Reviews with content warning for Gore - Kaiju No. 8, Vol. 1

I picked up the first volume of Kaiju No. 8 on a whim. I've heard nothing but great reviews about this series, and as a kaiju lover myself, I thought it would be up my alley. But all I found was a lowbrow, insecure comedy that lacked the patience to show me anything meaningful about this world. In a nutshell, the pacing is incredibly fast, and integral moments of the story (when Kafka gets his power) are glossed over for idiotic comedy scenes that add nothing to the plot.

This volume contains seven chapters, which equates to over two hundred pages of content, and yet I know next to NOTHING about these monsters, this world, its technology, or the military that defends Japan from Kaiju. It’s really quite a shame, because the story has a cool premise.

This story definitely has ADHD; everything just happens all the time and never gives the reader a break to catch their breath! There are random jump cuts and time skips that make the plot seem half-assed and stitched together. In the first volume, SO MUCH HAPPENS, and it definitely gave me a headache to stomach all of the overwhelming "comedy" bits. This author truly believes that his slapstick humor is funny, and he is sorely mistaken! --Not unless you're a twelve-year-old boy.

All of the characters are digestible tropes you have seen hundreds of times before in shonen. The main character’s motivations are boring as all living hell and are just incredibly shallow.

Please, for the love of God, just read something else!

Content Warnings

squidthedude's review

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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syllareads's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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rafacolog's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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chocolate_pondue's review

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adventurous dark funny tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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library_kb's review

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adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

This is definitely more gruesome than some of the other manga I have read so far, but I really enjoy the premise and am curious to see where it will go next.

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review

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adventurous dark inspiring fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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spooderman's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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