Transnational Kaiju: Exploitation, Globalisation and Cult Monster Movies

From relatively humble beginnings in a King Kong-inspired Japanese studio picture, the kaij? eiga has developed into a global phenomenon. While the origins of giant kaij?
the term often preferred to ‘monster’
remain firmly rooted in Japan, the figure has become a transnational spectacle. This book explores how kaij? went global, from the adoption of Godzilla movies in translation to the appropriation of cultural material across borders. With reference to the subgenre’s global development, its exploitative western circulation and how it demonstrates shifting power bases in global cinema, the book examines how genres with deep national roots can become transnational phenomena.