Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 (Japanese: 怪獣8号, Hepburn: Kaijū Hachigō), also known in English as Monster #8, is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto. It has been serialized on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ app and website since July 2020, with its chapters collected in 12 tankōbon volumes as of April 2024. Viz Media has licensed the series for English release in North America.

The story follows Kafka Hibino, a man who, after ingesting a kaiju, gains the ability to turn into one and now must navigate using his power while trying to become part of an organization that eliminates kaiju to fulfill a promise he made with a childhood friend.

An anime television series adaptation produced by Production I.G premiered in April 2024.

By April 2024, the manga had over 13 million copies in circulation. The series has been praised for its premise, characters, and art.

Synopsis

Setting

Kaiju No. 8 is set in a world in which monsters named kaiju regularly cause disasters. Japan is the country with the highest rate of kaiju attacks in the world and, to combat them, it establishes the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force (日本防衛隊, Nihon bōei-tai, lit. "Japanese Defense Force"). Kaiju are assigned a "fortitude level"—a scale indicating their overall strength, and are classified as honju—more dangerous, stronger kaiju, and yoju—smaller kaiju that can accompany or sprout off from the honju. Kaiju that have high fortitude levels or abnormal characteristics are given a number as an identifier based on when they first appear and are classified as daikaiju.

Defense Force officers wear power suits made from kaiju remains that grant them increased strength, speed and durability. The suits have a total power output measured in the form of a percentage (referred to as "unleashed combat power") which vary from person to person depending on their ability with a maximum of 100%. The suits also influence how strong an officer's weapons are.

Daikaiju remains are used to create stronger weapons named Numbers (ナンバーズ, Nanbāzu) that are named after the daikaiju they are made from and that some individuals can use if they are deemed compatible. Numbers weapons are much stronger than regular suits and provide their users with special abilities. The Defense Force consists of field officers led by platoon leaders, with varying levels of unleashed combat power, and captains and vice-captains whose combat power exceeds 90% and who lead divisions. Field officers are supported by a team of operators who provide information on kaiju and monitor the field officers' health and suit output.

Plot

After their town is destroyed by kaiju, childhood friends Kafka Hibino and Mina Ashiro both vow to become members of the Defense Force to fight kaiju together. Mina, now 27, has since become the captain of the Defense Force's Third Division while Kafka, now 32, has failed the examination numerous times and works as a member of a clean-up crew that dispose of kaiju remains after battle. Kafka meets a young part-time worker in his company, Reno Ichikawa, an aspiring Defense Force member, who reignites his desire to become part of the Defense Force. However, a small kaiju enters Kafka's body through his mouth and he gains the ability to turn into a kaiju. After escaping from the Defense Force, Kafka is given the code name "Kaiju No. 8" and decides to apply while keeping his kaiju form a secret.

During the examination to join the Defense Force the applicants are tasked to eliminate a group of yoju led by a stronger honju. Kikoru Shinomiya, a kaiju-slaying prodigy whom Kafka and Reno meet, neutralizes the honju. Kikoru is then attacked by a humanoid kaiju, later named "Kaiju No. 9", who revives the honju and leaves it to kill Kikoru. Kafka transforms while avoiding detection and saves Kikoru who decides to keep his secret. Reno and Kikoru are inducted into the Defense Force as officers while Kafka is accepted as a cadet on the recommendation of the vice-captain of the Third Division, Soshiro Hoshina, who suspects that Kafka is hiding something.

During their first mission to neutralize a giant-class kaiju, Reno and his squadmate, Iharu Furuhashi, are attacked by No. 9. As No. 9 is about to kill Reno, Kafka steps in and stops No. 9 but fails to neutralize it due to the intervention of several Third Division officers. Kafka tries to hide from the officers but is attacked by Soshiro. After a prolonged fight, Kafka disarms the vice-captain and escapes, still maintaining his cover. After the mission, Kafka is officially inducted as an officer. Later, the Third Division base is attacked by a large group of wyvern kaiju led by a humanoid kaiju identified as Kaiju No. 10. The group, led by Soshiro, manage to stall No. 10 long enough for Mina to arrive to destroy it. However, No. 10 orders the wyvern kaiju to gather up and form a bomb to destroy the base to which Kafka transforms in front of the Third Division and punches the bomb away to save the base from destruction. Kafka is, reluctantly, apprehended by Mina and taken into custody to be disposed of.

While imprisoned, Kafka is tested in battle by the Director General of the Defense Force, and Kikoru's father, Isao Shinomiya after Kikoru vouches for Kafka's humanity. Isao fights Kafka using the Numbers 2 weapon made from the remains of Kaiju No. 2. Kafka survives the battle proving that he can control himself while transformed and avoids disposal. In order to prove his usefulness, Kafka is transferred, along with Kikoru, to the First Division led by captain Gen Narumi where they are tasked to prevent another attack on Tokyo planned by No. 9. Kafka, Kikoru and Gen succeed in defeating two versions of No. 9 which are revealed to be decoys. The real one attacks Isao and absorbs him and his Numbers 2 weapon after which No. 9 becomes stronger and prepares for an invasion of Japan with new kaiju.

Characters

Main

Kafka Hibino (日比野 カフカ, Hibino Kafuka) / Kaiju No. 8 (怪獣8号, Kaijū 8-gō)

Voiced by: Masaya Fukunishi, Megumi Han (young) (Japanese); Nazeeh Tarsha (English)

A 32-year-old man with dreams of joining the Defense Force to fight alongside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. He gives up on his dream after failed, past attempts to join the Defense Force and starts working in a kaiju disposal company as a cleaner. He gains the ability to turn into a kaiju after a small, parasitic creature (voiced by TARAKO) enters his body through his mouth. After escaping from the Defense Force he is subsequently dubbed "Kaiju No. 8." In his kaiju form, Kafka possesses superhuman strength, speed, durability, regeneration and the ability to detect other kaiju. He has a fortitude level of 9.8, making him the most powerful kaiju identified by the Defense Force. Due to the low unleashed combat power of his suit he utilizes his knowledge of kaiju anatomy, from his work in the disposal industry, to help his squad mates defeat kaiju. Kafka's kaiju design was inspired by depictions of oni while the design's blue glow was inspired by the film Tron (1982).

Reno Ichikawa (市川 レノ, Ichikawa Reno)

Voiced by: Wataru Kato (Japanese); Adam McArthur (English)

An 18-year-old man who starts working in the same company as Kafka with plans to join the Defense Force. He becomes friends with Kafka and helps him hide the secret of his kaiju form. Reno is a considered to be a promising recruit and quickly becomes one of the Defense Force's strongest assets. He is compatible with the Numbers 6 weapon made from the remains of Kaiju No. 6 that has a fortitude level of 9.6 and that devastated the Defense Force prior to the events of the series. The Numbers 6 weapon takes the form of a suit of armor that increases Reno's strength and speed and gives him the ability of cryokinesis.

Kikoru Shinomiya (四ノ宮 キコル, Shinomiya Kikoru)

Voiced by: Fairouz Ai (Japanese); Abigail Blythe (English)

A 16-year-old girl who joins the Third division together with Kafka and Reno. A kaiju-slaying prodigy, Kikoru is one of the greatest talents in the Defense Force and has the highest recorded unleashed combat power as a recruit. Her father, Isao, is the Director General of the Defense force while her mother, Hikari, was a captain who died in the line of the duty while fighting off a kaiju invasion led by Kaiju No. 6 prior to the events of the series. She uses a giant axe as her personal weapon and inherits her mother's Numbers 4 suit which gives her the ability of flight.

Defense Force

Director General

Isao Shinomiya (四ノ宮 功, Shinomiya Isao)

Voiced by: Tesshō Genda (Japanese); Christopher Wehkamp (English)

The Director General of the Defense Force and Kikoru's father who is considered to be one of the strongest combatants in the history of the Defense Force. Isao uses the Numbers 2 weapon made from the remains of Kaiju No. 2 in the form of a powered suit of armor and gauntlets, which gives him superhuman strength and the ability to use sonic blasts. Isao begins teaching Kikoru how to fight against kaiju after the death of his wife, Hikari. Isao tests Kafka in battle and spares him from disposal so that he can be used as an asset for the Defense Force. During one Kaiju No. 9's attacks on Tokyo, Isao is killed and absorbed by No. 9.

First Division

Gen Narumi (鳴海 弦, Narumi Gen)

The captain of the First Division of the Defense Force. He is considered to be the strongest active captain in the Defense Force. Gen uses the Numbers 1 weapon made from the remains of Kaiju No. 1. The weapon takes the form of a powered suit of armor and a pair of retinal implants that give Gen the ability to predict enemy movements allowing him to always land his attacks. His personal weapon is a large rifle with a bayonet.

Third Division

Mina Ashiro (亜白 ミナ, Ashiro Mina)

Voiced by: Asami Seto (Japanese); Katelyn Barr (English)

The 27-year-old captain of the Third Division of the Defense Force. She is Kafka's childhood friend with whom he vowed to fight against kaiju. She is one of the strongest officers in the Defense Force and is highly skilled in using firearms due to a unique ability making her shots more devastating compared to other captains. Her personal weapon is a handheld cannon, making her effective against giant-sized kaiju.

Soshiro Hoshina (保科 宗四郎, Hoshina Soshirō)

Voiced by: Kengo Kawanishi (Japanese); Landon McDonald (English)

The vice-captain of the Third Division. He is a skilled swordsman who is good at fighting smaller kaiju. Frequently advised by his superiors to quit being a field officer due to his ineffectiveness with firearms, Hoshina becomes a vice-captain since Mina values his skill as a swordsman. Soshiro lets Kafka be retrained as a cadet to keep him close as he suspects that Kafka is hiding something. After Soshiro and Mina defeat Kaiju No. 10, it is turned into a sentient Numbers weapon that is deemed to be compatible with Soshiro. His Numbers weapon takes the form of a suit with a tail that can be used for attacks.

Iharu Furuhashi (古橋 伊春, Furuhashi Iharu)

Voiced by: Yūki Shin (Japanese); Ben Stegmair (English)

A new recruit who joins the Third Division together with Kafka, Reno and Kikoru. He and Reno become part of the same platoon and develop a rivalry over the course of their training.

Haruichi Izumo (出雲 ハルイチ, Izumo Haruichi)

Voiced by: Keisuke Koumoto (Japanese); Howard Wang (English)

A new recruit of the Third Division, Haruichi is the scion of the Izumo family who run the Izumo Tech corporation that develops equipment for the Defense Force including its suits.

Aoi Kaguragi (神楽木 葵, Kaguragi Aoi)

Voiced by: Shunsuke Takeuchi (Japanese); Jonah Scott (English)

A JGSDF officer who joins the Third Division and becomes part of the same platoon as Haruichi.

Konomi Okonogi (小此木 このみ, Okonogi Konomi)

Voiced by: Sayaka Senbongi (Japanese); Celeste Perez (English)

The lead operator of the Third Division who provides information to field officers. Her operations team monitors the suit power output of officers and can also remove their limiters allowing the officers to use greater outputs.

Akari Minase (水無瀬あかり, Minase Akari)

Voiced by: Nene Hieda (Japanese); Monica Flately (English)

Hakua Igarashi (五十嵐ハクア, Igarashi Hakua)

Voiced by: Mayuko Kazama (Japanese); Molly Searcy (English)

Kaijus

Kaiju No. 9 (怪獣9号, Kaijū 9-gō)

Voiced by: Hiroyuki Yoshino (Japanese); Alejandro Saab (English)

A sentient, humanoid kaiju who can create other kaiju and absorb humans, taking their appearance and memories. No. 9 infiltrates society by initially disguising itself as a human kaiju cleaner named Takamichi Hotaka (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita). No. 9 orchestrates most of the catastrophes that befall the Defense Force. It absorbs Isao Shinomiya and his Numbers 2 weapon which greatly increases its strength and ability to create stronger kaiju.

Kaiju No. 10 (怪獣10号, Kaijū 10-gō)

A sentient, humanoid kaiju that leads an attack on the Third Division's base leading a group of wyvern kaiju. It is ultimately defeated by Soshiro Hoshina and Mina Ashiro and is apprehended by the Defense Force. While imprisoned, No. 10 reveals that its creator is Kaiju No. 9 and asks to be turned into a Numbers weapon to be used by Soshiro. It is the first kaiju to be made into a Numbers weapon while still alive retaining its sentience. No. 10 has a maximum fortitude level of 9.0.

Production

Naoya Matsumoto began his career in 2006 with Neko Romancer, a series that was published in Jump Giga (then known as Akamaru Jump). He authored a series titled Nekowappa! that debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2009. The series was a continuation of a one-shot that Matsumoto wrote for the JG1 One-Shot festival. He published another one-shot titled Shikai Enbu in the 2012 spring edition of Jump Giga (then known as Jump Next) before starting his second serialization with Pochi Kuro that debuted on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website in 2014.

Matsumoto stated that Kaiju No. 8 was influenced by tokusatsu media such as the Ultraman series, specifically Ultraseven (1967), Shin Godzilla (2016) and Pacific Rim (2013). He aimed to create a story that follows a protagonist who has to achieve their goal while hiding their identity from a hostile organization they are also a part of, seeing it as an entertaining concept. Matsumoto described Kaiju No. 8 as "a challenging work" that allowed him to move away from his usual stories. According to the deputy editor-in-chief of Shōnen Jump+, Seijiro Nakaji, Kaiju No. 8 was an unexpected development from Matsumoto's usual fantasy stories. Nakaji said that Matsumoto, as a tokusatsu fan, was drawn to the archetypal protagonists of the genre "who gain extraordinary abilities, and become a hero, but also bear the weight of inner struggle as a consequence." Nakaji said that they planned to progress the story in two ways: "[o]ne where Kafka leads a normal life while hiding his true identity, and the other where he pursues his dream even after becoming a monster" with Matsumoto opting for the latter choice early on. Matsumoto aims to create page layouts that are easy to follow, especially on smartphones, due to the manga being released digitally. He draws inspiration from mythological creatures, animals and plants when designing kaiju.

Matsumoto works with three assistants for the series: Osamu Koiwai who is responsible for background art, Jiro Sakura who does "finishing work" and Mantohihi Binta who is credited for weapon design. For background art, Matsumoto prepares a storyboard providing compositions of the panels of a chapter that are sent to Koiwai. They discuss how to approach the scene after which Koiwai prepares a draft for Matsumoto's approval. Once the draft is approved Koiwai can proceed with producing the final version of the backgrounds. It takes Koiwai 3–4 days to complete the backgrounds of a chapter. Koiwai shares the process of creating backgrounds on YouTube.

Media

Manga

Written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto, Kaiju No. 8 started on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website on July 3, 2020. In August 2020, Matsumoto and Kaiju No. 8 adopted a schedule where a new chapter is published every week for three weeks, followed by a one week break. From June 25, 2021, a new schedule was adopted where a new chapter is published every two weeks. Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on December 4, 2020; a promotional video for the volume, presented as a news program, was shown on the big screen of Yunika Vision at Seibu-Shinjuku Station from December 4–10, 2020. As of April 4, 2024, 12 volumes have been released.

Viz Media began publishing the series in English on its website on August 2, 2020, under the title Kaiju No. 8, and on February 19, 2021, it announced that it had licensed the series for print in English, releasing the first volume on December 7, 2021. Shueisha began publishing chapters of the series on its Manga Plus website and app on July 22, 2020, under the title Monster #8 in English and several other languages. On March 30, 2023, Manga Plus announced that it would include Kaiju No. 8 in the title of the version of the manga on its service.

To promote the release of the first volume in France, publisher Crunchyroll (then known as Kazé) displayed a mural on the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris from October 6–15, 2021. The series is licensed in Italy by Star Comics, the publication of which was commemorated by the display of a mural in the Porta Genova metro station in Milan. The series is also licensed in Spain by Planeta Cómic, in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea, in Taiwan by Ever Glory Publishing, and in Poland by Studio JG.

Volumes

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were serialized on Shōnen Jump+.

• Chapter: 98–106

Spin-offs

A spin-off manga illustrated by Kentaro Hidano, titled Kaiju No. 8: B-Side (怪獣8号 side B), started serialization on Shōnen Jump+ on January 5, 2024 and features side stories of Defense Force members. Matsumoto and Keiji Andō are credited for the original work. Shueisha and Viz Media began publishing the series in English on January 4, 2024, Shueisha on its Manga Plus website and app and Viz Media on its Shonen Jump website and app.

Another spin-off manga, illustrated by Kizuku Watanabe, titled Kaiju No. 8 Relax, is set to start in Saikyō Jump on June 4, 2024.

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

Light novel

A 4-chapter side story light novel titled Kaiju No. 8: Exclusive on the Third Division (怪獣8号　密着！第3部隊, Kaijū Hachigō: Mitchaku! Daisan Butai) written by Keiji Andō and illustrated by Matsumoto, was released on November 4, 2022. On February 2, 2024, Viz Media announced that it had licensed the light novel for print in English. It is set to be published in Q4 2024.

Anime

On August 4, 2022, it was announced that the manga would be receiving an anime adaptation. It was later revealed to be a television series produced by Production I.G, with Studio Khara supervising the kaiju designs and artworks. It is directed by Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya, with scripts by Ichirō Ōkouchi, character designs and chief animation direction by Tetsuya Nishio, art direction by Shinji Kimura, monster designs by Mahiro Maeda, and music composed by Yuta Bandoh. The series premiered on April 13, 2024, on TV Tokyo and its affiliates, alongside Twitter for simulcast in Japan. The opening theme song is "Abyss" performed by Yungblud, while the ending theme song is "Nobody" performed by OneRepublic.

Crunchyroll licensed the series for streaming, alongside livestream simulcasting as it airs in Japan, as well as dubbed versions an hour after its television premiere, which includes English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Castilian, Latin American Spanish, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. Medialink licensed the series for streaming in Southeast Asia on its Ani-One Asia YouTube channel.

Episodes

Other media

Kafka Hibino is featured as a playable character in the video game Captain Velvet Meteor: The Jump+ Dimensions that was released on the Nintendo Switch on July 28, 2022.

A life-size statue of Kafka's kaiju form was displayed at the Tachikawa Station on the Chūō Main Line from April 26–29, 2024. Kafka's voice actor Masaya Fukunishi was appointed as the ceremonial one-day manager at the Kaiju No. 8 store in the station. The statue is set to be displayed in four other places from May 1 to June 16, 2024.

Reception

Popularity

According to Yūta Momiyama, the deputy editor-in-chief of Shōnen Jump+, Kaiju No. 8, along with Spy × Family, have been very popular and are doing especially well on the Manga Plus service. In December 2020, it was reported that Kaiju No. 8 surpassed 30 million views, making it the fastest Shōnen Jump+ series to achieve this feat, and each new chapter published surpasses one million views. In February 2021, the series reached 70 million views. In April 2021, the series reached over 100 million views. In February 2023, the series reached 400 million views. The series ranked tenth on AnimeJapan's 5th "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" poll in 2022.

Manga

The School Library Journal listed the first volume of Kaiju No. 8 as one of the top 10 manga of 2021. It ranked third on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2022 list of best manga for male readers. The series ranked second on the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2022. The series was included in Polygon's list of the best comics of 2021, Kotaku's list of the 11 best manga series of 2021 and The Fandom Post's list of the 12 best manga series of 2020.

Sales

The series' first volume sold 90,831 copies in its first week, and 69,404 copies in its second week. By December 2020, the first volumes had over 430,000 copies in circulation (print and digital). In January 2021, it was reported that the series was the best-selling new manga of 2020, within only 28 days since the first volume was published. By March 2021, the manga had over 1 million copies printed physically and 200,000 copies sold digitally, making it the fastest Shōnen Jump+ series to reach 1 million copies in circulation, and 20 days later reached 1.5 million copies in circulation. By June 2021, the manga had 2.5 million copies in circulation, and by middle of the month it reached 3 million copies. By September 2021, the manga had over 4 million copies in circulation; over 5.5 million copies in circulation by December 2021; over 6.7 million copies in circulation by March 2022; over 7.8 million copies in circulation by July 2022; over 8 million copies in circulation by August 2022; over 10 million copies in circulation by December 2022; over 11 million copies in circulation by March 2023; and over 13 million copies in circulation by April 2024.

The series' fifth and sixth volumes were among the 30 best-selling manga volumes of 2022. Volume 9 was among the best-selling manga volumes of 2023. Volume 10 was Shueisha's seventh highest first print run manga volume of 2023–2024 (period from April 2023–March 2024), with 600,000 copies printed.

Individual volumes have ranked on NPD Bookscan's monthly list since 2021 and on The New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since 2022. The series' first volume sold 118,000 copies in the United States in 2022.

In France, the series sold 22,041 copies in its first week, making it the best-selling debut of manga in France. By April 2023, the series sold 888,888 copies in France. In Italy, the first volume had a first print run of 245,000 copies (including various editions), surpassing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, which has 200,000 copies in circulation per volume.

Critical reception

The series' first volume has been positively received by various publications. Praise has been aimed at Naoya Matsumoto's artwork, which has been described as "gorgeous and incredibly detailed", and at his use of page spreads, "page-turns" and kaiju designs. Kafka Hibino has, particularly, been singled out as an endearing character and a novel aspect of the series due to his age. The series has also been lauded for its comedy. However, the first volume received some criticism for its formulaic beginning as well as inconsistent art quality and fast pacing that sacrifices character development.

Awards and nominations

Anime

The series' premiere was positively received. In a series of positive reviews for Anime News Network, Rebecca Silverman praised the art, animation and music saying that the series treads familiar territory but that "it's very comfortably working within the bounds of its genre and having fun with them." James Beckett complemented Production I.G for successfully balancing comedic elements of the story with "wonderful and weighty little beats that sell the entire world that much more effectively." Nicholas Dupree praised the show's action sequences and worldbuilding, noting that Kafka is a character who is easy to root for. Richard Eisenbeis praised the animation, specifically the detailed and realistic depiction of kaiju fights and their dissection, although he found the character designs to be simplistic. Digital Spy's Janet A Leigh praised the series' premiere for its animation and action, comparing its premise to Attack on Titan but with a more light-hearted tone. Toussaint Egan of Polygon similarly praised the show for its tone, dramatic moments and action saying that the premise "can be aptly described as My Hero Academia meets Pacific Rim." He praised the art direction that allowed the series to "[ground] its universe in a way that feels both intimately believable and visually extraordinary."

Notes

References

Further reading

• Taniguchi, Ryuichi (December 11, 2020). 『怪獣8号』は正義を描き切れるか？ 『呪術廻戦』『デビルマン』の展開から考察. Real Sound (in Japanese). Blueprint Co., Ltd.
• Kitani, Makoto (January 19, 2021). 怪獣の力を身につけた正義のオッサンの勇姿を見よ！ 「ジャンププラス」が放つ正統派ヒーロー漫画『怪獣8号』が熱い!!. Da Vinci News (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation.

External links

• Official website at Shōnen Jump+ (in Japanese)
• Official website at Manga Plus
• Official website at Viz Media
• Official anime website (in Japanese)
• Kaiju No. 8 at Anime News Network's encyclopedia