Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 8

怪獣8号 [Kaijū 8-gō] #8

by Naoya Matsumoto, David Evelyn (Translator)

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!

Reno finally puts his Numbers Weapon training to the test in a live kaiju-combat field test. Meanwhile, Iharu, feeling left behind after witnessing Reno’s explosive progress, shifts his focus to improving his own skills—that is, until an abnormality strikes Reno during their neutralization mission and forces Iharu into action!

Genres: Manga, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Action, Fiction, Horror, Graphic Novels

184 pages, Paperback

First published November 4, 2022

About the author

Name (in native Japanese): 松本直也

Reviews

[Elle_bow 🩷 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously love how this series and progressing!

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

PT Boa evolução das personagens acompanhada de excelentes cenas de ação.

A troca de palavras entre Soshiro Hoshina e Kafka Hibino esteve particularmente bem conseguida, dando um peso emocional à história.

--

EN Good character growth paired with strong action scenes.

The exchange between Soshiro Hoshina and Kafka Hibino was especially well done, adding real emotional weight to the story.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the chapters 52-65 on biweekly releases that are not in tankobon format yet. This series will remain a favorite to me, it just always succeeds and never disappoint. Also, Iharu and Ichikawa duo just brings you to tears. I love how the limelight shifts to other characters' development, although it makes Kafka somehow insecure for he doesn't really have the required strength if he isn't Monster no.8 but it keeps him going and it makes up his mind to try and be better (yea, kinda cliché in that part, but I kinda like it—and that is the essence of shounen manga) This is a wholesome series and I just love it.

Also, what happened to sensei? Expected pub of this volume is November 2023... I mean lol, I know it's biweekly but 2023 is such a long wait... or just a typo, they meant 2022?

[fulcrum · Rating 4 out of 5]

Iharu Furuhashi and Ichikawa Reno, you are precious to me! Such a great duo, I’m so happy they have each other.

upd: just watched the new episode and i HATE it. what have you done. it’s embarrassingly bad, genuinely painful to sit through. the animation was shaky from the start (and i wasn’t expecting mappa level), but s2ep7 is easily the worst yet: cheap, flat, zero impact. i’m mad, sad, and honestly a little insulted, because i genuinely loved these chapters.

[₊ ˚ ale ࿓ ♡ ⋆｡˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iharu and Ichikawa supremacy. I really love the dynamics and the all the character development throughout the volume

[juli✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

i love the friendships in this book, everyone wants to get stronger TOGETHER

[Jinghay (these.blank.pages) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the beginning of the volume focuses mainly on Leno and Iharu. They deserved their lime-light.

Damn, reading this manga really pumps you up though. Seeing the characters working hard to bypass their best, never giving up.
There aren't any monsters nearby (thankfully. I would not survive-).. but maybe I'll go for a run heh

Rating: 4/5

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Penso che sia molto bello quando ci sono interi capitoli dedicati allo sviluppo dei personaggi secondari. In questo caso Leno e Iharu si sono dimostrati all'altezza di reggere un intero volume.
Che dire, a me la storia di Kaiju, i suoi disegni e il suo hype piacciono moltissimo. Ogni nuovo volume me lo divoro e poi parte l'attesa per i successivi.

[Berry · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️4,5

Leno i Iharu to słodziaki

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally the best volume yet and has become a new favorite volume!

Seriously, I could just reread this volume alone and be super happy for a few different reasons!

First being…LOOK AT ICHIKAWA SHINE!!!! *sobs* I'm so so so proud of him and how much he has grown as an individual and as a soldier! However, on the flip side, seeing how much he puts responsibility on himself and himself alone hurts my heart. Those moments where we see what's going on in his head brought tears to my eyes because he is never truly alone. He has comrades on his side who care for him and are looking out for him.

This leads to my second point of I LOVEDDDDDD Ichikawa and Iharu's friendship in this volume! I know they have been friends and that Iharu was even on the previous volume's cover, but I felt I didn't know enough about him to have a deep connection with his character. His background reminded me SO much of Tanaka's from Haikyuu and was definitely another part of the story that made me tear up. That only continued throughout as I binge read this volume VERY quickly because I loved seeing them team up and both together! Granted, it will never replace how much I love Ichikawa and Kafka's friendship, but this is hands down my second friendship in this series!

Lastly, HOSHINAAAAAAAAAAAA!!! YESSSSSSSS! I'm SO glad we saw much more of him because he's one of my favorite characters! I was SO thankful for his appearance and how he encouraged Kafka at just the right moment! I personally needed to see Kafka encouraged and that he would be reminded that he himself has worth and value as Kafka and not because he is Kaiju No. 8. That whole last chapter was so so so good and VERY excited to see where this series goes! What Kafka saw had me sitting up straight in bed and started excitedly asking all the questions.

Overall, best volume yet! Can't wait to read the next one and see what happens!!

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of the middle of the road volume. Basically having Leno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi work as a team to train to become stronger. They take down a monster but as training...then our main character trained...so this is a lot of training. Which doesn't make it nearly as fun or exciting. I will say the action still is great, flows fast, and very well paced but lacks the "OH NO" rush of the previous volumes. A 3 out of 5.

[Sera Nova · Rating 5 out of 5]

*chefs kiss* character development arcs

[emmyway · Rating 5 out of 5]

мне нравится, что в этой манге красной нитью проходит история о том что ичикава почему-то решил что любит кафку, а кафка понял что ичикава почему-то самый важный человек для него 🙏🙏🙏 рада что мужья наконец-то поговорили хотя бы по мобилке

[BlaireReadsTheThings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just cranking right through these! I will be running out soon and have to wait on preorders like the peasant that I am. I don't really see this being a very long series, but boy is it good for what it is. It is so fast-paced and rarely lets up.

[Kaitlynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

Well, I made it 8 volumes before I started crying, so there's that.

I love the character development and the found family...

And Reno and Hoshina (Mikayla was right about that)

[m.・゜゜・・゜゜・． · Rating 4 out of 5]

reno and iharu yaoi

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A crucial volume that first focuses on Leno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi, putting them both on the front line in an effort to showcase their sense of duty and unreal determination, while also highlighting their unparalleled bromance. The volume ends by recentering itself on Kafka Hibino's own journey and his own commitment to helping those he cares about without thinking about the consequences on himself. Some exciting mentorship dynamics are officially created as the story pushes forward into building up the youth who will form the future of the division.

[Leila ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia es espectacular, pero siento como que la cosa está medio estancada. Onda estamos viendo como todos los personajes se van volviendo cada vez más fuertes para pelear contra el kaiju nº9, pero leer sobre el entrenamiento en vez de la pelea en sí es medio un embole xd

3 de 5 estrellas.

[mikaela (spinebreaker) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread 6.26
I mean I DO miss narumi but not enough for only 3 stars 😭 and Ogata and Reno and Iharu are enough!!!

Original review
i miss narumi

[estrawberry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I TOOK THIS OUT AND READ IT ALL OUTSIDE TO GET MY READ OUTSIDE BINGO DONE AND OMG I LOVED IT IT WAS FULL OF CUTENESS AND WOWNESS I LOVE THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND THE BEST PART ABOUT THIS MANGA IS THE CAMARADERIE AAAAA IT JUST FILLS MY HEART WITH HAPPINESS AND EVERY VOLUME IS LIKE WOAHH BUT THIS ONE WAS TRULY FILLED WITH WHOLESOMENESS!!! GO ICHIKAWA AND FURUHASHI!!!

[Alvaro Garrido · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hasta ahora 66 capítulos de buen ritmo de trama y una historia sencilla y cumplidora.

[Chia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reno🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

[Jimmy Ramirez Jaco · Rating 4 out of 5]

One piece but good

[MajesticalLion · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a surprising twist, the series has put less of a focus on Kafka and more on the supporting cast of the series for this volume. Kafka returns at the very end to train for the decisive battle ahead, but the stars of this volume really are Leno and Iharu. Incredible stuff.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emozionante. Bellissimo.

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

2023 me would’ve killed to have a friend like Olivia who lets you use her Viz account so you can read the rest of the story :))


So sad! AND Libby doesnt have books 9 and 10 yet!! Ugh

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

reno & iharu ??? relationship goals

[The Book Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ichikawa takes his first battlefield test run of the Kaiju #6 suit and it doesn't exactly go as planned. Instead we see some leaps and bounds from Iharu (yay, he's joining the teen sidekick team!) because he's an angsty boy who gets hung up on test scores.

Meanwhile, Kafka gets set up for his own training regiment but then it ends on a cliffhanger and I'm mad about it.

[Literatura sin límites · Rating 5 out of 5]

¡Que diablos!

El crecimiento de Reno en batalla ha mejorado bastante, y encima es candidato para portar un traje numerado, un traje hecho de un Kaiju numerado.

Y esa junta es trascendental para la división en sí, es que tienen que cambiar su visión, estrategia y todo.

Se avecina una guerra sin cuartel.

Además que el Kaiju No. 9 no está muerto, y pide que se hagan un traje con lo que queda de su cuerpo para pelear con el capitán segundo Hoshina... ¡sin palabras!

[Popuri ⍟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually can't believe I only have two more volumes of this to read. Life is unfair.
On the other hand, the last chunk of this volume was gloriously filled with Hoshina and I couldn't be happier about it. Truly the best character <3
Curious to see more of Reno's plotline... not sure how I feel about it so far.