Godzilla is a giant monster, or daikaijū, that first appeared in the 1954 film of the same name, directed by Ishirō Honda. The character has since become an international pop culture icon, appearing in various media: 33 Japanese films by Toho, five American films, and numerous video games, novels, comic books, and television shows. Godzilla has been dubbed the King of the Monsters, an epithet first used in Godzilla, King of the Monsters! (1956), the American localization of the 1954 film.