Monster Zero x SciFi Japan - Archive Only

Toho's legendary designer passed away this week. You might remember him best from his extensive interview in Bringing Godzilla Down to Size. A great and truly under appreciated force from the Showa era has left us.

Sad news. He brought a lot of imagination to these films.

This is very sad news indeed. Inoue was an invaluable part of Toho's Golden Age; without his remarkable vision and skill, the films we hold so dear wouldn't have turned out nearly as well as they did. Superior artistry and craftsmanship are hard to come by, but he had all that and more in spades. Rest peacefully, Mr. Inoue. Your spirit and your legacy shall remain in our hearts forever.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. I think I wanted to meet him more than any of the other living Showa-vets. Q_____________Q

Some details on Yasuyuki Inoue's passing:

Getting to see Mr. Inoue at the the 50th anniversary festival Keith referred to was an absolute honor. I had no idea who he was before I went there. What an absolute treasure he was! The stories he told about the making of these films were captivating. One moment that sticks out was when he was explaining how they pulled off the effects of the sequence where the Planet X spaceships come out of the lake, then pull Godzilla out of it. This was done before they screened Monster Zero. When that sequence came up in the film, the audience spontaneously applauded.

There was another moment when, after participating in a discussion on stage, Mr. Inoue was making his way back to his seat. Before he sat down, he looked to the audience and said (in English), "Thank you." The applause and cheering he received was thunderous! It was like the most emphatic "No, Mr. Inoue, thank you!" one could imagine.

RIP Mr. Inoue. You were as much a giant as the ones you shared with us.

I'll forever appreciate the Bringing Godzilla Down to Size documentary for putting faces to those names in the opening credits. Inoue played an invaluable part in making the stuff we love.