Kaiju No. 8 episode 6 aired on Saturday continuing the trend of impressing me. As someone who isn’t hesitant to draw up quick criticisms on the series, and I still do, the anime is slowly but surely winning me over. Does this adaptation have its faults, small and big? Absolutely. But damn, it sure is getting better, especially after a perfect episode just a couple of weeks ago.
The Road to a Successful Adaptation
Despite its faultful quirks, like the bold decision to give Hoshina vampire fans or making Kikoru out to be more of a brat than she actually is in the source material just a few episodes ago, Kaiju No. 8‘s adaptation is becoming more of a success, especially after episode 6.
With the main antagonist in Kaiju No. 9 finally coming more and more into play, the story can start to progress a lot more than just solely focusing on Kafka working towards being beside Mina as her vice captain. In other words, the ball is starting to roll.
Kaiju No. 8 as an anime isn’t shy about including original material not seen in the manga. Above that, it takes massive, explosive moments and makes them even better — which is what an action manga, specifically, should be doing in the first place. Episode 6 made its mark in spectacular fashion.
I can’t help but laugh at Mina wanting to pump more rounds into the Honju after it’d already been declared immobile. Of course, she intended to destroy all the miniature mushroom kaiju that were hiding inside of it, but it’s still funny hearing the reactions of the comms team getting worried she’s firing too much while Kafka and Hoshina are basically watching while thinking, “Wow. So cool!”
Kafka and Ichikawa
While the ball is slowly starting to roll on the main story of the series, so are the separating paths for Kafka and Ichikawa. The two are starting to show their strengths in different ways rather than relying on one another, as they’ve done in the past. Kafka himself is showing his veteran expertise in kaiju anatomy and finding ways to help on the battlefield. Ichikawa is showing off his potential to become a refined member of the Defense Force that is even catching the eyes of his comrades.
Their best friend rivalry isn’t even a rivalry in the traditional sense either. They both want to make a name for themselves in the defense force and they’re finding their own ways of doing such. There’s no sense of “I’m surpassing you” or “I’ll reach that vice captain spot before you.” No. It’s about laying down the foundation on their own paths and supporting each other along the way.
I honestly can’t help but laugh when people sit here and say Kafka is immature for his age. He just (sort of) achieved his dream and in this episode he showed that he’s nervous for his first day on the job but excited (quite literally what he says, too). And, I hate to break to those of the younger crowd reading this, but that’s a very normal, adult reaction from Kafka. Being an adult doesn’t mean you have to stop showing passion for the things, and people, you love.
Through the puke and the hesitant building climbing, Kafka proved he was a capable, mature adult just like everyone else fighting alongside him. He received praise from Hoshina for gathering intel about the kaiju and is even starting to receive support from everyone else, especially Kikoru who is constantly rooting for him.
Sure, he’s goofy. But when Hoshina claims that Kafka is a breath of fresh air, it’s almost like the series itself is telling us this is why Kafka is still here. If everyone in this series had the same attitude as Mina then it would be dull. Seeing Kafka serious one minute and then praising Kikoru the next while crushed under kaiju guts is the perfect level of humor this kind of series needs. Even more, I think it’s a testament to Kafka’s character.
Hoshina and Kaiju No. 9
I grouped these two because we’ve seen a little of both but also know only tidbits about them. Hoshina displayed in the blink of an eye what he’s capable of doing in episode 6 just as No. 9 has in past episodes. Both are capable of incredible fighting feats while simultaneously being very intelligent on the battlefield.
The good thing about this is that Kaiju No. 8 is constantly showing us there’s much to be explored with this series with each episode. Even better, those unexplored regions are rooted in the characters rather than the world-building itself. So knowing there’s a lot left to know about Vice Captain Hoshina and Kaiju No. 9 just proves that everything from this point forward is just going to get better.
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 6 Wrap-Up
Kaiju No. 8 delivered another fantastic episode and that’s just the simple deduction of it all. There’s wonderfully animated action, cliffhanging mysteries, and humor that isn’t too over-the-top yet perfectly timed — just everything you could ask for as a fan of the series.
Episode 6 rating: 9/10
If you enjoyed Kaiju No. 8 episode 6, vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 7 of Kaiju No. 8 will be released on Saturday, May 25. The series is streaming weekly on Crunchyroll and X.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
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