Mirza Aaqib Beg
Produced by ENGI, Netflix’s ‘Gamera: Rebirth’ is a science-fiction anime series that also marks the first animated entry in the Gamera franchise. The show follows Boco and his friends, whose ordinary life takes an unexpected turn when mysterious flying monsters begin to swarm Tokyo’s night sky and unleash death and destruction of shocking proportions. As they fight to stay alive, they receive help from the members of the charitable Eustace Foundation which has been researching the Kaijus for a long time. However, when the reality of the situation eventually begins to dawn on them, Boco and his friends realize that truth is not always as straightforward as it seems.
Gamera: Rebirth Season 1 Recap
Boco is an ordinary teenager who enjoys playing games with his close friends Joe and Junichi. The trio wants to stick together no matter what happens, so when Boco is about to move to a different school in the upcoming academic year, they plan to purchase the right gadget to stay in touch. But the money they collected for the purpose, is forcefully taken away by a bully named Brody and his friends. The trio devises a plan to fight back, but the night they decide to confront them, Tokyo gets attacked by mysterious flying monsters.
Soon an emergency is declared in the region and the American army force use the F15s to attack these monsters. Although it initially appears to work, a super-sized Kaiju arrives at the scene and wreaks unfathomable havoc in the city. Just when all hope appears to be slipping away and Boco is about to become a victim of the chaos along with his friends, a turtle-like monster appears out of nowhere and fights against the winged Kaiju classified as Gyaos. After killing it, the monster itself disappears from the scene.
That day, Boco and his friends along with Brody are summoned to the research facility of the Eustace Foundation. The global organization is heavily invested in the production of energy resources and works closely with the United Nations as well. Foundation’s scientist Emiko and agent James greet the trio and inform them that Kaijus were discovered a long time ago. Over the decades they have been detected on other parts of the planet as well and research is still going on about them. However, it is quite firmly established by now that they love to eat human beings- especially children.
James feels that the fight between the two Kaijus was probably a competition for the children’s flesh. Since they came in contact with the monsters, the four of them are given special treatment. They are told that they are going to be in close touch with the Foundation from now on and will help unravel the mystery behind the Kaijus. The following day, many people at the same facility are brutally murdered by Kaijus. The monster hides in the sewers and for some reason, Boco and his friends decide to go there on Brody’s insistence. They end up finding another gigantic Kaiju named Jiger, which attacks everyone in the region. Luckily, the turtle Kaiju (which is named Gamera by Boco at this point) arrives at the scene one more time and appears to defend everyone from Jiger.
In order to figure out the mysteries of the Kaijus, James and Emiko after talking with the board members of the Foundation embark on a journey to Yonaguni island. On the ship, they have Kaiju samples, Orylium (a special stone that is found in crystallized form inside the monsters), and the children that came in contact with the Kaijus- which includes Boco, Joe, Junichi, and Brody. Unfortunately, it is later revealed that the Kaijus are specifically targeting these children who previously came in contact with them. Their ship is chased down by another Kaiju named Zigra.
This time they try to use radio signals to disorient the monster after observing Gamera did the same. But it fails to work as they had intended and eventually, Gamera has to save them one more time. Although the Foundation appears like a benevolent organization fighting for the greater good, it is later revealed that they have planned to control human population growth by unleashing the Kaiju on them- an event that in their estimates will kill billions of people and leave behind barely 1.2 million humans alive.
In the past, an attempt was made to do something similar and children were devoured by a Kaiju named Viras, with the hope that it will go on to destroy the rest of the planet. But it was Gamera back then as well who saved everyone. However, the four board members of the Foundation plan to do the same as well while sitting comfortably at the moonbase while the planet is “purified.” Emiko is interestingly on board with the plan but is secretly trying to gain control of Viras once it devours Boco and his friends who are actually just pawns in the entire game.
But when Viras is finally awakened, Boco and his friends try to escape to the moon using a spaceship. However, Viras uses it’s legendary attack to deliver a fatal blow to the ship after which it catches fire. Luckily, Gamera comes to the rescue this time as well but it fails to keep Boco and others safe like before. As the fire spreads, Boco and his friends go to an emergency pod but realize its ejection mechanism has malfunctioned. They are later saved by Gamera, who first defeats Viras. He safely lands the spaceship on the beach before falling into deep slumber with some serious injuries.
Are Eustace Foundation’s Board Members Successful in Their Sinister Plan? What Happens to Gamera?
At the Eustace Foundation’s moonbase, the four board members discuss the current situation. Since Gamera’s signal appears to be dwindling, they conclude that it is probably on death’s door. But they are quite happy with the fact that Gyaos is still alive and will eventually find the code-holding child- Boco. They are quite sure of the fact that the purification will definitely commence as they had planned all this time. Meanwhile, James submits all the evidence he has against the Foundation and its board members to the military. He also reassures them that they still stand a chance against the dangerous Kaijus as they will have Gamera on their side.
Later that day, the army and the navy forces join hands to create a protective circle around the island. Meanwhile, Dr. Matsui and other well-known scientists arrive at the location to start Gamera’s treatment. Since its injuries are severe, the recovery is uncertain. Furthermore, the risk of an attack is ever-present since the Kaiju keep following the children around to devour them. At one point, Gamera’s life appears to be slipping away and in a hurry, the people there decide to give electric shocks in the hope that things will work out. That’s when Boco recalls the visions he had when he touched the Orylium.
Brody also recalls seeing one man using the Orylium to revive Gamera. They eventually end up using the same method, but the Kaiju’s recovery is really slow. Unfortunately, Gyaos manages to track down the children’s location and attacks the island in the meantime. As it easily tramples one life of defense after another, Boco trusts his instincts and relies on Gamera’s strong instinct to protect them. Instead of hiding, he deliberately lets Gyaos find him. As he standing on a cliff with the Kaiju slowly approaching him to devour him, Gamera somehow gathers strength to come to his defense.
Gyaos initially manages to overwhelm Gamera and even injects RNA virus inside him. But Commander Sasaki shows incredible courage to target the Kaiju and soon gets help from General Osborn’s men as well. Eventually, Gamera manages to use this to his advantage to deliver the fatal blow killing it’s enemy. However since it is injected with the RNA virus, the genetic code forces it to return to its original genetic configuration.
Gamera appears to lose control of its senses and is almost in control of the Foundation’s board members for a few moments. But he eventually manages to return to his senses and delivers a fatal blow to the Foundation’s moonbase right from the Earth, which kills all the board members. After the attack, Gamera’s body disintegrates and turns into dust. However, in the last few moments of the show, Boco and his friends appear to meet a Kaiju closely resembling Gamera. It is alluded that he is probably reborn just like Gyaos has done so previously.
Is Joe Dead? What Happens to Emiko?
When the pod in which Boco and his friends sat failed to eject, Joe himself went to the burning spaceship to find the ejection lever as asked by James. He had figured out that there was only one way to deal with the present situation and that was to pull the lever from outside the pod- something that he eventually did. Although the series does not directly show what happens to him, it can be concluded from the circumstantial evidence that he definitely died. The spaceship was already burning well before Boco and others went to the pod, there was no other safety measure in place to help them.
Since Joe decided to stay back, he surely got killed in the spaceship as it burned and crashed. Emiko’s fate was just as cruel. After Gamera killed Viras, its body fell from the space directly near the tower, which Emiko was using to observe the entire situation. The blast was so big, that she ended up with severe injuries. Although she could have survived, Gysos somehow appeared on the scene and started eating Viras’ body. When the Kaiju saw Emiko standing in front of it, Gyaos ate her alive, which is quite common for the organism of its species.
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