Agon The Atomic Dragon (1964)

Tonight I watched Agon The Atomic Dragon, a 1964 Japanese television series that only lasted 4 episodes. At the time of production, Toho studios complained that the monster Agon too closely resembled Godzilla, so they prevented it from being broadcast at the time. It wasn’t shown until 1968. It was eventually re-edited into a future length movie with subtitles that was released in the mid 1990’s. The suit for the monster Agon was eventually modified and reused in the show Space Giants as the monster Aron.

The storyline revolves around a transport vehicle carrying uranium that falls over a cliff and into the sea as a result of a landslide caused by a typhoon. Scientists from the National Atomic Energy center, along with a police inspector and a reporter, go to investigate the beach area where the vehicle disappeared. They detect radiation nearby and the cause soon shows itself: Agon, a giant, mutated dinosaur that rises from the ocean. After going on a rampage, Dr. Ukyo, his assistant Satsuki, detective Yamato and reporter Goro “Suppon” Sumoto partner up to figure out a way to repel the monster. They eventually lure it away with uranium. The second half of the “movie” consists of a two-part episode where a pair of criminals lose their suitcase full of narcotics when their boat capsizes. They scheme to try and retrieve their sunken loot, which results in the son of a diver getting trapped in a boat in the monster’s mouth. The heroes and military try to find a way to rescue to boy, while the crooks plot to get their suitcase back, which is also on the boat that’s in the monster’s mouth.

The series is fun and entertaining, featuring lots of footage of the monster. The characters, especially Goro the reporter, help to pad out the runtime between Agon’s rampages with their shenanigans. While it doesn’t feature too many intricate special effects (most of the building rampage scenes are light on destruction), there are several impressive matte shots, with the giant kaiju in the background and the humans in the forefront. Agon is goofy, resembling a lizard-frog, with a jaw that opens wide and a row of spikes running down along his back. He also shoots flames from his mouth. The soundtrack is also unique, consisting of weird, futuristic beeps and whistles. If you’re a kaiju fan, Agon is worth checking out. You can watch it for free on YouTube.

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