Kaiju No. 8 is one of the most anticipated anime of 2024 and there is a lot of hype surrounding it. Based on the hit manga of the same title by Naoya Matsumoto, the series has more than 11 million copies in circulation and is one of Shonen Jump's most successful titles. It was thus easy to anticipate that the manga would receive an anime adaptation, and it is coming in Spring 2024.
The manga started serializing in 2020 and with the amazing art, lovable characters, and great battles reminiscent of those of Jujutsu Kaisen and Chainsaw Man, the series took off and was one of the most popular manga on Manga Plus.
Kaiju No. 8 Latest News
On August 4, 2022, the anime project for Kaiju No. 8 was confirmed by the author on his X, formerly Twitter, account. A key visual and announcement video was also released by TOHO Animation. This came after a countdown for mysterious news regarding the manga, but since the series was super popular fans were sure that an anime announcement was due. They guessed correctly, but their excitement was short-lived as no other information was revealed yet, at least not until months later. Fans quickly got critical of the character design, as it seemed below the expected quality and very far away from that of the manga.
On December 19, 2022, fans finally got a release date for the anime. A hype teaser was released alongside the major announcement. In the teaser, fans got to see a brief look at Kafka's Kaiju form and other monsters too. The visuals looked better, and the project was looking to be a successful one. Furthermore, it was revealed that Production I.G would handle the animation. This reassured fans greatly as that was the studio behind hits like Haikyuu!! and worked on Attack On Titan and Vinland Saga together with other studios. It was also revealed that Studio Khara would handle the character design.
On August 5, 2023, the second trailer for Kaiju No. 8 was released. The video silenced all critics who doubted the quality of the series based on the first trailer. The visuals looked great, the sound design was impeccable and the Kaiju monsters looked ferocious. Furthermore, the voice actors for three of the characters were revealed in the trailer.
Kaiju No. 8 Release Date
On October 13, 2023, Crunchyroll announced that Kaiju No. 8 will air exclusively on the platform in the Spring of 2024. The announcement was made during New York Comic Con and a message from the author accompanied the great news. With the acquisition of the streaming rights for the anime, Crunchyroll has made it easier than ever to view the series as the site is the most used by fans. Kaiju No. 8 will be released in April 2024. No exact date has been given yet but the series will make an appearance in this year's Jump Festa 2024 to make an announcement, so fans can hopefully get more information such as schedule and staff then.
Kaiju No. 8 Plot
In Japan, where monsters called Kaiju terrorize the population, an elite unit called the Defense Force was created to combat these creatures. After the destructive fights between the Kaiju and the Defense Force, a cleanup crew comes in and takes care of the mess. Kafka Hibino, a member of the cleanup crew, has failed many times to join the Defense Force and gave up on his dreams. On the other hand, his childhood friend Mina Ashiro is a captain of one of the divisions of the force. Kafka's dreams are re-ignited when he meets the new member of the cleanup crew Reno Ichikawa who also wants to join the Force. However, a small Kaiju enters Kafka's body through his mouth, and he now has the ability to turn into a half Kaiju. With new-found powers, Kafka tries out for the Defense Force one more time to fulfill his dream of fighting the monsters.
Kaiju No. 8 Teasers and Trailers
The first teaser only featured some real-life scenarios that matched that of the manga's setting. The video mainly served to hype up fans for the release, and featured audio of an emergency broadcast warning of a Kaiju.
The first trailer divided the fandom as many were worried about the quality of the animation. Although the fear was warranted, it was mainly due to how short the clip was. The video also featured mostly texts and background, and only a slight appearance of Kafka, so there wasn't a lot to go off of. Regardless, the trailer served its purpose and fans were very excited for what was to come.
The latest trailer was more detailed and the animation was very well received. The trailer shows the main character Kafka Hibino working the cleanup shift after a Kaiju attack. The video also shows his childhood friend Mina and Kafka's colleague who inspired him to reignite his dream, Reno Ichikawa. With fans finally seeing how Kafka became a half-Kaiju, they were sure that the series would meet all expectations come April.
Kaiju No. 8 Staff, Cast And Characters
The anime project will be a collaboration between Production I.G, which will handle the animation, and Studio Khara, which will handle the design and artwork. The creator of the series Naoya Matsumoto will supervise the project, as most manga authors do for their anime. The staff of the series such as the director and chief animation director have not been announced yet.
Kafka Hibino will be voiced by Masaya Fukunishi who was behind the voice of Draken in Tokyo Revengers. The voice actor of Nobara Kugisaki from Jujutsu Kaisen Asami Seto will voice Mina Ashiro and Wataru Kato will voice Reno Ichikawa.
Where To Watch Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 will be streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll in April 2024. Fans who would like to read the manga before the series airs can do so through Manga Plus.
Make sure to check back this page as it will be updated with all the latest news concerning the Kaiju No. 8 anime.