KAIJU NO. 8, VOL. 2
VIZ MEDIA
MANGAKA: Naoya Matsumoto
TRANSLATION: David Evelyn
LETTERS: Brandon Bovia
EDITOR: Karla Clark
ISBN: 978-1-9747-2714-8; paperback (April 2022); Rated “T” for “Teen”
212pp, B&W, $9.99 U.S., $12.99 CAN, £7.99 U.K.
Kaiju No. 8 is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto. It has been serialized for free on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ application and website since July 2020. VIZ Media began publishing an English-language edition of the manga as series of paperback graphic novels under its “Shonen Jump” imprint in December 2021
Kaiju No. 8 opens in a world where Japan is plagued by the giant monsters known as “kaiju.” Thirty-two-year-old Kafka Hibino is a kaiju corpse cleanup man for Monster Sweeper, Inc., a professional kaiju cleaning company. He wishes that he was a member of the Japanese Defense Force (JDF), which is tasked with neutralizing kaiju. Kafka and childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, both wanted to be members of the Defense Force. Mina is now captain of the JDF's “Third Division” and has neutralized hundreds of kaiju. Kafka has revived his dream to join Mina in the Defense Force, but he undergoes an unexpected transformation. Now, he has made the Defense Force's neutralization list as the kaiju code named “Kaiju No. 8!”
As Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 2 (Chapters 8 to 17) opens, some of Kafka's colleague know his secret that he is Kaiju No. 8, as he springs into action to put down other kaiju. But now, it's time to worry about the final Defense Force tests. Kafka fails spectacularly, but his spirit and determination get him into the JDF on a provisional basis. Kafka isn't an officer; he is a cadet, and he has three months to prove himself. A Honju (a “main beast”) has attacked, and if Kafka can't use his skills, he can use his knowledge to impress. But is the latest invasion too much for everyone, including his colleagues, Reno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi?
THE LOWDOWN: The Kaiju No. 8 manga is one of many current kaiju manga. It manages to be a standout with its many twists and turns.
Kaiju No. 8 Graphic Novel Volume 2 offers a familiar scenario – young people going through the process of joining and then making their way in some kind of monster-fighting organization. Naoya Matsumoto does not short readers on scenes featuring tests and field exercises. There are rivalries and also one student that really stands out. Thus far, the most intense plot line in the series is Kafka and his Kaiju No. 8 situation. What is he really? It is not a matter of if more people will discover his secrets, but of when. So what happens then?
Those questions and the intrigue make Kaiju No. 8 a manga worth following. Plus, Matsumoto's kaiju illustrations are really awesome.
I READS YOU RECOMMENDS: Fans of kaiju manga will want to read the Shonen Jump title, Kaiju No. 8.
A-
★★★½ out of 4 stars
Reviewed by Leroy Douresseaux a.k.a. "I Reads You"
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