Kaijuu 8-gou

Grotesque, Godzilla-like monsters called "kaijuu" have been appearing around Japan for many years. To combat these beasts, an elite military unit known as the Defense Corps risks their lives daily to protect civilians. Once a creature is killed, "sweepers"—working under the Professional Kaijuu Cleaner Corporation—are left to dispose of its remains.

Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old man, is unsatisfied with his job as a sweeper. From a young age, he has aspired to join the Defense Corps and kill kaijuus for a living. After a few failed attempts, however, he gave up on his dreams and resigned himself to the mediocrity that provided a decent paycheck. Nevertheless, when an ambitious, 18-year-old recruit named Reno Ichikawa joins his cleaning team, Kafka is once again reminded of his desire to join the military.

Following a chain of unfortunate events and an interaction with the junior sweeper, Kafka encounters a parasite-type kaijuu that forces its way in through his mouth—turning him into a humanoid monster. With his newfound powers, Kafka aims to give his lifelong dream a final try.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Kaijuu 8-gou has been published digitally in English as Monster #8 through MANGA Plus. The volumes have been published in English as Kaiju No. 8 by VIZ Media under the Shonen Jump imprint since December 7, 2021.

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Hibino, Kafka

Main

Shinomiya, Kikoru

Main

Ichikawa, Reno

Main

Hoshina, Soushirou

Supporting

Narumi, Gen

Supporting

Ashiro, Mina

Supporting

Okonogi, Konomi

Supporting

Furuhashi, Iharu

Supporting

Shinomiya, Isao

Supporting

Kaguragi, Aoi

Supporting

Reviews

Jun 3, 2024

Muwolfwarrior

Recommended

Preliminary (107/? eps)

Kaiju No. 8: New Takes on Old Shonen Tropes

"Kaiju No. 8" is a new series by Naoya Matsumoto, recently published in Shonen Jump, which incorporates known shonen elements into a somewhat new but exciting twist, which would catch fans off guard. The conventional story structure of the genre is balanced by the unexpected elements that the manga displays.

Plot Summary
As the backdrop to the story, within the world, it is routine that giant monsters are attacking, called kaiju. Kaiju No. 8 is about a young man named Kafka Hibino. Nevertheless, through a series of unforeseen events, he will be able to become a kaiju himself—another attempt ... at finally achieving his dream and the chance to save the world from the monstrous threats that besiege it.

Classic Shonen Tropes Twisted
"Kaiju No. 8" takes a lot of the classic shonen manga tropes and follows the path laid out by other big series in the Shonen Jump line, including "My Hero Academia" and "One Punch Man." Like them, it features a latent-ability underdog protagonist, a doting but rivaling supporting cast, and high-stakes battles that keep upping the ante. However, where Kaiju No. 8 shines is Kaiju Fresh when it comes to handling these hackneyed concepts. It all messed up when Kafka, who hates the kaiju so much, turned into one. The duality then sets the stage for an identity horror and a desperate desire for normalcy, fear, and acceptance that feels fresh and resonant.

Engaging and Creative Storytelling
Matsumoto tells his story with enthusiasm and ingenuity. The pace of the narrative is flowing, with each chapter continuing from the last, creating an amalgam that conjures the essence of momentum and excitement. It creates an immersive experience, drawing readers in while establishing a setting in which the threat of kaiju hangs overhead like a blanket. The action scenes in the manga are a real standout: dynamic art paired with rip-roaring and well-choreographed battles. Incredible moments like these are not only full of fantastic art but are also included to provoke readers into feeling an affinity for the characters and their struggles. Kafka's journey as a resigned cleaner-turned-powerful kaiju warrior is intriguing, and his personal growth is humorously and endearingly portrayed.

Classic Kaiju Homage
"Kaiju No. 8" is a classic feeling throwback to most, if not all, traditional kaiju stories that are synonymous with Japanese pop culture. Notable examples are the widely known "Godzilla." This relation to traditional kaiju narratives gives the manga a layer of nostalgia and depth that can make it accessible to a broader readership. The kaiju themselves are designed brilliantly, and each of them has unique abilities and characteristics that make them formidable adversaries. The creativity in their variety of designs for the kaiju keeps the battles exciting and unpredictable, much like the classic kaiju films that have been entrancing audiences for generations.

Suitable for All Ages
One of the strengths of "Kaiju No. 8" is its broad appeal. Although it is chock-full of intense action and decidedly mature themes, the story unravels within a tone that is never out of reach for the intended younger audience. The humor, camaraderie, and struggle of the friends will maintain this anime as a classic for every age group. It doesn't make light of the darkness of some of the plot points; it does counterbalance it with small, touching, and comedic moments and an uplifting message of bravery and friendship. This balance in the engaging manga without getting too intense for younger readers.

Conclusion
"Kaiju No. 8" is a standout entry in the shonen genre overall because of how adeptly the familiar gets mixed with new in dramatic storytelling for a mixture of the old and the new. It's an engaging story with developed characters and an appeal to the classic kaiju tale. It would be very rewarding to fans of the genre and a very appropriate addition to the Shonen Jump lineup. Naoya Matsumoto has written a story that not only respects shonen manga's past but pushes further into its future, producing a tale that is as exciting as it is heartfelt. If you have been a fan of shonen manga for a long, or even if you're just trying the genre, "Kaiju No. 8" is an adventure not to be missed.

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May 30, 2024

YYRezin

Mixed Feelings

Preliminary (106/? eps)

Knew about this manga for years but never got around to reading it, but when I watched the first couple of episodes of the anime I decided to pick it up. And wow must I say, this is one of the best, worst manga's I've ever read. The start is pretty engaging with small parts of story sprinkled in randomly that feels quite out of place? I don't know how to explain it but it feels as if parts of backstory were just thrown in for the sake of it. The arc where Kafka becomes a recruit is INCREDIBLY boring, he is a character that ...

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Apr 23, 2024

VAD_S

Not Recommended

Funny

Preliminary (105/? eps)

Alright, I might piss some people off, so please bear in mind this is just my opinion.

Come here after the promising episode 1 and 2 of the anime, and 105 chapters into Kaiju #8. So far, the last arc has been. Meh. Honestly Kaiju #8 has been a blast from the start. The best part is definitely our main character, but the side characters man.

Holy f*** the side characters. Omega mid. Like seriously. Every single one of the "new generation" is boring as f***. We got Narumi, the "Gojo" from Walmart. We got the what's-his-name Levi/Zoro knockoff. We got the "rival" lil-bro side character ... which is also boring as f***. And we got the mary-sue turned into damsel in distress (The Mary sue has to be a damsel in distress in order for our MC to be a Gigachad, otherwise what's the point?). A fate for all strong beautiful female characters in your typical shonen.

Yes, unfortunately it's true, typical shonen! Especially the power-scaling after training is just too cringe for me. It's like screaming, hey I'm just your typical shonen. This is just Bleach with different flavors. Literally the best part of this series is the main character development. The author kinda try to subvert the trope and try to make things darker, but ended up going back into PG-13. I'm sorry but. Holy boring. I don't know what I'm expecting though, I guess I come here expecting a mature story with dark comedy, like the level of Chainsaw-Man writing since the main character is a full-grown adult. But I just met with another typical shonen formula series.

Again. My god. The only appeal is the main character Kafka. He's the only interesting character, but when you don't make him grow and make the focus too spread-out, you undermine the best thing in the whole series. This ain't One Piece, where the side characters are far more interesting than Luffy. It's the actual opposite. My god everyone is boring as f***.

Conclusion, Mann. I don't know though. Maybe I'm writing the review too early. So far the latest arc hasn't been concluded yet. But after seeing how the power-scaling results after training. It's too predictable it's not even funny. I don't have much hope for this manga to be honest. Regardless, maybe, just maybe the author will make the best plot twist ever. Maybe the show will get darker as I wanted it to be. Or maybe, as I expected, it'll be mid. Hell, less than mid. At least Bleach had villains that were kinda fun to watch! Most of these Kaiju chumps don't even put up a decent fight or interesting designs.

I don't want to do this. But I'm sorry y'all. 6/10. Great starters, very bad executions until this point. Let's hope I'll be proven wrong in the next chapters. Will wait for a year or two and redo this again. Maybe.

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Poll: Kaijuu 8-gou Chapter 108 Discussion MegamiRem - Jun 6	17 replies	by deg »» Yesterday, 12:41 AM
Poll: Kaijuu 8-gou Chapter 17 Discussion Kuma - Nov 12, 2020	11 replies	by mikuchuu_ »» Jun 4, 10:06 PM
Poll: Kaijuu 8-gou Chapter 107 Discussion MegamiRem - May 23	11 replies	by Softhenic03 »» May 26, 2:01 AM
Poll: Kaijuu 8-gou Chapter 22 Discussion Kuma - Jan 7, 2021	12 replies	by landofthekwt »» May 25, 7:02 PM
I am getting more and more the vibes of Parasyte and Jagaaan from this manga... aLotQuestion_ - May 11	7 replies	by james4kaul »» May 21, 11:45 AM

Kaijuu 8-gou
Kaiju No. 8
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