From the sixth place of the Manga Taisho 2021 to the nomination in the prestigious Osamu Tezuka Cultural Awardfrom the success at home to the wave of enthusiasm that has crossed the ocean and reached the whole world. Kaiju No. 8shonen by the mangaka Naoya Matsumoto, former author of Neko Wappa! and Pochi & Kuro, soon to be published by Star Comicshas finally landed in Italy (again by Star Comics), accompanied by a loud clamor and a very anxious wait, which must not, and cannot, be betrayed.
Kafka Hibino32, from Japan, works as a waste disposal worker kaiju, mortal creatures whose fury strikes the entire country almost daily. His life, however, is destined to turn around with the arrival of a new colleague, the young and determined Leno Ichikawa, who has the merit of rekindling ancient hopes dormant in the soul of the protagonist, reviving his dream of entering the Defense Forces, units specialized in killing and suppressing monsters. So they get to know each other and their adventure promises to be frenetic and daring from the beginning, because, at the end of his first working day, Leno is attacked by a kaiju. Having escaped the danger thanks to the timely intervention of Kafka, the two are taken to a hospital, where he obtains, in a way as funny as it is mysterious, the ability to transform into a kaiju. Thus begins an adventure of two friends, whose goal is only one, coveted and declared; overcome the arduous test of entry that separates them from the front rows of the battlefield.
- Original title: Kaiju 8-gou
- English title: Kaiju No. 8
- Japanese release: 2020
- Italian release: March 23, 2022
- Number of volumes: 6 (in progress)
- Publishing house: Star Comics
- Kind: action, comedy, supernatural
- Drawings: Naoya Matsumoto
- History: Naoya Matsumoto
- Format: 11.5 × 17.5, colors, b / w
- Number of pages: 208
We reviewed Kaiju No. 8 through a press volume provided to us by Star Comics.
A game of measures
Writing a screenplay is not an easy task, neither for a film nor, much less, for a comic. Indeed, it is a difficult and thankless job, for which great skills are required. Weaving the plot and diligently stretching each thread, assigning each character its own space, therefore leads any author towards many risks, some of which are silent and hidden, especially in a serial production, in which changes of course are often in progress. of opera. For these reasons, Naoya Matsumoto’s narrative conduct in Kaiju No. 8 is undoubtedly worthy of praise, because in it all the characters cover their own space, a space that they enhance and from which they are enhanced.
Kafka Hibinowhose name could suggest future parallels with the famous tale “The metamorphosis” by the namesake Franz Kafka, is the classic protagonist in search of redemption, childish and determined. After having failed the exam to enter the Defense Forces, Kafka seems to have closed his great childhood dream, shared with the then dear friend Mina Ashiro. The sudden arrival of Leno is for them a real flame, which rekindles the hopes of the protagonist with a lively and decisive soul. Leno turns out to be like this an exceptional supporting actora shoulder that passes from being a minister of conscience to a comedian and companion of revelers, condensing in itself the perfect mixture of action and laughter that distinguishes Kaiju No. 8.
Character whose role is certainly secondary, but for which a future position of the first order is revealed, is the aforementioned Mina Ashiro. We know little about her, except for her emotional bond with the protagonist, and for this reason it will be interesting to understand if and how the two will reunite. Even Kikoru Shinomiya, examined by the incredible qualities presented to us during the entrance exam in the Defense Forces, offers interesting ideas, among which an arrogant and proud bearing stands out, as opposed to a difficult relationship with her father.
From Japan with fury
Certainly the ecosystem created for Kaiju No. 8 works, a chain in which each ring seems firmly connected to the next, yet the final result does not stand out like a precious diamond, in fact it lacks originality, but it certainly presents its structural solidity. The mangaka In fact, Matsumoto did not want to dare, he could have done so by proposing an alternate heroic path for Kafka, taken, for example, from within Monster Sweeper Inc., the kaiju disposal company, thus bringing an aura of freshness into an old-school shonen. Evidently, however, he preferred it focus on safe second-handcrafting a tailor-made story that does not seek too high tones, but aims to be first and foremost entertaining, an end which it achieves in an excellent way.
Parallel to the choice not to cross the boundaries of its own genre, Kaiju No. 8 also plays another card very popular in the land of the Rising Sun: i kaijuliterally “strange monsters”, creatures very recurrent within the Japanese science fiction. Born after the Second World War, they would see their origin coincide with nuclear radiations that would have altered their genetic patrimony. From these premises the Kaiju Eigaas well as the cinematic current that sees how progenitor the film Godzilla, directed by Ishiro Honda in 1954, and which had important influences in the Japanese imagination, without ever taking root abroad. In Kaiju No. 8 these creatures obviously play a very prominent role; then it will be curious to discover how they will be received by the Western public, not very accustomed to these great post-atomic monsters.
Between marked lines and a precise study
As far as the technical aspect is concerned, each cartoon of Kaiju No. 8 turns out the result of careful studyin particular in both kaiju and weapon design, which appear very detailed. Naoya Matsumoto’s style shows off a very clean line and incredibly defined contours, capable of rendering both the clashes and the lightest moments are fluid and clear, full of caricatured expressions. In the first chapter there is also a self-censorship of some images, in detail those of the intestine of a kaiju. While this expedient intends to emphasize the vis comic present in the story, on the other hand it does not blend well with the appreciated clear and marked lines of the drawing, without however affecting its overall quality.
In Japan, the rate of occurrence of kaiju is among the highest in the world, so much so that huge creatures that bring destruction invade it almost daily. Kafka Hibino, who now works for a company specializing in the disposal of kaiju carcasses, once aspired to become a soldier in the Defense Forces, the special units charged with suppressing monsters and defending the country. One day, however, a mysterious organism enters Kafka’s body, transforming him into what the Defense Forces will baptize with the code name of “Kaiju No. 8”… The saga of the man who became a kaiju begins!
Buy Kaiju No. 8 following this link at the special price of € 7.50 (instead of € 7.90). Release scheduled for March 23, 2022. Support Akiba Gamers by purchasing on Amazon through this box!
Even in the face of a worrying paper crisis, Star Comics has chosen to focus strongly on Kaiju No. 8, packaging several editions. The regular edition comes as a booklet in standard format, without dust jacket, yet equipped with a pair of flaps on the second and third cover. Not a particularly beautiful edition, but one that guarantees a all in all adequate economic outlay to the manga in question. Key features of the other editions are the Monstrous Box, in limited edition, which collects a preview of the first two volumes and some gadgets and a Variant Edition, also available for a limited time, including a color dust jacket with special effects and a set of four cards, as well as, of course, a different cover illustration, in which Kafka only partially uses his power to transformation. Additionally, we have a Limited Edition with a slightly weathered cover and PVC bookmarks, and even a Limited Edition sold only through the Star Comics online store. Finally, the presence in all editions of four color pages, the first, which warmly welcome readers to the land of kaiju, is highlighted. A manga highly recommended to lovers of modern folklore from the rising sun and, above all, to those looking for a light and pleasant adventure, never serious and extremely entertaining.
The recipe for success
The first six chapters of Kaiju No. 8 they present a simple and plain story, enriched by sharp jokes and very florid ideas for the future. Naoya Matsumoto it has the merit of reinterpreting what is a topos of the shonen, that is to say the assumption of powers, in this case those of the enemy, by the hero, combining it with the theme, very famous at home, of the kaiju. Such weddings therefore appear happy, because Kaiju No. 8 manages to be fun and enjoyable. The characters are simple, outlined by interesting features, and above all complementary to each other, thus ensuring pepper in a delicious exchange between serious and facetious. With a clear and distinct stroke, a light reading comes to us, evidently the result of a careful and diligent artistic study, a compelling comedy, whose road to success appears to be cleared, but which still has much to prove.
Watchwords: action and fun
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