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MaijinThe Majin is a fictional character that appears in a trilogy of kaiju movies produced by Daiei Studios. Majin is a giant stone idol in the shape of a samurai in full armor, which is possessed by a powerful spirit. In each film the Majin is brought to life to save the people of the local community from oppression. When its work is done the unstoppable stone giant becomes an inert statue again. Majin is more properly referred to as Daimajin or Giant Majin. The three movies featuring it were all made at the same time but their release dates were staggered. They are Daimajin (English title: The Giant Majin) (1966), Daimajin gyakushu (English title: Return of Giant Majin) (1966), and Daimajin ikaru (English title: Wrath of Daimajin)(1966). The plots of the three films are very similar but the settings change from one locale to another in feudal Japan. Though the stories are simple, the movies are well filmed, and the Majin is an effective symbol of divine justice. The Majin is similar to the golem of Jewish folklore. Like the golem, it is an animated statue which uses its vast strength to aid suffering people. Also like the golem, Majin is difficult to control and there is danger of it turning on the people it was meant to help. The stony appearance of the Majin, and its inexorable but clumsy gait are reminiscent of the golem in two German films, Der Golem (English title: The Golem) (1915) and Der Golem, wie er in die Welt kam (English title: The Golem: How He Came Into the World (1920). It is not known whether either of these films were a direct influence on the Daimajin series. Majin has no relationship to the similarly named Majin Buu of the anime series Dragonball Z.
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