Gamera 2: Attack of Legion

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion (ガメラ2 レギオン襲来) is a 1996 Japanese kaiju film directed by Shusuke Kaneko, with special effects by Shinji Higuchi. Produced by Daiei Film and distributed by Toho, the film is the 10th entry in the Gamera film series, as well as the second film in the franchise's Heisei period, serving as a direct sequel to the 1995 film Gamera: Guardian of the Universe. The film stars Toshiyuki Nagashima, Miki Mizuno, Tamotsu Ishibashi, and Mitsuru Fukikoshi, with Ayako Fujitani and Yukijirō Hotaru reprising their roles from the previous film, and with Akira Ohashi portraying the giant turtle monster Gamera.

Gamera 2: Attack of Legion also features Mizuho Yoshida as Legion, a race of insectoid extraterrestrials that invade Earth, prompting Gamera to come to the planet's defense. The film was released theatrically in Japan on July 13, 1996, and was followed by  Gamera 3: Revenge of Iris in 1999.

A variety series How Do You Like Wednesday? is largely inspired by the trilogy, and several music and telops and formats used for trailers and various scenes of the program are reused from the trilogy. As the film features Hokkaido, Yō Ōizumi, Takayuki Suzui, and Ken Yasuda appeared as extras, making it the first film career for Ōizumi.

Plot
One year after the battle between Gamera and Gyaos, Japan is invaded by a race of insect-like, silicon-based alien life forms dubbed Legion, that attempt to make Earth their new home. Gamera returns to Japan in order to defeat the aliens.

Cast

 * Toshiyuki Nagashima as JGSDF Chemical School Officer Lieutenant Colonel Watarase.
 * Miki Mizuno as Midori Honami, a curator at the Sapporo Science Center.
 * Tamotsu Ishibashi as JGSDF Captain Hanatani.
 * Mitsuru Fukikoshi as NTT Network Engineer Obitsu,.
 * Ayako Fujitani as Asagi Kusanagi, a young girl with a psychic connection to Gamera.
 * Yûsuke Kawazu as Akio Nojiri, Honami's superior.
 * Akira Ohashi as the titular Gamera, a large, ancient turtle-like Kaiju.
 * Mizuho Yoshida as Legion, an alien species and the film's antagonist.
 * Yukijirō Hotaru as beer factory guardsman and former Fukuoka police officer Osako, who witnessed the encounter with Gyaos in the previous film.

Production
The film began production in 1995. Shortly after it was announced A.D. Vision would give the first film a theatrical release, it was further announced that the sequel was now in post-production under the then working title of Gamera 2: Raygion Attacks with the first film's creative team returning.

Release
Gamera 2: Attack of Legion was released theatrically in Japan on July 13, 1996, where it was distributed by Toho. It was released directly to video on DVD in the United States in 2003 by ADV Films.

Reception
The film was the first daikaiju film to win the Nihon SF Taisho Award (the Japanese Nebula Award) in 1996. This decision sparked a fierce debate in the Japanese Science Fiction community, with many critics arguing that it signaled the decline of Japanese SF literature.