.

MIDNIGHT THE ERA’s Trailer

Final Thoughts

MIDNIGHT THE ERA is why I like independent films more than the big-budget movies you can see in theaters or on streaming services. Not that one is inherently better than the other, but indie films push the boundaries of what a film can be while giving the chance to experiment with new or unconventional storytelling methods.

Again this film is a textbook example of what kaiju cinema could be in America if it was not restricted by an imaginationless audience. I’m looking at you Monster-Verse and Apple.

This review is part of my ongoing series "A Look Beyond Godzilla and Into Indie Tokusatsu," where I talk about my favorite indie tokusatsu films.

Well, I hope you’ve learned something new, and until next time, later!