Furankenshutain

Furankenshutain, or Frankenstein, is a fictional giant monster of the Japanese tokusatsu film style of the 1960s produced by Toho Company. The character appeared in the 1965 film Frankenstein Conquers the World. He was played by two different actors, Kôji Furuhata and Kenichiro Kawaji. He represents Japan's interpretation of the Frankenstein Monster and is tangentially tied to the greater "Godzillaverse" series of the Shōwa period.

Abilities

 * Immortality: The Furankenshutain's body was grown from an immortal heart that, according to Doctor Liesendorf, can never die. As such, Furankenshutain is essentially immortal, although it does appear as if he met an untimely end after falling from the mountain.


 * Regeneration: Furankenshutain can regrow lost or damaged limbs, including his hands and feet. Even after severing his own hand to escape confinement, it began to grow back only a short time later. Even the severed limbs still maintain a semblance of life and can theoretically live forever given enough nutrients.


 * Size alteration: Furankenshutain's physical form can increase in size and mass well beyond that of a normal human being. This is an involuntary side-effect to not only his own inexplicable origins, but also due to persistent exposure to atomic radiation. At maximum height, he appeared to be approximately three stories tall.

Notes & Trivia



 * Furankenshutain is what the character is referred to as in the Japanese version of the film only. In the International release, he is referred to as Frankenstein.


 * Playing Furankenshutain is Kôji Furuhata's second and final work in film. He previously played a character named Hiroshi in the French dramatic romance film L'amour à 20 ans, or, L'amour à vingt ans (translated as Love at 20) in 1962.
 * There are two different endings to the film Frankenstein Conquers the World. The original Japanese release climaxes with Frankenstein breaking Baragon's neck shortly before a fissure opens in the mountaintop right under the monster's feet. He falls into it, presumably to his doom (though this too is speculative, since the character is said to be immortal). In the international and U.S. video releases distributed by American International Pictures, there is an additional scene that takes place after the defeat of Baragon. While Frankenstein is still standing on the mountaintop, Oodako - the giant octopus makes an inexplicable and surprising appearance and begins grappling with the monster. The two fall off the mountain peak into the waters below. Although Oodako survives the impact and appears later in War of the Gargantuas, Furankenshutain is never seen again.