“An adrenaline-packed watch.” That is the very first thought that comes to my mind as I sit down to write this review for the first season of Kaiju No. 8.
You see, the number of “What the Hell!!” moments it produced during its span of 12 episodes is nothing short of breathtaking. I cannot remember the last time an anime made me sit on the edge throughout an entire season.
An honest and kind man in his thirties, who has failed several times trying to achieve his childhood dream finally gets to live it. How does that sound? Already inspirational and it stands out right. The MC is not your typical teenage boy but someone with wisdom to spare.
Featured Image Credits: VIZ
Kaiju No 8 – An ordinary plot that just works
The anime is set in a fantasy world, where humans have to fend off creatures called Kaiju. To do that a special force called the The Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force is in place and is divided into different divisions.
We follow the life of Kafka Hibino who is part of a professional Kaiju cleaning company called Monster Sweeper Inc. Their sole responsibility is to clean up Kaiju remains once they are neutralized by the Defense Force.
Kafka dreams of fulling the promise he made to his childhood friend Mina Ashiro (Come on, she is his love, Ahhh!). They vowed to get into the Defense Force and fight off Kaijus but it did not go as planned. Mina became one of the captains of the defense force whereas Kafka kept failing in his attempts to even get into it.
Nevertheless, he eventually met Reno Ichikawa, an 18-year-old guy who joined the cleaning corporation briefly as he wanted to accumulate information about Kaiju and how their bodies worked, as he was planning to join the Defense force.
It is through Reno’s words and persuasion that Kafka makes up his mind to give it a last hurrah. Eventually, both do succeed and make it into the defence force.
Credits: TOHO Animation
There is a simple issue though, a gross version of a bee-like creature enters Kafka’s body and he finds himself turned into a Kaiju – the very beings he planned to exterminate.
How will he fulfil his promise now? How does he go up the ranks to be by the side of his childhood friend? Will he be hunted down by the Defense force now? That is what this anime is all about.
Kaiju No 8 – Season Analysis
Let’s take a look into this first investment analytically. Professor glasses please 
!!
So, looking at the ratings, you’d think this anime is killing it. But honestly, the reviews are kind of all over the place maybe because the storyline feels like a mashup of Attack on Titan and My Hero Academia.
It’s like they took bits from both and mixed them together. The result is actually quite enjoyable when considering the entertainment value it provides.
The MC lacks the brute strength and battle skill to take down a kaiju but he is smart and analytical. He puts his experience of being in the Cleaning Corps to good use as he is aware of those monsters’ weak points and abilities.
Though the anime is a sci-fi fantasy, the way in which Kafka’s character has been woven makes it very relatable for the ones watching it. He gets nervous, works hard to make up for his lack of battle skills and looks at life positively. His character explores the limits of what an average human can and cannot do. Yes, that is until he turns into a Kaiju.
We see a lot of other new recruits with strong auras, some believed to be prodigies. However, one who attracts attention the most is Reno Ichikawa. He doesn’t stand out in the beginning but evolves at a frightening pace. We have a quick learner on our hands.
Mina Ashiro, who leads the third division of the defense force, is acknowledged as one of the strongest. Additionally, there’s the sword-wielding samurai, the vice-captain of the third division, who as his introduction suggests only uses swords instead of the normally used guns, to get rid of Kaiju’. He really feels like a happy Levi Ackermann (AOT) though.
Credits: TOHO Animation
Character development needs more attention. We only get to see glimpses from Kafka and Mina’s childhood. A peek into the past lives of characters certainly helps enhance the overall quality of an anime and fans feel more connected to them.
The anime doesn’t have a single dull episode. Everything from dialogues to action sequences are extremely flashy, so no boring moments.
Considering it was produced by Production I.G., the animation was expected to stand out. After all, the production house is known for producing gems like Ghost in the Shell and Haikyuu to name a few.
New Season Announced!
The official website of Kaiju No. 8 anime announced that the second season is scheduled to release in 2025, and crunchyroll is the place where you’ll be able to stream the anime.
Crunchyroll also confirmed that scenes from the first season will be consolidated into a film with the addition of a special episode named “Hoshina’s Day Off” and will hit the Japanese theatres sometime during the next year.
For those who do not know, the anime has been adopted from a manga which is currently ongoing. A total of 38 chapters were covered in the first season.
