Monsterverse

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Toho’s Godzilla Monsterverse — one of the oldest screen franchises — has a fediverse home on Lemmy!

Are you a Monsterverse fan? Or, perhaps just Monsterverse curious?

Whatever your degree of love for or interest in kaiju and all things Monsterverse, this community is intended to be a welcoming place in the fediverse for you.

Join us to share news, art or discuss the new television franchise on AppleTV with Monarch: Legacy of Monsters and the spinoff Coldwar spy thriller prequel going into production this spring.

Or, share news, your thoughts and creations for the more than 70 years of the movie franchise that started with Godzilla (1954).

Please respect the community rules of the StarTrek.website instance, and leave the drama for the Titans.

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StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website

‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ loses its human touch in sprawling second season [The Japan Times review] (www.japantimes.co.jp)

submitted 9 hours ago by haverholm@kbin.earth to c/monsterverse@startrek.website

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Ouch!

The first season of the Apple TV series paired its kaijū (monster) action with deft character work, making its globe-spanning mystery feel grounded and emotionally engaging. Season Two, which aired its finale on May 1, picks up directly after the first season’s cliffhanger ending, but much of that balance is lost beneath the weight of a sprawling story and the introduction of more characters from the Monsterverse — a franchise that now encompasses six films and two other spinoff series, all based on Toho Studios’ Godzilla IP.

As the world of “Monarch” expands, the series becomes increasingly bogged down by explanations. Two years after the first season premiered, exposition that was once neatly folded into believable dialogue has been replaced with clunky reminders of previous plot points and characters.

I didn't read past this point for fear of spoilers, as I haven't watched S2 yet... but the review isn't off to a good start, is it?

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[–] StillPaisleyCat@startrek.website 3 points 8 hours ago* (last edited 8 hours ago)

I’d say that it’s fairly clear that the writers had an endpoint for the season, a few key narrative, Kaiju and character milestones that they mapped out, as well as some narrative pipe that they wanted to lay down towards the third season.

The season mostly succeeds from that perspective but there’s validity in some of the criticisms.

One thing to keep in mind is that the show is serving different international audiences, including a core of American fans who only want to see big Kaiju fight.

My sense is that they got the balance a bit different for the second season such that those who liked the first season may not be as happy with the second and vice versa.

In particular, this season seems to be the natural conclusion to many unresolved issues from the movie Kong: Skull Island — one of the most divisive movies in the Monsterverse. So, if that movie is one that someone liked or found intriguing, they are likely to find this season particularly satisfying.