What is "gamera"

Daiei's Gamera series

Gamera

Gamera featured in the original 1965 film.

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is a giant monster or daikaiju originating from a series of Japanese tokusatsu films of the same name. He first appeared in Daiei Film's 1965 film Gamera, which was initially produced to rival the success of Toho's Godzilla, however, Gamera has gained fame and notoriety as a Japanese icon in his own right. The character has appeared in other media such as comic books and video games. In the United States, Gamera attained prominence during the 1970s due to the burgeoning popularity of UHF television stations featuring Saturday afternoon matinee showcases like Creature Double Feature and later in the 1990s when several Gamera films were featured on the TV show Mystery Science Theater 3000.

is a 1965 science fiction kaijū film directed by Noriaki Yuasa and released by Daiei Film Co., Ltd. The film focuses on Gamera, a giant ancient chelonian creature who terrorizes Japan after it was awakened by an atomic bomb explosion in the Arctic. The film is the first in a series of kaiju (giant monster) films featuring the monster Gamera. Gamera was created by Daiei to capitalize on the success of rival studio Toho's popular Godzilla films, and it, too, spawned its own franchise. It was released in the United States in 1966 as Gammera the Invincible and has been the subject of two different Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes.