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by Troler

Free Software fundamentally misses the point. It fails on a practical, ideological, economic, and political level. Let’s examine precisely how (in a slightly different order for the purposes of presentation).

It feels nice to stand amazed at works of art where everything went well, where every detail maters and nothing exists without any reason. Such is only possible with enough care and time put into the work. There are people such as David F. Sandberg, the director of Shazam!., who's astounding in his ability to resolve problems on the fly. As outlined in the The Problem Solving of Filmmaking video, a film-maker excels in part by being able to tackle with problems. According to Sandberg, film-making is an exercise in problem solving.

Precisely the lack of time and a lack-luster work-conditions marked Atragon or in Japanese 海底軍艦 (jap. The Undersea Warship). By taking a look at posters and the title, it seems as if the film is about submarines and a monster of sorts. Digging ever deeper reveals it's an adaptation of The Undersea Warship: A Fantastic Tale of Island Adventure (1900) by Shunro Oshikawa. The viewing reveals a different story. The director Ishiro Honda, taking up the project, was not given that much time to make it a reality. Although the budget was present, the very loose adaptation of the novel proved quite difficult to make. In part due its high element of science fiction. For it not only had a submarine and a monster, but a military base and even an underwater city.

Having less budget for the monsters and the underwater ship, was due to the high expenditure for the sets. It isn't enough to have a normal building, there has to be a military base, submarine, underwater city interior. The guts of the plot, written by Shinichi Sekizawa, the screenwriter who worked before on Westward Desperado, are well put. The man can write, there is no doubt about that. The movie starts off like an actual thriller, thrilling! Showing a man being driven past his checkpoint. A full on kidnapping! When the man touches the driver (Ikio Sawamura), his hand burns up from the heat. Does that sound like a plot one would find in a movie about submarines and the military? It feels like No One Will Save You by Brian Duffield, due to the ability to convey the message without saying much verbally. Or something from the Rod Serling with its scenario based paranormal stories. After seeing such a gruesome event unfold, the mind races, trying to think up of the identity of the driver. Cut to an actress undressing before the camera (Akemi Kita). From fear to arousal. Sexuality elevates horror. That's the magic of norepineuphoria. The nighttime is nigh and steam rises from the shore, illuminated by a blank street light, there's a hand grappling the shore. This is a horrific sight. Adding to it, the same car from before, drives head first to the water. It is an experience of enthrall. By setting the emotions high early on, the movie can set to build story.

The movie goes on to be detective tale of sorts. That is the low-end. The sustained thrill of seeing the car drive to the sea fades off. Luckily there is a pivot into a spy fable with the clear suspicious man of the week being Uoto Unno (Kenji Sahara), with his sunglasses, which he wears even indoors, full body coat and a hat.


The character is composed and does not draw himself too much attention... when he doesn't wonder off. Yeesh, it's almost like he needs a lead. It is no ordinary spy, no, no. He, together with the capricious Agent #23 (Akihiko Hirata) work for the Mu empire. An empire which wishes to enthrall rest of humanity. To be once again the rulers of the world. Although this plot point may seem contrived and nothing more as a catalyst for some action to unfold, it is, in the context of the self-exiled navy, where it does shine.




As it were Tetsujin 28-go, there is a Japanese army working in secret, building the titular submarine. The character of Admiral Kusumi (Ken Uehara) is a manifestation of WW2 warring Japan's delusion. Believing the entire world should be freed from the gawk of the gawkish ruling of the whites... Um... It sounds a lot like the desires of the Mu empire. The difference between the old Japanese attitude and the Mu empire is one and the same. The movie takes place 20 years after the end of the war. The admiral gave up his daughter (Yoko Fujiyama) to pursue the development of a new technology. To be at the end called just like the Mu Empire by his own daughter. As Mothra represents Japan moving away from sulking towards helping, so does Atragon argue there is no need to live by the sensations of war.




Once the submarine is finally used, the movie settles on the well paved road of other Ishiro Honda films. The action, as always, is joy to see, with Akira Ifukube ends up being just a long noodle with yapping head. There is no epic scale battle, there is no real struggle. Who does suffer is the empress of Mu (Tetsuko Kobayashi) who has to see her beloved empire explode. Nothing is able to defeat the might of the Japanese aviational submarine, not even Mu!


Which I find an odd parallel with the similar sounding Ma 間, meaning the lack of something in space or in other words evil. It may be more related with the Mu 無 a sort of non-existence or lack of something, destruction perchance.

The empress not being able to see her life's work be destroy, swims towards the end. This act is puzzling to everyone besides the old admiral. To sacrifice your life in service of the nation and not live feeling of betrayal. The ending, in some sense, echoes that of the original Gojira movie, where the same actor who plays Mu Agent #23, willingly killed himself to keep the secret of the weapon he made. The focal point here is that the rising Shunro Oshikawa, is a Japan that hadn't learned the folly of seeking war.

The carer of Kusumi's daugher, told him that he's:



Fin.

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  Blender Dumbass c:0 January 15, 2026



was not given that much time to make it a reality.


It isn't enough to have a normal building, there has to be a military base, submarine, underwater city interior.

... replies ( 1 )

  Troler c:1 January 15, 2026



@blenderdumbass Thank you for pointing out the errors :)

  Troler c:1 January 15, 2026

... c:0

  Blender Dumbass c:0 January 15, 2026

was not given that much time to make a reality.

was not given that much time to make it a reality.

It isn't enough to have a normal building, there has to military base, submarine, underwater city interior.

It isn't enough to have a normal building, there has to be a military base, submarine, underwater city interior.

@blenderdumbass Thank you for pointing out the errors :)

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