The Nightmare Evolves
The Japan of Kaiju No. 8 has become a nightmare scenario. As we saw in Season One, Kaiju No. 9 is the vanguard of a whole new evolution in the kaiju—they’re smarter, they resurrect, and they’re unrelenting. At this point, No. 9 is what might be called in polite circles, a muthafucka. The fallout zone from the last big battle with Kaiju No. 10 is post-apocalyptic, and we get the sense that it was only an appetizer to a much larger monster smorgasbord.
Things aren’t that easy for our main character either. Kafka Hibino may have survived the test of his humanity in S1, but now he has to prove himself as a fighter. On the more hopeful side of things, our rookies are about to meet up with their new units. Reno and Iharu are heading to the Defense Force’s Fourth Division, Matsumoto Base. Although they’re worried about Kafka, they have a certain amount of optimism for what he and they can do as they move forward in Defense Force.
Kikoru is headed to the legendary First Division, on loan from the Third. That’s where she—and we—get to meet my new favorite: First Division Captain Gen Narumi. He’s a messy, impulsive, obsessive, geeky, gamer, collector, and all-around nerd who can’t keep his room clean or stop ordering from this world’s version of Amazon—Yamazon. He’s also the most powerful and best kaiju killer in the game, known as “Japan’s Strongest Anti-Kaiju Combatant” and boasting a combat power of 98%, surpassing even Third Division Captain Mina Ashiro. Tell me you don’t love him already, go ahead, tell me.
Before we even have a chance to fully catch our breaths and get used to the fact that our rookies are separated, there’s a kaiju who might as well be, well, you know, Godzilla. That’s not a spoiler because you don’t know what’s about to happen with the kaiju that might as well be Godzilla. Whatever you think is about to happen, you’re wrong (unless you’ve read the manga). Watching the First Division fight makes it clear Kikoru might have found her people—they’re just as ruthless as she is. We could call them “unstoppable power” junkies.
This is the mess our sweet dumpling Kafka lands in—remember I mentioned that part about proving himself? What’s even sweeter is Kafka and Reno’s resolve to be the best versions of themselves to help each other, a sentiment that Kikoru echoes. Kafka has a wild way of galvanizing and inspiring everyone he fights alongside.
Then, in Episode 2, we get some fun and games before we land back in the nightmare. In a scene that feels like Solo Leveling but less gamer and more terror, a new threat erupts from beneath the city. Now, as Defense Force director Isao Shinomiya says, “This is a trial. The next generation is going to have to overcome on their own.”
Season Two of Kaiju No. 8 is giving me feelings of Starship Troopers, but with its boots firmly on the ground. It’s got that sense of camaraderie and teamwork, set within a brutal world where the enemies keep coming and keep getting better at it. The animation quality remains high, with dynamic kaiju battles and detailed environmental destruction that heighten the sense of danger and scale. The music is strong too, capitalizing on the emotions and the need to gear up and take the monsters down. The new opening song, “You Can’t Run From Yourself” performed by AURORA, is so good; it brings an international flair and a haunting energy that perfectly matches the show’s themes of self-confrontation and resilience. The new closing song will surprise you—but I’ll leave that for you to discover.
I have a feeling “unstoppable power” will be a big theme of this season, but it won’t play out in any obvious way. The “power” is going to come from more than just battle craft. And that’s what I like about Kaiju No. 8: it’s about the force of will to do something beyond what your body would allow without it. And although it’s kind of corny, it’s also about the friends you make along the way and how they make you stronger.
And when you think about it like that, you’ve got a shonen anime starring a 33-year-old man that everyone keeps calling the old guy, who faces off with Japan’s biggest monsters and somehow makes that aspirational. Cheers to the metamorphosis of Hibino Kafka—the eighth Kaiju and the best one.
Catch the Live Stream on Crunchyroll
July 19, 2025 at 7:00 AM PT – New episodes every Saturday
or
Go for the VOD Stream on Crunchyroll
July 19, 2025 at 7:30 AM PT – New episodes every Saturday
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 kicks off hard, raising the stakes, deepening the cast, and delivering both spectacle and heart. If you thought the first season was wild, buckle up—this monster buffet is just getting started.
Visit the Official Kaiju No. 8 Anime Website
JAPANESE VOICE CAST & CHARACTERS
Masaya Fukunishi as Kafka Hibino / Kaiju No. 8
Asami Seto as Mina Ashiro
Wataru Katoh as Reno Ichikawa
Fairouz Ai as Kikoru Shinomiya
Kengo Kawanishi as Soshiro Hoshina
Yuuki Shin as Iharu Furuhashi
Keisuke Komoto as Haruichi Izumo
Shunsuke Takeuchi as Aoi Kaguragi
Sayaka Sembongi as Konomi Okonogi
Tessyo Genda as Isao Shinomiya
Koki Uchiyama as Gen Narumi
Hiroki Yasumoto as Eiji Hasegawa
Kana Hanazawa as Rin Shinonome
Kenta Miyake as Kaiju No. 10
Hiroyuki Yoshino as Kaiju No. 9
CREATIVES
Original Work
Based on the manga “Kaiju No. 8” written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto
Directed by Shigeyuki Miya, Tomomi Kamiya
Series Composition and Screenplay Written by Ichiro Okouchi
Character Design and Chief Animation Director Tetsuya Nishio
Kaiju Design by Mahiro Maeda
Art Director Shinji Kimura
Color Design by Izumi Hirose
3DCG Director Masaru Matsumoto
Director of Photography Eiji Arai
Editor Aya Hida
Sound Director Fumiyuki Go
Music Composed by Yuta Bandoh
Kaiju Supervision (Design and Artwork) Studio khara
Animation Studio Production I.G