Godzilla’s New Form In Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire Is Inspired By Goku’s Kaioken In Dragon Ball
The character designer of the film has openly expressed his love for Dragon Ball, stating it was the first manga he had ever head.
It’s no secret that Dragon Ball has broken the barriers of anime and manga and has become an icon in pop culture. So much so that various cartoons and movies like Gumball and Shang-Chi referenced Dragon Ball in their scenes.
Recently, another Hollywood film used Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus as an inspiration for one of its character’s powerups and it’s none other than Godzilla from Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which came out on Mar 29, 2024.
Jared Krichevsky, the lead character designer on the film, CONFIRMED the connection between it and Dragon Ball. While answering a fan question on Twitter whether Godzilla’s pink form was inspired by Goku Black’s Super Saiyan Rose, Jared says it was inspired by the Kaioken instead.
Kaioken is King Kai’s signature technique used by Goku in Dragon Ball Z where it multiplies the user’s stats with recoil damage.
(Godzilla’s pink form in Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire)
(Goku’s Kaioken in Dragon Ball Z)
The character designer has openly expressed his love for Goku and Dragon Ball on Twitter, as you can see from his following tweets. He also once stated that Dragon Ball was the first manga he’d ever read so, no wonder he’d use it in his work.
Dragon Ball Z was the first Manga I ever read. Such a monumental loss. Rip Akira Toriyama. https://t.co/FVgbSDGr8L pic.twitter.com/ABdBa290aq
— Jared Krichevsky (@Monstermash042) March 8, 2024
Bout to take my 4yo to see Dragon Ball Z in the theater. He's going to absolutely lose his mind.
— Jared Krichevsky (@Monstermash042) September 24, 2022
My 4yo insisting that I call him "Kid Goku" and honestly it's just the best fucking thing ever.
— Jared Krichevsky (@Monstermash042) October 21, 2022
It's Goku Vs. MechaG in house Krichevsky this morning. pic.twitter.com/LjWv718X8h
— Jared Krichevsky (@Monstermash042) January 7, 2023
The last quarter of Dragonball Super is just spectacular. Buncha weird goofy characters shouting catchphrases, fighting, lots and lots of yelling. High quality animation. Love it.
— Jared Krichevsky (@Monstermash042) January 17, 2023
About Dragon Ball:
Dragon Ball is a manga series by Akira Toriyama. It first began its serialization in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1984.
The manga was later adapted into a multitude of animated series, movies, and games.
The franchise consists of five different anime series, about 21 animated movies, and around 10 games spanning various platforms, from Famicon to Playstation and Xbox.
Synopsis of the Dragon Ball anime:
Goku Son is a young boy who lives in the woods all alone—that is, until a girl named Bulma runs into him in her search for a set of magical objects called the “Dragon Balls.”
Since the artefacts are said to grant one wish to whoever collects all seven, Bulma hopes to gather them and wish for a perfect boyfriend.
Goku happens to be in possession of a dragon ball, but unfortunately for Bulma, he refuses to part ways with it, so she makes him a deal: he can tag along on her journey if he lets her borrow the dragon ball’s power.
With that, the two set off on the journey of a lifetime.
Source: Twitter
