The action-packed Kaiju No. 8 anime has long been a favorite of mine since first airing last Spring. The anime adaptation of the popular manga series of the same name created by Naoya Matsumoto centers on a man working a job far removed from his childhood dreams who gets wrapped up in an unexpected situation. Throw in Kaiju, monsters, and even squads created to bring peace to humankind, the series proved to be a fan favorite and a must watch for audiences.
As the fans have been patiently waiting, we were surprised with a new announcement! Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment announced to release the omnibus film-Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon– in North American theatres April 13, 14 and 16.
Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon brings us back to ground zero of the series: of a man whose dreams have grown legs and seemingly left him. Kafka Hibino works in the less glamorous monster disposal job field in a Kaiju-filled Japan. His childhood best friend whom he once promised to battle the Kaiju that wrecked their young lives, Mina Ashiro, became a captain in the anti-Kaiju Defense Force. She is someone he can only look at from afar, the gap between them too far to cross.
Kafka feels too old, too slow, too useless to follow his dream and often finds himself tolling away in the ruins of these giant creatures–slain by the more agile and talented battle ready agents of change in defeating these threats to humankind. When a new junior colleague named Ichikawa joins the monster disposal crew, Kafka gains new hope of getting closer towards his life-long dream. He gets closer than he’s ever been to passing the Defense Force exam–along with a sudden and strange transformation that grants him abilities to perhaps become the best Kaiju fighter anyone’s ever known.
Starting off the film with, and then continuing to insert these short flashbacks of young Kafka and Mina seeing the destruction of their homes, families, and way of life throughout, help move the emotional tether of the narrative along. This is a superb way to remind audiences of the important promise the two kids make that helps cement the emotional foundation in Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon. This is an intentional choice for the film to make their promise to each other better stand out as more meaningful and place their one day reunion as equals as something to look forward to.
While watching, I was loving the ante upped with certain scenes like Kafka’s initial transformation and the hilarious reveal of his newly enhanced Kaiju form in the hospital. Animated by Production I.G (GHOST IN THE SHELL), with kaiju artwork and design supervision by Studio Khara (Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition, Shin Godzilla (Pre Visualization Development), Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon shines best with its laser focused combat sequences and scenes dedicated to getting a good laugh out of us all. Sure this is an action-packed recap yet, it serves up all the comedic moments and even the introspective ones in this revisiting Kafka’s last chance to follow his dreams.
Fans already know Kaiju No. 8—as a refreshing blend of action, comedy, and adventure. As a theatre experience, Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is a welcomed recap of what we already know of the start of Kafka’s journey. Recon, shortened from Reconnaissance, happens to be a military term for observing and gathering info on the enemy. The film’s title is great wordplay on the hands-on experience that everyone from Kakfa, Ichikawa to Hoshina and Ashiro get in the fast paced and thrilling world of battling Kaiju.
I’m loving the tried-but-true omnibus film approach that we’ve been receiving for anime. It is an accessible way to get a recap of a series you love or meant to watch and sometimes catch new content all on the same ticket. As someone who greatly enjoyed watching the first season of Kaiju No. 8, this was an enjoyable watch and a fun way to immerse myself back into this universe of Kafka, friends, and enemies. It is also a great way for newer fans and those on the fence to jump into the fold and experience said anime series as well. And every now and then, we’re granted something brand new content added on. This episode titled “Hoshina’s Day Off” finds our favorite new recruits at the dorms of the Defense Force campus–it’s their day off and everyone is eager to take off.
Yet, it is Soshiro Hoshina, the Vice-Captain of the Third Division and Captain Mina Ashiro’s right hand man, who takes the spotlight in this bonus content. The mysterious Hoshina is up to something with his own day off and recruits Ichikawa and Iharu tail him to see where he ends up, creating a new adventure in the making. Watching this made me remember just how blended the series is with lots of humor and a full cast of characters that are interesting and worth following on screen. Kaiju No. 8 does a fine job in reminding us of the humanity of these characters we’ve come to be attached to.
“Hoshina’s Day Off” brings us back into the fold as a fun interlude through the city. The short emphasizes why making connections and building comradery are the biggest skillsets outside of killing kaiju for all involved. In the end this episode is full of everything: jokes, familiarity, suspense, and more! Serving as an illustrative example of how paying attention to fans–Hoshina is a pretty popular character- works overall, Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is a great end cap to the omnibus film as it ends with fun and hope.
“Hoshina’s Day Off” also fleshes out the world of the series and the great motivations of those in the Defense Force and all that they bring to the job–a world that may one day be free of the tragedies brought on by these deadly creatures. Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is a wellbalanced film that recaps and also ends on a wholesome note. Getting to the end makes me feel re-energized in my anticipation of the second season in production– a mood that I hope other fans have in the growing sea of new titles and series coming back, truly.
Title: Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon
Directed: Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya
Original Story: Naoya Matsumoto (Serialized in “MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA”)
Runtime: 119 minutes
Language: Japanese with English Subtitles and English Dub
Distributor: Crunchyroll and Sony Pictures Entertainment
Genre: Action, Adventure
Tickets for Kaiju No.8: Mission Recon, available now!
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