Ebook: Transnational kaijū: Exploitation, Globalisation and Cult Monster Movies

Examines the ways in which the kaijū eiga has developed into a global genre

Focusses on a largely non-Hollywood genre

Examines the ways in which globalisation has contributed to the spread and popularisation of the genre

Explores the means by which fandoms contribute to the understanding of global genres

One of very few academic texts to treat the kaijū eiga seriously

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