Kaiju and The Problem of Evil: Sin, Suffering, & Imbalance and Tsuburaya’s Legacy

The previous piece discussed how the idea of Godzilla and other giant monsters – often categorically named Daikaiju – can be read within a historical understanding of Biblical scholarship. As we move forward with the history of giant monsters and Eiji Tsuburaya’s work in science fiction, we should also look at how this understanding of sin, suffering and divine providence has developed in Christian tradition as well. 

In 1963, Tsuburaya was inspired to form his own production studio. While he still provided special effects work for Toho Studios until his death in 1970, I think these projects within his personal studio will give readers a more specific understanding of these points. Starting in 1966 with Ultra Q, these are series which Tsuburaya oversaw on a more direct level, rather than only being involved in one part of the process within a larger studio.

When describing his own work, Tsuburaya said,

“My heart and mind are as they were when I was a child. Then I loved to play with toys and read stories of magic. I still do.”

Tsuburaya’s work often describes the wonder of creation. It might seem ironic that such a larger-than-life, fantastic depiction of the universe could be used for that purpose, but science fiction often pulls this trick. In order to draw attention to specific elements of reality, or a shared human experience, speculative fiction in general will emphasize or exaggerate those elements, to “push” them to extremes in order to analyze that experience more specifically.

So, what elements of the world are emphasized in Tsuburaya’s work? What does he want the audience to specifically take notice of, and consider more closely? 

First, let’s look at the anthology series Ultra Q. This show lays out a wide variety of incidents between humanity and the bizarre and unknown creatures they encounter. These creatures and mysterious forces may sometimes intentionally want to cause harm to humanity but not always. Some of the stories are more lighthearted and humorous, some are horror stories, and others are a combination of both. 

All these episodes – and other Ultra Q and Ultraman series produced later on – are connected explicitly through a concept of “unbalance” to explain these events. Just like with Godzilla, often this “unbalance” represents consequences of humanity’s own fallen nature, their mistakes and sins. In other words, humanity becomes “unbalanced” from the right relationship to creation around us. 

Take for example, Peguila, awakened by rising temperatures in Antarctica due to climate change. Or Kanegon, a weird coin-eating monster which embodies the selfish greed of certain human beings. And sometimes there is no reason for these bizarre encounters. Strange things just simply exist in the universe and humanity is caught up in the accidental destruction they leave in their wake. Sometimes, humanity is forced to struggle to merely survive against these threats. 

In each episode however, human beings are forced to reckon with how they understand and interact with the world around them. What kind of importance do we place on things like exploration into the frontiers of space, the rush of on-demand production in modern society, simple comforts of housing and luxury, over the consequences such lifestyles may inflict on other lives, both human and otherwise? When the most horrific events literally drop out of the stars, how far will humanity’s courage and compassion stretch before it breaks?

The answers are sometimes simple. After all, Ultra Q and many other shows produced by Tsuburaya are intended for families, an audience of all ages. But they are never easy to face, and many of the episodes end with hard-fought, narrow victories, or simple twists of fate which leave the characters with a fleeting, uncertain peace. Regardless of how the episodes conclude, the initiating conflict, which interrupts humanity’s peace in the first place, always comes back to this idea of “unbalance”, disrupting the connection and right relationship to other parts of creation.

One might be skeptical about this idea being specifically Catholic, but much of the Church’s teaching, from the earliest days of apostolic writings, focuses heavily on the position of humanity within the larger history of the world and the rest of creation. This informs how the Church understands smaller societal structures and their responsibilities, such as a person’s position within a family, a community of Christians, civil society, and even the hierarchical structure of the Church itself. When sin enters the world through either our own actions, the actions of others, or simply as a result of the fallen nature of the world itself, it “unbalances” that proper order and causes suffering and pain as a result. 

In fact, religious scholars often draw this concept from even older Jewish teachings regarding the laws of the Torah. To be described as “righteous”, or to seek righteousness in the way understood by 1st century Jewish audiences in the Gospels, meant to behave rightly,  in accordance with the laws and teachings established by God for his chosen people. Then-Cardinal Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) described it in this way:

In Jesus’ world, righteousness is man’s answer to the Torah, acceptance of the whole of God’s will, the bearing of the “yoke of God’s kingdom,” as one formulation had it.

Benedict XVI, Pope . Jesus of Nazareth (p. 17). The Crown Publishing Group. 

In other words, we can see “unbalance” as related to an idea of unrighteousness. Conflicts and disasters in the Ultra Q series, as well as many other kaiju works from Tsuburaya, happen when human beings start relating to the universe around us in ways that are contrary to God’s will. 

Now, readers might raise an objection at this point, by going back to the story in the Book of Job which I mentioned earlier. In that story, Job faces disaster and suffering even though he is described as being righteous. So, if we do everything correctly, do right by those around us, and care for the universe and the other lives we encounter, why do bad things still happen to the righteous? 

Why would God’s will for these individuals still necessarily involve suffering? 

It makes sense then, to address this idea of theodicy as it relates to a particular, personal level, the next step would be to explore Tsuburaya’s work embodied by a more personal, central heroic figure, rather than random natural disasters as seen in Godzilla. And in July of 1966, Tsuburaya Special Effects Productions released their next landmark television series, Ultraman. The next piece will look more specifically at the science-fiction franchise most closely associated with this studio, and Eiji Tsuburaya’s legacy.