Director Hiromi Kamata Brings Humanity to a Legacy of Monsters

Mixed Asian Media - January 25, 2024

By Jalen Jones

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Hiromi Kamata has quickly proven herself a directorial powerhouse with credits such as Let the Right One In, Selena: The Series, and the upcoming Shogun. Born in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico, to a Japanese father and Mexican mother, Kamata has had a rich cultural upbringing that gives her much to pull from as she continues to make a name for herself in the American film market.

Most recently, Kamata brought her unique directorial skills to the Apple TV+ series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters. Set after Godzilla’s re-emergence, the show follows members of Monarch — an organization that monitors giant monsters known as Titans — for over half a decade. With episodes “Will the Real May Please Stand Up?” and “Birthright” under Kamata’s direction, the show dives into May's backstory and brings viewers through what Kamata calls a fun, “emotional striptease.” Here, Kamata speaks to her experience directing these two episodes of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, describes how it felt contributing to the beloved Godzilla franchise, and reveals that despite its name, Monarch is actually a show about humanity.

*THIS ARTICLE CONTAINS LIGHT SPOILERS FOR EPISODES 7 AND 8 OF MONARCH: LEGACY OF MONSTERS.

*THIS INTERVIEW HAS BEEN EDITED FOR CLARITY AND LENGTH.

How did your cultural upbringing influence your approach to directing Episodes 7 and 8 for Monarch: Legacy of Monsters?

I'm a Mexican Japanese — I was born and raised in Mexico, and my father is Japanese. So I have both cultures, and the deep part of the cultures mixed together. I would describe my directorial personality as putting a mariachi and a samurai in a blender! It's an interesting mix. I am passionate. There's a lot of joy on the set where I'm working, and a lot of romanticism. But there's also a lot of discipline, a lot of professionalism. And I’m very stubborn, very thorough… It's an interesting mix to pull from as a storyteller. My Mexican side has been very helpful because I'm very emotional as well. I'm very hands-on, working with actors and their dramatic art. But also I'm very, very technical and very specific. It's been an interesting ride.

What surprised you most about directing for this series, and how did you and directors for other episodes ensure the style of the show remained consistent from episode to episode?

I was surprised that I got the chance to tell the backstory of one of my favorite characters, May, who is played by Kiersey Clemons. That to me was like candy, to be able to work with Keirsey and dive into her character’s past — I call it kind of an emotional striptease. It was such a pleasure to tell the backstory of this character, and show why she is who she is. That to start with was so much fun.

Also, it was a big challenge because the show opened with Matt Shakman, who is one of my heroes and is such an incredible director, and all of the other wonderful, powerful directors who have been doing this for much longer than I have. I started directing in the U.S. market a couple of years ago. So first of all, it was a huge step for a Mexican to be directing in the MonsterVerse. And second of all, to be able to keep raising the bar, and laying the groundwork for the final two episodes — which are amazing and directed by the wonderful Andy Goddard. So I had to keep the same level, but push it a little bit more and enjoy it.

Matt Shakman has said that this is a show about humanity. Matt Fraction and Chris Black always speak about it as not a 9/11 show, but a 9/12 show. Monarch is the aftermath of what happens. It's the universe after Godzilla. How us humans react to a world where we know that monsters exist now. I wanted to make sure that I remained true to that, that I kept pushing for a character-driven show. It was still a globetrotting adventure with tie-downs, but at the very core, a dynamic family drama. So it was challenging, but it was an absolute pleasure. I was very blessed and grateful for the opportunity.

What would you say Monarch: Legacy of Monsters adds to how we think of Godzilla as a character and as a franchise?

We never want Monarch to compete with the movies. Obviously the movies are huge in scale, and it's a different experience. I always say that movies drag you to the cinema — they take you out of your house, and you see them in the dark because lights go out around you. It's a collective experience. And the TV show is kind of someone you invite into your house. We had to make sure that we had a show that was grounded in terms of characters that you care about, and that you want to invite every week back into your house.

Godzilla to me has been a metaphor for humanity's challenges. It's nuclear power. It can also be global warming. It can be COVID, and how we react to events like that, how we evolve as humanity, and how we deal with trauma, and how we cope with it. To me, that was a very interesting aspect of the show, and something that we all wanted to make sure was there.

Did you have any personal connections to Godzilla before coming into this project?

I did. I grew up watching the original movie with my father. I was probably 7 or 8 years old the first time I saw it, but I remember I was blown away by the creature design, the chaos, the scale, you know? It's a character that has been with me forever. So to get the chance to be involved in a project about Godzilla was just a dream come true. Like I would have never, ever imagined that I would have gotten this shot. I also am a big fan of the 2014 Gareth Edwards film — I love it. And I also really enjoyed King of the Monsters, so I felt like a little girl, getting the chance to play with one of her favorite characters of all time.

Catch Hiromi Kamata’s work in Episodes 7 and 8 of Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, streaming now on Apple TV+.