The first 3 episodes of Kaiju no. 8 haven't blown me out of the water, but they certainly have not disappointed me. So for that reason alone, I think this show deserves your attention.
Here's the premise: Japan has the highest amount of Kaiju appear in the world. The Kaiju neutralization force has been tasked with the objective of eliminating all the kaiju. Our MC, Kafka Hibino is a cleanup man, having to do all the dirty work after all of the flashy action is over. He's always dreamed of joining the force, and now just when he gets an opportunity to do so, he ends up turning into a Kaiju himself!
The premise and motivations are fairly standard for a battle shonen. Our MC wants to reunite with his childhood friend and look good in front of her. Even so, I believe the execution is there, and that's what matters.
Animation: The animation is very solid and clean on this show. Production IG are a great studio, they've personally done some of my favorite anime in Psycho Pass season 1 as well as the more recent Heavenly Delusion, which just released last year (and also had excellent animation). As soon as I saw Production IG's name attached to this project, I knew the animation was going to be handled well. Additionally, the fight scenes in the show are quite smooth. The Kaiju are fully 2D, which makes for an enjoyable viewing experience.
Overall score: 8/10
Characters: I enjoy the cast of Kaiju no. 8 a lot. Kafka Hibino isn't your typical shonen protagonist, as he's in his 30's (so oldies will be able to relate to him easier), and I appreciate that they went that route as it's unique in that regard. Ichikawa is enjoyable to watch and Kikoru, while not my favorite right now, has a lot of potential moving forward and it looks like they are setting up for devlopment beyond just your "typical tsundere". I also like Mina and she appears cold on the outside but actually deeply cares for Kafka on the inside.
Overall score: 8/10
Sound: The sound in this anime is honestly excellent. The sound effects in the fight scenes are on point and visceral, you feel every blow, every attack, every gunshot. Additionally, the top notch voice acting really elevates one's viewing experience. Kafka and Ichikawa's VA's don't appear to have too many high profile roles, but they have been doing a great job so far, and Kikoru and Mina are voiced by Fariouz Ai and Asami Seto respectively, which are 2 extremely talented VA's. I think the sound is probably the strongest aspect of the show.
Overall score: 9/10
OP and ED: Definitely the weakest part of the show, but to many, it's the least important. I knew this subject would be controversial the second they announced that western artists would be performing the intro and outro theme of Kaiju no. 8. "Oh no, how dare the westerners touch my precious Japanese animation." was a lot of people's gut reaction. However, after having sat down and listened to the op and ed of kaiju numerious times, I actually like them both. The op is quite serious, giving a vibe of "impending doom". Tho I will say the CGI in it is wack, idk what they were on while making those visuals. As for the ed, its very upbeat and happy go lucky. It doesn't perfectly fit the vibe of Kaiju no. 8, but that doesn't matter, because it's still a good song regardless. The visuals, while simple, go well with the song and are unique for an ed.
OP score: 8/10
ED score: 7/10
Overall score: 7.5/10
All in all, I think Kaiju no. 8 is a very entertaining show that appeals to a wide audience. I feel like it's going to be the "dumb battle shonen with good production values" of the season. If you're looking for the most intricate and complex of storylines, Kaiju no. 8 may not be for you. If you want to have a fun time watching some killer Kaiju action, then Kaiju no. 8 is definitely for you.
