There are plenty of anime about cute girls doing cute hobbies but guys can be cute and do cute things too. Anime about cute boys doing cute things is all about an easy-going, tranquil and stress-free atmosphere. Either it’s running a cute cafe and bantering with a barista, talking about shared interests, collecting cute characters, looking after little kids or being clumsy and awkward — it’s all cute and sweet. It’s like covering yourself in a blanket with a content smile. Play It Cool, Guys Of course, this article wouldn’t be about cute guys doing cute things if I hadn’t started with Play It Cool, Guys , which is the epitome of cuteness, slice-of-life and comedy. Originally a full-colored web manga by Kokone Nata that has been serialized since 2019 on Pixiv, Play It Cool, Guys depicts the clumsy days of four different guys in modern Japan. Embarrassment,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Asya Zabolotskaya
- Crunchyroll
Netflix Releases “Bridgerton” Season 3 Trailer
Dear reader, if it’s a friends-to-lovers storyline you’re looking for, welcome back to “Bridgerton.”
Netflix has released the long-awaited trailer for the two-part third season of its acclaimed regency romance series.
In Season 3 of the Shondaland series, which will center on Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Penelope has given up on her long-held crush on Colin and has decided to find a husband that will allow her to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown. But lacking in confidence, her attempts fail spectacularly. Colin, eager to win back her friendship, offers to mentor Penelope to help her find the confidence she needs to find a husband. “But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.”
Watch the trailer for “Bridgerton” Season 3 below:
Season 3 will also star Claudia Jessie,...
Dear reader, if it’s a friends-to-lovers storyline you’re looking for, welcome back to “Bridgerton.”
Netflix has released the long-awaited trailer for the two-part third season of its acclaimed regency romance series.
In Season 3 of the Shondaland series, which will center on Penelope Featherington (Nicola Coughlan) and Colin Bridgerton (Luke Newton), Penelope has given up on her long-held crush on Colin and has decided to find a husband that will allow her to continue her double life as Lady Whistledown. But lacking in confidence, her attempts fail spectacularly. Colin, eager to win back her friendship, offers to mentor Penelope to help her find the confidence she needs to find a husband. “But when his lessons start working a little too well, Colin must grapple with whether his feelings for Penelope are truly just friendly.”
Watch the trailer for “Bridgerton” Season 3 below:
Season 3 will also star Claudia Jessie,...
- 4/12/2024
- by Ashley Steves
- The Streamable
Apple TV+ is supersizing its already titanic Monsterverse.
The streamer announced on Thursday that it has renewed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for a second season; the news comes three months after the Season 1 finale dropped on Jan. 12.
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What’s more, Apple TV+’s new deal with Legendary Entertainment includes multiple spinoff series based on the Monsterverse franchise.
Set in...
The streamer announced on Thursday that it has renewed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters for a second season; the news comes three months after the Season 1 finale dropped on Jan. 12.
More from TVLineWhat’s New on Netflix in April — Plus: Disney+, Hulu, Amazon and OthersApple Sets Dates for Jake Gyllenhaal’s <em>Presumed Innocent</em> Remake, Michael Douglas’ <em>Franklin</em> and 11 Others (Watch)S.W.A.T. Cheats Death Again! CBS Reverses Cancellation, Renews Procedural for Season 8
What’s more, Apple TV+’s new deal with Legendary Entertainment includes multiple spinoff series based on the Monsterverse franchise.
Set in...
- 4/11/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
The MonsterVerse has taken fans to the beast and humanity’s desperate struggle for co-existence. At the heart of this cinematic universe lies Monarch, a secretive organization dedicated to uncovering the truth about these ancient creatures.
A still from Godzilla vs. Kong
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” delves into the world beyond the blockbuster films, exploring the operations of the team through small screens. Fans were surprised about how well the first season of the series turned out to be and have been waiting for a second season ever since. Unfortunately, they might have to wait a bit more considering the recent comments made by one of the series’ major actors.
Anna Sawai Does Not Have An Answer For Monarch Season Two
A still from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Rising star Anna Sawai plays a pivotal role in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters as Cate Randa. Cate, a Japanese American schoolteacher, stumbles...
A still from Godzilla vs. Kong
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” delves into the world beyond the blockbuster films, exploring the operations of the team through small screens. Fans were surprised about how well the first season of the series turned out to be and have been waiting for a second season ever since. Unfortunately, they might have to wait a bit more considering the recent comments made by one of the series’ major actors.
Anna Sawai Does Not Have An Answer For Monarch Season Two
A still from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters
Rising star Anna Sawai plays a pivotal role in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters as Cate Randa. Cate, a Japanese American schoolteacher, stumbles...
- 4/2/2024
- by Piyush Yadav
- FandomWire
This article contains spoilers for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season 1.
The history of the MonsterVerse stands revealed in the Apple TV+ original series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Set in the aftermath of Godzilla’s cataclysmic emergence in San Francisco, as chronicled in 2014’s Godzilla, a young woman named Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) travels to Japan after her father’s apparent death only to learn her family is part of a global conspiracy involving Titans like Godzilla. Teaming up with Kentaro Randa (Ren Watanabe), the half-brother she never knew she had, Cate travels the world with her father’s old associate Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell in flashback) to learn more about Monarch, the clandestine organization overseen by her adoptive grandfather Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Here is how the first season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters leaves its characters, what earth-shattering revelations are made, which characters don’t...
The history of the MonsterVerse stands revealed in the Apple TV+ original series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Set in the aftermath of Godzilla’s cataclysmic emergence in San Francisco, as chronicled in 2014’s Godzilla, a young woman named Cate Randa (Anna Sawai) travels to Japan after her father’s apparent death only to learn her family is part of a global conspiracy involving Titans like Godzilla. Teaming up with Kentaro Randa (Ren Watanabe), the half-brother she never knew she had, Cate travels the world with her father’s old associate Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell in flashback) to learn more about Monarch, the clandestine organization overseen by her adoptive grandfather Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Here is how the first season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters leaves its characters, what earth-shattering revelations are made, which characters don’t...
- 1/12/2024
- by Alec Bojalad
- Den of Geek
The following contains spoilers from the season finale of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters closed out its season with a series of twists that were, fittingly, titanic in size.
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Not long into her very unplanned trip to Hollow Earth, Cate unexpectedly met her grandmother, Keiko. Keiko in turn learned that Cate was not there as part of any Monarch rescue mission.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters closed out its season with a series of twists that were, fittingly, titanic in size.
More from TVLineTrue Detective: Night Country Premiere Gives Us Two (Very) Cold Cases to SolveYellowstone Season 3 Premiere Recap: It's Quittin' Time for [Spoiler]For All Mankind Bosses 'Optimistic' About Season 5 Renewal Odds
Not long into her very unplanned trip to Hollow Earth, Cate unexpectedly met her grandmother, Keiko. Keiko in turn learned that Cate was not there as part of any Monarch rescue mission.
- 1/12/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
This post contains spoilers for "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" season 1.
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" wrapped up its first season this week with a surprisingly satisfying finale that wove together disparate threads the show has been untangling all season. The sci-fi series' overlong debut season still managed to keep plenty of viewers intrigued with a myriad of monsters, an endless stream of mysteries, and two Russells for the price of one, but its final two episodes are the best "Monarch" has been yet.
There's no bloat in the season's big payoff episode, which sees Lee Shaw and his team of assorted and sundry amateur sleuths enter the Titan realm (Aka the Hollow Earth) after an attempt to seal it off went wrong. Along the way, they finally figure out what happened to Shaw's friend and colleague Kei (Mari Yamamoto) all those years ago. Part emotional reunion, part thrilling, monster-filled adventure, the...
"Monarch: Legacy of Monsters" wrapped up its first season this week with a surprisingly satisfying finale that wove together disparate threads the show has been untangling all season. The sci-fi series' overlong debut season still managed to keep plenty of viewers intrigued with a myriad of monsters, an endless stream of mysteries, and two Russells for the price of one, but its final two episodes are the best "Monarch" has been yet.
There's no bloat in the season's big payoff episode, which sees Lee Shaw and his team of assorted and sundry amateur sleuths enter the Titan realm (Aka the Hollow Earth) after an attempt to seal it off went wrong. Along the way, they finally figure out what happened to Shaw's friend and colleague Kei (Mari Yamamoto) all those years ago. Part emotional reunion, part thrilling, monster-filled adventure, the...
- 1/12/2024
- by Valerie Ettenhofer
- Slash Film
For a Godzilla franchise that has basically established itself as a modernized, Americanized version of Toho Studio’s iconic Kaiju movies, Legendary’s Monsterverse is surprisingly inventive when it comes to the creation of gigantic monstrosities. Aside from the four primary iconic monsters of Godzilla lore, namely Mothra, Rodan, King Ghidorah, and Mechagodzilla, a major chunk of Monsterverse creatures are original additions. In addition to enriching the established Godzilla mythos, the monsters of Legendary’s shared universe, known as ‘Titans’, stand out on their own thanks to their cool, creative designs, which are a perfect amalgamation of natural world inspirations and inventive visual traits.
Legendary’s latest small-screen venture, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, has swung surprisingly hard, both narrative-wise and using a substantial budget to offer a monster spectacle of cinematic quality. The nuclear-powered Titans are integrated into the stories in a much better way than they were in the movies,...
Legendary’s latest small-screen venture, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, has swung surprisingly hard, both narrative-wise and using a substantial budget to offer a monster spectacle of cinematic quality. The nuclear-powered Titans are integrated into the stories in a much better way than they were in the movies,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Kiersey Clemons and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 10 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 10, the season finale, picks up just seconds after the end of episode nine. Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) has just saved Cate (Anna Sawai) from being attacked by a Titan, and it’s obvious Cate’s more shocked about seeing her grandmother than she is about almost being eaten.
Cate’s upset that May’s not with her and doesn’t respond when Keiko asks if she came with Bill Randa or Lee Shaw. Keiko has no idea that time has passed or that she’s talking to her granddaughter.
Keiko reveals she set up a beacon and thinks that her rescue signal is what brought Cate into this world that she’s named Axis Mundi (the pole between Heaven and Earth). Cate knows nothing about the signal, and...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode 10, the season finale, picks up just seconds after the end of episode nine. Keiko (Mari Yamamoto) has just saved Cate (Anna Sawai) from being attacked by a Titan, and it’s obvious Cate’s more shocked about seeing her grandmother than she is about almost being eaten.
Cate’s upset that May’s not with her and doesn’t respond when Keiko asks if she came with Bill Randa or Lee Shaw. Keiko has no idea that time has passed or that she’s talking to her granddaughter.
Keiko reveals she set up a beacon and thinks that her rescue signal is what brought Cate into this world that she’s named Axis Mundi (the pole between Heaven and Earth). Cate knows nothing about the signal, and...
- 1/12/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Although almost every Kaiju movie fan would prefer the tedious human drama to be as lessened as possible so as to not meddle with the monster spectacles, it is an undeniable fact that a well-crafted human institution makes Kaiju stories more interesting. Aside from the fact that Godzilla movies are inherently symbolic of nature’s retribution against humanity for their folly, human actions give viewers a third-person perspective into the world of monsters. Legendary’s Monsterverse adhered to this perspective by introducing Monarch as a secretive Titan research organization, positing it as a mediator between humans and Titans, aiming to pave the way for co-existence.
On the exact opposite side of the spectrum exists Apex Cybernetics, a seemingly rival conglomerate that was introduced in Godzilla vs. Kong and whose origins can be traced back to the recently concluded Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Motivated by a different goal to that of Monarch,...
On the exact opposite side of the spectrum exists Apex Cybernetics, a seemingly rival conglomerate that was introduced in Godzilla vs. Kong and whose origins can be traced back to the recently concluded Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Motivated by a different goal to that of Monarch,...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
We have always talked about how well Monarch: Legacy of Monsters has broadened the scope of modern monster epics by assimilating interesting human storylines with creature spectacle, but even we didn’t expect the engrossing emotional output the resultant treatment will provide as the season finale of the series managed to present. There were a number of well-connected story arcs in the series, the major one being the three-generation-spanning, Titan tracking tale, with both the Randa family and Lee Shaw at the center of the entirety. Aside from the core storyline, the emergence of Titans during the past and present timeline showcased differing coping mechanisms undertaken by humanity, ranging between willingness to co-exist to destructive reactions stemming from egocentric ideologies. Both of these narrative strands are tied up in the final episode of the first season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, titled ‘Beyond Logic’, in a spectacular fashion, leaving enough...
- 1/12/2024
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Will Apple TV+’s monster mash continue?
The first, 10-episode season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (aka “the Godzilla series”) comes to a close this Friday, with the release of a rather epic finale. (You’ll cry, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, you’ll cheer.)
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Official Season 2 renewal news,...
The first, 10-episode season of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters (aka “the Godzilla series”) comes to a close this Friday, with the release of a rather epic finale. (You’ll cry, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, you’ll cheer.)
More from TVLineCriminal Record's Peter Capaldi and Cush Jumbo Tease a Polarizing Dynamic in Apple TV+ Crime DramaMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Finally Solved That Lee Shaw Mystery - and Then Set the Stage for a Wild FinaleTVLine Items: Killers of the Flower Moon Hits Apple, Modern Family Vet Visits Elsbeth and More
Official Season 2 renewal news,...
- 1/10/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
by Sophia Ng
“You sound like one of those guys,” he spits, “Men who get girls pregnant then say ‘Oh, I understand', and sign the form like it's none of their business.” Aki says nothing to that, silently taking a gulp of water. “But I'm the one who bears the risk whether it's childbirth or an abortion.”
Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
In a literal reversal of roles, the 2022 comedy-drama “He's Expecting (Hiyama Kentaro ō Ninshin)”, directed by Yuko Hakota and Takeo Kikuchi, sees Hiyama Kentaro, a 33 year old cisgender man having an emotional outburst, lashing out at his female partner's apparent failure to empathize with his predicament—being pregnant and the eventual trauma his body would be put through regardless of whether or not they keep the child. Currently on Netflix, this limited series based loosely on Eri Sakai's manga 2012 series, “Hiyama Kentaro no Ninshin...
“You sound like one of those guys,” he spits, “Men who get girls pregnant then say ‘Oh, I understand', and sign the form like it's none of their business.” Aki says nothing to that, silently taking a gulp of water. “But I'm the one who bears the risk whether it's childbirth or an abortion.”
Click on the image below to follow our Tribute to Netflix
In a literal reversal of roles, the 2022 comedy-drama “He's Expecting (Hiyama Kentaro ō Ninshin)”, directed by Yuko Hakota and Takeo Kikuchi, sees Hiyama Kentaro, a 33 year old cisgender man having an emotional outburst, lashing out at his female partner's apparent failure to empathize with his predicament—being pregnant and the eventual trauma his body would be put through regardless of whether or not they keep the child. Currently on Netflix, this limited series based loosely on Eri Sakai's manga 2012 series, “Hiyama Kentaro no Ninshin...
- 1/6/2024
- by Guest Writer
- AsianMoviePulse
The following recap, by the very definition of the word recap, contains spoilers from Episode 9 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
We now know why Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ Colonel Lee Shaw looks pretty spry for a 90something guy.
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We now know why Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ Colonel Lee Shaw looks pretty spry for a 90something guy.
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- 1/5/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 9 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight ended with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that saw Cate, May, and Lee tumbling through a rift. Episode nine, the season’s penultimate, keeps us hanging about their fate and instead opens with a flashback to a Monarch test site in Kansas, 1962, and a young Hiroshi being babysat by Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Scratch that…it’s actually Bill who’s pulled babysitting duty for the day as Lee is about to make history by traveling into a rift via a specially constructed ship. Before leaving, Lee loans Hiroshi his pocketknife to hold onto until he returns.
Bill and Lee have grown close to Hiroshi, and Lee compliments Bill on the job he’s doing raising the boy. Lee thinks Keiko would be proud.
General Puckett...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight ended with a gut-wrenching cliffhanger that saw Cate, May, and Lee tumbling through a rift. Episode nine, the season’s penultimate, keeps us hanging about their fate and instead opens with a flashback to a Monarch test site in Kansas, 1962, and a young Hiroshi being babysat by Lee Shaw (Wyatt Russell) and Bill Randa (Anders Holm).
Scratch that…it’s actually Bill who’s pulled babysitting duty for the day as Lee is about to make history by traveling into a rift via a specially constructed ship. Before leaving, Lee loans Hiroshi his pocketknife to hold onto until he returns.
Bill and Lee have grown close to Hiroshi, and Lee compliments Bill on the job he’s doing raising the boy. Lee thinks Keiko would be proud.
General Puckett...
- 1/5/2024
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters About to Go There? A Brief History of the Monsterverse’s Hollow Earth
The following contains spoilers from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 8, now streaming on Apple TV+.
With its antepenultimate Season 1 episode, Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brushed up against a major piece of Monsterverse movie mythology, as in the Hollow Earth theory — and may have even sent a few heroes down to that topsy-turvy realm!
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Episode 8 (of 10), titled “Birthright,” revealed to Cate that Colonel Lee Shaw,...
With its antepenultimate Season 1 episode, Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters brushed up against a major piece of Monsterverse movie mythology, as in the Hollow Earth theory — and may have even sent a few heroes down to that topsy-turvy realm!
More from TVLineMonarch: Legacy of Monsters Episode 7: That Dramatic Logo Reveal, ExplainedThe Buccaneers Renewed for Season 2How Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Is Able to Unleash 'Thicc Boi' Godzilla on a TV-Sized Budget
Episode 8 (of 10), titled “Birthright,” revealed to Cate that Colonel Lee Shaw,...
- 1/1/2024
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Time might heal wounds of the past, but it is up to us to decide whether to let the hurt dictate our actions, misguide us, or to move beyond it and use it as a positive influence. The death of his Monarch colleague and old flame, Dr. Keiko Miura had affected Shaw’s perspective towards the entire Titan tracking ordeal of the shadowy organization, and as the last episode has shown, he is ready to take drastic measures to atone for her loss. Previously, the renegade team of Monarch operatives led by Shaw and Duvall seized Monarch’s Alaskan outpost, and the team destroyed the Titan Frost Vark and a Hollow Earth gateway by detonating charges around them. Shaw’s seemingly villainous turn was an unpredictable development, but the eighth episode, Birthright, adds much more emotional heft, which in some ways explains his actions in a new light.
On the other hand,...
On the other hand,...
- 12/29/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Wyatt Russell in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 8 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
After a brief visit back in time to a discussion between Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight catches up with Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) and Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) in 2015 as they head to a target in Kazakhstan.
But don’t get comfortable in the more modern era, as the first half of this episode recap is going to concentrate on the events of 1955.
Lee (Wyatt Russell), Keiko, and Bill meet with Lt. Hatch in Washington DC. He’s unimpressed with their latest work on gamma rays and thinks they’re wasting money on a ridiculous project. If a Godzilla-type monster shows its face, the U.S. will take care of him with a nuke. Hatch wonders why, after two years of throwing money into Monarch, there...
After a brief visit back in time to a discussion between Bill Randa (Anders Holm) and Keiko Miura (Mari Yamamoto), Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode eight catches up with Lee Shaw (Kurt Russell) and Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) in 2015 as they head to a target in Kazakhstan.
But don’t get comfortable in the more modern era, as the first half of this episode recap is going to concentrate on the events of 1955.
Lee (Wyatt Russell), Keiko, and Bill meet with Lt. Hatch in Washington DC. He’s unimpressed with their latest work on gamma rays and thinks they’re wasting money on a ridiculous project. If a Godzilla-type monster shows its face, the U.S. will take care of him with a nuke. Hatch wonders why, after two years of throwing money into Monarch, there...
- 12/29/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Things are getting bigger, badder, and more bonkers on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters as Cate (Anna Sawai), step-brother Kentaro (Ren Watabe) close in on their missing father’s whereabouts. At the same time, their enigmatic pal May (Kiersey Clemons) is forced to face her past — and the truth about why she was in Tokyo in the first place — while Shaw (Kurt Russell) is making an alliance with Monarch operative Duvall (Elisa Lasowski), despite the fact that the Titan-investigating company locked away for ages in a “retirement” community after he uncovered their shady ways. As fans of Apple TV+‘s tremendously entertaining and surprisingly emotional action thriller know, there have been Easter Eggs and ties to the cinematic Monsterverse a’plenty. And the effects have been nothing short of spectacular. Tbh, Godzilla has never looked better! During a recent chat with Sawai, Watabe, Clemons, Lasowski, Anders Holm — whose 1950s Titan-chaser Bill Randa...
- 12/27/2023
- TV Insider
The following contains spoilers from the Dec. 22 episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
Two name changes figured into the seventh episode of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — though it was the latter that may have left some viewers scratching their heads, wondering about its very apparent significance.
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The episode “Will the Real May Please Stand Up?,” as the title suggests,...
Two name changes figured into the seventh episode of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters — though it was the latter that may have left some viewers scratching their heads, wondering about its very apparent significance.
More from TVLineThe Buccaneers Renewed for Season 2How Monarch: Legacy of Monsters Is Able to Unleash 'Thicc Boi' Godzilla on a TV-Sized BudgetJon Hamm to Lead Apple Crime Drama, in First Starring Role Since Mad Men
The episode “Will the Real May Please Stand Up?,” as the title suggests,...
- 12/23/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters."
Ever since it was announced that the Monster-Verse would expand to television with (the somewhat clunkily-titled) "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," it felt clear that the series would have to balance kaiju action with human drama in a way none of the big-screen efforts have quite managed to accomplish so far. The early returns have been promising enough, with last week's episode "Terrifying Miracles" perhaps finding the best of both worlds. That storyline, involving our present-day characters searching for Cate and Kentaro's long-lost father Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), intersected dramatically with the (re)discovery of Godzilla.
By comparison, this week's "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" dives right back to its human-sized concerns ... but, in the process, includes some major Easter eggs that further connect the two most recent "Godzilla" movies while also hinting at the long-term stakes of the series.
Ever since it was announced that the Monster-Verse would expand to television with (the somewhat clunkily-titled) "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," it felt clear that the series would have to balance kaiju action with human drama in a way none of the big-screen efforts have quite managed to accomplish so far. The early returns have been promising enough, with last week's episode "Terrifying Miracles" perhaps finding the best of both worlds. That storyline, involving our present-day characters searching for Cate and Kentaro's long-lost father Hiroshi (Takehiro Hira), intersected dramatically with the (re)discovery of Godzilla.
By comparison, this week's "Will the Real May Please Stand Up?" dives right back to its human-sized concerns ... but, in the process, includes some major Easter eggs that further connect the two most recent "Godzilla" movies while also hinting at the long-term stakes of the series.
- 12/22/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
So far, Kentaro’s old flame, the genius techie May Hewitt, stuck out like a sore thumb amidst all the Randa-Shaw Titan shenanigans in Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, an issue that was promptly rectified in the seventh episode of the series. Along with a due exploration of May’s past the seventh episode highlighted a rather shocking turn of events, which will make viewers re-assess Shaw and his team of Monarch rebels in a new light.
In the previous episode, the past timeline revealed a unique gamma-ray mimicking device created by Dr. Suzuki, which was used to lure Godzilla into Hateruma, aka ‘Monster Island’—allowing Bill, Keiko, and Shaw another chance to have a close encounter with the king of the monsters. However, Shaw’s growing feelings for Keiko resulted in him temporarily abandoning his post in Monarch, which resulted in a change in leadership as the military of the...
In the previous episode, the past timeline revealed a unique gamma-ray mimicking device created by Dr. Suzuki, which was used to lure Godzilla into Hateruma, aka ‘Monster Island’—allowing Bill, Keiko, and Shaw another chance to have a close encounter with the king of the monsters. However, Shaw’s growing feelings for Keiko resulted in him temporarily abandoning his post in Monarch, which resulted in a change in leadership as the military of the...
- 12/22/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Anna Sawai and Ren Watabe in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 7 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode seven opens with a creature emerging from the dirt. Check that…it’s not a creature, it’s Tim (Joe Tippett). He survived the helicopter crash without any major noticeable injuries.
Tindouf, Algeria: Cate (Anna Sawai) is trying to work through why her dad was out there. Kentaro (Ren Watabe) is done worrying about his dad, certain Hiroshi just ran away and left them to die at the feet/claws/jaws of Godzilla.
Meanwhile, May (Kiersey Clemons) waits in the airport bathroom to be kidnapped. Yes, kidnapped. By the time Cate checks on her, she’s gone. Her passport and phone have been left behind.
So, where is May? On board a private jet. A flashback to three years prior in Seattle fills in a few of the May blanks.
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode seven opens with a creature emerging from the dirt. Check that…it’s not a creature, it’s Tim (Joe Tippett). He survived the helicopter crash without any major noticeable injuries.
Tindouf, Algeria: Cate (Anna Sawai) is trying to work through why her dad was out there. Kentaro (Ren Watabe) is done worrying about his dad, certain Hiroshi just ran away and left them to die at the feet/claws/jaws of Godzilla.
Meanwhile, May (Kiersey Clemons) waits in the airport bathroom to be kidnapped. Yes, kidnapped. By the time Cate checks on her, she’s gone. Her passport and phone have been left behind.
So, where is May? On board a private jet. A flashback to three years prior in Seattle fills in a few of the May blanks.
- 12/22/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Admixing professional and personal life might result in disastrous consequences, and in the sixth episode of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, it is most apparent from the mistakes of the titular organization’s former chief, Lieutenant Lee Shaw. After steering clear of the past timeline for two consecutive episodes, “Monarch” turns back the clock to pinpoint the one event that changed the course of the human-titan correlation.
In the previous episode, after getting released from Monarch’s Alaska outpost, Cate suggests May and Kentaro head to her home, San Francisco, which was nearly destroyed during the battle between Godzilla and M.U.T.O., to possibly learn about Hiroshi’s whereabouts. After revisiting her traumatic past by venturing inside the dilapidated area of the city, Cate learns about her father’s presumed waypoint towards Africa with the help of May and Kentaro and reconciles with her mother, Caroline. May, on the other hand,...
In the previous episode, after getting released from Monarch’s Alaska outpost, Cate suggests May and Kentaro head to her home, San Francisco, which was nearly destroyed during the battle between Godzilla and M.U.T.O., to possibly learn about Hiroshi’s whereabouts. After revisiting her traumatic past by venturing inside the dilapidated area of the city, Cate learns about her father’s presumed waypoint towards Africa with the help of May and Kentaro and reconciles with her mother, Caroline. May, on the other hand,...
- 12/15/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
The globetrotting adventures of the Randa kids bring the team back to base, as after Kentaro, it is Cate’s turn for some self-reflection and emotional unpacking before setting off to new frontiers in search of Hiroshi Randa. In the previous episode of Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters, as the team tried to evade Snow Vark, the frost Titan in Alaska, May accidentally fell into an ice puddle and faced the risk of getting affected by hypothermia. Kentaro got separated from the group while trying to search for help, as he decided to follow his gut feelings and venture alone. On the other hand, Monarch learned about probable Titan activity in Alaska after pulsar-level radioactive readings were registered.
Kentaro’s solo journey into the unknown turned out to be a quest of self-exploration by confronting his past, which ended with him discovering an abandoned research facility, where he finds proof of...
Kentaro’s solo journey into the unknown turned out to be a quest of self-exploration by confronting his past, which ended with him discovering an abandoned research facility, where he finds proof of...
- 12/8/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 5 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Cate, Kentaro, and May are under Monarch’s control as Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode five begins. Despite their circumstances, none of the captured friends are willing to in any way assist the top-secret agency.
Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) determines that schoolteacher Cate (Anna Sawai) and artist Kentaro (Ren Watabe) really don’t know anything. But May (Kiersey Clemons) is a different story. She knows how to disappear, but even the Monarch authorities can’t figure out what she’s hiding from.
Tim (Joe Tippett) suggests they recruit Cate and Kentaro since they have the organization in their blood. It doesn’t hurt that they also want to find out exactly what happened to their dad. Duvall thinks they should set Cate, Kentaro, and May free but continue to monitor their activities.
Cate, Kentaro, and May are under Monarch’s control as Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode five begins. Despite their circumstances, none of the captured friends are willing to in any way assist the top-secret agency.
Duvall (Elisa Lasowski) determines that schoolteacher Cate (Anna Sawai) and artist Kentaro (Ren Watabe) really don’t know anything. But May (Kiersey Clemons) is a different story. She knows how to disappear, but even the Monarch authorities can’t figure out what she’s hiding from.
Tim (Joe Tippett) suggests they recruit Cate and Kentaro since they have the organization in their blood. It doesn’t hurt that they also want to find out exactly what happened to their dad. Duvall thinks they should set Cate, Kentaro, and May free but continue to monitor their activities.
- 12/8/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The following contains spoilers from Episode 4 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, now streaming on Apple TV+.
The heroes of Monarch‘s 2015 timeline this week dodged all manner of icy/snowy/chilling death and got scooped up, in the nick of time!, by an arriving helicopter. The identity of their rescuer, however, clearly came as cold comfort to at least Cate, seeing as it is the Monarch agent who chased after her in Tokyo just a couple of episodes ago!
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The heroes of Monarch‘s 2015 timeline this week dodged all manner of icy/snowy/chilling death and got scooped up, in the nick of time!, by an arriving helicopter. The identity of their rescuer, however, clearly came as cold comfort to at least Cate, seeing as it is the Monarch agent who chased after her in Tokyo just a couple of episodes ago!
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- 12/2/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
With each episode, the Monsterverse series Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters seems to excel in diversifying its narrative tone and structure, which adds on new layers to the central mystery in the process. While the first two episodes focused more on the buildup and integration of the Titans into the world, the third one delineated a critique of human impact on nature, and the fourth one simultaneously took an introspective look into the psyche of one of the main leads of the series and added a new spin by turning the episode into a survival thriller. The series format provides a chance for layered storytelling, and the way Monarch: Legacy Of Monsters capitalizes on that is something other Monsterverse ventures are going to have a tough time matching up to.
In the previous episode, in search of their father Hiroshi Randa, Cate and Kentaro agreed to help Lee Shaw (a friend...
In the previous episode, in search of their father Hiroshi Randa, Cate and Kentaro agreed to help Lee Shaw (a friend...
- 12/1/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Frost Vark Titan in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 4 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode four begins with a woman sunbathing in the middle of nowhere as the wind kicks up and some sort of equipment inside her camper begins beeping. It’s Utah in 2015, and the woman’s name is Barnes. She’s monitoring Outpost 47 and did not expect an old, dusty piece of equipment to spring back to life.
Barnes is part of Monarch and demands to speak to Assistant Director Verdugo. Once connected to the big boss, Barnes reports that she’s seeing radiation, specifically gamma rays, similar to supermassive black holes in outer space. The old piece of equipment seems to indicate the source is in Alaska.
Verdugo’s about to cut off the video call when Barnes warns that the last time there were readings like this was right before G-Day.
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode four begins with a woman sunbathing in the middle of nowhere as the wind kicks up and some sort of equipment inside her camper begins beeping. It’s Utah in 2015, and the woman’s name is Barnes. She’s monitoring Outpost 47 and did not expect an old, dusty piece of equipment to spring back to life.
Barnes is part of Monarch and demands to speak to Assistant Director Verdugo. Once connected to the big boss, Barnes reports that she’s seeing radiation, specifically gamma rays, similar to supermassive black holes in outer space. The old piece of equipment seems to indicate the source is in Alaska.
Verdugo’s about to cut off the video call when Barnes warns that the last time there were readings like this was right before G-Day.
- 12/1/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The latest Titan to show his (ugly!) face on Monarch: Legacy of Monsters comes looking for a late-night snack this week — and in doing so, leads one of our heroes to an epiphany….
Episode 3 of the Apple TV+ drama saw Colonel Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell) of the 2015 timeline ultimately lead Cate, Kentaro and May to the spot in Alaska where Hiroshi’s plane presumably crashed. Except, everyone came to realize, Hiroshi’s plane in fact landed safely, and Cate and Kentaro’s father had even set up a tent/workplace nearby.
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Episode 3 of the Apple TV+ drama saw Colonel Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell) of the 2015 timeline ultimately lead Cate, Kentaro and May to the spot in Alaska where Hiroshi’s plane presumably crashed. Except, everyone came to realize, Hiroshi’s plane in fact landed safely, and Cate and Kentaro’s father had even set up a tent/workplace nearby.
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- 11/28/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters".
At what point do we finally acknowledge that multiple other properties have been doing this whole shared universe thing more effectively than any of the major blockbuster franchises out there? First, "The Boys" pulled off what its Marvel and DC predecessors could not after debuting "Gen V" to rave reviews and taking a genuinely nifty approach to building an interconnected universe between both shows -- without ever making either one feel like homework, importantly. Now, "Monarch" is bringing the world of Titans to the small screen and, as of episode 3, has integrated and re-contextualized a surprising moment from "Godzilla" (2014).
While the overall series is not entirely without its flaws, it's been a joy to see how this series has incorporated and added to the world-building of the MonsterVerse. Its latest instance comes about in a wonderfully organic way,...
At what point do we finally acknowledge that multiple other properties have been doing this whole shared universe thing more effectively than any of the major blockbuster franchises out there? First, "The Boys" pulled off what its Marvel and DC predecessors could not after debuting "Gen V" to rave reviews and taking a genuinely nifty approach to building an interconnected universe between both shows -- without ever making either one feel like homework, importantly. Now, "Monarch" is bringing the world of Titans to the small screen and, as of episode 3, has integrated and re-contextualized a surprising moment from "Godzilla" (2014).
While the overall series is not entirely without its flaws, it's been a joy to see how this series has incorporated and added to the world-building of the MonsterVerse. Its latest instance comes about in a wonderfully organic way,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Jeremy Mathai
- Slash Film
Kurt Russell, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe and Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 3 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode three picks up seconds after the end of episode two, with the elderly Lee Shaw warning Cate (Anna Sawai), May (Kiersey Clemons), and Kentaro (Ren Watabe) they have one minute to decide if they’re going to break him out of the “retirement” community. Kentaro and Cate are desperate to know what happened to their dad, and Lee’s their only hope.
The foursome make a run for the van, and Lee’s totally confused when the van doesn’t need a key to start. Still, he’s the designated driver since he’s got experience fighting his way out of trouble.
Lee rams the front gates and Kentaro realizes he’ll never get his rental car deposit back.
And after just a few minutes with Kurt Russell,...
Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters episode three picks up seconds after the end of episode two, with the elderly Lee Shaw warning Cate (Anna Sawai), May (Kiersey Clemons), and Kentaro (Ren Watabe) they have one minute to decide if they’re going to break him out of the “retirement” community. Kentaro and Cate are desperate to know what happened to their dad, and Lee’s their only hope.
The foursome make a run for the van, and Lee’s totally confused when the van doesn’t need a key to start. Still, he’s the designated driver since he’s got experience fighting his way out of trouble.
Lee rams the front gates and Kentaro realizes he’ll never get his rental car deposit back.
And after just a few minutes with Kurt Russell,...
- 11/24/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
The following contains spoilers from Episode 3 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which got a pre-Thanksgiving release this week on Apple TV+.
Talk about a chilling development.
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Episode 3 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which has been streaming on Apple TV+ since Wednesday, saw Colonel Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell) of the 2015 timeline ultimately lead Cate,...
Talk about a chilling development.
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Episode 3 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which has been streaming on Apple TV+ since Wednesday, saw Colonel Lee Shaw (played by Kurt Russell) of the 2015 timeline ultimately lead Cate,...
- 11/23/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
The human mind is an unpredictable and dangerous thing, as so often the curiosity borne out of a desire to explore something unknown turns into a destructive, egocentric approach to annihilating the very thing. As the third episode of Apple TV’s Monsterverse series, Monarch: Legacy, continues the momentum initiated by the first two, viewers find themselves witnessing the timeless scenario of human intervention disrupting the course of natural events time and time again.
In the previous episodes, Cate, a survivor of the San Francisco G-Day event, went to Japan after her father’s demise or mysterious disappearance in order to check up on his belongings, but instead found that he had a secret family there. It is also revealed that Hiroshi is the son of explorers William Randa and Keiko Miura, who, along with their common friend, Lieutenant Lee Shaw, tried to scour the world in search of primeval Titans during the late 1950s,...
In the previous episodes, Cate, a survivor of the San Francisco G-Day event, went to Japan after her father’s demise or mysterious disappearance in order to check up on his belongings, but instead found that he had a secret family there. It is also revealed that Hiroshi is the son of explorers William Randa and Keiko Miura, who, along with their common friend, Lieutenant Lee Shaw, tried to scour the world in search of primeval Titans during the late 1950s,...
- 11/22/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
In the first episode of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, viewers were introduced to Lee Shaw circa 1959, back when he was an Army lieutenant tasked with “keeping alive” researchers Dr. Keiko Mira and Bill Randa (played by Mari Yamamoto and Anders Holm) as they go Muto hunting in Kazakhstan.
In that timeline, Lee is played by Wyatt Russell of TV’s Lodge 49 and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
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In that timeline, Lee is played by Wyatt Russell of TV’s Lodge 49 and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.
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- 11/18/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
[This story contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.]
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ team knows there are big expectations behind their entry in the Legendary monster franchise, home to Godzilla, King Kong and more Titans.
But during a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter following their New York Comic Con panel last month, showrunner Chris Black and executive producer Matt Fraction said they weren’t intentionally trying to match the scale or even focus of Legendary’s monster movies. Instead, Black — a TV veteran — and Fraction, a writer with a hefty resume in the world of Marvel comics, were more interested in how the medium could help support — not hinder — the kind of story they could tell within the MonsterVerse.
“In the movies, the risk is always, ‘Are the protagonists going to die?’ In television, there’s 10 episodes. This is our cast, and we don’t want to get rid of them in episode four,” Fraction says.
Monarch: Legacy of Monsters‘ team knows there are big expectations behind their entry in the Legendary monster franchise, home to Godzilla, King Kong and more Titans.
But during a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter following their New York Comic Con panel last month, showrunner Chris Black and executive producer Matt Fraction said they weren’t intentionally trying to match the scale or even focus of Legendary’s monster movies. Instead, Black — a TV veteran — and Fraction, a writer with a hefty resume in the world of Marvel comics, were more interested in how the medium could help support — not hinder — the kind of story they could tell within the MonsterVerse.
“In the movies, the risk is always, ‘Are the protagonists going to die?’ In television, there’s 10 episodes. This is our cast, and we don’t want to get rid of them in episode four,” Fraction says.
- 11/18/2023
- by Abbey White
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Godzilla has come to represent a lot of things to a lot of people. Our lizard king first and foremost expresses mass fears surrounding nuclear fallout. More recently, he’s symbolized the catastrophic, segregating effects of global terrorism. But sometimes, to some people, he’s just a big ol’ lonely boy — his only friends are fragile little dolls, his contemporaries all want to kill him, and pretty much everyone would rather he just go away for good.
Except audiences. Sparked by Gareth Edwards’ 2014 “Godzilla,” Americans have shown up for Toho Co. and Legendary’s Monsterverse movies to the tune of nearly $2 billion in worldwide box office. Even “Godzilla vs. Kong” — which not only came out during the pre-vaccine Covid era, but was also available via HBO Max at the same time — drew almost half-a-billion dollars. Clearly, there’s an appetite for monster battles that’s nearly as big as those monsters.
Except audiences. Sparked by Gareth Edwards’ 2014 “Godzilla,” Americans have shown up for Toho Co. and Legendary’s Monsterverse movies to the tune of nearly $2 billion in worldwide box office. Even “Godzilla vs. Kong” — which not only came out during the pre-vaccine Covid era, but was also available via HBO Max at the same time — drew almost half-a-billion dollars. Clearly, there’s an appetite for monster battles that’s nearly as big as those monsters.
- 11/18/2023
- by Ben Travers
- Indiewire
Apple TV+ on Friday unleashed Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, a live-action drama set in the same big-screen Monsterverse that Godzilla, Kong et al call home. After sampling the first of two episodes now streaming, will you keep watching?
Monarch: LoM (let’s make that shorthand happen, people!) opened with a “flashback” to Skull Island circa 1973, where we saw John Goodman’s Bill Randa film a message to an unnamed “buddy,” cryptically saying, “You may never forgive me for what I took from you,” but in the end, “you will realize it was all worth it.” Later, after being chased through...
Monarch: LoM (let’s make that shorthand happen, people!) opened with a “flashback” to Skull Island circa 1973, where we saw John Goodman’s Bill Randa film a message to an unnamed “buddy,” cryptically saying, “You may never forgive me for what I took from you,” but in the end, “you will realize it was all worth it.” Later, after being chased through...
- 11/17/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Plot: Following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking revelation that monsters are real, this series tracks two siblings following in their father’s footsteps to uncover their family’s connection to the secretive organization known as Monarch. Clues lead them into the world of monsters and ultimately down the rabbit hole to Army officer Lee Shaw, taking place in the 1950s and half a century later where Monarch is threatened by what Shaw knows. The dramatic saga – spanning three generations – reveals buried secrets and the ways that epic, earth-shattering events can reverberate through our lives.
Review: Believe it or not, we are four films and one television series into the MonsterVerse shared cinematic franchise. After two Godzilla films, Kong: Skull Island, a crossover blockbuster, and a pending sequel along with an animated Netflix series, the MonsterVerse has successfully teased the importance...
Review: Believe it or not, we are four films and one television series into the MonsterVerse shared cinematic franchise. After two Godzilla films, Kong: Skull Island, a crossover blockbuster, and a pending sequel along with an animated Netflix series, the MonsterVerse has successfully teased the importance...
- 11/17/2023
- by Alex Maidy
- JoBlo.com
In the studio-wide franchise business, episodic live-action TV series have taken center stage, replacing movies, and reasonably so, as not only does it provide the makers with more area to explore in the narrative and greater scope for characterization through a longer runtime, but it has also become a fan favorite medium in no time. Taking a cue from that, Legendary’s Monsterverse is the latest franchise to expand their arena through series, and the first step in that direction is Apple TV+’s latest release Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.
Revolving around Godzilla and other primordial behemoths known as Titans, their impact on the world populated by humans, and the role of secretive Titans tracking titular organizations in all this, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters spans generations worth of storytelling to uncover secrets about the world unknown. Monsterverse as a franchise was initiated with Gareth Edward’s much-acclaimed Godzilla (2014), which left its mark through a grounded,...
Revolving around Godzilla and other primordial behemoths known as Titans, their impact on the world populated by humans, and the role of secretive Titans tracking titular organizations in all this, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters spans generations worth of storytelling to uncover secrets about the world unknown. Monsterverse as a franchise was initiated with Gareth Edward’s much-acclaimed Godzilla (2014), which left its mark through a grounded,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Siddhartha Das
- Film Fugitives
Anna Sawai in ‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ episode 1 (Photo Credit: Apple TV+)
Apple TV+’s incredibly entertaining Monarch: Legacy of Monsters takes a deep dive into Legendary’s Monsterverse and reveals the roots of the mysterious Monarch organization. Told over multiple timelines, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season one serves up ample helpings of the “monster” portion of Monsterverse while also doing a considerably better job of incorporating the human drama (with a sprinkling of humor) than the feature films have managed to pull off.
Episode one, streaming on November 17, 2023, opens with a flashback to Skull Island 1973. John Goodman’s Bill Randa from 2017’s Kong: Skull Island apologizes to the camera and reveals he’s leaving a legacy so that people will realize it’s all worth it.
Bill drops his camera as he flees a massive Mother Longlegs to the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. He removes a...
Apple TV+’s incredibly entertaining Monarch: Legacy of Monsters takes a deep dive into Legendary’s Monsterverse and reveals the roots of the mysterious Monarch organization. Told over multiple timelines, Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season one serves up ample helpings of the “monster” portion of Monsterverse while also doing a considerably better job of incorporating the human drama (with a sprinkling of humor) than the feature films have managed to pull off.
Episode one, streaming on November 17, 2023, opens with a flashback to Skull Island 1973. John Goodman’s Bill Randa from 2017’s Kong: Skull Island apologizes to the camera and reveals he’s leaving a legacy so that people will realize it’s all worth it.
Bill drops his camera as he flees a massive Mother Longlegs to the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. He removes a...
- 11/17/2023
- by Rebecca Murray
- Showbiz Junkies
Godzilla may appear in the background of all the posters for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, but there’s very much a reason that his name doesn’t appear in the title. Rather than featuring wall-to-wall creature action, the Apple TV+ series—pointedly named for the kaiju-tracking organization that appears throughout the MonsterVerse films—mainly tells what is very much a human story. Focusing on people who must live in a world that now knows giant monsters lurk in its darkest corners, Monarch is a strong reminder of the human element that so many of the MonsterVerse films sorely lack.
Monarch’s story unfolds across two main timelines: one set in the 1950s that explores the founding of Monarch, and the other in 2015, where the world is still reeling from the first appearance of Godzilla in San Francisco, which has been termed “G-day.” The 2015 timeline opens on Cate (Anna Sawai), a schoolteacher and G-day survivor,...
Monarch’s story unfolds across two main timelines: one set in the 1950s that explores the founding of Monarch, and the other in 2015, where the world is still reeling from the first appearance of Godzilla in San Francisco, which has been termed “G-day.” The 2015 timeline opens on Cate (Anna Sawai), a schoolteacher and G-day survivor,...
- 11/17/2023
- by Steven Scaife
- Slant Magazine
“There’s a world down there, Cate…and it’s not ours.”
In 1933, King Kong was presented to the world as a beast living on the fictional Skull Island who became enchanted by the young Fay Wray. Since Kong’s debut and subsequent fall from The Empire State Building, movie and television audiences have been taken by the possibility of monsters living amongst us. Whether it’s the Loch Ness monster or Japan’s own Godzilla, these creatures have created a genre in filmmaking that’s exponentially increased in popularity in recent years.
Apple TV+ is getting into the Monsterverse game with their newest television series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” premiering Friday, Nov. 17. Created by Chris Black and developed by Matt Fraction, the show continues the events of several monster movies of recent memory, like 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Unlike Disney+’s method of television...
In 1933, King Kong was presented to the world as a beast living on the fictional Skull Island who became enchanted by the young Fay Wray. Since Kong’s debut and subsequent fall from The Empire State Building, movie and television audiences have been taken by the possibility of monsters living amongst us. Whether it’s the Loch Ness monster or Japan’s own Godzilla, these creatures have created a genre in filmmaking that’s exponentially increased in popularity in recent years.
Apple TV+ is getting into the Monsterverse game with their newest television series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” premiering Friday, Nov. 17. Created by Chris Black and developed by Matt Fraction, the show continues the events of several monster movies of recent memory, like 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island” and 2021’s “Godzilla vs. Kong.” Unlike Disney+’s method of television...
- 11/16/2023
- by Matthew Creith
- The Wrap
There’s a pretty amazing moment in the first episode of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, in which Cate Randa, a former school teacher visiting Japan from the States, clocks airport signage for the “Godzilla Evacuation Route.” (See photo above.)
This comes just minutes after Cate and the other arriving passengers were sprayed, before deplaning, with an anti-parasitic decontaminant.
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This comes just minutes after Cate and the other arriving passengers were sprayed, before deplaning, with an anti-parasitic decontaminant.
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- 11/16/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
As suggested by its name, Legendary’s Monsterverse has, historically, been first and foremost about the monsters. Sure, the films have always had human casts to fight the creatures or flee from them or deliver reams of exposition about them. But Godzilla is the point of Godzilla, not Bryan Cranston or Aaron Taylor-Johnson; the Godzilla vs. Kong battle is the centerpiece of Godzilla vs. Kong, not whatever Millie Bobby Brown or Alexander Skarsgård’s characters were trying to accomplish.
What makes for a delicious two-hour spectacle on a 70-foot IMAX screen doesn’t necessarily make for an engaging 10-episode drama on a 40-inch TV, though, and therein lies the challenge of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The bad news for monster nerds is that the Titans (Godzilla and Kong, among others) are less the star of the show this time around. The good news is that perhaps for...
What makes for a delicious two-hour spectacle on a 70-foot IMAX screen doesn’t necessarily make for an engaging 10-episode drama on a 40-inch TV, though, and therein lies the challenge of Apple TV+’s Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. The bad news for monster nerds is that the Titans (Godzilla and Kong, among others) are less the star of the show this time around. The good news is that perhaps for...
- 11/15/2023
- by Angie Han
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
“I’m so excited about the show,” says Ronna Kress, the casting director of “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” on Apple TV+. “We worked so hard and did such a huge, worldwide search for almost five months.” She spoke with Gold Derby’s Latasha Ford backstage during the launch event at the DGA Theater in Hollywood this month. Watch the full video interview above.
Kress explains the unlikely casting of Ren Watabe as Kentaro, stating, “We needed an actor who we really wanted to follow through the series. Someone who was believable in the Japanese world, but also could speak English for the English-speaking world as well. He really came out of nowhere. In his audition, the first time that we saw him, our casting director in Tokyo introduced us to him. He said, ‘I’m really tired, I’m sorry.’ We said, ‘What were you working on last night?’ And he’s a line cook.
Kress explains the unlikely casting of Ren Watabe as Kentaro, stating, “We needed an actor who we really wanted to follow through the series. Someone who was believable in the Japanese world, but also could speak English for the English-speaking world as well. He really came out of nowhere. In his audition, the first time that we saw him, our casting director in Tokyo introduced us to him. He said, ‘I’m really tired, I’m sorry.’ We said, ‘What were you working on last night?’ And he’s a line cook.
- 11/15/2023
- by Denton Davidson and Latasha Ford
- Gold Derby
It’s not Godzilla or King Kong that serves as the connective tissue in Legendary Pictures’ MonsterVerse, but the secret government agency tasked with studying them: Monarch.
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” the second MonsterVerse series (after the animated “Skull Island”), seeks to dig further into the mysterious organization’s origins, dating back much further than the MonsterVerse’s beginnings with 2014’s Godzilla. Using Godzilla as a launchpad, “Monarch” aims to expand the mythology through a globe-trotting mystery, making for a Titan-filled adventure that’s uneven in energy and execution.
“Monarch” primarily takes place in 2015, in the wake of Godzilla’s epic battle with the MUTOs and the devastation that left San Francisco in ruins. That’s not the only event that’s destroyed G-Day survivor Cate Randa’s (Anna Sawai) sense of normality; she’s just lost her father (Takehiro Hira). Cate pushes past the Ptsd from G-Day and travels...
“Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” the second MonsterVerse series (after the animated “Skull Island”), seeks to dig further into the mysterious organization’s origins, dating back much further than the MonsterVerse’s beginnings with 2014’s Godzilla. Using Godzilla as a launchpad, “Monarch” aims to expand the mythology through a globe-trotting mystery, making for a Titan-filled adventure that’s uneven in energy and execution.
“Monarch” primarily takes place in 2015, in the wake of Godzilla’s epic battle with the MUTOs and the devastation that left San Francisco in ruins. That’s not the only event that’s destroyed G-Day survivor Cate Randa’s (Anna Sawai) sense of normality; she’s just lost her father (Takehiro Hira). Cate pushes past the Ptsd from G-Day and travels...
- 11/13/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
A curious scientist fails to follow the cardinal rule of “Do Not Disturb the Eggs of Ominous Origin” in a spine-tingling sneak peek from Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which itself hatches this Friday on Apple TV+.
Developed by Chris Black (Severance, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction (whose Hawkeye comics heavily influenced the Disney+ series of the same name), Monarch: LoM is set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and confirmed that monsters are real, in the 2014 Godzilla film.
More from TVLineGiancarlo Esposito Takes the Wheel in First Trailer for AMC's Parish -...
Developed by Chris Black (Severance, Star Trek: Enterprise) and Matt Fraction (whose Hawkeye comics heavily influenced the Disney+ series of the same name), Monarch: LoM is set after the battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and confirmed that monsters are real, in the 2014 Godzilla film.
More from TVLineGiancarlo Esposito Takes the Wheel in First Trailer for AMC's Parish -...
- 11/13/2023
- by Matt Webb Mitovich
- TVLine.com
Monday night at the DGA Theatre in Hollywood, Apple TV+ unveiled its long-gestating MonsterVerse project, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters,” to a packed crowd of excited guild voters. Following a screening of the first episode, which will debut on the streaming service on November 17, Gold Derby’s Chris Beachum moderated a panel with showrunner/executive producer Chris Black, casting director Ronna Kress, visual effects supervisor Sean Konrad, sound designer Ben Cook and composer Leopold Ross.
The “Monarch” production team discusses what it was like waiting for the fans to finally see the series, their biggest challenges with the project, and what it was like working with A-list stars like Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell and John Goodman (who reprises his role from 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”). Read excepts below from the “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” roundtable panel.
See‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ trailer: Apple’s Godzilla series with Kurt Russell debuts this fall [Watch]
Black recalls,...
The “Monarch” production team discusses what it was like waiting for the fans to finally see the series, their biggest challenges with the project, and what it was like working with A-list stars like Kurt Russell and Wyatt Russell and John Goodman (who reprises his role from 2017’s “Kong: Skull Island”). Read excepts below from the “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters” roundtable panel.
See‘Monarch: Legacy of Monsters’ trailer: Apple’s Godzilla series with Kurt Russell debuts this fall [Watch]
Black recalls,...
- 11/7/2023
- by Marcus James Dixon and Chris Beachum
- Gold Derby
I think we can all agree that the humans are the least interesting part of the so-called MonsterVerse franchise, the series of recent films connecting Godzilla and King Kong. The humans may be our guides through these stories, but they're all kind of blah, and it's Godzilla and Kong (and the other monsters they butt up against) we want to see. Which makes "Monarch: Legacy of Monsters," the new Apple TV+ series set in the MonsterVerse, kind of strange. While monsters do appear here, the show is very much human-focused and is thus tasked with trying to make those humans compelling in between brief glimpses of dangerous creatures. In other words, if you were hoping for a live-action Godzilla TV series, you might want to temper those expectations — the big guy barely shows up in the five episodes screened for critics. Perhaps they're saving him for the grand finale. As for Kong,...
- 10/13/2023
- by Chris Evangelista
- Slash Film
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