I’m not Interested in Your Feelings
While I was trying to dip my toe back into anime, the first season of Kaiju No. 8 swooped in to prove that several modern shows were worth my time and that creators were still coming up with creative approaches to tested concepts. It left me excited for more, but the second season wasn’t interested in repeating itself and created something that felt different—a forced evolution. And just like that, it’s over, the damage done, with everyone spread thin, and most fans wanting more. I’m not sure if it’s the sophomore slump, growing pains, or just a bumpier ride, but something felt a bit off in Japan.
To get the most obvious thing out of the way first, they changed the intro. In my review of season one, I mentioned how the music really grew on me, and I was sort of looking forward to hearing “Abyss” again, even if people like to trash Yungblud. The song fit our characters and their situation so well, but now we have a new song over a similar 3D opening. This set of episodes treats our ears to “You Can’t Run From Yourself” by AURORA, which is pretty good in its own right, and may even grow on me more after I’ve slid it onto my “writing” playlist, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss the other opening. The outro has also changed. They decided to stick with OneRepublic as the artist, but now the song is “Beautiful Colors,” which—sure, fine, but—it’s not working for me, and the colors and effects on the animation for this credit sequence remind me of something out of Into the Spider-Verse. None of that is particularly bad; it’s just kind of starting us off on a slight downgrade.
That’s not going to bother most people. The intro and outro aren’t the meat of the anime, what we’re here for. It’s the story, right? Last season was 12 episodes, and this one kind of cuts us one short, coming in at 11, but there was an in-between bonus OVA called “Hoshina’s Day Off,” a little slice-of-life piece that shows our characters in a rare situation and gives them a little more personality. It’s a little goofy, but I like what it adds and makes up for getting shorted in season two. The creators seemed to enjoy this so much that they kept the strategy going, focusing a little less on our main character, Kafka Hibino, and more on his teammates.
Show Me Strength and Results
For those who don’t remember, Kafka always dreamed of signing up with the branch of Japan’s Defense Force that dealt with Kaiju attacks so he could stand alongside his friend, Mina Ashiro, and keep others safe from the monsters that intended to do them harm. He was kind of a failure, however, and ended up on the clean-up crew instead, cutting up these beasts after the attacks and disposing of all the messy bits, while Mina had become a Defense Force Captain. One of his co-workers, Reno Ichikawa, convinces Kafka to try one last time, but he is later exposed to a parasite that makes him some type of human-kaiju hybrid, now a part of the group tasked to exterminate him. It’s a solid conflict, but by the end of the first season, Kafka is found out and imprisoned, while those in charge try to decide what to do with him. This is a world where they turn the powerful dead kaiju into unique weapons, so that could have easily been his fate, but the story must go on, so no, he’s reassigned to the First Division along with his former teammate, Kikoru Shinomiya. We learn a lot more about her this season. She’s important because of her potential and the fact that her daddy is in charge.
Other favorite characters from the previous episodes also receive new assignments, adjusting to the change and forced to evolve and grow stronger in their own ways. This allows us to see them without Kafka, interacting with new people. Gen Narumi, Captain of the First Division, is perhaps the most important new face, being one of their strongest fighters, but he’s also only serious during a fight, often seen throwing a tantrum about his PS5 and Gundam figures. We get a good bit of Vice-Captain Soshiro Hoshina, but less Mina (and the tiger), and this all sums up a problem some people had with this season.
Interestingly, they didn’t just drop Kafka back into his familiar group with new restrictions; instead, everyone was scattered, and he only has Shinomiya to lean on at first. In fact, our main character takes a backseat for a few episodes while he deals with KD (Kaiju Dysfunction, which affects a lot of people who try to transform in battles), and they build some of the other characters up, but not everyone was pleased with who they chose to focus on and how much. I enjoyed the shift. It made Kafka’s secret coming out and the final confrontation of season one feel much more important. Some of the fights might still seem formulaic, but these people’s lives have certainly been altered, and we are clearly in a different era.
Considering that these changes may not be welcomed by all, I can completely understand why the pacing felt off to some viewers. The exchange is that we flesh out more of the side players in this chess game of human and kaiju; we get a few jarring but wonderful flashbacks, especially for Shinomiya, while other motivations are made clearer. Unfortunately, the season starts with a big battle, then it’s a stretched-out training sequence that would usually be done in a montage or one episode as we build up to the bigger confrontation, leaving some people bored.
If You Lose Control Again, I’ll Kill You on the Spot
It’s still enjoyable though, maybe a little goofier at times, especially the Hoshi Night Nippon talk show segments at the end of each episode, but we get new Kaiju doing unexpected intelligent things (Kaiju No. 9 is a great villain), more use of the weapons forged from old creatures, and Japan’s history with these things. There are also a couple of elements I don’t want to spoil here that I think could be huge in season three, things that pulled me into the world even more. These episodes feel like that awkward middle phase, something working off of a great foundation that needs to get us to the end and make sure we’re invested before the other shoe drops. From a storytelling point, I get it, but maybe there were better ways to sprinkle this in while still making sense with the overarching battles.
I’m excited for what’s to come. I just need to warn everyone that the season has an ending that is pure blue balls. Those final shots are an epic cock tease for what should be an amazing conclusion. If I understand this right, using the manga as a guide, there will likely only be one more set of episodes to wrap everything up, and I can’t wait. This ending though, after introducing new villains, showing that they figured us and our weaknesses out, maneuvering everything into place, and seeing one of the most violent and depressing weddings since Game of Thrones—Kafka’s ready to fight, I’m ready to throw down, Japan’s about to get reamed, and you’re leaving us right there!?
It truly feels like there’s an episode missing, that, or the creators were just being cruel, and I should go yell into a pillow. The tension and frustration are real here, and if it takes too long, I may just go read the manga instead.
Use You as My Suit
So, season two has a few deformities, a couple of noticeable vulnerabilities, but I still enjoyed it a lot, and watching it alongside the stronger first set of episodes without waiting so long for more makes it a much better companion piece. The voice acting is immensely enjoyable, with the characters growing on me even more. Animation quality remains high, especially during the detailed action scenes, and I’ve made it clear that I’m still here for the story; I just worry that by itself, this season may get a few harsher judgments. I know art should be able to be judged independently, but Kaiju No. 8 is excellent, and people should give it a shot with the idea that these are chunks of the greater narrative. Just remember that this might be a period of evolution to tackle the bigger monster that’s coming, and get excited with me.
Disclaimer: I watched the entire season on Crunchyroll, which I pay for myself.
8Bit/Digi is an independent news outlet that provides insight into the video game and fandom community of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Kaiju No. 8 (Season 2)
Pros
- Continuing an intriguing story.
- More time with secondary characters.
- New enemies and a great villain.
- Solid voice acting and animation.
Cons
- Upsets the status quo by breaking up the characters.
- Some pacing issues.
- Drop off ending, leaving us unfulfilled.
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