One of my favorite anime of the past year is returning for Season 2 on the 2025 TV schedule, and it's a must-watch for fans of Godzilla. While many may be familiar with the kaiju who has both worked against, for, and alongside King Kong in many adventures, I'm sad that too few people know about the anime that dropped last year that will have fans hungry for more monster action. For those unaware, strap in, because Kaiju No. 8 is a must-watch.
Like most anime titles, the one doesn't really give a lot of context to what the show is about. That said, I think it ranks among the best anime for first-time watchers to check out so they can get familiar with it and see how it can even surpass other mediums when it comes to representing other genres.
What Is Kaiju No. 8?
After being raised in a world plagued by Kaiju attacks, Kafka Hibino hoped to one day join The Defense Force and be a part of the elite humans responsible for taking down the giant beasts and protecting humanity. Unfortunately, life had other plans, and he wound up being part of the cleanup crew that handled the aftermath of the battles. It was a thankless job, but one that ultimately changed his life forever.
A small parasite from a kaiju enters Kafka's body and grants him the ability to change into a humanoid kaiju at will. While his size remains the same, he exhibits the same strength and speed of a kaiju, whilst retaining his personality and control of his mind. Knowing the world won't readily accept this phenomena he'd never heard of happening before now, Kafka keeps it secret and enlists in The Defense Force.
Kafka hopes that through the use of his powers, he can help fulfill his lifelong promise to protect humanity from kaiju and regain the favor of a childhood friend he hasn't seen in some time. Unfortunately, he's right in the lion's pit of people who would lock him in a tiny cell should the true nature of his power be revealed, which leads to an exciting first season that must be watched.
How Is Kaiju No. 8 Similar To Godzilla?
The obvious connection between Kaiju No 8 and Godzilla is the fact that they are both in the Japanese kaiju genre. If you're someone who is a fan of the modern green lizard movies, but like the variety of seeing a ton of different monsters like in the classic movies, Kaiju No. 8 is going to scratch that itch.
One key difference that I appreciate is that in this anime, humanity has a legitimate option of fighting back against these beasts, utilizing special armor crafted from the body parts of kaiju. Unlike the giant mechs found in Pacific Rim, these humans are able to even the odds with coordinated attacks and super-powered weapons that can make short work of a kaiju, depending on the size.
Bottom line, though, is that if you like seeing monsters cause havoc, Kaiju No. 8 has that in spades. I'd even argue it's a bit more interesting than what you'd usually see in a Godzilla movie because there's a force of humans to even the odds, though they don't always get the upper hand. It's certainly something I'll continue to watch until that Pacific Rim series arrives.
Kaiju No. 8 Mixes Comedy With Thrilling Action
One of the things I love about some anime is their ability to jump between the comedic and high-stakes seamlessly, and Kaiju No. 8 is certainly one of those. While Kafka portrays the type of heroism you'd see in a classic Japanese hero like Ultraman, he's also quite a goober and his bumbling in most scenarios outside of battle can make for some great comedy.
At the same time, the mystery surrounding his body being fused with the DNA of a kaiju is the start of a much greater mystery that leads to a wild story the show takes very seriously. Take that and mix it with some flashy animation and breathtaking battle sequences, and it isn't hard to see why this show was a favorite among many when it first premiered on Crunchyroll.
Season 1 Sets The Stage For A Thrilling Season 2
As I alluded to previously, Kaiju No. 8 's story goes well beyond the usual kaiju adventure. In addition to the mystery of why Kafka is bonded with a kaiju's DNA, there is a hint that the story of what's going on with the mysterious monsters is much deeper than anyone could possibly understand.
Another thing I find hilarious, especially since I wrote about how unnecessary humans are to the kaiju genre years ago, is how much I like the human cast of characters in the defense force. I think the difference between this series and other kaiju stories is that Kaiju No. 8 is about humanity continuing in a world where giant monsters are a regular occurrence. The monsters are important to the story, but they aren't the only thing the story is about.
The story is primarily about Kafka and a combination of his strange transformation and fulfilling the promise he made to a friend long ago. The story doesn't end once a monster is dead, and I now realize the aftermath and what comes after is what makes these types of stories so interesting. I don't want to get into spoilers, but believe me when I say the way this story evolves over the course of a criminally short season of just 12 episodes. It will have any viewer eager to see what's next.
Kaiju Adventures In Animation Tend To Be Able To Do What Live-Action Cant
I would say this is generally true with animation across the board, but there are just certain things that the medium can accomplish that would be so much more expensive or complicated to pull off with CGI or in live-action. While not every animated show capitalizes on that, I can confidently say that Kaiju No. 8 does, and really goes over the top in a way that rivals even the best action movies.
Taking out a kaiju is a lot of work, even if the human or human/kaiju hybrid is equipped with all sorts of weapons capable of taking one out. It takes planning and coordinated effort to take down some of the bigger monsters that emerge in this universe.
It gets especially cuckoo in this show when the larger kaiju have smaller kaiju that spread off of them and get in on the fun. The action in Kaiju No. 8 is rampant, and viewers will rarely want for more as they learn fascinating things about the characters and the world at large between each battle. All this to say, Season 1 is a blast, and Season 2 is just around the corner if you end up getting hooked like I did.
Kaiju No. 8 is available to stream on Crunchyroll, and Season 2 begins on July 19th. Be sure to stream Season 1 if you haven't already, and get ready for more stories here on the way very soon!
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