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怪獣8号 [Kaijū 8-gō] #5
Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 5
With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!
The Defense Force has taken Kafka into custody and has plans to dispose of him. Kafka attempts to plead his case with Director General Shinomiya, wielder of the mighty Kaiju No. 2’s power and the person lauded as the strongest in Defense Force history. But when Kafka’s pleas fail to move the director general, he winds up facing him in combat! What’s more, he starts to lose control of his kaiju form! Can Kafka keep it together long enough to save his own skin?
The Defense Force has taken Kafka into custody and has plans to dispose of him. Kafka attempts to plead his case with Director General Shinomiya, wielder of the mighty Kaiju No. 2’s power and the person lauded as the strongest in Defense Force history. But when Kafka’s pleas fail to move the director general, he winds up facing him in combat! What’s more, he starts to lose control of his kaiju form! Can Kafka keep it together long enough to save his own skin?
204 pages, Paperback
First published December 3, 2021
231 people are currently reading
1113 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews
August 5, 2024
narumi gen is soooo boyfriend
July 10, 2025
4/5
The author had no right to make Narumi this fine.
The author had no right to make Narumi this fine.
June 15, 2024
NARUMI, LMAO. my second fave character, lol. he's so silly, i love him
April 26, 2022
Whilst not inherently bad, this feels like a huge shift when it comes to the characters. No longer are we following the OG squad that has been built up since volume one. That being said, the new characters are good in their own right; one in particular is sure to be a fan favourite! Good, but not great, it's a small dip in a still extremely solid series.
November 25, 2024
4.5 ☆
no thoughts, just Narumi.
no thoughts, just Narumi.
May 1, 2022
Mangaka Naoya Matsumoto continues this brilliant franchise with an epic battle implicating Kafka Hibino going berserk and then introducing the ego-heavy yet kickass Gen Narumi. The relentless amount of action infused with character-motivation establishing sequences makes for such an entertaining time once more.
August 10, 2024
A fun, action-packed series that keeps getting better. Kafka strives to prove himself while grappling with his mysterious powers.
Think Pacific Rim meets Godzilla in manga form!
Think Pacific Rim meets Godzilla in manga form!
Read
June 22, 2024Gen Narumi!!
That is it. That is all I'm going to say.
That is it. That is all I'm going to say.
August 15, 2025
another one — silly, strong, and hot. thank you. narumi is an interesting creature, no doubt about it. this was so fast-paced i barely realised i’d already flown through two volumes back-to-back.
January 8, 2023
Another super explosive volume!!!
The first quarter of this was EXTREMELY intense!! I felt so on edge and caught myself holding my breath and reminding myself I needed air! LOL! I didn't know what would be the outcome though the more the fight went on, the more worried I became.
However, once it ended and the sound of a character said their name…I didn't realize a name could be so impactful. VERY good!
I confess that the middle was really good, but gah, I miss third division so much!! Narumi created a lot of conflicting emotions because I HATED what he said to Kafka, but it's hard to actually hate him when Narumi IS cool. Ha! He's different then everyone we've met so far and think it's a nice change of pace even if he still makes me mad at times. LOL! (Also his character design is awesome!)
I never thought I would come to love Kikoru as much as I do. I didn't dislike her before, but she wasn't my favorite. However, seeing her "cheer" for (more like support and believe in) Kakfa and them "grow together" has been extremely awesome. Like always, she can kick butt and look awesome while doing so, with this volume doing nothing less of showing how true that is.
OH MY GOODNESS TO THAT CLIFFHANGER!! I don't even know what to think because :o :o :o :o!!! I'm scared and nervous about what will happen in volume six, but surely everything will be okay?!?!
Overall, another fantastic volume in this amazing series!!
The first quarter of this was EXTREMELY intense!! I felt so on edge and caught myself holding my breath and reminding myself I needed air! LOL! I didn't know what would be the outcome though the more the fight went on, the more worried I became.
However, once it ended and the sound of a character said their name…I didn't realize a name could be so impactful. VERY good!
I confess that the middle was really good, but gah, I miss third division so much!! Narumi created a lot of conflicting emotions because I HATED what he said to Kafka, but it's hard to actually hate him when Narumi IS cool. Ha! He's different then everyone we've met so far and think it's a nice change of pace even if he still makes me mad at times. LOL! (Also his character design is awesome!)
I never thought I would come to love Kikoru as much as I do. I didn't dislike her before, but she wasn't my favorite. However, seeing her "cheer" for (more like support and believe in) Kakfa and them "grow together" has been extremely awesome. Like always, she can kick butt and look awesome while doing so, with this volume doing nothing less of showing how true that is.
OH MY GOODNESS TO THAT CLIFFHANGER!! I don't even know what to think because :o :o :o :o!!! I'm scared and nervous about what will happen in volume six, but surely everything will be okay?!?!
Overall, another fantastic volume in this amazing series!!
January 16, 2023
Shinomiya’s dad squares off against Kefka for some chapters of shonen male fighting. In the aftermath, Shinomiya herself is assigned to a new squad under the incredibly capable Gen Narumi, who’s a real… something or other. Then the kaiju decided to bug everybody again.
You can imagine my lament when this volume started off with the biggest snore in all of shonen - lots of pages of two guys wailing on one another while somebody’s thesaurus gets a workout naming attacks.
Admittedly, this has the point of showing Kefka to be less in control than he originally thought, but it’s no more exciting here than it ever was the first dozen times I saw it in many, many shonen titles.
Which is fine - Kaiju No.8 is certainly more than its slick action beats and, to be fair, it definitely handles the stuff I don’t care about with great artwork. The legitimate combat mission at the end of the volume is actually freaking great and when it goes for big battles I do enjoy those.
No, this is the volume where the series remembered to be funny and good lord was it all worth it for the incredibly capable and haughty Narumi, who happens to also be a hardcore gamer and otaku. The visual of him flipping his hair up before combat to just… become cool… really works.
As does how much of a total loser he is outside of his work environment. The running gag of him being kicked (I am a big sucker for running gags this week, apparently) just killed me because of how specific the panel is every time.
This continues into the final segment, where Shinomiya and Kefka need to prove themselves against the machinations of the savage Kaiju No.9, who remains an excellent foil for our leads. Of course, only one of them manages this, leading into the escalation and cliffhanger that we close on.
It’s a mighty solid volume that I wasn’t interested in at first, but grabbed me and didn’t let go. It’s been a while since the series was this dang funny and it was good to see it back doing the thing it does best.
4 stars - a lot of this rating is because it was pretty good, but then went to great with the introduction of the very daft Narumi, who I am hoping we see a lot more of. When even his creator acknowledges he’s a pain in the ass, that’s a good character.
You can imagine my lament when this volume started off with the biggest snore in all of shonen - lots of pages of two guys wailing on one another while somebody’s thesaurus gets a workout naming attacks.
Admittedly, this has the point of showing Kefka to be less in control than he originally thought, but it’s no more exciting here than it ever was the first dozen times I saw it in many, many shonen titles.
Which is fine - Kaiju No.8 is certainly more than its slick action beats and, to be fair, it definitely handles the stuff I don’t care about with great artwork. The legitimate combat mission at the end of the volume is actually freaking great and when it goes for big battles I do enjoy those.
No, this is the volume where the series remembered to be funny and good lord was it all worth it for the incredibly capable and haughty Narumi, who happens to also be a hardcore gamer and otaku. The visual of him flipping his hair up before combat to just… become cool… really works.
As does how much of a total loser he is outside of his work environment. The running gag of him being kicked (I am a big sucker for running gags this week, apparently) just killed me because of how specific the panel is every time.
This continues into the final segment, where Shinomiya and Kefka need to prove themselves against the machinations of the savage Kaiju No.9, who remains an excellent foil for our leads. Of course, only one of them manages this, leading into the escalation and cliffhanger that we close on.
It’s a mighty solid volume that I wasn’t interested in at first, but grabbed me and didn’t let go. It’s been a while since the series was this dang funny and it was good to see it back doing the thing it does best.
4 stars - a lot of this rating is because it was pretty good, but then went to great with the introduction of the very daft Narumi, who I am hoping we see a lot more of. When even his creator acknowledges he’s a pain in the ass, that’s a good character.
June 13, 2023
4.5/5🌟
February 12, 2022
This series keeps on raising my expectations and still going beyond it!
Augh! I loved the thrilling ride of Kaiju no. 8 Captured arc, don't we just love the Shinomiyas?! but the start of Monster Weapon arc is just promising as well! I can't wait to see that fricken Monster no. 9 die a miserable death! Gah! This is just so intense but not in a gory way. That's one thing I love about it (though, I wouldn't say no to gore anyway.)
The First Unit is so interesting with fascinating new characters, especially the cover boy of this volume, Gen Narumi. He and Eiji Hasegawa remind me of Bokuto and Akaashi! Gah! I miss those fools so much!
It's just saddening that it's still ongoing l, so I guess I'll read the continuation in Shueisha (the ones not in volume format yet). Thank Heavens, first read free campaign! Haha!
Augh! I loved the thrilling ride of Kaiju no. 8 Captured arc, don't we just love the Shinomiyas?! but the start of Monster Weapon arc is just promising as well! I can't wait to see that fricken Monster no. 9 die a miserable death! Gah! This is just so intense but not in a gory way. That's one thing I love about it (though, I wouldn't say no to gore anyway.)
The First Unit is so interesting with fascinating new characters, especially the cover boy of this volume, Gen Narumi. He and Eiji Hasegawa remind me of Bokuto and Akaashi! Gah! I miss those fools so much!
It's just saddening that it's still ongoing l, so I guess I'll read the continuation in Shueisha (the ones not in volume format yet). Thank Heavens, first read free campaign! Haha!
Want to read
September 16, 2024defo reading after i finish the show <3
February 16, 2025
new characters!!!! 😋 this whole story is so fun
February 13, 2023
This book checks a lot of boxes - it's still fun, it raises the stakes for all the characters, we see plot progression in just about all aspects, the threats get larger and we see the newest characters get more opportunities to be part of the story. I think the thing I've appreciated the most over the last 2 volumes is learning more about the Kaiju's the have actually given numbers too and their impact. It really helps more of this world make sense and informs the characters directly. Again, still manages moments of humor, but the action has never been bigger.
A top 5 ongoing title for me right now.
A top 5 ongoing title for me right now.
November 24, 2025
Tres estrellas y media.
February 4, 2023
This volume introduces us to one of the strongest (if not strongest) Captain in the defense team.
Gen.
That pink haired warrior you see on the cover here? He's the one in charge of the first division, a highly capable team ready to slaughter Kaiju's with ease.
This volume opens up with Kafka still fighting Isao. It's really a test, Isao wanting to see if Kafka can control himself in Kaiju form when fully on the verge of dying. Entertaining battle, easy to follow, and pretty brutal at points. We then get thrown into Gen and his team, and this little weirdo is highly entertaining. However, the newest big bad shows up and he might have the big advantage.
Kaiju No. 8 remains highly entertaining and while this is more the transition volume before the big battle it still holds very well. Now the longer waits between volumes begins, and that part sucks. A 4 out of 5.
Gen.
That pink haired warrior you see on the cover here? He's the one in charge of the first division, a highly capable team ready to slaughter Kaiju's with ease.
This volume opens up with Kafka still fighting Isao. It's really a test, Isao wanting to see if Kafka can control himself in Kaiju form when fully on the verge of dying. Entertaining battle, easy to follow, and pretty brutal at points. We then get thrown into Gen and his team, and this little weirdo is highly entertaining. However, the newest big bad shows up and he might have the big advantage.
Kaiju No. 8 remains highly entertaining and while this is more the transition volume before the big battle it still holds very well. Now the longer waits between volumes begins, and that part sucks. A 4 out of 5.
June 17, 2024
NARUMI 😍😍😍😍
reread 1
the hyperfixation is fixating send help
reread 2
came for the narumi panels, stayed for the battle
reread 3
guess what it's STILL HAPPENING gen narumi controls my brain at this point
reread 1
the hyperfixation is fixating send help
reread 2
came for the narumi panels, stayed for the battle
reread 3
guess what it's STILL HAPPENING gen narumi controls my brain at this point
June 12, 2024
Kafka was arrested, and Shinomyia's dad has the last word as to what our hero's fate will be. An intense combat between the two leaves Kafka confused by the extent of his power and whether or not he is in control of his Kaiju.
Naru is commanding officer of the first unit, the one Shinomiya is now part of. He also has a problem with gaming, being chronically online and buying too much stuff (it me!). His only worries, though, are efficiency and performance (like, real performance, make it a show,I we need the positive reviews).
A new battle gives Shinomiya and Kafka a chance to prove themselves.
Naru is commanding officer of the first unit, the one Shinomiya is now part of. He also has a problem with gaming, being chronically online and buying too much stuff (it me!). His only worries, though, are efficiency and performance (like, real performance, make it a show,
A new battle gives Shinomiya and Kafka a chance to prove themselves.
May 26, 2024
Та-дааа, най-после стигнахме до очаквания Крал на шонен мангата. (Изненадващо, това не е Хошина?!) Рива от Титаните с незакърнели емоции и модерно мислене, геймър... г-н сейю Накамура Юичи, къде си? Това си ти, хахахах... За съжаление, няма да е точно перфектният глас за това момче, но както и да е :D
Тъй като имахме герой тип Крал на шонен мангата, този том си е преди всичко шонен млатене на чудовища. Разбира се, Кафка вече е в периода на класическата трудност "свържи се с новото си Аз". Всичко това е неизбежно. Ген не ме впечатли чак толкова, че да покрие липсата на смотания хумор на Трета дивизия, но пък и не е чак толкова лош. Стискам палци да решат проблема с 9-ката в следващия си том и да не им отнема години и векове, защото историята завива по леко трънлив път, който условно можем да наречем "Това сме го чели милион пъти". За щастие имаме анимето. Когато стигнат дотук, ще им отнеме един епизод... нали?! Плийс! (Не съм сигурна, че ще стигнат през този сезон, честно казано...)
Тъй като имахме герой тип Крал на шонен мангата, този том си е преди всичко шонен млатене на чудовища. Разбира се, Кафка вече е в периода на класическата трудност "свържи се с новото си Аз". Всичко това е неизбежно. Ген не ме впечатли чак толкова, че да покрие липсата на смотания хумор на Трета дивизия, но пък и не е чак толкова лош. Стискам палци да решат проблема с 9-ката в следващия си том и да не им отнема години и векове, защото историята завива по леко трънлив път, който условно можем да наречем "Това сме го чели милион пъти". За щастие имаме анимето. Когато стигнат дотук, ще им отнеме един епизод... нали?! Плийс! (Не съм сигурна, че ще стигнат през този сезон, честно казано...)
August 24, 2023
Me gustó, pero no hubo Hoshina así que no hay 5 estrellas.
3.5 de 5 estrellas.
3.5 de 5 estrellas.
April 15, 2024
yeah this series will be taking all my money
June 26, 2024
I love Narumi 💜💜
November 14, 2024
No.9 is creepy
December 6, 2024
3.75 Kinda disappointed in Narumi 🥺expected more but felt overwhelmed 😕
March 16, 2025
did the whole of division 1 go half’s on a box of hair dye
July 4, 2025
What’s happening to Kafka??? 😵😵😵
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 17, 2025
Gen Narumi, and the first division debut!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 422 reviews