Two Toho Suit Actors Raid Again!

 Kenpachiro Satsuma. Photo by Brett Homenick.

On Thursday, July 23, I had the opportunity take in a screening of a 35mm print of Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla II (1993), which I've now seen a few times in Japan. It's always been a Heisei film I've enjoyed, and seeing again 25 years after first watching it was certainly nostalgic for me.

Two guests were on hand for the screening: Kenpachiro Satsuma and Hurricane Ryu. I'd imagine Satsuma-san needs no introduction. He played the Heisei-era Godzilla from 1984-1995. He has a well-deserved reputation for fan-friendliness, and this event was no exception.

 Hurricane Ryu. Photo by Brett Homenick.

The other guest was the versatile Hurricane Ryu, another monster suit actor. He played Baby in the day's movie. While not as prolific at events as Satsuma-san, he's another approachable fellow who's happy to meet and mingle.

The event was quite fun, as always. I spent the evening seated across from Satsuma-san, who talked about the difficulty of acting as Hedorah in Godzilla vs. the Smog Monster (1971), how much he liked playing Gigan, and some of the challenges filming Godzilla vs. Destoroyah (1995).

 It's Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah in real life! Photo by Brett Homenick.

Toward the end of the evening, the two suit actors, who squared off in Godzilla vs. King Ghidorah (1991) as the titular kaiju, gave us a reenactment.

I'm very glad the event was still held, despite the pandemic. There have been comparatively very few events this year, so you have to take every opportunity you can to experience one.