Creative Staff:Story: Naoya Matsumoto
Translation: David Evelyn
Lettering: Brandon Bovia
What They Say:
Kafka wants to clean up kaiju, but not literally! Will a sudden metamorphosis stand in the way of his dream?
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Kaiju No. 8 spend these two chapters still exploring in establishing its characters. Each character has a delicate balance between having respectful and unworthy aspects. Shonen manga protagonists need a great protagonist to become greater. Kikoru does an excellent job of pushing Kafka.
The examination trial to become part of the Defense Force rages on. And it does not look good for Kafka as his legs are demolished by a Kaiju. The proctors are considering removing him from the exam. Kafka worries about looking like a fool in front of his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. He makes a last stand and gives the typical hero speech. He teams up with his friend, Ichikawa to become the laughingstock of the exam. He climbs on top of Ichikawa and has to be carried for the duration of the exam. The main proctor, Hoshino takes all of their actions laughing till the end.
Kikoru Shinomiya dominates the test and executes kaiju after kaiju. She ends up saving Kafka again for the third time. No other examinee can compete with her skills. They all have to watch as she mops the floor with the kaiju and the competition. All of the examinees marvel as she moves swiftly across the battlefield. The examination comes to an end with her potent performance. The proctors reveal that she comes from a military family and this is expected from her. She has some daddy issues as she ponders if she lived up to his expectations. She carries so much burden as she expected to become a light of hope of the country. Chapter 6 ends with a thrillful cliffhanger. Kikoru had been hyped up to be a strong kaiju slayer. She ends up with an unexpected challenge that puts her in great peril.
Chapter 7 delves into Kikoru’s psyche and how it drives her forward. Her father has drilled into her head that she must always be perfect. He uses her mother’s death as a way to motivate her to be perfect. I wonder if her death was related to a kaiju incident. An unknown kaiju invades the test and starts reviving the fallen kaiju. This kaiju immobilizes her and leaves her for bait. She fights to the last minute till its impossible for her to move her body. Kikoru is on the verge of tears after coming down so far. Kafka arrives at the scene and congratulates her for being able to buy time for everyone else to escape. Kafka transforms into his kaiju form in front of Kikoru and prepares for battle. The kaiju designs are marvelous and horrifying. The panel down below captures how terrifying they can be up close.
An intriguing point in this chapter is that a kaiju speaks and reveals a new set of abilities for kaiju. So far, kaiju had been revealed to be brainless creatures that just attack society for no reason. This new kaiju can also revive the kaiju killed in the last chapter. Hoshino reveals that he knows about this ability. He knows more than what is seen to the public. The revival of the kaiju causes Hoshino and Mina to go to the exam site to protect the examinees.
In Summary:
Kaiju No. 8 can stir up so many wonderful and sad emotions focusing on its characters. The wonderful emotions come from Kafka and Ichikawa as they make for a great comedy duo. These characters have only known each other for a short time. Yet, they willing to go through embarrassing situations to help each other even it becomes meaningless. Kikoru makes for another interesting character. Even before the cliffhanger, she had developed as a wonderful but tragic figure who wants to save the world. Her rivalry with Kafka is still blooming but she refuses to see him lose on the battlefield.
Chapter 7 goes more into Kikoru’s daddy issues. Her daddy issues seem a bit typical in shonen manga. It is a short and effective method to learn about her. Kafka’s transformation at the end of chapter 7 will be able to create a lot of wonderful drama coming up. How will Kikoru react to seeing him transform? Her instant reaction was great. The Defense Force is going to the test site to examine the cause of the kaiju incident. Will they arrive in time to see Kafka’s transformation and open up a can of worms. Kaiji No. 8 is doing a lot of the right stuff to be a great manga.
Content Grade for Chapter 6: B
Content Grade for Chapter 7: A
Art Grade: A
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Shonen Jump
Release Date: August 13, 2020
