Obscure Kaiju: Monga

My plans for yet another giant primate didn't pan out. So instead, here’s a Kaiju from the Gamera series, that you probably never knew existed!

Because he never did to begin with!



Monga (also known as Mosoga) is the horned, blue-skinned beast seen at the top half of those creature designs. And was planned to appear in 1969’s ”Gamera vs Guiron”, but was cut due to budgetary reasons.

Seeing that Monga is a totally different character from Guiron, and considering the circumstances behind his axing from the final film, it’s very likely that Monga is the legendary ’Terra Monster’, mentioned in articles surrounding ”Gamera vs Guiron”.

As you might know, the plan was to have a new species of monster overwhelming the dying planet of Terra. But to save time and money, the filmmakers took the old Gyaos suit, and simply painted it silver; rechristening the results as Space Gyaos.

However, it’s also just as likely that Monga here was an alternative opponent, in place of Guiron.

Beyond my educated guess work, Monga’s name and design are both plays on the Japanese flying squirrel (Momonga). And is therefore, Monga would have been similar to the more popular (though still obscure in his own right) Toho monster, Varan.



Now you’re all probably wondering ’Who are all those walking fish monsters beneath Monga?’ Well...That’s Jiger from ”Gamera vs Jiger”!

Before becoming the reptilian demon of the final 1970 film, Jiger was originally envisioned to be a walking fish monster, along with two other lizard-like alternatives (everyone on that page beyond Monga, is a rejected Jiger design).

Although I like Jiger, the walking fish concept would have been more intriguing. And seeing how many looks were drawn and considered, we must have came close to such a thing.