Earthbound beats you over the head with pop culture references left and right, this is no shock. However, what many might not know is that the main villain of Earthbound, a creepy-looking alien named Giygas, is actually influenced directly by a violent Japanese horror film called "Kenpei to barabara shibijin". Game director Shigesata Itoi walked in on the film as a young boy, witnessing a sex scene that somehow evolves into a murder. At the time, Itoi comprehended it as a rape, traumatising him yet leading to a perception of eroticism and violence that inspired him to create Giygas. Pretty messed up and hard to believe right? Yes, according to Itoi, "When the guy grabbed her breast really hard, it got distorted into this ball shape. It all hit me really hard. It was a direct attack to my brain." In fact, this scene never really took place in the film, yet Itoi continues "...his sense of terror having atrocity and eroticism side-by-side, and that's what Giygas's lines at the end are. During the end, he says, 'It hurts right? That's...her breast. It's like how do I put it, a 'living-being' sensation." We're talking about a game where you essentially play as Charlie Brown as he battles cute looking animals and aliens using child-like toys, like yo-yos and baseball bats...anyone else mildly creeped out now?
Doug is a freelance writer, being a head reporter on Concertfy.com and a contributor to sites like alternativenation.net and comicbookmovie.com. If you wish to reach out to Doug, contact him at dmccausland1@gmail.com.
