Kaiju No. 8

Episode 8

Episode 8 offers some slick action and excellent character-building in the aftermath of the team's first major battle.

The opening fight between Hoshina and Kafka is everything you could want at this stage of the story. Hoshina's powers are very cool, fitting the kind of high-impact and high-speed dual-blade wielder archetype. It makes him stand out from the other paramilitary/tactical members of the Kaiju Defense Force as well as being distinct from Kafka. Kafka's more classically styled big strength and regenerative ability make for a good foil against the deadly speed and precision of Hoshina. Production I.G delivers a great back-and-forth between them which, while short-lived, is exciting and dynamic.

The rest of the episode centers on the group hanging out together post-mission. I enjoyed this sequence, as it showed a pretty natural progression after a high-intensity battle. In fiction, sometimes we are presented with something described as a good decision or smart move but does not mesh with our (or at least my) lived experience but this is not the case here. It makes perfect sense to go out for a team dinner and drinks after the stress of a life-or-death mission. It's also wise for folks to argue and bicker a little and then work through their differences, as that is also a healthy dimension to team building. It's good for folks to blow off a bit of steam (within reason) while also voicing genuine concerns and working through those issues before the next mission. The revelations about various family wealth and influence help add more depth to some of the team members as well.

I also like the central tension set up between Kafka and Hoshina. This is classic superheroic storytelling, where one character has diametrically opposed opinions about another character's hero and mundane identities. Hoshina supports Kafka and is out to kill Kaiju No. 8. It's classic tension. I can't wait to see how it plays out.

Rating:

Grant is the cohost on the Blade Licking Thieves podcast and Super Senpai Podcast.

Kaiju No. 8 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.