Quick Links
Summary
Kaiju No. 8just finished its big arc, but if the end of the last episode means anything, thenepisode #9is going to waste no time in throwing everyone right back into the action. As always, there’s plenty to be excited about with theKaiju No. 8anime, and that creates a lot of anticipation for episode #9’s release.
Coming across almost likeShonen Jump’s take on giant monster manga likeAttack on Titan,Kaiju No. 8has been making waves with anime fans. The series started off strong and has only picked up momentum over time.
Having just wrapped up an action-packed first arc, fans are no doubt anticipating some smaller character moments before the series dives headfirst into its next big storyline. With incredible animation by Production I.G. and a gripping story adapted from the manga, fans have every reason to be excited for episode #9 ofKaiju No. 8.
What Time Kaiju No. 8 Episode #9 Releases
Kaiju No. 8streams exclusively on Crunchyroll, accessed through their app, website, and third-party streaming services like Amazon Prime. Assuming there are no delays,Kaiju No. 8episode #9 will have a live stream at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and following that,Kaiju No. 8episode #9 will be available for regular viewing on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST), 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and 3:30 PM Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
What Happened In Kaiju No. 8 Episode #8
Produced by Production I.G; Directed by Haruo Okuno
InKaiju No. 8episode #8, “Welcome to the Defense Force”, Kafka was forced into a fight with Vice-Captain Hoshina, and between Kafka not wanting to hurt him and Hoshina’s inhuman abilities, Kafka was quickly put at risk of dying. Thanks to some quick thinking on Kafka’s part, though,Kafka managed to disarm Hoshina and escaped the battle relatively unharmedbefore returning to the Defense Force. The Sagamihara operation came to a close after that, and Hoshina was left wondering why Kaiju No. 8 behaved so differently from regular Kaiju, despite its incredible power.
The next day, Haruichi Izumo used his wealth and connections to throw the Third Division a big party to celebrate their first mission, the team bonding even further as they went over what they all could have improved on. During the celebration, Hoshina announced that because of the support he provided during the mission,Kafka was being promoted out of being a cadet and was now a full-fledged member of the Defense Force. Everyone celebrated Kafka’s promotion, and later, even Mina gave Kafka a bit of congratulation for his efforts.
Later, Kafka ran into Hoshina replaying their fight, and while Hoshina was unaware of it, Kafka was terrified at how Hoshina talked about how he could have killed Kaiju No. 8. Nevertheless, Kafka thanked Hoshina for believing in him and promised to support him, a promise Hoshina wholeheartedly accepted. As all of that was happening, the episode ended with the reveal thatanother humanoid Kaiju was commanding a fleet of flying Kaiju and heading toward the city.
Kaiju No. 8 Needs to Be Careful About Its Pacing
The Story Is Going Too Fast, to the Detriment of Its Worldbuilding
The end ofKaiju No. 8episode #8 teases another big battle, but it needs to be careful about how it handles it. With the Sagamihara arc having just finished, the story could easily use this time for more worldbuilding and character development, but if it rushes into a new story arc, thenKaiju No. 8could risk making its world feel underdeveloped for the sake of prioritizing action, and that would make it hard to stay invested in the plot. There’s no telling how episode #9 will play out, but hopefully, it finds a way to balance things out.
Kaiju No. 8 Episode #8 Did a Great Job of Pushing the Series Forward
The Cooldown Was Just as Important as the Action
Kafka and Hoshina’s fight ended up not being the main event ofKaiju No. 8episode #8, but it was still great to watch, nonetheless. As expected of Production I.G,Kafka and Hoshina’s fight featured incredibly gorgeous and fluid animation, all of which did a great job of showing how strong Hoshina is supposed to be. The effect of that was lessened a bit by how Kafka was deliberately holding back so as not to kill Hoshina, but he’s still clearly earned his role in the series, nonetheless.
After the fight,Kaiju No. 8shifted gears into largely focusing on denouement, and it did an excellent job of doing so. Everyone bonding after the mission was great to see after the seriousness of the past few episodes, and while it might have been a little quick,Kafka becoming a full-fledged member of the Defense Force was a much-needed payoff for his arc, as was everyone being so happy for his promotion. The story seems to be gearing up for more action, but hopefully, it won’t forget to prioritize fun character moments like those.
Regarding character moments, episode #8 had an interesting one with Haruichi. One scene during the party has Haruichi talking about having problems with his father and his family, as a whole, but what’s truly interesting about that is that scene wasn’t in the manga, which seems to imply thatKaiju No. 8will add more to some characters who are largely ignored in the manga. Despite somecriticism forKaiju No. 8’s current direction, there is still promise of a lot of great content in the future.
Be sure to watchKaiju No. 8episode #9 when it releases on Saturday, June 8.
Kaiju No. 8
Cast
Kaiju No. 8 follows Kafka Hibino, who dreams of joining The Defense Force alongside childhood friend Mina Ashiro in a world beset by Kaiju. Kafka’s path diverges as he works cleaning up post-battle, but his encounter with Reno Ichikawa reignites his vow to defend humanity. Released in 2024.
