Action Manga Kaiju No. 8 Anime Adaptation Announced

kaiju no. 8 anime kafka
Credit: Shonen Jump / Shueisha

kaiju no. 8 anime kafka
Credit: Shonen Jump / Shueisha

[This article was initially written on August 2 and has been updated with the official announcement.]

As one of Shonen Jump’s popular new manga, a Kaiju No. 8 anime is something that fans of the series are looking forward to. Now, an official anime adaptation is finally in the works.

After an initial teaser, an anime adaptation announcement was made through the TOHO animation YouTube channel. There, the announcement video for the series was released. Check it out here:

The video featured live-action footage of different spots around Tokyo, and it ends with a found footage-style clip showing what seems to be an invading Kaiju.

There, it was revealed that a Kaiju No. 8 anime is in the works. Though currently, there’s no information yet regarding which studio will animate the series.

We also don’t know for sure if it will be a TV anime or a movie. Though it is most likely a TV anime given that it is a Shonen Jump manga series.

A Kaiju No. 8 anime being in the works probably isn't a surprise for Shonen Jump readers. After all, Shonen Jump titles that become successful get anime adaptations often.

Some recent examples include the upcoming Mashle and Chainsaw Man anime.

Kaiju No. 8 is a manga series by Naoya Matsumoto that started serialization in Shonen Jump+ on July 3, 2020. The series has proven to be one of Shonen Jump’s most successful titles as it is the first Jump+ series to reach 1.2 million copies in circulation.

The series is set in an alternate version of Japan where kaiju regularly attack. To defend the citizens, the Japanese Defense Force is tasked with killing the attacking monsters.

The story follows Kafka Hibino and Mina Ashiro, two childhood friends who vowed to become members of the Defense Force after their town was destroyed by kaiju.

While Mina became a successful commander, Kafka failed the examination multiple times.

Kafka is instead part of a kaiju clean-up crew. Though Kafka accidentally ingests a small talking monster, granting him the ability to turn into a kaiju himself while still having control over his actions.

Kafka then becomes the first monster to escape the Japanese Defense Force.

Kaiju No. 8 is released on a bi-weekly schedule on Shonen Jump+ in Japan and on Manga Plus internationally.

Meanwhile, there’s no word yet on when the anime series will release.