We discuss the 2023 Netflix anime series Gamera Rebirth and the animated studio behind it. This article contains no spoilers.
The Monsterverse franchise has been so successful it’s made space for the return of Kaiju culture. Gamera Rebirth is the Japanese original net animation (ONA) series produced by Kadokawa Corporation and animated by ENGI. It is the first animated entry in the Gamera franchise and is available for streaming on Netflix worldwide.
This series has six episodes, each with a runtime of forty and forty-five minutes. The cast includes Hisako Kanemoto as Boko, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Joe, Aki Toyosaki as Junichi, and Subaru Kimura as Brody.
The giant, fire-breathing turtle monster debuted in Daiei’s 1965 film Gamera, the Giant Monster. Almost a decade after the release of the iconic monster movie Godzilla, which is a clear inspiration for Gamera. While Gamera has many live-action films, the character has been absent from the big screen for nearly two decades.
What is also worth noting is that the Gamera Rebirth anime has announced a unique collaboration with the Night With a Cat anime; it’s a short clip that showcases the main feline protagonist, Kyuruga, depicted as a giant kaiju, walking the streets in Gamera cosplay. It’s scarily cute stuff.
What is Gamera Rebirth on Netflix about?
The series revolves around Gamera facing off against five different Kaiju (giant monsters) and a group of kids witnessing him become a legend.
In the summer of 1989, four kids in Tokyo witnessed the emergence of the turtle kaiju Gamera, who bravely stands up against giant human-eating monsters.
Brody, the son of the commander of the U.S. Forces in Japan, confronts Boko, Joe, and Junichi, and he steals the money they’ve been saving. Boko is incredibly angry and plans to get their money back.
However, their plans change when the monster Gyaos suddenly attacks Tokyo. Four people stand in a town that Gyaos have ruined.
When Gyaos aims at them, a vast monster appears. Its name is Gamera. Monsters then appear one after another, and Gamera fights even though he is injured as the boys witness these intense battles.
What Studio Made Gamera Rebirth?
Gamera was conceptualized by an ensemble of creators: Yonejiro Saito, Masaichi Nagata, Hidemasa Nagata, and Noriyaki Yuasa, founders and associate executives of the film studio Daiei Film. Gamera Rebirth is produced by franchise distributor Kadokawa, with animation by ENGI.
Kadokawa Corporation is a Japanese media conglomerate that was created as a result of the merger of the original Kadokawa Corporation and Dwango Co., Ltd. ENGI Co., Ltd., also known as Entertainment Graphic Innovation, or Studio ENGI, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kadokawa, Sammy Corporation, and Ultra Super Pictures, and is a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation. ENGI works as an in-house studio for Kadokawa.
Who is directing Gamera Rebirth?
The series is directed by Hiroyuki Seshita, who has directed many CG animation films such as Knights of Sidonia and BLAME! The series is written by Seshita, Kenta Ihara, Hiroshi Seko, and Tetsuya Yamada. The animation director is Koji, and the Modeling Director and Lighting Director is Mitsunori Kataama.
