PRG do Kaiju number 8

Giant monsters, called kaiju, are well known in cinema and anime, but they end up becoming the main focus in Kaiju No. 8, a new anime that arrives on Crunchyroll this Saturday (13).  Mixing gigantic threats, a task force and the desire to be the hero who will save all of humanity, the animation is one of the main debuts of the season on streaming

Kaiju No.8 is an anime based on the manga by Naoya Matsumoto, released in 2020 for free on the Shonen Jump+ app, and later reissued in printed volumes. To date, the manga is in its 104th chapter. With a premise full of action and hints of humor, the series has become a sensation, with 13 million copies in circulation since its launch, being sold in Brazil by publisher Panini

The anime takes place in a world full of giant monsters and it has become common for them to cause disasters wherever they go. Japan is the place with the highest density of kaiju, names given to these monsters, in the world. Basically, every week there's a new Godzilla to destroy Tokyo. To defend itself, a task force is created that tries to prevent attacks and, when necessary, fights against them using special armor

The strongest kaiju or those with special abilities are categorized by numbers. The remains of these monsters are used to create special armor that only certain individuals are compatible to wear

It is in this world that we meet Kafka Hibino, a young man who followed the emergence of kaiju and their impact on society throughout his childhood. Along with his best friend, Mina Ashiro, Kafka had a dream of growing up and becoming a member of the Japan Defense Force, being able to fight monsters and defend humanity. But, obviously, things don't go the way he wants

As the years go by, Kafka and Mina end up growing apart and following different paths in their lives. While the girl became the captain of the 3rd Division of the Defense Force, Hibino works at Monster Sweeper Inc, a company specializing in cleaning up debris after fights, being a kind of disaster cleaner

Everything could be like this if it weren't for Reno Ichikawa, a Defense Force aspirant who crosses Hibino's path, giving him new strength to follow his dream. The problem is that the young man is going through a situation that could put him in the crosshairs of the Defense Force itself and his old friend, Mina Ashiro

During an attack by a kaiju, Kafka ends up ingesting a piece of the monster, gaining the ability to transform into one, which ends up receiving the title of Kaiju No.8. Hiding this from everyone, he decides to apply for the Defense Force, using his new powers to fulfill his childhood dream

The premise itself is a bit reminiscent of another recent anime success. This whole idea of giant monsters, a task force dedicated to eliminating them and a hero capable of transforming into the creature he swore to eliminate is something that is very reminiscent of Attack on Titan. And the comparisons are not entirely unreasonable, although Kaiju No. 8 follows a very different path than the Titans saga

For starters, the similarities are no chance. In fact, both works start from the same tropes, that is, ideas and elements within a story. In fact, the hero who holds a dark power within him is something very common in anime and the two productions are just the most obvious in a list that goes from Naruto to Dragon Ball itself — or have you forgotten about the giant monkey?

Additionally, Kaiju No. 8 moves away from Attack on Titan in tone.  While the series about titan hunters had a much more serious atmosphere and was heavy on drama and even tragedies, the fight against the kaiju is a well-served shounen, bringing all the action and dynamism that this type of story usually offers

The anime had been confirmed for the autumn season of premieres and received an air date in Japan and on streaming, through Crunchyroll.

Kaiju No.8 premieres on April 13th on simulcast, being made available on streaming shortly after its airing on Japanese TV, with subtitles in Portuguese