The latest trailer for Netflix and animator BONES’ upcoming kaiju anime, Godzilla: Singular Point, puts Jet Jaguar front and center. While the iconic monster headlines the title, a “ground-level” narrative is still essential. The group of youngsters that make up the human component of the show’s cast will fulfill that role, alongside their giant robot.
Check out the trailer below, via Toho Animation’s Youtube Channel:
The trailer is the third to be uploaded in recent months and contains the first clear look at this particular take on Godzilla. As with earlier reveals of the Godzilla design (created by Eiji Yamamori), the titular monster of Godzilla: Singular Point retains the original’s upright stance. It also has a more pronounced, crocodilian facial structure resulting in a massive lower jaw. In a close-up at 1:07, it almost looks like it’s smiling. Most of the trailer focuses on establishing the human cast, with extra footage of Jet Jaguar in action. You can also catch an excerpt of the song that will serve as the series’ opening theme, “in case…” by idol group BiSH. BiSH also provided theme songs for anime and games like Black Clover, Heybot!, and God Eater 3.
In the trailer, Jet Jaguar faces off against different Kaiju and moves about on what look like wheeled legs. The original Jet Jaguar was introduced in 1973’s Godzilla vs. Megalon. Conceptualized by Toho in an attempt to capitalize on the popularity of shows like Ultraman and Mazinger Z, Jet Jaguar’s design was drawn from a contest. The winning design was originally called “Red Alone,” but renamed to “Jet Jaguar.” The robot was slated to star in its own movie against Megalon, but midway through production the film was revised into a team-up with Godzilla against Gigan and Megalon. In Godzilla: Singular Point, Jet Jaguar seems to be an amateur-built mecha.
Godzilla: Singular Point premieres on April 1, 2021 in Japan. Netflix viewers in Japan will be able to watch a week earlier, on March 25th, 2021. A global release is also slated on Netflix within 2021.
