Co-produced by studios Bones and Orange, Netflix's upcoming Godzilla anime series, Singular Point, recently released its first teaser trailer. The footage, which blends the aforementioned studios' 2D and 3D house styles, gives us our first glimpse of protagonists Mei Kamino, a researcher, and Yun Arikawa, an engineer, in action, as well as some moody shots of a toothy Godzilla almost hidden in red smog. (A nod to the kaiju-slaying Oxygen Destroyer, perhaps?)
The most exciting takeaway for longtime franchise fans, however, is the confirmation that classic Godzilla characters will also appear in the animated series; all of whom Godzilla has come to blows with in the past. Here's every identifiable character we spotted in Singular Point's trailer, along with one of our best guesses.
1. Rodan
The sight of a giant pteranodon in a piece of Godzilla media can only mean one thing: Rodan. Though a little different from what we've seen the flying creature look like before with its more reptilian head, it's a pretty safe assumption that a winged, dinosaur-esque beast speeding through Tokyo's skies can only be one of Godzilla's most famous opponents.
Rodan first appeared in its own Toho film, 1956's Rodan, directed by Godzilla co-creator Ishirō Honda, before becoming a frequent figure in the Godzilla franchise, starting with 1964's Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster. More recently, it featured in its first live-action, American installment off-shoot series, Godzilla: King of The Monsters.
2. Jet Jaguar
Without a doubt, Jet Jaguar's inclusion in the Singular Point trailer will have gotten the biggest reaction from kajiu fans. The giant mech appears to in some kind of warehouse in the anime. As its design is fairly close to the original suit from the '70s, poor old Jet has possibly been gathering dust since its last adventure.
A heroic defender of humanity, Jet Jaguar was the result of a contest Toho ran in the early '70s that encouraged fans to submit their own super robot characters for use in future tokusatsu films. Though Jet was intended to headline its own movie, it instead ended up sharing the spotlight with Godzilla in 1973's Godzilla vs. Megalon. Outside of a few comics and video games, the character has somewhat faded into obscurity, making it a welcome sight for sore eyes in Singular Point.
3. Gabara
Though it could be mistaken for King Ceasar, this blueish, dog-like creature is most likely Gabara. Debuting in 1969's All Monsters Attack, Gabara is an amphibious creature who exists only in the mind of young kaiju fan, Ichiro Miki, making its inclusion in this trailer a curious one.
Like many of the suits of its era, Gabara's original look is pretty goofy; it's more of an annoying bully than a serious threat. However, its anime counterpart is anything but laughable -- peering out of the red mist in the trailer with a huge, horned head and rows of sharp spikes along its spine.
4. Anguirus
Almost as beloved as Mothra, the arrival of Anguirus in Godzilla media is like saying hello to an old friend. That's largely because Anguirus, unlike most of the King of Monsters' kaiju brethren, is actually one of the closest things he has to one. Anguirus is a crocodile-inspired beast famous for its burrowing ability, which the trailer sort of hints at with the dust clouds around its running feet.
Anguirus and Godzilla's special relationship goes all the way back to the series' black and white days in 1955's Godzilla Raids Again. Though the two naturally faced-off then, they gradually discarded this hostility in subsequent cinematic encounters. More than just a begrudging ally, Anguirus often comes to Godzilla's aid by its own accord; endearing itself to fans by picking fights with far bigger and nastier creatures, and refusing to give up easily.
5. Biollante?
The aquatic creature we see dipping and diving in the ocean is hard to connect to any existing monster. It's most likely an original creature, which would be good addition to a franchise that has had surprisingly few fishy foes for its sea-dwelling star to fight. However, and this may be a stretch, what looks like a flower in a small cube held by researcher Mei could point toward another obscure Godzilla character: Biollante.
Originating in 1989's Godzilla vs. Biollante, the mutant flower beast is one of many kaiju created from Godzilla's own genes -- this one combined, weirdly, with the DNA of a rose and the dead daughter of a scientist intent on resurrecting her. It goes without saying that Biollante is one of the more unique specimens in Toho's monster stable and, like Jet Jaguar, would make for a welcome return in Singular Point.
Directed by Atsushi Takahashi and written by Toh Enjoe, Godzilla: Singular Point will premiere in 2021.
