Kaiju no. 8 – Manga vs Anime

Kaiju attacking cities, a man down on his luck who is suddenly given a second chance to make something of his life, and a dramatic series of events where he must hide the reasoning behind his sudden abilities. When you combine these elements, you have the possibility of something dumb or amazing. In the case of Kaiju No. 8 by Naoya Matsumoto, we get something that not only did well as a manga but has now been transformed into an anime. What’s the difference between the two? Let’s talk about it?

The Manga

Kaiju No. 8 was written and drawn by Naoya Matsumoto. The storytelling is a unique balance of drama and comedy. The main character, Kafka, is a man who, at one point, had grand ambitions of being a fierce fighter of kaiju but ended up being part of the kaiju cleanup team. Naoya Matsumoto did a great job of capturing two unique aspects of Kafka. On the one hand, he is genuinely disappointed that he hasn’t achieved his goal. At the same time, it shows that he’s still determined to do his best with the situation. He is seen as a hard worker who cares for his job and the people he works with.  

Artistically, Matsumoto has created a fascinating landscape. The character’s designs allow the base version to be used in both the dramatic and comedy sides. At the same time, when he decides to “chibi” out his characters, it’s not such a deformation that it’s awkward. His Kaiju are interesting. If I had to describe them, they’d be a cross of some of the creatures we see in anime like Bleach while also being very reminiscent of Kaiju films like Shin Godzilla. The Kaiju are terrifying and feel out of place in this world but in a good way. In a way that you, as a reader, go, “These things are terrifying.”

The Anime

Anime adaptations are always interesting. Some adaptations are faithful to the original works, and some feel awkward. Animation-wise, they really seem to have captured the spirit of the art from the manga. Character designs feel like they are lifted from the pages themselves. At the same time, the animation is smooth and enjoyable to watch. Much like the manga, they did a great job of making the dramatic moments fit with the story’s comedy.

The storytelling is a fascinating aspect of this anime, too. Some aspects need to be added to connect the panels from the manga. Whereas the manga’s opening scene with a Kaiju is only two pages, the anime brings the watcher along for a ride. It shows the kaiju terrorizing the city and the defense force positioning themselves to take it out. At the same time, it shows cutaways of people watching news reports and people’s personal commentary on what they are seeing. These added moments to the story did a great job of getting the viewers up to speed with the world.

Some scenes from the manga are animated differently because instead of tall rectangles, you have a full 16×9 screen you’re watching. By nature, you have to change your illustration to gain the proper emotion of the moment. These newly drawn moments do a great job of honoring the original art of the manga.

Is Kaiju No. 8 Worth Watching?

At the moment, I’d say absolutely. It can quickly draw you in between its faithful adaptation of the manga and the general storytelling. You may enjoy this anime if you’re a more mature teenager or adult who loves giant monsters, comedy, and drama.