Mecha Kaiju Sensō Tai!!!: Reptilicus and Yonggary

As hopefully everybody knows, today sees the premiere of a new season of Mystery Science Theater 3000 on Netflix. As a backer of the Kickstarter project that brought the series back, I had early access to the new episodes a few days ago. I’m not really the binge-watching type, though, so I’ve only watched a handful of episodes so far. I watched both of the kaiju episodes, of course.

Reptilicus (1961)

On the surface of it, a kaiju terrorizing Denmark isn’t really that weird. Denmark, after all, is part of Scandinavia and heir to the same mythology that gave the world the Midgard Serpent. They were doing kaiju before kaiju were cool. Unfortunately, animating the kaiju via a marionette utterly wrecks any possible tension this goofy Beast From 20,000 Fathoms kock-off could have possibly generated.

 

The paper cut-out people it eats don’t help.

 

Reptilicus

Novice Street Fighter Kaiju Wild Card

 

Despite sprouting a pair of wings from its back, the serpentine monstrosity called Reptilicus displays no ability to fly – indeed, it hardly even seems able to use its rudimentary legs. The Danish monster swims well but is not technically amphibious, still needing to surface to breathe. Reptilicus spits acid that swiftly dissolves flesh, but seems to have little effect on metal.

 

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+7, Vigor d12+1

Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Swimming d12

Charisma: -6; Pace: 24 (Swim 48); Parry: 6; Toughness: 39 (10)

Gear: --

Hindrances: Weakness [Major; fire], Illiterate [Minor; unable to communicate through speech or writing with humans], Weakness [Minor; poison]

Edges: Arcane Background [Super Powers], Berserk

Super Powers:

• Aquatic (1): Limitation (needs to surface to breathe every 90 minutes)
• Armor (5): Heavy Armor
• Attack, Melee (13): Str + 5d6; Focus, Heavy Weapon
• Decay (7): Ranged Touch Attack, Strong
• Regeneration (4): Regrowth
• Toughness (10)
• Gargantuan Being Package: fear (Scary, Terror, Limitation: non-kaiju only), size (+11, Heavy Armor, Heavy Weapons, Long Stride, Monster)

Yonggary (1967)

South Korea’s premiere kaiju film isn’t so much a knock-off of Godzilla as it is of Gamera, incorporating the latter’s helpful little kid and displaying similar – zaniness? – in its monster design. Of course, the “little kid bonds with monster” plot is betrayed by Yonggary’s surprisingly bloody end.

Fun fact: The producers mistakenly sent all of the originals of the film to the American distributor, resulting in the Korean-language version of the film being lost to history.

Yonggary

Novice Cosmic Kaiju Wild Card

A towering bipedal reptile with glowing eyes and nasal horn, Yonggary can alternate between breathing fire from the exhaust valve in its throat or (rarely) shooting a beam from its horn. Like Gamera, it eats fire.

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12+13, Vigor d12

Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Shooting d8

Charisma: -4; Pace: 24; Parry: 6; Toughness: 44 (10)

Gear: --

Hindrances: Weakness [Major; ammonia], Monologuer [Major; roars for a round instead of taking actions], Illiterate [Minor; unable to communicate through speech or writing with humans], Stubborn

Edges: Arcane Background [Super Powers], Berserk

Super Powers:

• Absorption (4): fire; Transference
• Armor (5): Heavy Armor
• Attack, Melee (10): 5d6 + d12 + 13; Heavy Weapon
• Attack, Ranged (23): fiery breath or nose beam; 6d10 fire or radiation; Armor Piercing 10, Cone (can switch between Cone Template and other uses), Enhanced Damage, Focus, Heavy Weapon
• Burrowing (2)
• Growth (15): +5 Size (Size 16)
• Regeneration (7): level 2; Recovery, Regrowth
• Resistance (5): fire
• Toughness (13): Hardy
• Gargantuan Being Package: fear (Scary, Terror, Limitation: non-kaiju only), size (+11, Heavy Armor, Heavy Weapons, Long Stride, Monster)