Kaiju No. 8 | |
怪獣8号 (Kaijū Hachigō) | |
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Genre | |
Manga | |
Written by | Naoya Matsumoto |
Published by | Shueisha |
English publisher | |
Imprint | Jump Comics+ |
Magazine | Shōnen Jump+ |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | July 3, 2020 – present |
Volumes | 12 |
Light novel | |
Kaiju No. 8: Exclusive on the Third Division | |
Written by | Keiji Ando |
Illustrated by | Naoya Matsumoto |
Published by | Shueisha |
English publisher |
|
Imprint | Jump J-Books |
Demographic | Male |
Published | November 4, 2022 |
Manga | |
Kaiju No. 8: B-Side | |
Written by |
|
Illustrated by | Kentaro Hidano |
Published by | Shueisha |
English publisher |
|
Imprint | Jump Comics+ |
Magazine | Shōnen Jump+ |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | January 5, 2024 – present |
Volumes | 1 |
Anime television series | |
Directed by |
|
Written by | Ichirō Ōkouchi |
Music by | Yuta Bandoh |
Studio | Production I.G |
Licensed by | Crunchyroll |
Original network | TXN ( TV Tokyo) |
Original run | April 13, 2024 – present |
Episodes | 9 |
Manga | |
Kaiju No. 8 Relax | |
Written by | Kizuku Watanabe |
Published by | Shueisha |
Magazine | Saikyō Jump |
Demographic | Shōnen |
Original run | June 4, 2024 – present |
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.
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.
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 disposes 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 parasitic creature 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.
Kafka and Reno pass the exam and join the Third Division along with Kikoru Shinomiya, a kaiju-slaying prodigy who Kafka saved during the test from a humanoid kaiju which the Defense Force names "Kaiju No. 9". Kafka encounters No. 9 once more when it tries to kill Reno during their first mission with the Third Division. Kafka fails to kill No. 9 and as he tries to hide he is attacked by the vice captain of the Third Division, Soshiro Hoshina. After a short fight, Kafka escapes from the vice captain, still maintaining his cover. However, Kafka is eventually forced to reveal his kaiju form when he transforms in front of the Third Division to save its base in Tachikawa from destruction after it is attacked by another humanoid kaiju named Kaiju No. 10.
Kafka is, reluctantly, apprehended by Mina and sent to Defense Force headquarters where he is given a chance to prove his usefulness after he defeats the Director General of the Defense Force, and Kikoru's father, Isao Shinomiya, in a duel. Kafka and Kikoru join the First Division led by captain Gen Narumi where they again fight No. 9 who attacks Shinagawa. Although the group kills two decoy versions of No. 9, the real one attacks Isao and absorbs him and his Numbers 2 weapon, a powered suit of armor created from the remains of Kaiju No. 2, with which it becomes stronger. No. 9 escapes and prepares for an invasion of Japan. Kafka and Kikoru train for the invasion with Kikoru gaining her mother's Numbers 4 weapon. Reno gains the Numbers 6 weapon and trains with the Fourth Division.
Several months later, No. 9 begins its invasion of Japan, sending a group of kaiju identified as Kaiju Nos. 11–15 that attack Gen, Soshiro, Kafka, Mina and Kikoru respectively. After some struggle, Gen, Soshiro, Kafka and Kikoru succeed in defeating their opponents with Mina being the last one to defeat hers. However, No. 9 uses the corpse of Kaiju No. 14 as a portal to close the distance between itself and Mina, revealing its plan to kill and absorb Mina in order for it to gain her highly destructive ability that makes her an important part of the Defense Force. Kafka tries to reach Mina but is stopped by numerous kaiju controlled by No. 9. However, Reno arrives to clear a path for Kafka who manages to reach Mina before she is absorbed by No. 9. Kafka and No. 9 begin their battle.
Naoya Matsumoto began his career in 2006 with Neko Romancer, a series that was published in Jump Giga (then known as Akamaru Jump). [26] 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. [27] He published another one-shot titled Shikai Enbu in the 2012 spring edition of Jump Giga (then known as Jump Next) [28] before starting his second serialization with Pochi Kuro that debuted on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website in 2014. [29]
Matsumoto stated that Kaiju No. 8 was influenced by tokusatsu media such as the Ultraman series, specifically Ultraseven (1967), as well as Shin Godzilla (2016) [30] and Pacific Rim (2013). [26] 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. [30] Matsumoto described Kaiju No. 8 as "a challenging work" that allowed him to move away from his usual stories. [31] 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." [7] 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. [7] 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. [7]
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. [32] 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. [33]
Written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto , Kaiju No. 8 started on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website on July 3, 2020. [34] 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. [35] From June 25, 2021, a new schedule was adopted where a new chapter is published every two weeks. [36] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on December 4, 2020; [37] 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. [38] As of April 4, 2024, 12 volumes have been released. [39]
Viz Media began publishing the series in English on its website on August 2, 2020, under the title Kaiju No. 8, [40] and on February 19, 2021, it announced that it had licensed the series for print in English, [41] releasing the first volume on December 7, 2021. [42] Shueisha began publishing chapters of the series on its Manga Plus website and app on July 22, 2020, under the title Monster #8 [43] in English and several other languages. [a] 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. [44]
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. [45] 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. [46] The series is also licensed in Spain by Planeta Cómic, [47] in Argentina by Editorial Ivrea, [48] in Taiwan by Ever Glory Publishing, [49] and in Poland by Studio JG. [50]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | |
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1 | December 4, 2020 [37] | 978-4-08-882525-0 | December 7, 2021 [42] | 978-1-9747-2598-4 | |
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2 | March 4, 2021 [51] | 978-4-08-882611-0 | April 5, 2022 [52] | 978-1-9747-2714-8 | |
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3 | June 4, 2021 [53] | 978-4-08-882671-4 | July 12, 2022 [54] | 978-1-9747-2899-2 | |
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4 | September 3, 2021 [55] | 978-4-08-882815-2 | October 11, 2022 [56] | 978-1-9747-3234-0 | |
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5 | December 3, 2021 [57] | 978-4-08-882872-5 | January 10, 2023 [58] | 978-1-9747-3418-4 | |
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6 | March 4, 2022 [59] | 978-4-08-883053-7 | April 11, 2023 [60] | 978-1-9747-3633-1 | |
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7 | July 4, 2022 [61] | 978-4-08-883170-1 | July 11, 2023 [62] | 978-1-9747-3869-4 | |
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8 | November 4, 2022 [63] | 978-4-08-883305-7 | October 10, 2023 [64] | 978-1-9747-4062-8 | |
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9 | March 3, 2023 [65] | 978-4-08-883443-6 | January 2, 2024 [66] | 978-1-9747-4301-8 | |
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10 | August 4, 2023 [67] | 978-4-08-883613-3 | June 4, 2024 [68] | 978-1-9747-4699-6 | |
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11 | December 4, 2023 [69] | 978-4-08-883747-5 | — | — | |
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12 | April 4, 2024 [39] | 978-4-08-883898-4 | — | — | |
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13 | July 4, 2024 [70] | 978-4-08-884160-1 | — | — |
These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were serialized on Shōnen Jump+.
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. [71] [72] 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. [73] Shueisha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes. The first volume was released on April 4, 2024. [74] Viz Media licensed the series for print in English with the first volume set to be released in Q2 2025. [75]
No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | English release date | English ISBN | ||
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1 | April 4, 2024 [74] | 978-4-08-884010-9 | — | — | ||
|
These chapters have yet to be published in a tankōbon volume. They were serialized on Shōnen Jump+.
Another spin-off manga, illustrated by Kizuku Watanabe , titled Kaiju No. 8 Relax, began its serialization in Saikyō Jump on June 4, 2024 and on Shōnen Jump+ on June 7 of the same year. [76]
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. [77] [78] 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. [79]
On August 4, 2022, it was announced that the manga would be receiving an anime adaptation. [80] [81] It was later revealed to be a television series produced by Production I.G, with Studio Khara supervising the kaiju designs and artworks. [82] [83] 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. [84] [85] The series premiered on April 13, 2024, on TV Tokyo and its affiliates, alongside Twitter for simulcast in Japan. [8] [86] The opening theme is "Abyss" performed by Yungblud, while the ending theme is " Nobody" performed by OneRepublic. [15] [86]
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, [87] [5] which includes English, Brazilian Portuguese, French, German, Italian, Castilian Spanish, Latin American Spanish, Hindi, Telugu, and Tamil. [88] [89] Medialink licensed the series for streaming in Southeast Asia on its Ani-One Asia YouTube channel. [90]
No. | Title [91] [b] | Directed by [c] | Written by [c] | Storyboarded by [c] | Original air date [93] | |
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1 | "The Man Who Became a Kaiju" Transliteration: "Kaijū ni Natta Otoko" ( Japanese: 怪獣になった男) | Tomomi Kamiya | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Tomomi Kamiya | April 13, 2024 | |
Kafka Hibino works as a cleaner disposing of kaiju carcasses after they have been eliminated by the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force, a military organization that protects Japan from kaiju. Initially wanting to be part of the Defense Force, Kafka gave up after failing to pass the exam before he got too old, but finds out the Defense Force has recently raised the recruitment age to 32, making him eligible again. Kafka and his new coworker and aspiring Defense Force Member, Reno Ichikawa, are attacked by a yoju at work. After holding the yoju off, the duo are saved by the Defense Force's Third Division led by Captain Mina Ashiro, Kafka's childhood friend with whom he made a promise to fight kaiju together. Later in a hospital, at the encouragement of Reno, Kafka decides to try to join the Defense Force one last time. However, Kafka is attacked by a parasitic kaiju that enters his body through his mouth and turns him into a human-kaiju hybrid. A patient reports Kafka's position forcing him and Reno to flee. In a post-credits scene, Mina is called to gather her squad and eliminate the kaiju reported to be at the hospital. | ||||||
2 | "The Kaiju Who Defeats Kaiju" Transliteration: "Kaijū o Taosu Kaijū" ( Japanese: 怪獣を倒す怪獣) | Takayuki Inagaki | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Kazuya Nomura | April 20, 2024 | |
While Mina orders her squad to move to the location where a kaiju was reported, Kafka and Reno leave the hospital to hide from the Defense Force. As the duo is escaping, Kafka detects a yoju that emerges from the underground and attacks a nearby house, trapping a woman and her daughter. Kafka steps in and kills the yoju saving the mother and daughter with the daughter thanking him for his help which strengthens his resolve to join the Defense Force. After changing back to his human form, Kafka and Reno escape. Three months later, Kafka has been given the codename "Kaiju No. 8" due to evading capture and he and Reno pass the first part of the test. The duo proceed to the testing grounds for the second part of the test where they meet Kikoru Shinomiya, another recruit, who notices that Kafka smells like a kaiju. | ||||||
3 | "Revenge Match" Transliteration: "Ribenji Matchi" ( Japanese: リベンジマッチ) | Hitomi Ezoe | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Kazumi Ta | April 27, 2024 | |
Reno tells Kikoru that he and Kafka work as kaiju cleaners explaining his smell and swaying her doubts. Kafka and Reno begin the physical part of the test, which Kafka barely passes, and move on to the aptitude test. The
proctor for the exam, the vice-captain of the Third Division, Soshiro Hoshina, explains that the recruits need to eliminate a large group of yoju led by a honju, a larger and stronger kaiju, in a training area. The recruits are outfitted with power suits, made from kaiju muscle fibers, that empower them, boosting their physical capabilities and their weapons and providing them with a shield that, if activated, makes them fail the test. The suits have unleased combat power expressed as a percentage with Kafka being the only recruit with a 0% output. Despite that, Kafka utilizes his knowledge of kaiju to support others in eliminating the targets when a yoju attacks him and injures him. Right before his shield activates Kafka is saved by Kikoru after which Soshiro advises him to quit due to his injuries. Kafka refuses and chooses to continue as Mina watches his progress. | ||||||
4 | "Fortitude 9.8" Transliteration: "Forutichūdo 9.8" ( Japanese: フォルティチュード9.8) | Kazuki Yokoyama | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Iwao Teraoka | May 4, 2024 | |
Kafka and Reno try to support other trainees due to the duo's low firepower. Kikoru runs past other recruits eliminating all yoju and the honju, ending the aptitude test. As Kikoru is about to return to the others, she is attacked by an intelligent, humanoid kaiju that revives all of the yoju and the honju, making them stronger in the process. The humanoid kaiju orders the honju to attack Kikoru. Kafka appears and transforms, killing the honju and saving Kikoru's life. The Defense Force picks up on Kafka's fortitude level, revealing it to be 9.8 which is written off as a reading error. Mina and Soshiro survey the destroyed honju with Soshiro suspecting that it is connected to the yoju Kafka killed three months prior. As Kikoru recuperates in the hospital, Soshiro questions her if she killed the revived honju. Kikoru lies and says that she is the one who killed it. Later, the humanoid kaiju listens to a news report about the incident, changing its appearance to that of a human kaiju cleaner. | ||||||
5 | "Joining Up!" Transliteration: "Nyūtai!" ( Japanese: 入隊!) | Kōji Komurakata | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Yôjirô Arai | May 11, 2024 | |
With the test finished, Reno and Kikoru are inducted into the Defense Force as officers while Kafka is accepted as a cadet to be further trained at the behest of Soshiro who points out Kafka's contributions in the aptitude test to the selection committee. Secretly however, Soshiro suspects that Kafka is hiding something as his vitals were not being picked up when the 9.8 fortitude level reading appeared during the test. Kikoru talks with Kafka and Reno about Kafka's power and promises to keep it a secret. The trio continue their training, slowly increasing their unleashed combat power. Kafka and Reno befriend recruits Iharu Furuhashi, Haruichi Izumo and Aoi Kaguragi with Kafka revealing that he and Mina are childhood friends which is overheard by Soshiro. Later, Kafka and Soshiro talk about Kafka's promise to Mina and that Kafka aims to be by her side which Soshiro interprets as a challenge to take his position. Their conversation is cut short by an alarm that indicates a new kaiju emergency and Kafka prepares for his first mission. | ||||||
6 | "Sagamihara Neutralization Operation at Daybreak" Transliteration: "Yoake no Sagamihara Tōbatsu Sakusen" ( Japanese: 夜明けの相模原討伐作戦) | Tetsuji Nakamura | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Kazuya Nomura | May 18, 2024 | |
The Third Division begins an operation to eliminate a large fungal type honju that emerges in
Sagamihara. Mina uses her personal weapon, a massive handheld cannon, to eliminate the large honju. Its destruction releases a swarm of smaller yoju that start approaching the city. Kafka and the rest of the division are tasked with eliminating the swarm to prevent further destruction. Kafka struggles to help in combat due to his low unleashed combat power so he dissects a dead yoju, finding its core and a set of reproductive organs that allow it to increase its numbers even after death. Soshiro thanks Kafka for his help and the information is spread to other platoons. As Reno and Iharu eliminate yoju in a part of the city, they encounter the humanoid kaiju that attacked Kikoru during the entrance exam, in its human disguise, as it wonders how the Defense Force found out about the yoju's anatomy. | ||||||
7 | "Kaiju No. 9" Transliteration: "Kaijū Kyu-gō" ( Japanese: 怪獣9号) | Yoshihide Ibata | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Takayuki Sano, Shigeyuki Miya | May 25, 2024 | |
The humanoid kaiju attacks Reno and Iharu, severely injuring the latter. Reno tries to contact the rest of the Third Division but the humanoid kaiju reveals that it formed a "mimetic space" that blocks communications and that allows it to remain hidden from the Defense Force. Reno and Iharu try to defeat it but are easily dispatched. As the humanoid kaiju is about to kill the both of them, Kafka arrives and easily defeats it. However, a pair of Third Division officers appear preventing Kafka from finishing off the kaiju and it escapes. Kafka runs away from the area to hide in an alleyway where he is found by Soshiro who attacks him and accuses him of attacking Reno and Iharu. Soshiro removes the limiter from his suit so that he can use his full unleashed combat power and informs the Third Division that he is neutralizing Kaiju No. 8. | ||||||
8 | "Welcome to the Defense Force" Transliteration: "Bōei Tai e Yōkoso" ( Japanese: 防衛隊へようこそ) | Haruo Okuno | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Haruo Okuno | June 1, 2024 | |
Kafka tries to defend himself long enough to escape without hurting the vice-captain. Soshiro locates Kafka's core and tries to destroy it but Kafka successfully counters his attack, breaking the vice-captain's sword, and escapes while avoiding detection. Soshiro informs Mina that he suspects that Kaiju No. 8 might be a daikaiju, a rare and powerful type of kaiju. The humanoid kaiju, now identified by the Defense Force as No. 9, kills a man, taking his appeareance and goes into hiding. With the mission over, Kafka and Kikoru visit Reno and Iharu who are recovering in a hospital. The Third Division holds a party to celebrate their success and Reno and Iharu's recovery. Soshiro announces that Kafka is now officially part of the Defense Force due to his contributions in the mission and is later promoted by Mina who informs Kafka that this was done on Soshiro's recommendation. While Mina leaves the base to have a meeting at headquarters regarding Kaiju No. 9, Kafka visits Soshiro as the latter is training and thanks him for his trust. While this is happening, in the skies above the base a group of flying kaiju led by another humanoid kaiju prepare to attack the Third Division base. | ||||||
9 | "Raid on Tachikawa Base" Transliteration: "Tachikawa Kichi Shūgeki" ( Japanese: 立川基地襲撃) | Kōji Komurakata, Ryōta Furukawa, Claire Launay, Hirotaka Mori | Ichirō Ōkouchi | Ryōta Furukawa | June 8, 2024 | |
The group of flying kaiju land on the Third Division base and begin their assault. Soshiro leads the defense efforts as Mina is away at headquarters. Kafka identifies the kaiju as wyvern types and relays this information to Soshiro and the rest of the division saying that they are usually solitary. Soshiro deduces that the wyvern kaiju put aside their pride and are banding together under a leader. The leader is identified as an intelligent, humanoid kaiju with a fortitude level of 8.3 that attacks Soshiro as he is the strongest fighter on base. While this is happening, Reno, Iharu, Haruichi and Aoi try to eliminate the other wyvern kaiju with the help of Kikoru who was given an axe as a personal weapon made from the remains of a previously eliminated honju. Kafka helps the team with further information about the wyvern kaiju. Soshiro continues fighting the humanoid kaiju leading it to the training grounds where he nearly destroys its core. However, the humanoid kaiju keeps the core intact and transforms increasing its size and fortitude level to 9.0 and preparing itself for further battle. |
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. [94]
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. [95]
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. [96] 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. [97] In February 2021, the series reached 70 million views. [98] In April 2021, the series reached over 100 million views. [99] In February 2023, the series reached 400 million views. [100] The series ranked tenth on AnimeJapan's 5th "Most Wanted Anime Adaptation" poll in 2022. [101]
The School Library Journal listed the first volume of Kaiju No. 8 as one of the top 10 manga of 2021. [102] It ranked third on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! 2022 list of best manga for male readers. [103] [104] [105] The series ranked second on the Nationwide Bookstore Employees' Recommended Comics of 2022. [106] The series was included in Polygon's list of the best comics of 2021, [107] Kotaku's list of the 11 best manga series of 2021 [108] and The Fandom Post's list of the 12 best manga series of 2020. [109]
The series' first volume sold 90,831 copies in its first week, [110] and 69,404 copies in its second week. [111] By December 2020, the first volumes had over 430,000 copies in circulation (print and digital). [112] 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. [113] 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, [114] [98] and 20 days later reached 1.5 million copies in circulation. [115] By June 2021, the manga had 2.5 million copies in circulation, [116] and by middle of the month it reached 3 million copies. [117] [118] By September 2021, the manga had over 4 million copies in circulation; [119] over 5.5 million copies in circulation by December 2021; [120] over 6.7 million copies in circulation by March 2022; [121] over 7.8 million copies in circulation by July 2022; [122] over 8 million copies in circulation by August 2022; [80] over 10 million copies in circulation by December 2022; [123] over 11 million copies in circulation by March 2023; [124] and over 13 million copies in circulation by April 2024. [125]
The series' fifth and sixth volumes were among the 30 best-selling manga volumes of 2022. [126] Volume 9 was among the best-selling manga volumes of 2023. [127] 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. [128]
Individual volumes have ranked on Circana (formerly NPD) Bookscan's monthly list since 2021 [129] and on The New York Times' Graphic Books and Manga bestseller monthly list since 2022. [130] The series' first volume sold 118,000 copies in the United States in 2022. [131]
In France, the series sold 22,041 copies in its first week, making it the best-selling debut of manga in France. [132] By April 2023, the series sold 888,888 copies in France. [133] 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. [134]
The series' first volume has been positively received by various publications. [d] Praise has been aimed at Naoya Matsumoto's artwork, [e] which has been described as "gorgeous and incredibly detailed", [136] and at his use of page spreads, [137] "page-turns" [136] and kaiju designs. [f] Kafka Hibino has, particularly, been singled out as an endearing character [143] and a novel aspect of the series due to his age. [g] The series has also been lauded for its comedy. [135] [136] [140] However, the first volume received some criticism for its formulaic beginning [135] [144] as well as inconsistent art quality and fast pacing that sacrifices character development. [145]
Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | 14th Manga Taishō | Grand Prize | 6th place | [146] [147] |
5th Tsutaya Comic Award | Next Hit | 2nd place | [148] | |
Geeks d'Ouro | Best Manga Series | Won | [149] | |
Tokyo's New Manga Award | Best Manga | Won | [150] | |
7th Next Manga Award | Web Manga | Won | [151] | |
7th Ayumi Comic Award | Grand Prize | Won | [152] | |
Da Vinci 21st Annual Book of the Year | Book of the Year | 12th place | [153] | |
2022 | 26th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize | Cultural Prize | Nominated | [105] |
eBook Initiative Japan Manga Award | Grand Prize | Won | [154] | |
Eisner Award | Best U.S. Edition of International Material—Asia | Nominated | [155] | |
Da Vinci 22nd Annual Book of the Year | Book of the Year | 26th place | [156] |
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. [157] 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. [158] 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." [159]