KALAMAZOO, Mich. — From the big screen to the book, a Western Michigan University professor has written an English translation of Godzilla and Godzilla Raids Again, the novelization of the original Godzilla movie and its sequel.
"Godzilla has been used over and over again to talk about the legacies of these different social problems," said translator Jeffrey Angles, professor of Japanese literature and translation at Western. "This book gives us an opportunity to think about those in a way that is relevant to modern society."
Originally published in 1954 by Japanese author Shigeru Kayama — also the screenwriter for Godzilla (1954) — the novelization depicts a post-war Japan still reckoning with radiation from the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima and the subsequent atomic tests conducted by the US in the Pacific Ocean.
"He was building upon the fears that were already existing in the Japanese population," Angles said.
From the cold depths of these radioactive waters, Godzilla was born into Japanese culture.
"Radiation is invisible. We can't smell it, we can't sense it," said Angles, describing the sense of dread felt in post-war Japan, symbolized in Godzilla.
When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Angles took the time to translate Kayama's work.
"I think our goal is always to be as faithful as possible," Angles said. "But what does that mean?"
For example, the original text never gives Godzilla a gender as the Japanese language functions "perfectly well without any use of pronouns whatsoever," Angles said.
In addition, the English language contains less sound-related words to describe Godzilla's destruction.
"How many ways can I possible say 'crash' in English?" Angles said.
In the end, the professor referred to the monster with male pronouns and detailed the distinct resonance of disaster — crumpling metal and toppling buildings — with multiple words and phrases.
The published product comes at a time of cultural renaissance for Godzilla, with the recent release of Godzilla: Minus One (2023) and the anticipated premiere of Godzilla X Kong (2024).
"It's a very useful symbol," Angles said, referring to anti-nuclear and pro-environment themes found throughout Godzilla-related media.
