Kaiju No. 8 Anime Review: A Visually Beautiful Adaptation That Stumbles
Kaiju No. 8 still feels a little blasé despite the amazing visuals Production I.g. has produced. Although it's funny to witness Kafka yell, panic, and even smash a city block with a single fist, the anime and manga based on it lacks much to set it out on its own. Ultimately, becoming worth revisiting week after week calls more than just aesthetic appeal.
Kaiju No. 8 pushes away from the clichés of shonen with a grungier, more visceral environment, so on paper seems to be a definite winner. But the same simplicity of the scenario simply accentuates the familiarity of the ensemble. The outcome is a scene that relies on I.G.'s great visuals to sell itself, treads familiar territory, doesn't strike out far enough in fresh regions. Kaiju No. 8 feels unsatisfactory overall, although the source material itself is the issue.
Kaiju No. 8 lacks a "X Factor" allowing it to stand apart.
Kaiju no. 8 suffers in numerous spheres from "plainness". Although fighting against terrible hordes is fascinating, the final nine episodes have not offered much in terms of stakes; the events seem separate, as if visiting one is equally good as the next in another episode. For that regard, the Kaiju and their exterminators have little space to make the battles more fascinating in trying to show a "grounded" approach. The powered suits only increase a character's speed or strength, therefore they rely on a pragmatic, but unimaginative armory of guns, melee weapons, and their bigger brothers.
To compound this is a focal cast devoid of much to call their own that hasn't been taken from universal anime clichés. Reno begins as an arrogant newcomer, and Kikoru as a rich but insecure perfectionist, but she doesn't have much more than that which distinguishes her from others. Secondaries like Iharu have less value save for loud brashness. Lead character Kafka, too, once one looks past his age, has few in his Story Arc that haven't been repeated by other shonen manga, nor has the story seen proper to give his Kaiju form much utility except pounding things extremely hard.
The Flaws in Kaiju No. 8's Source Material
Author Naoya Matsumoto's struggle inspired Kafka's account of following his ambition. Production I.g. polish all this up with amazing combat scenes, but finally the animation feels celebratory of itself, not of its underlying material. It is difficult to become engaged in looking forward what the next fight scenario could possibly offer when the combat is thrilling but the story feels like a vehicle to carry the troops from one Kaiju turkey-shoot to the next.
Even with all the buzz around Kaiju No. 8 before its premiere, there doesn't seem to be much value to remember once its transmission ends. Of course, the narrative can get more interesting as it progresses, but concurrently manga readers know that Kaiju No. 8 will also lose focus on most of what made it unique and unusual in the beginning in order to create way for the typical exciting shonen cliches.
Kaiju No. 8: The Future
Though with great animation and visual flair, Kaiju No. 8 has not grabbed viewers' whole attention. Although the anime is fun, many viewers feel unsatisfied by the shallow narrative and dependence on cliches. As the narrative develops, the series has the potential to get better; yet, it will have to solve the flaws in the source material and find means to set itself apart from other shonen animation.
Future of Kaiju No. 8 is yet unknown. Though visually striking, the anime still has to prove whether it can transcend the shortcomings of its original material and win over a bigger audience. Kaiju No. 8 has taken the stage with the publication of the anime adaptation. If the show wishes to stand out from the throng, it will have to make major progress in terms of its storytelling and character development even if it is evidence of Naoya Matsumoto's and Production I.G.'s creative ability.
Kaiju No. 8: Examining the Anime Up Close
Disillusioned Kaiju corpse cleanup worker Kafka Hibino dreams of serving in the Defense Force shielding Japan from terrible Kaiju attacks. Once he contracts a Kaiju parasite, his life veers off course and he gains the ability to metamorphose into a Kaiju personally. Called Kaiju No. 8, Kafka has to negotiate the twin life of a monster and a guardian while confronting rivals both human and Kaiju.
Kaiju No. 8's anime rendition is an action-packed, graphically spectacular adventure. With its own approach, production I.G., well-known for its work on Ghost in the Shell, Psycho-Pass, and Haikyu!!, has brought the world of Kaiju No. 8 to life. Excellent combat scenes, vibrant animation, and finely crafted characters abound throughout the anime. But the series's dependence on cliches and lack of narrative depth have kept it from reaching all its possibilities.
