Kaiju No. 8: Relax, Vol. 2

怪獣8号 RELAX [Kaijū 8-gō Relax] #2

by Kizuku Watanabe

With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. But kaiju don’t attack every day! Sometimes, even the best and brightest kaiju-fighting heroes get a chance to relax.

Genres: Manga, Comedy, Fiction, Comics, Graphic Novels Manga, Humor, Slice Of Life

Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2025

About the author

渡邉築

Reviews

[Rod Brown]

A second outing for the Kaiju No. 8 spin-off series that looks at what kind of goofiness the monster-hunting soldiers of the Defense Force get up to in their downtime between the action scenes of the main series.

This time around the chuckles are derived from bickering over camping vs. glamping, a crisis in self-confidence, the unfortunate fortunes pulled during a New Year's shrine visit, a Valentine's Day competition to receive chocolates from Captain Mina Ashiro, and jockeying for seating position during cherry blossom viewing season.

This will tickle anyone looking to spend a little more time with beloved characters from the main series, but anyone else will probably be lost as little effort is made to introduce the characters and establish their relationships before the slapstick and absurdity kick off.


Disclosure: I received access to a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.com.

FOR REFERENCE:

Contents:
• Chapter 6. Kaiju No. 8 and Camping
- Episode 1. Manly Man's Camp
- Episode 2. Footprints

• Chapter 7. Kaiju No. 8 and the Faded Man
- Episode 1. Kaiju No. 8 and the Faded Man
- Episode 2. Cream of the Crop

• Chapter 8. Kaiju No. 8 and New Year's
- Episode 1. Kaiju No. 8 and Omikuji
- Episode 2. Jumbo-Sized First Dream

• Chapter 9. Kaiju No. 8 and Valentine's Day
- Episode 1. Valentine's Day Tournament, Part One
- Episode 2. Valentine's Day Tournament, Part Two

• Chapter 10. Captain Narumi and Vice-Captain Hoshina
- Episode 1. The Defense Force and the Cherry Blossom Viewing
- Episode 2. Defense Force Figure
- Bonus Manga. Dogs and Cats Cake

[Lucien Blackthorne]

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5 Stars – Kaiju No. 8: Relax Volume 2 Review
Kaiju No. 8: Relax Volume 2 continues its laid-back spin-off approach, offering more slice-of-life moments with the familiar cast from the main Kaiju No. 8 series. It leans fully into comedy and character interaction, giving readers another break from the intensity of kaiju battles and high-stakes missions.
The highlight remains the characters themselves. Their personalities come through clearly in everyday situations, and the interactions between them provide a steady stream of humor and lighthearted charm. Fans of the main series will appreciate seeing these more casual sides of characters who are usually locked into serious combat roles.
The artwork stays clean and expressive, with strong emphasis on facial expressions and comedic timing. It fits the tone well and helps elevate even simple scenarios into entertaining moments.
That said, Volume 2 suffers from the same limitation as the first: a lack of narrative progression. While the jokes and short scenarios are pleasant, the format can start to feel repetitive, and there’s little to hold attention beyond individual scenes. Readers looking for story development or tension won’t find much here.
Overall, Kaiju No. 8: Relax Volume 2 is another easy, light read that serves as background entertainment for fans, but it still doesn’t offer enough depth or variety to stand out on its own.
A decent continuation of the spin-off’s relaxed tone, but still best enjoyed in small doses rather than as a must-read entry in the franchise. ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5)

[Tabitha Short]

These shorts were fun, but some of it bugged me a little just because I feel like some of the characters wouldn't act/talk that way. But I still had a good time with it!

But oh my goodness, the last few stories that were about Hoshina and Narumi were hilarious!! I was literally laughing out loud. Those were definitely my favorite from this volume!!

[mimo]

Cute! Again, a little over-the-top sometimes, but I did like the chapters with Narumi - I guess it's hard to go too far with humour when it involves him. The one where he and Hasegawa play with figures is especially funny. Also, of course I have to mention the Hoshina cherry blossoms chapter, which does great poking fun at the fandom's bias.

[Brandon]

I like the New Year's chapter with the fortunes, that was fun. The rest weren't great. I guess my problem is that the characters don't have very enjoyable personalities in the first place and this slice of life stuff makes them blend together a bit for whatever gag it tries to do each chapter.

[Orson Witte]

Its just so good

[Kelli]

fun date idea—pick a fight with your crush under the cherry blossoms

[mykittyquest17]

4.5 stars

Fun and cute. I love little extended universe stories like this.

[Abigail]

This is so silly and cute I love how funny it is haha

[Nicole]

2.25 stars. Got a few laughs out of me.

[Emmie Rose]

4.5 stars

[Erin Clements]

these shorts weren't as fun as the first volume was, which is unfortunate because I loved the first volume

[Hannah]

3.25 stars | The running joke of Haruichi struggling to maintain his corporeal form was peak

[Amy Escobar]

This was a fun and silly way to envision special forces. I originally got these books because they center around Kaiju- very glad I did. I will look for more of this series.