Negadon: The Monster from Mars

Negadon: The Monster from Mars (Wakusei Daikaijû Negadon - 惑星大怪獣ネガドン - literally "Great Planet Monster Negadon") is a 2005 tokusatsu-style CG-animated anime 25-minute film from Japan. Created by Jun Awazu and his independent company Studio Magara, this animated film captures the "Golden Age" of tokusatsu cinema of the 1960s. The film has a high-tech modern edge added for good measure, but tries hard to maintain the "hand-crafted" feel of classic tokusatsu movies. Production of this film actually started in 2003. It has also been broadcast across Japan by the anime satellite television network, Animax. The film premiered on AZN Television in North America. The film has also played on the Sci-Fi channel in the United States in 2008.

Summary
It is the 100th year of Showa (2025, to be exact). Earth sends an expedition to Mars in the spaceship "Izanami". A huge rock formation is discovered beneath the surface, and is transported back to our planet. On the way back, the rock's temperature soars, causing the ship to explode and crash back to earth, leaving a large crater. The seemingly-harmless rock grows into a colossal floating saucerlike crustacean life-form called "Negadon," which proceeds to attack Tokyo. Missiles, tanks, and aircraft all attack but fail to destroy Negadon, whose thick body armour protects it from conventional weaponry. At the same time, Ryûichi Narasaki, a downcast robotics constructor, is still devastated by the incident that cost him his left eye and the life of his only child, a young daughter. The incident was caused by the malfunctioning of his masterpiece, the giant super-robot MI-6 2 "Miroku." Because of the ominous threat of Negadon, Narasaki faces the painful choice of reactivating (and piloting) the Miroku to battle the space monster and protect our world. In the end, after an epic battle, Narasaki and the Miroku drag Negadon into outerspace and the Miroku manages to impale Negadon on its drill, killing it. His final mission complete, Narasaki allows himself and the Miroku to be destroyed when Negadon explodes.

"Negadon" was released in North America on DVD on July 11, 2006 by Central Park Media.

Tributes to vintage tokusatsu eiga

 * As a nod to tokusatsu in the mid-Showa era of Japan (1926–1989), Showa continues into the future in this film. Thus, a "retro-style" future.
 * Outer space is dark blue (rather than black).
 * The high-tech military and Japan Self-Defense Forces, which has become the staple of many tokusatsu films, from kaiju eiga to space-invader films. The JSDF is equipped with 1960s and 1970s-era weapons and vehicles, which would be anachronistic for 2025 but appropriate for the theme and the era when tokusatsu films first became popular.
 * The hero/main character, Ryûichi Narasaki, is similar to Dr. Daisuke Serizawa from the 1954 classic, Godzilla, as both scientists are tormented and possess the only weapon capable of destroying the monster (Also, Serizawa has an eyepatch and Narasaki has a bionic eye).
 * The title monster Negadon is similar to not only Toho's King Ghidorah (which also hatched from a meteorite that fell down to Earth), but also Dogora (which floated over a huge city ripping up objects) and Shochiku's Guilala as well (In Earth's atmosphere, Guilala grew from a spore picked off a radioactive asteroid in far space).
 * The JSDF usually have "ultimate weapons" such as lasers and vehicles, but as a departure from those conventions, Negadon has a giant robot (the Miroku), similar to the kind seen in "Super Robot" and "Real Robot" anime shows.
 * The moth seen floating by the light on the ceiling in one scene is an obvious tribute to Mothra.