Despite Godzilla’s overgrown presence in pop culture since 1954, kaiju anime is relatively rare. Kaiju No 8 is here to help fill a glaring hole, but does Godzilla make an appearance?
Kaiju No 8has the potential to be one of thebest animeof the year, thanks to Naoya Matsumoto’s execution of a clever premise. In the future, as giant monsters terrorize us, a man gains the ability to become a kaiju.
It’s something he has to keep under wraps, since the military are well-equipped to handle big beasties. Still, he finds ways to contribute to the war effort, with the help of some trust friends.
Given the title, you might think Godzilla’s involved. Is he in Kaiju No 8? Do any other Toho legends make an appearance? We explain all.
Is Godzilla in Kaiju No 8?
Sadly, Godzilla isn’t part of Kaiju No 8, and won’t be making an appearance on the show.
Kaiju No 8 is an original story by Naoya Matsumoto that has no relation to Godzilla or Toho’s stable of other monsters, such as Mothra or King Ghidorah.
Although Godzilla has heavy association with the term, ‘kaiju’ really just refers to anything that involves giant monsters. Cloverfield would be a kaiju film, and Attack on Titan a kaiju anime. Kaiju No 8 borrows a little from the latter, since the protagonist transforms into a huge beast, much like Eren Yaeger.
In Kaiju No 8, Earth is invaded by more and more gigantic monstrosities. The hero, Kafka, then gains the power to become one, something he has to keep a secret from the defense forces.
You’ll find lots of Godzilla’s DNA throughout theseinen animefrom the kaiju attacks seeming like a weapon of mass destruction through to the mystery surrounding the creatures. The King of the Monsters looms large over anything that steps into his domain, and Kaiju No 8 is no different.
For more prime viewing, check out our lists of thebest anime like Solo Levelingand thebest anime like Demon Slayer.
Anthony McGlynn is a Senior Anime Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. An expert on animes like Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling and My Hero Academia, he also has over 10 years experience covering games and pop culture for outlets such as Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PCGamesN, PCGamer, The Digital Fix, and many more. You can contact him at: anthony.mcglynn@dexerto.com
