Anime streaming service Crunchyroll announced at New York Comic Con today that it would be the home for the anime adaptation of hit manga series Kaiju No. 8, which was confirmed to be headed for screens in 2024. The acquisition announcement was revealed alongside a new trailer for the highly anticipated series, as well as a special message from the mangaka and series creator Naoya Matsumoto.

Kaiju No. 8 is a series about a world dominated by Kaiju--mysterious, massive creatures that threaten humanity's very existence on Earth. Kafka Hibino once pledged to wipe out the Kaiju alongside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, but life drove the two apart, and led Kafka to working at a clean-up service which deals with the aftermath of Kaiju attacks while Mina achieved their dream. Everything changes for Kafka, however, when he meets Reno Ichikawa, whose passion for joining the Defense Force reminds Kafka of his own promise all those years ago. Kafka mysteriously gains the power to transform into a Kaiju of his own, and everything changes after that.

Kaiju No. 8 Brings Giant Monster Battles Back

The Kaiju No. 8 anime is being animated by Production I.G., responsible for classics like Ghost in the Shell: Stand-Alone Complex, with Kaiju design and artwork being done by Studio Khara, the studio founded by Hideaki Anno of Neon Genesis Evangelion fame. The series is confirmed to be released in Spring 2024 in both subbed and dubbed form, with subbed episodes simulcasting weekly after their Japanese broadcasts in over 200 countries worldwide. A message from Matsumoto was read at the NYCC panel, which stated that "[Kaiju No. 8 is] a story about someone struggling in a harsh world without ever giving up, in the hopes of leading people into an even slightly brighter future. To anyone dealing with the complexities of reality that reads this manga, I hope it can help make your future a little brighter, too."

Kaiju No. 8 has been one of the fastest growing manga series in terms of popularity, so its anime adaptation, announced back in August 2022, was met with great excitement. The series stands out among other similar works due to Kafka's age, as he is a 32-year-old man by the time the story proper starts, a far sight older than the usual teenage protagonists seen in most shonen series. He's been praised as a relatable protagonist who has simply been doing his best to get by in such a hostile setting, which has a tendency to endear him to readers.

The anime version of Kaiju No. 8 is currently set to debut in April 2024 of Japan, although no specific date has yet been announced. The manga originally began serialization in July 2020, and has currently released 95 chapters, with serialization still ongoing. Fans of the series can rest easy knowing that the anime is in the hands of experienced studios, and that it will be easily accessible on Crunchyroll outside of Japan. Kaiju No. 8 has had some impressive performance as a manga, so its anime adaptation may well see a massive new wave of fans, both in Japan and beyond.