The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media

With the growing popularity of Godzilla and <i>kaijū</i> media, scholarship on these topics is also increasing. While science themes (i.e., nuclearism, genetics, and environmentalism) are regular aspects of these publications, a research gap on the scientists themselves exists. Therefore...

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Main Author: Rachel L. Carazo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-11-01
Series:Humanities
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/6/156
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author Rachel L. Carazo
author_facet Rachel L. Carazo
author_sort Rachel L. Carazo
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description With the growing popularity of Godzilla and <i>kaijū</i> media, scholarship on these topics is also increasing. While science themes (i.e., nuclearism, genetics, and environmentalism) are regular aspects of these publications, a research gap on the scientists themselves exists. Therefore, this article focuses on the five Serizawas (Daisuke, Eiji, Ishirō, Ren, and Shigeru) of Godzilla media (namely films, novelizations, and a webtoon) to examine their significance. Haynes’ six scientist stereotypes and Frayling’s considerations of how scientists are disconnected from laypeople provide frameworks for the analysis. Yet the complexities of the Serizawas ultimately suggest that interpreting them through a lens of sacrifice (of their families, loves, creations, and lives) provides a more solid thread by which to understand these men and their utilization of what can be deemed ‘Godzilla science’—a method to (re)assert the natural order of the world on (and in) which humans and <i>kaijū</i> must learn to live.
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spelling doaj-art-e11dda89fff54965852a087436f946492025-08-20T02:00:23ZengMDPI AGHumanities2076-07872024-11-0113615610.3390/h13060156The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla MediaRachel L. Carazo0Independent Researcher, Ponchatoula, LA 70454, USAWith the growing popularity of Godzilla and <i>kaijū</i> media, scholarship on these topics is also increasing. While science themes (i.e., nuclearism, genetics, and environmentalism) are regular aspects of these publications, a research gap on the scientists themselves exists. Therefore, this article focuses on the five Serizawas (Daisuke, Eiji, Ishirō, Ren, and Shigeru) of Godzilla media (namely films, novelizations, and a webtoon) to examine their significance. Haynes’ six scientist stereotypes and Frayling’s considerations of how scientists are disconnected from laypeople provide frameworks for the analysis. Yet the complexities of the Serizawas ultimately suggest that interpreting them through a lens of sacrifice (of their families, loves, creations, and lives) provides a more solid thread by which to understand these men and their utilization of what can be deemed ‘Godzilla science’—a method to (re)assert the natural order of the world on (and in) which humans and <i>kaijū</i> must learn to live.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/6/156GodzillaDaisuke SerizawaEiji SerizawaIshirō SerizawaRen SerizawaShigeru Serizawa
spellingShingle Rachel L. Carazo
The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
Humanities
Godzilla
Daisuke Serizawa
Eiji Serizawa
Ishirō Serizawa
Ren Serizawa
Shigeru Serizawa
title The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
title_full The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
title_fullStr The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
title_full_unstemmed The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
title_short The Five Serizawas and the Practice of Sacrifice: Reframing the Stereotypes of Scientists in Godzilla Media
title_sort five serizawas and the practice of sacrifice reframing the stereotypes of scientists in godzilla media
topic Godzilla
Daisuke Serizawa
Eiji Serizawa
Ishirō Serizawa
Ren Serizawa
Shigeru Serizawa
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-0787/13/6/156
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