Rai Rai Rai, Vol. 1

by Yoshiaki

Implanted with an extraterrestrial entity, a former space pest exterminator battles deadly alien threats—all to pay her bills!

Humanity might’ve triumphed over the aliens, but that didn’t stop struggling space vermin exterminator Sumire Ichigaya from getting abducted by a UFO! After being implanted with a foul-mouthed extraterrestrial entity, she’s got a lot more to worry about than just paying her bills!

Sumire Ichigaya’s got it tough. She’s drowning in debt, surrounded by noisy neighbors, fighting for discount supermarket meals, and working a dead-end job exterminating space vermin left over from a failed alien invasion. It seems like things just can’t get any worse—until she’s abducted by aliens and wakes up with a monstrous new arm and a voice in her head urging her to kill all of humanity!

Genres: Manga, Comics Manga

200 pages, Paperback

Published August 12, 2025

Reviews

[MargReadsManga · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this is cross between Kaiju No. 8 and Dorohedoro.

[Robbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a whacky kaiju (alien) based series.

[Kevin Costanzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a weird Manga. It feels more comedy oriented than I expected but not in a bad way.
I think I’ll give the next installment a shot when it drops.

Best guess on what Sumires powers exactly do, is that she’ll be able to transform into powerful aliens like a body horror Ben 10.

[Justin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rai Rai Rai is essentially what you'd get if you took Kaiju No. 8, added a bit of Parasyte (minus the horror), and mixed it with one of those old-school series like Hyper Police or maybe Hayate the Combat Butler, where the main character is primarily just trying to make ends meet and pay off their debts. Maybe with a dash of Dandadan for flavor. After one volume, Rai Rai Rai is...slightly less than the sum of its parts.

Sumire has thrown her own hopes and dreams away, to devote her life to trying to pay off her family's crippling debt by working for a company that helps clean up the persistent mess that aliens left when humanity staved off their invasion 50 years ago. But the aliens aren't as gone as they seem, when they abduct Sumire and fuse her with a sentient bioweapon. Things don't quite go according to their plan, as Sumire still (sorta) has control of her body. Some fights and misunderstandings happen, and by the end of the volume, she finds herself working for another, more influential organization that wants to use her newfound powers to fight off other alien troublemakers.

If it sounds like a story you've heard before, that's because you probably have. Rai Rai Rai hasn't done anything really unique yet, which means it falls on the art and the characters to do the heavy lifting, and those are also decidedly mixed. Facial expressions are pretty well done, but there are more than a few panels that feel a bit...spartan. However, the alien designs are...also mixed, but when they're good, they're really good. By that I mean, Sumire's transformed body is pretty much just a gorilla suit from one of those old black & white horror movies, with a ram's skull for a head. But the alien varmint (the book's terminology, not mine) she ends up fighting? That thing is freaking awesome, like the Gaping Dragon from Dark Souls, crossed with a monkey, and an Angel from Evangelion. No lie, the creativity of this design kept me reading past the first chapter.

Which brings us to the characters. Sumire, herself, is automatically at least somewhat sympathetic, as a down-on-her-luck wage slave who's just trying to get by with the hand life's dealt her. Then there's Hazuki, the cold professional who really just wants a day off. The glimpses we get beneath her stoic exterior (lamenting the coupon that's supposed to expire, for example), are endearing, but she gets introduced late enough that I don't have a solid feel for her yet. The same goes for the other major characters: Raiden Corp's CEO, the doctor in charge of figuring out Sumire's condition, etc. I guess we have a good feel for Duskin, the alien bonded to Sumire, in that he's essentially Bowser: all loud bravado and slightly bumbling execution, but that doesn't necessarily make him compelling. And Sumire's old boss and coworkers, I don't expect to see again, so I'm not sure they count.

All in all, after one volume, I'm not really sure what to think about Rai Rai Rai yet. It started out lackluster, saved itself with a great alien design, then provided just enough charisma and humor to keep me reading to the end. It has some potential, but hasn't really done anything noteworthy yet. At the same time though, it's not bad either; it just sort of...is. I might pick up volume 2 when it comes out, but ideally I'd like to flip through it first, to see if goes anywhere new.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Others have already mentioned it, but so far this is basically just Kaiju No. 8 with a dash of Parasyte, and more comedy. Not enough has happened to really get a grasp on what the manga will actually be about. Right now, it's enough of a "gag" series that I can't exactly see it shifting into full-on battles. I can assume next volume will have like "monster of the week" kaiju clashes, though. Probably with more transformations for Sumire's kaiju mode. The last chapter teases another girl who was experimented on by aliens, so maybe we'll be getting a rival also. Or else Hazuki will be a rival. Hard to say, since, again, I don't think this will turn into a true blue action series.

****

Sumire's body in the Gantz-style plugsuit on the cover, and her legs on the omake page after Chapter 1... This manga could easily have some good ecchi if the author felt like it...! Also, Hazuki's butt under her shirt when she runs back at the kaiju, as well as the full-body illustration a couple pages later, with visible ass-fang...! And the full-body illustration on the next page, with thigh-gap...! And her ass when she's slammed to the floor...! And her ass when she's doubled over after the barrage of attacks...! And Sumire's naked body when she transforms back...!

[Shari · Rating 4 out of 5]

In an alternate world where humanity has defeated alien invaders, Sumire Ichigaya is working an awful job as a space pest exterminator trying to get her family out of debt. After a few events have Sumire feeling like life couldn't get any worse, she is abducted by a UFO and implanted with a grumpy extraterrestrial being that is focused on destroying humanity.

This was a pretty good introduction to a newly translated manga series. I feel like we are given enough background to understand what this world is like and information regarding the aliens to understand what is happening to Sumire. It ends on just enough of a cliffhanger to make you want to continue to the next volume. I feel like the artwork was engaging and well done also.

Thank you to NetGalley, VIZ Media, and Yoskiaki for providing an advanced reading copy!

[Leah Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rai Rai Rai is perfect for fans of Parasyte or Chainsaw Man who want a little more fun.

It doesn't take itself too seriously, and the dialogue from the vermin is perfect. It's an easy Kaiju series to pick up and eat through.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel like this just took parts of kaiju no 8 and dandadan but stripped them of the humour and whimsy that makes them so unique. there are so many other Good Alien series out there rn that this just doesn’t measure up

[scarlettraces · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yeah this was awesome

[Mad Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think it’s really funny..but very weird this story!

Already i got win giveaway so glad i had enjoy reading it

[Greta K · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s fun but it feels pretty derivative of a lot of different series (chainsaw man, Dai dark, dead dead demons) without a whole lot in terms of unique voice.

[PB · Rating 5 out of 5]

ok it's been a bit since I laughed out loud while reading. this is such a cool little story and I can't wait to read more.

[Marcus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad first volume. Took a little to get rolling but an interesting concept.