As with many Hideaki Anno projects, the impetus for Godzilla having different forms does not come from a profound source but from the rule of cool. “It’s not as visually or cinematically interesting if Godzilla didn’t transform,” Anno argued — and he’s right. In “Shin Godzilla,” we see the King of the Monsters start out as a mutated giant tadpole that spews blood and wriggles around Tokyo. Later, he becomes closer to the giant monster we know and love, except with an unhinged jaw that extends and splits in order to shoot the atomic breath.
The idea of Godzilla having multiple forms, despite being controversial at first, has proven quite influential in the years since “Shin Godzilla” was released. The excellent and brainy anime show “Godzilla: Singular Point” starts with the monster looking like a giant fish before turning into a full kaiju. Similarly, the recent Oscar-nominated movie “Godzilla Minus One” has the monster start out like more of a dinosaur, only for nuclear power to turn him into the terrifying force of nature we know and love.
And to think, it’s all thanks to Bandai seeing the merchandising potential in Godzilla changing forms throughout “Shin Godzilla.”