Sunday, February 14, 2021

Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters, The Imperial Navy Rises...then Sinks

The victors write the history. As an example...have you ever heard Japanese logic for bombing Pearl Harbor? President Roosevelt never told us in one of his over-rated fireside chats. How about this rationale that is never taught...The U.S. in its continuing effort to dominate the world economy moves the largest naval fleet in the history of man to striking distance of all of Japan's economic trade routes. Hawaii wasn't even a state. After continued pleas by Japan to stay away and concentrate on the Americas and Europe, FDR militarized the south Pacific. Whether that is credible or not...this rationale is again being talked about in Asia. As the U.S. has lost any claim to moral superiority over the decades...the Japanese are beginning to make movies like 2019's "Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters," which was released in 2005 as "Reigo: The Deep Sea Monster vs. the Battleship Yamato." This one isn't in English.

War in the Pacific has begun against the American aggressors. The great Japanese battleship Yamato is ready to head south. Uh oh...before they can engage the American navy, they must first deal with a bunch of bony sea creatures that fly onto the decks of warships and rip up sailors. Even worse, these flying sea creatures are followed by a behemoth dragon creature that is almost as big as the Yamato. The Yamato engages and kills the baby Reigo...leaving a ticked off mother Reigo. Now mama Reigo starts shredding warships on its way to the Yamato. Depth charges are ineffective and the battleship's guns can't shoot low enough to hit the sea creatures.

As destroyers are...well, destroyed by the Reigo...the Yamato looks helpless. Enter a meek Lieutenant, Takashi. Oh yes...also enter the lone survivor of an American warship destroyed by Reigo. The U.S. sailor tells the Japanese what they are up against. The battleship's convoy dwindles each night as the monsters attack. Young Takashi has an idea. It's crazy and no one has confidence in it. Still...no one has a better idea. Thus the Yamato's captain tells Takashi to institute his plan. With all the destroyers sunk, Reigo has a clean path to the Yamato.

What is Takashi's plan and what are it's chances of success against Reigo? What would Franklin Delano Roosevelt's reaction had been if the Japanese moved a massive naval fleet into Cuba? While the Japanese were destroying monsters...what was the U.S. war effort up to? This is an interesting one and if you are into Japanese nationalism...you will enjoy "Reigo: King of the Sea Monsters." 

1 comment: