Kaiju No. 8: When Giving Up Isn’t An Option
Kaiju No. 8 was developed by Production I.G and released in April of 2024, adapted from the manga of the same name Kaiju No. 8 has seen massive success and praise from many Shonen fans and anime fanatics. Singing its praises as one of the best kaiju-based anime in recent years, Kaiju No. 8 has taken the media by storm with its gripping action, it’s intense and blinding animation and it’s fun and often goofy characters.
Following the story of Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old Kaiju disposal worker, attempting to enter the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defence Force otherwise known as JAKDF, a sub-division of the Japanese Self Defence Force, JSDF. In doing so he finds himself being attacked by a small creature that enters his body to transform him into a powerful humanoid Kaiju.
Now hiding his abilities, he strives to save others and enter into a position where he can stand next to his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. Along the way, he comes closer to two individuals. Reno Ichikawa, a fellow disposal worker, and Kikoru Shinomiya, a strong-willed and antagonizing rich girl with daddy issues.
Having watched almost the whole anime I can say I haven’t had this much fun watching big monsters hit bigger monsters since the first Pacific Rim came out. Yes, even before the modern Godzilla movies. Something about Kaiju No. 8 gives me that giddy feeling watching Kafka annihilate these existential threats in one punch. Almost as if he was a One Punch Man… You know the similarities are lining up a little too well…
Regardless this anime has such a cheeky charm to it that I’ve only ever seen in Dr. Stone, of which you can read my review on that at the bottom of the page. I fell in love with this anime with just how fun it is. There’s no fanservice diluting serious conversations or making light of the character’s internal wounds. Its pure focus is delivering a story with a fun and engaging narrative.
Obviously we’ve been hit with a classic: Underdog has low abilities but has a secret that makes him effective to the team. And you want to know what that secret is? Do you think it’s his ability to turn into a Kaiju? Well, surprisingly, you’d be wrong. As seen in one of the scenes, Kafka takes time to dissect a small Kaiju in the middle of battle to find the core and understand. The small cannon fodder Kaiju they are fighting can reproduce so their eggs must be destroyed on the monster corpses to prevent a new wave of enemies.
His ability to transform doesn’t make him an asset because his true potential lies in his ability to study and understand the creatures and their weaknesses.
Kafka hides his kaiju abilities for fear he will be killed or captured and experimented on. A lot of people compare this show to Attack on Titan. And I have to say I prefer this to AOT for the simple fact that the protagonist is hiding his powers as best as he can and only uses his abilities as a last-ditch effort when all is lost.
A storyline that makes sense and the special power isn’t overused by the people the protagonist works with. It’s used sparingly enough that each fight in his Kaiju form has both meaning and stakes. It’s not just an excuse to make creatures punch each other.
The writers have done an excellent job of making this anime as impactful as it has become. I find it a breath of fresh air from the intense fight after fight that most Shonen have nowadays. Do yourself a favor. Get some snacks. Binge the show as much as you can, and just enjoy a well-told story with some really entertaining characters.
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