Godzilla Minus One (2023) Ending Explained & Themes Analyzed: Did Operation Wadatsumi Finally End the Godzilla Threat… or Not?

Takashi Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” (2023) is the 37th film in the Godzilla franchise and Toho Studios’ 33rd Godzilla film. Released on the 70th anniversary of the original 1954 kaiju film “Gojira,” “Godzilla Minus One” returns to its roots as it chronicles the city-stomping monster’s rampage in post-war Japan. While Hideaki Anno’s “Shin Godzilla” (2016) embodied the nation’s lingering anxieties after the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and Fukushima meltdown, “Godzilla Minus One” offers insights into the complexities behind post-war nation rebuilding and how the emergence of the amphibious titan sustains the trauma of war. 

Ishiro Hondo’s “Gojira” might have carried a timely message on the dangers of atomic weapons, whereas “Godzilla Minus One” is a tragedy-laced period piece. Yet Takashi Yamazaki’s film potently mixes character-driven drama and spectacle whose emotional resonance gracefully establishes the historically specific issues. Moreover, the extraordinary achievement of “Godzilla Minus One” is its visual effects. With 35 VFX artists supervised by Takashi Yamazaki and Kiyoko Shibuya, the film has highly incredible visual effects and is made with a fraction of the Hollywood monster movie budget. Therefore, it’s no wonder “Godzilla Minus One” was awarded the Best Visual Effects Oscar, becoming the first Godzilla film to win an Academy Award. 

Now let’s explore in detail the plot and ending of Yamazaki”s “Godzilla Minus One.” Spoilers Ahead. 

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Plot Explained: Why did Shikishima arrive at Odo Island?

“Godzilla Minus One” opens with the kamikaze (Japanese suicide pilot) Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) landing his fighter aircraft (Mitsubishi A6M Zero) at a Japanese base on the fictional Odo island in the Pacific Ocean. While the lead mechanic, Sosaku Tachibana (Munetaka Aoki), appreciates Shikishima for safely landing the rickety aircraft on their makeshift runway, his crew finds that there are no issues with the engine. The implication is that Shikishima might have run away from the suicidal mission. One of the mechanics in the crew also understands Shikishima’s mindset as the war is nearing its end, and the Japanese are clearly losing it. 

While relaxing on the island, Shikishima sees a bunch of dead deep-sea fish floating near the shore. Later in the night, an air raid siren springs the island garrison into action. But instead of facing a Yankee attack, a large dinosaur-like prehistoric creature attacks the garrison. One of the men calls it “Godzilla,” the local name for the deep-sea monster. The mechanics take cover, and since Shikishima is the only gunner among them, Tachibana requests Shikishima to run to his plane and fire its machine gun. Shikishima reluctantly reaches his aircraft. But he freezes when he encounters the monster up close. 

Living in the ruins with the survivors’ guilt

Soon, a petrified mechanic fires at Godzilla, followed by a more panicked shooting, which evokes the monster’s ire. Godzilla picks up the men one by one. Shikishima is knocked unconscious, and his aircraft is destroyed. When he wakes up the following morning, Shikishima sees that only Tachibana has survived the attack. Tachibana blames his men’s death on Shikishima’s cowardly behavior. While heading back to the Japanese mainland in a ship with other fatigued soldiers, an embittered Tachibana hands over an envelope to Shikishima. 

It is December 1945, nearly three months after Japan’s surrender to the Allied forces. Shikishima returns to a firebombed Tokyo to see his home wholly burned. His parents have died, and he comes across the neighbor, Sumiko (Sakura Ando). Sumiko has lost her children in the bombing and berates Shikishima for safely returning home despite being a kamikaze. Later, Shikishima hears people shouting to catch a thief at the temporary market in the ruins. When Shikishima tries to nab the thief – a young woman – she hands him a baby before running away. 

What does Shikishima’s job entail?

Unable to abandon the baby, Shikishima takes the baby with him, although the young woman finds him. Understanding that he is a compassionate man, she follows Shikishima with the baby. The young woman is Noriko Oishi (Minami Hamabe), who has also lost her parents, and she found the baby (Akiko) in the streets. Despite her earlier cantankerous behavior, Sumiko supports the makeshift family unit of Shikishima, Noriko, and Akiko by providing them with a bag of rice to feed the baby. 

A few months later, Shikishima arrives home – the ramshackle cabin – with the good news that he found a job. But it’s risky work that demands Shikishima to go aboard a minesweeping boat to dispose of the naval mines. Noriko objects to Shikishima taking up a deadly job. However, as Shikishima points out, there are not many opportunities, especially if they don’t want Akiko to starve. On the first day of work, Shikishima sees that the boat (Shinseimaru) is an old, broken-down wooden boat since the magnetic mines would get triggered if anything metal approaches near. He also meets the crew: Kenji Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka), a Naval weapons engineer; Captain Seiji Akitsu (Kuranosuke Sasaki); and Shiro Mizushima (Yuki Yamada), a young man who yearns that he couldn’t partake in the ‘glory of war.’ 

Shikishima will be the crew’s sharpshooter, disposing of the mines that float to the surface. In the night, Shikshima has a nightmare that brings back the traumatic memories of Godzilla’s attack on Odo Island. Noriko tries to understand what’s bugging him, but Shikishima refuses to talk about it. Moreover, we see that Shikshima is drowning in guilt as he still has the dead mechanics’ family photos given to him by Tachibana.

Dead Deep-Sea Fish and Rising Political Tensions

After the July 1946 American nuclear tests at Bikini Atoll (Operation Crossroads), Godzilla mutates and becomes more powerful. Months pass as the Shinseimaru crew successfully dispatch many mines. One evening, Shikishima hosts his crew members at his abode for dinner. During the conversation, Shikishima reveals the truth about his makeshift family unit. Akiko has started to talk, and when she addresses Shikishima as ‘father,’ he bluntly tells the little girl he is not her dad. Shikishima is still fighting a war within, and perhaps he doesn’t want to get attached to Noriko and Akiko. 

In March 1947, when Shikishima returns home, Noriko tells him she has also found a desk job in Ginza. The neighbor, Sumiko, will look after Akiko during the day. Meanwhile, there are news reports of an ‘unknown enemy’ attacking American cruisers. The giant sea creature is said to be radioactive and is on course to reach the Japanese archipelago. Due to the recent tensions with the Soviet Union, the United States is reluctant to offer Japan any military assistance. In May 1947, Shinseimaru’s crew travel to the Ogasawara island and finds a destroyed US warship. Shikishima is shocked to see the dead deep sea fish floating on the ocean surface. He recalls a similar incident before Godzilla’s onslaught in the Odo island. 

Is Godzilla an unstoppable force?

Engineer Noda understands that they are there to stall for time until the Japanese Takao class heavy cruiser returns from Singapore. Since any US involvement would be seen as a military maneuver by the Soviet Union, Japan is left to use its cruiser, although Takao was initially sent to be decommissioned. Soon, the crew sees many more dead deep-sea fish and believes the monster is near. Godzilla casually emerges from the bottom, chasing the Shinseimaru. 

The crew releases a mine into Godzlla’s mouth and detonates it. Although this causes significant damage, the monster has unimaginable regenerative power. As Godzilla tries to attack Shinseimaru, the heavy cruiser Takao intervenes. But even a ship the size of Takao isn’t a match for Godzilla. The monster obliterates Takao using its heat ray. Shikishima is slightly injured in his encounter with Godzilla. Later, when Noriko confronts Shikishima to talk about his trauma, he tells her what happened that night on Odo island. 

Godzilla’s rampage through Ginza

A few days later, the radio announces that a giant sea creature is heading towards Ginza. Noriko is on her way to work on the train when Godzilla attacks. She narrowly escapes the monster’s initial rampage. As Godzilla stomps its way through the streets of Ginza, packed with frenzied crowds, Shikishima tries to save Noriko. They watch the creature from a distance as the tanks fire at Godzilla. It only enrages Godzilla and provokes it to use the heat ray, obliterating many buildings and killing thousands of people. Noriko pushes Shikishima to save him from the shockwave of the blast. Shikishima survives and is subjected to the visions of the ruins once again. Noriko goes missing and is presumed to be dead. 

Godzilla’s heat ray – akin to a minor nuclear blast – causes the black rain, and Shikishima screams in agony. In the aftermath of the incident, engineer Noda invites a disheartened Shikishima to join the citizens’ strategy to defeat Godzilla. The government’s passivity pushes a group of ex-Navy personnel to come together for a meeting. An ex-destroyer, Captain Tatsuo Hotta (Miou Tanaka), addresses the gathering. Though the GHQ-led military action is impossible due to US-Soviet tensions, Hotta informs that they have negotiated to use four Destroyers to kill Godzilla. But even with Destroyers, it’s not easy to defeat Godzilla as the people have witnessed what the monster can do. 

What is Noda’s plan to kill Godzilla?

This is when Noda elaborates on his plan to trap Godzilla in the middle of the ocean. Since the monster can’t be hurt even with heavy artillery fire, Noda proposes first to lure Godzilla to Sagami Bay and surround it with freon canisters (using cables from the Destroyers), which, when ruptured would instantly lower the water’s buoyancy, forcibly sinking the monster to a greater depth, letting the resultant change in the water pressure kill it. Noda has particularly chosen Sagami Bay because it is the deepest place at over 1,500 meters in depth. Noda names it Operation Wadatsumi. Though no sea-born creature could withstand such rapid change in water pressure, Godzilla is still an unknown creature. So, while this plan looks plausible enough to kill the monster, Noda doesn’t guarantee it will work a hundred percent. 

Noda also has a plan if Godzilla bears the pressure in the ocean depths. They will inflate a balloon on the ocean floor under Godzilla, forcing it to rise up quickly to the surface. If it survives the pressure, at least the massive decompression will kill Godzilla. A few of the ex-Navy men leave, unwilling to once again put their lives at risk after enduring the war. But most of the men stay, including the Shinseimaru crew. Later, over dinner, Noda explains to the Shinseimaru crew that to lure Godzilla to the exact position, he has planned to use speakers to play Godzilla’s voice, hoping that the monster would believe the voice to be that of a competitor. Noda isn’t sure even the levitation balloon would work perfectly. 

What’s the reason behind Shikishima’s plan to use a fighter plane?

Hearing this, Shikishima suggests getting a fighter plane. He can use the aircraft to fire at Godzilla and draw it to Sagami Bay. Shikishima believes a fighter plane has a better chance of evading Godzilla’s heat ray than a boat. Captain Akitsu thinks Shikishima is embarking on a suicidal mission to avenge Noriko’s death. Later, Shikishima finds a Shinden fighter plane but needs a good mechanic to make it fly. Perceiving this as his chance at redemption, Shikishima searches for the chief mechanic, Tachibana. An enraged Tachibana initially refuses to help Shikishima. But Tachibana changes his mind when he hears Shikishima’s real plan: to load the aircraft with explosives and fly straight into Godzilla’s mouth since the monster is vulnerable from the inside. Shikishima perhaps wants to fulfill his duty as a Kamikaze, putting an end to his war. 

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Ending Explained:

Did the Operation Wadtsumi Succeed?

Soon, the Geiger readings reveal that Godzilla is approaching Tokyo Bay again. In his final speech, Noda says, “This next battle is not waged to the death. But a battle to live for the future.” Shikishima leaves Akiko in the care of Sumiko, leaving some money. But soon, Sumiko receives a telegram intended for Shikishima, who is already on his way to lure Godzilla to the Sagami Bay trapping point. Noda and Captain Hotta’s men have also set up another trick to make Godzilla more vulnerable. They had set up uncrewed vessels before the Destroyers to take in Godzilla’s heat ray. The self-inflicted wounds caused after using the heat ray will take some time to heal, and Godzilla won’t be able to use its atomic breath while regenerating. 

Operation Wadatsumi then commences as the two destroyers with cables attached to freon canisters gradually surround Godzilla. Shikishima flies perilously close to Godzilla to keep it distracted. As the ships encircle Godzilla and tie the freon canister around it, Godzilla prepares to fire the heat ray. But the blue glow of the heat ray disappears as Godzilla plunges deep into the ocean. However, Godzilla seems to have survived the compression. Hence, they go to plan B, i.e., rapid decompression using balloons. While Godzilla suffers some damage, the decompression also doesn’t work out as it tears through the balloons. Fortunately, a fleet of tug boats comes to the rescue, hauling Godzilla to the surface. 

A victory and a happy reunion

An injured and enraged Godzilla gets ready to fire its heat ray on the entire fleet when Shikishima flies the explosive-filled fighter plane straight into Godzilla’s mouth. Thankfully, Shikishima doesn’t choose a suicidal mission as Shikishima ejected before the explosion and parachutes to safety. The moment is cut to an earlier scene when Tachibana shows Shikishima the ejection lever and asks Shikishima to live free of guilt. The top of Godzilla’s head looks destroyed, and the energy from the heat rays tears its body. Upon returning to the shore, Sumiko waits for Shikishima to deliver the good news. 

Shikishima rushes to a hospital with his daughter Akiko to reunite with a convalescing Noriko. Shikishima breaks down when Noriko asks, “Is your war now finally over?” As Shikishima embraces Noriko, we see a black vein-like bruise on Noriko’s neck. Is it some form of radiation sickness after surviving Godzilla’s atomic breath? This unsettling moment is cut to a mutilated Godzilla sinking into the ocean depths but also regenerating its flesh. It would be interesting to see Noriko and Shikishima’s fate in a sequel. But as of now, there isn’t a possibility of a direct sequel to “Godzilla Minus One.” 

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Themes Analyzed:

Trauma and Survivors’ Guilt

“Godzilla Minus One” protagonist Koichi Shikishima carries the burden of surviving the war and Godzilla’s attack. He punishes himself for not being able to choose death and fulfill his duty to the country (the soldiers were indoctrinated to accept dehumanizing practices as a patriotic duty). At the same time, Shikishima is not living. The feelings of failure and bearing the responsibility for others’ deaths stop a traumatized Shikishima from opening up to Noriko or accepting his bond with Noriko and Akiko. However, despite witnessing its indescribable rampage, the prospect of destroying Godzilla brings to the fore the themes of reconciliation and forgiveness. Rather than choose vengeance through self-destruction, Shikishima opts to live to safeguard Akiko’s future. By understanding the depths of Shikishima’s survivors’ guilt and trauma, the narrative proposes healing and redemption through the potential of love and camaraderie.

The Post-War Japanese Identity

Like the original 1954 “Godzilla,” Yamazaki’s “Godzilla Minus One” (2023) explores the fractured national identity in the post-war era. The Godzilla onslaught gives the ordinary Japanese people a chance to regain their collective identity but also to stay away from the imperialist agenda that ruined the nation. The citizens’ effort to kill Godzilla doesn’t propose death and sacrifice as the glory awaiting them. Instead, they speak of protecting people and securing the future. Unlike what the militaristic Japanese leaders preached, Noda isn’t asking the men to fight to the death but to wage a battle with the determination to live. Mizushima, the youngster in the Shinseimaru, is repeatedly taught that there is no glory in dying in the battle. 

The post-war Japanese identity finds nothing shameful or unpatriotic in one’s desire to live. Like Shikishima, who doubts if he is still alive after recollecting his traumatic memories, the nation itself seems to be doubting its actuality with Godzilla’s attack immediately after the devastation of war. But in the citizens’ collective effort to defeat Godzilla, the nation forges a fresh identity, denouncing the military culture of death and sacrifice. 

Read More: Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024) Movie Review: The Big-Budget Pre-Summer Movie That You’d Likely Forget by Summer

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Trailer

Godzilla Minus One (2023) Movie External Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Letterboxd
Cast: Ryunosuke Kamiki, Minami Hamabe, Sakura Ando, Munetaka Aoki, Kuranosuke Sasaki, Hidetaka Yoshioka, and Sae Nagatani.