GAMERA -Rebirth- Set to Stream on Netflix

Fans of the turtle Kaiju Gamera can rejoice as its animated series -Rebirth- is set to stream on Netflix beginning Sept. 7, 2023.

KADOKAWA made the announcement during its panel at San Diego Comic-Con International 2023 that all six episodes of the Studio ENG! anime will make its Netflix premiere on Sept. 7. in celebration of the news, a second trailer showcasing new footage was aired at Comic-Con. Director Hiroyuki Sehista and Kaiju Designer Kan Takahama were present during the panel.

_{Gamera -Rebirth- second trailer}

In -Rebirth-, Gamera will battle five different Kaiju. The newly released trailer unveils the fifth and final Kaiju, Viras, while showcasing the anime’s main theme, “Natsuake,” performed by WANIMA.

What Gamera -Rebirth- Is About

-Rebirth- serves as the entry to the Gamera franchise and will take place in the summer of 1989. It follows sixth graders Boko, Joe and Junishi during their final elementary school summer vacation when Brody, the son of a U.S. military commander, steals the money they had saved up. As the boys plot their revenge, the Kaiju Gyaos suddenly attacks Tokyo. Gamera, a huge flying, fire-breathing turtle Kaiju, appears to save the boys. However, Gyaos isn’t the only monster to suddenly appear! Gamera fights back to protect Tokyo, leaving the boys to witness a legend in the making.

Boko, real name Hiroki Wada, is an 11-year-old with a kind personality and doesn’t abandon others despite being unreliable. He lives with his mother, who works as a copywriter. Joe, whose real name is Satoru Matsuda, is a 12-year-old with a brotherly disposition and is admired by those around him for his fighting abilities. He lives with his father in an apartment. Joe and Boko have been friends since Kindergarten. Jun Ishihara, also known as Junichi, is a 12-year-old otaku who loves science fiction, the military and the occult. Brody is a 12 years old mixed Japanese, whose father is the USFJ commander.

In addition to the children, other characters include James Tazaki, a third-generation Japanese American agent of the Eustace Foundation and Emiko Melchiorri, Tazaki’s assistant.

Gamera -Rebirth-‘s Cast

Hisako Kanemoto will bring Boko to life, while Yoshitsugu Matsuoka is set to play Joe, Aki Toyosaki portrays Junichi and Subaru Kimura voices Brody. Mamoru Miyano voices Tazaki, while Saori Hayami brings Emiko to life.

On playing Boko, Kanemoto said, “I am very happy to be involved in part of the historic Gamera franchise! I was nervous because I had never played a role like this before, but throughout the recordings, I experimented with how to portray Boko’s conflicts and inner feelings while learning about the feelings a young boy goes through at such an impressionable stage of his life. Please look forward to seeing how Boko and his friends change after meeting Gamera.”

Who Are the Five Kaiju Set to Battle Gamera?

The five Kaiju Gamera are set to go against are Guilon, Gyas, Jiger, Viras and Zugra. The most recently revealed Kaiju was Viras.

Guiron is a blade-headed Kaiju, likely named for the guillotine. In Gamera vs. Guiron, the Kaiju was known as “Giant Evil Beast X.”

Gyaos is a flying, winged Kaiju first featured in the 1967 film Gamera vs. Gyaos. Gyaos is one of Gamera’s most famous opponents and appears in each of the Kaiju’s eras. The monster looks like a giant vampire bat, with a flattened arrow-shaped head and leathery wings.

Jiger, an ancient Kaiju who first appeared in 1970’s Gamera vs. Jiger is a legendary demon who was awakened when the Devil’s Whistle statue was removed from Wester Island. Jiger briefly battles Gamera before following the statue to Osaka. In Gamera vs. Jiger, the Kaiju was given the name “Giant Demon Beast X” while the film was in development. Additionally, it was referred to as “Monster X” in the English dub of the film.

Viras is an alien Kaiju first introduced in 1968’s Gamera vs. Viras. Viras was originally planned to be named Gesso, which comes from the word for squid legs, paying homage to the creature’s design. However, Viras ultimately won after a public contest run by Weekly Shonen Magazine and Weekly Bokura Magazine. (Director Noriaki Yuasa would later reveal that the contest was staged and the name was inspired by the word “Bai,” which means to fold.”

Zigra was the first monster revealed in promotions for -Rebirth-. The Kaiju is an alien hailing from a planet with a fish-like race that preys on human-like land creatures. The monster was introduced in the 1971 film Gamera vs. Zigra.