Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1 (Kaiju No. 8)

by Naoya Matsumoto

Kafka wants to clean up kaiju, but not literally! Will a sudden metamorphosis stand in the way of his dream?

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

Kafka hopes to one day keep his pact with his childhood friend Mina to join the Japan Defense Force and fight by her side. But while she’s out neutralizing kaiju as Third Division captain, Kafka is stuck cleaning up the aftermath of her battles. When a sudden rule change makes Kafka eligible for the Defense Force, he decides to try out for the squad once more. There’s just one problem—he’s made the Defense Force’s neutralization list under the code name Kaiju No. 8.

• ISBN10: 1974725987
• ISBN13: 9781974725984
• Publish Date: 3 February 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Viz Media, Subs. of Shogakukan Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 204
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Summary:

When Kafka Hibino was a little boy, he promised to grow up and join the Japan Defense Force. Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, the latter part of that promise hasn't come to fruition. So instead, Kafka has settled for working on the kaiju corpse cleanup crew. It's just as gross as it sounds – and frequently more dangerous than expected.

That's been Kafka's life for years. But something is about to change following the arrival of a new recruit. The good news is that Kafka now has an ally because he will need one to survive what he's going through.

Review:

Kaiju No. 8 Vol. 1 is an entertaining and slightly chaotic introduction to this series (which I know is a smash hit). Kafka's life is a bit of a mess, literally and figuratively. It's easy to sympathize with him, even when he's making his pain known in a more comedic sense.

This volume is split into two parts: before the twist and after. I'm saying this because the two parts feel vastly different, and could have even been different series, had the creator felt so inclined. The after (thus far) is faster pacing and has a fair share of body horror, but plenty of humor to help balance that out.

Honestly, I can see why fans of My Hero Academia flocked to Kaiju No. 8. It's interesting and violent in equal measure.

Will I Read the Rest of the Series: I think so.

Highlights:
Horror Manga
Kaiju!

Trigger Warnings:
Body Horror
Bullying/Hazing

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