History YMMV / GodzillaMinusOne

* GermansLoveDavidHasselhoff: While the film did great in Japan as well, Americans absolutely ''adored'' the film, with many regarding it as one of the best films in the series and one of the best films of 2023, with its critical and commercial success outdoing several major American blockbusters released on the same year. In response to the film's success in America, Toho would end up extending the film's US theatrical run beyond its initial December 7 end date...''twice''. During a Q&A shortly after the film's US premiere, the film's director -- Takashi Yamazaki -- [[https://www.tohokingdom.com/blog/attending-the-united-states-premiere-of-godzilla-minus-one-in-hollywood/ admits to having been very surprised]] by how well the film had been received amongst American fans, describing the audience as being "Godzilla worshippers".

** The film tackles the subject of war and [[ShellShockedVeteran the hell it brings]] towards an individual. It also [[TakeThat shames how Imperial Japan treats their soldiers]] as AMillionIsAStatistic, and the horrors it can bring to an individual who had to fight a pointless war they can't hope to win. And since Godzilla is a metaphor for a powerful opponent that could swiftly end their country, it's definitely there. And the film doesn't sugarcoat how Godzilla does it either. His atomic breath is what happens when a monster is a literal nuclear weapon: a mass destruction that ends with ''black rain''. But Koichi finds the resolve to end his source of his grief, and is able to earn his happy ending.

* AwardSnub: Toho promoted a ''Godzilla Minus One'' "For Your Consideration" Campaign [[https://twitter.com/Godzilla_Toho/status/1738061895259611438 across all categories]], and its only nomination was for Visual Effects. Many fans were hopeful for at the very least Sound Design, Original Score, or even Best Picture. Surprisingly enough, the Academy Awards cannot be blamed for the lack of the most obvious nomination: Best International Film, as Japan had already submitted its ''Film/PerfectDays'' as its submission for this year.

* FandomRivalry:
** Although most Godzilla fans are simply happy for the glut of Godzilla media in close proximity, there's a subset which dislikes the ''Franchise/MonsterVerse'' that threw shade at it by negatively comparing it to this film, particularly since the trailer for ''Film/GodzillaXKongTheNewEmpire'' came out around the same time as the US release of ''Minus One''.
%%** Has one with Film/TheMarvels since both were released in November but mostly due fans of Godzilla Minus One rubbing the film’s success in the face of fans of The Marvels whose film had a $300 million budget and was a BoxOfficeBomb. (As written it seems to be to one sided)

* FanNickname: The pre-mutated version of Godzilla seen at [[spoiler: the beginning of the movie]] is often referred to as "Godzillasaurus" in reference to the Heisei era films, particularly ''Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah''. That film also depicted the pre-mutated Godzilla as a theropod dinosaur, specifically identified as a "Godzillasaurus", who likewise encountered Japanese soldiers on an island during WWII, though in that case he actually *helped* them.

** With ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', a biography film about UsefulNotes/RobertOppenheimer who invented the atomic bomb in the early years of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Fans of both films will often splice together a scene when Oppenhimer gets teary-eyed of his destructive creation, and Godzilla being the result of that consequences of his creation, since Godzilla is often portrayed as the personification of nuclear weapons. Takeshi Yamazaki even met with Creator/CillianMurphy, who played Oppenheimer, [[https://twitter.com/nostoro/status/1747225493043302858 and they even took a photo together]].

** With ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', a biography film about UsefulNotes/RobertOppenheimer who invented the atomic bomb in the early years of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Fans of both films will often splice together a scene when Oppenhimer gets teary-eyed of his destructive creation, and Godzilla being the result of that consequences of his creation, since Godzilla is often portrayed as the personification of nuclear weapons.

** Also with ''Anime/TheBoyAndTheHeron'', as the film received its wide release in the United States in December alongside Godzilla: Minus One. The presence of two highly lauded Japanese films in theaters made for a very complementary double feature, and until the release of Wonka, both films dominated the US Box office. It also helps that both films, while going in different directions, cover the similar subject matter and time period of Japan's ordeal in World War II with Kōichi's PTSD from the conflict and Mahito's trauma from losing his mother in a firebombing.

** [[https://www.tumblr.com/connor-dioda/735980588430917632/minus-one-has-a-little-bit-of-everything?source=share ALL OUR POWERS COMBINED!]][[note]]Minus One! Goji has been described as being a mix of several different Godzillas, having the body proportions of ''Monsterverse'', the face of ''Heisei'', the spiky texture of ''Millennium'' and the charred keloid scars of ''Shin''.[[/note]]
*** Zilla: Minus One[[note]]Godzilla's initial form pre-mutation has been compared to resembling the 1998 Tristar Godzilla, dubbed "Zilla" by displeased Toho executives upon the film's initial release.[[/note]]
** "and Godzilla is there." [[labelnote:Explanation]]many joke about the serious tone and messages of the movie by listing them all and then ending it by pointing out this is still a Godzilla movie[[/labelnote]]
** Woke Movies [[labelnote:Explaination]]A reactionary thumbnail comparing the movie to "woke" Hollywood by having Godzilla say "I eat woke movies for breakfast" led to pushback memes of taking it ' ' literally ' ' and portraying "woke movies as this Godzilla's TrademarkFavoriteFood[[/labelnote]]

* CaptainObviousReveal: Due to the amount of relatively-isolated foreshadowing, [[spoiler:the fact Sōsaku discovered an ejector seat in Shikishima's plane, allowing him to survive the kamikaze strike on Godzilla at the end,]] is rather telegraphed. [[Administrivia/TropesAreTools This doesn't make]] this outcome any less narratively satisfying, however, since [[spoiler:the film instead casts doubt on Shikishima surviving long enough to use the bomb, and whether or not he would choose to use the ejector seat]].

* CatharsisFactor: Even the most die-hard Godzilla fans will cheer at this incarnation's [[spoiler:supposed]] death, considering that this is the most unsympathetic portrayal of the monster it has been and the damage it has intentionally caused.

** Would the pre-mutated Godzilla have continued his rampage on Odo Island or would he have eventually left the island in peace? What supports the latter theory is that Godzilla never harmed Shikishima who was too scared to fight him at the time. It's only when the mechanics started shooting at him that spurs him into anger.

** The film's critical take on the Japanese government and military's actions during World War II and their effect on the crisis caused by Godzilla's attacks were major talking points in the Millenium era's ''Film/GodzillaMothraKingGhidorahGiantMonstersAllOutAttack'', which also presented Godzilla as a vengeful creature attacking people out of malice. Even the film's ending, which had [[spoiler:Godzilla being blown apart by his own Atomic Breath, only for his still-living heart being shown starting to regenerate]], was lifted almost entirely from the earlier movie.

* TheWoobie: Koichi Shikishima is a Kamikaze pilot who abandoned his post and lands in Odo Island, and when Tachibana discovered this, he sympathizes with him because Japan is fighting a pointless war they can't win. Then Godzilla appears, and kills all the engineers except Tachibana and he blames Koichi for not taking the shot at the monster. Then Tachibana gives him photo mementos of the dead engineers, showing that they had families waiting for them, which already puts enough guilt in his conscience. And then he returns home to Ginza after it had been ravaged by the fire-bombings, and his neighbor Sumiko calls him a disgrace for failing his country and reveals that his parents had died as well from the bombings. But after he meets Noriko annd Akiko, his life seems to turn for the better, but he is still plagued by nightmares of Godzilla's attack on Odo Island. And then he realizes that Godzilla not only mutated, but is heading towards Japan. When Godzilla arrives and destroys Ginza with his Atomic Breath, the already traumatized Kochi now has nothing else to live for other than make a future safe for Akiko. But he eventually earns his happy ending when Tachibana tells him to live, [[spoiler:and Noriko survives Godzilla's attack on Ginza]].

* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: All thanks to Naoko Sato, the composer of ''Anime/DragonBallSuperSuperHero'', the live action version of ''Film/RurouniKenshin'', ''Manga/AssassinationClassroom'', and ''Anime/PowerOfHopePrecureFullBloom'', who gave many rearrangements of Akira Ifukube's classic music and his orchestral spin of the ''Godzilla'' franchise.

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N_V7xdN7DI Resolution]] a very powerful piece that gives you will and hope [[spoiler:especially when Koichi flies the finished Shinden and draws Godzilla's attention away from the citizens to plunging the bomb laden plane into a weakened Godzilla's mouth.]]

** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0N_V7xdN7DI Resolution]] a very powerful piece that feels hopeful [[spoiler:especially when Koichi flies the finished Shinden and draws Godzilla's attention away from the citizens to plunging the bomb laden plane into a weakened Godzilla's mouth.]]

* ImprovedSecondAttempt: Takashi Yamazaki attempted to make a movie about a reluctant kamikaze pilot before with ''The Eternal Zero'', which while successful also got a lot of flack for supposedly glorifying Imperial Japan and kamikaze pilots despite Yamazaki stating his intent was the exact opposite. ''Minus One'' tackles similar ideas as ''The Eternal Zero'', but many feel handles them much better and conveyed Yamazaki's intent much clearer.

* CreatorsFavorite: Director Takashi Yamazaki has called Dr. Noda and Captain Hotta as his two favorite characters. Given how neither is the main hero and most fans like them too, thus neither is a CreatorsPet.

* CatharsisFactor: Even the most die-hard Godzilla fans will cheer at this incarnation's [[spoiler:supposed]] death, considering how much of a complete monster it has been and the damage it has caused.

* CreatorsFavorite: Director Takashi Yamazaki has called Dr. Noda and Captain Hotta his two favorite characters. Given how neither is the main hero and most fans like them too, neither is a CreatorsPet.

* FanNickname: The pre-mutated version of Godzilla seen at [[spoiler: the beginning of the movie]] is often referred to as "Godzillasaurus" in reference to the Heisei era films, particularly Film/GodzillaVsKingGhidorah. That film also depicted the pre-mutated Godzilla as a theropod dinosaur, specifically identified as a "Godzillasaurus", who likewise encountered Japanese soldiers on an island during WWII, though in that case he actually *helped* them.

** On Japanese X/Twitter and Pixiv, you can find a lot of crossover content with ''Manga/GegegeNoKitaro'' movie ''Kitaro's Birth: The Mystery of Gegege'' featuring Shikishima and ''Kitaro’s Birth'' protagonist Mizuki. Both movies released around the same time, and both Shikishima and Mizuki are traumatized [=WW2=] vets who find themselves inadvertently adopting a child, yet interpret their experiences in very different directions (Shikishima having terrible SurvivorsGuilt, while Mizuki resolves to live life because he sees him having survived as an honor). Fanart often features them as dad friends (in spite of ''Kitaro’s Birth'' taking place years later than this movie), or has Mizuki trying to talk sense into Shikishima.
** Also with ''Anime/TheBoyAndTheHeron'', as the film received it's wide release in the United States in December alongside Godzilla: Minus One. The presence of two highly lauded Japanese films in theaters made for a very complementary double feature, and until the release of Wonka, both films dominated the US Box office. It also helps that both films, while going in different directions, cover the similar subject matter and time period of Japan's ordeal in World War II with Kōichi's PTSD from the conflict and Mahito's trauma from losing his mother in a firebombing.

** With ''Film/{{Oppenheimer}}'', a biography film about UsefulNotes/RobertOppenheimer who invented the atomic bomb in the early years of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Fans of both films will often splice together a scene when Oppenhimer gets teary-eyed of his destructive creation, and Godzilla being the result of that consequences of hiscreatio, since Godzilla is often portrayed as the personification of nuclear weapons.

** With ''Film/Oppenheimer'', a biography film about UsefulNotes/RobertOppenheimer who invented the atomic bomb in the early years of UsefulNotes/WorldWarII. Fans of both films will often splice together a scene when Oppenhimer gets teary-eyed of his destructive creation, and Godzilla being the result of that consequences, since Godzilla is often portrayed as the personification of nuclear weapons.

** Did Godzilla respond to the fake call because he was territorial or was he hoping to find more of his kind.

** Smolzilla.[[note]]In complete defiance of the trend of increasingly bigger Godzillas, from the 108-meter Monsterverse to the 118-meter Shin Godzilla to the 300-meter Godzilla Earth, the Godzilla of this film is far smaller at only 50 meters: roughly the size of the original 1954 Godzilla. While it does make him more threatening to a human perspective, being just the right size to notice them and target them, fans had a field day poking fun at how he's barely waist-high to the other modern Godzilla incarnations.[[/note]]

** Has one with Film/TheMarvels since both were released in November but mostly due fans of Godzilla Minus One rubbing the film’s success in the face of fans of The Marvels whose film had a $300 million budget and was a BoxOfficeBomb.