In this new episode of Anime Breakfast we are going to explore the first episode of Kaiju No.8 with a quick review: Crunchyroll has the anime of the season in its hands, perhaps the one of the year
Among the anime most advertised by Crunchyroll for its spring selection for this year we definitely find Kaiju no 8, an animated series based on the manga of the same name written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto, whose serialization began in July 2020 on the digital magazine Shōnen Jump+ by Shueisha, enjoying great success right away and conquering a large audience of readers. Differently from what we did with Dungeon Food, which we told you about after having seen half the season in simulcast (you can find the article here!), this time we almost want to give you our first impressions on this new epic which has all the pretensions and good intentions of become the anime of the season, if not of the year. So let's talk about Kaiju No.8 with a review of the first episode.
Did someone say Godzilla?
One of the topoi most appreciated by the Japanese public has always been, as well as mechas and cute little girls, is certainly that of the Kaiju, a word which literally means “strange beast” and which is often used to describe the specific genre to which it refers: that of gigantic monsters. Here, for example, Godzilla is a Kaiju, so to speak. Yes, here you can find our review of Godzilla and Kong: The New Empire.
An immersive first episode | Kaiju No.8 Review
The first episode of Kaiju No.8 immediately immerses us in a Japan constantly under attack from the gigantic creatures. In particular, the megalopolis of Minato serves as an ideal backdrop to demonstrate how the population is oppressed by the looming threat and the dedication of the Japanese Defense Forces, engaged in a strenuous fight against monsters of colossal dimensions.
Our protagonist is Kafka Hibino, a man who can be defined as a hero. Instead, it is a man tormented by the failures of the past, resigned to a mediocre life and without great future stimuli. Kafka is now 32 years old and at one time, perhaps too far away even for him, he dreamed of joining the Defense Forces, but for reasons still unknown to us supporters of anime, he gave up, resigning himself to the job of garbage collector and cleaning up, dissecting not exactly pleasant parts, the corpses of the Kaiju that remain after each battle.
Garbage collector for fun | Kaiju No.8 Review
Disposal of monster carcasses: definitely not the job everyone would aspire to, though, after allis essential for the population. The heroes that no one sees, in short, those who try to bring back to normality areas desecrated by the innards of Kaiju scattered across buildings, gardens, schools and workplaces. This is until, one day, Kafka is attacked by a creature together with a young boy who has just been hired part-time by the company he works for.
Narrowly saved by Mina Ashiro, Kafka's childhood friend and very popular captain of the third division of the Defense Forces, the two find themselves hospitalized due to their injuries. And here comes the twist: Kafka is attacked by a strange flying being, which enters his body and… transforms him in turn into a Kaiju. Do you now understand the reason for the name?
Premises, settings and characters | Kaiju No.8 Review
A first episode which, in its entirety, deals with providing premises, describing the setting and main characters. All the pieces are on the field, without too many explanations, but knowing how to alternate action and fighting with moments of light, never banal comedy. There is no shortage of important themes such as failure, redemption or the sense of belonging, which will certainly be explored during the episodes that will follow one another this season. And although the narrative premises are not that exciting and, in fact, are quite the offspring of a used and abused genre, the narrative pace and the ease with which the first 25 minutes of Kaiju No.8 pass can only make us hope for the Better.
Technically? | Kaiju No.8 Review
Technically we have little to say, Production IG (supported in this production by Studio Khara) which took care of the animations and the animated transposition, is now a Japanese giant in this regard and, obviously, we expect averagely high standards throughout the season. The first episode definitely did not disappoint, on the contrary: very fluid animations, who can keep up with the frenetic and exciting battles. The CGI is also excellent, perfectly integrated into the context and scenes, without being cloying in any way. The attention to detail, especially in recreating the Kaiju by taking models from the manga, but enriching them in every part, is impossible not to notice. In short: an excellent first episode of presentation that leaves us speechless for only one reason. That is, it lasts too short.
Conclusions
We conclude this quick review of the first episode of Kaiju No.8 with the recommendation to give it at least a chance. Although it is true that the Kaiju topos is now over-abused and generally old-fashioned, the animated work taken from the literary one by Naoya Matsumoto seems to work very well both in terms of the narrative rhythm, balanced and pleasant, and for the Excellent visual performance of the battles, frenetic and accompanied by excellent animations. Very happy to follow them in simulcast, even if we wish we could have it all in our hands right away!
You can follow Kaiju No.8 in simulcast on Crunchyroll, find the list of episodes now available below! Let us know what you think below in the comments and stay tuned with us at TechGameWorld.com for all the news on the world of cinema and TV series!
Looking for new movies and new TV series to watch?
Discover the new subscription to Disney+, the streaming home of Disney, Marvel, Pixar, Star Wars, National Geographic and now Star. Subscribe now to only 5.99 euros per month on this page.
Bonus: how to have a subscription to streaming platforms and save
There are some services that allow you to share your account best streaming platforms (Netflix, Prime Video, Disney Plus, NOW TV, Paramount Plus, etc.) with other people and two save on subscriptions, let's talk about GamsGo, GoSplit or CooSub. Thanks to GamsGo, GoSplit and CooSub it is possible to purchase, at a negligible pricea subscription shared with other users in easy, fast and safe way.