Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 Review: A good adaptation?

Published on September 5, 2025

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Kaiju number 8 season 2 which started airing in July 2025 has without a doubt been an interesting ride. The new season was highly anticipated and hyped long before the new season even aired. Season 1 was a masterpiece to say the least. The Studio behind the first season out did themselves with the animation, the storyline and the overall adaptation, making it a faithful one. The first season ended on a perfect note and covered up to the "kaiju No. 9 Captured arc" which covered chapters 1 to 38 of the manga (original manga by Naoya Matsumoto). The first season included The man who Became a Kaiju, The Kaiju Who Defeats Kaiju, Raid on Tachikawa Base and finally the Kaiju No. 8 Captured arc. Season 2 started exactly where season 1 left off.

Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 Review

The second season of Kaiju number 8 follows a good adaptation of the manga, although at times I felt like the animation was sometimes bare bones, meaning there wasn't that much happening on the screen. Don't get me wrong, I think the show up till now has been good, although I feel as if it's a step down from the animation of the first season. This thought was especially strong when Kaiju no. 8 first entered the battlefield after struggling to control his power. So given the short production timeline (season 1 roughly 2 years & season 2 roughly short of 2 years) i guess this makes sense that the first season would have a higher quality of animation. If we look past this, the adaptation did leave me on the edge of my seat each episode, and at the end of each episode I was already thinking "man, a whole week till i get to see the next episode!" The hype was there and it was real, much like the anticipation of a new Solo Leveling episode, although not as high obviously. So at the point now in the story (episode 8) i feel like it's picking up, the animation seems to be getting better with Reno Ichikawa now in the spotlight as he trains himself with his new suit power, that of Kaiju No. 6. At this point in the season, i can feel the emotion of the story, the drive of friendship between the division. The story as always puts an emphasis on the past which drives out those feelings of anticipation and nostalgia, thickening the connection between us and this story, and I for one cannot wait to see the conclusion of this season which believe it or not, there's only 3 episodes left! Me personally, i feel like 12 episodes isn't enough, not only for this series, but pretty much all of them. 24 episodes seems like the perfect sweet point for a season.

What i really loved about the pre season episode which was called Hoshina's day off, was really a breath of fresh air before the start of the second season. This came as a welcomed surprise and would be great if the studio makes a side story before every season, not only was it captivating but it also gave us a bit of a deeper connection with prominent characters of the story especially Hoshina.

The Future

The pacing of the new season is pretty spot on so far, picking up and running from where season 1 ended. Hopefully this ending will be just as spectacular as season 1, where it will leave us all on a massive cliffhanger in preparation for season 2. The story itself will only get better and i have no doubt the studio in charge will do the manga justice and end this season in a spectacular fashion. So Season 2 will have 11 episodes (not counting the special) which is one fewer than Season 1 and this might suggest it may not fully adapt a third arc. The next arc called the Second Wave Arc begins around chapter 68 of the manga. That means with Season 2 estimated to reach chapter 80, it might include the early parts of this arc but it’s unlikely to complete it due to episode constraints.

In a world that is constantly being threatned by kaiju, Kafka Hibino, a kaiju cleanup worker with dreams of joining the Japan Defense Force, gains the ability to transform into a powerful kaiju-human hybrid after a mysterious creature enters his body. As "Kaiju No. 8," Kafka secretly battles other kaiju while hiding his new identity from his comrades , including his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, a Defense Force captain. Although he does show himself to less than a handful of trusted friends. Balancing his monstrous powers with his desire to protect humanity, Kafka navigates intense battles, personal struggles and the risk of exposure in a high-stakes fight against increasingly dangerous kaiju threats.