Editing Mechagodzilla (section)

===Development===
Mechagodzilla was conceived in 1974 as a more serious villain than its immediate two predecessors, [[Gigan]] and [[Megalon]], whose films were considered creative disasters.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=195}}{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=196}}{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=197}} According to [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]], Mechagodzilla was inspired by both [[Mechani-Kong]] from the previous [[Toho]] film ''[[King Kong Escapes]]'' and the [[Mecha anime and manga|robot anime]] genre, which was popular at the time.<ref name="元山掌">{{cite book |author1=元山掌|author2=松野本和弘|author3=浅井和康|author4=鈴木宣孝 |script-title=ja:『東宝特撮映画大全集』 ヴィレッジブックス |year=2012 |publisher=ヴィレッジブックス |isbn=9784864910132}}</ref> Effects director [[Teruyoshi Nakano]] also felt that a mechanical monster was cheaper to construct than the mutated animals Godzilla had previously faced.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=137}}{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=138}}{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=139}} As the resulting ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla]]'' proved to be a greater critical success than previous 1970s ''Godzilla'' films, the character was revived in 1975's ''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]''. The film's screenplay was based on the winning entry of a story-writing competition won by [[Yukiko Takayama]], who continued the darker tone of the previous film by adding the subplot of Mechagodzilla being cybernetically connected to a young woman. Mechagodzilla's design remained largely unchanged from its previous appearance, though it was made to look thinner and more angular, with a darker sheen and an MG2 insignia emblazoned on its upper arms. The film's original draft was going to have Mechagodzilla destroy Tokyo utterly, though the destruction was cut down for budgetary reasons.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=200-6}}
[[File:Heisei Godzilla Perfection - Berserk.jpg|thumb|right|Early concept art of Mechagodzilla's Heisei incarnation, dubbed "Berserk"]]

Mechagodzilla was brought back in 1993's ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'', as the success of ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' and the popularity of its main antagonist [[Mothra]] spurred Toho into reintroducing familiar characters rather than inventing new ones.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=287-93}} Originally, the new Mechagodzilla was to be named "Berserk", and was envisioned as being a much more organic Godzilla-like creature which would later turn on its creators after becoming infected with a [[computer virus]] which makes it self-aware. Berserk would subsequently absorb more and more machinery, to the point of degenerating into a mass of metal and wires, though this concept was rejected early in pre-production.<ref name="kawakita">{{cite book |script-title=ja:平成ゴジラパーフェク [Heisei Godzilla Perfection] |last=Kawakita |first=Koichi |year=2012 |publisher=Dengeki Hobby Books |isbn=978-4048861199 |language=ja}}</ref> As Mechagodzilla was intended to be a military defense weapon rather than an alien construct, the character was redesigned as looking sleeker and smoother.{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=287-93}} It was portrayed by suit actor [[Wataru Fukuda]], and consisted of multiple separate elements which were worn like plate armor. Special effects artist [[Koichi Kawakita]] originally envisioned Mechagodzilla being able to split into aerial and terrestrial units, though this idea was scrapped in favor of the character merging with the flying battleship Garuda. The film was promoted through the children's program ''Adventure Godzilla-land'', which portrayed Godzilla and Mechagodzilla as rival news anchors reporting on the events of the upcoming movie.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|pp=196–201}} Composer [[Akira Ifukube]] wrote a theme for Mechagodzilla incorporating a slow battle march with heavy percussion and [[Pentatonic scale|pentatonic phrasing]].{{sfn|Ryfle|1998|p=287-93}}

The decision to incorporate Mechagodzilla into the Millennium series was taken by producer [[Shōgo Tomiyama]], who gave the general outline of what would become the story of ''[[Godzilla Against Mechagodzilla]]'' to ''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'' director Masaaki Tezuka.<ref name="tezuka2014">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0toUtvfWMPg  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/0toUtvfWMPg| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|trans-title="Tokyo SOS Director EXTRA |script-title=ja:東京SOSの監督〜EXTRA〜 (SciFi Japan TV #27) |publisher=CHO Japan |date=September 2014}}{{cbignore}}</ref> Tezuka instructed his staff to research both [[cybernetics]] and DNA engineering in order to make the character scientifically plausible. Tezuka had initially wanted Mechagodzilla to be a much speedier robot than the one on film, envisioning it as becoming progressively more agile during its fight against Godzilla as the latter tore off its opponent's armaments. This incarnation of Mechagodzilla was deliberately shown being airlifted by carriers rather than flying directly into battle as the previous two incarnations had done, as Tezuka felt that it made little sense for Mechagodzilla to drain its energy in such a manner. Upon being asked why the Mechagodzilla suit wasn't painted with [[military camouflage]] colors, Tezuka answered that "Mechagodzilla doesn't need to hide."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.henshinonline.com/tezuka-mimura.html |title=Interview: Masaaki Tezuka and Wataru Mimura |access-date=2016-05-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160701043428/http://www.henshinonline.com/tezuka-mimura.html |archive-date=2016-07-01 |work=henshionline}}</ref> Tezuka had originally intended to have both Godzilla and Mechagodzilla die at the end of the film, but was forced to change this on the insistence of Toho managers, who felt that such an ending was too dark for a [[New Year]] movie release.<ref name="tezuka2014"/>

In the 2003 sequel ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'', creature designer Shinichi Wakasa used the same mold to create a redesigned Mechagodzilla, which was meant to look more weathered than its predecessor. According to production designer Shinki Nishikawa, several other changes were made to the Mechagodzilla design's head, chest and arms in order to make the character look less heroic and more machine-like. The robot's back unit was reduced in size and flipped upside down, and the head was made smaller. As the previous design's shoulder cannons were considered uneven and unsophisticated-looking because of their rectangular shape, special effects director Eiichi Asada made them more pentagonal. As the character was supposed to rely more on its forearm cannons than in the previous film, Nishikawa made them larger and more powerful looking.<ref>"Godzilla X Mothra X Mechagodzilla: Tokyo SOS production report - The men behind the monsters discuss the latest Godzilla film", ''Uchusen'' #108 (Asahi Sonorama) (October 22, 2003)</ref>

For ''[[Godzilla vs. Kong]]'', Mechagodzilla's design was inspired by the [[Transformers: Generation 1|Generation 1 ''Transformers'']] due to their "simplicity." Director [[Adam Wingard]] attempted to avoid the "complex" designs from the [[Transformers (film series)|Michael Bay ''Transformers'']] films.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/mechagodzilla-godzilla-vs-kong-design-changes-transformers|title= Godzilla vs. Kong's Mechagodzilla was inspired by a bad Transformers movie|author1=Jake Kleinman|author2=Eric Francisco|work=Inverse|date=March 31, 2021|access-date=April 9, 2021|url-status=live|archive-date=April 9, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210409191637/https://www.inverse.com/entertainment/mechagodzilla-godzilla-vs-kong-design-changes-transformers}}</ref> Writer [[Max Borenstein]] had originally written Mechagodzilla into ''Godzilla: King of the Monsters''. However, director [[Michael Dougherty]] scrapped the character during development.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/godzilla-vs-kong-writer-spending-years-in-monsterverse/|title=Godzilla vs. Kong Writer Talks About Spending 8 Years in the MonsterVerse|first=Don|last=Kaye|work=Den of Geek|date=April 5, 2021|access-date=March 29, 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=March 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220329184707/https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/godzilla-vs-kong-writer-spending-years-in-monsterverse/}}</ref>