Kaiju 8-gou - Kaiju #8 Is Gou the counter-word for monsters?

If you look at it sideways, there's definitely a Pacific Rim influence when it comes to monster disposal, although so far there's been no indication of a black market for monster bits. Although they do preserve samples for a laboratory.

The characters have been in a world beset by monsters since they were children, so this is normal to them. Nobody is freaking out because there are monsters. Of course they run for their lives, but when the monsters are remote, they watch with curiosity and cheer on the Monster Defense forces. Nobody cheers for the clean-up squad though.

It's dirty, nasty work, especially when you get assigned to the intestines.... Kafka Hibino is our main character. As a child, he and his neighbor, Mina Ashiro, swore they would one day join the Defense Force after a Kaiju destroyed their homes. He, however, failed the test while Mina rose through the ranks to become one of the youngest captains, at 27, and a rising star in the force. Kafka, on the other hand, gave up after his rejection, and stayed on Clean-up duty. One day Newbie Reno Ichikawa shows up, and he's assigned to Kafka for training. He's ambitious, and wants to get to the Defense Forces, and looks down on Kafka for giving up. But after the first grueling day, he actually thanks Kafka for getting him through it, and points out that the age limit for joining the defense forces has been raised. He has a bit of that Tsundere attitude, "Not that I care whether you go for it or not."

Apparently there's a danger of minor monsters showing up at the site of a clean-up, what they called a Yoju. Kafka and Ishikawa are the last ones off the site when one strikes and nearly chows down on Ishikawa, but for Kafka tackling him. Kafka tells Ishikawa to run and call the monster in while he distracts it. Kafka lures the monster away until one of the monster's swipes at him connects and sends him flying, breaking his leg. The monster is about to eat him when Ishikawa reappears and strikes the thing in the head, returning the favor. They are both apparently doomed though, but Ishikawa DID get a phone call in, and Mina's squad shows up in the nick of time and destroys the thing in seconds.

The two end up in a local hospital. And in a scene that was in every preview video, a small flying monster appears in Kafka's room and shoves itself down his throat, converting him into a humanoid monster. They decide they'd better leave when an old man in the hallway starts calling in a monster report.

And at the end, we see Mina remembering the past like Kafka was. So she DOES remember him, even though she showed no recognition any earlier. She holds it against him that he didn't get into the forces with her. Then she gets the call about a monster in the hospital....

This is impressively animated. I'm sure there's plenty of CGI, but it doesn't look like it. Kafka's character design is a bit off the mainstream for anime. But it's cool and flexible, and good for comedic effect. It's not strictly a comedy, in fact, it's mainly serious, but it has its moments to lighten the mood.

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While that's it for new shows, there are two returning shows, and I guess I'll be getting to them in a bit.

Tonari no yokai episode 2 surprised me, when in addition to all the historic monsters, Hanako-chan, the ghost of the third stall in the girl's restroom appears.

And fortunately, from an obscure webcomic I read called Erma, I wasn't surprised when the teacher's neck extended far enough to cross the classroom when the Kappa girl fell over for lack of water.

Posted by: J Greely at April 13, 2024 09:50 PM (oJgNG)

Posted by: Mauser at April 21, 2024 12:01 AM (nk1Z+)

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