Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 by Naoya Matsumoto
Series Name: Kaiju No. 8
Genres: Action, Sci-Fi
Intended Age Group: Teen
Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump
Edition: Paperback
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2598-4
Rating: 3.5/5
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Description from the Book
With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes and unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!
Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem – He’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.
Personal & Info
My friends have been highly recommending this manga for a while, so I figured I’d try it. One of them ended up with an extra copy of volume one and gave it to me. It took a while to get around to even though it was in my priority pile.
I think the anime is set to release April 2024, so there isn’t long to wait to be able to see that adaptation.
Characters
Kafka Hibino is the main character. He’s 32 and completely given up on his dream to join the Defense Force. He works as part of the cleanup crew instead.
Mina Ashiro is the 27 year-old third division captain of the Defense Force. She’s also Kafka’s childhood friend. I get the feeling they haven’t spoken in a long time.
Reno Ichikawa is an 18 year-old new recruit at the Monster Sweeper Inc. cleanup crew. He aspires to join the Defense Force and he doesn’t have the greatest first impression. Thankfully, his personality gets better as the story progresses.
Kikoru Shinomiya is the daughter of the Defense Force director and the number one applicant to watch.
Haruichi Izumo, Iharu Furuhashi, and Aoi Kaguragi are three of the best candidates for the Defense Force applicants. They’ll probably become important longterm characters later.
Soshiro Hoshina is the vice-captain of the third division Defense Force team, the same team Mina Ashiro captains. They are proctoring the exam for joining the force.
Story & Thoughts
This is pretty good. I like it enough to say I liked it. I don’t quite think it’s deserving of a four, but it’s close. The premise is interesting. I like that it stars a protagonist who isn’t a teenager. That’s not super common.
I get major Attack on Titan vibes from the series. The city is frequently attacked by Kaiju and the protagonist turns into a Kaiju himself. There are also hints that make me think he’s not the only one in this situation. Plus, there’s a special force intended to fight Kaiju. It certainly feels similar. I assume people who like one will like the other.
Unlike what I can recall about Attack on Titan, though, this series has a lot of comic relief. Kafka and Reno are amusing together. The tension never goes on for too long before they do something silly. They’re not trying to be silly, but things often turn out that way.
I think this is a strong start for the series. It explains everything you need to know, and it introduces several characters who are likely to be significant as the series progresses. These parts are done well, and now that they’re out of the way, the series should be able to really get going. I’m looking forward to continuing the series.