Line #36 Franchise/ShinJapanHeroesUniverse


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sjhu_logo_7.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''[[TagLine In 2022, the Shin Era begins to move.]]'']]
3	The ''Shin Japan Heroes Universe'' (as denoted by a [[https://sjhu.jp/ cross-promotional marketing campaign]]) is a series of works helmed by Creator/HideakiAnno. The franchise overall isn't connected by a true SharedUniverse; instead, it is a ThematicSeries connected by the shared {{Deconstruction}} of the {{Kaiju}} and {{Toku}} genres while also RevisitingTheRoots of their respective franchises.
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5	Though it's unclear what form this collaboration will take, [[Creator/{{Toho}} all]] [[Creator/ToeiCompany four]] [[Creator/TsuburayaProductions involved]] [[Creator/StudioKhara companies]] have promised more to come.
6	----
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8	!!Installments
9	[[index]]
10	* ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'' [[note]]Known as ''Evangelion '''New''' Theatrical Edition'' in Japan; also advertised as '''''Shin''' Evangelion'' as of ''3.0+1.0''[[/note]] (2007-2021), a four part theatrical re-imagining of Anno’s 1995-1996 anime ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''.
11	** ''Evangelion 1.0: You Are (Not) Alone.'' (2007)
12	** ''Evangelion 2.0: You Can (Not) Advance. '' (2009)
13	** ''Evangelion 3.0: You Can (Not) Redo.'' (2012)
14	** ''Evangelion 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon a Time'' (2021)
15	* ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' (2016), a re-imagining of the original ''[[Film/Godzilla1954 Godzilla]]'' film from 1954.
16	** ''Ride/GodzillaVsEvangelionTheReal4D'' (2019), a temporary simulator ride at Ride/UniversalStudios Japan that crossed over ''Shin Godzilla'' and ''Rebuild of Evangelion'', before the official establishment of the ''Shin'' series.
17	* ''Film/ShinUltraman'' (2022), a re-imagining of the original ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' TV series from 1966.
18	* ''[[Film/ShinKamenRider2023 Shin Kamen Rider]]'' (2023), a re-imagining of the original ''Series/KamenRider'' TV series from 1971-73.
19	** ''[[Manga/NullaInMundoPaxSinceraShinKamenRiderShockerSide Nulla in mundo pax sincera: Shin Kamen Rider SHOCKER SIDE]]'', a {{prequel}} manga set in the world of ''Shin Kamen Rider''.
20	** ''VideoGame/SDShinKamenRiderRumble'', a {{Chibi}}-style side-scrolling BeatEmUp game based on the film.
21	%%* ''Operation Shin 765'' (''シン 765作戦'')
22	[[/index]]
23	----
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25	!!''Shin Tropes'':
26	* {{Deconstruction}}: The ''Shin'' series consists of...
27	** A SuperRobot show-turned-movie-tetralogy where [[Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion the young pilots are mentally scarred because of repeated Kaiju attacks and other mental trauma they go through on a daily basis]].
28	** The Japanese Government repeatedly struggling to respond to [[Film/ShinGodzilla a Kaiju attack]] in an attempt to show what would ''really'' happen if Franchise/{{Godzilla}} suddenly showed up out of nowhere and started wrecking havoc in the real life Japan. ''Film/ShinUltraman'' follows up on this theme by showing what is likely to happen when such events have become common-place, but [[DemocracyIsFlawed the government's institutions]] and [[ApatheticCitizens people's attitudes seem to have yet to catch up]].
29	* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: ''Anime/RebuildOfEvangelion'', the first installment in the franchise, is an adaptation of Hideaki Anno's own work instead of older Showa-era pieces of fiction. While the films that followed it are DarkerAndEdgier {{Deconstruction}}s of their source material, most of the ''Rebuild'' films and especially ''3.0+1.0'' (which is called ''Shin Evangelion'' in Japan) are LighterAndSofter {{Reconstruction}}s of what ''Evangelion'' took apart decades earlier. It's also the only part of the series to be animated rather than use live action.
30	* EraSpecificPersonality: This thematic series explores facets of the main live action Toku heroes in ways that seem more grounded to what kind of characters they are. Creating more plausible interpretations of what kinds of people they would be if they were real:
31	** ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' deals with a monster that was a product of misuse of radioactivity, but it is more blatant in how he looks; He is theorized by Goro Maki to be some sort of descendant of prehistoric marine reptiles of old that fed on submerged radioactive waste cannisters. Which is a spin on the fact that Godzilla wasn't really a dinosaur in the original, but a marine beast mutated by nuclear tests. The actual movie shows Godzilla in a [[{{BodyHorror}} physically disturbing light.]] With a mutilated body resembling various types of burns, in an almost zombie like demeanor. Godzilla is so full of radioactivity, he practically bleeds hot venom (as shown in one of the deleted scenes) and his very body is a nuclear reactor. Godzilla is also somewhat unable to emote facially unlike his previous counterparts, as his face is basically a burned mess with teeth jutting out of his mouth. His iconic anger is also reframed in a more horrifying light, as he [[spoiler: evolves his atomic breath alongside spinal lasers after being successfully hit with a Massive Ordnance Penetrator.]] More comparable to a deadly temper tantrum done out of pain than a epic display of righteous fury like in Heisei and Showa era Godzillas.
32	** ''Film/ShinUltraman'' shows how an alien superhero may actually be like: Thanks to Ultraman's nature, he's seen with aprehension at best and distrust and fear at worst. His abilities are rightfully considered so great he could potentially destroy the human race and he is seen as basically a deity. Ultraman himself is a stoic, understated figure that seems socially awkward and overall odd to people. Perhaps as a way to highlight his alien nature and the fact that his species is unable to truly form facial expressions. [[{{Reconstruction}} Nevertheless, despite his puzzlement at the nature of humanity, he studies them to the point he grows to care for their safety, despite the hurdles they throw at him. ]] [[spoiler: To the point he is willing to give his life for all of mankind, including the life of the man he accidentally killed, even beforehand, wanting to become human to fully experience how it is to be like them firsthand.]]
33	** ''[[Film/ShinKamenRider2023 Shin Kamen Rider]]'', on the other hand, shows what would a real person would feel if given great power made by an evil underground organization. Unlike the [[{{Series/KamenRider}} previous]] [[{{Film/KamenRiderTheFirst}} two iterations]] of the titular character, Takeshi Hongo is hesitant to do violence and is overall forced to take the mantle of Kamen Rider. This trauma compounded by the fact that he basically was given this power without his consent. When he enters combat, His new body basically drives him to commit lethal force, whatever wants it or not. This also makes him a more socially awkward/distant character, compared to his more easygoing main counterpart. He still fights for what is right and is willing to stop Shocker from creating more misery to the world.
34	* {{Kaiju}}: All works in this series besides ''Shin Kamen Rider'' are about humongous monsters and how fighting them off would [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome actually be like]].
35	* {{Retraux}}: The movies regularly alternate between some of the best special effects modern Japanese cinema can muster, and deliberate attempts to emulate low-budget filming from the mid-20th century. Ultraman still flies in the stiffest way possible even as a SerkisFolk character, ''Kamen Rider'' still features those awkward JumpCut-into-flip shots that were endemic in the original series, and so on.
36	* RevisitingTheRoots: A major theme in the series. All the current live-action entries directly lift ideas and sometimes whole story beats from their inspirations while adapting them into a modern context. To whit:
37	** ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' returns the ''Franchise/{{Godzilla}}'' franchise from its later status quo of rock-'em-sock-'em ''{{kaiju}}'' brawls (like in the concurrently-released Film/MonsterVerse films) to [[Film/Godzilla1954 its beginnings]] as a somber, tragic and political film with only one ''kaiju'' about an {{allegory}} for an event with a massive bodycount that was RippedFromTheHeadlines (in ''Shin''[='=]s case, the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake). Similarly to the original, Godzilla is introduced with the mysterious disappearance of a ship's crew, comes ashore and causes destruction on the mainland twice, and [[spoiler: is ultimately defeated by a scientific breakthrough]].
38	** Though the ''Franchise/UltraSeries'' is a SeriesFranchise with each production featuring their own Ultra hero in a new tale ever since the third series ''Series/{{Ultraseven}}'' in 1967, ''Film/ShinUltraman'' is a modern adaptation of the original 1966 ''Series/{{Ultraman}}'' series starring an AlternateUniverse incarnation of the character known in the franchise as just "Ultraman" rather than a distinct new Ultra hero. The plot of the movie is episodic, loosely adapting five [[Recap/UltramanEp3SciencePatrolMovesOut episodes]] [[Recap/UltramanEp9OperationLightningStoneFire of]] [[Recap/UltramanEp18BrotherFromAnotherWorld the]] [[Recap/UltramanEp33TheForbiddenWords original]] [[Recap/UltramanEp39FarewellUltraman series]] while also developing its own unique storyline. By filming the aliens and monsters as SerkisFolk instead of PeopleInRubberSuits, the film also uses Tohl Narita’s original design for Ultraman with none of the compromises made for a rubber suit, lacking the Color Timer on the chest, the eye holes and the dorsal fin.
39	** ''[[Film/ShinKamenRider2023 Shin Kamen Rider]]'' follows the trend by also adapting the plot of several different episodes of the original series, albeit even more broadly than ''Shin Ultraman''. Unlike any of the others, however, this movie follows re-imagined versions of the classic cast instead of new characters in similar situations - a major rarity in ''Franchise/KamenRider'' media which generally features a new cast every production as early as 1973's ''Series/KamenRiderV3''. The bleak ambiance of the film harkens back to the darker, more violent original manga. It also eschews the more colorful MerchandiseDriven trappings the franchise gained during its Heisei and Reiwa eras (like in the concurrently-broadcast ''Series/KamenRiderGeats'') - Kamen Rider himself sports the darker colors he had for the first half of the original series, since abandoned in the mainline franchise; the TransformationTrinket has no voiceovers and functions on its own with no GottaCatchThemAll collectibles; no MultiformBalance, no SuperMode, the Riders fight using only fisticuffs with nary a toyetic weapon in sight, and an extremely conservative number of Riders for a modern production.
40	* ThematicSeries: There’s no official continuity between the series, but their nature as {{Toku}} and {{Kaiju}} {{Deconstructor Fleet}}s that [[RevisitingTheRoots revisit the roots]] links the series together. However, ''Shin Ultraman'' and ''Shin Kamen Rider'' have some implications that the connections could be more than just thematic, with some dialogue and visuals hinting at a shared universe of sorts. [[spoiler:Specifically, several actors from ''Film/ShinGodzilla'' appear in unnamed but functionally identical roles in ''Ultraman,'' and in ''Rider'' they return, joined by some familiar faces from ''Ultraman.'' Mentions are also made in dialogue of a 'frozen monster' being moved to Antartica after attacking Tokyo, and SHOCKER's plan for uplifting humanity via merging their consciousnesses together in an alternate dimension sounds an ''awful lot'' like a prototype of SEELE's Instrumentality.]]

Context Franchise / ShinJapanHeroesUniverse