Cover Image: Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

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Member Reviews

This was a fantastic manga!! I really enjoyed having an older protagonist. The artwork was very nicely done and the story flowed really well. I can't wait to read volume 2!

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This is a fun Manga! For the first time I’ve seen a 30 something year old protagonist trying to figure his life out, and encountering a life altering power. I can’t wait to see the rest of this Manga. The action is amazing, characters are interesting. And the art is great.

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I in no way expected to enjoy this as much as I did. <i>Kaiju No. 8</i> is a delightful mix of humor and serious post-apocalyptic science fiction, taking place in a world where kaiju have become a major threat to humanity. And not your friendly Gamora or Godzilla-style kaiju; these suckers are entirely monstrous in appearance and utterly deadly. To combat them, Japan has a special branch of the defense forces dedicated to them, and our hero Kafka...is not one of them. He'd like to be, but he keeps failing the test, and now he's on the other end of the business, literally: he's a crime scene cleaner for kaiju attacks, getting rid of the bodies and cleaning the area. Since he dreamed of being a defense force fighter and his childhood sweetheart Mina IS one, he's not all that keen on his life. What could be worse?

Oh, never ask that, because the answer is "have a tiny kaiju fly down your throat and turn you into a human-sized kaiju like the world's least awesome mecha combination sequence." Yes, every time you think you've hit rock bottom, someone tosses down a stick of dynamite...but maybe Kafka can figure out a way to make this work in his favor...?

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This book was not what I expected. I went in expecting there to be a fight against kaiju, or large godzilla like monsters, but there was more than that. The main character had a desire to join a force of people whose job it is to fight the kaiju and keep their city/country safe but he was never able to complete the testing to make it into the force and gave up and became a part of the clean up crew. The clean up crew isn't the best job but you're still helping the city by disposing of the body of the kaiju. One day a new hire joins the crew and he his just biding time until he makes it on the force and inspires the main character to try and join the force again. After he decides this a kaiju attacks them in the street and during the fight somehow the main character swallows or becomes possessed by a small kaiju which gave him the power to become a kaiju. At this point I thought the guy was in trouble but it turns out he can hid his kaiju side and still be his normal self. This book was a wild adventure and I enjoyed it.

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What happens after the heroes beat the big monster and go home? The Cleanup Crew comes in and breaks down the giant beast and helps to rebuild the city. Kafka is part of this group after he's failed to pass the test to become part of the Japanese Defense Force, the team who battles the huge creatures. Leno, a newcomer, is assigned to Kafka's unit to learn the ropes. A strange nighttime visit leaves Kafka with special abilities. That, along with a new rule changes means they can both try out for the JDF again! This title is hilarious with comedic timing like One-Punch Man. It employs the same rougher art style that has been popularized by Demon Slayer. This is a standout series!

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What a delightful start to a series; I really enjoyed this first volume! It had a good balance of serious moments and humour, which never felt over the top or ridiculous. I also appreciate the fact that our protagonist is in his early thirties, something you don't see as often. This was a fantastic read, and I can't wait to see where this story goes!

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Great manga! The drawing are really smooth and vivid. The story is totally crazy, but in a good way, and I just can't way to continue reading it! Best new series in a very long time for me!

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The story is very interesting! I love the art and kaiju designs, the main characters are easy to like and I can't wait for vol 2

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I've been looking for new manga to add to my library's collection, and have heard this is THE up and coming new shonen series, and all of the rave reviews were right. In this series, Kaiju are a major threat, appearing suddenly and causing mayhem and carnage until the defense force arrives and defeats them. The battle continues after the defeat though, as the cleanup crew comes in to take care of the kaiju bodies left behind. This is where we find main character Kafka, a man in his early thirites who tried and failed to get into the defense force. Not long after new kid Ichikawa starts on the job, also with dreams of joining the defense force, a workplace accident leaves them both in the hospital, where Kafka comes to learn that he can transform into a kaiju. The why is a mystery for now, with the rest of the volume focusing on Kafka and Ichikawa taking the defense force exam. If you're thinking this sounds like Attack on Titan, you'd be right, there are some similarities here, but this series is very much its own unique creation. What I loved most about this series is the amount of humor, Kafka and Ichikawa often act as a comedy duo, bringing some lightness to what could've been an overly dark story. Humor is something I really like in shonen, it's one of the reasons I liked One Piece so much, so it's refreshing to see a new series balance action and humor. I will say the say seemed a little messy, but it's a first volume and that could just be the digital arc version i'm reading. Shonen fans won't want to miss this series.

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I'm not much of a shonen manga reader, Usually I go for titles aimed at girls/women, but the concept sounded interesting. Also, I think it's pretty rare for a shonen manga to have a 32 year old protagonist. This was a fun and fast-paced read with great characters and a bit of a twist to the standard kaiju formula. Some of it was laugh-out-loud hilarious too. Beware, it ends with a cliff hanger!

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Monsters/aliens attacking the world and teams of enhanced suit-wearing people killing them? Check
Our main character? A person from the team that cleans up after the fight is over.

Right off the bat, we had action and a determination to prove themselves with our 2 of 4 main characters in a world full of monster peril. I have so many questions from this first volume that I CANNOT WAIT to read and discover about! On my list to read and watch!

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I LOVE IT!! This manga is like if Pacific Rim and Attack on Titan had a baby, but then ALSO had the humor of Dorohedoro! I wouldn't say the concept of fighting giant monsters is new, however, the main character is 32 years old, which IS refreshing, and his personality is instantly likable and funny. I really hope this manga hammers out to be the next big hit!

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