Kaiju No. 8 was always an enjoyable show, watching Kafka Hibino who has tried and failed to join the Defense Force to fight kaiju then get one inside him and use that skill to help save people and make his dream come true, while also being a bit of goofy lovable guy. But what is being hinted at both character and story-wise has me a lot more intrigued. In the first two episodes, it appears we are going deeper into what Kafka being part kaiju really means for him, and the threats of the kaiju are taking on darker implications beyond random destruction.
Kafka being revealed as Kaiju No. 8 being revealed to the Defense Force and having lost control of his kaiju at the end of season one is still being felt. The Defense Force, while still planning to use him there, remains deeply suspicious about what his gaining the power of the kaiju means. But for now he has been promoted to the First Division, the highest there is, and given a chance to prove himself. This is what Kafka has always wanted, and we see he is doing what he can to prove himself but the mental demons of what he did is still in him.
The first season he had a team that we came to know and who supported Kafka even after his kaiju part was revealed. With early going it is unclear how much of the full old team from season one will be working together with right now only Kikoru Shinomiya confirmed to be working with him on the elite first squad. Her presence on his team makes sense with how powerful and skilled she was but also giving Kafka an ally on the team but making it clear he has to prove himself. Her own desire to prove herself a great fighter due to her family legacy is still going strong but now with a promise to Kafka to take him down if he goes rogue is also on her mind. Also, though not given a lot to do yet, Reno Ichikawa is still around and I am certain he will take a bigger role as the season progresses due to the strong bond he and Kafka had.
With all this intense stuff going on, the humor of this show is still very much in the show’s makeup. While Kafka was our lead and comic relief in the first season, with his kaiju side now revealed and pressure on him to prove himself, he is leaning more straight man right now. But we have new comic relief with new character Gen Narumi, the captain of the First Division of the Defense Force. He is the best fighter, diligent in his duty. But also shares traits with NEET’s having a dirty room and spending all his time playing video games. Sometimes Eiji Hasegawa, Vice-Captain of the First Division, needs to give him a kick in the rear (usually literally) to get basic stuff done. Kikoru’s reaction to his laziness while also being impressed with his skill is a nice dynamic for them.
The animation continues to be beautiful. The shots of the destruction from last season’s attack had such detail to them that the carnage felt real. The action continues to be fun and over-the-top but still has a sense of reality to it, with the clean-up after kaiju kills making the monster deaths feel real. In developing the story I am most impressed with how they are creating the sense that things are going to get a lot worse. We get dialogue moments here and there from the higher ups in the Defense Force about how so much of what they knew about kaiju actions are changing, that there seems to be more thought behind it now. In season one we saw the slow build-up of Kaiju No. 9 as a villain, with him taking on human form and manipulating events instead of acting like the more animalistic kaiju. He was a highlight for me and that his actions may be pushing things further and we can learn more has me very excited.
I was looking forward to this show coming back as something fun to watch. But now I am thinking deeper about the characters’ psychology and the upcoming threat that the world is facing. There seems to be a lot more building here and I cannot wait to see where this is going.
Kaiju No. 8 airs July 19th on Crunchyroll.
