Godzilla x Kong is basically a Dragon Ball movie
Dragon Ball’s Goku and the giant radioactive lizard Godzilla have one thing in common: their unstoppable fighting spirit. Both have been around for decades, starring in sprawling franchises full of varying adaptations and revisions. But with each new incarnation they are ready to give up at the slightest provocation. That means their resumes are filled with takedowns of countless super-powered enemies that have gotten a little too big for their britches. The latest Godzilla movie, Godzilla x Kong: The New Empiretakes the comparison one step further, with a plot that feels like a Kaiju version of a Dragon Ball story.
The meatiest bit of connective tissue here is in the title: Godzilla and King Kong team up to take down a bigger baddie, even though neither of them necessarily want to. This is far from the first time that Godzilla has teamed up with a former rival: Mothra, Rodan and Anguirus They are all gigantic creatures that Godzilla initially tried to kill, but later joined forces with.
Likewise, characters like Yamcha, Piccolo, and most famously Vegeta all entered the Dragon Ball mythos in search of Goku’s head, and were defeated in a way that made them decide that Goku is actually pretty cool. In the Dragon Ball franchise, when someone gives you enough concussions, you start to respect him.
Image: Toei Animation/Crunchyroll
Has Vegeta ever come fully face to face with Goku? No, he’s way too murderous for that. But when it’s time for Godzilla and Kong to take the… Skar Kinga monkey that makes Kong look cuddly, and Shimo, an ice-breathing reptile, know that things will be easier if they interact with each other. And when guys like Frieza, Cell or Broly threaten the Earth, Goku and Vegeta understand what’s at stake. When the world ends, they won’t be able to beat each other to a pulp anymore. Oh, and some of the people they love might die. There is That also.
Speaking of Skar King, Kong facing a monster that is basically him, except meaner, is pure Dragon Ball. At the beginning of the Dragon Ball anime sequel, Dragon Ball ZGoku must face Raditz, the brother he never knew he had ā a man who looks like Goku, but bigger, fatter and with a more questionable haircut.
It’s satisfying to see Kong finally get a doppelgƤnger again – he hasn’t had to deal with one since the battle Mechani Kong in 1967 King Kong escapes, while Godzilla has had to tackle a Space Godzilla and at least five different incarnations of Mechagodzilla in the same period. Godzilla has his own antagonist to match New Empire also: Shimo’s ice powers seem like a cool counterpoint to Godzilla’s atomic fire. A big bad guy with lackeys whose traits perfectly match the traits of the good guys? That’s also very much a Dragon Ball trope ā and a hallmark of many other battle anime stories.
The New Empire heroes also have the necessary anime-style power-ups. Godzilla has been given a pink upgrade of sorts, while Kong, along with his cool axe, has a robotic hand. This, in the logic of the battle anime, obviously makes him hit much harder. Power-ups like that are a big part of that Dragon Ball Z also: “Going Super Saiyan” has entered the broader cultural lexicon, and it is usually accompanied by a change in hair color, a widening of the biceps and an increase in strength. The series Dragonball great even introduced a āSuper Saiyan Roseā form with pink hair. Is the new Godzilla coloring a direct reference? We can hope.
Image: Warner Bros. Pictures
Finally, New Empire reveals an entire race of Kongs in the Hollow Earth, a monster-filled dimension at the center of the world. Seemingly unique heroes who discover they are not alone are also a key part of the Dragon Ball franchise. Goku spends the entire original Dragon Ball anime thinks he’s the only hero with a monkey tail and a penchant for fisticuffs. Then, at the beginning of the Dragon Ball Z series, he finds out he isn’t the last Saiyan in the universe when Raditz and Vegeta arrive on Earth to tear the place apart. Goku is not happy about this. Neither does Kong, when he discovers that Skar King is a jerk.
And in Dragon Ball ZIn Piccolo’s next storyline, Piccolo travels to the planet Namek and meets other Namekians like himself. Only time will tell if we’ll eventually get such a plot in a Godzilla movie – but fingers crossed that if Godzilla encounters another member of his species in the MonsterVerse, they’ll give him a doughy little pipsquek again. After all, Kong gets his own little monkey friend The new empire, and Goku’s best friend was Krillin, a man who only reaches Goku’s waist. Everyone needs a little friend to encourage them.
Although both Goku and Godzilla have had many human supporters over the decades, humanity in the Godzilla films is not as excited as Goku’s friends when Godzilla begins to reach his shining “final form.” And while Kong has been knocked down only to get back up, he still has to go through the kind of long training process that makes up the bulk of Goku’s schedule. Yet the spot in the middle of the Venn diagram between the two worlds is full. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire is a far cry from the beginning of Godzilla’s nuclear nightmare, but it’s perfect for fans of kaiju throwdowns and the enlightened people who believe Toonami is the pinnacle of humanity.