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Tear Jerker: God Zilla
Try watching the original Gojira and not crying after learning that it's inspired by two horrific tragedies in Japan's history (the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as well as the Lucky Dragon 5 incident). Go ahead, try.
The makers of the film painstakingly made the scenes of Godzilla's attack on Tokyo so eerily similar to how Hiroshima and Nagasaki looked after being bombed.
A good portion of the the original Gojira can bring you to tears. The children crying in the hospital, the leveled landscape of Tokyo, the mother and her children on the side of the street before they're overcome with flames, the school children singing 'Oh Peace Oh Light Return', and finally (Serizawa's heroic sacrifice and last words).
Why is there not even one mention of Godzilla plunging into Mt. Mihara at the end of "Godzilla 1985," followed by Raymond Burr's ending monologue?
"Nature has a way sometimes of reminding Man of just how small he is. She occasionally throws up terrible offspring's of our pride and carelessness to remind us of how puny we really are in the face of a tornado, an earthquake, or a Godzilla. The reckless ambitions of Man are often dwarfed by their dangerous consequences. For now, Godzilla - that strangely innocent and tragic monster - has gone to earth. Whether he returns or not, or is never again seen by human eyes, the things he has taught us remain..."
One scene in Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah (1992): A Japanese WWII veteran turned mega business mogul comes face to face with Godzilla, who had saved his troops from an American Attack during WWII before he was even Godzilla. As the sad music starts to swell, you can see the recognition in Godzilla's Eyes amid the flashbacks to said time in the past. It looked as if Godzilla was cherishing said memories. And then, after the businessman nods, as if saying "yes, it's me", Godzilla roars (mournfully?) and (promptly blasts the man into oblivion with his breath weapon).
Milage may very at that one, but whats the breath weapon is used...it was kind of crowning moment of darkly funny for me....sorry.
The end of Godzilla Vs Destoroyah: Godzilla dies a slow and painful death due to a nuclear meltdown. That and when Godzilla mourns the death of his own son and cries in agony. It's perhaps the saddest Godzilla movie ever made. The music, really doesn't help either.
Then tears of joy when Godzilla Junior is revived.
Rebirth Of Mothra trilogy: The death of Mothra Leo's mother is very tear-inducing. What gets me is Mothra Leo putting his head under her wing, crooning for her not to leave him and trying to prevent him from drowning. He fails and she sinks into the ocean with very sad music. Every a reviewer who picked on the film at Million Monkey's Theator said it was an emotionally draining scene for two models made out of rubber and styrofoam.
Two Words: "Goodbye, Yoshido." (This is what Kiryu (aka the 3rd MechaGodzilla) says to one of the main characters right before sacrificing himself to save Godzilla from death at the end of Godzilla Tokyo SOS.)
"We knew the world would not be the same. A few people...laughed...a few people cried. Most people were silent. I remembered the line from the Hindu scripture, the Bhagavad-Gita. Vishnu...is trying to persuade the prince that...he should do his duty. And...to impress him...takes on his multi-armed form...and says, 'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'"
The death of Godzilla in the 1998 film, despite everything he'd/she'd/it had done and all the people who died because of him. You can't help but feel a little pity for the big guy (or girl) when he finally goes... and in his last moments he just stares at Nick with a resigned look in his eye, before shutting them for good.
When Godzilla arrived back at his nest, only to find all the babies dead. It was tragic watching him nudge that one infant, as if he were hoping his actions would help.
The death of every American and French soldier. Some of them may have been frightened but, every single one tried to do their job to the best of their abilities.
In Godzilla The Series, there's the death of both Godzilla's mate and their unborn child, and his mournful roars that follow.
In issue 2 of Godzilla: Kingdom of Monsters, there is a father who has lost his children to Godzilla in issue one. He spends the first half of the issue questioning why this monster would take away his children. It ends with him strapping explosives to his body and throwing himself at Godzilla, detonating them and only giving the King of the Monsters a nose itch.
You took my children from me!
Asuza Gojo saying good-bye to Baby Godzilla in Godzilla VS Mechagodzilla II and Baby trying to go with her. This troper cries his eyes out every time Baby grabs onto his foster mother's coat and he starts crying.
And the music does NOT help one bit.
What also doesn't help is how heartbroken Asuza really is. Even in the English dub, the voice actress for her sounds like she's giving her waterworks overtime.
Plus, after Gojo leaves and Godzilla shows up, Baby's first reaction is to run in fear back to his holding crate.
From the sequel to Godzilla Kingdom of Monsters we had the death of Urv. Also, in the first issue, Boxer's flashbacks after his charge is killed by a bunch of rednecks trying to take down Godzilla which focus on his daughter who was killed by Godzilla's first rampage on American soil.
Also from the comic, Harrison, Boxer's sondoesn't speak as he took a code of silence the day Boxer left him and his mother when he was only nine-years-old and would only speak again when he came back. He still doesn't talk, even when Boxer tries to make amends.
Boxer: Look, kid. I really hate letting you out of my sight. But this is the only way the plan can work. I mean, you realize why I brought you along... To keep you safe, right? Curse at me if you want. Just give me something. A word. A syllable. Tell me you understand!
From Godzilla: The Half-Century War we are given the death of Colonel Schooler and Ota's reaction. Manly Tears, people. Manly tears.
How about Ota's heroic sacrifice in the final issue? Even the manly tears shed manly tears that day. Especially when he's yelling at Godzilla to look at him and fight just before the Dimension Tide's black hole collapses on itself. And the kicker? Godzilla is still alive.
