Kaiju No. 8 “A Must-Watch Blend of Action, Sci-Fi, and Heart” Everyone has their own fair share of problems, and the way the same problem affects different people is in a variety of ways. The world is an unfair place, and many are dealt bad hands from the get-go. But if you wake up with immense new power, what would you do with it? Would you set out to use your prowess for the betterment of the world regardless, or would you use it as a tool to set the wrongs in your life right? It’s not an easy question to answer, but the decision shows one’s strength of character and integrity amidst a chaotic world. It’s not a stretch to say that a character who makes the right call with noble motivations and reasoning is far more endearing than one who doesn’t. “Kaiju No. 8," also known as "8Kaijuu," “Monster #8," and “Kaijuu 8-gou," is a 12-episode TV anime series that aired from the 13th of April until the 29th of June in Spring 2024. Studio Production I.G. brought it to life, along with TV Tokyo, Khara, Nippon Columbia, TOHO Animation, Shueisha, and Toho Music. The main staff surrounding it are Morihiro Fumi, Hashimoto Ryuu, and Ohira Masashi as producers, and Takei Katsuhiro as producer and on planning. It features the genres of action and sci-fi, alongside the themes of adult cast and military. Targeted at the Shounen demographic, each episode runs for 23 minutes and received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older. The anime is based on the manga “Kaijuu 8-gou," which began publication on July 3, 2020, and is still ongoing, mainly featuring the adult cast theme. It is the masterpiece of author and artist Matsumoto Naoya, getting serialized in Shounen Jump+. It was published digitally in English as Monster #8 thanks to MANGA Plus., and the volumes were published in English as Kaiju No. 8 via VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump imprint on December 7, 2021. Following the massive success of the anime, a sequel series was announced titled “Kaijuu 8-gou (Zoku-hen)," but we do not have any other information on it just yet. The story is centered around an extremely likable and unique MC, Kafka Hibino. Following the destruction of his hometown as a child, he and his childhood friend Mina Ashiro became determined to someday become combatants in the Defense Force. This is an elite militarized organization dedicated to protecting Japan from giant hostile monsters known as "kaijuu," who behave similar to Godzilla and cause mass destruction in their wake. Decades pass in Kafka’s life, but he fails to achieve his dream time and time again, leading him to almost give up on his noble goal. As a 32-year-old, he spends his days cleaning up the grotesque remains of the Kaiju killed by the Defense Force—a job with little thanks. Meanwhile, Mina had already achieved their shared goal of becoming an elite soldier against the Kaiju, fighting valiantly but always leaving quite a big mess for the cleanup crew. Kafka’s mundane life is shaken up with the introduction of his new coworker, Reno Ichikawa, at Monster Cleanup. He is now faced with a mirror image of his past self: a young and ambitious man whose sole desire is to become a part of the Defense Force. As the two slowly get along, they face a freak encounter with a rogue Yoju, which are smaller kaiju that accompany their much bigger Honju. Despite life’s downs, Kafka showcases his innate heroic and selfless nature in an attempt to rescue his aspiring junior from certain doom, but is left gravely injured as a result. Both of them are left recovering in a hospital, and Kafka’s dream comes close to vanishing in the face of his injury. This is when he is attacked by a much smaller Kaiju of sorts yet again, which in turn gives him the ability to transform into a humanoid Kaiju with more than enough power to rival the massive monsters plaguing Japan. Now dubbed "Kaijuu No. 8" by the military, Kafka resolves to use this newfound power for the good of humanity if absolutely necessary. He and Reno agree to keep it a secret regardless, while they attempt to join the Defense Force together once more. Bound together by mutual respect, these two have quite the challenging road ahead if they wish to join soldiers like Mina at the forefront! I was wondering what all the hype around this show was about before I went into it. I mean, it’s about a group of human characters fighting Godzilla-like monsters, right? Wrong! While this is a part of it, Kaiju No.8 is so much more, and then some! The characters are without a doubt my favorite aspect of the show, drawn forward with a pretty nice story that brings out the best in them. I was pleasantly surprised by how likable Kafka himself is—truly one of the best MCs I have seen of late—someone who truly brings the show to life and keeps the ball rolling consistently with both comedic and serious tones. I have been a fervent supporter of this individual and am eager to witness further developments. Kafka’s journey alongside Ren is humorous, emotional, depressing, and inspiring at the right times, and it is executed almost perfectly, making this a truly memorable show. A mere 12 episodes is not nearly enough to capture all the incredible characterization, storytelling, and themes explored in the manga thus far. But the creators expertly used their limited time to bring out some of the best in the series, thanks to just-right pacing and masterful execution. The first season gives us a taste of the greater evil lurking in the shadows—ones far worse than the colossal but mindless Kaijus. With each episode, we are shown how humanity has progressively evolved to fight these supernatural beings thanks to science and their wits. Then we see Kafka using his OP Kaiju form to battle adversaries through sheer force and power, all in order to save people. Towards the end, we see how he realistically struggles with what he has become but becomes determined to prove he is a human who will not yield to the Kaiju part of himself. Like I said before, the characters are incredible in this show, and the creators put real effort into character exploration. We are treated to a variety of background scenes and flashbacks, which serve to solidify who each character is and why they’re here doing what they are. Their pasts and experiences are expertly conveyed through their personalities as well, each being very distinctive and having likable personalities. From the onset, Kafka is established as a man who wants to prove to himself and others that he belongs in the Defense Force, standing beside Mina as their childhood promise dictated. But unlike most annoying teenage MCs these days, he is an adult man who acts like one and is shown time and time again to be very responsible and dependable, even if it puts him in danger. He can be reckless at times and even has a childlike innocence about him, but he is in no way immature. His dream to reach Mina, who has risen through the ranks, and become a captain is nearly impossible, and he knows this, so it takes Reno’s backing for him to try one last time. His interactions with Reno are some of the best moments early on, where they just bounce off each other as they scurry to maintain their secret and also empower each other. As for Kafka and Mina, the first season doesn’t get to explore their relationship as much because they weren’t even on speaking terms at the start, but we are shown time and time again that she has not forgotten him and is still waiting for him to reach her. It’s also nice seeing the super-stoic Mina show some emotions when Kafka is involved, implying that their connection goes quite deep, and I can’t wait to see their dynamic explored in future seasons. While I thought Reno was a disrespectful teen at first, the story showed me how that isn’t the case at all. He shares a dream with Kafka and wishes for his senpai to achieve his goal too, being more than willing to support him amidst the risk of their secret. He grows and develops in a very realistic and likable manner, becoming the main reason why Kafka doesn’t give up on his dream and a dependable soldier who's willing to work hard and improve. At first, Shinomiya Kikoru was exceedingly arrogant, and I was skeptical that I would develop any fondness for her. However, she is equally remarkable as Reno once we become acquainted with her. Born to a father where being a perfect warrior is non-negotiable, she struggles with his expectations and is never acknowledged for her hard work. This is why Kafka’s positive acknowledgement hit her like a truck, developing her into a character who supports him and is also the one to take him down if he loses control as a Kaiju someday. My favorite character besides Kafka has to be Hoshina Soushirou, though. As the Vice-Captain of Mina’s squad, this man is why Kafka even gets a chance at becoming a member of the Defense Force. His cheery and lighthearted exterior hides a truly dedicated and capable soldier who is both loyal and dependable, one who would risk his life for his superiors and subordinates. This man is a phenomenon that cannot be done justice on paper, so I hope you enjoy him on screen! I wish to touch upon the themes of this show, because as much as there’s body gore and despair in Kaiju No.8, the creators have found the perfect ways to blend in some lighthearted humor as well. These occur as cartoonish moments during otherwise serious moments that do not break the flow of the show, serving to lighten the mood and draw out a few chuckles. Character interactions and awkward timing make the show immensely entertaining, mostly thanks to Kafka's lovable airheadedness. The art and animation department is a feast for the eyes. While the art style and character designs are pretty simple but distinctive and memorable, the animation is just stellar, and I cannot stress this enough. Kaiju No.8 has numerous larger-than-life scenes that demand well-timed camera angles and visuals that capture the intensity. So the creators somehow managed to make each battle look like a high-budget anime movie! What really stands out is Kafka's Kaiju form, which can be viewed as a symbol of hope for humanity, one that fuses his human body and armor together to create one badass biological weapon. All the Kaiju look amazing overall, with their natures well portrayed through their designs. The character expressions are spot-on consistently, serving to tell you more about their personalities on their own. Moving onto the sound and music department, it is great but cannot compare to the rest. The OSTs synchronize with each scene and amplify the overall vibe of the show without issue. The voice acting is a huge reason why the characters are so likable, so hats off to the VAs, who did an amazing job bringing their characters to life and making all their scenes enjoyable. The opening theme is "Abyss" by YUNGBLUD, which is a cool piece that brings out the Kaiju and techno vibes. The OneRepublic song "Nobody," which I frequently listen to while watching the main cast, was the film's ending theme, and it was my favorite part. The way I see it, Kaiju No.8 is a must-watch this season. It is a mainstream anime that handles almost all of its departments perfectly and is truly worthy of all the hype. The plot is simple on the surface, and the characters are all likable and well-written. The animation is some of the best I’ve seen this season, and I cannot wait for the sequel. I highly recommend this show to anyone and can attest to its being a breath of fresh air in terms of characters! Please Like, Comment, Share or click one of the links below to read another post. https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/random-thoughts-because-mondays-suck https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/on-screen https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/flashbacks
