I just got through watching the third movie on Netflix. This anime trilogy is my only dive into the Godzilla mythos. I ultimately found all three movies to be a severe case of good ideas but poor execution.
However, I absolutely loved Metphies. While I caught on to his sneaky and manipulative nature, from his very first scene with Haru in the prison, I was surprised that his ultimate intent was not just to kill Godzilla(that would have been fine),but to cause universal genocide.
After finishing the last movie I went back and binged a soft rewatch of all three, but with Metphies whole arc in mind, and it becomes so obvious just how creepy his zealotry actually is as well as how heartbreakingly manipulative he comes across as a friend.
I just find it fascinating that the most depressed person in the trilogy was not Haru, but his always gently smiling and soft spoken friend. Metphies overall character was a snake in the grass, but with a voice like honey and an actual death wish. I loved it.
I also liked the dichotomy on the planet eater poster. On one hand you have Godzilla vs the regal golden dragon Ghidorah battling it out, and then below them their 'avatars' Haru and Metphies having their own battle.
I wonder what Metphies was going to do with that moth egg when one of the twins told him only authorized people can enter? Since he called it a blasphemer, in his mind rape scene with Haru, I wonder if he was going to kill it since it could interfere with his plans.
Metphies was such an interesting character so that's why I wish we were given scenes of his backstory as well as more scenes of his past, and present, friendship with Haru. I also wish he had more scenes with the other Exif and Galugu.
On a shallower note Metphies is quite attractive. He’s tall as hell though. I read that he’s 6’4. He is literally taller than ever humanoid character in the trilogy except for maybe the other Exif that had dialogue. It strangely works though. His height adds an intimidating disconnect when it’s combined with his delicate LOTR elf appearance and calming voice. His slow meticulous way of walking also helped his mysterious and regal characterization.
Speaking of his voice it was perfect. I’m a dub watcher and I absolutely loved it. It was so soothing and attractive and belied his darkness.
I also liked the small rebellion in his hair design. The other elf with lines had his ponytail neater, and part of his hair was also braided. However, Metphies’s ponytail was messier and had no braids. I also thought Metphies hair was silver, and was quite shocked to find out that it’s actually a light blond lol.
After watching the trilogy does anyone think Metphies friendship with Haru was just an act?
I personally think he was genuinely fond of Haru. Giving Haru the ‘gift’ of death from his suffering, and genuinely liking him as a person do not have to be mutually exclusive.
Metphies view that deliberate death can be a release from suffering are not untrue, but his actions became evil when he took the choice to do so away from everyone else.
I also loved that even after finding out Metphies was using him Haru still held his hand and hugged him at his death. He still saw him as his friend, and therefore felt grief that he died. That sad, but beautiful music starting to play at that scene was perfect as well. It seemed to bring it on home that you’re not supposed to be happy at what transpired between them. Haru didn’t hate Metphies, even after everything, and neither did I.
I also noticed that not once did Metphies fight back doing the eye gorging scene. As a matter of fact after the initial surprise that Haru broke his illusion Metphies dropped his hands and let Haru do what he wanted with him. Haru also started crying when he was taking his eyes out.
I just really liked little details like that. It just felt so wrong to witness that this is what had become of their friendship.
I don’t understand why Metphies died though. It's fine that he did from a emotional standpoint, but the execution didn’t make any sense to me because missing your eyes is not a death blow. The only thing I can think of is that maybe his soul was connected to Ghidorah's so that when it 'died' he died to, but that still doesn’t really fly since he was only Ghidorah’s ability to see in our realm. It just seemed like he died from his wounds because reasons…
I also liked the stubbornness of his dying breath resolve that Ghidorah was the answer to Haru's obsessive hatred of Godzilla. Both he and haru were ultimately one of a kind. Both were severely stubborn to a heartbreaking fault.
Other thoughts...
I wish Haru had let Ghidorah kill Godzilla then he could have stopped Metphies.
I did empathize with the cast wanting to take earth back from the genocidal monster that took it from them,and so that plot point also made it bearable to get through the trilogy. However, I was left disappointed that this evil creature still reigns after three movies of our cast trying to take back their world.
It’s frustratingly ironic that both times Godzilla could have been killed, and the earth taken back, Haru is the one who stopped it, and is therefore ultimately the reason he still rules now.
Stories that have technology as the root of all evil, and thus we simply just need to go back to living like cavemen to be better people, are annoying and unrealistic.
Haru’s suicide changes nothing. Humans will find a way to progress. We always do. For good or ill hate and progress is as nature to us as breathing. Hell Metphies last 'mind' words to him were Ghidorah literally has all the time in the universe to wait. Also Godzilla is already there.
Basically haru simply delayed the inevitable. He stopped nothing.
Also as painful as it is that this genocidal creature is still living in their backyard he should have just lived the rest of his days with his new family.
Why is it that with these kind of movies that humanity evolves backwards, and not just any backwards either but prehistoric? This also happened in a movie I watched years ago called The Time Machine. Even if something like this happened in real life we wouldn’t suddenly go primitive.We would still remember being technological and socially advanced even if things around us suddenly aren’t.
Haru ending up with the aggressive twin made no sense from a narrative standpoint. He had dialog, scenes, and a small connection with the calm one, but for the sake of an inane twist he ended up with the other. I mean all of these movies are still fresh in my mind, and yet before the sex scene I don’t even remember Haru even having dialog with the one he ends up with. Even when he made the decision to die his last scene is with the calm twin not his actual wife and soon to be mother of his child.
I also wish she didn’t look like puberty barely touched her either. These developers knew what they were doing. For instance the girl who became brain dead clearly looked like an adult even though she was shorter than Haru. So basically they could have still made the twins short, but look like adults as well. Some of these japanese developers have this weird pedophilic fetish in their anime and it’s annoying.
Leland’s plan to settle on the moon, and get resources from earth, was perfect; but I guess then we wouldn’t have a movie if actual logic prevailed. |
