Editing Gamera

{{Short description|Fictional monster}}
{{For|Ukrainian female runner|Tetyana Hamera-Shmyrko}}
{{Distinguish|text =Gamera, a family of [[Repeated sequence (DNA)|repeated sequences]]}}
{{Distinguish|text =Gamera, a type of [[finite element method]]-based [[Magnetohydrodynamics|magnetohydrodynamic]] solver}}
{{copy edit|date=August 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox character
| name = Gamera
| series = '''Gamera film series'''
| image = File:Гамера 1965.jpg
| caption = Gamera, as seen in the poster for his debut film
| first = ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'' (1965)
| creator = {{Plainlist|
*[[Noriaki Yuasa]]
*[[Niisan Takahashi]]
*[[Masaichi Nagata]]
*[[Hidemasa Nagata]]
*{{Ill|Yonejiro Saito|ja|斉藤米二郎}}
*{{Ill|Tomio Sagisu|ja|うしおそうじ}}{{sfn|Ragone|2020|loc=05:11}}<br>(disputed)
}}
| portrayer = {{Plainlist|
* {{Ill|Teruo Aragaki|ja|荒垣輝雄}}
* {{Ill|Umenosuke Izumi|ja|泉梅之助}}
* Naoaki Manabe
* Jun Suzuki
* [[Akira Ohashi]]{{sfn|Galbraith IV|2008|p=395}}
* [[Hirofumi Fukuzawa]]
* {{Ill|Toshinori Sasaki|ja|佐々木俊宜}}
}}
| species = {{Plainlist|
* Giant turtle
* Artificial lifeform<ref name=RebirthArtbook />
* [[Deity]]<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=HolyBeast />
}}
| alias = {{Plainlist|
* Avant Gamera<ref name=BraveGuide />
* Toto<ref name=BraveGuide />
* [[Black Tortoise]]<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=HolyBeast />
}}
}}
{{Nihongo|'''Gamera'''|ガメラ|Gamera|lead=yes}} is a fictional giant monster, or ''[[kaiju]]'', that debuted in the eponymous 1965 Japanese film [[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of [[Toho]]'s [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' film series]]. Since then, the franchise has become a Japanese icon in its own right and one of representatives of [[Cinema of Japan|Japanese cinema]],<ref name=Perfection /> appearing in a total of 12 films produced by [[Daiei Film]] and later by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and [[Kadokawa Daiei Studio]] ([[Kadokawa Corporation]]) respectively, and various other media such as novelizations, [[manga]], video games, and more.

Gamera is depicted as a giant, flying, [[fire-breathing monster|fire-breathing]], prehistoric [[turtle]]. In the series' first film, Gamera is portrayed as an aggressive and destructive monster, though he also saved a child's life. As the films progressed, Gamera took on a more benevolent role, becoming a protector of humanity, especially children, nature, and the [[Earth]] from [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|extraterrestrial races]] and other giant monsters.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=178}}

Despite its popularity and extensive social influences<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Denner /> such as productions of ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'', contributions in the launches of [[social phenomenon]]s (the two "Kaiju Booms" ([[:ja:第一次怪獣ブーム|jp]])([[:ja:第二次怪獣ブーム|jp]]) and the "[[Yōkai]] Boom"),<ref name=Ono2018 /> influences on the [[tokusatsu]] genre and domestic television industry,<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Karasawa /> references in numerous media globally, and naming of various objects such as two species of prehistoric turtles (''[[Sinemys|Sinemys gamera]]'' and ''[[Gamerabaena]]'') and an algorithm to study [[Equatorial plasma bubble|plasma bubbles]],<ref name=Williams>Mike Williams, December 20, 2019, [https://news2.rice.edu/2019/12/20/nightside-barrier-gently-brakes-bursty-plasma-bubbles/ Nightside barrier gently brakes 'bursty' plasma bubbles], [[Rice University]]</ref> expansion of the franchise and public recognition of the character were severely hindered by financial obstacles.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /> Daiei Film's fiscal condition was improved thanks to the franchise,{{refn|Despite the Gamera-related ''[[Warning from Space]]'' (1956) was the first colored tokusatsu film in Japan, ''[[The Whale God]]'' (1962) and ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' (1965) were produced as [[black-and-white]] films due to financial difficulties.<ref name=Treasured />|group="note"}} and it solely supported the company and its subcontractors until the bankruptcy in [[1971]].<ref name=Karasawa /> [[November 27]] is publicly referred as "Gamera Day" in Japan,<ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=Niigata /> and [[Chōfu]] utilizes Gamera and related characters as mascots of the city.<ref name=AllAbout />

==Overview==
===Conception===
{{see also|Nezura}}
The name {{nihongo|''Gamera''|ガメラ}} derives from the Japanese ''kame'' ("turtle"), and the suffix ''-ra'', a suffix shared by such other ''kaiju'' characters as [[Godzilla]] (''Gojira'') and [[Mothra]].{{sfn|Di Giorgio|Gigante|Gordiano|2012|p=64}} Gamera's name was spelled ''Gamela'' on a French newspaper in the 1965 film, and ''Gammera'' in the title of ''Gammera the Invincible'', the re-titled American release of the first film in the franchise, ''Gamera, the Giant Monster''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/gammera_the_invincible_1966|title=Gammera The Invincible (1966)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref><ref name=dvdtalk>{{cite web|last=Galbraith IV|first=Stuart|author-link=Stuart Galbraith IV|url=https://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/42231/gamera-the-giant-monster/|title=Gamera - The Giant Monster|date=18 May 2010|website=DVD Talk|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> The character was named by [[Masaichi Nagata]], who pushed ahead the name to contend Godzilla, while other executives were against it for its resemblance to Godzilla, however others eventually didn't come up with any sufficient names for the turtle kaiju along with their reluctances to resist the president.<ref name=Treasured />

The original idea for Gamera was developed by Yonejiro Saito ([[:ja:斉藤米二郎|jp]]),{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=177}} [[Masaichi Nagata]], [[Hidemasa Nagata]], [[Niisan Takahashi]],<ref name=BraveGuide /> and [[Noriaki Yuasa]]. The character was created as a property of the production company [[Daiei Film]], and was intended to compete with the [[Godzilla (franchise)|''Godzilla'' film series]], owned by rival studio [[Toho]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Clarke|first=Frederick S.|date=1996|title=Cinefantastique| volume=28|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eyEnAQAAIAAJ|magazine=Cinefantastique|page=3|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/287002/heres-why-we-probably-wont-see-gamera-in-godzilla-king-of-the-monsters/|title=Here's Why We Probably Won't See Gamera in GODZILLA: KING OF THE MONSTERS|date=22 December 2018|website=Dread Central|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Raymond|first=Nicholas|url=https://screenrant.com/godzilla-king-monsters-atlantis-new-titans/|title=Godzilla: King Of The Monsters' Atlantis Sets Up Multiple New Titans|date=21 June 2019|website=ScreenRant|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> Prior to the idea of the flying turtle monster, there existed preceding concepts of an [[octopus]] kaiju called {{Nihongo|Dagora|ダゴラ|lead=yes}}{{refn|Zedus appeared in the 2006 film ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' was originally designed to be a cephalopod monster where its title {{Nihongo|"''Sea Demon Beast''"|海魔獣|Kaimajū|lead=yes}} closely resembles Dagora's title {{Nihongo|"''Giant Sea Demon''"|大海魔|Daikaima|lead=yes}}.<ref name=BraveGuide />|group="note"}} and {{Nihongo|[[Nezura 1964|Nezura]]|ネズラ|lead=yes}} the rat monsters.<ref name=BraveGuide />{{refn|In 2020 and 2021, Hiroto Yokokawa ([[:ja:横川寛人|jp]]) directed ''[[Nezura 1964]]''<ref name=Nezura1964 /> and a short film based on "Dagora" titled {{Nihongo|''Yatsuashi''|ヤツアシ|lead=yes}}.<ref>Nezura 1964 Official X Account, 10 February 2021, [https://x.com/nezura1964/status/1359354012051533824 大映は『大群獣ネズラ』以前に本物のタコを用いた『大魔獣ダゴラ』という企画がありました。『ネズラ1964』では、この「ダゴラ」については割愛しましたが、代わりに同ミニチュアセットで横川監督による短編『ヤツアシ』を撮影しました。], X (Twitter)</ref>|group="note"}} These pre-Gamera projects resulted in failures by using live animals for filming, presumably due to the efforts to avoid the [[Toho]]-based tokusatsu techniques under the constraints from the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] (Five-Company Agreement), which was led by Masaichi Nagata himself.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Karasawa />

There had been contradicting testimonies regarding the original conceptor and models of Gamera. [[Noriaki Yuasa]] believed it was [[Niisan Takahashi]]'s idea, while Takahashi noted that he heard [[Masaichi Nagata]] came up with the idea of a "giant, flying turtle".{{refn|Allegedly, Nagata witnessed either a turtle-shaped cloud on a small island, or a turtle-shaped small island, or he had a hallucination of a "flying turtle", during the flight to [[United States]].<ref name=Karasawa /> This is comparable to the anecdote of [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] to come up with the idea of [[Godzilla]] by watching the Pacific ocean during the flight from [[Indonesia]] after the failure of a co-production movie, which was one of preceding projects of ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'', although Tanaka's episode was later confirmed as a fabrication added later.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}} There had also been rumors of "lewd turtles" as the model(s) of Gamera, either true stories or jokes, among Daiei staffs including Yonejiro Saito ([[:ja:斉藤米二郎|jp]]).{{refn|One inhabited a pond of a [[shinto shrine]] nearby a Daiei studio, and the other along the beach in [[Nagasaki Prefecture]]. These turtles often rotated on the water-surface, and were regarded "lewd" as they showed affinities to young women. According to the rumors, the turtle in the pond usually appeared when there were female visitors, while the one in Nagasaki approached female beachgoers when they were swimming. Some of Daiei staffs believed the former as the model of Gamera, while Yonejiro Saito ([[:ja:斉藤米二郎|jp]]) commented that a hostess from Nagasaki shared the story of the latter, possibly as a joke, and it became Gamera's model.<ref name=Treasured>[[Noriaki Yuasa]] (Superviser), 1 September 2001, ''Daikaiju Gamera Treasured Photo Book'', p,12, p.29, p.77, p.87, pp.97-98, pp.131-135, [[Tokuma Shoten]]</ref> Therefore, there had been another rumors among Daiei staffs that "Gamera was originally intended to be a protector of women rather than children".<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Ushio /> |group="note"}} Alternatively, Tomio Sagisu ([[:ja:うしおそうじ|jp]]) who was a student of [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] and had repeatedly associated with Daiei Film and crews of the ''Gamera'' and other Daiei tokusatsu productions, [[#P Productions|claimed that the concept of Gamera originates in his demo reel]], while [[Yonesaburo Tsukiji]], another student of Tsuburaya, declared it was [[Hidemasa Nagata]]'s idea.<ref name=Ushio>Tomio Sagisu ([[:ja:うしおそうじ|jp]]), 20 June 1999. ''[[Spectreman]] vs. [[Kaiketsu Lion-Maru|Lion-Maru]]: Souji Ushio and P Productions'', p.91, p.176, [[Ohta Publishing]]</ref>
[[File:Ddol-mangM.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Black Tortoise]], a possible source of inspiration for Gamera.]]

Gamera's turtle-like design may have been inspired by the [[Black Tortoise]], one of the [[Four Symbols]] of the [[Chinese constellations]] in [[East Asian mythology]].<ref name=kotz>{{cite web|last=Kotz|first=Sean|url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2006/03/19/why-the-heck-is-gamera-a-turtle/|title=Why the Heck is Gamera a Turtle?|date=19 March 2006|website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> The Black Tortoise is known as ''Genbu'' in [[Japanese language|Japanese]], and is usually depicted as a turtle entwined together with a [[Snake in Chinese mythology|snake]].<ref name=kotz /> Each of the Four Symbols are said to act as guardians over each of the four [[cardinal direction]]s: with the dragon ''[[Azure Dragon|Seiryu]]'' in the [[east]], the tiger ''[[White Tiger (China)|Byakko]]'' in the [[west]], the bird ''[[Vermilion Bird|Suzaku]]'' in the [[south]], and the tortoise ''Genbu'' in the [[north]].<ref name=kotz /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903190076.html|title=Tomb murals of guardian spirits tapped for Japan treasure status|date=19 March 2019|work=The Asahi Shimbun|access-date=7 July 2019|archive-date=8 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190708211533/http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201903190076.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> In ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the first film in the franchise, Gamera is depicted as awakening in the [[Arctic]], the northernmost region on Earth.<ref name=kotz /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scified.com/news/a-brief-history-of-gamera-celebrating-50-years-of-spinning-turtles|title=A Brief History of Gamera: Celebrating 50 Years of Spinning Turtles|date=29 November 2015|website=Scified.com|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', the 11th film in the franchise, contains a scene featuring a book describing the Four Symbols, including ''Genbu''.<ref name=kotz /> Before the character was officially referenced to the Black Tortoise in the 1999 film, designs and background stories of Gamera and [[Gyaos]] ([[:ja:ギャオス|jp]]) were also inspired by ancient [[China|Chinese]] aspects during the production of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' while the original script of the film focused more on ancient [[India]].<ref name=Perfection />

[[Masaichi Nagata]] set the policy to make Gamera as the hero of children.<ref name=Ono2018 /> Gamera's characteristics as a hero who protects humanity and animals, his non-[[fauna]] diet, his emerging from the north,<ref name=Fantasy /> and his liking of light and nuclear explosions were also designed to differ from [[Godzilla]] having a hatred for humanity, man-made lights, and nuclear explosions. While Godzilla may represent a terror of nuclear war, Gamera was aimed to be a contrasting character,<ref name=Doland /> whom children can always believe in, as an [[antithesis]] to adults trying to manipulate children with [[nationalism]] and [[propaganda]],{{refn|The [[Cold War]], which affected film productions such as both of ''Gamera'' and ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchises, ''[[Dr. Strangelove]]'', and ''[[Fail Safe (1964 film)|Fail Safe]]'', utilized innocence of children as political tools.<ref name=Ono2018 /> |group="note"}} based on [[Noriaki Yuasa]]'s own traumatic experiences of pre and post-war situations as a child.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=YuasaInterview>{{cite web |author=David Milner, Yoshihiko Shibata |date=July 1996 |title= Noriaki Yuasa Interview |url= http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/yuasa.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210302221436/http://www.davmil.org/www.kaijuconversations.com/yuasa.htm |archive-date=2021-03-02 |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref> [[Hidemasa Nagata]]'s intention to make the franchise child-friendly was also due to his desire to create positive emotional influences on [[child development]]s.<ref name=Treasured /> In addition, while a nuclear explosion played roles in both ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', the latter didn't symbolize it to illustrate negative aspects of the humanity unlike the Godzilla film.<ref name=YuasaInterview />

Under [[Masaichi Nagata]], Daiei Film distributed the re-released edition of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' in 1952 and ''[[The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]]'' in 1954. The former was the first [[post-war]] release of [[Monster movie|monster films]] in Japan, and these distributions might have influenced productions of ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and the ''Gamera'' franchise.{{refn|''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' depicted the titular monster to being awoken with a nuclear explosion in the Arctic who later destroys a [[lighthouse]], akin to ''The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms''. There also exist minor references to the novelization of ''King Kong'', such as relationships between titular monsters and humans and [[pet]]s of the same or related motif with the titular monsters. Subsequent Gamera films in Showa and Heisei eras also bear remembrances in plot to ''King Kong''.<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Ui />

Masaichi Nagata, who pushed ahead the production of ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', solely supported the film while others (including Noriaki Yuasa himself) anticipated it to flop since the beginning but couldn't resist Masaichi's authority and unwillingly changed their reviews, and even Yuasa was baffled with its unexpected success.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview />

===Characteristics===
[[File:角川大映スタジオ ガメラ - Panoramio 64715589.jpg|thumb|Gamera's illustration and items on display at the [[Kadokawa Daiei Studio]] office in [[Chōfu]]; the city features Gamera and related characters{{refn|[[Daimajin]] and the Gamera-based character "Gachora".<ref name=Gachora />|group="note"}} and characters from (indirectly related) ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'' as [[mascot]]s.<ref name=AllAbout>{{cite news |author=Deyaburō |date=2024-12-06 |url=https://news.allabout.co.jp/articles/o/87243/ |title=「調布駅」は、特撮ファンにとってガチの「聖地」だった。『ゲゲゲ』と商業施設にあふれた住みよい街 |publisher= All About News ([[:ja:All About|jp]]) |access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref><ref name=HotCorner />]]
Gamera resembles an enormous prehistoric [[turtle]], and is capable of both [[bipedal]] movement and [[flight]]. He occasionally walks on all four legs in Showa films and ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' in 2006. He has a pronounced [[Crest (anatomy)|crest]] on his head, his mouth contains rows of teeth, and two [[tusks]] protrude upward from each side of his lower jaw.<ref name=sequart>{{cite web|last=Edmundson-Cornell|first=Harry|url=http://sequart.org/magazine/54780/elbow-spikes-and-atlantis-gamera-guardian-of-the-universe/|title=Elbow Spikes and Atlantis: Gamera: Guardian of the Universe|date=6 February 2015|website=Sequart.org|publisher=Sequart Organization|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref>

He can fly by means of "jets" which can be ignited out of his limb holes when he retracts into his shell.<ref name=deusner /> The jets allow Gamera to rise into the air and spin, propelling him forward.{{sfn|Goldweber|2015|p=729}} In later films, he is shown to be able to fly with only his rear legs drawn inside his shell, allowing his front limbs more freedom.

Gamera's shell is presented as being incredibly resilient and strong (only ever being damaged by Guiron, [[Legion (kaiju)|Legion]] ([[:ja:レギオン (架空の怪獣)|jp]]), Iris, and Zedus), and can deflect projectiles such as missiles. His plastron (lower shell) is more vulnerable than his carapace (upper shell), however he has been wounded in his plastron to the point of bleeding.{{citation needed|date=April 2025}}

Gamera never feeds on any fauna or [[plant]] organisms, and exclusively relies on [[thermal energy]], [[electricity]], [[radiation]], and other energy sources.{{refn|In the official collaborated short [[anime]] between ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' and ''[[Odekake Kozame]]'', Gamera, Kozame-chan, the titular character of the manga series, and a [[pigeon]] enjoyed [[Onigiri|rice balls]].<ref>William Moo, 20 September 2023, [https://anitrendz.net/news/2023/09/20/odekake-kozame-releases-new-collaboration-visual-animated-short-with-gamera-rebirth/ Odekake Kozame Releases New Collaboration Visual & Animated Short with Gamera: Rebirth], Anime Trending</ref>|group="note"}}<ref name=OFS1995 /> Using [[conventional weapon]]s, even including [[nuclear weapon]]s, against Gamera may also power him instead.<ref name=OFS1995 />

All incarnations of the character have an affinity for humans (especially children) and nature, and protect them at all costs even by sacrificing themselves.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref name=BraveGuide /> They may also save [[animal]]s, [[wildlife]], [[yokai]],<ref name=Minemori /> and innocent [[kaiju]] even if they are offspring of antagonists.{{refn|It was speculated that Gamera might have tried to save the baby Jiger within his body, and Gamera potentially didn't kill but sealed the adult Jiger and carried her back to her island to reseal. It was presumably an experimental attempt by film makers to highlight Gamera's benevolence, and the 1991 short film ''Gamera vs. Garasharp'' depicted Gamera to save two hatchlings of Garasharp.<ref name=OFS1995 />|group="note"}}<ref name=OFS1995 />

All incarnations of the character possess several [[supernatural]] abilities, most notably [[telepathy]], and others such as healing and reviving humans,<ref name=Vanishing /> understanding human speech, sensing antagonistic kaiju and [[Extraterrestrials in fiction|extraterrestrial races]] from afar, sharing ancient memories with humans, utilizing life forces ([[Mana (Oceanian cultures)|Mana]] in the Heisei trilogy) for offensive and supplemental usages, and potential [[reincarnation]].<ref name=OFS1995 /><ref name=Friend /><ref name=BravePamphlet /> There have been additional powers exclusively performed in literatures by respective incarnations being [[deities]] such as [[Materialization (paranormal)|materialization]] and [[time]] manipulation;<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=HolyBeast /> the lore of ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' also loosely refers Gamera to a deity with supernatural depictions, but his exact origin remains unclear.<ref name=Friend /> 

In canonical productions, the character has never been depicted to die precisely unlike [[fan fiction]]s, ''[[GAMERA 4-TRUTH]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラ4 真実|jp]]) and ''Gamera: The Last Hope'';<ref name=Frank /> Gamera was artificially revived in the 1994 [[manga]] ''Giant Monster Gamera'' which serves as a substantial sequel to ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'',<ref name=MangaBoys /> the "Gamera Graveyard" represented in ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' was regarded as the disposal site for defective flops to create the living Gamera,<ref name=Noma /> and Toto is speculated to be the reincarnation of Avant Gamera in ''[[Gamera the Brave]]''.<ref name=Friend />

{{Nihongo|"Fake Gamera"|偽ガメラ|Nise Gamera|lead=yes}}, as transformations of other kaiju, had appeared in several medias as antagonists,<ref name=Perfection /> and the cancelled 2006 anime by [[Yoshitomo Yonetani]] intended to introduce a corps of {{Nihongo|"Mechanic Gamera"|メカニックガメラ|Mekanikku Gamera|lead=yes}}.<ref name=Yonetani />

====Showa====
[[File:Turtle meat.png|thumb|left|Gamera's inconsistent rampages in the first two films might have been due to 8,000 years of [[starvation]] and confusion caused by the Atlanteans, and he intentionally attacked humanity and lured [[military operation]]s to feed on their energies.<ref name=OFS1995 />]]
During the franchise's [[#Shōwa era (1965–1980)|Shōwa era]], Gamera was depicted as feeding on flammable substances, such as oil and fire.{{sfn|Bogue|2017|p=192}}{{sfn|Rhoads|McCorkle|2018|p=98}} According to notes by frequent series director [[Noriaki Yuasa]], Gamera's internal anatomy includes [[wikt:sac|sacs]] which allow him to store oil, lava, coal, and [[uranium]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Phipps|first=Keith|url=https://www.avclub.com/gamera-the-giant-monster-1798165079|title=Gamera: The Giant Monster|date=2 June 2010|work=The A. V. Club|access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Newitz|first=Annalee|url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/internal-organs-that-allow-giant-monsters-to-breathe-fi-5069058|title=Internal Organs that Allow Giant Monsters to Breathe Fire|date=27 October 2008|website=io9|publisher=Gawker Media|access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref> In ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' and ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'', cold temperatures are shown to weaken Gamera, although he is capable of being in [[outer space]] and the deep ocean.{{sfn|Chung|Diffrient|2015|p=83}} Gamera is also capable of performing additional feats including [[supernatural]] ones such as emitting [[electricity]] and [[Electromagnetic radiation|electromagnetic waves]],<ref name=Noma /> [[telepathy]], and remote sensing. Additionally, he has a high intelligence to outsmart antagonists, to tactically utilize artificial objects, behave cautiously to mind humans, and to repair an alien spaceship. Gamera's intention behind bizarre displays including acrobatic and musical acts in later films{{refn|Performing a [[horizontal bar]] in ''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]'' and playing ''[[Gamera March]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラマーチ|jp]]) in ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]''.|group="note"}} was presumably to calm and entertain onlooking children.<ref name=OFS1995 />

The original 1965 film, ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'', depicts Gamera's origins as being a result of [[United States Armed Forces|United States military]] fighters launching an attack on enemy [[bomber]]s (presumably belonging to the [[Soviet Union]]), which causes the detonation of an [[atomic bomb]] on board one of the aircraft. The nuclear blast releases Gamera from a state of [[suspended animation]] in the ice. Meanwhile, a Japanese research team stumbles upon an [[Inuit]] tribe in possession of an ancient stone etching that depicts a giant turtle, which the tribe refers to as "Gamera".{{sfn|Rhoads|McCorkle|2018|p=91}}

His exact origin was not verified aside from his association with the ancient civilization of the [[Atlantis]].<ref>Stephen Miller,
15 June 2023, ''[https://www.thekaijuologist.com/post/gamerathon-gamera-the-giant-monster Gamerathon: Gamera: The Giant Monster]'',</ref> [[Inuit]]'s fear of Gamera and his confinement in the [[Arctic]], contrary to his heroic personality and favor of thermal energy, was presumably due to his entrapment by the Atlanteans and inherited memories of their ancestors to mistake him as a threat, along with the loss of records by Atlanteans after the demise of the ancient civilization.<ref name=OFS1995 />

His incongruous ferocity in ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' and the beginning of ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]''{{refn|''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'', which was the only Showa film being not directed by [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and did not involve children at all, depicted Gamera as an [[antihero]] in general, however it was originally planned to insert a scene for Gamera to save people from Barugon's freezing breath.|group="note"}} was presumably due to an uncontrollable starvation and confusion after 8,000 years of [[hibernation]] caused by the entrapment by the Atlanteans,{{refn|Humanity feared and mistook Gamera as a threat for several factors; his tremendous size and intimidating appearance and fighting capabilities, supernatural biology, his approach to humanity because of his affinity for children and his intention to save humans in dangers, and his appetite for thermal and electric energies which are also vital for humanity. At one point, Gamera visited the Arctic to save children in danger, and he tried to feed on energy sources of the Arctic section of the Atlantis because of his disfavor of coldness and lack of [[volcano]]es nearby, however the civilization took him as a threat for their energy sources, but failed to drive him away because of his abilities and his fondness of thermal energy of weapons. Therefore the civilization instead made him to forcefully [[hibernate]] by luring him to an [[ice field]] and entrapped him underneath an [[ice sheet]], and [[Global cooling|imminent cooling of the planet]] also functioned to confine him. [[Demonization]] of Gamera by the Inuit was escalated due to the loss of his information by Atlanteans after the demise of the Atlantis.<ref name=OFS1995 />|group="note"}} and Gamera's rampage against humanity was only to feed on thermal energy and electricity. He learned of modern human technology through the atomic bomb explosion, and his attacks on cities were also to lure [[military operation]]s so that he could feed more on thermal energy of weapons. The protagonist boy (Toshio) in the 1965 film kept claiming that Gamera was not villainous but had been misunderstood by humanity.{{refn|Gamera in the 1965 film was originally planned to "cry", to aim child audiences to feel pity, sorrow, and sympathy towards the kaiju.<ref name=Treasured />|group="note"}} Gamera's uncontrollable appetite was gradually satisfied, and he regained his natural calmness as the films progressed, beginning to save humanity voluntarily.<ref name="OFS1995">OMEGA Flying Squadron, [[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]]) (issuer), [[Noriaki Yuasa]] (adviser), [[Niisan Takahashi]] (adviser), Masao Yagi ([[:ja:八木正夫|jp]]) (adviser), 1995, ''Gamera is Strong!'', pp.18-25, pp.32-35, pp.36-39, pp.82-87, pp.108-109, pp.132-133, pp.166-167, pp.186-187, pp.194-197, [[Tokuma Shoten]]</ref>

The incarnation of the character appeared in the 1980 film ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' was depicted to be potentially a different individual from the previous films where a normal [[Pond slider]] was magically turned into a kaiju by the Spacewomen, a group of supernatural female aliens. At the end of the film, Gamera sacrificed himself to destroy the Zanon, the spaceship of the antagonists. While the 1994 [[manga]] ''Giant Monster Gamera'' depicted this as Gamera's fate, Gamera was resurrected by the descendants of Atlanteans with ancient technology of [[Atlantis]], gaining characteristics of the Heisei trilogy Gamera, and was sent back to the ancient period to change the history to prevent his own demise, as well as to save and monitor humanity.<ref name=MangaBoys>Kenichiro Terasawa ([[:ja:金田益実|jp]]), [[Hurricane Ryu]], 1994, ''Giant Monster Gamera'', Gekkan Manga Boys, November 1994 - February 1995, [[Tokuma Shoten]].</ref>

====Heisei Trilogy====
In the franchise's [[#Heisei era (1995–2015)|Heisei period]], which began with the 1995 [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', Gamera's in-universe origins were changed. In the Heisei films, Gamera is portrayed as an ancient, [[bio-engineered]] creature from [[Atlantis]], created for the purpose of defending the people of Atlantis from [[Gyaos]] ([[:ja:ギャオス|ギャオス]]), a bat-like creature which breathes a destructive supersonic beam to attack.<ref name=sequart />{{sfn|Rhoads|McCorkle|2018|p=175}} Human researchers find Gamera floating in the [[Pacific Ocean]], encased in rock, and mistaking him for an [[atoll]].<ref name=Ebert>{{cite web|last=Ebert|first=Roger|author-link=Roger Ebert|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/gamera-guardian-of-the-universe-1997|title=Gamera: Guardian Of The Universe Movie Review (1997)|date=29 August 1997|website=[[RogerEbert.com]]|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> Within the rock, they discover a large [[monolith]] explaining Gamera's origins, along with dozens of [[magatama]] made from [[orichalcum]], which allow for a [[psychic]] link between Gamera and humans. In ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', an undersea graveyard containing numerous Gamera-like fossils is shown. While this may suggest that the Gamera was not the only one of his kind, one character in the film refers to these fossils as "beta versions" of Gamera, possible failures in Atlantis' attempts to create the final version.

This iteration of Gamera has retractable claws within his elbows,<ref name=sequart /> and is shown to be able to shoot [[Plasma (physics)|plasma]] fireballs from his mouth.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Clarke|first=Frederick S.|date=1995|title=Cinefantastique|volume=27|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6vQHAQAAMAAJ|magazine=Cinefantastique|page=39|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Kikuchi|first=Daisuke|url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/11/02/national/science-health/mysterious-green-fireball-observed-skies-japan-halloween-likely-meteor/|title=Mysterious green fireball observed in skies above Japan on Halloween likely a meteor|date=2 November 2016|work=The Japan Times|access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> Gamera has also been shown as being able to absorb [[Mana (Oceanian cultures)|mana]] from the Earth,{{sfn|McKee|2007|p=14}} to fire a plasma beam from his chest, and to manipulate energy to create a pseudo arm composed of fire to destroy a foe. Within the first and the third films of the trilogy, Gamera magically healed harmed humans including reviving temporarily deceased or near-death individuals, although he was unable to revive humans whose corpses were physically destroyed.<ref name=Vanishing /> In the 2003 comic, he was depicted to be supernaturally capable of triggering eruptions in [[volcano]]es.<ref name=Kondo>[[Kazuhisa Kondo]], 25 December 2003, ''Gamera vs. Barugon: Comic Version'' ([[:ja:大怪獣激闘 ガメラ対バルゴン COMIC VERSION|jp]]), p.55, p.232, pp.237-238, KADOKAWA</ref> Within the comic book adaptaion of the 1999 film by [[Kazunori Ito]] and [[:ja:Moo.念平|Moo. Nenpei]], who had also published another Gamera manga ''Gamera vs. Morphos'' in 1999, Gamera performed extreme regeneration to restore his head from mimicked plasma fireballs by Iris, and defeated the antagonist with either an empowered fire blast or fireball instead of the "vanishing fist".<ref>[[:ja:Moo.念平|Moo. Nenpei]], [[Kazunori Ito]] (story), 1999, ''Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris'', Vol. April 1999, p.301, [[Shogakukan]]</ref> In ''Gamera vs. Morphos'', Gamera performed additional abilities including [[telepathy]] without a [[magatama]], an [[earthquake]], and a powerful fireball with himself glowing red, akin to the "Toto Impact" in ''[[Gamera the Brave]]''.

====Gamera the Brave====
The franchise was rebooted a second time with the 2006 film ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'', the 12th entry in the film series. This incarnation was modeled after the [[African spurred tortoise]], and also possesses supernatural traits<ref name=BraveGuide /> such as instant growth, [[telepathy]], comprehending human speech, sensing and foreseeing emerging evil monsters from afar, and [[reincarnation]].<ref name=BravePamphlet /><ref name=Friend>Boogey Toumon ([[:ja:蕪木統文|jp]]), [[Ryuta Tasaki]] (supervisor), 8 May 2006, ''Friend: Gamera the Brave'', pp.209-215, pp.217-218, p.236, pp.289-298, pp.305-307, [[Enterbrain]]</ref> Gamera's origin is unclear, while a top scientist was utterly shocked with the virtual replica of Gamera's cells and consequently committed a suicide,<ref name=HardLink>Ark Performance ([[:ja:Ark Performance|jp]]), Jun Yanagisawa, Shinji Yamaguchi, [[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]) (Issuer), 28 April 2006, ''Gamera 2006: Hard Link'', pp.132-135, Kadokawa Shoten</ref> and one of scientists described the kaiju as a [[deity]].<ref name=Friend /> Stranger children were driven by incomprehensible instincts to carry the red stone to Gamera; they somehow knew the term "Toto" and the importance of delivering it to Gamera. With the light from the stone, children also "recalled" and understood the ancient period before their births, and understood what Gamera is. Gamera (Toto) also somehow performed a [[Judo]] technique which was a specialty of one of the protagonist boys presumably through telepathy.<ref name=Friend /> Governmental officials and scientists try to use him as a weapon against villainous kaiju while protagonists try to save him.<ref name=BraveGuide /> Gamera and Gyaos were designed to be much smaller yet heavier than previous incarnations,<ref name=BraveGuide /> corresponding with the original scripts of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' which became the basis for the 2006 film.{{refn|Both Gamera and Gyaos in the 2006 film are 30 to 35 meters in body heights.<ref name=BraveGuide /> The original scripts for the 1995 film depicted that Gamera and Gyaos, who were respective guardians of ancient civilizations in hostility, hatched from artifact-like eggs discovered from ancient underwater ruins and instantly grow to 1 meters to 8 to 10 meters, and eventually become over 20 to 25 meters, akin to the size growth of Toto in the 2006 film.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide />|group="note"}}<ref name=Perfection />

The opening scene of the film, set in 1973, depicts the original Gamera, called "Avant Gamera", sacrificing himself by means of self-destruction to save a coastal village from four Gyaos.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=midnighteye>{{cite web|last=Mes|first=Tom|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/reviews/gamera-the-brave/|title=Midnight Eye review: Gamera the Brave (Chiisaki Yusha-tachi Gamera, 2005, Ryuta Tasaki)|date=29 September 2006|website=[[Midnight Eye]]|access-date=23 July 2019}}</ref> 33 years later, a young boy named Toru Aizawa finds a glowing heart-shaped rock near his home, with a small egg lying on top of it.<ref name=midnighteye /><ref name=Aiken>{{cite web|last=Aiken|first=Keith|url=https://www.scifijapan.com/kaiju-monsters/gamera-the-brave |title=Gamera the Brave|website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=2024-12-23}}</ref> A baby turtle hatches from the egg, and begins to grow in size at an alarming rate. The turtle, dubbed "Toto" by Toru after his own nickname by his deceased mother,<ref name=BraveGuide /> quickly forms a bond with the boy and develops the ability to breathe fire and fly.<ref name=Aiken /> After consuming the glowing rock found with his egg, Toto fully transforms into the [[Reincarnation|next incarnation]] of Gamera,<ref name=Friend /> gaining the power to defeat a lizard-like monster known as Zedus. Zedus was once a normal reptile, but turned into a kaiju by feeding on Gyaos' corpse, and was presumably controlled by the vengeful [[Ghost|spirits]] of the villainous flying creatures.{{sfn|Barr|2016|p=173}}<ref name=BravePamphlet>Akihiko Kikawa, Junichi Nakamura, 2006, "これはびっくり!! 大怪獣ガメラ完全解剖図" and "やっぱりびっくり!! 海魔獣ジーダス完全解剖図", Official film pamphlet of ''Gamera the Brave'', Kadokawa</ref>

In one of novelizations, additional mutants spawned from Gyaos Cells made appearances, including Space Gyaos, Barugon,{{refn|Depictions of Toto and Barugon from one of comics for the Heisei trilogy ([[:ja:大怪獣激闘 ガメラ対バルゴン COMIC VERSION|jp]]) somewhat bear resemblances; both characters hatched from eggs and produced multiple jewel-like energy sources and grow rapidly by collecting them.<ref name=Kondo />|group="note"}} Viras, Guiron, Jiger and its offspring, and Zigra, and Toto fought against a legion of these kaiju.<ref name=Friend />

====Gamera Rebirth====
''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'', the first installation in the [[Reiwa era]] introduced monsters' characteristics to represent not only homages to previous films but also some of unused ideas of previous films and scrapped projects. All kaiju in this series are artificial life forms created by ancient civilizations for warfare and to control the [[overpopulation]] of humanity.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> This incarnation of Gamera was also originally created for mass-massacres, however he was re-programmed by a rebellious figure to become the protector of civilians from other kaiju. During the downfalls of ancient civilizations, Gamera presumably stood against 24 different kaiju to protect the humanity.<ref name="RebirthNovel2">[[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]), Jin ([[:ja:じん|jp]]), 25 May 2024, ''Gamera Rebirth Official Novelization Part 2'', pp.27-28, p.311, p.318, Kadokawa</ref>

While previous incarnations of the character possessed affinities to elements most notably [[fire]], [[electricity]], [[Plasma (physics)|plasma energy]], [[electromagnetic pulse]], and [[Radio jamming|jamming]],<ref name=Noma /> Gamera in ''Gamera Rebirth'' further expanded combat attributes to include [[gravitation]], an [[Force field (technology)|energy shield]], and [[baryon]].{{refn|The Heisei trilogy originally planned to depict Gamera to perform an energy shield like ability.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} This incarnation also possesses several supernatural traits such as [[telepathy]], a psychic link with humans, interfering mental contact by other kaiju on humans, bestowing a power to sense presence of other kaiju on children, and his name itself contains a power to somehow encourage specific children and makes humans to feel that the name "Gamera" is the correct one.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref>[[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]), Jin ([[:ja:じん|jp]]), 2023, ''GAMERA -Rebirth- Official Novelization Part 1'', p.82, pp.99-102, p.107, p.141, p.182, pp.196-197, pp.251-252, pp.268, KADOKAWA</ref>

Gamera appeared to protect children from other monsters trying to feed on children and other humans. Through battle, Gamera was severely damaged and nearly died. During the battle against S-Gyaos, an enormous Gyaos mutant who fed on Viras' corpse, Gamera was injected with specific [[RNA virus]]es to reprogram him for the original usage. However, Gamera managed to regain his consciousness by willpower and a telepathic link with a boy. To prevent himself from being enslaved for carnage, Gamera sacrificed himself to destroy the [[Moonbase]] of the antagonists, the descendants of nobles of an ancient civilization who were using kaiju. Using all of his remaining power for the planet-penetrating Charged Baryon Cannon, the "Moon Buster", Gamera dissolved into ashes, leaving behind an egg for the new incarnation of Gamera who strongly resembles Toto from the 2006 film.<ref name=RebirthArtbook>GAMERA -Rebirth- Production committee, 29 January 2024, GAMERA -Rebirth- Official Artbook, pp.9-12, p.15, pp.17-25, p.35, pp.74-76, pp.94-95, pp.110-111, KADOKAWA, ISBN：9784041138410</ref><ref name=RebirthNovel2 />

====Others====
There have been multiple other incarnations of the character appeared in various other media from novelizations to [[manga]] and [[video game]]s.

The origin of the Gamera appeared in the 1995 novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix'' by [[Niisan Takahashi]], which was originally a script for a cancelled film in 1994,<ref name=DaieiScripts>[https://web.archive.org/web/20160327160653/https://www.cyberkids1954.com/daiei_script.html 1956-2006 『大映特撮の世界』篇]</ref> is unclear. Showa era Gamera defeated villainous kaiju like in previous films while the "new" Gamera who emerged from underneath the [[Nazca Lines]] possessed characteristics of the 1995 film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''. This "new" Gamera initially attacked [[chemical plant]]s all over the world, resulting in hostility from humanity, though his intention was to prevent an oncoming catastrophe caused by [[environmental degradation]]s and to warn humanity. After sealing the Phoenix, an immortal but suicidal, fiery entity constantly suffering due to its immortality, the new Gamera sacrificed himself to save the Earth from further destruction caused by harmful [[sunlight]] triggered by [[air pollution]], following a similar fate as the Phoenix where both monsters cannot die for the sake of the planet which was damaged by humanity.<ref name=Perfection />

The incarnation of the character, the "[[Black Tortoise]]", appeared in {{Nihongo|''The Great Yokai War: Guardians Side Story: Heian Hundred Demon Tale''|妖怪大戦争ガーディアンズ外伝 平安百鬼譚|Yōkai Daisensō Gādianzu Gaiden Heian Hyakkitan|lead=yes}}, a spin-off novelization of the 2021 film ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]'', was uniquely portrayed to be an actual [[goddess]]. This incarnation was capable of various supernatural abilities such as [[Materialization (paranormal)|materialization]], human speech, and making [[yokai]] and humans they have known her since childhood even if it is their first encounter with her. In spirit-like form, she appeared from [[Ōeyama (mountain)|Mount Ooe]] and surrounding mountains north of [[Heian-kyō]] (Kyoto){{refn|A presumed reference to both the 1960 yokai film ''[[The Demon of Mount Oe]]'' by Daiei Film and ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'', and lyrics of Gamera songs, ''[[Gamera March]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラマーチ|ja]]), ''Gamera's Song'' ([[:ja:ガメラの歌|ja]]), and ''The Myth'' ([[:ja:神話 (爆風スランプの曲)|ja]]), and ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō (Song)|GeGeGe no Kitarō's Song]]'' ([[:ja:ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 (曲)|ja]]) were used.|group="note"}} and manifested a physical form and battled [[Nue]], a gigantic yokai being empowered by vengeful [[Abe no Seimei]] to save the world from antagonistic humans and [[yokai]]. Gamera overwhelmed and severely weakened Nue with her fireballs and spinning jet, and left the rest to yokai and humans so they could fulfill their destiny, and secretly disappeared (dematerialized).<ref name=Minemori />

The presence of the "[[Black Tortoise]]" was also confirmed in the 2015 novel {{Nihongo|''Holy Beast War Chronicle: White Shadow''|聖獣戦記 白い影|Seijū Senki - Shiroi Kage}}. This was written by [[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]), who was trying to reboot the franchise in early 2010s and also participated in ''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'' and ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]''.<ref name="CGWORLD" /><ref name="RebirthArtbook" /> The novel was a tribute to [[Masaichi Nagata]] and his films.{{refn|Masaichi Nagata was an enthusiastic and influential Buddhist of [[Nichiren-shū]], and became the representative of worshippers ([[:ja:総代|jp]]).<ref>Kaishuku Mochizuki ([[:ja:望月海淑|jp]]), 1967, 新校舎落成式挙行, pp.125-130, 学園だより, [[Minobusan University]]</ref> Masaichi was devoted to produced [[Nichiren]]-themed productions, and produced ''[[Nichiren to Mōko Daishūrai]]'' and ''[[Nichiren (film)|Nichiren]]'' by appointing a number of worshippers of Nichiren-shū as extras.<ref>Keibunsha ([[:ja:勁文社|jp]]) , 1997, ''日本特撮・幻想映画全集'' p.255</ref><ref>Yomiuri Shimbunsha ([[:ja:読売新聞社|jp]]), 1978, Yomiuri Weekly ([[:ja:読売ウイークリー|jp]]), Vol. 3 September 1978, p.15, [[The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings]]</ref>|group="note"}} In this novel, Barugon and Jiger directly appeared as the [[Azure Dragon]] and the [[White Tiger (mythology)|White Tiger]], respectively. Each monster is a spiritual and sacred entity, being regarded as [[deities]] with supernatural powers such as [[telepathy]], weaponizing the weather, energy beams, [[Levitation (paranormal)|levitation]], and time manipulation. These monsters choose specific humans as summoners and form supernatural links with them through [[magatama]]s, and bestow them superpowers. The chosen ones can summon [[Materialization (paranormal)|materialized]] monsters to perform tremendous feats, however, if summoners use monsters for destructive deeds, the world would be spiritually poisoned. This would only be cured by other chosen ones by the [[Four Symbols]]. [[Nichiren]], the current summoner of the Black Tortoise who was also bestowed abilities including time manipulation, tried to restore the world after the battle of Barugon and Jiger during the [[Mongol invasions of Japan]].<ref name="HolyBeast">[[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]), 2015, ''聖獣戦記 白い影'', p.294-305, 怪獣文藝の逆襲, Kadokawa</ref>

Gamera made several appearances in the [[tokusatsu]] televisoon series ''Sailor Fight'' ([[:ja:セーラーファイト!|jp]]) in 1995 and 1996 as a "Capsule Monster", presumably based on similarly styled characters from ''[[Ultra Seven]]'', which later inspired ''[[Pokémon]]''.<ref>MAG MIX ([[:ja:メディア・ヴァーグ|jp]]), 19 September 2020, [https://magmix.jp/post/35908 『ウルトラセブン』で活躍の「カプセル怪獣」…その魅力はポケモンにも影響?]</ref><ref>MAG MIX ([[:ja:メディア・ヴァーグ|jp]]), 30 September 2023, [https://magmix.jp/post/186864 「ポケモン」を生んだ? 『ウルトラセブン』カプセル怪獣のたまらない可愛さ]</ref> [[Noriaki Yuasa]]{{refn|Yuasa participated in the production of ''[[Ultraman 80]]'' which later influenced the Heisei Gamera trilogy along with ''[[Ultraman Powered]]'' ([[:ja:ウルトラマンパワード|jp]]). Yuasa was originally appointed for ''[[Mirrorman]]'' before ''Ultraman 80'', and later participated in other related productions such as ''Anime-chan'' ([[:ja:アニメちゃん|jp]]) and ''[[Princess Comet]]''.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Karasawa />|group="note"}} directed a related 1996 video ''Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight'' and appeared in it as the character "Dr. Yuasa". [[Hurricane Ryu]], who was also working for the 1994 manga ''Giant Monster Gamera'', played Gamera in the video.<ref name=HurricaneRyu>[[Hurricane Ryu]], 14 June 2020, [https://twitter.com/zkHc5amiVbaGWSY/status/1271992031460462592 本日は昭和ガメラでおなじみ湯浅憲明監督の御命日。], Twiiter (X)</ref>

In the 2015 short film to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the franchise,<ref name=WebNewType /> Gamera saved a boy from a swarm of Gyaos attacking [[Tokyo]] and incinerated them with a powerful fire blast. A decade later, another monster appeared in Tokyo to cause havoc, and the boy again witnessed Gamera return to fight it.

Within the ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari'' series by [[Natsuhiko Kyogoku]], in which multiple Kadokawa stakeholders, Daiei (Kadokawa)-related characters,{{refn|Gamera, [[Daimajin]], Daimon the [[vampire]], [[Sadako Yamamura]], [[Yasunori Katō]], [[Kayako Saeki]], [[Toshio Saeki]], and so on.|group="note"}} and characters from ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'' made cameo appearances as unsubstantial entities along with various other characters from multiple different franchises.{{refn|From ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise, ''[[Ultraman]]'' franchise, ''[[Gappa: The Triphibian Monster]]'', ''[[Yo-kai Watch]]'' franchise, ''[[Inuyasha]]'' franchise, ''[[Ushio to Tora]]'', ''Beyond Twilight'' ([[:ja:百鬼夜行抄|jp]]), ''[[Natsume's Book of Friends]]'', ''[[Hozuki's Coolheadedness]]'', and so on.|group="note"}}{{refn|Multiple other characters from many other franchises were also directly mentioned and appeared indirectly.|group="note"}}<ref name=Kyogoku />

==Relationship with [[Godzilla]]==
===Overview===
Both ''Gamera'' and ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchises have played significant roles in expanding modern culture in Japan, influenced various other productions, and influenced each other on various occasions.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Denner /> Both along with other [[tokusatsu]] productions, most notably ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Ultra Q]]'' and ''[[Ultraman]]'' franchises, formed the "First Kaiju Boom" ([[:ja:第一次怪獣ブーム|jp]]), which became the basis for the "Second Kaiju Boom" ([[:ja:第二次怪獣ブーム|jp]]) and the "[[Yōkai]] Boom".<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=KaijuYokai>Gigan Yamazaki ([[:ja:ガイガン山崎|jp]]), 25 February 2021, [https://mediag.bunka.go.jp/article/article-17473/ 妖怪に息づく怪獣王ゴジラの遺伝子 - 後編　怪獣化する妖怪、妖怪化する怪獣], Media Arts Current Contents, [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]]</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Shīsāpenta |date=2015-01-07 |url= https://bookstand.webdoku.jp/cinema/review/202501/07134604.html |title=無観客！ 誰も観ない映画祭 第39回】『蛇娘と白髪魔』|website=BOOKSTAND ([[:ja:BOOKSTAND.TV|jp]])|access-date=2025-01-21}}</ref> Despite the restraints by the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]], which was led by [[Masaichi Nagata]] himself, the success of Daiei Film's own ''Gamera'' prompted non-[[Toho]] kaiju productions. This, and Masaichi's contributions in the launching of the below-mentioned The Japanese Film Export Promotion Association, encouraged the Japanese government to value [[kaiju]] and tokusatsu productions for exports,<ref name=Futaesaku /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /> and the "First Kaiju Boom" became a [[social phenomenon]] with notable influences on modern [[popular culture]]s in Japan.<ref name=Karasawa />  

[[Daiei Film]]'s objective was not to surpass the ''Godzilla'' franchise, but to coexist with it, and the ''Gamera'' franchise achieved differentiation from [[Toho]] productions, and gained popularity notably among children and rivaling Toho productions.<ref name=Karasawa>[[:ja:唐沢俊一|Shunichi Karasawa]], 14 April 2006, '' Gamera Genesis: Movie Director Noriaki Yuasa'', p.20, pp.64-67, p.79, p.83, pp.92-96, pp.111-113, p.124, p.135, p.143, p.219, pp.266-268, pp.273-274, pp.281-286, pp.291-292, pp.295-303, [[Enterbrain]]</ref><ref name=Yanagita />

While Gamera has been described as being a [[Dupes|rip-off]] of Godzilla by some authors,{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=178}}<ref name=deusner>{{cite news|last=Deusner|first=Stephen M.|author-link=Stephen Deusner|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/express/wp/2010/05/17/gamera-the-giant-monster-dvd-review/|title=Turtle Soup: 'Gamera, the Giant Monster'|date=17 May 2010|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Orr|first=Christopher|author-link=Christopher Orr (film critic)|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/05/why-you-should-watch-the-actual-original-godzilla/371389/|title=Why You Should Watch the (Actual) Original Godzilla|date=22 May 2014|work=The Atlantic|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> Godzilla films including later Showa films,<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Ryfle /><ref name=Scified />{{refn|The 1956 film ''[[Warning from Space]]'' might have influenced Toho productions such as ''[[Invasion of Astro-Monster]]'' and ''[[Gorath]]'',<ref name="dark">{{cite book|last=Derry|first=Charles|date=2009|title=Dark Dreams 2.0: A Psychological History of the Modern Horror Film from the 1950s to the 21st Century|page=78|location=Jefferson|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-3397-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=loUaJC9VBMUC&q=dark%20dreams%202.0&pg=PA78|access-date=28 April 2011}}</ref><ref name=Erickson>{{cite web |author= [[Glenn Erickson]] |date=2020-09-29 |title=Warning from Space |url=https://trailersfromhell.com/warning-from-space/ |website=[[Trailers From Hell]] |access-date=2025-01-18}}</ref> where its director [[Koji Shima]] is the uncle of [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and Yuasa participated in the film as an extra,<ref name=Invincible>Steven Sloss, 2021, [https://www.arrowfilms.com/blog/features/the-invincible-noriaki-yuasa/ The Invincible Noriaki Yuasa], [[Arrow Films]]</ref> and expertise and sound effects from ''Warning from Space'' were used for ''Gamera'' films. A script based on a scrapped ''Gamera'' film to feature both Gamera and Pairan was published on the book, which was advised by Yuasa and others,<ref name=OFS1995 /> and an extraterrestrial race based on Pairan appeared in the 1994 comic series ''Giant Monster Gamera''.<ref name=Kaneda />|group="note"}} ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' (1994),<ref name=Biodrowski /> ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995),<ref name=Biodrowski>Steve Biodrowski, 20 November 2004, [http://new.hollywoodgothique.com/godzilla-masaaki-tezuka-interview/ Godzilla Director Masaaki Tezuka Interview], Hollywood Gothique</ref> ''[[Godzilla 2000]]'' (1999),<ref name=Scified>G. H. (Gman), 15 March 2014, ''[https://www.scified.com/news/remember-when-godzilla-ripped-off-gamera Remember When Godzilla "Ripped Off" Gamera?]'', Scified</ref><ref name=Biodrowski /> ''[[Godzilla vs. Megaguirus]]'' (2000),<ref name=Scified /><ref>[[Toho]], 2000, ''SPECIAL EDITION ゴジラ×メガギラス―G消滅作戦'', 東宝SF特撮映画シリーズ, pp.10-12, "Main Staff Interview on [[Shōgo Tomiyama]]"</ref> ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]'' (GMK) (2001), ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'' (2016),<ref name=Ono2018 /> ''[[Godzilla Minus One]]'' (2023),<ref name=CinemaToday>{{Cite web |last=Mibu |first=Tomohiro |date=15 September 2023 |title=樋口真嗣、山崎貴監督と熱いゴジラトーク『ゴジラ-1.0』に期待と嫉妬「ゴジラ映画やれていいな」 |url=https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0139003 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230917072148/https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0139003 |archive-date=17 September 2023 |access-date=8 October 2023 |website=Cinema Today ([[:ja:シネマトゥデイ|jp]]) |language=ja}}</ref> and [[MonsterVerse]] series by [[Legendary Pictures]] have been pointed out to be influenced by Showa Gamera films and [[Shusuke Kaneko]]'s Heisei Gamera Trilogy and ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|GMK]]''.<ref name=Kinema>Sekiguchi Y., 2014, [[Kinema Junpo]], No.1666, p.48, ASIN B006CDA5BI</ref><ref name=Eiga>Eiga Hihō ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), July 2019 Special, 2019, p. 2 and p.8, Yosensha, ASIN B07RQ3VBFM</ref><ref>BANGER, 2019, [https://www.banger.jp/movie/11966/ ネタバレ全開！ 徹底解説『ゴジラ キング・オブ・モンスターズ』は「平成ガメラ」から「ストレンジャー・シングス」までオマージュだらけだ!!]</ref> Gamera was represented within a concept art of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'',<ref name=Bernstein /><ref name=Peters>Megan Peters, 4 June 2019, ''[https://comicbook.com/anime/news/godzilla-king-of-the-monsters-gigan-kumonga-gamera-art-book/ Godzilla: King of the Monsters Art Book Reveals Gigan, Classic Kaiju Designs]'', ComicBook.com</ref> and Kaneko himself acknowledges similarities between his films and MonsterVerse films<ref name=Kinema /><ref name=Eiga /> where the scrapped 2011 project ''Gamera 3D'' by [[Yoshimitsu Banno]] served as one of predecessors of the 2014 film ''[[Godzilla (2014 film)|Godzilla]]''.<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom /><ref name=Plan01>[https://web.archive.org/web/20101114022732/http://www.aap-inc.jp/plan01.html Plans01 of Advanced Audiovisual Productions Inc.]</ref> According to Jared Krichevsky, "Shimo" appeared in ''[[Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire]]'' was partially inspired by Barugon.<ref name=Krichevsky>Jared Krichevsky, 2 April 2024, [https://x.com/Monstermash042/status/1775311840895217890 i did try a version that was based on this one yes, it wasn't selected but it did lead to the final version of Shimo], X (Twitter)</ref> Shusuke Kaneko utilized some aspects of Showa Gamera and his Heisei Gamera trilogy for ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|GMK]]'' such as "[[submarine]] within kaiju's body" from ''[[Gamera vs. Jiger]]'', and Kaneko reused ideas which he originally wanted for the Heisei trilogy and its cancelled sequel(s).<ref name=Ono2018 />

[[Eiji Tsuburaya]]{{refn|[[#Productions|As below mentioned]], Tsuburaya had repeatedly associated with [[Masaichi Nagata]] and Daiei Film since 1930s, and Tsuburaya and Sadamasa Arikawa ([[:ja:有川貞昌|jp]]) and Shuzaburo Araki ([[:ja:荒木秀三郎|jp]]), known for ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and other Toho tokusatsu productions, originally intended to join Daiei Film in late 1940s.<ref name=TohoSF93>Toho SF Tokusatsu Series, 11 December 1993, ''Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II'', p.165, vl.8, Toho</ref><ref name=Godzilla60>Magazine House Mook, 22 July 2014, ''Godzilla 60: Complete Guide'', p.36, [[Magazine House]]</ref> Additionally,  [[#Participants|various members among Tsuburaya's coworkers and students]] from ''Godzilla'' and other productions later participated in ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'' and other Daiei productions.<ref name=Ui />|group="note"}} depicted [[Godzilla]] to be more heroic and to bleed in later Showa films despite disliking bleeding [[kaiju]], and having avoided this in previous Showa films due to his belief in [[Christianity]].<ref name=OFS1995 /> Later Showa Godzilla films featured more child-friendly aspects, introducing theme songs,{{refn|Particularly, the ''Kaiju March'' by [[Shinichi Sekizawa]] was influenced by the ''[[Gamera March]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラマーチ|ja]]) where Noriaki Yuasa and Sekizawa were students of [[Hiroshi Shimizu (director)|Hiroshi Shimizu]], and both favored child-friendly directions. Titles of these songs were also presumed references to the "Kaiju Daisenso March" by [[Akira Ifukube]] where Ifukube participated in ''[[The Whale God]]'' and the ''[[Daimajin]]'' franchise, and Ifukube's students such as Tadashi Yamanouchi ([[:ja:山内正|jp]]) worked for ''Gamera'' and other Daiei Film productions.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}} depicting kaiju as characters than monsters with increased scenes to zoom in on kaiju, increasing the number of scenes involving kaiju, and adding more fancifully designed kaiju. [[Yoshimitsu Banno]], who later planned to direct ''Gamera 3D'',<ref name=Joblo /> made Godzilla to fly{{refn|''Godzilla vs. Hedorah'' was Banno's debut as a film director, and Banno devised the idea for Godzilla to fly. However, [[Tomoyuki Tanaka]] was suddenly hospitalized when Banno was about to ask Tanaka to get permission of his idea. Therefore a chief director Kazuo Baba ([[:ja:馬場和夫|jp]]) was instead delegated, and Baba permitted Banno's idea. However, Tanaka was dissatisfied with both Banno and his idea, and Banno was left out from directing Toho tokusatsu films, where his next Godzilla film was also scrapped due to this.<ref>[[Dengeki Hobby Magazine]], 19 November 2014, ''Godzilla Toho Champions Festival Perfection'', pp.94–95, [[ASCII Media Works]], Kadokawa</ref>|group="note"}} in his ''[[Godzilla vs. Hedorah]]''.{{refn|The film was released a week after ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'' where both films focused on environmental affairs.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}<ref name=Yanagita>Rikao Yanagita ([[:ja:柳田理科雄|jp]]), 3 November 2021, [https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/9ee571e441d8d04aa97b8b04f5d82c749d15c8fc 『ゴジラ』公開から67年目の今日、考えたい。ゴジラとガメラが戦ったら、勝つのはどっちだ?], Yahoo! News ([[:ja:Yahoo!ニュース|jp]]), [[Yahoo! Japan Corporation]]</ref> These later Showa Godzilla films were presumably influenced by Gamera.<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=BraveGuide>[[ASCII Media Works]], 2006, ''Gamera the Brave Official Guide Book'', p.13, p.19, p.25, p.32, pp.36-38, pp.42-44, pp.50-57, pp.62-66</ref><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Scified /> <!--Tsuburaya often visited [[Keizō Murase]] during filming to discuss [[tokusatsu]] techniques and to advise Murase, although most of Tsuburaya's suggestions were not utilized due to budgetary problems.<ref name=Karasawa /> Murase's interview on p.291 was confusing that which of Godzilla or Gamera productions he was referring to.--> The creations of [[Minilla]] (a child-friendly son of Godzilla) and [[Kamoebas]] ([[:ja:カメーバ|jp]]), Toho's own turtle kaiju, were also possibly influenced by the ''Gamera'' franchise<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Ryfle>{{cite book |title=Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G |last=Ryfle |first=S. |year=1998 |publisher=[[ECW Press]] |isbn=1550223488 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/japansfavoritemo0000ryfl/page/139 139–43] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/japansfavoritemo0000ryfl/page/139 }}</ref> while Toto in the 2006 film ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' in return bears physical and conceptual similarities to Minilla, [[Godzilla Junior]] in the 1994 film ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', and ''[[Daigoro vs. Goliath]]'' by Toho and [[Tsuburaya Productions]].<ref name=Perfection /> While ''Gamera the Brave'' re-used the original script of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', which also affected productions of ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' ([[Toei Animation]]) and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'' ([[Tsuburaya Productions]]), the plot of the 2006 film was also influenced by the Heisei [[Mothra]] trilogy where crews such as Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]]) had participated in both productions.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=NEC>{{cite web |title= Works |url=https://nikkuri.co.jp/category/works/ |publisher=Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]]) |access-date=2024-12-14}}</ref>

[[Ishiro Honda]] highly praised the 1967 film ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'', pleasing [[Niisan Takahashi]] greatly and freeing him from his feeling of inferiority towards the ''Godzilla'' franchise, and Honda suggested Takahashi to work together in the future.<ref name=Fantasy /> There was a failed attempt to produce a ''[[Daimajin]]'' film involving Honda in 1980s,<ref>Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, 2017, ''Ishiro Honda: A Life in Film, from Godzilla to Kurosawa'', p.285, [[Wesleyan University Press]]</ref><ref name=Sloss>Steven Sloss, 2023, [https://www.arrowfilms.com/blog/features/idol-threat-daimajins-colossal-cultural-footprint/ Idol Threat: Daimajin's Colossal Cultural Footprint], [[Arrow Films]]</ref> and Takahashi later sent his script for the cancelled 1994 film, which later became the basis of the novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix'', to several [[tokusatsu]] film makers including Honda; however, despite Honda's encouragement, Takahashi's attempt failed to materialize.<ref name=Stuart>Galbraith IV, Stuart, 2020,  ''Gamera vs. Gyaos Audio Commentary'', 01:25:02, [[Arrow Video]]</ref><ref name=DaieiScripts />

During the production of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' in 1995, [[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]]), the founder of [[Tokuma Shoten]], expressed his interest in producing ''Godzilla vs. Gamera'' and proposed a [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] to Toho, however this attempt failed to materialize, and Yasuyoshi's death in 2000 and financial situation of Tokuma Shoten eventually resulted in the disposal of Daiei Film properties,<ref name=Nikkei /> along with the cancellation of "Gamera 4" due to box office results of the trilogy and limited revenues for the company caused by multiple factors,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> the destruction scenes of ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', and the planned plot of the scrapped sequel.<ref name=MWP /><ref name=Kaneda>Kenichiro Terasawa (as Masumi Kaneda) ([[:ja:金田益実|jp]]), 15 July 2024, [https://x.com/KanedaMasumi/status/1812547641424937247 徳間康快社長が平成ガメラ第1作発表会で突然「ゴジラ対ガメラも考えている」といったのは漫画の後書きに関連。], Twitter (X)</ref><ref name=MagMix>Tatsuji Nagano, 2 May 2023, [https://magmix.jp/post/153699/2 夢の対決「ゴジラvsガメラ」は実現するか? BS12で、『ゴジラ』『ガメラ』一挙放映], MAG MIX ([[:ja:メディア・ヴァーグ|jp]])</ref>

In 2002, [[Kadokawa Corporation|Kadokawa]] acquired the copyrights of Daiei Film properties from [[Tokuma Shoten]], and [[Kazuo Kuroi]] ([[:ja:黒井和男|jp]]) announced a [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] plan between Gamera and Godzilla, along with a plan to reboot ''[[Daimajin]]''.<ref name=Zakzak>ZAKZAK, 13 November 2002, [https://web.archive.org/web/20021114151942/http://www.zakzak.co.jp/top/t-2002_11/2t2002111304.html 角川大映、「ゴジラvsガメラ」製作へ - 「大魔神」のリメーク版も], FUJI Evening News ([[:ja:夕刊フジ|jp]])</ref> The company approached Toho to achieve it, however the latter turned down the offer and Kadokawa therefore produced ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' instead<ref name=Aiken /> as Toho temporary ceased Godzilla productions after ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]''{{refn|''Gamera the Brave'' Heisei [[Mothra]] trilogy (which affected ''Gamera the Brave'') and ''Godzilla: Final Wars'' share crews such as Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]]).<ref name=NEC /> |group="note"}}.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> Zedus, the main antagonist of the 2006 film was intentionally designed to resemble Toho monsters<ref name=Perfection /> such as [[Varan]]<ref name="HeiseiModels">[[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]), 1 September 2023, ''平成ガメラ造型写真集'', p.174, pp.198-202, pp.208-217, [[Hobby Japan]]</ref> and [[Gorosaurus]],<ref name=HeiseiModels /> [[TriStar Pictures]]' [[Zilla (Godzilla)|Godzilla]],{{sfn|Mamiya|2006|p=54}} and it notably resembles both Toho's Godzilla<ref name=BraveGuide /> and [[Jirahs]],<ref name=HeiseiModels /> the Godzilla-based kaiju from ''[[Ultraman (1966 TV series)|Ultraman]]''.{{refn|Both ''Gamera the Brave'' and the cancelled sequel of the 1998 film ''[[Godzilla (1998 film)|Godzilla]]'' by [[TriStar Pictures]] feature the titular monsters to be raised by human protagonists, and civilians protecting the titular monsters from military forces at the end of each respective film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.scifijapan.com/content/godzilla-2-story-treatment|title=Godzilla 2 Story Treatment|last=Murphy|first=Tab|work=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |date=19 October 1999|access-date=22 April 2021|archive-date=13 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210713222248/https://www.scifijapan.com/content/godzilla-2-story-treatment|url-status=live}}</ref> According to [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]), many of early designs of Zedus coincidentally resembled [[MUTO]] in [[MonsterVerse]] series by [[Legendary Pictures]] which made its debut in 2014.<ref name=HeiseiModels />|group="note"}} [[Shogo Tomiyama]] was aware of the demand for the crossover, however clarified it lacking merits for filmmakers.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brett Homenick |year=2021 |title=CARRYING ON GODZILLA'S LEGACY: Producer Shogo Tomiyama on Guiding the Godzilla Series into the New Millennium! |url=https://vantagepointinterviews.com/2021/05/19/carrying-on-godzillas-legacy-producer-shogo-tomiyama-on-guiding-the-godzilla-series-into-the-new-millennium/ |website=Vantage Point Interviews |access-date=2025-01-28}}</ref> Additionally, [[Shusuke Kaneko]] has also expressed his interest in producing a crossover.<ref>{{cite web|author=David Wilentz |year=2007 |title=Roman-Porno to Desu Noto - The Odyssey of Shusuke Kaneko |url=https://brooklynrail.org/2007/09/film/i-roman-porno-i-to-i-desu-noto-i-the-ody/ |website=[[The Brooklyn Rail]] |access-date=2025-01-19}}</ref>

In 2023, the [[Netflix]] series ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' was directed by [[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]) who previously directed the [[Godzilla (franchise)#Reiwa era (2016–present)|anime Godzilla trilogy]]. This time, Toho instead proposed an offer for a crossover due to a large number of requests from players of the mobile game ''Godzilla Battle Line'',<ref>Official Godzilla Channel, 1 September 2023, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByZ3qd942ss 第9回 ゴジバトサミット ～怪獣大進撃スペシャル～], at 50:40, Youtube</ref> and an official collaboration between the Netflix series and the mobile game was made where Seshita's incarnation of Godzilla was chosen for the key art, and Gamera and [[Gyaos]] ([[:ja:ギャオス|jp]]) and Guiron appeared in the game as playable characters, followed by Showa incarnations of Gamera and Gyaos.<ref name=ScifiJapan>[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]], [https://www.scifijapan.com/godzilla-toho/godzilla-vs-gamera-in-new-godzilla-battle-line-gamera-rebirth-collaboration Godzilla vs Gamera in New GODZILLA BATTLE LINE/GAMERA -Rebirth- Collaboration]</ref><ref>Godzilla Game Portal, 28 June 2024, [https://godzillagames.jp/battle_line/news/en/news/game/2024062801.html Part 2 of the GAMERA -Rebirth- Collab!]</ref><ref>Godzilla Battle Line Official X Account, 3 November 2024, [https://x.com/Gz_battleline/status/1852937426823725457 【ゴジバトサミット 速報】映画『大怪獣空中戦 ガメラ対ギャオス』より「#ガメラ(1967)」「#ギャオス(1967)」が11/5(火)よりゴジバトに参戦決定！], X (Twitter)</ref>

Additionally, Masaaki Tezuka ([[:ja:手塚昌明|jp]]) once suggested using Gamera instead of the aforementioned [[Kamoebas]] ([[:ja:カメーバ|jp]]) for the 2003 film ''[[Godzilla: Tokyo S.O.S.]]'',<ref>Dave Fuentes, 3 September 2015, [https://terrordaves.com/2015/09/03/masaaki-tezuka-the-proper-etiquette-for-accepting-a-godzilla-movie/ Masaaki Tezuka & the Proper Etiquette for Accepting a Godzilla movie!], Terror from Beyond the Dave</ref>{{refn|The novelization of [[Godzilla (franchise)#Reiwa era (2016–present)|anime Godzilla trilogy]] by [[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]), who later directed ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'', made a possible reference to both Kamoebas in the 2003 film and Gamera as the "Kamoebas IV" slain by Godzilla.<ref name=MonsterApocalypse />|group="note"}} and Gamera was at one point considered to appear in the 2007 video game ''[[Godzilla: Unleashed]]''. The 1999 video game ''Gamera Dream Battle'' was able to connect to ''Mothra Dream Battle'' in which [[Mothra]] and [[King Ghidorah]] appeared as playable characters.<ref name=IGN2022 />

Gamera's voice effect was used in ''[[Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah]]'',<ref name="Wong">{{cite book|last1=Wong|first1=Kin Yuen|title=World Weavers: Globalization, Science Fiction, and the Cybernetic Revolution|date=2005|publisher=Hong Kong University Press|location=Hong Kong|isbn=9789622097216|page=182|url=}}</ref> and Gamera was represented within a concept art of ''[[Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019 film)|Godzilla: King of the Monsters]]'',<ref name=Bernstein>Abby Bernstein, 2019, ''The Art of Godzilla: King of the Monsters'', p.11, Titan Books</ref><ref name=Peters /> and several Godzilla productions have presumed references to Gamera.<ref name=TheSeries>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/GodzillaTheSeries Characters / Godzilla: The Series]</ref><ref name=FinalWars>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/GodzillaFinalWars Film / Godzilla: Final Wars]</ref><ref name=MonsterApocalypse>Renji Ōki, 2017, ''GODZILLA: Monster Apocalypse'', pp.114–115, [[Kadokawa Corporation|Kadokawa]].</ref><ref name=Squires>John Squires, 13 March 2017, [https://bloody-disgusting.com/news/3428029/kong-skull-island-tease-future-gamera-movie/ Did 'Kong: Skull Island' Tease Future 'Gamera' Movie?], [[Bloody Disgusting]]</ref>

Gamera and Godzilla and other monsters from respective franchises co-appeared in several exoteric productions and events such as stage shows,<ref name=26Facts>{{cite web |author= |url=https://www.scifijapan.com/kaiju-monsters/shout-factory-tv-presents-gamera-marathon-26-gamera-facts |title=Shout! Factory TV Presents Gamera Marathon + 26 Gamera Facts |website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=2025-04-19}}</ref><ref>[[Haruo Nakajima]], 2010, ''怪獣人生 元祖ゴジラ俳優・中島春雄'', pp.173-176, Yosensha</ref><ref name=Koganemushi>Atelier Koganemushi, 22 December 2017, [https://x.com/AtelierGodziban/status/944025983224442881 21年前の懐かしい記念写真が見つかりました。], X (Twitter)</ref> a television show ([[:ja:ゴジラ・ガメラ・ウルトラマン!怪獣クイズだ大集合!!|jp]]), ''[[Dr. Slump]]'' and ''[[Dragon Ball]]'',{{sfn|Padula|2015|p=224–225}} ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref name=Simpsons /> ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'',{{refn|As below mentioned, Gamera and Gyaos and Daimajin made cameo appearances in ''Urusei Yatsura'' which also had influences on the productions of the Heisei Gamera trilogy,<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Visual /> and a minor crossover with ''[[Inuyasha]]'' was also made in ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari''.<ref name=Kyogoku />|group="note"}} ''[[Daicon III and IV Opening Animations]]'',{{refn|Later mentioned [[Hideaki Anno]] was involved in ''Daicon III'', and Daicon Films ([[Gainax]]) produced the 1985 [[fan film]] ''[[Yamata no Orochi no Gyakushū]]'', the first kaiju career of [[Shinji Higuchi]].|group="note"}} ''[[MegaTokyo]]'', ''[[City Shrouded in Shadow]]'',<ref name=Ono2018 /> ''[[Robot Chicken]]'',<ref name=RobotChicken>[https://www.behindthevoiceactors.com/characters/robot-chicken/ Robot Chicken Characters], Behind The Voice Actors</ref> ''The Slammie Brothers vs. Godzilla and Gamera'',<ref name=Noma /> and ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari''.<ref name="Kyogoku" /> Several franchises such as ''[[Dr. Slump]]'',<ref name="Gatchan">[[MyAnimeList]], [https://myanimelist.net/character/18063/Gajira_Norimaki Gajira "Gatchan" Norimaki]</ref> ''[[Case Closed|Detective Conan]]'',<ref name="Conan" /> ''[[Sailor Moon SuperS]]'',<ref name="Sailor">Sailor Moon Trivia, 13 December 2020, [https://x.com/sailortrivia/status/1337916254397616128 In episodes 141 & 143, "Gazulla" plays at the movie theater. The title character is a combination of kaijū Gamera and Godzilla.], Twitter (X)</ref> and ''Jumbo Monster GOMERA'' ([[:ja:バ怪獣 ゴメラ|jp]])<ref name=ITmedia /> have characters with the names "Gamera" and "Godzilla". In 2005, [[Shusuke Kaneko]] directed the 11th episode on ''[[Ultraman Max]]'', choosing to include a scene of children playing with toys of Gamera and Godzilla as a reference to the films he had directed in both franchises.{{refn|Kaneko received permission from both Kadokawa and [[Shōgo Tomiyama]] for this scene; however, due to copyright issues, the scene was removed from the DVD release.|group="note"}} [[Ayako Fujitani]] also made an appearance as a guest in the episode.<ref name=UltramanMax>[[Uchusen]], 30 October 2006, ''ウルトラマンマックス マックス!マックス!マックス!怪獣大画報'', pp.52-53, [[Tsuburaya Productions]], [[Asahi Sonorama]]'s Fantastic Collection</ref><ref>[[Uchusen]], 20 April 2006, ''Uchusen Year Book 2006'', p.58, [[Asahi Sonorama]]'s Sonorama Mook</ref><ref name=MagMixMax /><ref name=Visual /> On the other hand, Kaneko's attempt to make Gamera to appear in his live-film adaptation of ''[[Minna Agechau]]'' (1985), which includeds various vulgar references to classic characters such as [[Godzilla]], [[King Ghidorah]], Mother of Ultra]] ([[:ja:ウルトラの母|jp]]), ''[[Indiana Jones (character)|Indiana Jones]]'', and below-mentioned [[Bruce Lee]], however Tokuma Shoten turned down this.<ref name=UltramanMax />

The 1998 [[Shochiku]] film ''[[Daikaijū Tōkyō ni arawaru|Giant Monsters Appear in Tokyo]]'' represented off-screen appearances of two battling kaiju, the "jet-flying turtle appeared on [[Fukuoka]]" and the "80 meters tall, fire-breathing, bipedal, carnivorous dinosaur-like lizard appeared on the port of [[Tokyo Bay]]", clearly referencing Gamera in ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' and [[Godzilla]] in ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'' where several casts from the Heisei Gamera Trilogy such as [[Hirotarō Honda]] and [[Tomorowo Taguchi]] appeared in the film.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Noma>Norikazu Noma, Seinosuke Ito, Jinni Tohmon, 25 January 2001, ''ガメラ 完全化読本'', p.124, p.145, pp.160-164, p.191, [[Paradigm (publisher)|Paradigm]]</ref><ref>[http://home.f05.itscom.net/kota2/jmov/1999_04/990430.html 大怪獣東京に現わる]</ref>

===Productions===
{{see also|Five-Company Agreement|Keizō Murase}}
{{multiple image
 | width = 150
 | image1 = King Kong japanese poster 1.jpg
 | alt1 =
 | image2 = Genshikaijuarawaru poster.png
 | alt2 =
 | footer = Japanese posters of the re-released edition of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' in 1952 and ''[[The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]]'' in 1954 by Daiei Film. The former was the first [[post-war]] release of [[Monster movie|monster films]] in Japan.<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Ui>Hisayuki Ui, 1 January 1994, ''From Gamera to Daimajin: all of Daiei tokusatsu films'', p.27, pp.58-63, [[:ja:近代映画社|Kindaieigasha]]</ref>
}}

[[Daiei Film]] produced and [[Film distribution|distributed]] films that played major roles in forming [[tokusatsu]] and [[kaiju]] genre under [[Masaichi Nagata]], one of creators of Gamera.

Nagata's intentions made the company to distribute foreign films, such as [[Disney]] productions due to Masaichi's connections with [[Walt Disney]],<ref name=Ui /><ref>Isao Ogawa ([[:ja:小川功 (経営学者)|jp]]), June 2015, [https://cir.nii.ac.jp/crid/1050282677716756736?lang=en The Study of Fictitiousness in Theme Parks : True-False Discussion of Nara Dream Land from a Tourism-Sociological Viewpoint], The Hikone ronso, vol.404, pp.64-79, [[Shiga University]]</ref> and to produce innovative productions, resulting in the productions of the first post-war [[science fiction]] [[tokusatsu]] films in Japan; ''Rainbow Man'' ([[:ja:虹男|jp]]) and ''[[The Invisible Man Appears]]'' in 1949. [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], who had repeatedly associated with Masaichi Nagata since early 1930s,{{refn|In 1930, Masaichi Nagata from [[Nikkatsu]] suggested Eiji Tsuburaya and [[Minoru Inuzuka]] from [[Shochiku]] to Nikkatsu. However, they eventually quitted Nikkatsu due to various troubles. In 1948, Nagata from Daiei Film again approached Tsuburaya, who was exiled from [[Toho]] due to the [[Purge (occupied Japan)|purge]]. and suggested that if it goes well, Tsuburaya will be able to join Daiei Film.<ref name=Cercle />|group="note"}} and Sadamasa Arikawa ([[:ja:有川貞昌|jp]]) and Shuzaburo Araki ([[:ja:荒木秀三郎|jp]]) participated in these and other Daiei productions before the signing of the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] in 1953 (which was also led by Masaichi),{{refn|Tsuburaya's other Daiei careers include ''Kakute kamikaze wa fuku'' in 1944, ''Ikeru Isu'' in 1945, ''Ghost Train'' in 1949, and so on.|group="note"}} and they intended to join Daiei Film with the 1949 films after Tsuburaya's exile from [[Toho]] because of the 1948 [[Purge (occupied Japan)|purge]] due to his involvements in war [[propaganda]]s, and Arikawa and Araki's voluntary resignations after [[Toho strikes]]. However, Tsuburaya was rather dissatisfied with the tokusatsu production (or effects) in ''The Invisible Man Appears'' (or their attempts to join the company didn't materialize), and eventually didn't join Daiei Film. Tsuburaya and Arikawa and Araki later participated in ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and various other Toho tokusatsu productions.<ref name=Ui /><ref name=TohoSF93 /><ref name=Godzilla60 /> The 2020 biopic ''[[Nezura 1964]]'' ambiguously portrayed Tsuburaya's association with Daiei Film before ''Gamera''.<ref name=Furuya>{{Cite web|title=古谷敏インタビュー|url=https://www.nezura1964.com/news-11|access-date=2021-05-09|website=映画『ネズラ1964』公式サイト|language=ja|archive-date=2023-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230316212212/https://www.nezura1964.com/news-11|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Daiei Film, along with its own productions of various tokusatsu films, including Gamera-related ''[[Warning from Space]]'' (1956) and the first Daiei kaiju film ''[[The Whale God]]'' (1962), also distributed the re-released edition of ''[[King Kong (1933 film)|King Kong]]'' in 1952, making it the first [[post-war]] release of monster movies in Japan, and also distributed ''[[The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms]]'' in Japan in 1954, and these presumably influenced the productions of the 1954 film ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' by [[Toho]] and Daiei Film's own tokusatsu productions including the ''Gamera'' franchise.{{refn|The term "appear" (現わる, ''arawaru'') were repeatedly used by Daiei Film at that time, for the Japanese title of The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms and aforementioned ''[[The Invisible Man Appears]]'' and ''[[Warning from Space]]''.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Ui />

The [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] led by [[Masaichi Nagata]] prevented other companies from easily chasing after the success of Toho, and the ''Godzilla'' franchise didn't have notable competitors until the ''Gamera'' franchise; the agreement ironically made Daiei Film's own ''Dagora'' and ''[[Nezura]]'' to fail by using live animals ([[octopus]]es and [[rat]]s) to avoid the Toho-style, and Daiei Film changed the direction for ''Gamera, the Giant Monster''. As below mentioned, non-Toho kaiju productions suddenly increased after Daiei's ''[[The Whale God]]'' and early Gamera films, which were produced under Masaichi Nagata, and the aforementioned the "First Kaiju Boom" ([[:ja:第一次怪獣ブーム|jp]]) became an influential [[social phenomenon]] among [[post-war]] Japanese [[popular culture]]s.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Ono2018 />

Due to the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]], other companies, including Masaichi's Daiei Film itself, could not "openly" use [[tokusatsu]] techniques and staffs and actors of [[Toho]]. However, according to [[Keizō Murase]], [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s teams were secretly appointed for ''[[Gappa: The Triphibian Monster]]'' by [[Nikkatsu]] and ''[[The X from Outer Space]]'' by [[Shochiku]],{{refn|Eiji Tsuburaya and [[Minoru Inuzuka]] once joined Nikkatsu due to the invitation from [[Masaichi Nagata]], when they were in Shochiku.<ref name=Cercle />}} and other subsequent productions, and Toho's techniques were secretly used in these films. For ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'', some crews who had previously participated in ''[[Godzilla (1954 film)|Godzilla]]'' and other Toho kaiju films{{refn|Such as [[Keizō Murase]], Masao Yagi ([[:ja:八木正夫|jp]]), Fuminori Ohashi ([[:ja:大橋史典|jp]]), Toru Suzuki ([[:ja:鈴木昶|jp]]), and Michio Mikami ([[:ja:三上陸男|jp]]).|group="note"}} joined its production despite the agreement, and [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] gave a tacit approval to their actions. However, while there had been suggestions to seek Tsuburaya's help, even by an executive who is a friend of the father of Yonejiro Saito ([[:ja:斉藤米二郎|jp]]) and Tsuburaya,<ref name=Treasured /> filmmakers intentionally avoided receiving any technological assistances from Tsuburaya for the ''Gamera'' franchise to differentiate their productions from Toho, and produced ''Gamera'' and other tokusatsu films without Toho-based techniques, choices of materials, direction, and so on.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Karasawa />

Successes of ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'' and ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'' resulted in sudden increases of non-Toho kaiju productions, such as afroementioned ''[[Gappa: The Triphibian Monster]]'' and ''[[The X from Outer Space]]''.<ref name=Karasawa /> Film makers were suspicious of Tsuburaya's involvements to these non-Daiei productions{{refn|Aside from Tsuburaya, Fuminori Ohashi ([[:ja:大橋史典|jp]]), who has participated in various Daiei Film tokusatsu productions, and [[Shinichi Sekizawa]] participated in ''[[Giant Phantom Monster Agon]]'' by [[Nippon Television]], and Toho withdrew a complaint against the tv series regarding close resemblances of Godzilla and Agon the titular monster, due to the involvements of the two. Agon was presumably a reused idea of the kaiju Aron from ''[[Ambassador Magma]]'' by Ohashi himself; these two productions involved Sekizawa and Ohashi and Tomio Sagisu ([[:ja:うしおそうじ|jp]]) and others, who had direct and indirect connections with ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' and ''[[The Whale God]]'' and other Daiei Film productions.<ref>TV Magazine ([[:ja:テレビマガジン|jp]]), 25 September 1988, ''TV Magazine Special Edition: Gigantic Hero Complete Works'', p.224, [[Kodansha]]</ref><ref>[http://park8.wakwak.com/~tokusatsu/agon.htm アゴン]</ref>|group="note"}} despite the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] because of sudden increases in non-Toho kaiju productions after Gamera films, despite the only non-Toho [[tokusatsu]] film of that time before the 1965 Gamera film to feature gigantic creature was [[Daiei Film]]'s ''[[The Whale God]]'' (''Killer Whale'') in 1962.<ref name=Karasawa />{{refn|''[[The Whale God]]'' was written by [[Kōichirō Uno]], and ''[[Kōichirō Uno's Wet and Swinging]]'' was the first career of [[Shusuke Kaneko]] as a film director.<ref name=Ono2018>Shuntaro Ono ([[:ja:小野俊太郎|jp]]), 28 December 2018, ''[[Geistesgeschichte]] of Gamera: From Showa to Heisei'', pp.8-9, pp.11-14, pp.21-23, p.29, p.41, p.43, p.78, pp.97-98, p.112, pp.115-126, p.140, p.190-193, pp.196-197, p.199-205, p.207-208, p.218, pp.221-222, Takanashi Shobou ([[:ja:小鳥遊書房|jp]])</ref> Fuminori Ohashi ([[:ja:大橋史典|jp]]) and Ryosaku Takayama ([[:ja:高山良策|jp]]) co-participated in ''The Whale God'', and Ohashi lessoned Takayama for [[Tsuburaya Productions]]'s ''[[Ultra Q]]'' after ''The Whale God''.<ref>[[Kodansha]], 1988, ''テレビマガジン特別編集 巨大ヒーロー大全集 (TV Magazine Special Edition: Giant Heroes Compendium)'', p.224</ref>|group="note"}}{{refn|''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' had presumably tried to insert a reference to the 1962 film for Gamera to briefly interact with a cow-calf pair of [[North Pacific right whale]]s.<ref name=Perfection /> Additionally, the 1995 book, in which [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and [[Niisan Takahashi]] and Masao Yagi ([[:ja:八木正夫|jp]]) participated, features a scenario based on a scrapped film due to the bankruptcy of Daiei Film for Gamera and Whale God along with [[Warning from Space|Pairan]] and [[Nezura]] and some resurrected kaiju to protect the Earth.<ref name=OFS1995 />|group="note"}}

[[Masaichi Nagata]]'s intentions to save the domestic film industry and to export "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" productions for global markets also influenced the castings of later Showa ''Gamera'' films. Involvements of foreign cast members and enhanced childish direction began in ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' due to requests from global buyers, because of governmental attempt to acquire foreign currencies<ref name=Futaesaku>Masamitsu Futaesaku, February 11, 2023, [https://news.yahoo.co.jp/expert/articles/91110ba8b3b98f4ce0b63db01be51948d87b055d 【なぜゴジラやガメラはアメリカで支持された？】日本の怪獣映画が受け入れられた知られざる背景とは？], Yahoo! News ([[:ja:Yahoo!ニュース|jp]]), [[Yahoo! Japan Corporation]]</ref> and to support struggling Japanese film industries of that time, partially due to the recession of Japanese economy and the prosperity of [[television]] including Tsuburaya's ''[[Ultraman]]''<ref name=Denner /> by increasing film exports to global market;<ref name=Fantasy /> ironically [[#History|the success of the ''Gamera'' franchise indirectly contributed in this situation]] and the arise of the "Yokai Boom" for cost-effectiveness.<ref name=Ono2018 /> {{Nihongo|The Japanese Film Export Promotion Association|日本映画輸出振興協会|Nihon Eiga Yusyutsu Shinkō Kyōkai|lead=yes}} was established, and ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'' obtained a loan from the association.<ref name=Fantasy /> The establishment of the association was largely influenced by Masaichi, who was also entitled the '''''Fixer of the political world''''' and had connections with political circles,<ref name=IGN2022 /> and the subsequent kaiju and tokusatsu films, not only ''Gamera vs. Gyaos'' and ''Wrath of Daimajin'' and other Daiei Film productions, but also others such as aforementioned ''[[Gappa: The Triphibian Monster]]'' and ''[[The X from Outer Space]]'' by [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s team, obtained tax-based loans from the association.<ref name=Tanigawa>Takeshi Tanigawa, August 2014, 海外輸出向けコンテンツとしての怪獣映画と日本映画輸出振興協会（輸振協）の活用, [[International Research Center for Japanese Studies]]</ref><ref name=Cercle>{{cite web |author=Kazuyuki Suzuki |date=2024-03-01 |title=日本映画輸出振興協会 怪獣映画製作に税金が使われた時代 |url=http://www.cercle.co.jp/blogs/?p=1028 |website=Cercle |access-date=2024-12-20}}</ref>

Showa Gamera films, especially since ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'', were intended to appeal to children. This was to deal with budgetary problems and the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] to differentiate from the ''Godzilla'' franchise. Due to the agreement and the direction to differentiate from Toho, Gamera's characteristics such as to [[fire-breathing monster|breathe traditional non-atomic fire]], occasional [[quadrupedalism]] along with his foes and brutal and animalistic fight scenes,{{refn|Showa Gamera films intentionally featured quadruped antagonists; Barugon, Guiron, and Jiger.<ref name=Treasured /> Noriaki Yuasa also prioritized these aspects to not to personify monsters easily.<ref name=YuasaInterview />|group="note"}} his personality as both a friendly creature and a hero rather than [[Godzilla]]'s theme to represent a "[[Shinto#Kami|god of destruction]]",{{refn|Filmmakers paid attentions to zoom in on Gamera to feature as a character with personality, and his roars were designed to emotional with several variations to depict his emotions.<ref name=Treasured /> During the production of the 1965 film, [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and others "became fond of" Gamera, therefore they decided not to kill him and developed a friendly side of him. A number of crews and audiences initially did not favor the idea of Gamera becoming a hero, as [[kaiju]] were generally regarded to be fearsome beings at that time.<ref name=BraveGuide />|group="note"}} Material choices for suits and miniature models were devised to avoid duplicates with the Toho productions. Plots of Showa Gamera films intentionally avoided to focus on "standards" of kaiju films by Toho, such as [[Japan Self-Defense Forces|the JSDF]] and other military forces, weapons, scientific explanations, destructions of urban areas, and so on. Instead, subsequent films since ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' featured simple, childish, and eccentric plots for young audiences.{{refn|Filmmakers focused on how not to bore child audiences, and scenes depicting Gamera performing bizarre behaviors such as [[Horizontal bar|acrobatic]] (due to the popurarity of the [[1964 Summer Olympics]]<ref name=YuasaInterview />) and musical acts, and [[Everyday life|daily life]] of people, such as having [[meal]]s, were also inserted to attract attentions of children.<ref name=Karasawa />|group="note"}} In the films, children play significant roles with the eccentric ideas presented, and children, unlike adults, always believe in Gamera,<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=OFS1995 /> partially due to [[Noriaki Yuasa]]'s [[antithesis]] against war and political [[propaganda]]s and [[nationalism]].<ref name=YuasaInterview /> This direction was initially decided because a number of children watching ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]''{{refn|The only Showa Gamera film being not directed by Noriaki Yuasa, and the only Showa film not specifically involving children.|group="note"}} got bored with the plot and left their seats,<ref name=IGN2022 /> and also to deal with drastically decreased budgets due to the financial situation of Daiei Film; the budget of ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' was ¥24 million compared to budgets of ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'' (¥80 million) and ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'' (¥60 million), with limitations of further elements such as designs and abilities of monsters, amounts of [[special effect]]s, destructions of urban areas, limited locations,<ref name=Denner>{{cite web |author=Elwood Red Denner |date=2025-01-20 |title=Gamera - Celebrating 60 Years of the Kaiju Genre's Invisible Hand |url=https://kaijuunited.com/2025/01/20/gamera-celebrating-60-years-of-the-kaiju-genres-invisible-hand/ |website=Kaiju United |access-date=2025-01-22}}</ref> and so on.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Treasured /> Yuasa and others didn't intend to make ''Gamera'' films to be "good in quality", but being "good in performances", by appealing to young audiences for additional revenues.{{refn|Unlike today where sales of video and DVD also contribute, theater attendances were more important at that time, therefore child-friendly films were effective to attract additional audiences (accompanying adults), and margins between tickets for children and adults were recoverable with sales of merchandise and snacks and drinks.<ref name=Karasawa />|group="note"}}

On the other hand, a number of new tokusatsu expertise were obtained through productions of Showa Gamera films to compensate for lack of resources and avoiding Toho-based techniques and materials,<ref name=Treasured /> however those were lost due to the bankruptcy of the company and influenced the production of the Heisei trilogy; expertise from the ''Ultraman'' franchise, most notably ''[[Ultraman 80]]'' in which Noriaki Yuasa participated in as one of directors, were instead used for the production of the trilogy.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

As below mentioned, declined public recognition of the franchise due to repeated hiatuses in productions and limited marketing and media attentions,<ref name=Perfection /> along with misconceptions among new audience segments, such as Gamera being a cheap, "corny", and inferior imitation of Godzilla and Gamera belonging to the Toho franchise, might have negatively affected box office results of the post-Daiei productions by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and [[Kadokawa Corporation]].<ref name=Vanishing /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> Additionally, negative reactions by global audiences towards the franchise in comparison to the Toho franchise were also presumably influenced by the ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

[[Shusuke Kaneko]], and [[Shinji Higuchi]], who have previously participated in ''[[The Return of Godzilla]]'', respectively directed ''GMK'' and ''Shin Godzilla''<ref name=Ono2018 /> where Kaneko and [[Kazunori Ito]] originally wanted to take the 1992 film ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' (the relationship between [[Mothra]] and Shobijin ([[:ja:小美人|jp]]) might have influenced the depictions of Gamera and Asagi Kusanagi in the Heisei Gamera trilogy),<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=GMK /> however Kaneko and Ito and Higuchi's preferences of ''Godzilla'' and other Toho productions, along with their disfavor of Showa Gamera and dissatisfactions for the Heisei Godzilla continuity, resulted in [[#Influences of the Heisei Trilogy|controversial outcomes of the Heisei trilogy]].<ref name=Perfection />

===Distributions and releases===
One of factors restricting revenues from Daiei Film productions was the company's weak distribution system including limited theater chains; releases of Daiei Film productions relied on movie theatres by [[Toho]], [[Shochiku]], and [[Toei Company]]. Daiei Film later launched the {{Nihongo|Daiei Industrial Enterprise Co.,Ltd.|大映興業株式会社|Daiei Kōgyō Kabushiki Gaisha|lead=yes}} to gain directly managing movie theaters, however the attempt failed as feasible properties were already acquired by other companies, further accelerating financial difficulties of Daiei Film. The deterioration of the company including its distribution system was partially caused by rather prodigal operations by [[Masaichi Nagata]]; his extensive achievements, including the prosperity of "[[kaiju]]" and "[[tokusatsu]]" genres aimed for global markets,<ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> granted him the title '''''"Father of Japanese film industry"''''', however his career ironically formed a dictatorial company culture which even restricted executives, and [[Noriaki Yuasa]] described [[Hidemasa Nagata]] being "too artistic" to run a company. On the other hand, it was also Masaichi who pushed ahead to produce ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'', and Masaichi's authority rather compulsively overturned overall negative pre-release reviews of the 1965 film within Daiei Film as he complimented it, and the first Gamera film indeed succussed where even Yuasa anticipated it to fail since the beginning and couldn't understand why it didn't flop.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview />

Ever since ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'', the last film by Daiei Film, was distributed by [[Dainichi Eihai]] for financial reasons,<ref name=OFS1995 /> Daiei Film productions by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and [[Kadokawa Corporation]] have always relied on other companies to distribute, restricting revenues.<ref name=IGN2022 /> The Heisei trilogy was distributed by [[Toho]] as Daiei Film lost its theater chains after its bankruptcy. However, the trilogy was distributed by Toho Western Films unlike ''Godzilla'' films, and the number of movie theatres for the trilogy was much smaller than ''Godzilla'' films, further reducing potential box office results.{{refn|As aforementioned, the Heisei Gamera trilogy was presumably aimed to avoid a direct competition against the Heisei Godzilla continuity, which was originally supposed to end with ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]''.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Gakken93 />|group="note"}}<ref name=Shiraishi>[[:ja:白石雅彦|Masahiko Shiraishi]], [[Shōgo Tomiyama]], 20 January 2003, ''Heisei Godzilla Encyclopedia'', "Godzilla vs. Space Godzilla: close encounter Godzilla vs. Gamera !?", pp.256-257, [[Futabasha]]</ref> However, [[Shōgo Tomiyama]] noted that he did not perceive the ''Gamera'' franchise as a rival, but was instead happy to see its revival along with the ''Godzilla'' franchise which was the sole support the kaiju genre received for years.<ref>[[Hobby Japan]], 19 December 2017, ''Godzilla vs. Destoroyah Completion'', "Staff interview - Shōgo Tomiyama", p.86,</ref> Filming of ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' was also affected by the 1994 film ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' as both films were filmed in [[Fukuoka]].<ref name=Shiraishi />

Global distributions of videos of the franchise was also affected by the ''Godzilla'' franchise. For financial reasons, [[Daiei Film]] avoided the market in the [[United States]] and instead focused more on [[Europe|European countries]] to decrease competition with Toho productions. Foreign cast members became increasingly well-represented due to requests from European buyers; however, these buyers also requested to avoid hiring [[black people|black]] cast members. Daiei Film obliged, though some criticized Daiei Film for this decision.<ref name=Karasawa /> On the other hand, its increasingly childish direction along with involving foreign cast members were also prompted by the Japanese Film Export Promotion Association under the Japanese government where Daiei Film's [[Masaichi Nagata]] contributed in its establishment, and governmental policy to export tokusatsu films to the global market also boosted serializations of ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'' franchises.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Fantasy /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Cercle /><ref name=Futaesaku /> ''Gamera'' franchise's child-friendly directions, limited productions, and much smaller global expansions than the ''Godzilla'' franchise, presumably restricted public recognition of the Daiei franchise and established inferior public impressions on it globally to the Toho productions.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

After the bankruptcy of Daiei Film, the franchise increased its efforts avoid direct competition against the ''Godzilla'' franchise, including the Heisei trilogy,{{refn|The Heisei Godzilla continuity was originally scheduled to end with ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]'' in 1993,<ref name=Gakken93>ゴジラ大百科, 1993, p. 96, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama - Future of Godzilla films", [[Gakken]]</ref> corresponding with the timing of launch of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''.<ref name=Perfection /> The Godzilla continuity was further continued up to ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' (1995) due to the postponement of the [[Godzilla (1998 film)|American film]] by [[TriStar Pictures]].<ref>[[Hobby Japan]], 31 March 2021, ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]] Completion'', pp. 76–77, "Interview on Shōgo Tomiyama", ISBN 9784798624631</ref>|group="note"}} and ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' by [[Tokuma Shoten]] and ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' by [[Kadokawa Corporation|Kadokawa]] were released in 1980 and 2006 respectively because Toho temporary ceased producing Godzilla films due to declined box office results.{{refn|Box office results of ''Gamera: Super Monster'' and ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' and ''Gamera the Brave'' might have been negatively affected by the timings of their releases when the popularity of kaiju genre itself stagnated.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=Vanishing />|group="note"}}<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> While the franchise was not rebooted after the 1980 film,<ref name=Ui /> there also existed scrapped projects in early 1990s prior to the Heisei trilogy{{refn|A [[Direct-to-video#OVA and V-Cinema in Japan|V-cinema]] project in 1991, and [[Niisan Takahashi]]'s script which was later redeveloped as the 1995 novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=DaieiScripts />|group="note"}}, where the Heisei Godzilla continuity had been continuously developed since ''[[Godzilla vs. Biollante]]'' (1989).<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> After the commercial failure of the 2006 film, which was originally launched as a proposal for a crossover with Godzilla in 2002,<ref name=Aiken /> Kadokawa [[#Influences of the Heisei Trilogy|cancelled various projects]], including reboot attempt(s) in 2010s,<ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=ANN /><ref name=Nezura1964>{{cite web|author=Keith Aiken |url=https://www.scifijapan.com/kaiju-monsters/nezura-1964-exclusive-first-look-at-concept-art-for-new-kaiju-movie|title=NEZURA 1964 -- Exclusive First Look At Concept Art For New Kaiju Movie!|website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=2024-12-09}}</ref> and instead released a short film for the 50th anniversary of the franchise in 2015;<ref name=WebNewType /> [[MonsterVerse]] by [[Legendary Pictures]] (which was at one point a Gamera project ''Gamera 3D''<ref name=THKingdom />) began in 2014, and subsequent Godzilla productions were continuously developed among theatrical releases and [[streaming media]]. ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'' and [[Godzilla (franchise)#Reiwa era (2016–present)|anime Godzilla trilogy]] were directed by filmmakers who have either previously or subsequently participated in Gamera productions.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=ScifiJapan /> ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' was released on [[Netflix]] in 2023 after ''[[Godzilla Singular Point]]'' in 2021. ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'', ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', and ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' were also released during "winters" of the kaiju genre when the popularity of ''Godzilla'' productions were also declining.<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide />

===Participants===
While [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] and Sadamasa Arikawa ([[:ja:有川貞昌|jp]]) and Shuzaburo Araki ([[:ja:荒木秀三郎|jp]]) eventually didn't join Daiei Film, a number of Tsuburaya's coworkers and students, who had previously participated in ''[[Godzilla]]'' and various other Toho productions, participated in ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'' and other Daiei productions,<ref name=Ui /> and a number of staffs involved in ''Gamera'' productions later participated in various ''Godzilla'' and ''[[Ultraman]]'' productions, including ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'' (and ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'') reusing the same early script for ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''.<ref name=Perfection />

A number of crews and filmmakers,{{refn|Such as [[Noriaki Yuasa]], [[Shusuke Kaneko]], [[Shinji Higuchi]], [[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]), [[Keizō Murase]], [[Akira Ifukube]], [[Shunsuke Kikuchi]], Fuminori Ohashi ([[:ja:大橋史典|jp]]), Ryosaku Takayama ([[:ja:高山良策|jp]]), Toshio Miike ([[:ja:三池敏夫|jp]]), Michio Mikami ([[:ja:三上陸男|jp]]), Toru Suzuki ([[:ja:鈴木昶|jp]]), Makoto Kamiya ([[:ja:神谷誠|jp]]), Eizo Kaimai ([[:ja:開米栄三|jp]]), Toru Matoba ([[:ja:的場徹|jp]]), [[Yoshiyuki Kuroda]], [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) and other crews from the Heisei Gamera trilogy, Isao Kaneko, Shinichi Wakasa ([[:ja:若狭新一|jp]]), Ex Productions ([[:ja:エキスプロダクション|jp]]), Monsters ([[:ja:モンスターズ (製作会社)|jp]]), Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]]),<ref name=NEC /> HIRUMA MODEL CRAFT Production ([[:ja:ヒルマモデルクラフト|jp]]),<ref name=Tomoi /> and so on. Additionally, [[Yonesaburo Tsukiji]] and Yoshio Watanabe ([[:ja:渡辺善夫|jp]]) were also [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s students.|group="note"}} actors, voice actors, [[Extra (acting)|extras]], and [[suit actor]]s{{refn|Such as Eizo Kaimai ([[:ja:開米栄三|jp]]), [[Hurricane Ryu]], Teruo Aragaki ([[:ja:荒垣輝雄|jp]]), Umenosuke Izumi ([[:ja:泉梅之助|jp]]), [[Hirofumi Fukuzawa]], Toshinori Sasaki ([[:ja:佐々木俊宜|jp]]), Tomohiko Akiyama ([[:ja:秋山智彦|jp]]), Masaki Onishi ([[:ja:大西雅樹|jp]]), [[Mizuho Yoshida]], [[Toru Kawai]], and [[Akira Ohashi]].|group="note"}} have participated in both and related franchises (including other Tsuburaya works).<ref name=MangaBoys /><ref name=HurricaneRyu /> [[Keizō Murase]] and Masao Yagi ([[:ja:八木正夫|jp]]){{refn|His father Kanju and uncle Yasuei participated in various Godzilla and [[Mothra]] films.<ref name=HobbyJapanMook /><ref>[https://moviewalker.jp/person/287164/ 八木勘寿の映画作品]</ref><ref>[https://moviewalker.jp/person/287163/ 八木康栄の映画作品]</ref><ref>[https://mykaiju.com/the-yagi-brothers/ The Yagi Brothers]</ref> Masao's sons Tsutomu ([[:ja:八木功|jp]]) and Hiroshi have also participated in the Ex Productions ([[:ja:エキスプロダクション|jp]]) and Gamera and Godzilla productions.<ref>Media Arts Current Contents, March 2014, [https://mediag.bunka.go.jp/projects/project/tokusatsu-2014.pdf 日本特撮に関する調査], [[Mori Building Company]] and [[Agency for Cultural Affairs]]</ref>|group="note"}} and Toru Suzuki ([[:ja:鈴木昶|jp]]) and Michio Mikami ([[:ja:三上陸男|jp]]), who have previously participated in ''Godzilla'' and other Toho kaiju films and worked with [[Eiji Tsuburaya]], and Akira Takahashi ([[:ja:高橋章|jp]]) and Nori Maezawa ([[:ja:前澤範|jp]]) founded the tokusatsu modelling company the Ex Productions ([[:ja:エキスプロダクション|jp]]) after ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]''. Murase also founded another tokusatsu related company called 20Twenty ([[:ja:ツエニー|jp]]) afterward.{{refn|Keizō Murase's sons Fumitsugu and Naoto have also participated in the 20Twenty, and Fumitsugu later founded another tokusatsu company named Frees.<ref>Frees Inc., [https://www.frees.shop/company.html 会社概要]</ref>|group="note"}} These companies contributed in various tokusatsu productions including ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'', and non-Daiei franchises by Tsuburaya such as ''[[Godzilla (franchise)|Godzilla]]'' and its related ''[[Zone Fighter]]'', ''[[Ultraman]]'', ''[[Kamen Rider]]'',{{refn|There exist [[Ultraman vs. Kamen Rider|several crossovers between ''Ultraman'' and ''Kamen Rider'']]([[:ja:ウルトラマンVS仮面ライダー|jp]])([[:ja:スーパー特撮大戦2001|jp]]), including a puppet show which involved Gamera.<ref name=Koganemushi />|group="note"}} and so on.<ref name=HobbyJapanMook>Hobby Japan Mook, 28 March 2016, ''[[Uchusen]] Extra Volume: Kamen Rider Kaijin Daigahō 2016'', "Masao Yagi and the Ex Productions", p.53, [[Hobby Japan]]</ref>

===P Productions===
As aforementioned, there have been [[#Conception|contradicting theories regards the original conceptor of Gamera]] where even [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and [[Niisan Takahashi]] and Yonejiro Saito ([[:ja:斉藤米二郎|jp]]) weren't truly aware of. Tomio Sagisu ([[:ja:うしおそうじ|jp]]), a student of [[Eiji Tsuburaya]] and the founder of [[P Productions]], had repeatedly participated in Daiei Film productions most notably ''[[The Whale God]]'' and ''Buddha'' ([[:ja:釈迦 (映画)|jp]]). Sagisu claimed that his 1962 demo reel{{refn|About "a giant, monstrous turtle which flies by emitting flames from its retracted limbs".|group="note"}} for the project ''STOP Series'', could be the original idea of Daiei's Gamera. Sagisu initially showed the demo reel to Eiji Tsuburaya, and [[Toho]] paid attention to it, and the company later brought the project to [[Fuji Television]], however ''STOP Series'' was eventually cancelled. Later, Sagisu instead brought the reel to Daiei Film to launch a project, and believed that this eventually became the prototype of Gamera. Sagisu once inquired [[Yonesaburo Tsukiji]], another student of Tsuburaya and participated in both ''[[Nezura]]'' and ''Gamera'', however Tsukiji didn't agree with Sagisu's claim and instead noted [[Hidemasa Nagata]] as the inventor.<ref name=Ushio />

There is also a testimony about the development of Gamera by the designer Akira Inoue ([[:ja:井上章|jp]]), which might not entirely correspond with Sagisu's claim; Inoue designed over 50 different designs of Gamera for the 1965 film, including drastically different ones from the final version, such as a limb-less monster to crawl on the ground like a centipede.<ref name=Ui />

Despite this, [[P Productions]] and Daiei Film retained a tie and shared various crews{{refn|Such as [[Noriaki Yuasa]], [[Niisan Takahashi]], [[Shunsuke Kikuchi]], [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]), Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]]),<ref name=NEC /> HIRUMA MODEL CRAFT Production ([[:ja:ヒルマモデルクラフト|jp]]), Fuminori Ohashi ([[:ja:大橋史典|jp]]), Ryosaku Takayama ([[:ja:高山良策|jp]]), Yoshio Watanabe ([[:ja:渡辺善夫|jp]]), Eizo Kaimai ([[:ja:開米栄三|jp]]), Toru Matoba ([[:ja:的場徹|jp]]), Tamotsu Taga, and so on.|group="note"}} where [[Eiji Tsuburaya]]'s co-woker and student from Daiei Film, Ryosaku Takayama ([[:ja:高山良策|jp]]) and Yoshio Watanabe ([[:ja:渡辺善夫|jp]]), were two of founders of P Productions. Additionally, Shinsuke Kojima ([[:ja:小嶋伸介|jp]]) and Tamotsu Taga and others abandoned Daiei Film, which was already at the brink of bankruptcy, and joined P Production after the failure and aftermaths of ''[[Nezura]]''.<ref name=Tajima /> Crews of ''Gamera'' and other Daiei productions including [[Noriaki Yuasa]] later participated in projects by P Productions{{refn|Such as ''[[Denjin Zaborger]]'', ''[[Kaiju ouji]]'', ''[[Ambassador Magma]]'', ''[[Spectreman]]'', and so on.|group="note"}} since before the 1968 incidents on P Productions, and increased their involvements afterward where P Productions was no longer able to produce tokusatsu productions by itself and was forced to make its staffs as contract employees,{{refn|In 1968, P Productions was forced to sell its main studio due to a [[labor dispute]], and its entire office building was lost because of an accidental fire.<ref name=Tajima /> Afterward, the company focused on subcontract tokusatsu productions by other companies.<ref name=Tomoi />|group="note"}} and crews from P Productions projects later joined ''Gamera'' films.<ref name=Ushio /><ref name="Tomoi">Kento Tomoi, Seiji Yamada, 14 November 2011, ''Denjin Zaborger and P Productions Tokusatsu Encycropedia'', "P Productions works 2: tokusatsu subcontracts" (p.64), "Interview on Shinji Hiruma" (p.87), "Interview on [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) and Osamu Kishikawa ([[:ja:岸川靖|jp]])" (pp.144–145), Bessatsu Eiga Hiho ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), Yosensha MOOK, Yosensha ([[:ja:洋泉社|jp]])</ref>

Aforementioned crews, who once abandoned near-bankrupt Daiei Film for P Productions due to multiple troubles and confusions of ''[[Nezura]]'',<ref>{{cite web |author= Michihiro Amano |date=2020-02-04 |title= 第90回『大群獣ネズラ』|url=https://bookstand.webdoku.jp/cinema/amano/202002/04142221.html |website=Book Stand, HAKUHODO Kettle ([[:ja:ケトル (雑誌)|jp]]) |access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref> such as a [[labor dispute]] and near-fatal [[dust mite allergy]] on Michio Mikami ([[:ja:三上陸男|jp]]) and others{{refn|Michio Mikami developed a rodent allergy and was traumatized due to this incident. He later participated in ''Gamera'' and various tokusatsu productions as a member of the Ex Productions ([[:ja:エキスプロダクション|jp]]), however he thoroughly avoided to associate with any rat-based [[kaijin]] ([[:ja:怪人|jp]]) for ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' and other dramas.<ref>Toru Hirayama ([[:ja:平山亨|jp]]), 20 January 1998, ''仮面ライダー名人列伝: 子供番組に奇蹟を生んだ男たち'', pp.153-154, Fujinsha ([[:ja:風塵社|jp]])</ref> [[Noriaki Yuasa]] repeatedly refused Daiei Film's requests to reuse Nezura's model for his Gamera films.<ref name=YuasaInterview />|group="note"}} which were caused by using live rats presumably due to the restraints from the [[Five-Company Agreement|Six-Company Agreement]] led by [[Masaichi Nagata]] himself,{{refn|[[#Productions|As aforementioned]], Daiei Film used live animals for ''Dagora'' and ''Nezura'', presumably to avoid [[Toho]]-based styles and techniques to deal with the Six-Company Agreement.<ref name=Karasawa />|group="note"}} later participated in ''Gamera'' and other Daiei productions. For instance, Tamotsu Taga, along with Noriaki Yuasa and other ''Gamera'' crews, co-participated in projects such as ones by Daiei TV-Film ([[:ja:大映テレビ|jp]]),{{refn|Such as ''[[The Fiend with Twenty Faces]]'' ([[:ja:怪人二十面相 (1977年のテレビドラマ)|jp]]) and ''GO!GO Skyer'' ([[:ja:GO!GOスカイヤー|jp]]) and ''White Fang'' ([[:ja:白い牙 (テレビドラマ)|jp]]).|group="note"}} and ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' after the bankruptcy of Daiei Film.<ref name=Tajima>Osamu Tajima, 13 March 2016, ''Bessatsu Eiga Hiho: Tokusatsu Hiho'', vol.3, pp.102-109, "Timelines of Souji Ushio and P Productions", Eiga Hiho ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), Yosensha ([[:ja:洋泉社|jp]])</ref>

[[Shirō Sagisu]], the son of Tomio and the current owner of the company, has also participated in several Daiei TV-Film dramas after the bankruptcy of Daiei Film,{{refn|Such as ''Aoi Hitomi no Sei Life'' ([[:ja:青い瞳の聖ライフ|jp]]) and ''Tears of Swan'' ([[:ja:青春オーロラ・スピン スワンの涙|jp]]).<ref>{{cite web |date= 25 April 1989|title= 仲村知夏 – ひとりぼっちに帰らない 〜I Think We're Alone Now〜|url=https://www.discogs.com/release/21027121-%E4%BB%B2%E6%9D%91%E7%9F%A5%E5%A4%8F-%E3%81%B2%E3%81%A8%E3%82%8A%E3%81%BC%E3%81%A3%E3%81%A1%E3%81%AB%E5%B8%B0%E3%82%89%E3%81%AA%E3%81%84-I-Think-Were-Alone-Now |website= [[Discogs]] |access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref>|group="note"}} and Shirō, [[Hideaki Anno]],{{refn|He has directed the ''[[GAMERA 1999]]'' ([[:ja:GAMERA1999|jp]]) and below-mentioned ''[[Shiki-Jitsu]]'', and Gamera appeared in ''[[Daicon III and IV Opening Animations]]''.|group="note"}} and [[Shinji Higuchi]] co-participated in [[Toho]] and [[Tsuburaya Production]] projects, which [[#Legacy|have been influecned by the ''Gamera'' franchise]]; ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'', ''[[Shin Ultraman]]'', ''[[Attack on Titan (film)|Attack on Titan]]'', the ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion (franchise)|Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' franchise, and the ''[[Gridman the Hyper Agent|Gridman]]'' franchise. Shirō also introduced Higuchi to the pianist Junko Miyagi ([[:ja:宮城純子|jp]]) during the production of ''[[Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo]]'' because Miyagi is also a fan of the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref>{{cite web |author=[[Shirō Sagisu]] |title=『新世紀エヴァンゲリオン』オリジナルサウンドトラック |url= http://www.ro-jam.com/info_past.html |website=Shirō Sagisu Official Website |access-date=2024-12-21}}</ref>

==History==
{{see also|Daimajin|Yokai Monsters|The Whale God|Warning from Space}}
[[File:Gamera vs Barugon.jpg|thumb|''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'', the first colored film of the franchise, which also yielded the [[Daimajin]] during the production and indirectly resulted in the creation of Daimon the [[vampire]] of ''[[Yokai Monsters]]''.<ref name=Takaki />]]
The ''Gamera'' film series is broken into three different eras, each reflecting a characteristic style and corresponding to the same eras used to classify all ''kaiju eiga'' ([[monster movies]]) in Japan. The names of the three eras refer to the [[Japanese emperor]] during production: the [[Shōwa era]], the [[Heisei era]], and the [[Reiwa era]].

Since [[Gamera, the Giant Monster|original 1965 film]] production and merchandising budgets of each film have been confined due to financial situations of [[Daiei Film]], [[Tokuma Shoten]],{{refn|Tokuma Shoten's debt reached ¥130 billion in 2001 due to the bursting of the [[Japanese asset price bubble]], and the death of the founder [[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]]) in 2000 resulted in disposals of business rights of various properties afterward including Daiei Film and [[Studio Ghibli]].<ref name=Nikkei>[[The Nikkei]] ([[:ja:朝刊|mornaing paper]]), 19 February 2005, 徳間書店再建、金融支援400億円要請へ ("Tokuma Shoten requests ¥40 billion financial assistance to rebuild the company.")</ref>|group="note"}}{{refn|Tokuma Shoten couldn't afford entire budgets for the trilogy since the beginning, where the company originally presented ¥5 million for the 1995 film, however [[Shusuke Kaneko]] strongly demanded to rise it to at least ¥6 million, therefore [[Nippon TV]] and [[Hakuhodo]] co-funded the production and revenues for Tokuma Shoten was further restricted due to this treaty.<ref name=KanekoDiary>[[Shusuke Kaneko]], 26 March 2024, ''ガメラ監督日記 完全版'', pp.35-38, pp.164-167, pp.174-176, p.192, pp.233-234, p.287, [[Shogakukan]]</ref>|group="note"}} and [[Kadokawa Corporation]] respectively,<ref name="Perfection" /> resulting in repeated copyright transfers of Daiei properties and limited productions and distributions overall, including cancellations of various projects and failed global expansions despite frequently featuring foreign casts in Shōwa films. Because of further declining public recognition of the character due to years of inactivity of the franchise and limited advertising expenses and media attentions,<ref name=Perfection /> Gamera's heroic concept and irrelevance from ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise were "forgotten" and new audience segments often viewed him as a mere, "corny" (as a turtle<ref name="Ebert" />) and "childish" imitation of Godzilla.{{refn|In comparison to [[Godzilla]] and other Toho monsters, Gamera's motif itself ([[turtle]]) was often viewed "corny" by a number of new audience segments including children, and this tendency didn't help the recovery of the franchise.<ref name=Ebert /><ref name=Vanishing>[[Shinji Higuchi]], 1 May 1999, ''Gamera 3: Vanishing Book'', pp.22-25, pp.46-50, p.54, [[Tokuma Shoten]]</ref>|group="note"}} This, along with other factors such as the loss of Daiei theater chains, has negatively affected on box office results and made it more difficult for [[Tokuma Shoten]] and [[Kadokawa Corporation]] to restore the series along with other Daiei tokusatsu franchises such as ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'',<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> especially the ''Daimajin'' which requires more budgets due to life-sized [[prop]]s.<ref name=Takahashi2021 />

There have been several major hiatus in productions: one between ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'' in 1971 and ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' in 1980, followed by ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' in 1995, ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' in 1999 followed by ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' in 2006 and ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' in 2023.

The ''[[Daimajin]]'', another iconic [[tokusatsu]] character by [[Daiei Film]], was originally designed to be an antagonist for the second film, and its concept was fed back into both Daimajin and Barugon, the foe in the 1966 film ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]''.<ref name=26Facts /><ref name=Takaki>{{Cite book|chapter= chapterIII 大魔神の章（1966）『大魔神』 |date=1996-07-19 |editor-first= Junzo |editor-last= Takaki |title=ガメラ画報 大映秘蔵映画五十五年の歩み |publisher=[[Takeshobo]] |series =B media books special |page=85 |isbn=4-8124-0166-6}}</ref> Daiei's [[yōkai]] films most notably the ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'' were also launched due to the success of the Gamera franchise, and productions of them and related later films such as ''[[:ja:さくや妖怪伝|Sakuya: Yôkaiden]]'' were largely influenced by Gamera and Daimajin series. Collaborations of the Daiei films with [[Shigeru Mizuki]] and [[Kazuo Umezu]] started because of Daiei's yōkai films and formed the "[[Yōkai]] Boom" together,<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=KaijuYokai /> resulted in minor crossovers between Gamera and Daimajin and Shigeru Mizuki's ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'' series and [[Hiroshi Aramata]]'s [[Yasunori Katō]] from ''[[Teito Monogatari]]''.<ref name=Minemori>Hirokazu Minemori ([[:ja:峰守ひろかず|jp]]), Yusuke Watanabe ([[:ja:渡辺雄介|jp]]), 2021, ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]: Side Story: Heian Hyakkitan'', pp.265-271, [[Media Works Bunko]], [[ASCII Media Works]], [[Kadokawa Future Publishing]]</ref><ref name=Kyogoku>[[Natsuhiko Kyogoku]], 2018, ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari'', "Kyu", 373-375, p.392, Kadokawa</ref><ref name=Chronicles>Matsunomoto, Kazuhiro, 1996, The Gamera Chronicles, p.104-105, [[Takeshobo]]</ref><ref name=YokaiFilms>甦れ!妖怪映画大集合!! 2005, p.97, p.116-119, [[Takeshobo]]</ref>

Daiei Film, which was already at the brink of bankruptcy, somewhat recovered due to the unexpected success of the 1965 film, which was considered to be "a mere rehash of [[Godzilla]]", "cheap"{{refn|''[[The Whale God]]'' and ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'' were [[black-and-white]] films due to budgetary problems; the 1956 film ''[[Warning from Space]]'', which bears connections with [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and the ''Gamera'' franchise, was the first colored tokusatsu film in Japan.<ref name=Treasured /><ref name=Invincible /><ref name=OFS1995 />|group="note"}}, "being forced on [[Noriaki Yuasa]] as no one wanted"{{refn|Other filmmakers concerned ''Gamera'' to damage their careers, and some indeed regarded the 1965 Gamera film to spoil Yuasa's career.<ref name=26Facts /><ref name=YuasaInterview />|group="note"}}{{refn|Yuasa was the youngest employee director of Daiei Film at that time, and he was in need to make up for the commercial failure of his debut film ''If You're Happy, Clap Your Hands'' ([[:ja:幸せなら手をたたこう (映画)|jp]]). While other Daiei Film productions such as ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Zatoichi]]'' and ''[[Nemuri Kyōshirō]]'' were produced under the policy to interchange directors in rotations, the ''Gamera'' franchise was done by Yuasa and [[Niisan Takahashi]]. Yuasa was also driven to associate with the [[tokusatsu]] genre after resignations of experienced crews such as aforementioned [[Yonesaburo Tsukiji]], and Toru Matoba ([[:ja:的場徹|jp]])'s transfer to [[Tsuburaya Productions]]. This was also escalated as employee directors of the company were required to promote notable actors and new actresses, and tokusatsu productions especially ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' were considered useful for this purpose, while [[Kojiro Hongo]] initially didn't favor to participate in tokusatsu films and tried to avoid doing so.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}, and "destined to flop",{{refn|General pre-release interviews were rather negative among Daiei staffs, and even Noriaki Yuasa believed it would fail since the beginning. However, [[Masaichi Nagata]], unlike others, complimented the film, and his dictatorial authority made others to follow him against their wills, and Yuasa was indeed confused with the success of the film.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=YuasaInterview />|group="note"}}<ref name=BraveGuide /> and launched the ''[[Daimajin]]'' and the ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'', and these [[tokusatsu]] franchises gained popularity despite limited and continuously decreasing budgets and the declines of the "[[:ja:第一次怪獣ブーム|First Kaiju Boom]]" and domestic film industries (partially due to the success of the ''Gamera'' franchise){{refn|Depletions of budgets and ideas were inescapable after all major film companies committed in the kaiju genre both on films and television programs in response to the successes of ''Gamera'' and ''[[Godzilla]]'' and ''[[Ultraman]]'' and ''[[Ultra Q]]''. The [[tokusatsu]] genre also contributed in the popularity of the television industries and the decline of domestic film industries, and [[Masaichi Nagata]] devoted in the establishment of the aforementioned Japanese Film Export Promotion Association to support the film industries.<ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Fantasy /> |group="note"}} and the arise of the more affordable "Yokai Boom".<ref name=IGN2022>Fuminobi Hata, 12 December 2022, [https://jp.ign.com/gamera-rebirth/64425/feature/netflix 俺はお前を待っていた！Netflixで復活の大怪獣ガメラ、その歩みと新作への期待], [[IGN]] Japan</ref><ref name=Chronicles /><ref name=YokaiFilms /><ref name=Ono2018 /> Serializations of ''Gamera'' and ''[[Daimajin]]'' franchises were also promoted as the Japanese government valued exportations of tokusatsu productions to the global markets to acquire foreign currencies.<ref name=Futaesaku /> ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' was originally considered as the last Showa production, however the franchise was further continued in response to its popurarity.<ref name=26Facts /> However, Daiei Film's financial difficulties were further accelerated by producing three ''Daimajin'' films within the same year (1966), resulting in cancellations of subsequent Daimajin productions.<ref name=IGN2022 />

All villainous monsters since ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' (Viras, Guiron, Jiger, Zigra) received their names from public submissions, and this was to draw public attention to compensate for limited advertising expenses.<ref name=OFS1995 /> Concepts for monsters' designs and abilities were also restricted due to budgets,{{refn|Kaiju were designed to reduce staffs for [[practical effect]] unlike some of [[Toho]] kaiju such as [[King Ghidorah]]. Offensive abilities of kaiju, such as electricity and gravity and levitation and acidic mucus of Viras were scrapped. Gamera's spinning jet was originally aimed to rotate at high speed akin to the Heisei trilogy, however this was not achievable due to the lack of [[computer]]s, and his non-spinning flight style was instead invented to reduce filming costs.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=YuasaInterview />|group="note"}} cancellations of new monsters,{{refn|For example, a mammalian kaiju "Monga" was originally developed for ''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]'', however it was eventually scrapped and was replaced by Space Gyaos due to budgetary problems.<ref name=Ono2018 /> |group="note"}} decreased destructions of urban areas, and film crews focused more on brutal melee fights to compensate for limited amounts of [[special effect]]s, although the franchise occasionally received global compliments for its brutalness, such as Guiron beheading a Space Gyaos in ''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]''.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Treasured /> ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'', the last film of the Showa continuity, was [[Dainichi Eihai|co-distributed with Nikkatsu]] due to the financial problems.<ref name=OFS1995 /> The plot of ''Gamera vs. Zigra'' was particularly poor in consistency and logics due to the confusion of the company prior to its bankruptcy; [[Noriaki Yuasa]] was forced to become a contract director without overtime pay, impoverishments of employees and resources, and production systems were disrupted due to increased labor negotiations.<ref name=Ono2018 /> One of kaiju battles were also eventually scrapped due to budgetary and schedule limitations.<ref name=26Facts /> [[Niisan Takahashi]] also didn't receive some of his wages, and the company couldn't pay back debts to him.<ref name=YuasaInterview />

The ''Gamera'' franchise solely supported Daiei Film and its subcontractors until the 1971 bankruptcy, and a number of kaiju suits and models including Gamera were lost as [[Noriaki Yuasa]] destroyed them due to his frustration and distress when he heard about the bankruptcy of the company, resulting in the production of ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' and limited amounts of exhibitions.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=OFS1995 /> On the other hand, it might be a riot among staffs which resulted in the loss of [[prop]]s.<ref name=26Facts /><ref>G. H. (Gman), November 29, 2015, [https://www.scified.com/news/a-brief-history-of-gamera-celebrating-50-years-of-spinning-turtles A Brief History of Gamera: Celebrating 50 Years of Spinning Turtles], Scified.com</ref> The bankruptcy of the company also triggered confusions and losses of [[Negative (photography)|negative prints]] and other materials, resulting in changes in the running time of ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' for video and DVD releases.<ref name=Treasured /> Tokusatsu expertise obtained from Showa films were also lost and negatively influenced the production of the Heisei trilogy by [[Tokuma Shoten]], while expertise from the ''Ultraman'' franchise and various other productions, especially ''[[Ultraman 80]]'' which was directed by Noriaki Yuasa, were instead utilized for the trilogy.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'', the first production by [[Tokuma Shoten]], was not completely a new production as it relied on a number of [[stock footage]]s. The direction to re-edit stock footages of former films was also influenced by budgetary and schedule problems,<ref name="Fantasy" /> along with the aforementioned loss of suits and models by either Yuasa or staffs, and the success of the 1979 ''[[Ultraman]]'' video by [[Akio Jissoji]] ([[:ja:実相寺昭雄監督作品ウルトラマン|jp]]), which contributed in the revival of the [[Tsuburaya Productions]] franchise.{{refn|[[Akio Jissoji]] later directed the 1990 ''[[Ultra Q]]'' movie ([[:ja:ウルトラQ ザ・ムービー 星の伝説|jp]]) based on the scrapped project by [[Shusuke Kaneko]] and [[Kazunori Ito]] and [[Shinji Higuchi]]; it was one of predecessors of the Heisei Gamera trilogy that Kaneko and Ito reused some of their ideas of the ''Ultra Q'' project for the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /> Jissoji also participated in the aforementioned ''[[Ultraman Max]]'',<ref name=MagMixMax>Katano, 2 November 2024, [https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/633a0a2a8f9e01702f9e55a7f2db5e7974959241 集団幻覚？　約20年前の特撮番組で「ゴジラvsガメラ」夢のバトルが実現してた説], MAG MIX ([[:ja:メディア・ヴァーグ|jp]]), Yahoo! News ([[:ja:Yahoo!ニュース|jp]]), [[Yahoo! Japan Corporation]]</ref> and ''[[Tokyo: The Last Megalopolis]]''; [[Yasunori Katō]] later formed minor connections with Gamera and [[Daimajin]],<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=Kyogoku /> and [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) and Toshio Miike ([[:ja:三池敏夫|jp]]) and [[Shinji Higuchi]] gained expertise from the 1988 film and utilized them for the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />|group="note"}}<ref name=BraveGuide /> Its box office result was not excellent partially due to the timing; [[kaiju]] genre in general stagnated between late 1970s and early 1980s where [[Toho]] ceased producing [[Godzilla]] films because of the box office result of ''[[Terror of Mechagodzilla]]'' in 1975.<ref name=IGN2022 /> The 1980 film also faced several other conditions to restrict its production, such as the music copyright, resulting in the lack of previous music materials including the ''[[Gamera March]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラマーチ|jp]]).<ref name="Fantasy" />

Rebooting the franchise afterward the 1980 film failed,<ref name=Ui /> along with cancellations of several other projects in early 1990s,<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=DaieiScripts /> until the 1995 film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''.

The Heisei Trilogy originally started as an attempt to revive either (or both of) the ''[[Daimajin]]'' and the ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'' by [[Tokuma Shoten]] where the project faced budgetary problems and higher popularity of Gamera was revealed,<ref name=MWP /> while Tokuma Shoten and [[Kadokawa Corporation]] also aimed to revive the Daimajin along with the Gamera franchise respectively;{{refn|According to [[Takashi Miike]], Daimajin is more difficult to revive due to his size; unlike gigantic kaiju and [[Ultraman]], Daimajin is designed to directly interact with humans, therefore requiring expensive, large-scaled, life-sized models and [[prop]]s.<ref name=Takahashi2021>{{cite web|author=Hyouri Takahashi|date=2021-08-12|url=https://www.banger.jp/movie/62211/ |title=三池崇史監督が語る「大魔神」復活の意外な真実とは!?『妖怪大戦争 ガーディアンズ』に込めたメッセージと子供たちへの眼差し |website=banger.jp.|access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref>|group="note"}}<ref name=Zakzak /> one in the late 1990s along with the Heisei Gamera Trilogy by starring [[Steven Seagal]], the father of [[Ayako Fujitani]] who played Asagi Kusanagi, the human protagonist of the trilogy,{{refn|The script was written by [[Yasutaka Tsutsui]] and [[Katsuhiro Otomo]], and was later published as a novelization.<ref name=Fantasy />|group="note"}}<ref name=Nakamura>Kengo Nakamura, 1999, ''From [[Princess Mononoke]] to [[My Neighbors the Yamadas]]'', pp.38-41, [[Tokuma Shoten]]</ref> and another by [[Takashi Miike]] in late 2000s along with ''[[Gamera the Brave]]''<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Takahashi2021 /><ref>Eiga Hihō ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), April, 2007, ''実写限定!巨大ロボット映画ベスト30!-「トランスフォーマー」襲来間近!「ガンヘッド」もやってくるぞ!'', Yosensha Co., Ltd.</ref> which was eventually redeveloped into ''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'',<ref name=Nezura1964 />{{refn|''Daimajin Kanon'' was originally intended to be directed by [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and [[Mamoru Sasaki]]; the two had previously co-participated in ''[[Princess Comet]]'' and ''[[Okusama wa 18-sai]]'' in Daiei Film, and were also appointed for a cancelled television series of ''Daimajin'' in 1960s.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}} and Miike made the Daimajin to appear in the 2018 film ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]'' where Gamera also made a [[cameo appearance]] within its spin-off novelization.<ref name=Minemori />

Prior to the actual development of the trilogy, [[Niisan Takahashi]] wrote a script for a scrapped project in 1994 which later became the basis of the 1995 novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix''.<ref name=Stuart /><ref name=DaieiScripts /> Additionally, there was another scrapped project to produce a new [[Direct-to-video#OVA and V-Cinema in Japan|V-cinema]] according to [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) where a stakeholder from Tokuma Shoten revealed to Haraguchi after the release of ''[[Mikadroid]]''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

Financial vulnerability resulted in repeated avoidances from direct competitions against the ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise, although there had been failed attempts to make a [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] in 1990s<ref name=Kaneda /><ref name=MagMix /> and 2002,<ref name=Zakzak /> leading to the production of ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' in 2006 due to [[Toho]]'s temporal pause of Godzilla film productions since ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' while both films shared some of crews.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Aiken />

Revenues of Daiei Film productions were [[#Distributions and releases|repeatedly restricted due to lack of exclusive movie theaters]],<ref name=IGN2022 /> and ever since ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'' which was [[Dainichi Eihai|co-distributed with Nikkatsu]] due to the financial problems,<ref name=OFS1995 /> the franchise has always relied on co-distributions as Daiei Film lost its theater chains after its bankruptcy; the Heisei trilogy was done so by Toho, so as ''Gamera the Brave'' by [[Shochiku]], and ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' by [[Netflix]]. ''[[The Great Yokai War]]'' and ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]'' were also co-distributed by Shochiku and Toho. Heisei trilogy was distributed by Toho Western Films with much fewer theatres than ''Godzilla'' films, further declining box office results.<ref name=Shiraishi />

According to Noriaki Yuasa, Daiei Film "borrowed more money" from [[Niisan Takahashi]] than anyone else, but the company eventually couldn't reimburse to him, and Takahashi also didn't receive some of his wages due to his nonparticipation in the Writers Guild of Japan ([[:ja:日本脚本家連盟|jp]]). After the company's bankruptcy, Takahashi visited [[Masaichi Nagata]] and received all rights to Gamera. However, [[Tokuma Shoten]] didn't inform the production of the 1995 film ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' to Takahashi, and the company reneged the agreement between Takahashi and Nagata regards the rights to Gamera, declaring that the company is independent from Daiei Film and thus doesn't accept Nagata's treaty. Takahashi was highly dissatisfied with this decision, and he severed ties with all stakeholders, damaging the friendship with Yuasa in the aftermath.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> Takahashi independently developed a script to produce a new film, which later became the basis of the novelization ''Gamera vs. Phoenix'' (1995).<ref name=Stuart /><ref name=DaieiScripts />

===Influences of the Heisei Trilogy===
The Heisei Trilogy by [[Shusuke Kaneko]], despite its limited budgets, distributions, marketing, media attentions,{{refn|Due to the financial situation of [[Tokuma Shoten]] and the intercompany treaty for co-funding to grant Kaneko's demand to increase budgets,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> losses of Daiei theater chains and its tokusatsu expertise,<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] and the [[Tokyo subway sarin attack]].<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=MWP /><ref name=KanekoDiary /><ref name=Nikkei /><ref name=Ono2018 /> Budgets of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' in 1995 was $4.5 million, followed by ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'' ($5 million) in 1996 and ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' ($7 million) in 1999.<ref>Toho Kingdom, [https://www.tohokingdom.com/movies/gamera_3.htm Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]</ref> Budgets of ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'' in 1994 and ''[[Godzilla vs. Destoroyah]]'' in 1995 were $10 million.|group="note"}}{{refn|Additionally, as aforementioned, the trilogy might have originally tried to avoid a direct competition against the Heisei Godzilla continuity, which was originally supposed to end with ''[[Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II]]''.<ref name=Gakken93 /> Distribution by Toho Western Films unlike ''Godzilla'' films potentially restricted box office results of the trilogy.<ref name=Shiraishi />|group="note"}} was highly acclaimed among audiences (partially because a number of hardcore kaiju ([[tokusatsu]]) fans at that time, including Kaneko and other crews themselves, were dissatisfied with the Heisei Godzilla continuity) and filmmakers that they are often considered as one of best kaiju and tokusatsu productions ever made,<ref name=IGN2022 />{{refn|The trilogy and its participants overall received a number of awards, and ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' and ''Gamera 2: Attack of Legion'' were first kaiju films to win the [[Seiun Award]], and the latter was the first film to win the [[Nihon SF Taisho Award]]. ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' was also the first kaiju film to win the [[Kinema Junpo|Kinema Junpo Best Ten]] followed by the aforementioned ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'', while "G2" and "G3" also won the "readers' choices". "G1" was also included in "Best 100 Japanese films" by Kinema Junpo.<ref name=Perfection /><ref>Cinema 1987, [https://cinema1987.org/home/best10/3/ キネマ旬報ベストテン]</ref>|group="note"}} and it greatly influenced entire [[tokusatsu]] genre afterward, including the ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise but most notably on ''[[Ultraman]]'' and ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' franchises.{{refn|Several important tokusatsu techniques were developed during the productions of the Heisei trilogy, and these techniques have been repeatedly used in subsequent tokusatsu productions.|group="note"}} However, there are pros and cons regarding the outcomes of the trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide />

The box office returns of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', the first installation of the reboot by [[Tokuma Shoten]] in 1995, were also negatively affected by the [[Great Hanshin earthquake]] (and the [[Tokyo subway sarin attack]]<ref name=Ono2018 />) as the numbers of film theaters further declined and the scenes of destructions of buildings triggered [[PTSD]] of the earthquake victims,{{refn|Staffs from Toho took Kaneko to some of damaged areas by the earthquake before the release of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''. On the other hand, panic scenes in ''G2'' and ''G3'' were inspired by the two events.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> |group="note"}}<ref name=KanekoDiary /> Continuation of the series after ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' was cancelled due to the overall box office result of the trilogy, partially due to declined public recognition of the franchise and limited advertising expenses and limited distributions,<ref name=Shiraishi /><ref name=KanekoDiary /> and the struggle to produce sequels after depicting the titular heroic character as an unintentional threat to humanity in the 1999 film,{{refn|Kazunori Ito described that Daiei (Tokuma Shoten) absolutely disapproves a story beyond ''G3''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />|group="note"}} where the film plot such as a girl (child) to detest Gamera, and depictions of human casualties in the battles of [[Shibuya]] and [[Kyoto]] largely displeased [[Noriaki Yuasa]] and [[Niisan Takahashi]] and others; Yuasa noted "the Heisei trilogy is not Gamera films" and emphasized the importance to differentiate from [[Godzilla]],<ref>[[Hurricane Ryu]], 5 May 2024, [https://x.com/zkHc5amiVbaGWSY/status/1787131899569430698 ガメラに拘りがあったのは、脚本の高橋二三氏でしたね。ただ湯浅監督も「俺達はゴジラと違う事をやろうとガメラを創ったから、ゴジラと同じ事はやっちゃダメだ」とは話されてました。], X (Twitter)</ref> and the draft by [[Shusuke Kaneko]] and [[Kazunori Itō]] for the sequel to portray Gamera to be a further threat was immediately turned down.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP>En Takenouchi, 28 January 2021, [https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/1016329/ 金子修介監督、平成ガメラ三部作を語る！令和ガメラにも「やる気十分」], Movie Walker Press ([[:ja:MOVIE WALKER PRESS|jp]])</ref> This plot was later used for the 2003 [[independent film]], ''[[GAMERA 4-TRUTH]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラ4 真実|jp]]) by Shinpei Hayashiya ([[:ja:林家しん平|jp]]).<ref name=Imai>Atsushi Imai, 2016, ''COLUMN 「ガメラ生誕50周年祭」レポート'', Tokusatsu Hihō, vol.3, pp.164-165, Eiga Hihō ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), Yosensha ([[:ja:洋泉社|jp]])</ref>

Kaneko noted that he was at one point almost dismissed during the production of the 1995 film (and the production was at the brink of cancellation)<ref name=MWP /> due to considerable disagreements between Kaneko and Itō against executives and Showa staffs to depict Gamera as an intimidating-looking character being both an artificial and mechanical "living [[robot]]" and a threat to humanity without caring at all for humans, not even children,{{refn|[[Kazunori Itō]] described their original concept of Gamera including his design for the 1995 film was even more indifferent than in ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' that Gamera doesn't care damaging humanity like "how humans see [[ant]]s", and they originally intended Gamera to emit mechanical sounds and [[bioluminescence]], and to perform machine-like abilities such as shapeshifting and [[Force field (technology)|energy shield]].<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP />|group="note"}}{{refn|Disagreement regarding the design of Gamera for the 1995 film between executives against Kaneko and Ito was difficult to settle, where Kaneko and others intended to use even more intimidating one than ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]''.<ref name=Perfection /> In response, [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) and others voluntary "adjusted" the design to be "intermediate" between the two sides, because the first press conference to reveal Gamera's design was approaching.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> Later, Toto (Gamera) in ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' was intentionally designed to be contrasting to the design of Gamera in the 1999 film.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} partially because Kaneko and Ito originally wanted to make the 1992 film ''[[Godzilla vs. Mothra]]'' instead of Gamera,<ref name=GMK>''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]] Super Complete Works ([[:ja:超全集|jp]])'', 2002, p.2, ''世紀を越えて「金子ゴジラ」は誕生した。'' by [[Shōgo Tomiyama]], [[Shogakukan]]</ref> and wanted to "take revenge on with Gamera" while they and [[Shinji Higuchi]] always preferred Toho productions since their childhoods, and disliked and regarded the concept of Gamera to be rather absurd and "childish",{{refn|According to Kaneko, he had never watched Showa Gamera films in theaters in his youth, and even wondered he would be made a fool by others if he says he is interested in Gamera, and had a tendency to view Gamera fans coldly. Kaneko and Ito also revealed that they were not delighted with the offer for ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', as they actually wanted to produce [[Godzilla]] films.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Niigata /><ref name=KanekoDiary />|group="note"}} especially his ability to fly and affinity to children (and as a protector of humanity), child protagonists, and being a [[turtle]].{{refn|All of Kaneko and Ito and Highuchi didn't feel attached to Gamera and saw the franchise as childish and absurd and not rich in "property values". However, they were indeed startled by the popularity of Showa Gamera among their own film crews (and their oppositions against disrespecting Showa Gamera), who applied for the productions of the trilogy for their affinities to Showa Gamera. Kaneko and Ito and Higuchi were repeatedly troubled with this, and secretly called those film crews "Secret Gamera" (隠れガメラ ''Kakure Gamera'').<ref name=KanekoDiary />|group="note"}}{{refn|Aside from their own aversions of turtle as a motif, Kaneko and Ito also thought that human characters calling Gamera a "turtle" may disrupt seriousness, where Gamera's name is directly delivered from Japanese word "kame" to represent turtles, and turtle as a motif has also negatively affected for the popularity of the character.<ref name=Ebert /><ref name=Vanishing /> They decided to set up an interpretation of the trilogy that either turtles and [[tortoise]]s don't exist at all or went extinct along with [[dinosaur]]s.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP /><ref name=KanekoDiary />|group="note"}}

During the trilogy, Kaneko and Ito tried to exclude children completely from the plot, and also tried to depict human casualties by Gamera from the start, however executives and Showa staff didn't approve such ideas, and scenes to involve children were briefly inserted as an "excuse" to convince stakeholders although such scenes mostly depicted children to be helpless "burdens" unlike Showa films, and human casualties were not featured until ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]''.<ref name=BraveGuide /> The 1999 film instead situated a girl (child) named Ayana Hirasaka as one of central antagonists to detest Gamera, however she was again portrayed as a "burden" that her parents and pet [[cat]] named "Iris" were accidentally killed by Gamera because their evacuation from the battle between Gamera and a Gyaos was delayed due to Ayana's hospitalization, and she brings a mass destruction with her misdirected hatred for Gamera, and Gamera loses his right arm to save her.{{refn|Gamera to sacrifice his arm for Ayana was intended as an atonement for killing her parents and Iris the cat.<ref name=Perfection /> The idea of Gamera to lose his arm was originally inspired by the 1972 film ''[[One-Armed Boxer]]''.<ref name=HeiseiModels />|group="note"}} Especially the 1999 film intentionally avoided to appeal to child audiences, and the trilogy in general didn't contribute in increasing young audiences due to the difficulty of the plot, lack of points that children can empathize, and fearsome and gruesome scenes especially the destruction of [[Shibuya]] by Gamera caused family audiences to exit theaters because children started crying,<ref name="Fantasy">[[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]), 20 July 2010, ''Daiei Tokusatsu Movie Encyclopedia: Daikaiju Fantasy Battle Gamera vs. Daimajin'', p.8, pp.41-43, pp.50-51, pp.56-57, pp.110-113, [[Newtype]], Kadokawa Shoten</ref> while Kazunori Ito claimed that he dislikes to depict Gamera as the hero of children, and advocated that he refuses to make Gamera as a child-friendly hero, and making child audiences crying in fears is correct for kaiju films.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> The trilogy also triggered a misconception among new audience segments; Gamera as the character would sacrifice humans for the sake of the planet and nature.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /> On the other hand, production of ''Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris'' was delayed and was intentionally designed as a [[Horror fiction|horror]] because of box office results of 1995 and 1996 films, declined popularity of kaiju genre, and contrasting popularity of [[horror film]]s among children at that time.{{refn|As aforementioned, Gamera, due to declined public recognition, has often been viewed as a "corny" (for being a [[turtle]]) and "childish" imitation of Godzilla even among children, and the kaiju genre itself was considered childish among many children at that time,<ref name=Vanishing /> and there had been multiple other factors to restrict box office results of the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=KanekoDiary /> Ironically, this direction for the 1999 film instead shunned children who originally loved Gamera.<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Fantasy />|group="note"}}{{refn|For the popularity of [[horror film]]s, [[The Ring (franchise)|''Ring'']] and ''Ghosts at School'' ([[:ja:学校の怪談 (映画)|jp]]) and ''Honto ni atta kowai hanashi'' ([[:ja:ほんとにあった怖い話|jp]]) series directly influenced the production of "G3";<ref name=Vanishing /> Kaneko directed the 1997 film ''Ghosts at School 3'' in which various staffs and actors of Heisei Gamera trilogy also participated in (Kaneko later noted that if he was not appointed for ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', he would have directed the ''Ghosts at School'' franchise since the beginning<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />), and the ''Ring'' franchise is also a Kadokawa property where [[Yukie Nakama]] who appeared in the 1999 Gamera film (as a victim of Iris to turn into a [[mummy]]) has also played [[Sadako Yamamura]] in ''[[Ring 0: Birthday]]'' in 2000, Gamera and [[Daimajin]] and Kitarō ([[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]) and Sadako and [[Kayako Saeki]] and [[Toshio Saeki]] co-appeared in ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari'' where Iris was also directly mentioned,<ref name=Kyogoku /> and the 2022 film ''[[Sadako DX]]'' by Hisashi Kimura ([[:ja:木村ひさし|jp]]) was instead influenced by "G2" where Kimura has participated in both films, and a VHS of "G2" was briefly represented in the Sadako film.<ref name=SadakoDX>Sunkleio Tsubasa, 6 November 2022, [https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/1108734/ 『ガメラ2 レギオン襲来』が鍵を握る？『貞子DX』はメタ構造の意欲作だ！], Movie Walker Press ([[:ja:MOVIE WALKER PRESS|jp]])</ref> A Gamera mobile game conducted a collaboration with ''[[Sadako 3D]]'' in 2012, along with occasional joint exhibitions of sculptures of Gamera and Daimajin and Kitarō and Sadako in [[Chōfu]],<ref name=HotCorner>Shōzaburō Nakamura ([[:ja:中村正三郎 (プログラマ)|jp]]), 26 May 2012, [https://iiyu.asablo.jp/blog/2012/05/26/6457370 ゲゲゲの鬼太郎の調布ぬくもりステーションに、ガメラ、大魔神、貞子3Dが出現], Shōzaburō Nakamura's Hot Corner</ref> and crews such as [[Tomoo Haraguchi]] ([[:ja:原口智生|jp]]) and [[Kenji Kawai]] and Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]])<ref name=NEC /> have participated in both franchises.<ref name=CGWORLD />|group="note"}}

These aspects resulted in controversies, even among film crews of the Heisei trilogy, and a disapproval of it, especially ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', by a number of executives and Showa staff where [[Tokuma Shoten]]'s revenues were also reduced due to the intercompany treaty with [[Nippon TV]] and [[Hakuhodo]] to achieve Kaneko's demand to increase budgets.{{refn|Kaneko jokingly noted that if the budget for ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' stayed at ¥500 million, he would have made it a [[comedy]] as a "25th anniversary project for Daiei's bankruptcy".<ref name=KanekoDiary />|group="note"}} Parts of two previous films in the trilogy, such as Gamera's origin as an artificial lifeform, the depiction of Gamera doing damage to [[Fukuoka]] in the 1995 film, and the "Ultimate Plasma" technique in ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'', were also controversial, but were eventually approved.{{refn|A number of executives and Showa staffs were strongly against the idea of kaiju as bioengineered weapons or "living robots" because they felt it would decline mystic aspects of kaiju, characters as creatures, and superiority as uncontrollable and powerful beings beyond humanity. However, Kaneko and Ito were dissatisfied with Gamera's illogical biology especially his flight capabilities. A number of disagreements including this resulted in Kaneko's near dismissal during the 1995 film production. On the contrary, Kaneko and Higuchi actually hesitated to use the non-biological "Ultimate Plasma" technique for "G2", however they prioritized the necessity to introduce new special attacks therefore "Ultimate Plasma" and "Vanishing Fist" were introduced respectively in "G2" and "G3".<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP />|group="note"}} The plot of ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' and Gamera's depictions within the film partially followed those original ideas by Kaneko and Itō and [[Shinji Higuchi]], while some of the originally cancelled depictions of Gamera for the 1995 film, such as his intimidating appearance{{refn|The original intimidating design of Gamera for the trilogy was changed to appeal to children in the 1995 film, however Shusuke Kaneko was also disappointed with children's subtle reactions with Gamera's 1995 design unlike Toho's [[Godzilla Junior]].<ref name=KanekoDiary />|group="note"}} and the ability to transform his arms into flippers during flights, were partially approved in ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]''. As aforementioned, the 2003 independent film ''[[GAMERA 4-TRUTH]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラ4 真実|jp]]) re-used the plot of cancelled "G4" in which Gamera no longer protects humanity and causes tremendous collateral damages to exterminate remnants of Gyaos.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP />

The 1999 documentary film ''[[GAMERA 1999]]'' ([[:ja:GAMERA1999|jp]]) by [[Hideaki Anno]] focused on ruptures among film crews, even between Kaneko and Higuchi. Kaneko described that the documentary film was a harassment by one of producers to target Kaneko by using Anno.

Ironically, the popularity of the Heisei trilogy indirectly triggered another setback for the franchise. While the box office returns of the trilogy and their revenues for [[Tokuma Shoten]] along with proceeds of merchandises targeting maniac audiences weren't particularly excellent due to aforementioned factors,<ref name=KanekoDiary /> the company was already struggling financially and it eventually disposed the copyrights of Daiei Film properties after the death of [[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]]) in 2000.<ref name=Nikkei /> Sequels after ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', potentially up to "G5" or more, were cancelled also due to the plot of "G3" for Gamera to act hazardous, and the plot of "G4" in which Gamera becomes a further threat.<ref name=MWP /> The 2006 film ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'', which was released during a "winter" of [[kaiju]] genre (akin to the situations of ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' and ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'') since ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'' in 2004,<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref>[[Shusuke Kaneko]], 24 March 2012, [https://x.com/shusukekaneko/status/183222562220810242 「ゴジラファイナルウォーズ」と「ガメラ小さき勇者たち」が大コケしたんで誰も作ろうと言わなくなった。], Twitter (X)</ref> was the first reboot attempt by [[Kadokawa Corporation]] reusing the original scripts of the 1995 film.{{refn|The script was also later reused for ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' by [[Toei Animation]] and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'' by [[Tsuburaya Production]].|group="note"}} ''Gamera the Brave'' aimed to restore the basis of the franchise,<ref name=Doland />{{refn|Gamera being the friend and guardian of children, and children play significant roles to help Gamera, and Toto was clearly designed to contrast to the design of Gamera in "G3".<ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Vanishing />|group="note"}} with a slogan to "return Gamera to children" despite the apparent popularity of the Heisei trilogy and risks to fail, and carefully considered whether or not to produce either sequels to the trilogy, or either its prequel or side stories, or trilogy-esque films to avoid declines in the fan base and the ultimate demise of the franchise.{{refn|Executives and filmmakers were aware both of financial vulnerability (risks to fail) and the popularity of the Heisei trilogy, and many recommended to make either sequels to the trilogy (or either its prequel or side stories) or trilogy-esque plots. Indeed, changing the direction from the Heisei trilogy was controversial, and pros and cons were comparable within Kadokawa. However, aside from recovering the ideology of the franchise, executives concerned the franchise to demise if it clings onto the certain direction without appealing to wider audiences in a response to changing markets.{{sfn|Mamiya|2006|p=34-35}} Declining proceeds of (proportionately becoming more maniac) merchandises of the trilogy was also an issue, which furtherly supported the cancellation of the sequels of the trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /> Eventually the necessity to extricate from the trilogy was more prioritized, and executives didn't approve neither sequels of the trilogy nor trilogy-esque scenarios for the 2006 film; for instance, Yoichi Arishige declared that he would not participate in the 2006 film if it is going to be a sequel to the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} It was also aimed to avoid "standards" of kaiju films akin to Showa films, partially due to a slump of [[kaiju]] genre itself (including the box office result of ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]'') and the success of Heisei [[Mothra]] trilogy{{refn|These Gamera and Godzilla and Mothra films shared some of crews such as Nippon Eizo Creative ([[:ja:日本映像クリエイティブ|jp]])<ref name=NEC /> in productions.|group="note"}}, and was also influenced by various other films including ''[[Daigoro vs. Goliath]]'' by Toho and [[Tsuburaya Productions]],<ref name=Perfection /> ''[[Helen the Baby Fox]]'', which also collaborated in distribution of the 2006 Gamera film, and ''[[Rex: A Dinosaur's Story]]''.{{refn|[[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]), who later directed ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'', also participated in ''Rex: A Dinosaur's Story''.|group="note"}}<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Ono2018 />

However the 2006 film was generally not well-accepted by fans of the Heisei trilogy, but it was more welcomed by children and female audiences who were not specially targeted for the Heisei trilogy,{{refn|Heisei trilogy increased its characteristics as the series progressed, and this tendency was not helpful to expand the fan base due to its increasing threshold to invite newer audience segments. Especially the unbalanced plot of ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' was shunned by children and female audiences. The decision not to produce sequels to the trilogy was further supported by declined proceeds of its merchandises which became proportionately more maniac.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}}<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Ono2018 /> resulting in the commercial failure of the film and cancellation of its sequels<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=IGN2022 /> and other subsequent productions such as (one or two) [[anime]](s) by [[Cartoon Network]] and [[Yoshitomo Yonetani]],<ref name=ICv2>[[ICv2]], 31 October 2005, [https://icv2.com/articles/news/view/7757/cartoon-network-licenses-gamera Cartoon Network Licenses 'Gamera']</ref><ref name=Yonetani>[[Yoshitomo Yonetani]], 19 August 2023, [https://twitter.com/yonetanikantoku/status/1692594130701242554 2006年の没企画「牙滅羅(ガメラ)」], Twitter (X)</ref> ''Gamera 3D'' by [[Yoshimitsu Banno]],<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom /><ref name=Plan01 /> and one or more presumed reboot attempt(s) in 2010s,<ref name="Suzumura">[[Nobuhiro Suzumura]] ([[:ja:鈴村展弘|jp]]), 28 November 2023, [https://twitter.com/suzu_n_official/status/1729504441076793804 好きですガメラ。先輩の田﨑竜太監督の小さき勇者たちも好きだし、昭和も平成3部作も好き。我が師匠が撮る予定だったガメラが中止なったのは残念だった。。。#ガメラの日], Twitter (X)</ref><ref name=ANN /><ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=Nezura1964 /> and the franchise was again in a period of inactivity until the 2023 [[Netflix]] series ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]''.{{refn|As aforementioned, the franchise after the bankruptcy of Daiei Film may have always tried to avoid direct competitions against ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise,<ref name=IGN2022 /><ref name=BraveGuide /><ref name=Karasawa /> while Tokuma Shoten and Kadokawa's offers for a crossover were turned down in 1990s and 2002.<ref name=Kaneda /><ref name=MagMix /><ref name=Zakzak /><ref name=Aiken /> Godzilla productions have been continuously released since 2014 where ''Gamera 3D'' was one of predecessors of [[MonsterVerse]] series by [[Legendary Pictures]].<ref name=Joblo /><ref name=THKingdom />|group="note"}} [[Takashi Miike]]'s ''[[Daimajin]]'' project was presumably cancelled due to the aftermath of ''Gamera the Brave'',<ref>[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]], [https://www.scifijapan.com/kaiju-monsters/daieis-idol-of-terror-daimajin-the-avenging-god Daiei`s Idol of Terror: DAIMAJIN, THE AVENGING GOD]</ref> while it resulted in the production of ''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'',<ref name=Nezura1964 /> and Daimajin appeared in Miike's ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]'' (2021), along with Gamera in its spin-off novelization.<ref name=Minemori /> According to [[Shusuke Kaneko]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mibu |first=Tomohiro |date=13 October 2023 |title=山崎貴監督『ゴジラ-1.0』は金子修介版ゴジラの影響アリ「楽しみにして」 |url=https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0139454 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231104123006/https://www.cinematoday.jp/news/N0139454 |archive-date=4 November 2023 |access-date=19 April 2025 |website=Cinema Today ([[:ja:シネマトゥデイ|jp]]) |language=ja}}</ref> Kadokawa "doesn't offer" him a new production despite him having new ideas for either "G4" or a new production; Kaneko brought a new idea to Kadokawa at one point, however ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' was already in production,<ref>Gamera Rebirth Official Website, 17 November 2022, [https://gamera-rebirth.com/news/index00040000.html 「平成ガメラ三部作」監督・金子修介氏より応援コメントも到着！]</ref> where one of Kaneko's new ideas is Gamera's attack on the [[Pearl Harbor]].<ref>[[:ja:久保田和馬|Kazuma Kubota]], 14 October 2023, [https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/1162065/ 山崎貴が「『ゴジラ-1.0』は『GMK』の影響下にある」と明言！金子修介は"ガメラ4"のアイデアをポロリ], Movie Walker Press ([[:ja:MOVIE WALKER PRESS|jp]])</ref>

Shusuke Kaneko, who dislikes the concepts of Showa Gamera, is aware both of criticisms against him and the intention of ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' (to recover the ideology of the franchise from the Heisei trilogy),<ref name=Doland>{{cite web|author=Hayley Doland |date=2024-05-29 |url=https://kaijuunited.com/2024/05/29/review-gamera-the-brave-is-the-turtles-minus-one/ |title=Review: 'Gamera the Brave' is the Turtle's "Minus One"|website=Kaiju United |access-date=2025-01-27}}</ref> however he [[Gamera the Brave#Reception|in return openly disfavored the 2006 film and criticized its concept]], and advocated the superiority of the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP /> On the other hand, [[Kazunori Ito]], who also doesn't favor Showa Gamera films but prefers [[Toho]] productions, instead suggested to free the franchise from the "curse" of the Heisei trilogy after he watched the anniversary short film in [[2015]].<ref name=EigaHiho2021>Eiga Hihō ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), Vol. April 2021, pp.2-18, Yosensha ([[:ja:洋泉社|jp]])</ref>

One of priorities for ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' is to prevent human casualties by Gamera; while reducing battle scenes among urban areas is effective to reduce production costs, Gamera was also intentionally depicted to arrive at Tokyo in the first episode after most evacuations were completed, and also threw Gyaos and Jiger at open areas without people{{refn|[[Showa Memorial Park]] in the first episode, and a riverbed  of [[Tama River]] in the second episode.|group="note"}} in early episodes for this reason.<ref name=RebirthArtbook />

As aforementioned, artificial origins of kaiju in ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''{{refn|According to Shusuke Kaneko, he originally intended to depict humanity to weaponize monsters in the trilogy akin to ''[[Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim]]''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />|group="note"}} was highly controversial and almost resulted in either a cancellation of the project or dismiss of Shusuke Kaneko while such setting was introduced by Kaneko and Kazunori Ito to rationalize illogical biology of Gamera.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=MWP /> While the trilogy itself possessed [[supernatural]] aspects, the franchise subsequently increased supernatural depictions, including ''[[Gamera the Brave]]''<ref name=Friend />{{refn|The "Konaka Gamera", one of the earliest scripts for ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' by [[Chiaki J. Konaka]] and [[Kazuya Konaka]] ([[:ja:小中和哉|jp]]) which later became the basis for ''Gamera the Brave'' and ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'', had introduced ideas to refer Gamera to both ancient civilizations and deities.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} including identities of kaiju, to involve entities such as [[deities]], [[Spirit (supernatural entity)|spirits]], [[yokai]], [[soul]]s, and [[ghost]]s.<ref name=Kyogoku /><ref name=Minemori /><ref name="HolyBeast" /><ref name=Kondo /><ref name=Frank>Matt Frank, Joshua Bugosh, 6 August 2018, ''Gamera: The Last Hope'', pp.93-108, ''Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe'', [[Dark Horse Comics]], Phase Six Inc.</ref>

Additional controversies of ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'' include its uneasy ending regards the relationship between Gamera and humanity, and the depictions of the [[Japan Self-Defense Forces|JSDF]] which were reviewed "excessively praising"; Shusuke Kaneko described the difficulty to depict the JSDF as a war [[metaphor]] in subsequent kaiju films in 2020s.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />{{refn|During the production of the trilogy, Kaneko believed that "kaiju films are metaphors of wars and the JSDF was protecting the [[Constitution of Japan]]". However, the use of the Right of Collective Self-defense ([[:ja:集団的自衛権|jp]]) was adopted as of 2021, and to depict a "enjoyable Exclusively Defense ([[:ja:専守防衛|jp]])", the JSDF became a metaphor of natural disasters like within [[Shinji Higuchi]]'s ''[[Shin Godzilla]]''. Kaneko instead depicted a "fictional enemy" (Legion) for ''G2'', and a "fictional defense force" for ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack]]''.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />|group="note"}}

===Shōwa era (1965–1980)===
==== Daiei Film ====
The film series began in 1965 with ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'', directed by [[Noriaki Yuasa]], which is the first and only entry in the entire series to be shot in [[black-and-white]] due to budgetary constraints.<ref name=Treasured /> To date, it is the only Showa ''Gamera'' film to be released theatrically in the [[United States]]; however, it was heavily edited, dubbed and retitled ''Gammera the Invincible''.<ref>Galbraith IV, Stuart (1994). Japanese Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. McFarland. pg. 114. ISBN 0-89950-853-7.</ref> In the United States, Gamera attained prominence during the 1970s due to the burgeoning popularity of [[UHF television]] stations featuring Saturday afternoon matinée showcases such as ''[[Creature Double Feature]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Corey|first=Joe|url=https://insidepulse.com/2012/08/31/dvd-review-mighty-morphin-power-rangers-season-1-vol-1/|title=DVD Review: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (Season 1, Vol. 1)|date=31 August 2012|website=InsidePulse|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> and later in the 1990s, when five ''Gamera'' films were featured on the television series ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]''. As aforementioned, ''Gamera'' franchise was often viewed as a cheap, inferior competitor to the ''Godzilla'' franchise especially by global audiences, and this tendency was presumably caused by not only its direction, limited productions and global distributions, but also due to the rather ridiculing atmosphere created with the television series.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

A total of seven ''Gamera'' films were produced between 1965 and 1971, with one being released in Japan each year. These films, several of which were also directed by Yuasa, became popular with child audiences. During this time, five of the seven films were picked up for television distribution in the United States by [[American International Television]]. Just as ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' becoming ''Gammera the Invincible'', each film (except for ''Gamera vs. Zigra'') was dubbed into English and re-titled for American viewers—''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'' became ''War of the Monsters'';{{sfn|Craig|2019|p=401}} ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'' became ''Return of the Giant Monsters'';{{sfn|Galbraith IV|1996|p=335}} ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' became ''Destroy All Planets'';{{sfn|Craig|2019|p=120–121}} ''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]'' became ''Attack of the Monsters'';{{sfn|Craig|2019|p=44}} and ''[[Gamera vs. Jiger]]'' became ''Gamera vs. Monster X''.{{sfn|Craig|2019|p=160}}

Despite several sources stating that a monster called Garasharp was to appear in the eighth entry in the ''Gamera'' series slated for a 1972 release,{{sfn|Rhoads|McCorkle|2018|p=136}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.shrineofgamera.com/garasharp.html|title=Gamera vs. Garasharp: The Gamera that Never Was|publisher=ShrineofGamera.com|access-date=15 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419215134/http://www.shrineofgamera.com/garasharp.html|archive-date=19 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tanomi.com/metoo/naiyou.html?kid=78719|script-title=ja:『ガメラ対大邪獣ガラシャープ』 をちゃんと製作して欲しい。|publisher=Tanomi.com|language=ja|access-date=15 July 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120913092019/http://www.tanomi.com/metoo/naiyou.html?kid=78719|archive-date=13 September 2012}}</ref> director Noriaki Yuasa stated that Garasharp was created specifically for the short film ''Gamera vs. Garasharp'' featured on the 1991 LD set, ''Gamera Permanent Preservation Plan'',<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Ishizuka|first=Daisuke|title=Gamera's Godfather - Noriaki Yuasa|magazine=G-Fan|issue=59|date=2002|page=53}}</ref> and that a new two-headed monster was planned for the next film,<ref name=YuasaInterview /> which was canceled because Daiei Film went into [[bankruptcy]] in 1971 and the ''Gamera'' films ceased production as a result.{{sfn|Rhoads|McCorkle|2018|p=136}}{{sfn|Frédéric|2002|p=137}}

[[Niisan Takahashi]] later published a revised graphic novel of ''Gamera vs. Garasharp'' illustrated by Yutaka Kondo, known for his illustrations of [[kaiju]] and other fictional characters for the ''[[Kūsō Kagaku Dokuhon]]'' series,<ref name=Yanagita /> and it was recorded in the 1995 [[CD-ROM]] of ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]''. This edition depicted Garasharp with a different appearance and the ability to emit electricity.<ref>Official X account of Gamera 55th anniversary project, 1 April 2021, [https://twitter.com/gamera_info/status/1377494637074522114 台本発見というのは、願望たっぷりの #エイプリルフール ネタでした。みなさま流石です・・・。とはいえ、頭の中が #ガラシャープ になっている方も多いと思いますので、「大怪獣ガメラ」CD-ROMから近藤豊さんのイラストの『ガメラ対ガラシャープ』をご紹介‼#ガメラ3 先行公開迄あと15日。] on X</ref>

==== Tokuma Shoten ====
After Daiei was purchased by [[Tokuma Shoten]] in 1974, the new management wanted to produce another ''Gamera'' film, resulting in ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' (also known as ''Space Monster Gamera''), released in 1980. The filmmakers were forced to make the movie because of the contract for one more ''Gamera'' film that they owed to Daiei. Approximately one-third of ''Gamera: Super Monster'' is composed of [[stock footage]] from six of the previous seven films.<ref>{{cite web|last=Player|first=Mark|url=http://www.midnighteye.com/features/intergalactic-tokusatsu-charting-the-japanese-space-opera-part-2/|title=Intergalactic Tokusatsu: Charting the Japanese Space Opera, Part 2|date=7 July 2014|website=Midnight Eye|access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref> Yuasa had Takahashi end the film by having Gamera be presumably killed by sacrificing his life to save Earth, while the later-published [[manga]] by [[Hurricane Ryu]] depicted that Gamera was artificially resurrected.<ref name=MangaBoys />

In 1985, the American distribution rights to the ''Gamera'' films were bought by producer [[Sandy Frank]], who distributed five of the eight films with new [[English dubbing]].{{sfn|Morgan|2015|p=10}} In 1988 and 1989, Frank's versions of ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'' (simply re-titled ''Gamera''),<ref name=dvdtalk /> ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', ''Gamera vs. Gyaos'' (re-titled ''Gamera vs. Gaos''), ''Gamera vs. Guiron'', and ''Gamera vs. Zigra'' were each used in episodes of the television program ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'', during the show's [[List of Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes#KTMA-TV (1988–89)|first season]], which aired on [[KTMA-TV]].<ref name=dvdtalk />{{sfn|Morgan|2015|p=10}}<ref>{{cite web|last=Murray|first=Noel|url=https://www.avclub.com/mst3k-vs-gamera-1798169020|title=MST3K Vs. Gamera|date=27 July 2011|work=The A. V. Club|access-date=24 July 2019}}</ref>

The attempt to reboot the franchise after ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]'' didn't materialize.<ref name=Ui />

===Heisei era (1995–2015)===
{{Expand section|date=November 2022}}

==== Tokuma Shoten ====
In the 1995 series reboot by [[Tokuma Shoten]], ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'', three [[Gyaos]] are discovered on a remote island. The Japanese government discovers that they are all female and decides that since they are the last of their kind, they should be captured and studied. Meanwhile, scientists search for a moving atoll in the Pacific. When the atoll is located, small gems made of an unknown metal are discovered on it, as well as a stone that protrudes from the center of the island. The scientists take pictures and collect some of the strange gems, but the stone crumbles and the atoll moves off towards Japan at high speeds. The atoll is found to be an ancient monster of Atlantean origin called Gamera. He attacks the Gyaos; two are killed, but one escapes. The remaining Gyaos grows to Gamera-like proportions and returns to resume the battle. Gamera defeats this foe and heads out to sea.

In ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]'', released in 1996, Gamera defends the [[Earth]] from attacks by an alien force known as [[Legion (kaiju)|Legion]] ([[:ja:レギオン (架空の怪獣)|jp]]).

In ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', released in 1999, Gamera has to face hordes of Gyaos Hyper and a new foe known as Iris which is a subspecies of Gyaos. [[Shusuke Kaneko]] originally wanted to end the film with Gamera's victory against the swarms of Gyaos, however his idea was cancelled partially due to budgetary problems.<ref name=KanekoDiary />

[[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]])'s proposal for a crossover with [[Godzilla]] didn't materialize,<ref name=Kaneda /><ref name=MagMix /> and "G4" was cancelled,<ref name=MWP /> and Tokuma Shoten eventually disposed Daiei Film properties due to Yasuyoshi's death in 2000 and the financial condition of the company.<ref name=Nikkei />

The 2003 [[independent film]], ''[[GAMERA 4-TRUTH]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラ4 真実|jp]]), which presumably reused the scrapped plot of "G4", was produced by Shinpei Hayashiya ([[:ja:林家しん平|jp]]) with featuring [[Yukijirō Hotaru]].{{refn|His teacher, Yukitarō Hotaru's appearance in ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'' was the main reason for Yukijirō's involvements in the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} Tokuma Shoten gave a permission to it under the condition to not to take fees, and it has been repeatedly co-screened with canonical ''Gamera'' films on occasions.<ref name=Imai/>

In early 1990s, there existed attempts to produce new productions which were different from the Heisei trilogy. [[Niisan Takahashi]] independently developed an idea as the later basis for ''Gamera vs. Phoenix'',<ref name=Stuart /><ref name=DaieiScripts /> where he had experienced a discord against Tokuma Shoten for the production of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' and severed ties with all stakeholders.<ref name=YuasaInterview /> There was also a new [[Direct-to-video#OVA and V-Cinema in Japan|V-cinema]] project around 1991.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> Prior to the production of ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'', there existed a film project ''"Gamera 2.5"''{{refn|Two subsequent Heisei-trilogy-based manga, ''Gamera vs. Barugon: Comic Version'' ([[:ja:大怪獣激闘 ガメラ対バルゴン COMIC VERSION|jp]]) and {{Nihongo|''Gamera Side Story: Version 2.5''|ガメラ外伝 Ver 2.5|Gamera Gaiden Bājon 2.5|lead=yes}}, instead bore the number "2.5".<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} by [[Shusuke Kaneko]] and [[Kazunori Ito]] and others due to [[Shinji Higuchi]]'s reluctance to participate in the 1999 film. Its plot never involved Gamera directly, and instead focused on a juvenile Gyaos attacking on a depopulated, mountainous village, and aged villagers resisting the monster. Higuchi eventually joined the 1999 film due to the cancellation of the project by [[Mamoru Oshii]]{{refn|Oshii and various members of the Heisei Gamera trilogy, including Kaneko and Ito and Higuchi, have had connections since before the production of the Heisei trilogy. Oshii's works, such as ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'', which have had occasional associations with the ''Gamera'' and ''Daimajin'' franchises, and other scrapped projects, influenced the production of the Heisei trilogy, and Oshii was at one point supposed to join the trilogy.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /><ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}, which was the preceding project of ''[[Garm Wars: The Last Druid]]'' (2014).<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

==== Kadokawa Corporation ====
In ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'', the first reboot attempt by [[Kadokawa Corporation]] released in 2006, Gamera (Avant Gamera and Toto) battles a flock of Original Gyaos and Zedus, a [[mutant]] kaiju under the influence of Gyaos.<ref name=BravePamphlet /> It was initially intended to be either a related story of the Heisei trilogy (either a sequel or prequel or side story, or a similar production),{{sfn|Mamiya|2006|p=34-35}} or a [[Crossover (fiction)|crossover]] with [[Godzilla]], and the company also initiated reboot attempts of ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'', and the 2005 film ''[[The Great Yokai War]]'' was produced.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=Zakzak /><ref name=Aiken /> Afterward the 2006 film, [[#Influences of the Heisei Trilogy|various subsequent productions including its sequels]], along with a ''Daimajin'' project were cancelled, and ''[[Daimajin Kanon]]'' was instead produced.<ref name=Nezura1964 />

In March 2014, [[Anime News Network]] reported that a new ''Gamera'' production was planned, with no release date specified.<ref name=ANN>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-03-12/new-gamera-project-listed-by-retailer|title=New Gamera Project Listed by Retailer|date=12 March 2014|website=Anime News Network|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref>

At the [[New York Comic Con]] held in October 2015, [[Kadokawa Daiei Studio]]'s senior managing director Tsuyoshi Kikuchi and producer [[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]) screened a full proof-of-concept film in honor of the franchise's 50th anniversary; the short was directed by [[Katsuhito Ishii]] and its music was composed by [[Kenji Kawai]].<ref name=CGWORLD /><ref name=WebNewType>{{Cite web |title=ガメラ50周年映像を手がけた石井監督を直撃 (前編) |url=https://webnewtype.com/report/article/67391/ |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=WebNewtype |language=ja}}</ref> The proof-of-concept film featured a newly designed Gamera, a swarm of newly designed Gyaos and a new, as yet unnamed monster, all of which were created and rendered through the use of [[computer-generated imagery]].<ref name=amaya>{{cite web|last=Amaya|first=Erik|url=https://www.bleedingcool.com/2015/10/09/nycc-15-gamera-is-still-the-friend-of-all-children-in-new-trailer/|title=NYCC '15: Gamera Is Still The Friend Of All Children In New Trailer|date=9 October 2015|website=Bleeding Cool|publisher=Avatar Press|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Loo|first=Egan|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2015-10-09/new-gamera-monster-cg-footage-unveiled-by-katsuhito-ishii/.93952|title=New Gamera Monster CG Footage Unveiled by Katsuhito Ishii|date=9 October 2015|website=Anime News Network|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Chapman|first=Paul|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2015/10/09-1/video-teaser-trailer-for-new-gamera-film-directed-by-katsuhito-ishii|title=VIDEO: Teaser Trailer for New "Gamera" Film Directed by Katsuhito Ishii|date=9 October 2015|website=Crunchyroll|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> It has been rumored since the film's showing at New York Comic Con that it was never completed. However, the film's official website<ref>{{Cite web |title=レポート |url=http://gamera-50th.jp/ |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=ガメラ生誕50周年記念特別サイト |language=ja}}</ref> and an interview with the director both state that it was only a short proof of concept film. However, Inoue was actually trying to reboot the franchise with a new film for five years.<ref name=CGWORLD>{{Cite web |title=『GAMERA』石井克人監督 インタビュー（続報）最新のVFX技法を取り入れ、" 新世代の特撮"を実現させる |url=https://cgworld.jp/interview/201511-gamera.html |access-date=2022-04-09 |website=CGWORLD ([[:ja:CGWORLD|jp]]) |language=ja}}</ref><ref name=Nezura1964 />

=== Reiwa era (2023) ===
{{Main|Gamera Rebirth}}
An anime series, titled ''Gamera Rebirth'', was released globally on [[Netflix]] in 2023.<ref name="November Rebirth">{{cite web|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2022/11/16-1/legendary-kaiju-gamera-gets-new-work-gamera-rebirth-on-netflix|title=Legendary Kaiju Gamera Gets New Work GAMERA -Rebirth- on Netflix|first=Mikikazu|last=Komatsu|work=[[Crunchyroll]]|date=16 November 2022|access-date=17 November 2022|url-status=live|archive-date=18 November 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221118023841/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2022/11/16-1/legendary-kaiju-gamera-gets-new-work-gamera-rebirth-on-netflix}}</ref><ref name="Variety 3-24-23"/> A number of references to previous films and scrapped projects were made, including the reuse of the ''[[Gamera March]]'' ([[:ja:ガメラマーチ|ja]]), the iconic Showa song.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> For example, designs of Gamera and Gyaos and the scene for Gamera to shoot down a flock of smaller Gyaos with his fireball in the first episode are reused from the 2015 short film, and [[Katsuhito Ishii]] was credited as the designer of Gamera.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> It yet again suffers insufficiency in budget; it features poorly done 3D models for humans,<ref>{{cite web |author=Sean Barry |date=2023 |url=https://asianmoviepulse.com/2023/09/anime-review-gamera-rebirth-2023-by-hiroyuki-seshita/ |title=Anime Review: Gamera Rebirth (2023) by Hiroyuki Seshita |website=Asian Movie Pulse |access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref> and lacks an [[opening animation]] ([[:ja:オープニングアニメーション|jp]]) which is a common feature of Japanese [[anime]].<ref>KADOKAWA Anime, 9 September 2023,
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdFGYI-g4WY 『GAMERA -Rebirth-（ガメラリバース）』オープニング映像｜WANIMA「夏暁」], Youtube</ref> The battle scenes were also cut in half from what was originally intended to be,<ref name="Dengeki" /> including cancellations of a number of monsters' abilities and characteristics,<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> and Seshita noted that inserting kaiju battles in every episode was very difficult for budgetary problems.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> While crews are willing to produce additional seasons (potentially up to 5) with more budgets and increased fighting scenes,<ref name=Interview4>Kadokawa Anime, 12 October 2023, ''[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEiw_7NcayU GAMERA -Rebirth- | Special Interview Part 4]'', at 01:37 and 06:15, Youtube</ref> the future of the series is uncertain.<ref name=RebirthArtbook /><ref name="Dengeki">{{cite web |website= [[Dengeki Hobby Magazine]] |date=2023-09-06 |url=https://hobby.dengeki.com/event/2064376/ |title=Netflix『GAMERA-Rebirth-』"シーズン5まではいける"瀬下寛之監督は早くも実写化に意欲！金元寿子さん・松岡禎丞さん・豊崎愛生さんたち声優陣も登壇したトークショーをレポート！ |access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref> [[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]]) also pointed a possibility of the series to be adapted into live-action productions,<ref name="Dengeki" /> and expressed his wish for the series to contribute to the revival of the franchise.<ref>KADOKAWA Anime, 5 October 2023, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIzv8HJwoHs 『Making of "GAMERA -Rebirth-"』ガメラリバースインタビュー映像③【Netflix世界配信中】], at 04:24, Youtube</ref>

==Filmography==
===Films===
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:25px" | No.
! style="width:300px;"| Title
! style="width:50px;"| Year
! style="width:120px;"| Director(s)
! style="width:250px;"| Monster co-star(s)
! style="width:250px;"| Licenses
|-
! colspan="7" style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" | Shōwa era (1965–1980)
|-
|-
|1
|
''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1965
|style="text-align:center"|[[Noriaki Yuasa]]
|None
|rowspan=8|[[Arrow Films#Arrow Video|Arrow Video]]<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set"/>
|-
|2
|
''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1966
|style="text-align:center"|[[Shigeo Tanaka]]
|Barugon
|-
|3
|
''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1967
|rowspan="6"|Noriaki Yuasa
|[[Gyaos]] ([[:ja:ギャオス|jp]])
|-
|4
|
''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1968
|Viras
|-
|5
|
''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1969
|Guiron, Space Gyaos
|-
|6
|
''[[Gamera vs. Jiger]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1970
|Jiger, Jiger's baby
|-
|7
|
''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1971
|Zigra
|-
|8
|
''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1980
|Gyaos, Zigra, Viras, Jiger, Guiron, and Barugon
|-
|-
! colspan="7" style="background-color:#CEE0F2;" | Heisei era (1995–2006)
|-
|-
|9
|
''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1995
|rowspan="3" |[[Shusuke Kaneko]]
|Gyaos
|rowspan=4|Arrow Video<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set"/>
|-
|10
|
''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1996
|[[Legion (kaiju)|Legion]] ([[:ja:レギオン (架空の怪獣)|jp]])
|-
|11
|
''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]''
|style="text-align:center"|1999
|Iris, Gyaos Hyper{{sfn|Kusakari|Kurajō|1999|p=15}}
|-
|12
|
''[[Gamera the Brave]]''
|style="text-align:center"|2006
|style="text-align:center"|[[Ryuta Tasaki]]
|Original Gyaos,{{sfn|Mamiya|2006|p=32}} Zedus
|-
|}

===Original net animation===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Director(s)
! style="width:250px;"| Monster co-star(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Eps
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Ref(s)
|-
|''[[Gamera Rebirth]]''
|style="text-align:center"|2023
|style="text-align:center"|[[Hiroyuki Seshita]] ([[:ja:瀬下寛之|jp]])
|Gyaos, Jiger, Zigra, Guiron, Viras, and S-Gyaos<ref name=RebirthNovel2 />
|style="text-align:center"|6
|style="text-align:center"|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-03-25/gamera-rebirth-anime-unveils-trailer-more-cast-ending-song-artist-2023-debut/.196408|title=Gamera -Rebirth- Anime Unveils Trailer, More Cast, Ending Song Artist, 2023 Debut|last1=Haddick|first1=Alicia|last2=Pineda|first2=Rafael Antonio|website=[[Anime News Network]]|date=25 March 2023|access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref>
|-
|}

===Short film===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Director(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Ref(s)
|-
|''Gamera''
|style="text-align:center"|2015
|[[Katsuhito Ishii]]
|style="text-align:center"|<ref name=WebNewType /><ref name=CGWORLD />
|-
|}

===Documentary===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Director(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Ref(s)
|-
|''[[GAMERA 1999]]'' ([[:ja:GAMERA1999|jp]])
|style="text-align:center"|1999
|style="text-align:center"|[[Hideaki Anno]]
|style="text-align:center"|<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12920868/ Gamera 1999]</ref>
|-
|}

===Drama===
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!scope="col"|Title
!scope="col"|Year
!scope="col"|Director(s)
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|Ref(s)
|-
|''Gamera - Council for gigantic organisms -''{{refn|{{Nihongo|''Gamera - Council for gigantic organisms - ''|ガメラ－巨大生物審議会－|Gamera Kyodai Seibutsu Shingikai|lead=yes}}|group="note"}}
|style="text-align:center"|1999
|[[Shusuke Kaneko]]
|style="text-align:center"|<ref>{{cite web|title=DVD ガメラ －巨大生物審議会－|url=https://www.allcinema.net/soft/629|website=allcinema ([[:ja:allcinema|jp]])|access-date=2025-01-25}}</ref>
|-
|}

==Other media==
===Home media===
In 2003, [[Alpha Video]] released the American versions of four Shōwa films on [[pan and scan]] DVDs: ''Gammera the Invincible'',{{sfn|Bolton|Csicsery-Ronay Jr.|Tatsumi|2007|p=22}}{{sfn|Goldweber|2015|p=730}} ''Gamera vs. Barugon'' (as ''War of the Monsters''),<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/War-Monsters-Kojiro-Hongo/dp/B000098ZSK/|title=War of the Monsters DVD|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> ''Gamera vs. Viras'' (as ''Destroy All Planets'')<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Destroy-All-Planets-Kôjirô-Hongô/dp/B00009NHAN|title=Destroy All Planets DVD|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> and ''Gamera vs. Guiron'' (as ''Attack of the Monsters'').<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.com/Attack-Monsters-Nobuhiro-Kajima/dp/B0000D1FG2/|title=Attack of the Monsters DVD|website=[[Amazon.com]]|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref>

In 2010, [[Shout! Factory]] acquired the rights from Kadokawa Pictures for all eight of the Showa ''Gamera'' films in order to release the uncut Japanese versions on DVD for the first time ever in North America. These "Special Edition" DVDs were released in sequential order, starting with ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'' on 18 May 2010, followed by ''[[Gamera vs. Barugon]]'' and two double features: ''[[Gamera vs. Gyaos]]'' with ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'', and ''[[Gamera vs. Guiron]]'' with ''[[Gamera vs. Jiger]]''. On 15 March 2011, Shout! Factory released the last two films of the Showa series in a double feature of ''[[Gamera vs. Zigra]]'' with ''[[Gamera: Super Monster]]''. Shout! Factory later released ''MST3K vs. Gamera'', a special 21st volume of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' containing the episodes featuring all five ''Gamera'' movies from the show's third season.

On 29 April 2014, Mill Creek Entertainment released the eight Showa ''Gamera'' films (1965–1980) on Blu-ray in two volumes, ''Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 1'' and ''Gamera: The Ultimate Collection Volume 2'', featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles, and also the first 11 films (1965–1999) on DVD again as ''The Gamera Legacy Collection: 1965 - 1999'', also featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2014/02/24/new-gamera-blu-ray-and-dvd-sets-from-mill-creek-in-april/|title=New Gamera Blu-ray and DVD Sets from Mill Creek in April|date=24 February 2014|website=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |access-date=8 July 2019}}</ref> The Heisei trilogy was re-released on Blu-ray earlier from Mill Creek Entertainment on 27 September 2011, once again featuring the original widescreen video and original Japanese audio only with English subtitles.

On 17 August 2020, [[Arrow Films#Arrow Video|Arrow Video]] released a Blu-ray box set titled ''Gamera: The Complete Collection''. The set features the original Japanese cuts for all 12 films, with English audio options; the Blu-ray debut of ''Gammera the Invincible'' and ''War of the Monsters''; digital HD transfers and 4K restorations of the Heisei trilogy; case artwork by Matt Frank; audio commentaries by August Ragone, David Kalat, Steve Ryfle, Ed Godziszewski, Sean Rhoads, and Brooke McCorkle; a full color hardcover reprint of Dark Horse Comics' four-issue comic book miniseries ''Gamera the Guardian of the Universe''; the English-language printing debut of the comic book story ''Gamera: The Last Hope'' by Matt Frank and Joshua Bugosh, which was originally published as a [[fan fiction]];<ref name=Frank /> and an 80-page book featuring a retrospective on the series by Patrick Macias with illustrations by Jolyon Yates.<ref name="Gamera Arrow Set">{{cite web|url=https://www.scifijapan.com/dvd-blu-ray-digital/gamera-the-complete-collection-limited-edition-blu-ray-set-coming-from-arrow-video|title=Gamera: The Complete Collection – Limited Edition Blu-ray Set Coming From Arrow Video|work=[[SciFi Japan TV|SciFi Japan]] |date=21 February 2020|access-date=22 February 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200223014100/http://www.scifijapan.com/articles/2020/02/21/gamera-the-complete-collection-limited-edition-blu-ray-set-coming-from-arrow-video/|archive-date=23 February 2020}}</ref>

===Comics===
[[File:Gameracomic.jpg|thumb|130px|The first issue of the comic book miniseries ''Gamera the Guardian of the Universe'' by Dark Horse Comics]]
Aside from movie and anime based [[manga]], there have been supplemental manga productions to expand lore of film and anime productions, such as ''Giant Monster Gamera'' (1994),<ref name=MangaBoys /> ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]] '' (1996) by [[Takashi Teshirogi]],<ref name=Perfection /> ''Gamera Side Story: Version 2.5'' (1999),<ref name=Perfection /> ''Gamera vs. Morphos'' (1999), ''Gamera vs. Barugon: Comic Version'' ([[:ja:大怪獣激闘 ガメラ対バルゴン COMIC VERSION|jp]]) (2003), ''Gamera 2006: Hard Link'' (2006),<ref name=HardLink /> and ''Gamera Rebirth Code Thyrsos'' (2023).<ref>BOOK WALKER, [https://global.bookwalker.jp/de6145271e-82a4-451f-b139-c421ad23ea32/ GAMERA-Rebirth- code thyrsos　Chapter 1], Kadokawa</ref>

[[Dark Horse Comics]] published a four-issue miniseries based on Gamera called ''Gamera the Guardian of the Universe'' in 1996.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.comics.org/series/15986/covers/|title=GCD :: Covers :: Gamera|publisher=Grand Comics Database|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> The miniseries features Gamera, Gyaos, Zigra, and Viras.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/96-436/Gamera-1-of-4|title=Gamera #1 (of 4)|website=DarkHorse.com|publisher=Dark Horse Comics, Inc.|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/96-440/Gamera-2-of-4|title=Gamera #2 (of 4)|website=DarkHorse.com|publisher=Dark Horse Comics, Inc.|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/96-444/Gamera-3-of-4|title=Gamera #3 (of 4)|website=DarkHorse.com|publisher=Dark Horse Comics, Inc.|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.darkhorse.com/Comics/96-448/Gamera-4-of-4|title=Gamera #4 (of 4)|website=DarkHorse.com|publisher=Dark Horse Comics, Inc.|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> The [[manga]] series ''[[Dr. Slump]]'', written and illustrated by [[Akira Toriyama]], depicts Gamera as appearing in the land of Penguin Village.<ref>{{cite web|last=Thompson|first=Jason|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2013-10-17|title=Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Dr. Slump|date=17 October 2013|website=Anime News Network|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> Gajira "Gatchan" Norimaki's name is also a reference to Gamera.<ref name=Gatchan /> In the manga series ''[[Dragon Ball (manga)|Dragon Ball]]'', also by Toriyama, a flying turtle which resembles a smaller version of Gamera is summoned by [[Master Roshi]] to carry him to Fire Mountain.{{sfn|Padula|2015|p=224–225}} There are references to Gamera in chapters of the manga series ''[[Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo]]'', written and illustrated by [[Osamu Akimoto]], and ''[[Kinnikuman]]'', created by [[Yudetamago]]. These chapters appear in ''Gamera: Super Monster'', the eighth film in the franchise.<ref name=Dent>{{cite web|last=Dent|first=Mike|url=https://www.otakuusamagazine.com/gamera-the-super-monster/|title=Gamera: The Super Monster|date=22 March 2010|work=Otaku USA|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref>

===Novels===
Aside from film and anime based novelizations, Gamera and [[Daimajin]] and enemy monsters made appearances in several exoteric novels, such as the one by [[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]),<ref name="HolyBeast" /> the spin-off novelization of ''[[The Great Yokai War: Guardians]]'',<ref name=Minemori /> the ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari'' series by [[Natsuhiko Kyogoku]],<ref name=Kyogoku /> and several others.<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Jodo />

===Television===
The first, local TV season of ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' includes five episodes which each feature a film from the ''Gamera'' franchise's Shōwa period: ''Gamera, the Giant Monster'', ''Gamera vs. Barugon'', ''Gamera vs. Gyaos'', ''Gamera vs. Guiron'', and ''Gamera vs. Zigra''. The same five films were re-used in the show's third national season.<ref>{{cite web|last=Brunson|first=Matt|url=https://screenrant.com/mystery-science-theater-3000-best-classic-episodes-netflix-revival/|title=Mystery Science Theater 3000's Best Episodes|date=21 April 2017|website=ScreenRant|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Jasper|first=Gavin|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/comedy/281408/mst3k-giant-monster-movies-mystery-science-theater-3000|title=MST3K: A Guide to the Giant Monster Movies of Mystery Science Theater 3000|date=31 May 2019|website=Den of Geek|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> The thirteenth season of the show also contains an episode that features ''Gamera vs. Jiger''. In a similar manner to events depicted in the manga series upon which it was based, the [[anime]] television series ''[[Dragon Ball (TV series)|Dragon Ball]]'' features a creature known as Baby Gamera, a flying turtle resembling a miniature version of Gamera which transports Master Roshi to Fire Mountain.<ref>{{cite web|last=Baird|first=Scott|url=https://screenrant.com/dragon-ball-z-crossovers/|title=15 Times Dragon Ball Z Crossed Over With Other Series|date=8 March 2017|website=ScreenRant|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Baird|first=Scott|url=https://www.thegamer.com/dragon-ball-shocking-things-you-didnt-know-about-master-roshi/|title=Dragon Ball: 20 Surprising Things You Didn't Know About Master Roshi|date=30 November 2017|website=TheGamer.com|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> Gamera was parodied in the ''[[South Park]]'' episode "[[Mecha-Streisand]]",<ref>{{cite web|last1=Longo|first1=Chris|last2=Crow|first2=David|last3=Kurland|first3=Daniel|last4=Harley|first4=Nick|last5=Matar|first5=Joe|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/us/tv/south-park/239378/the-complete-guide-to-south-park-movie-parodies-and-references|title=The Complete Guide to South Park Movie Parodies and References|date=15 April 2019|website=Den of Geek|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref> and was featured in the ''[[The Simpsons|Simpsons]]'' episode "[[Thirty Minutes Over Tokyo]]".<ref>{{cite web|last=Plumb|first=Alastair|url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/godzilla-references-pop-culture/|title=From The Simpsons To Shrek 2: A History Of Godzilla In Pop Culture|date=14 May 2014|work=Empire Online|access-date=7 July 2019}}</ref>

An anime series, titled ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'', was released on [[Netflix]] in 2023.<ref name="November Rebirth"/><ref name="Variety 3-24-23">{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/netflix-anime-ooku-the-inner-chambers-1235564658/|title=Netflix Announces Series 'Ooku: The Inner Chambers' at Anime Japan Event|first=Patrick|last=Frater|work=Variety|date=24 March 2023|access-date=25 March 2023|url-status=live|archive-date=25 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325150940/https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/netflix-anime-ooku-the-inner-chambers-1235564658/}}</ref>

As aforementioned, Gamera repeatedly appeared in the ''Sailor Fight'' series ([[:ja:セーラーファイト!|jp]]) in 1995 and 1996 most notably the ''Gamera vs. Sailor Fighter'' and ''Cosplay Warrior Cutie Knight''.<ref name=HurricaneRyu />

Gamera made several appearances in [[television advertisement]]s; one by [[Calbee]] in 1989, and another by [[Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Group]] in which he co-appeared with [[Maki Horikita]] and others, and it was produced by Shinichi Wakasa ([[:ja:若狭新一|jp]]) and his Monsters ([[:ja:モンスターズ (製作会社)|jp]]) and Jun Kawanishi ([[:ja:川西純|jp]]). [[Akira Ohashi]] again played Gamera for the latter.<ref name=Perfection /><ref>[[Akira Ohashi]]. 22 February 2016, [https://x.com/As70HmOoM77vhBv/status/701675835153993728 僕が今のところ最後に演じたガメラはCM「三井住友海上GKガメラ篇」(2010年)です。懐かしです。], Twitter (X)</ref>

===Video games===
Gamera appeared in several video games released in 1995, including ''Gamera: Daikaiju Kuchu Kessen'' for the [[Game Boy]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Shaffer|first=Joseph|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/12451/game-boy/gamera-daikaijuu-kuuchuu-kessen/review.html|title=Gamera: Daikaijuu Kuuchuu Kessen (Game Boy) review|date=11 January 2015|website=HonestGamers.com|access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref> ''Gamera: Gyaosu Gekimetsu Sakusen'' for the [[Super Famicom]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/getinfo.pl?ID=J-044-S-06840-A|title=RF Generation: Gamera: Gyaos Gekinetsu Sakusen (Nintendo Super Famicom)|date=6 September 2012|website=RF Generation|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> and ''Gamera: The Time Adventure'' for the [[Bandai Playdia]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rfgeneration.com/cgi-bin/getinfo.pl?ID=J-098-S-00250-A|title=RF Generation: Gamera: The Time Adventure|date=3 October 2011|website=RF Generation|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref> In 1997, ''[[Gamera 2000]]'' was released exclusively in Japan for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Fielder|first=Joe|title=Gamera 2000 (Import) Review|url=https://www.gamespot.com/reviews/gamera-2000-import-review/1900-2547683/|date=19 June 1997|website=GameSpot|access-date=17 July 2019}}</ref> In 2017, Gamera appeared in the video game ''[[City Shrouded in Shadow]]'', released for the [[PlayStation 4]], alongside such characters as [[Legion (kaiju)|Legion]] ([[:ja:レギオン (架空の怪獣)|jp]]), [[Godzilla]], [[Ultraman (character)|Ultraman]], and [[Evangelion (mecha)|Evangelion Unit-01]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Romano|first=Sal|url=https://gematsu.com/2017/05/city-shrouded-shadow-now-ps4-launches-fall-japan|title=City Shrouded in Shadow now PS4-only, launches this fall in Japan [Update 3]|date=30 May 2017|website=Gematsu|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Gelmini|first=David|url=https://www.dreadcentral.com/news/231802/gamera-king-ghidorah-officially-join-godzilla-city-shrouded-shadow/|title=Gamera and King Ghidorah Officially Join Godzilla in City Shrouded in Shadow|date=1 June 2017|website=Dread Central|access-date=18 July 2019}}</ref>

Additional collaborations have been made with ''[[SimTower|The Tower II]]'',<ref>[https://www.amazon.co.jp/The-Tower-II-%E3%82%B9%E3%83%9A%E3%82%B7%E3%83%A3%E3%83%AB%E3%82%AC%E3%83%A1%E3%83%A9%E3%83%91%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF/dp/B005VCJV1G The Tower II スペシャルガメラパック]</ref> ''Monster Gear'',<ref>[[4Gamer.net]], 20 November 2015, [https://www.4gamer.net/games/300/G030021/20151120108/ 「モンスターギア」，特撮映画「ガメラ」とのコラボイベントが本日スタート。コラボクエストクリアでギロンやギャオスのギア獲得のチャンス]</ref> ''[[Symphogear|Symphogear XD Unlimited]]'',<ref>[[4Gamer.net]], 8 November 2021, [https://www.4gamer.net/games/356/G035645/20211108005/ 「シンフォギアXD」×「ガメラ」のコラボイベントが復刻開催]</ref> ''Godzilla Battle Line'',<ref name=ScifiJapan /> and so on.

==Reception==
===Box office performance and critical response===
Many of the ''Gamera'' films were commercially successful in Japan, rivaling the ''Godzilla'' franchise at the [[box office]] during the 1960s.<ref name=deusner /> However, they were commonly regarded as being inferior to the ''Godzilla'' films, with criticism being aimed at the derivative and absurd nature of the series.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=491}} Despite this, the 1995 reboot ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' was both a critical and financial success, remaining in the top 10 films in Japan for its first six weeks of release and grossing more than ''[[Godzilla vs. SpaceGodzilla]]'', which was also playing in Japanese theaters at that time.{{sfn|Kalat|2010|p=491}}

For the global receptions, aspects of the Showa films with child-friendly direction, limited productions and distributions, and a rather ridiculing atmosphere created through the ''[[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]'' presumably enhanced public impressions towards the franchise as a cheap and inferior competitor to the ''Godzilla'' franchise.<ref name=EigaHiho2021 />

===Legacy===
As aforementioned, the ''Gamera'' franchise has been prominent in expanding [[post-war]] [[popular culture]]s in Japan, such as contributions in the creations of ''[[Daimajin]]'' and ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'', and the launches of the two "Kaiju Booms" ([[:ja:第一次怪獣ブーム|jp]])([[:ja:第二次怪獣ブーム|jp]]) and the "[[Yōkai]] Boom"; these booms became influential [[social phenomenon]]s, and were pushed by [[Masaichi Nagata]]'s efforts to save the Japanese film industry and to appeal the significances of "[[kaiju]]" and "[[tokusatsu]]" genres globally.<ref name=Futaesaku /><ref name=Tanigawa /><ref name=Tanigawa /> The franchise's direct and indirect influences extend among not only "kaiju" and "tokusatsu" genres, but also other entertainment industries; aside from the kaiju and yokai booms, [[Noriaki Yuasa]] also became one of the best hitmakers for domestic television industries at that time through his experiences of ''Gamera'' and other Daiei Film productions.<ref name=Denner /><ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Ono2018 /><ref name=Karasawa /> In 2006, the franchise was chosen for [[special stamp]]s ([[:ja:日本の特殊切手一覧|jp]]) as one of representative properties among [[Cinema of Japan|Japanese cinema]].<ref name=Perfection /> 

[[Todd McCarthy]], in his review of ''Gamera: Guardian of the Universe'' for ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'', wrote that "Despite its horrific countenance and plated shell, Gamera remains one of the most likable of all movie monsters".<ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Todd|url=https://variety.com/1995/film/reviews/gamera-the-guardian-of-the-universe-1200443077/|title=Gamera: The Guardian of the Universe|date=4 September 1995|work=Variety|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> Brian Solomon of the website [[Bloody Disgusting]] ranked Gamera eighth on his list of "Most Kick-Ass Giant Monsters in Movie History".<ref>{{cite web|last=Solomon|first=Brian|url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/editorials/19565/the-top-21-most-kick-ass-giant-monsters-in-movie-history/|title=The Top 21 Most Kick-Ass Giant Monsters in Movie History!|date=23 March 2010|website=Bloody Disgusting|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> Gamera was also ranked eighth on Rick Mele of ''[[Sharp (magazine)|Sharp]]'''s list of "Greatest Giant Monsters in Movie History".<ref>{{cite web|last=Mele|first=Rick|url=https://sharpmagazine.com/2017/03/10/the-16-greatest-giant-monsters-in-movie-history/|title=The 16 Greatest Giant Monsters in Movie History|date=10 March 2017|work=Sharp|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> Chris Coffel of [[Film School Rejects]] wrote that "I would argue that the ''Gamera'' franchise is better than the ''Godzilla'' franchise", complimenting Gamera's turtle-like design and his affinity for children.<ref>{{cite web|last=Coffel|first=Chris|url=https://filmschoolrejects.com/37-must-watch-big-monster-movies/|title=Attack of the 37 Big Monster Movies|date=23 March 2018|website=Film School Rejects|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> [[Ken Watanabe]], who played a major role in [[MonsterVerse]] films, noted that he preferred Gamera to [[Godzilla]] during his youth.<ref>Izumi Hasegawa, 15 May 2014, ''[https://whatsuphollywood.com/features/exclusive-interview-with-ken-watanabe-gojira-vs-godzilla/ Exclusive interview with Ken Watanabe: “Gojira vs. Godzilla”]'', What's Up Hollywood</ref> [[Guillermo del Toro]] noted that ''[[Gamera, the Giant Monster]]'' is one of favorite kaiju films, and he as a child often created his own kaiju and robots based on classic characters including Gamera and Barugon.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://hiphopwired.com/245180/pacific-rim-director-guillermo-del-toros-top-5-kaiju-films/|title=Pacific Rim Director Guillermo Del Toro's Top 5 Kaiju Films|first=Alvin Aqua|last=Blanco|work=Hip Hop Wired|date=13 July 2013|access-date=27 March 2024|archive-date=3 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190303165744/https://hiphopwired.com/245180/pacific-rim-director-guillermo-del-toros-top-5-kaiju-films/}}</ref><ref>Eiga Hihō ([[:ja:映画秘宝|jp]]), Vol. September 2013, p.9, Yosensha ([[:ja:洋泉社|jp]])</ref>

Several authors such as [[Hiro Arikawa]]<ref>Daisuke Yoshida, 2017, [https://ddnavi.com/news/135686/a/ 有川浩作品の原点は『ガメラ』と『大脱走』?], [[Da Vinci (magazine)|Da Vinci]], [[Kadokawa Corporation]]</ref> and [[Jeremy Robinson]] and [[Kōhei Horikoshi]] noted that Gamera is one of their favorite kaiju and had influences on their works such as ''[[Nemesis Saga]]'' and ''[[My Hero Academia]]''.<ref>Jacob Lyngle, 25 October 2023, [https://kaijuunited.com/2023/10/25/interview-jeremy-robinson/ Interview: Jeremy Robinson], Kaiju United</ref><ref name=Horikoshi /> [[Atsuji Yamamoto]] noted that Gamera was one of inspiration sources for his images of protagonists of his works.<ref>[[Atsuji Yamamoto]], 2023, [https://twitter.com/atsuji_yamamoto/status/1729023894361891271 27 November 2023]</ref> [[Hideaki Anno]] and [[Hajime Isayama]] also drew inspirations from Gyaos for their images of [[Angels in Neon Genesis Evangelion|angels]] and [[titans]] in ''[[Neon Genesis Evangelion]]'' and ''[[Attack on Titan]]'' respectively where Anno directed the 1999 documentary ''[[GAMERA 1999]]'' ([[:ja:GAMERA1999|jp]]), and [[Shinji Higuchi]] directed the live-action film adaptation of ''[[Attack on Titan]]''.<ref>Yasuo Nagayama, 2021, [https://bunshun.jp/articles/-/42777?page=4 『進撃の巨人』にそっくり!?　実現しなかった『エヴァンゲリオン』幻の完全新作劇場版], Bunshun Online</ref><ref>[[Magazine House]], November 2014, [[Brutus (magazine)|BRUTUS]], No.790, p.96</ref> Several authors such as [[Kō Machida]] and Yoshiki Shibata ([[:ja:柴田よしき|jp]]) have also published original stories of Gyaos.<ref name=Noma /><ref name=Jodo>Kodansha Book Club, [https://bookclub.kodansha.co.jp/product?item=0000204794 浄土], [[Kodansha]]</ref> [[Shinichiro Inoue]] ([[:ja:井上伸一郎|jp]]) and Toshio Miike ([[:ja:三池敏夫|jp]]) participated in the 2020 disaster film ''[[Fukushima 50 (film)|Fukushima 50]]'', and Inoue clarified its style to insert a number of [[telop]]s is an homage to the Heisei Gamera trilogy.<ref>{{cite web| author=MOVIEW Shimizu |date=2020-01-27 |url=https://ascii.jp/elem/000/004/000/4000402/ |title=平成ガメラ脚本家伊藤和典氏と井上伸一郎氏が語る平成ガメラの秘密と、その遺伝子を引き継いだ未来|publisher= [[ASCII Corporation]] |access-date=2024-12-17}}</ref> Higuchi utilized expertise from the Gamera trilogy for his later works such as ''[[Lorelei: The Witch of the Pacific Ocean]]'', ''[[Sinking of Japan]]'', ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'', and so on.<ref name=Ono2018 />

Showa Gamera staffs were involved in the production of the 1967 [[Cinema of South Korea|South Korean]]-[[Cinema of Japan|Japanese]] film ''[[Yongary, Monster from the Deep]]'', and the titular monster [[Yonggary (character)|Yonggary]] bears several resembrances to Gamera such as to [[fire-breathing monster|breathe traditional non-atomic fire]] and favors a [[Arirang|song]] and dance with it.<ref>{{cite AV media|first1=Steve|last1=Ryfle|first2=Song-ho|last2=Kim|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RYkha2ehZHI&ab_channel=GORIZARD|title=Yongary, Monster from the Deep Audio Commentary|type=Blu-ray/DVD|publisher=[[Kino International (company)|Kino Lorber]]|year=2016}}</ref>

The Heisei Gamera Trilogy is widely applauded both by film makers and audiences in Japan, and [[Keiichi Hasegawa]] remarked that it had a great impact on entire [[tokusatsu]] genre afterwards especially the ''[[Ultraman]]'' and the ''[[Kamen Rider]]'' franchises,{{refn|According to Hasegawa, subsequent ''Ultraman'' and ''Kamen Rider'' productions would have been different if it were not for the Heisei Gamera trilogy.|group="note"}} including various references, and several important tokusatsu techniques were created by the trilogy while expertise and connections from previous ''Ultraman'' works including a scrapped ''[[Ultra Q]]'' project by Kaneko and [[Kazunori Itō]] and [[Shinji Higuchi]],<ref name=BraveGuide /> ''[[Ultraman 80]]'', and ''[[Ultraman Powered]]'' ([[:ja:ウルトラマンパワード|jp]]) and various other productions such as ''[[Gridman the Hyper Agent]]''<ref name=EigaHiho2021 /> in return influenced the Heisei Gamera Trilogy where Showa staffs such as [[Noriaki Yuasa]] participated in the production of ''Ultraman 80''.<ref name=Karasawa /><ref name=IGN2022 /> ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' by [[Toei Animation]] and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'' by [[Tsuburaya Productions]] were re-developed from the original scripts of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]'' by [[Chiaki J. Konaka]] and [[Kazuya Konaka]] ([[:ja:小中和哉|jp]]) and Yoshikazu Okada ([[:ja:岡田惠和|jp]])<ref name=MWP /> which also became the basis for ''[[Gamera the Brave]]''.<ref name=Perfection>[[ASCII Media Works]], 2014, ''Heisei Gamera Perfection'', p.14-16, p.75, p.80, p.87, p.131, p.145, p.159, pp.196-205, pp.213-215, p.237, p.254, p.264, p.270, p.274, p.282, pp.285-287, p.291, [[Kadokawa Shoten]]</ref> As aforementioned, several Godzilla films have been pointed out to be influenced by Heisei Gamera Trilogy, and ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|GMK]]'' and ''[[Shin Godzilla]]'' were directed by [[Shusuke Kaneko]] and [[Shinji Higuchi]].<ref name=Kinema /><ref name=Eiga /><ref name=CinemaToday/> Kaneko acknowledges the similarities between Heisei Gamera Trilogy and [[MonsterVerse]] series,<ref name=Kinema /> and the scrapped Gamera project "''Gamera 3D''" which was the successor of "''Godzilla 3D''" by [[Yoshimitsu Banno]] served as one of predecessors of [[MonsterVerse]].<ref name=Joblo>[https://www.joblo.com/yoshimitsu-banno-to-turn-gamera-into-an-environmentalist-will-shoot-in-3d/ Yoshimitsu Banno to turn Gamera into an environmentalist! Will shoot in 3D?]</ref><ref>[https://rustybottlecap.tumblr.com/post/109713256919/see-these-guys-at-one-point-they-were-meant-to See these guys? At one point they were meant to appear in a Gamera movie.]</ref><ref name=THKingdom>[https://www.tohokingdom.com/cutting_room/godzilla_3d_to_the_max.html Godzilla 3D to the Max]</ref> Higuchi also adapted his experiences and miniature models from the Heisei Gamera Trilogy for his 2012 short film ''[[Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo]]'' where Daiei franchises and [[Studio Ghibli]] were owned by [[Tokuma Shoten]] at that time,{{refn|For an interview on Tokuma Shoten's ''[[Animage]]'', which also published the aforementioned manga ''Gamera vs. Morphos'', [[Hayao Miyazaki]] noted that he watched ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' in a theater in his childhood, and was skeptical towards its eccentric plot for the entire humanity to surrender to Viras for the sake of two boys, and this experience was one of factors for him to build logical stories for his works.<ref name=Fantasy /> However, ''Gamera vs. Viras'' and Miyazaki's ''[[Future Boy Conan]]'' bear remembrances in plots as both productions were based on ''[[The Adventures of Tom Sawyer]]''.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}{{refn|As aforementioned, [[Yasuyoshi Tokuma]] ([[:ja:徳間康快|jp]]) approached to [[Toho]] to produce ''Godzilla vs. Gamera'' before his death, based on his careers including Ghibli productions distributed by Toho, such as ''[[Princess Mononoke]]''.<ref name=MagMix />|group="note"}} and distributions of the trilogy were also affected by Studio Ghibli productions, while the production of the 2000 film ''[[Shiki-Jitsu]]'' by [[Ayako Fujitani]] and Hideaki Anno was instead influenced by the Heisei trilogy.<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=Nakamura /><ref>[[Animage]], Vol. January 2001, p.97, ''I fell in love with Gamera, and bloomed in Shiki-Jitsu''</ref> Character designs of ''[[Gamera Rebirth]]'' was also somewhat affected by Studio Ghibli due to involvements of Naoya Tanaka ([[:ja:田中直哉|jp]]) and Mitsunori Kataama ([[:ja:片塰満則|jp]]).<ref name=RebirthArtbook /> A popular television series ''[[How Do You Like Wednesday?]]'' is also strongly influenced by the trilogy.<ref>Tadahisa Fujimura, 2008, [https://www.htb.co.jp/suidou/staff/staff_235.html Official Staff Blog]</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=Kentaro Mtasumura |date= 2021-03-24 |url=https://cinema.ne.jp/article/detail/46048 |title=「まだ誰も見たことがない大泉洋」最新作『騙し絵の牙』までの軌跡 |website=CINEMAS＋ |access-date=2024-12-18}}</ref>

Numerous media globally have references to the franchise. Such examples are; ''[[Godzilla]]'' franchise,<ref name=TheSeries /><ref name=FinalWars /><ref name=MonsterApocalypse /><ref name=Squires /> ''[[Ultra Q]]'' and ''[[Ultraman]]'',<ref name=Perfection /><ref name=UltramanMax /><ref name=Visual /><ref>[[:ja:洋泉社|Yosensha]], 22 November 2018, ''Ultraman Designs Artbook by Hiroshi Maruyama ([[:ja:切丸山浩 (デザイナー)|jp]])'', pp.241–243</ref><ref>Risaku Kiridoshi ([[:ja:切通理作|jp]]), 30 March 2000, ''Earth is Ultraman's planet'', pp.422–429, [[:ja:ソニー・マガジンズ|Sony Magazines]]</ref> ''[[Gridman the Hyper Agent|Gridman]]'',<ref name=~Gridman>ガメラ映画文書館<!-- Followed by the official account of the Daiei and Kadokawa tokusatsu (角川＆大映・特撮公式
@kd_tokusatsu)-->, 17 February 2014, [https://togetter.com/li/1301379 これ、ガメラ3だ。（SSSS.GRIDMAN最終回）] on Togetter ([[:ja:Togetter|jp]])</ref> ''[[Sadako DX]]'',<ref name=SadakoDX /> ''[[Daikaijū Tōkyō ni arawaru|Giant Monsters Appear in Tokyo]]'',<ref name=Noma /> ''[[Crossfire (novel)|Crossfire]]'',{{refn|Shusuke Kaneko directed the film.<ref>Cinema 1987, [https://cinema1987.org/home/j/8/c500.html クロスファイア]</ref>|group="note"}} ''[[Love & Peace (film)|Love & Peace]]'',<ref>Mynavi News ([[:ja:マイナビニュース|jp]]), 17 July 2015, [https://news.mynavi.jp/article/20150717-lovepeace/ 特技監督・田口清隆が語る、特撮怪獣映画としての『ラブ＆ピース』-「特撮ファンには見逃してほしくない」]</ref> ''[[Pokémon]]'',{{refn|Gamera-esque motions by Squirtle, Blastoise, and Turtonator have been repeatedly used in ''[[Pokémon Scarlet and Violet]]'', ''[[New Pokémon Snap]]'',<ref>Pokemon Official Facebook Account, 2021, [https://www.facebook.com/Pokemon/photos/a.242079005914051/3946582475463667 Scorbunny snuggling up to Torterra... Machamp flexing... Tyrantrum throwing a tantrum... There are so many unique Pokémon moments to experience in the Lental region!]</ref> ''[[Pokkén Tournament]]'',<ref>[https://www.serebii.net/pokkendx/characters/blastoise/50.jpg Shell Fortress Stance ~ Rapid Spin]</ref><ref>[https://www.serebii.net/pokkendx/characters/blastoise/49.jpg Shell Fortress Stance ~ Strong Attack Follow-up]</ref> ''[[Pokémon Unite]]'',<ref>Stefano Paglia, 3 September 2021, [https://multiplayer.it/soluzioni/pokemon-unite-guida-blastoise-mosse-build-migliori.html Pokémon Unite - Guida a Blastoise: le mosse e build migliori], [[:it:Multiplayer.it|Multiplayer.it]]</ref> [[Pokémon (TV series)|television series]],<ref>[https://orbispatches.com/gaming-faq/why-did-ash-want-squirtle Why did Ash want Squirtle?]</ref> ''[[Pokémon: The First Movie]]'', and so on. Gamera's voice effects were used for Eternatus in the TV series.<ref name=Jibby>Jibby, 19 December 2020, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSmbBE8yIrI ガメラとムゲンダイナの鳴き声 比較], Youtube</ref> There was also a potential reference to both Gamera and ''Pokémon'' in ''[[Godzilla: Final Wars]]''.<ref name=FinalWars />|group="note"}} [[Bowser]] from the [[Mario (franchise)|''Mario'' series]] and ''[[Super Smash Bros.]]'',<ref>[[jp:本山一城|Kazuki Motoyama]], 1992, [[jp:スーパーマリオ (本山一城の漫画)|Super Mario]], Vol.7, [[Kodansha]]</ref><ref>[[:ja:沢田ユキオ|Yukio Sawada]], 1994, ''[[:ja:スーパーマリオくん (沢田ユキオの漫画)|Super Mario-kun]]'', Vol.11, [[Shogakukan]]</ref><ref name=Yadayo /> ''[[Digimon]]'',{{refn|Jumbo Gamemon<ref>[http://digimons.net/digimon/jumbo_gamemon/index.html 巨龟兽]</ref> and Proganomon. As aforementioned, ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' and ''[[Digimon Tamers]]'' and ''[[Ultraman Tiga]]'' were redeveloped from early scripts of ''[[Gamera: Guardian of the Universe]]''.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]'',<ref>Zac Pricener, 23 May 2019, ''[https://zeldauniverse.net/2019/05/23/tingles-maps-turtle-rock-world-turtle-day/ Tingle’s Maps: Turtle Rock (World Turtle Day)]'', Zelda Universe</ref> ''[[Castlevania]]'' and its parody ''[[Kid Dracula (1990 video game)|Kid Dracula]]''<ref>[https://www.giantbomb.com/gamera/3005-6488/games/ Gamera]</ref> ''[[Mega Man]]'',<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/VideoGame/MegaMan7 Video Game / Mega Man 7]</ref> ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'',{{refn|Within ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'', Aremag the Dragon Turtle's name is an inversion of Gamera.<ref>Jeremy Blum, 15 April 2021, ''[https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/968-how-to-play-dragon-turtles-like-unstoppable How To Play Dragon Turtles Like Unstoppable Terrapin Kaiju]'', D&D Beyond</ref>|group="note"}} ''[[World of Warcraft]]'',<ref>[https://blizzardwatch.com/2019/02/25/theres-new-godzilla-movie-coming-end-may-might-excited/ Off Topic: There’s a new Godzilla movie coming at the end of May. I might be excited.]</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy XIV (2010 video game)|Final Fantasy XIV]]'',<ref>[https://jp.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/character/16733727/blog/3497707 ガメラ～♪ガメラ～♪]</ref> ''[[Dragon Quest]]'',<ref>Wyrtle in ''[[Dragon Quest X]]'' and Wyrtoise in ''Dragon Quest Rivals''</ref> ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! Trading Card Game]]'',<ref>[https://en.yugioh-list.com/cards/view/7912 Gameciel, the Sea Turtle Kaiju]</ref> ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles X]]'',<ref>The creature called "Jet Turtle".</ref> ''King of Tokyo'',<ref>''Friend of Children'' the giant turtle, [[Hobby Japan]], [https://hobbyjapan.co.jp/game/?p=2513 東京が沈黙する日『キング・オブ・トーキョー（King of Tokyo）』]</ref> ''[[Five Nights at Freddy's]]'',<ref>[[Graffiti]]s of Gamera and Godzilla were represented in the chapter ''Into the Pit'',</ref> ''[[Naruto: Ultimate Ninja]]'',{{refn|"Rough Sea Splash" technique by Isobu the Three Tails and Yagura, a technique introduced in ''[[Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3]]'' where Isobu the giant turtle [[Pump-jet|sprays jets of water]] from his arms to ram into opponents.|group="note"}} ''[[The Battle Cats]]'',<ref>"Guardian Gamereon" physically and etymologically resembles Gamera with crests on the head, a pair of tusks on the lower jaw, spikes on elbows, and has an attack to breathe fireballs.</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sz02ko43Wv8 にゃんこ大戦争 ゴジラのライバル！？ 大怪獣ガメラ東京に上陸！]</ref> ''[[Palworld]]'',<ref>[https://palsoku.com/post-545 【パルワールド】鉄の採掘用にガメラみたいの捕まえたけど自分で掘った方が早いな]</ref> ''Dinosaur Simulator'',<ref>Kaiju skins for [[Archelon]] and [[Helicoprion]] updated in March 2024 were based on Gamera and Guiron.</ref><ref>Project Anime, 10 March 2024, [https://www.project-anime.com/919901/ Dinosaur Simulator – Kaiju Archelon / Gamera showcase - Is it Worth the DNA?]</ref> and many other video games,<ref name=Yadayo>[http://yadayo.g3.xrea.com/eiga/ka.html ●映画 か]</ref> ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'',<ref>The alien race named Gameran in ''Bloodletter'' in 1993</ref> ''[[Dragon Ball]]'' and ''[[Dr. Slump]]'' franchizes,{{sfn|Padula|2015|p=224–225}}<ref name=Gatchan /> ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref name=Simpsons>[[Lisa on Ice]], [[Thirty Minutes over Tokyo]], [[Treehouse of Horror XXVI]]</ref> ''[[South Park]]'',<ref>[[Mecha-Streisand]]</ref> ''[[Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles]]'',<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5111392/ The Ever-Burning Fire]</ref><ref>Sophie Campbell, 28 November 2018, ''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Macro-Series'', "Leonardo", IDW</ref> ''[[Justice League Unlimited]]'',<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0618127/trivia/ Chaos at the Earth's Core]</ref> ''[[Green Lantern]]'',<ref>While Rome Burned, Part 5</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20211016103141/https://pm1.narvii.com/6434/5fe05bd17089fbd0e15c6a0b168f84ebee82c176_hq.jpg Screenshot]</ref> ''[[Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo]]'',<ref name=Dent /> ''[[Kinnikuman]]'',<ref name=Dent /> ''[[Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter]]'',<ref>Gamera's model was represented among creature models owned by [[Tommy Jarvis]].</ref> ''[[Frankenweenie (2012 film)|Frankenweenie]]'',<ref>[https://mediag.bunka.go.jp/article/article-17535/ DNA of the king of Kaiju (Godzilla) is alive and well across the world No. 4: All Kaiju attack]</ref> ''[[Captain Underpants]]'',<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/CaptainUnderpants Captain Underpants]</ref> ''[[The Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy]]'',<ref name=Imitative /> ''[[Inuyasha]]'' and ''[[Urusei Yatsura]]'',{{refn|Two [[Black Tortoise]]-based characters appeared in the ''[[Inuyasha]]'' franchise; Genbu performs a spinning attack akin to Gamera, and the fire-breathing turtle kaiju Gōra in ''[[Inuyasha the Movie: Fire on the Mystic Island]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Gamera|url=http://www.furinkan.com/iycompanion/misc/references/gamera.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071221095201/http://www.furinkan.com/iycompanion/misc/references/gamera.html|archive-date=2007-12-21|website=|access-date=2025-01-26}}</ref> [[Inuyasha (character)|Inuyasha]] and Sesshōmaru ([[:ja:殺生丸|jp]]) made cameo appearances along with Gamera and Daimajin and Daimon the vampire in ''USO Makoto Yōkai Hyaku Monogatari''.<ref name=Kyogoku /> Gamera and Gyaos and Daimajin made cameo appearances in ''Urusei Yatsura'' where [[Shusuke Kaneko]] and [[Kazunori Ito]] had participated in its anime adaptation, and they reused their ideas from ''Urusei Yatsura'' to the Heisei Gamera trilogy; [[Mamoru Oshii]] invited Kaneko to join the production of ''Urusei Yatsura'', and Oshii was originally supposed to join the production of ''[[Gamera 2: Attack of Legion]]''.<ref name=Ono2018 />|group="note"}}<ref>[https://dijeh.tumblr.com/post/189846127788/gyaos-and-gamera-in-urusei-yatsura-episodes/amp Gyaos and Gamera in Urusei Yatsura, episodes 186/209 and 191/214.]</ref><ref name=Visual /> ''[[Sailor Moon SuperS]]'',<ref name=Sailor /> ''[[Gintama]]'',<ref>[[IGN]], 19 July 2016, ''[https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/07/18/top-10-anime-beach-episodes Top 10 Anime Beach Episodes]''</ref> ''[[My Hero Academia]]'',<ref name=Horikoshi>Gigan Yamazaki ([[:ja:ガイガン山崎|jp]]), 19 June 2016, [https://konomanga.jp/interview/67220-2 堀越耕平『僕のヒーローアカデミア』インタビュー　師弟関係の描写はあの映画からの影響大!!　そして今後の展開でデクたちの"アレ"が変わる……!?], [[Kono Manga ga Sugoi!]]</ref> ''[[Franklin (TV series)|Franklin]]'',<ref>[[Technical University of Munich]], [https://berrima.net.in.tum.de/drive?digit=Y21c762&FilesData=Franklin-In-The-Dark.pdf Franklin In The Dark]</ref> ''[[The Adventures of Sam & Max: Freelance Police]]'',<ref name=Imitative /> ''[[Yakitate!! Japan]]'',<ref>Joseph Luscik, June 2005, [https://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2005/06/feature/04.php High Carb Heaven], Animefringe</ref> ''[[Sgt. Frog]]'',<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0467923/movieconnections/ Gamera the Brave - Connections] on [[IMDb]]</ref> ''[[Gunbuster]]'',<ref>[[Anime News Network]], [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=466&page=22 Gunbuster (OAV)]</ref> ''[[Devilman]]'',<ref>Sakama (tokusatsu writer), 10 November 2017, [https://twitter.com/sakaman0512/status/928744941978771458?lang=ja ビッグコミック『デビルマンサーガ』の新ジンメンが『G3』版 平成ガメラにソックリで、殆んど夢の対決], X</ref>{{refn|The plot of ''[[Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris]]'' was instead influenced by ''Devilman''.<ref name=Perfection />|group="note"}} ''[[Lucky Star (manga)|Lucky Star]]'',<ref>[https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=7222&page=22 Lucky Star (TV)] on [[Anime News Network]]</ref> ''[[Megas XLR]]'',<ref name=Imitative /> ''[[Case Closed|Detective Conan]]'',<ref name=Conan>Alex Mateo, 21 September 2019, [https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/fr/news/2019-09-21/quatre-episodes-originaux-pour-detective-conan/.151375 Quatre épisodes originaux pour Detective Conan], [[Anime News Network]]</ref> ''Jumbo Monster GOMERA'' ([[:ja:バ怪獣 ゴメラ|jp]]),<ref name=ITmedia>[[:ja:ITmedia|ITmedia]] 17 October 2013, [https://www.itmedia.co.jp/lifestyle/articles/1310/17/news101.html Huluで幼児向け番組「バ怪獣 ゴメラ」を配信開始]</ref> ''[[Daicon III and IV Opening Animations]]'', ''[[Megatokyo]]'',<ref name=MT>[https://megatokyo.com/transcript/359 The Shame of the Gamera Family]</ref> ''[[Robot Chicken]]'',<ref name=RobotChicken /> ''[[Usagi Yojimbo]]'',<ref>[[Stan Sakai]], 2004, ''Usagi Yojimbo'', Vol.3 #66–68: "Sumi-e, Parts 1–3", Vol. 18. ''Travels with Jotaro'', [[Dark Horse Comics]]</ref> ''[[Uzumaki]]'',<ref>In the chapter 15 ''Chaos'', a figure of Gamera was represented in a wreckage.</ref> ''Welcome to My Life'',<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/WesternAnimation/WelcomeToMyLife Western Animation / Welcome to My Life]</ref> ''[[The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World]]'',<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/TheRedRangerBecomesAnAdventurerInAnotherWorld The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World]</ref> ''[[Voltes V]]'' and ''[[Voltes V: Legacy]]'',<ref>[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ShoutOut/VoltesV Shout Out / Voltes V]</ref> ''[[Nurse Witch Komugi]]'',<ref name=Visual>[https://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/art_sighting_tv_visual.htm Toho Sightings (TV) - Visual]</ref> ''[[Pani Poni]]'',<ref name=Visual /> ''[[Pacific Rim (film)|Pacific Rim]]''<ref>{{cite web |author=Hiroshi Yamamoto |author-link=:ja:山本弘 (作家) |date=2013-09-05 |title=『パシフィック・リム』と『RWBY』|url=http://hirorin.otaden.jp/e289532.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110183251/http://hirorin.otaden.jp/e289532.html |archive-date=2013-11-10 |access-date=2025-01-21}}</ref> and ''[[Pacific Rim Uprising]]'', ''[[La Blue Girl]]''{{refn|Daiei Film partially participated in its production.<ref>Shinnosuke Arai, August 23, 2024, [https://x.com/sousai_h/status/1826682814601068928 1996/8/23「淫獣学園EX2 La☆BlueGirl 妖恋呪縛篇」発売記念日!], X (Twitter)</ref>|group="note"}}, ''[[Mountain Dew Code Red]]'',<ref>Shawn Robare, 11 October 2023, [https://plasticrocketpop.com/20597/monsters-attack-mountain-dew Monsters Attack Mountain Dew], Plastic Rocket Pop!</ref> and many others.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0059080/movieconnections/ Daikaijû Gamera - Connections]</ref> Other cases include companies<ref>[https://store.steampowered.com/publisher/gameragame?l=en Gamera Games]</ref><ref>[https://www.gamerainteractive.it/ Gamera Interactive]</ref> and musicians and songs{{refn|Such as ''[[Millions Now Living Will Never Die|Gamera]]'' by [[Tortoise (band)|Tortoise]], ''Paragraph President'' by [[Blackalicious]],<ref>[https://genius.com/Blackalicious-paragraph-president-club-version-lyrics Paragraph President (club version)]</ref> ''Godzilla and Gamera'' by [[DJ Nu-Mark]] and [[Slimkid3]],<ref>[https://www.beatport.com/track/godzilla-or-gamera-original-mix/11113608 Godzilla Or Gamera Original Mix]</ref> ''Gamera'' by 2k5Jay,<ref>[https://soundcloud.com/user-936219230/sets/gamera Gamera]</ref> ''Evil God Awakening'' by Kinzoku-Yebis,<ref>Kinzoku-Yebis Official X Account, 7 March 2024,
[https://x.com/yebisjp/status/1765513154077852143 昨日 2024年3月6日は、金属恵比須『邪神覚醒』のコンセプトの元となった映画『ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒』公開から25周年！], Twitter (X)</ref> ''Guardian of the Universe'' by Oxygen Destroyer,<ref>Bravewords.com, 26 July 2024, ''[https://bravewords.com/news/oxygen-destroyer-pays-tribute-to-hesei-era-gamera-with-guardian-of-the-universe-album OXYGEN DESTROYER Pays Tribute To Hesei Era Gamera with Guardian of the Universe album]''</ref> Pink Gamera,<ref>[https://open.spotify.com/intl-ja/artist/4wFCov99X9L5jGh784dUWj Pink Gamera]</ref> Gamera,<ref>[https://soundcloud.com/gameraakagmra GAMERA aka GMRA]</ref> "Gamera" by Disastroid,<ref>Josh, 22 November 2017, [https://ninecircles.co/2017/11/22/interview-disastroid-on-new-album-screen-blurring-genre-lines-and-their-diy-approach/ Interview: Disastroid on New Album Screen, Blurring Genre Lines and Their DIY Approach], Nine Circles</ref> ''Gamera'' by Societys Ugly Son,<ref>[https://www.shazam.com/song/737136934/gamera Gamera] on [[Shazam (music app)|Shazam]]</ref> ''[[Flat Out (Buck Dharma album)|Gamera is missing]]'' by [[Buck Dharma]], ''Gamera'' by Varga,<ref>[https://open.spotify.com/intl-ja/track/3HxRLgnxp5ms9zksHg9b78 Gamera] on [[Spotify]]</ref> Gamera A Gas,<ref>[https://ner.to/artisti/dj-gamera-a-gas DJ Gamera A Gas]</ref> and many others.<ref>ガメラ映画文書館<!-- Followed by the official account of the Daiei and Kadokawa tokusatsu (角川＆大映・特撮公式
@kd_tokusatsu)-->, 17 February 2014, [https://togetter.com/li/631145 GAMERA music and songs] on Togetter ([[:ja:Togetter|jp]])</ref>|group="note"}} feature Gamera in their names or lyrics.

Gamera and his foes' roars were used in various other media such as ''[[Godzilla]]'',<ref name="Wong" /> ''[[Fireman (TV series)|Fireman]]'',<ref>Guiron's roars for Scoradon as Daiei Film co-produced ''Fireman''.</ref><ref>Kodansha Series MOOK, 8 December 2021, ''Ultra Tokusatsu PERFECT MOOK VOL.35: Fireman'', "大異変と侵略 太古からの挑戦！", vol.35, pp.4–5, [[Kodansha]]</ref> ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'',<ref>As roars for [[:ja:野槌|Nozuchi]] in the episode ''Hiderigami'' on 27 October 1968, and [[Ushi-oni]] in the episode ''Gyūki'' on 13 January 1972</ref> ''[[Pokémon]]'',{{refn|As Eternatus' roars in  ''[[Pokémon Journeys: The Series]]'', 6 November 2020, ''Sword and Shield: "From Here to Eternatus!"''.<ref name=Jibby />|group="note"}} ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh!]]'',<ref>As Stardust Dragon's roars in ''[[Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's]]''</ref> ''[[Aura Battler Dunbine]]'',<ref>[https://twitter.com/nabekuramasa/status/1789594097835237432 ダンバインの怪獣の鳴き声、ガメラと同じじゃない?]</ref> ''[[Reideen the Brave]]'',<ref>[https://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/art_sighting_tv_roar.html Toho Sightings - Roars]</ref> ''[[Voltes V]]'',<ref name=Imitative>[https://www.tohokingdom.com/articles/art_sighting_tv_imitative.htm Toho Sightings (TV) Imitative]</ref> ''[[Chargeman Ken!]]'',<ref>As giant [[Stegosaurus]]'s roar in ''Dynamite in the Brain''.</ref> and so on.

[[November 27]] is publicly referred as {{Nihongo|"Gamera Day"|ガメラの日|Gamera no Hi|lead=yes}} in Japan as the first film was released on the day in 1965.<ref name=Suzumura /><ref name=Niigata>Niigata Nippo ([[:ja:新潟日報|jp]]), 26 November 2024, [https://www.niigata-nippo.co.jp/articles/-/512599?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=twitter_dp 【11月27日はガメラの日】「平成ガメラ3部作」誕生の秘密に迫る！脚本家・伊藤和典さんが一番苦労した作品は…]</ref><ref>[[Dengeki Hobby Magazine]], 27 November 2023 [https://hobby.dengeki.com/news/2158816/ 「11月27日ガメラの日」に予約開始！『ガメラ3 邪神〈イリス〉覚醒』ガメラがPVC製塗装済完成品フィギュアとなって登場！]</ref> [[Akira Ohashi]], who played Gamera and Iris in the Heisei Trilogy and also participated in related works including ''[[Godzilla, Mothra and King Ghidorah: Giant Monsters All-Out Attack|GMK]]'' and ''[[Nezura 1964]]'', noted the coincidence that the day is also the birthday of [[Bruce Lee]] where Ohashi was inspired by Bruce Lee for his acting of Gamera in the Heisei Trilogy.<ref>[[Akira Ohashi]]. 27 November 2023, [https://twitter.com/As70HmOoM77vhBv/status/1728839393463656724 #特撮見たことない人が嘘だと思うけど本当の事言え]</ref>

[[Chōfu]] features Gamera and [[Daimajin]] along with characters from [[Shigeru Mizuki]]'s ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'' and ''[[Akuma-kun]]'' as symbols where there have been several minor-crossovers between these franchises,<ref name=Minemori /><ref name=AllAbout /><ref name=Kyogoku /><ref name=HotCorner /> and an official mascot character {{Nihongo|''Gachora''|ガチョラ|Gachora|lead=yes}} was designed and named after Gamera.<ref name=Gachora>[https://communitysite.chofu-city.jp/special/joinus/jo2021/jo21-10/ 「映画のまち調布」応援キャラクター]</ref><ref name=AllAbout /> There also exist a number of boulders publicly referred as {{Nihongo|"Gamera Rock"|ガメラ岩|Gamera Iwa|lead=yes}} across the [[Japanese archipelago]].<ref>Shiretoko Shari-cho Tourist Association, September 10, 2009, [https://blog.shiretoko.asia/2009/09/ 味めぐり・湯めぐり 2009]</ref><ref>Geo_Information Portal Hub, [https://www.web-gis.jp/GS_Kigan100/html/Kigan100_073pc.html ガメラ岩]</ref>

The extinct Cretaceous [[Sinemydidae|sinemyidid]] turtle with long spines on its carapace, ''[[Sinemys]] gamera'', classified in 1993, was named after Gamera.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brinkman |first1=Donald B. |last2=Peng |first2=Jiang-Hua |date=2011-02-08 |title=New material of Sinemys (Testudines, Sinemydidae) from the Early Cretaceous of China |url=https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/10.1139/e93-185 |journal=Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |volume=30 |issue=10 |pages=2139–2152 |language=en |doi=10.1139/e93-185|url-access=subscription }}</ref> The extinct Cretaceous [[Baenidae|baenid]] turtle ''[[Gamerabaena|Gamerabaena sonsalla]]'', classified in 2010, was named after Gamera.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Lyson|first1=Tyler R.|last2=Joyce|first2=Walter G.|date=March 2010|title=A new baenid turtle from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Hell Creek Formation of North Dakota and a preliminary taxonomic review of Cretaceous Baenidae.|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/32770/files/PAL_E3648.pdf|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology |volume=30 |issue=#2|pages=394–402|access-date=16 July 2019|doi=10.1080/02724631003618389|bibcode=2010JVPal..30..394L |s2cid=89517022}}</ref> A specimen of [[Nodosauridae]] was also [[List of dinosaur specimens with nicknames#Thyreophora|nicknamed after the kaiju]].<ref>{{cite tweet |last=Kirkland |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Kirkland |user=Paleojim |number=1506064482451173376 |date=22 March 2022 |title=2.5 days cropping and editing and finally got first draft plate put together for the description of "Gamera" from the Suarez site. Verts are a pain to crop!! Next the dorsals.... https://t.co/DNlX3mbK44 |language=en |access-date=21 December 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220515164950/https://twitter.com/paleojim/status/1506064482451173376 |archive-date=15 May 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref> 

A [[magnetosphere]] code to study [[Equatorial plasma bubble|plasma bubbles]] was named after the kaiju, and the [[Applied Physics Laboratory]] partnering with [[Johns Hopkins University]] launched an associated eponymous project.<ref name=Williams />

The [[University of Maryland Gamera I human-powered helicopter]], along with [[University of Maryland Gamera II human-powered helicopter|its successor]], was named after Gamera.<ref name=berryetal>{{cite journal|last1=Berry|first1=Ben|last2=Bowen-Davies|first2=Graham|last3=Gluesenkamp|first3=Kyle|last4=Kaler|first4=Zak|last5=Schmaus|first5=Joseph|last6=Staruk|first6=William|last7=Weiner|first7=Elizabeth|last8=Woods|date=May 2012|title=Design optimization of Gamera II: a human powered helicopter.|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267804115|journal=Proc. 68th Am. Helicopter Soc. Annu. Forum|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> Developed by [[University of Maryland, College Park|University of Maryland]] engineering students in 2011 and 2012, respectively, the name was also chosen in reference to the university's mascot, the [[diamondback terrapin]], as well as to flights undertaken by Japanese [[human-powered helicopter]]s years prior.<ref name=berryetal />

In July 2011, [[Washington State University]] veterinarians successfully fixed a prosthetic [[caster]] onto an [[African spurred tortoise]] named Gamera (after the giant turtle), who was a single amputee<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Skarda|first=Erin|url=https://newsfeed.time.com/2011/07/25/meet-gamera-the-all-terrain-tortoise-with-a-wheel-for-a-leg/|title=Meet Gamera, the All-Terrain Tortoise With a Wheel for a Leg|date=25 July 2011|magazine=Time|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://vth.vetmed.wsu.edu/featured-patients/gamera|title=Gamera|date=30 July 2011|website=WSU University Veterinary Teaching Hospital|publisher=Washington State University|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://news.wsu.edu/2014/06/04/friends-bid-goodbye-to-well-traveled-amputee-tortoise/|title=Friends bid goodbye to well-traveled amputee tortoise|date=4 June 2014|website=WSU Insider|publisher=Washington State University|access-date=16 July 2019}}</ref> where Avant Gamera and Toto in ''[[Gamera the Brave]]'' were designed after [[African spurred tortoise]].<ref>Takunori Yasuda, 30 July 2017, [https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASN7Y6SXSN7GONFB001.html まるでメロンパン、実は「ガメラの孫」リクガメ続々誕生], [[The Asahi Shimbun]]</ref>

J/FPS-5 ([[:jp:J/FPS-5|jp]]), an [[early-warning radar]] of the [[Japan Air Self-Defense Force]] is often referred as {{Nihongo|"Gamera Radar"|ガメラレーダー|Gamera Rēdā|lead=yes}} due to its shape somewhat resembling a [[turtle shell]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=沖縄の「ガメラ」与座岳分屯基地開庁39周年|first=Toshiharu|last=Suzusaki|journal=軍事研究|year=2012|publisher=Japan Military Review|volume=47|number=5|pages=11–13}}</ref> A Japanese [[Free climbing|free climber]] Toshiyuki Kikuchi ([[:ja:菊地敏之|jp]]) is known with a nickname "Gamera" being named after the kaiju.<ref>Mount Fuji Research Station ([[:ja:富士山測候所を活用する会|jp]]), [https://npofuji3776.org/document/20160715_tozanjihou_bookreview_yomigaere.pdf Climbing-Guide Books]</ref> The Japanese [[esports]] player "Gamera" was named after the kaiju,<ref>Kog Shoji, 2 June 2020, [https://esports-world.jp/column/5539 【第12回・プロゲーマー小路KOGの「勝つための『グラブルVS』立ち回り指南】〜初の全国大会「RAGE GBVS 2020 Summer」の見どころ〜], eSports World</ref> and a technique for esports is called "Gamera" in Japan after the kaiju.<ref>E Sports Kit, 10 December 2024, [https://esports-kit.shop/fighting-game-dictionary/ ストリートファイター用語・格闘ゲーム用語まとめ]</ref>

In 2024, [[Itochu]] acquired BIGMOTOR Co., Ltd ([[:jp:ビッグモーター|jp]]) after multiple scandals of the latter, and the code name for the acquiring project was named "Gamera" after the kaiju.<ref>Fumiko Kitagawa, 16 August 2024, [https://newspicks.com/news/10407786/body/ 【直撃】伊藤忠がビッグモーターを買収した｢本当の理由｣], NewsPicks ([[:ja:NewsPicks|jp]])</ref> [[Tokyo Gas]] also utilizes the trademark "GAMERA" for one of its [[meter data management]] systems.<ref>J-PlatPat, [https://www.j-platpat.inpit.go.jp/c1801/TR/JP-2006-019013/40/ja GAMERA], [[Japan Patent Office]]</ref> 

Naoyuki "Gyaos" Naitō ([[:jp:内藤尚行|jp]]), a TV personality who was formerly a baseball player and a [[Manager (baseball)|manager]], took his stage name from Gyaos, the most recurring foe of Gamera of the series.<ref>[https://bookstand.webdoku.jp/cinema/amano/201703/02110146.html 第55回 ＜怪獣ブーム50周年企画　PART-6＞ 『大怪獣空中戦　ガメラ対ギャオス』]</ref> The [[comedy troupe]] "Gyaos" which was later renamed to "Denshamichi" ([[:ja:電車道 (お笑いグループ)|jp]]), presumably took its name from Naitō as the comedians focused on baseball topics.<ref>The Shin Nihonkai Shimbun ([[:ja:新日本海新聞社|jp]]), 27 March 2023, [https://www.nnn.co.jp/articles/-/36560 アシストスタッフサービス　代表取締役　島津江英樹さん]</ref> Similarly, [[Kazuhiro Sasaki|Kazuhiro "Daimajin" Sasaki]] was nicknamed after the [[Daimajin]], the character redeveloped from the Gamera franchise,<ref name=Takaki /><ref>[[Oricon]], 25 March 2010, [https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/74663/full/ 「ホントに大きい!」『大魔神カノン』主演女優・里久鳴祐果、リアル大魔神・佐々木主浩のデカさに口あんぐり]</ref> where [[Chikara Hashimoto]], who portrayed the Daimajin and Daimon the vampiric demon in ''[[Yokai Monsters]]'' and participated in ''Gamera'' and other related productions,<ref>[[Takeshobo]], 1996, ''ガメラ画報 大映秘蔵映画五十五年の歩み'', P.99</ref> was also a baseball player and also co-acted with aforementioned [[Bruce Lee]] in the 1972 film ''[[Fist of Fury]]''.<ref>[https://moviewalker.jp/news/article/1053682/ 『大魔神』4Kで観てもすごい！見事な"職人技"を堪能できる名作特撮]</ref><ref>[[Sankei Sports]], 19 October 2017, [https://www.sanspo.com/article/20171019-DDVBAJ3UT5MLHGCP6FX2T3QY6A/ 橋本力さん死去　元プロ野球選手の俳優、ブルース・リーと共演、大魔神のスーツアクターも]</ref> Hashimoto was also appointed for other monsters and yokai films most notably ''[[Gamera vs. Viras]]'' and ''[[The Whale God]]'' (''Killer Whale'') where the latter presumably influenced the Dai-kaiju, the [[right whale]]-based kaiju with an alias of the "Whale God", from ''[[GeGeGe no Kitarō]]'' franchise.<ref>[[Shigeru Mizuki]], 1964, ''Dai-kaiju Part 3'' from ''The Secret Story'', p.1, Tōkōsha ([[:ja:東考社|jp]])</ref>

== See also ==
* [[J/FPS-5]] (Gamera Radar)

==Notes==
{{reflist|group="note"}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

===Sources===
{{Refbegin|30em}}
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* {{cite book|last=Goldweber|first=David Elroy|year=2015|title=Claws & Saucers: Science Fiction, Horror, and Fantasy Film 1902-1982: A Complete Guide|publisher=[[Lulu Press, Inc]]|isbn=978-1312288034}}
* {{cite book|last=Galbraith IV|first=Stuart|year=1996|title=The Japanese Filmography: A Complete Reference to 209 Filmmakers and the Over 1250 Films Released in the United States, 1900 through 1994|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-0786400324}}
* {{cite book|last=Galbraith IV|first=Stuart|year=2008|title=The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography|publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]]|isbn=978-0810860049}}
* {{cite book|last=Frédéric|first=Louis|translator-last=Roth|translator-first=Käthe|year=2002|title=Japan Encyclopedia (Harvard University Press Reference Library)|publisher=[[Harvard University Press]]|isbn=978-0674007703}}
* {{cite book|last=Kalat|first=David|year=2010|title=A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series - Second Edition|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-0786447497}}
* {{cite book|last=McKee|first=Gabriel|year=2007|title=The Gospel According to Science Fiction: From the Twilight Zone to the Final Frontier|publisher=[[Westminster John Knox Press]]|isbn=978-0664229016}}
* {{cite book|last=Morgan|first=Chris|year=2015|title=The Comic Galaxy of Mystery Science Theater 3000: Twelve Classic Episodes and the Movies They Lampoon|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-0786496785}}
* {{cite book|last=Padula|first=Derek|year=2015|title=Dragon Ball Culture Volume 2: Adventure|asin=B00S89R1YI}}
* {{cite AV media|last=Ragone|first=August|title=Gamera, the Giant Monster Audio Commentary|type=DVD|publisher=[[Shout! Factory]]|year=2010}}
* {{cite book|last1=Rhoads|first1=Sean|last2=McCorkle|first2=Brooke|year=2018|title=Japan's Green Monsters: Environmental Commentary in Kaiju Cinema |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|isbn=978-1476663906}}
* {{cite AV media|last=Gamera Preservation Project|title=A Retrospective Look Back at Gamera|type=DVD|publisher=[[Shout! Factory]]|year=2010}}
* {{cite book|last1=Kusakari|first1=Ken'ichi|last2=Kurajō|first2=Saki|date=20 April 1999|title=ガメラ3 邪神＜イリス＞覚醒超全集|trans-title=Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris Super Complete Works|language=Japanese|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|isbn=4-09-101468-2}}
* {{cite book|last=Mamiya|first=Naohiko|date=20 May 2006|title=「小さき勇者たち～ガメラ～」超全集|trans-title=Gamera the Brave Super Complete Works|language=Japanese|publisher=[[Shogakukan]]|isbn=4-09-105108-1}}
*{{cite AV media|first1=August|last1=Ragone|first2=Jason|last2=Varney|title=Gamera vs. Barugon Audio Commentary|type=DVD|publisher=[[Shout! Factory]]|year=2010}}
*{{cite AV media|first=August|last=Ragone|title=Introduction by August Ragone|type=Blu-ray|publisher=Arrow Video|year=2020|asin=B084Z13QYD}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
* [https://gamera-rebirth.com/ Official ''Gamera: Rebirth'' website] by [[Kadokawa Daiei Studio|Kadokawa]]
* [http://gamera-50th.jp/ Official 2015 50th Anniversary website]
* ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20060909163310/http://www.shrineofgamera.com/ The Shrine of Gamera]''

{{Gamera}}

[[Category:Kaiju]]
[[Category:Film characters introduced in 1965]]
[[Category:Fictional monsters]]
[[Category:Fictional Atlanteans]]
[[Category:Fictional mutants]]
[[Category:Fictional turtles]]
[[Category:Kadokawa Corporation franchises]]
[[Category:Japan in fiction]]
[[Category:Science fiction film characters]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with superhuman strength]]
[[Category:Fictional cryonically preserved characters]]
[[Category:Fictional gods]]
[[Category:Fictional goddesses]]
[[Category:Fictional suicides]]
[[Category:Films adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Films about children]]
[[Category:Fire-breathing monsters]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with energy-manipulation abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with gravity abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with electric or magnetic abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with elemental transmutation abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with death or rebirth abilities]]
[[Category:Fictional characters with accelerated healing]]
[[Category:Gamera| ]]
[[Category:Fictional prehistoric characters]]
[[Category:Fictional prehistoric animals]]
[[Category:Fictional reptiles]]