logo
Godzilla 'seen' at Marina Bay in celebration of its 70th anniversary, Singapore News

Godzilla 'seen' at Marina Bay in celebration of its 70th anniversary, Singapore News

AsiaOne11-05-2025
PUBLISHED ON May 11, 2025 2:50 AM By Bhavya Rawat
Japanese character Godzilla was "spotted" at a location all too familiar to Singaporeans in a video tribute for South-east Asian fans of the franchise.
In the 55-second clip titled 70 Years of Godzilla: A New Roar in Southeast Asia, the fictional monster can be seen emerging from the waters of Marina Bay with Gardens by the Bay, Marina Bay Sands and the Singapore Flyer in the background. The video, which was posted to the official Godzilla YouTube channel on Saturday (May 10), also shows the behemoth in various other locations across South-east Asia such as the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and famous terraced paddy fields of Bali.
Japanese entertainment company Toho, which owns the Godzilla brand, released the video in celebration of the first Godzilla film's 70th anniversary which premiered in October 1954.
Godzilla was created after World War II and is a symbolic figure that represents the destructive power of nuclear weapons as well as the threat they pose to humanity and the environment.
The video's description read: "For the first time across South-east Asia, the legend emerges in a powerful tribute to the fans who have kept its legacy alive."
"This special footage honours South-east Asia, celebrating seven decades of Godzilla's unstoppable journey through the region's iconic landmarks."
The clip has since garnered over 490,000 views and 32,000 likes.
In November 2024, Toho opened a subsidiary, Toho Entertainment, in Singapore. Toho Entertainment will serve as a base for the company to expand into the wider Asian region.
Fictional Japanese characters have a knack for appearing in Marina Bay, it seems.
Superhero Ultraman was seen battling a Godzilla-like monster at Gardens by the Bay in November 2021, in a tourism movie produced by Japanese special effects studio Tsuburaya Productions.
In June 2024, the Republic of Singapore Navy unveiled its "Top Secret Ops Godzilla" plan in a comedic short video following the success of Godzilla Minus One in streaming local charts upon its release on Singapore's Netflix.
[[nid:688338]]
bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com
Marina Baygardens by the bayGodzillamovies
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

What Superman's pet Krypto owes to director James Gunn's badly behaved rescue dog
What Superman's pet Krypto owes to director James Gunn's badly behaved rescue dog

Straits Times

timea day ago

  • Straits Times

What Superman's pet Krypto owes to director James Gunn's badly behaved rescue dog

Krypto the superdog (left) in Superman is inspired and modelled after director James Gunn's dog Ozu. NEW YORK – About three years ago, American writer-director James Gunn was trying to figure out the arc of what would become his new blockbuster Superman. Then he adopted a dog. He named the scruffy rescue Ozu, after Yasujiro Ozu, the Japanese film-maker known for his serene works. At about eight months old, Ozu the dog was not at all peaceful. After surviving a hoarding situation, it was fearful of humans and intensely destructive. He chewed up furniture, shoes and even a US$10,000 (S$12,800) computer. He also ate a tampon out of a wastebasket , necessitating a trip to the vet. Gunn realised that if Ozu had been superpowered, the damage would have been even worse. 'It was where Superman the movie came together for me,' he said in a video call. The 58-year-old decided that his version of Superman would have not just a dog, but a bad dog who could fly. He wrote the opening sequence in which Superman (David Corenswet), defeated for the first time, calls out to the canine Krypto to help drag him to the Fortress of Solitude. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore 1 in 3 vapes here laced with etomidate; MOH working with MHA to list it as illegal drug: Ong Ye Kung Singapore HSA extends hotline hours, launches new platform to report vaping offences Singapore Tampines regional centre set to get more homes, offices and public amenities Multimedia How to make the most out of small homes in Singapore Life US tech CEO Andy Byron resigns after viral Coldplay 'kiss cam' video Asia From toy to threat: 'Killer kites' bring chaos to Indonesian airspace Opinion I thought I was a 'chill' parent. Then came P1 registration Singapore 'God and government are the only things beyond our control,' says Group CEO Krypto – who, like Ozu, is poorly behaved – jumps all over his master, seemingly causing more pain before doing his duty. Superman, which also stars Nicholas Hoult as the Man of Steel's nemesis Lex Luthor and Rachel Brosnahan as intrepid reporter Lois Lane, is now showing in cinemas. 'The universe we normally see Superman living in in movies is usually this lone, serious superhero and then people and then that's it,' Gunn said. 'This Superman exists in a different sort of universe where there are flying dogs.' But Ozu served as more than just inspiration. Gunn's pup also became the physical model for Krypto, who is computer-generated so he can do things like soar through the sky and attack villains. Krypto is a little bigger than Ozu and has white fur instead of grey , but otherwise he is a dead ringer. Although Gunn's version of Krypto owes everything to Ozu, Krypto has a long history in comic books. He first appeared in 1955, and while he has never shown up in any of Superman's live-action big-screen outings, he was voiced by American actor Dwayne Johnson in the animated film DC League Of Super-Pets (2022). Gunn does not get deep into Krypto lore in Superman, but he does have plans for him, including a starring role in 2026's Supergirl, which is based on the comic Supergirl: Woman Of Tomorrow (2021 to 2022). Krypto features prominently in that tale. Because Gunn wanted Krypto to resemble his own pet as closely as possible, the first step involved a 3D scan of Ozu. Ozu, who is now better behaved than he used to be, 'despised' the process, the film-maker said, explaining: 'He has to stand on this table and then there's a globe of cameras surrounding him. They take pictures and we kind of move him around a little bit, and it gets every angle of him.' Though Ozu was initially wary of humans, he immediately befriended Gunn's cat, and like any good owner, Gunn had a plethora of videos of his pets acting cute. He handed those over to the visual effects artists. 'I have tons of videos of them playing,' he said. 'In fact, when Krypto is jumping on Superman at the beginning of the movie, that's all based on footage of him playing with my cat.' Gunn ultimately worked with three VFX companies to develop Krypto, but mainly relied on Framestore, which was also responsible for creating another crucial furry character, Rocket Raccoon, in the director's Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014 to 2023) movies. With Krypto, the biggest challenge was figuring out how to depict him flying. 'At first, it kept looking like he was running in the air and it looked dumb,' Gunn said, adding: 'It was getting the right amount of motion with his legs and he was flying. It just took a lot of trial and error.' On set, the actors playing opposite Krypto occasionally just had to imagine he was there, miming as if interacting with a dog. In other instances, a 'series of very small women' played Krypto, Gunn said. But sometimes, a real dog was present. Her name was Jolene, and they would play the 1973 song by American country legend Dolly Parton every time she arrived. 'She had white fur and we would use that as a reference for the lighting so we knew what a white dog would look like in the area,' Gunn said. As for the sounds Krypto makes, Gunn once again went back to Ozu and recorded him for reference. But Gunn also did not want to overdo it. 'The sound people know this: It's my pet peeve that every time an animal is on-screen, they make it make a sound. The truth is, dogs are funny because, for the most part, they are Buster Keaton,' said DC Studios' co-CEO, referring to the American silent film star. As a dog lover, Gunn aimed to make sure the way Krypto cranes his neck, wags his tail or gets easily distracted was portrayed accurately. The fact that he is terribly behaved makes Superman's loyalty to him all the more impactful in perilous situations, Gunn said. 'Superman is such a compassionate person that he's worried about the dog being scared,' Gunn said. 'That's the thing that upsets him: The dog is scared. And we've only seen the dog give him grief. I think it's really important that Superman is tuned into his own sense of compassion in that way.' Ozu, meanwhile, seems to have complicated feelings regarding his debut as the model for a superhero. Gunn posted a video on Instagram of Ozu barking at Krypto. This, he said, happened repeatedly during the editing process. 'He comes darting from the other side of the house and runs into the office so he can bark at Krypto,' Gunn said. 'For two years, he barked at Krypto on-screen.' NYTIMES Superman is showing in Singapore cinemas.

S'pore sees no baby boom in Year of the Dragon despite slight rise in births in 2024
S'pore sees no baby boom in Year of the Dragon despite slight rise in births in 2024

Straits Times

time2 days ago

  • Straits Times

S'pore sees no baby boom in Year of the Dragon despite slight rise in births in 2024

Find out what's new on ST website and app. Historically, there has been a baby boom each dragon year, which falls every 12 years in the zodiac cycle. SINGAPORE – The much hoped for baby boom did not materialise in the Year of the Dragon, but there was a slight rise in births in 2024. In total, 33,703 babies were born in 2024, up by 0.5 per cent from the 33,541 born in 2023, according to the Report on Registration of Births and Deaths 2024. The report was released by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority on July 18. Singapore's birth rate is among the world's lowest, and the Government has been trying for years to get Singaporeans to have more babies. Meanwhile, the number of deaths fell from 26,888 in 2023 to 26,442 in 2024, a drop of 1.7 per cent. This is the first time the number of deaths fell from the previous year in almost a decade, a check by The Straits Times found. With Singapore's rapidly ageing society, the number of deaths has been steadily rising over the decades. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore A deadly cocktail: Easy access, lax attitudes driving Kpod scourge in S'pore Singapore 'I thought it was an April Fool's joke': Teen addicted to Kpods on news that friend died Asia Cool photo spots, viral food videos: Malaysia plans to woo Chinese tourists via social media Asia From propaganda to passion: N. Korean TV show mimics K-drama to fend off banned media from the South Singapore New auto pet wash service in Buona Vista draws flak, but firm stands by its safety Singapore 314 suicides reported in Singapore in 2024, remains leading cause of youth deaths Asia 'Guardian angels': Taiwan's dementia-friendly village promotes ageing in place Life US tech firm launches probe into Coldplay 'kiss cam' couple after clip goes viral The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to have also contributed to the higher number of deaths between 2020 and 2022. The two leading causes of death in 2024 were cancer and heart and hypertensive diseases, which accounted for over half of all deaths here. In February, Ms Indranee Rajah, Minister in the Prime Minister's Office, said that the dragon year effect has been diminishing over the years, reflecting the generational shifts in attitudes and priorities among young couples. Ms Rajah, whose ministry oversees population issues, said the preliminary total fertility rate (TFR), which refers to the average number of babies each woman would have during her reproductive years, remained at 0.97 in 2024. This is the same figure as 2023, when Singapore's TFR fell below 1 for the first time. In February, the total number of babies born in 2024 was not made public yet. In the Chinese zodiac calendar, the Dragon Year has traditionally been considered an auspicious time to have children, as the dragon is associated with good fortune, success and leadership, among other desirable traits. Historically, there has been a baby boom each dragon year, which falls every 12 years in the zodiac cycle. For example, there were 36,178 babies born in 2011 but 38,641 in 2012, which was Year of the Dragon – an increase of 6.8 per cent. The increase in births in the dragon year before that was even higher. In the 2000 dragon year, a total of 44,765 babies were born - an 8.3 per cent jump from the 41,327 babies born in 1999. Over the past two decades, the Government has introduced a slew of measures and benefits to boost the country's birth rate.

Japanese manga series Demon Slayer has sold 200 million copies worldwide
Japanese manga series Demon Slayer has sold 200 million copies worldwide

Straits Times

time3 days ago

  • Straits Times

Japanese manga series Demon Slayer has sold 200 million copies worldwide

Find out what's new on ST website and app. The fourth and latest animated film Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle opens in Singapore cinemas on Aug 14. TOKYO - Popular Japanese manga Demon Slayer has sold over 200 million copies across all 23 volumes worldwide, its publisher said on July 17, a feat achieved by only a handful of titles under its wing. The number of copies in global circulation of the hit series by Japanese manga artist Koyoharu Gotoge has hit 220 million, including digital editions, according to publishing company Shueisha Inc. The series, which was serialised in the manga magazine Weekly Shonen Jump from 2016 to 2020, tells the story of Tanjiro Kamado, an adolescent boy who battles human-eating demons while searching for a cure for his sister, who has turned into a demon. An animated film based on the series, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mugen Train, released in 2020, became the first movie in Japan to top 40 billion yen (S$346 million) in box office revenue. The fourth film adaptation, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Infinity Castle, will open in cinemas across Japan on July 18, and in Singapore on Aug 14. KYODO NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store