Kaiju No. 8 – Ep. 1

Last Spring, I gave Kaiju No. 8 a whirl and covered its first two episodes. The only reason I stopped was simply because I already had two shows I wanted to cover that season (Laid-Back Camp Season 3 and Jellyfish Can’t Swim in the Night). Per the recommendation of Momomanamu in a recent announcement post I wrote and to open the door for potential coverage of Season 2, I’m coming back to the show. The first two posts are the same old ones, just re-dated and re-edited. Everything after the Episode 2 review will be entirely new. For the record, I have seen Episodes 3 and 4 so I’m not going into Season 1 blind until Episode 5.

Kaiju No. 8 takes place in an alternate version of our world, in which kaiju frequently appear and wreak havoc. The show begins with a typical battle between one and the Third Division of the Japanese Anti-Kaiju Defense Force (JAKDF for short), the military organization in charge of combatting kaijus in Japan. In the aftermath, we see Kafka Hibino (Masaya Fukunishi; Megumi Han in certain flashbacks), participate in disposing of the kaiju’s carcass for his employer Monster Sweepers Inc.. The next day, he shows the ropes to a new recruit and an aspiring Defense Force operator, Reno Ichikawa (Wataru Kato). The two initially don’t get along after Reno learns that Kafka gave up on his dream to join the Defense Force but Reno gradually warms up to Kafka, thanks to the latter’s reliable and kind nature.

The funny thing about this premiere is that I wouldn’t mind if the whole show was actually about the kaiju cleanup service. That’s such a quirky spin on kaiju and workplace comedies that I can’t not dig it. The show certainly gets some laughs out of it, the most notable being Kafka and Reno’s reluctance to deal with kaiju intestines and the grossness and smelliness of their job ruining their appetites. It would be entertaining to see these guys deal with different kaiju carcasses and all the different gross anatomies that come with them. Maybe in another timeline, that’s what Kaiju No. 8 revolves around.

Halfway through the episode, Kafka and Reno get ambushed by a yoju, a smaller type of kaiju compared to the big one shown at the beginning. Kafka holds the monster off and allows Reno to run off and call in the Third Division, though the rookie returns to save Kafka and fend off the yoju until help arrives. This scene does a solid job establishing the heroism of both Kafka and Reno. Kafka shows off some quick thinking and athleticism and he doesn’t hesitate to sacrifice himself for Reno. Even when he gets severely injured, he still tries to stand up and fight. Likewise, Reno returns to save Kafka, arguing that he wouldn’t make it in the Defense Force if he allows a friend to die. It’s a good display of character that makes you want to see these two men realize their dreams.

Eventually, the Third Division arrives and defeats the yoju. Following the ordeal, Kafka and Reno recover at a hospital. Just as the former decides to re-apply for the Defense Force, a small and parasitic kaiju suddenly appears and it allows itself to be ingested by Kafka, granting him the ability to become a human-sized kaiju. Most likely, you’d already know that Kafka can do this as it was advertised ahead of time. Still, this does feel out of the blue and it’ll likely only make more sense as time goes on. I do like how Kafka’s kaiju design walks a fine line between intimidating and goofy. This is best demonstrated with his and Reno’s reaction at the new form, their horror at what just happened is warranted but the show does dial it to an exaggerated degree for a good laugh.

There’s an interesting plot thread surrounding Kafka and the captain of the Third Division, Mina Ashiro (Asami Seto). The two actually go way back and they both vowed to join the Defense Force. Obviously, Mina is the only one who managed to keep her end of the promise and judging by the post-credit scene, she seems to resent Kafka for failing to do the same. Since Kafka plans on re-applying for the Defense Force, it’s very likely that he’ll cross paths with Mina again. Of course, that could get complicated thanks to Kafka’s new kaiju form. Already, things are off to a potentially awkward start as Mina gets called in to hunt down a kaiju sighted at a local hospital, unaware that said kaiju is in fact her childhood friend.

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This post was originally published on April 14, 2024

Watch Kaiju No. 8 on Crunchyroll