©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
There is no “I” in “government bureaucrat,” but you cannot spell “DIY” without it. Ichiro Yamada once aspired to become a kaiju filmmaker, but his disastrous first screening crushed his schoolboy confidence. Years later, Yamada has a second chance at filmmaking when tasked with directing a promotional video for local tourism. The mayor approved an extremely staid and traditional concept, but circumstances might force Yamada and his team to make an unconventional pivot, possibly incorporating kaiju, in Junichiro Yagi’s Kaiju Guy!, which has its North American premiere at the 2025 Japan Cuts film festival.
Yamada’s classmates greeted his DIY kaiju movie premiere with the wrong kind of laughter, temporarily dampening his enthusiasm for filmmaking. Since then, his decisions have been safe and responsible, like his job with the Seki City tourism bureau. It is a nice place to live, but Yamada and his colleagues have already hyped the local seafood and traditional sword-forging artisans well past the point of diminishing marginal returns.
However, the ultra-traditional mayor, whose family has governed Seki City for generations, wants to produce a promotional video to attract tourists. She also has a schmaltzily sentimental script. Although not overtly corrupt, the mayor has serious bullying and control freak tendencies, so what she says, goes.
©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
Much to everyone’s surprise, Yamada volunteers to direct. Grudgingly the mayor accepts him, because her handpicked producer, municipal bean-counter Mai Yoshida will oversee the production with an iron hand. Despite their differences, Yoshida works quite productively with Yamada and his colleagues, department head Chosuke Muto and his snarky deputy, Fuko Furukawa—until Yoshida accidentally deletes all their footage.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. As luck would have it, Yamada knows the revered genre filmmaker Eiji Honda (clearly partially inspired by Gojira, or Godzilla, director Ishiro Honda) keeps a warehouse full of his old kaiju props in Seki City, including a vintage monster bodysuit. Reluctantly, his tourist bureau colleagues buy into Yamada’s kaiju concept, because nobody suggests a better alternative—and thanks to his enthusiasm, Yoshida genuinely believes in his vision.
Kaiju Guy! endearingly pays tribute to monster-movie fandom and the indomitable DIY filmmaking spirit. Yet, Yagi and company always maintain a credibly realistic tone, because nobody overplays their roles. The film delivers several sweetly goofy moments, but they never indulge in shtick. As a result, many viewers just might see some of themselves, either in the fanboyish Yamada or his co-workers, adopting a “what-the-heck” attitude. Obviously, Yagi’s film is built on a foundation of kaiju love, but the humor frequently focuses on workplace dynamics, very much in the tradition of The Office.
The comedian simply billed as Gunpee anchors the film as the massively relatable Yamada. It is a refreshingly subtle performance that sneaks up and charms the audience, rather than beating us over our heads. Likewise, Yuka Sugai nicely portrays the reserved Yoshida slowly coming out of her shell. Together, they build an appealingly friendly (but strictly platonic) chemistry. Akaji Maro is colorfully crusty and droll as cranky Honda, while Yoji Tanaka adds grace and dignity in brief but significant scenes as Yamada’s former sensei.
When Yagi finally unveils Yamada’s film-within-the-film, it pays off quite cleverly. Fittingly, it matches the tone of the rest of Kaiju Guy! It is sweet and amusing, rather than cutesy or cloying. Arguably, from what we see in Yagi’s film, Seki City really is a nice place to live and work (but maybe not as a municipal employee). Highly recommended for kaiju fans and sympathetic fellow office drones yearning to find meaning in their work, Kaiju Guy! screens this Sunday (7/20), as a selection of this year’s Japan Cuts.
©Courtesy of Japan Cuts
Grade: A-
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Here’s the trailer of the film.