Godzilla Minus One debuted on Netflix on June 1 in several regions across the world, including the US. Now, many viewers are looking for answers regarding what happens to Noriko Ōishi (Minami Hamabe) in the film and the mysteries surrounding what looks like a tattoo on her neck. Released theatrically in 2023, the film mostly takes place in the years after World War II. It follows Koichi Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki), a kamikaze pilot who survives the war. After meeting Noriko, who has an orphaned baby with her, Koichi builds a life with them. Things change when Godzilla arrives on the Japanese shores and wreaks havoc. Noriko appears to become one of Godzilla’s many victims in the movie. However, the ending of the film has left many fans with unanswered questions surrounding her fate.
So, here is everything you need to know about what happens to Noriko and what the mark on her neck is.
How did Noriko survive in Godzilla Minus One?
Noriko might have survived in Godzilla Minus One because of the tattoo-like mark that appears on her neck toward the end of the film.
After Koichi defeats Godzilla, his neighbor Sumiko hands him a telegram, which seems to shock him. In the next scene, he arrives at a hospital with Akiko and discovers Noriko is still alive. Earlier in the film, Noriko manages to push Koichi into safety. However, she gets caught in the blast radius of Godzilla’s heat ray. Believed to be dead, Koichi joins the public initiative to bring down the monster.
It is implied that the mark on Noriko’s neck and the exposure to Godzilla’s heat ray have something to do with her being alive.
What is the tattoo on Noriko’s neck in Godzilla Minus One?
The tattoo-like black mark on Noriko’s neck is an indication that she now has G-cells, or Godzilla cells, in her.
Per IGN, Takashi Yamazaki, the writer-director of Godzilla Minus One, stated at the Godzilla Fest in Osaka that the black mark on Noriko’s neck was made up of G-cells. In the film, we see Godzilla heal itself at a remarkable speed several times. So, it’s safe to speculate that the exposure to G-cells during the blast saves Noriko’s life.
What are G-cells in Godzilla Minus One?
In the world of kaiju, G-cells are the cells of Godzilla.
In the previous entries in Toho Studios’ Godzilla franchise, G-cells serve as building blocks for creating two important adversaries of Godzilla – Biollantte and SpaceGodzilla. This has made fans wonder whether these kaiju will appear in a potential second Godzilla film by Yamazaki. Alternatively, the presence of G-cells can serve as an allegory for the impact of nuclear radiation on the population of Japan.