2
Air Date
August 02, 2025
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Kaiju No. 8, Episode 2, “The Kaiju Who Defeats Kaiju,” now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Anime fans around the world were excited about the premier of the anime version ofKaiju No. 8, which just began airing last weekend. And withsuch a strong first episodethat got right into the plot without wasting any time, introducing great leading characters and a healthy dose of violence, they were not disappointed. In fact, it holds a very respectable score of 8.25 on MyAnimeList right now.
That definitely set the bar high for the second episode, “The Kaiju Who Defeats Kaiju.” Not only did the second episode ofKaiju No. 8reach the high bar that had been set by the opening episode, it surpassed it in our opinion. With plenty of dark humor, a strange mix of hilarious and disgusting visuals, and a duo we continue to fall more and more in love with, Episode 2 was a gross pleasure we couldn’t look away from (even though sometimes we really wanted to, but that had nothing to do with the plot…)
Kaiju No. 8is Beautifully Disgusting
Last week, after watching the first episode over a meal, we declared thatKaiju No. 8should not be watched while dining. We learned our lesson, and are glad we did, because whilewe thought last week was gory, Episode 2 went even further. From a bird being eaten alive and needing to be censored, a rain shower of literal blood, exploding body parts, and urine pouring out of Kafka’s nipples (yes, you read that right),Kaiju No. 8is not holding back on the gross factor.
What makes all the gore and grossness so much richer, though, is that it is paired so perfectly with the humor of the show’s writing. Kafka and his friend Ichikawa continue to be a delight, trading arguments and witticisms back and forth effortlessly. Even though they have only been friends for a short time, the fact that Ichikawa stood beside Kafka afterhis transformation into a kaijuspeaks volumes for the depth of their relationship - plus, Ichikawa continued to keep his secret for three months, which was revealed in this week’s time skip.
We go from being absolutely disgusted by blood, bones, and pee to laughing out loud about something Kafka and Ichikawa say, or a funny turn in the animation, within seconds. It makesKaiju No. 8really stand out asan anime adults can enjoyas it covers adult themes, but without taking itself too seriously. It really knows how to balance humor and horror, and it is one of our favorite things about the anime so far.
Kafka’s True Nature
Kafka Hibino is truly an interesting main character. He has doubts about himself due to his age, which viewersmay be able to empathize with, but they don’t stop him from trying to do what is right. Last week we saw him selflessly sacrifice himself to save a coworker he had known for less than a day, and not back down from a terrifying yoju. His character development continued this week, and showed what kind of person he really is.
Despite being turned into a kaiju quite suddenly, and knowing that he needed to hide from the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defence Force or risk being neutralized, he did not turn away from helping a mother and daughter being attacked by another yoju. He defeated the yoju, saved the mother, and even tried to comfort the little girl despite her fear of his appearance. He should have been hiding, but he fulfilled his childhood dream of getting revenge on a kaiju and protecting humans from getting hurt.
What this accomplished wasnot only a good look at Kafka’s character, but it also established lore about how he may be seen in his kaiju form in the future. When the little girl he helped was interviewed about the kaiju she had seen by Mina, she asked Mina not to hurt “the good kaiju.” Even though she was afraid of Kafka, she understood that he had helped her and saved her mother. Kafka is going to need more people that understand that he is trying to help if he is hoping to make it in the Defence Force, fighting kaijuasa kaiju.
New Characters Incoming
So far,Kaiju No. 8has focused mostly on the development of Kafka and Ichikawa, which was fair considering they are the show’s leading characters. It also gave us some insight into Mina Ashiro, Kafka’s childhood friend anda supporting character. Not many others had much significance yet, but the story cannot continue without more characters getting thrown into the mix.
Episode 2 briefly started to introduce them, mostly just showing ones like Iharu Furuhashi and Haruichi Izumo that readers of the manga likely recognized. But it took a little more time with another character who is being set up to be very important, Kikoru Shinomiya. This tiny blond woman made a strong first impression, calling Kafka an old man, literally throwing his company car, and declaring that he smelled like a kaiju after stating her hobby was killing kaiju. We are looking forward to learning more about her, and the colorful rest of the cast, in the coming episodes.
WatchKaiju No. 8now onCrunchyroll.
Kaiju No. 8
Production I.G’s Kaiju No. 8 is a Spring 2024 anime based on Naoya Matsumoto’s Shonen Jump+ manga. Set in an alternate version of Japan, the story follows the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force as they try to protect the nation from monster attacks.
