Agon (tokusatsu)
Encyclopedia
is a 1964 black-and-white Japanese tokusatsu
kaiju
series. Produced by Nippon Television
, the four episode series aired on Fuji TV from January 2, 1968 to January 8, 1968. Internationally, the series is known as Agon: Atomic Dragon. The series was re-released in a condensed feature-length film in the mid-1990s by Toho
.
While on assignment to cover an unusual traffic accident, newspaper reporter Goro (Shinji Hirota) witnesses a giant dinosaur-like creature emerge from the sea. Goro accompanies police Detective Yamato (Asao Matsumoto) to the Atomic Energy Center to consult with Professor Ukyo (Nobuhiko Shima) about the monster. Surmising its radioactive origins, the professor names the creature "Agon", short for "atomic dragon". Suddenly Agon (portrayed by Etsuji Higashi) again emerges from the sea and begins destroying a nearby forest. The professor's assistant Satsuki (Akemi Sawa) is injured and falls into a crevice opened by the monster's rampage.
Episode 2:
Goro and Detective Yamato rescue Satsuki while Agon destroys a nearby city, including a nuclear reactor. Later, at a United Nations conference held to decide how to combat the monster, Professor Ukyo explains that Agon was likely awakened by atomic testing. The Japanese army sets up a defensive line on the coast to prevent the monster from again reaching shore, but Agon is unaffected by their efforts and destroys a lighthouse before moving inland.
Episode 3:
Two criminals enlist local diver Matsuzo (Shin'ya Irie) to help them recover a suitcase (later revealed to contain drugs) that was lost when their boat capsized. They also need his fishing boat to make their getaway following their next crime, stealing uranium from an atomic lab. To force his cooperation, they kidnap his son Monta (Yoshihiro Kobayashi), but Matsuzo is able to convey their plight to Goro and Satsuki who are fishing nearby. Goro alerts Detective Yamato and the two confront the kidnappers as they try to board Matsuzo's boat. During the fight, Monata, alone in the boat, drifts out to sea just as Agon resurfaces. He clamps down on the boat, and carries it and Monata away in his jaws.
Episode 4:
Agon heads towards the city, still carrying the boat containing Monata. A helicopter attempts to lower a man on a rope ladder to rescue the boy, but is destroyed by the monster. Another helicopter is used to lure Agon to a nearby hill, where he drops the boat, allowing Monata to be rescued. While Agon returns to destroying the city, the two crooks hijack another helicopter to make their escape, but fail to do so as Agon smashes it out of the sky. After destroying more of the city (including an oil refinery), Agon returns to the sea.
, prevented it from being broadcast at that time. It later came to light that Shinichi Sekizawa
(writer of several of Toho's kaiju films) and Fuminori Ohashi (apprentice of Eiji Tsuburaya
, Toho's head of special effects) were involved with the project. Convinced the two men were not intentionally copying Godzilla, Toho allowed the series to be broadcast in 1968.
Agon was filmed in black & white, but with a sepiatone tint, giving it an unusual look. Also of note is the unique musical score composed by Wataru Saitô. Toho would again become involved with Agon when they re-edited the four TV episodes into a feature-length movie for a VHS
release in the mid-1990's.
The Agon monster suit, with some modifications, was later reused in the tokusatsu
series The Space Giants, first as a generic dinosaur
, later as Giant Fire Monster Aron.
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
kaiju
Kaiju
is a Japanese word that means "strange beast," but often translated in English as "monster". Specifically, it is used to refer to a genre of tokusatsu entertainment....
series. Produced by Nippon Television
Nippon Television
is a television network based in the Shiodome area of Minato, Tokyo, Japan and is controlled by the Yomiuri Shimbun publishing company. Broadcasting terrestrially across Japan, the network is commonly known as , contracted to , and abbreviated as "NTV" or "AX".-Offices:*The Headquarters : 6-1,...
, the four episode series aired on Fuji TV from January 2, 1968 to January 8, 1968. Internationally, the series is known as Agon: Atomic Dragon. The series was re-released in a condensed feature-length film in the mid-1990s by Toho
Toho
is a Japanese film, theater production, and distribution company. It is headquartered in Yūrakuchō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group...
.
Episode listing
Synopsis
Episode 1:While on assignment to cover an unusual traffic accident, newspaper reporter Goro (Shinji Hirota) witnesses a giant dinosaur-like creature emerge from the sea. Goro accompanies police Detective Yamato (Asao Matsumoto) to the Atomic Energy Center to consult with Professor Ukyo (Nobuhiko Shima) about the monster. Surmising its radioactive origins, the professor names the creature "Agon", short for "atomic dragon". Suddenly Agon (portrayed by Etsuji Higashi) again emerges from the sea and begins destroying a nearby forest. The professor's assistant Satsuki (Akemi Sawa) is injured and falls into a crevice opened by the monster's rampage.
Episode 2:
Goro and Detective Yamato rescue Satsuki while Agon destroys a nearby city, including a nuclear reactor. Later, at a United Nations conference held to decide how to combat the monster, Professor Ukyo explains that Agon was likely awakened by atomic testing. The Japanese army sets up a defensive line on the coast to prevent the monster from again reaching shore, but Agon is unaffected by their efforts and destroys a lighthouse before moving inland.
Episode 3:
Two criminals enlist local diver Matsuzo (Shin'ya Irie) to help them recover a suitcase (later revealed to contain drugs) that was lost when their boat capsized. They also need his fishing boat to make their getaway following their next crime, stealing uranium from an atomic lab. To force his cooperation, they kidnap his son Monta (Yoshihiro Kobayashi), but Matsuzo is able to convey their plight to Goro and Satsuki who are fishing nearby. Goro alerts Detective Yamato and the two confront the kidnappers as they try to board Matsuzo's boat. During the fight, Monata, alone in the boat, drifts out to sea just as Agon resurfaces. He clamps down on the boat, and carries it and Monata away in his jaws.
Episode 4:
Agon heads towards the city, still carrying the boat containing Monata. A helicopter attempts to lower a man on a rope ladder to rescue the boy, but is destroyed by the monster. Another helicopter is used to lure Agon to a nearby hill, where he drops the boat, allowing Monata to be rescued. While Agon returns to destroying the city, the two crooks hijack another helicopter to make their escape, but fail to do so as Agon smashes it out of the sky. After destroying more of the city (including an oil refinery), Agon returns to the sea.
Production
Filming of Giant Phantom Monster Agon was completed in 1964, but Toho Studios, complaining Agon too closely resembled GodzillaGodzilla
is a daikaijū, a Japanese movie monster, first appearing in Ishirō Honda's 1954 film Godzilla. Since then, Godzilla has gone on to become a worldwide pop culture icon starring in 28 films produced by Toho Co., Ltd. The monster has appeared in numerous other media incarnations including video games,...
, prevented it from being broadcast at that time. It later came to light that Shinichi Sekizawa
Shinichi Sekizawa
was a Japanese screenwriter. His very first screenplay was for the Shintoho Studios film Fearful Attack of the Flying Saucers, which is now considered to be lost. He went on to script several films by Ishirō Honda, including several classic Godzilla films...
(writer of several of Toho's kaiju films) and Fuminori Ohashi (apprentice of Eiji Tsuburaya
Eiji Tsuburaya
was the Japanese special effects director responsible for many Japanese science-fiction movies, including the Godzilla series...
, Toho's head of special effects) were involved with the project. Convinced the two men were not intentionally copying Godzilla, Toho allowed the series to be broadcast in 1968.
Agon was filmed in black & white, but with a sepiatone tint, giving it an unusual look. Also of note is the unique musical score composed by Wataru Saitô. Toho would again become involved with Agon when they re-edited the four TV episodes into a feature-length movie for a VHS
VHS
The Video Home System is a consumer-level analog recording videocassette standard developed by Victor Company of Japan ....
release in the mid-1990's.
The Agon monster suit, with some modifications, was later reused in the tokusatsu
Tokusatsu
is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of special effects ....
series The Space Giants, first as a generic dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
, later as Giant Fire Monster Aron.