大映
is a fictional monster originating from a series of Japanese films of the same name. Gamera first appeared in Noriaki Yuasa's 1965 film "Gamera, the Giant Monster", produced by Daiei Film. The character and the first film were intended to compete with the success of Toho's "Godzilla" film series. Since then, Gamera has become a Japanese icon in his own right, appearing in a total of 12 films (and one short film) produced by Daiei Film and later Kadokawa Daiei Studio, as well as in comic books, manga, anime and video games. Gamera has been given various nicknames throughout the history of the franchise, including the Friend of All Children and the Guardian of the Universe.