Spider Monster (蜘蛛怪)
I'm not going to lie to you. This article is an excuse to tell you to watch The Super Inframan.
Sanda (サンダ) & Gaira (ガイラ)
With their humanoid design, Gaira and Sanda are unique in the world of kaijū cinema. They have distinct personalities, making them far more interesting than your average destructive force of nature.
Manda (マンダ)
The concept of Manda is cool, and there's no other monster in the Toho line-up like him, but to successfully pull off a snake-like dragon is obviously a difficult task, which perhaps explains his lacklustre appearances.
Zarkorr! The Invader (1996)
Whether you're a fan of Full Moon or kaiju, Zarkorr is a great movie. It's not too often you see non-Japanese monster movies going down the practical effects route so it's nice to see what lower budget suit makers can achieve when they really set their minds to it.
Battra (バトラ Batora)
Few monsters follow any sort of path of redemption in Godzilla movies, so Battra's story really does stand out. It's too bad Mothra, being the moth she is, hogs all the limelight.
Pulgasari (불가사리 Bulgasari)
While he is the product of a deeply troubling propaganda machine, Pulgasari is more exciting monster than many of his Japanese contemporaries.
M.O.G.U.E.R.A. (モゲラ Mogera)
Though he's certainly no Mechagodzilla, I quite like Mogera. He poses little threat with his shrewish face and lumbering movements, but his design is impressive and refreshingly bizarre in both his iterations.
Agon (アゴン)
Agon doesn't make the best first impression, but, as he receives more screen time, the execution of the monster costume becomes more impressive, especially for a production company without Toho's money.
Jiraiya (自雷也)
The Magic Serpent is a tasty mixed grill of 60s Japanese cinema. At its core, it's a tale of revenge. Mix magic-fueled martial arts and a handful of kaijū into that pot of vengeance and you've got yourself something fabulously out of control.
