So funnily enough, Kaiju No. 8 does a one-month timeskip, cutting ahead to the end of Reno’s one month trial with the Numbered Weapon 6. I would say that’s disappointing but I suppose that entire month would just be Reno steadily screaming less as he acclimates to his new power suit. This episode still explores what it’s like for someone new to use a Numbered Weapon so I say it made up for the timeskip.
Now that Reno has gotten used to it, we get to see the full suit’s design. The outfit being so blue kind of sticks out when it’s next to the regular Defense Force uniform but I do think it nails the look of a power suit made out of kaiju scales. That the suit is ice-based is really cheeky, as Reno was already rocking Freeze Rounds for his fighting style. It’s a bit too coincidental but then again, it’s already convenient that Reno is compatibile with one of the most powerful equipment in the Defense Force’s possession. Plus, it’d be more trouble than it’s worth to come up with a entirely different fighting style for Reno so you might as well augment how he currently fights.
For his final test, Jugo has Reno join a squad in fighting some mildly powerful kaiju out in the wilderness. At first, the fight goes really well for Reno. The No. 6 suit makes him even faster and stronger than he was before. There’s a brief setback where the suits causes Reno’s footsteps to freeze some of the ground beneath him but Reno sometimes takes advantage of this by freezing himself in place so that he can better absorb the recoil of his rifle. It’s another good example of Kaiju No. 8‘s ability to get creative with its characters’ powers.
Where things truly start to go south is when Reno finds that he’s still struggling to take down the honju of the pack and he repeatedly attempts to increase the power output of his suit. While Reno is not technically possessed by Kaiju No. 6, it is revealed that a Numbered Weapon triggers stimulation at a high rate and it causes certain traits of the user to get amplified. In Reno’s case, it’s his desire to get stronger to protect those he cares about. This causes Reno to increase his suit’s power many more times than he should. His body becomes unable to handle the stress the suit is placing on him and he loses his focus as his mind obsesses over his goal. When Reno notices that he still can’t defeat the honju, his obsession causes him to spiral into pity and despair. It’s a really interesting side effect of the Numbered Weapons and it’s something we wouldn’t get to see with more experienced users such as Isao or Gen (as both would’ve overcame this hurdle already).
Just as Jugo decides to intervene and declare Reno unfit to wield Numbered Weapon 6, Iharu helps Reno snap out of it and convince Jugo to give Reno a little more time. I’m glad that this episode squeezes in some attention for Iharu. Given his friendly rivalry with Reno, the show ought to explore how Iharu feels about his friend getting a Numbered Weapon of all things. That has to sting a bit and sure enough, Iharu admits to himself that it wounds him to see the gap between him and Reno widen even further. What’s cool of Iharu then is that he is capable of putting off his envy and rather than wallow in bitterness, he chooses to advocate for Reno and be his wingman as best as he can. While I dig Iharu’s growth, I hope he doesn’t end up being the Yamcha of this show. The dude’s likable enough that he deserves to actually do something cool in battle. There’s a curious moment where Jugo sees Iharu breaking through some of Reno’s ice and thinking that he shouldn’t be able to do that at his current power output. Maybe the show will explore a little more of that peculiarity. It could also just give Iharu a shiny new weapon and I’d be okay with that.
Watch Kaiju No. 8 on Crunchyroll
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