The Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide - Kaiju No. 8 Season 2

Kafka's secret is out and everybody knows that he's Kaiju No. 8. After a ferocious display against the head of the Special Defense Force, Kafka has just barely managed to survive. There may actually be a future with him here at the Defense Force as long as he can prove himself as an asset. Meanwhile, Kikoru has also been transferred to the first division where she comes across, one of the strongest kaiju hunters on the force, but to say that he is not what she expected is an understatement.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 is based on the manga series by Naoya Matsumoto. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.

Episode 2

I may have gotten my Enitity-That-Is-Legally-Distinct-Enough-From-Godzilla-To-Avoid-A-Lawsuit-From-TOHO kicks from the season premiere of Kaiju No. 8, but I'm glad that this second episode brings us back to Kafka and Kikoru working together again to squash some nasty bugs. Between Kikoru's Badass Giant Axe and Kafka's Freak-Ass Skellington Body, these giant ants are set to get merced like we were watching an Earth Defense Force live stream. I'm liking the new characters that come to us courtesy of the First Division, too. Captain Narumi already demonstrated that he works well as a legitimately impressive slayer of beasties when he isn't making us laugh as pathetic comedy relief, and Rin Shinonome…well, Rin Shinonome has a really, really big gun. Enough said.

Now that we're properly settling back into the plot of Kaiju No. 8, I also appreciate that Kafka is still trapped in the role of the underdog, despite the kaiju being out of the bag regarding his powers. Before, he was limited by his ability to operate as No. 8 while keeping his identity hidden from his comrades. Now, of course, he can't transform to help them out even when he wants to, and all eyes are on him and begging him to transform. It makes sense that poor Kafka would be suffering from some performance anxiety, since the last time he was in full Kaiju mode, he almost turned Kikoru's dad into a stain on the floor.

While I don't want our best monster boy to be stuck as a relatively helpless grunt for the rest of the series' run, I am glad that Kaiju No. 8 has the good sense to avoid the trap of making its main character just so unbelievably powerful and cool and perfect. Sure, if you make flagrant power fantasies about vaguely human-shaped homunculi that exist to assuage the insecurities of teenage boys, you might take home all of the prizes at the next awards show. The real ones know that truly compelling heroes have to work for whatever scraps of victory they can snatch from the claws of their enemies.

That said, I am not above reveling in the simple pleasures of seeing a goofy dude turn into a badass monster so he can punch other monsters in the face until they explode, so I hope Kafka can get his mojo back before too long. The good news is that this first salvo of Kaiju No. 8's second season makes it seem like we'll have plenty of good old-fashioned popcorn entertainment to keep us engaged in the meantime.

I feel like Kaiju No. 8 got short shrift when it premiered last year. It came and went without much fanfare or hype. I was surprised when I realized the show was coming back for a second season—not because I didn't think the show deserved a second season, or anything like that, but rather because I had simply forgotten a second season was going to arrive at all. That's a shame, too, because Kaiju No. 8 is a good show. It's not groundbreaking, by any means, nor does it possess the level of depth or artistic ambition that's likely to cement it as anyone's personal favorite series of all time; however, that isn't a failure on the show's part. It is the kind of anime that is proud to be a solid 4 out of 5 on the best of days, with its main goals being to make us laugh, make us cheer for its heroes as they fight giant-ass monsters, and occasionally make us scratch our chins and wonder, “Hm…I wonder what will happen next week…”

As for myself, the only major complaint I had was that the first season's plot felt like it moved a bit slowly. A whole lot of questions were raised about how Kafka was transformed into a kaiju, how the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force would respond to finding out the truth behind Kafka's double life, and whether or not Kafka would be able to mend the vaguely explained rift between him and his childhood friend, Mina. Being so preoccupied with multi-episode arcs involving individual kaiju battles, the show only just barely got around to addressing even some of those threads by the time the first season came to a close, and the cast had ballooned so much by then that it felt like the show was only going to continue to set up more plotlines to follow before it satisfactorily developed the ones already in play.

As Season 2 begins, I can't exactly say whether the pacing has changed in any significant way, though considering that Kafka's tenuous situation doesn't get addressed until the very end of an otherwise busy premiere, my guess is that this new batch of episodes will largely stay the course. That's not a terrible proposition, though, considering that newer characters like First Division Captain Narumi are getting their chance to shine as intriguing additions to the cast in their own right, and returning favorites like Kikaru and Iharu are getting more opportunities to stand out as well. Besides, we eventually reach the inevitable conclusion of Kafka being allowed to wield his kaiju powers on behalf of the AKDF, so hopefully we'll gain more forward momentum in future episodes.

Besides, all of this talk about things like “plot” and “characterization” is a distraction from the most important new development in Kaiju No. 8: Japan's newest foe, the Diclonius, is essentially a palette-swapped Godzilla. Specifically, this episode is chock-full of visual cues that harken back to Hideaki Anno's Shin Godzilla (which, by extension, also serve as references to Evangelion, as the man is not shy about reusing the exact same shots and editing choices across his library of work). This made me exceptionally happy. Anything that gives me a chance to geek out over Godzilla makes me happy. More to the point, the whole Diclonius introduction reminded me that Kaiju No. 8 is just a hell of a lot of fun. I'm glad it is back.

The good news is that, compared to how lacking the season premiere was on the action front, this episode is a lot more of it. The downside is that this episode feels a bit empty beyond all the action, and it's a bit of a waste given all the potential there is in throwing Kafka into a new squadron and seeing him have to navigate between that and Captain Narumi's hostility. We also get our first look at the new OP, and while I already like the song even less than what we got with the first one, the showcasing of a bunch of visual effects over more standard anime opening visuals continues to be an even bigger letdown and I don't feel like it's doing the show as many favors as it wants to.

The episode picks up from where the previous one left off in having Kafka and Kikoru start working under Captain Narumi but there isn't much downtime to see these two get used to their new commander, as we're very quickly given the return of Kaiju No. 9, who doesn't waste much time in sending an army of Kaiju to raze the area. With how much of season 1's finale was centered on whether or not the force would see Kafka's transformation as too dangerous to keep him around, it's ironic that much of the conflict here is around Kafka not being able to turn Kaiju as his transformation keeps failing. It gives the battle some extra tension, especially since No.9 pieces together that Kafka and No.8 are one and the same. It's not a bad setup, but it didn't exactly keep me on the edge of my seat. The action here also isn't too remarkable in general, and none of it is on par with some of the action animation highlights of season 1, or even the previous episodes' offerings. Since we don't see too much action from any of the major characters in this episode, I can only hope that the animation staff opted to be more conservative here so we can get something spectacular next time, rather than being a sign of any potential production problems. Beyond those complaints, I'm still otherwise having a good time with Kaiju No. 8, and so long as the second season can maintain the same general quality of the first, it should keep making for a pretty breezy viewing experience.

While I'm not outright in love with Kaiju No. 8, I've found its brand of straightforward shonen action fare to be pretty enjoyable, and sometimes simplicity is all you need if it's executed well enough. Between its rock solid action scenes, and mostly killer soundtrack (it's an earworm, but the YUNGBLUD opening otherwise did nothing for me, and the ending song by OneRepublic was mostly just okay), I'd say the first season largely delivered on that execution, and with this show being the rare example of a modern shonen battle series with adult protagonist, it's easy to see why this show became such a hit. This premiere gets the season off to a solid start as it follows up on some of the fallout regarding 3. While he might have convinced the Defense Force to spare him, it's only in the hopes that he can make for a useful weapon, and with how long Kafka's been dreaming of standing side by side with Mina as equals, the knowledge that they're interested in his Kaiju form rather than him is eating at him a bit.

Surprisingly, we don't spend much time on Kafka in this premiere. Instead, it largely zeroes in on Kikoru as she's sent over to the First Division, and we're introduced to her new commander, Captain Narumi. Pulling away from our protagonist at the start of the season like this is a bit of an odd choice, but I'm pretty okay with the results as Captain Narumi quickly proves to be a fun new addition to the cast. While he's certainly skilled at fighting Kaiju and we get at least one brief action scene that highlights this, he's otherwise just kind of a shut-in who can't be bothered to clean his room or attend meetings over playing video games. It's great seeing just how fast any respect Kikoru has for him evaporates.

That makes things all the more interesting when Kikoru's father assigns Kafka to Captain Narumi's squad. He doesn't hide that he largely doesn't want to deal with all that extra work, and he also makes it clear that he's not particularly trusting of Kafka. He also thinks he'd be more useful as a tool on his belt than a soldier. While it's not a particularly original conflict, Kafka having to work under that kind of hostility does make for a good conflict to start this season off with. I'm looking forward to seeing how Kafka manages to win his trust. About the only negative to this premiere is that it's a bit light on Kaiju battles (aside from one instance that looks like it was ripped right out of Godzilla with a bunch of tanks trying to take a giant Kaiju lizard down) and that is where a lot of the show's appeal is. With the episode teasing the threat of an incoming horse, I imagine it won't take too long to see some quality monster smashing. At its core, Kaiju No. 8 is more or less just a sugary bowl of battle shonen cereal, and as long as this new season can keep me on a decent sugar rush, I'm on board to keep chowing down on it.

It took everything in my power to resist the urge to make a performance anxiety joke throughout most of this episode. Despite being in my early thirties, I am still incredibly immature, but I don't think you need to be immature to enjoy this episode. A lot of it is an action set piece that acts as a second beat of what we saw at the end of season one with the wyvern kaiju that forced Kafka to transform in front of everyone in the first place. Only this time, we have ANTS! Instead of just dealing with one Kaiju, now we're dealing with the early workings of a coordinated army. Interestingly, a similar situation is being used to serve multiple purposes. The first is that we're getting an interesting twist of irony with Kafka being unable to transform when everybody wants him to.

The second purpose of the setup with the multiple kaiju is that this is supposed to establish a break in the status quo. Now that Kaiju No.9 is involved, the major incident of season one will become the norm for season two. Better coordination and level-ups are needed in order to compete with the increased threats. I like that Kaiju No.9, as a villain, doesn't stay absent for very long. This series might be VERY by the numbers as far as Shounen action goes, but it does not waste any time and gets to the point rather quickly. Plot points are established with just enough room to breathe before we can move on to the next one without things feeling rushed, so I'm curious what the next plot point is going to be.

When we last left off with Kaiju No. 8, the rest of the cast and our military division leaders learned of our main character's secret. This episode properly follows up on that revelation by talking about power. In a lot of ways, it doesn't matter about the pleasantries, it doesn't matter about your preferences or your goals. All that matters is whether or not you are strong enough to stop the imposing threat, and that makes sense given the fact that humanity has been under the heel of these giant monsters for decades.

We're already aware of Kafka's resolve as a character, and we know that resolve gives him strength. Now it's time to see if that resolve is enough to give him the power necessary to prove what he needs to earn his keep. This is especially noteworthy because we are now being introduced to arguably one of the strongest characters in the show, who perfectly embodies that “results only” mentality. I liked all the discussions going on from the different characters and how they tie into this theme of power. It does show that things are brewing despite this technically being the calm before the next storm.

I wish the show looked a little bit better aesthetically. I wasn't expecting a massive design change between season one and season two. I think the animation quality is great, especially during those intense moments, but the style of the show just still feels very bland and uninteresting. The characters are very simplified, even though the designs from the original manga were already very simple. The color palette is trying to skew more towards realism than necessary. I can't help but feel like the show looks like I'm watching through a camera that has vaseline smeared all over the lens. I hope that when the action gets going, things will pick up in a way that doesn't distract me as much, but it's especially noticeable during this dialogue-heavy episode. That could just be me, though.

This is more like it. Last week's first episode was a bit slow, as it laid its pieces on the board, preparing a new plotline. Now, an ominous earthquake wreaks havoc across the city, as entire city blocks fall into a newly created black abyss. A particularly effective little scene shows a woman point her phone camera into the gaping darkness, the facial recognition function alerting her to the presence of many glowing eyes, coming closer…And then the city is swamped beneath a swarm of enormous ant-like Kaiju. I'm sure last season of Solo Leveling did something similar! While this isn't quite as glossy as that particular power fantasy anime, Kaiju No. 8 always looks very good, as expected from a veteran studio like Production I.G While the kaiju are animated with CG, they're seamlessly integrated with the rest of the world.

Meanwhile, despite his incredible powers when transformed, poor Kafka can't keep up athletically with the other, much younger officers. I feel your pain, man. He's desperate to do his best, running extra laps beneath his colleagues' concerned gazes, as Director Shinomiya demands that he prove his worth if he wants to survive.” Kafka's previous loss of control during his test fight with his boss hangs heavily on his mind, leading to what can only be described as performance anxiety. He tries on multiple occasions to trigger his Kaiju transformation, but each time he's unable to sustain the change, leading to injury when facing the army of Kaiju ants and their creepy leader, Kaiju No.9.

Kikoru has no such issues. She's also desperate to prove herself to her father, yet instead of becoming paralyzed by anxiety, she leans into her aggression, dispatching kaiju left-right-and-center with her huge shiny axe. She can't stand that the First Division may contain myriad other officers stronger than her, though, as we learn here, some of them are perturbed by her show of abnormal strength.

Commander Narumi continues to be badass, rescuing a boy who tried to protect a girl from a kaiju attack. He, of course, undercuts his coolness by demanding that the boy then post repeatedly about him on social media. Earlier, he also begged Kikoru for money after spending his entire wage on geeky online purchases. There aren't any rules to say that great leaders necessarily always make great choices in their personal lives!

Primary antagonist Kaiju No.9's reappearance, plus a greater concentration of the show's signature great action, means this second episode is significantly more entertaining than its first. Kafka's a deeply sympathetic protagonist, a flawed human being desperate to do his best despite his limitations. His performance struggles under psychological pressure hit home in a way that the almost effortless power escalation of Solo Leveling's Jinwoo doesn't.

Perhaps it's the older (in anime terms) guy in me that makes me want to root for him. Kaiju No. 8 doesn't do anything particularly groundbreaking, but it remains a thoroughly entertaining shonen action show, and I'm glad to see it back on good form.

When we last left 32-year-old Japanese Anti-Kaiju Defense Force officer Kafka Hibino, he'd been forced to reveal his secret identity as the super-powerful, yet human-sized, Kaiju No. 8, in order to protect his friends from another exploding kaiju. During a subsequent test battle against Director General Shinomiya, he briefly lost control, and as a result he's currently incarcerated while his bosses debate his future. This episode opens with what initially appears to be a flashback to his and former childhood friend Mina Ashiro's past, as she cries in response to a kaiju attack. Suddenly we discover the attacking kaiju is none other than Kafka's monstrous alter ago, once more rampaging outwith his control, and now Godzilla-sized. Mina's adult version calls down a hail of bullets from an army of Defense Force officers and helicopters.

Of course it turns out to be a dream, which is a slightly frustrating trope to begin a new season with, but at least it opens with some action, even if the scene isn't found in the original manga. Back in the real world, Mina stands once more in the place Kafka protected her, pondering his true nature, while his other friends worry about his fate, as he's uncontactable. Most of the episode's runtime switches viewpoints to that of feisty young female officer Kikoru Shinomiya, the director's daughter with something to prove. She's my favorite character, so I appreciate the focus on her transfer to the prestigious First Division, and her initial horror on meeting her new commander.

Despite clearly having an important job, Gen Narumi appears to aspire to a NEET gamer slob existence, subsisting in a dark, messy man-cave piled high with “Yamazon” boxes full of “Gundom” kits. He wallows in indolence beneath a blanket, playing online games on his “BS5.” Somehow I kind of feel called out here. Kikoru is not impressed, to say the least. It's only when she witnesses his prowess with an ENORMOUS ELECTRIC GUN SWORD THING, exploding a palette-swapped Godzilla-esque kaiju, resulting in a localized weather phenomenon of torrential blood rain, that her interest is piqued.

Narumi's a weird but fun new character with multiple quirky attributes. In addition to his terminal geekdom, he's obsessed with his online reputation, bemoaning that Mina gets all of the credit for his victories. Some of his more extreme bug-eyed facial reactions remind me a little of Demon Slayer's terminally irritating Zenitsu, though, so hopefully that aspect will be reined in before I start to hate him like the way I wish eternal painful, humiliating, and bloody suffering on that most irritating of yellow-haired annoyances.

Overall, this episode functions mostly as a transitional piece, picking up some of the fallout from last season, while introducing a new status quo, as both Kikoru and a (temporarily) freed Kafka transfer to the first division together. A couple of brief but ultimately insubstantial action scenes keep things interesting, but overall it's a far from spectacular opener. New opening song You Can't Run From Yourself by AURORA plays over the ending credits, and I like it a lot so far, though it's not quite as immediately iconic as the first season's Abyss by YUNGBLUD. It'll no doubt grow on me.