Everything you need to know about Kaijuu No. 8 Season 2; from Release Dates, Teasers, Bonus Content, Returning Cast and Manga Chapters to be covered, all in one place and more! The creators have some epic Aces up their sleeves to keep us hungry fans entertained….
Honestly, did anyone expect Kaijuu No. 8 to make such a big splash prior to release? Most would have expected more talk about the Kimetsu no Yaiba: Hashira Training Arc, KonoSuba Season 3, or even Boku no Hero Academia Season 7. But Kaijuu No. 8 came out of nowhere and took the Anime by storm with its fun story, lovable characters, stunning visuals, and so on. Of course, the first thing on everyone’s mind after finishing the Anime’s Season 1 is: When is Season 2? Considering the booming success of Season 1, a sequel was guaranteed from the get-go and the killer confirmation came on the 29th of June itself!
Kaijuu No. 8 Season 2 – Latest Updates
In case you missed it, catch the official Teaser on TOHO Animation‘s official YouTube channel right here and now. While it leaves much unseen and unsaid, it sure sets up the hype!
Furthermore, we now know that Season 2 will definitely be released sometime in 2025. This was confirmed by Production I.G. and it will also be based on Naoya Matsumoto-san’s Manga series “Kaijuu No. 8”. While it is not confirmed, going by the release time of Season 1, we can speculate that Season 2 will likely drop during Spring 2025.
On the 5th of August 2024, we got yet another teaser via Twitter/X:
https://x.com/KaijuNo8_O_EN/status/1820414451788763469?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1820414451788763469%7Ctwgr%5E2de8206406eef92609c606701e066476567500ad%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hindustantimes.com%2Fentertainment%2Fanime%2Fkaiju-no-8-season-2-release-window-announced-watch-new-trailer-101722871820205.html
The trailers give us a surface-level taste of the destruction and devastation awaiting the world and characters of Kaijuu No. 8 in Season 2. As usual, the ordinary citizens are advised to evacuate amidst a backdrop of utter chaos, and a familiar and beloved voice rallies the Defense Force into action once more: “First Division, move out. Let’s kick some ass.” If you can’t recognize that voice at this point, there’s something clear wrong!
What else is in Store?
What’s more, thanks to the incredibly high success of the show, the creators have already announced the coming of a Season 1 Compilation Film, said to come alongside a brand-new original episode! Both this highly anticipated film and and episode titled “Hoshina’s Day Off” are set to arrive in theaters of Japan in 2025.
While we eagerly await a fixed Release Date for all of the above, we do know that Season 2 will only come after the film and Special Episode. As Japan’s Anime industry celebrates the “No. 8” day on the 5th of August, which also happens to be protagonist Kafka’s birthday, Crunchyroll also announced that they will simulcast Kaijuu No. 8 Season 2 right after the original airing in Japan.
What to Expect from Season 2…
Since the Manga is far ahead of the Anime, we can already get an idea about what will happen in Season 2. While Season 1 covered the events of Chapters 1 to 38, concluding with the Defense Force’s decision to turn MC Kafka Hibino into a Kaijuu weapon for their cause, we can safely say that Season 2 will start off from Chapter 39 onwards. If we are to make a rough assumption, it should cover up to Chapter 68, which will cover two very important arcs: the Kaijuu Weapon Arc and the Compatible User Arc.
Of course, be prepared to see some small differences from the Source Material, as the Studio has already proven its ability to do mild alterations that enhance the show in multiple ways. Also, if you have the ability to resist, I suggest not reading the Manga in order to get the best out of the upcoming Anime Seasons! The Manga is not bad in any way, it is a work of Art in fact, but Kaijuu No. 8 on the small screen with its dazzling visuals and audio is truly something else!
The Returning Cast
If nothing goes awry, we can expect the beloved cast from Season 1 to reprise their roles. This includes but are not limited to:
- Fukunishi Masaya as Hibino Kafka
- Katou Wataru as Ichikawa Reno
- Fairouz Ai as Shinomiya Kikoru
- Kawanishi Kengo as Hoshina Soushirou
- Seto Asami as Ashiro Mina
- Senbongi Sayaka as Okonogi Konomi
- Yoshino Hiroyuki as Kaijuu No. 9
And last but not least, expect a lot from Uchiyama Kouki as Narumi Gen!
What is Kaijuu No. 8 about?
The story follows the exploits and experiences of protagonist Kafka Hibino, who witnesses the destruction of his hometown at the hands of Kaijuu alongside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. Greatly saddened and distressed, the duo make a promise to someday become members of the Defense Force to fight off the unending threat of these colossal monsters. The Defense Force is basically the military organization tasked with protecting Japan from said kaijuu.
Decades pass and our protagonist is already 32-years-old! Life had happened and he has almost entirely given up on his greats of battling Kaijuu and Heroism. Instead, he has chosen to clean up the disgusting messes left behind by slaughtered Kaijuu, monsters slain by valiant Defense Force soldiers including Mina who had successfully achieved their shared goal years prior.
Things change when Kafka meets a new young coworker named Reno Ichikawa, in whom he sees his past self: an ambitious youth fixated on becoming part of the Defense Force. Soon after their first work day together, they have a freak encounter with a rogue kaijuu, where Kafka showcases his innate heroic and selfless nature to rescue Reno, but is left gravely injured and loses all hope for achieving his dream. As the two recover at a hospital, the crestfallen Kafka is once again attacked by another small Kaiju and this in turn transforms him into a humanoid Kaijuu possessing both the strength and powers of the massive monsters plaguing them.
Thus, he flees the scene and is dubbed “Kaijuu No. 8” by the Military; but with the support of Reno, he resolves to use his newfound powers to defeat Kaijuu for the greater good of all. Together, the unlikely duo set off on a journey to join the Defense Force once more and join soldiers like Mina at the forefront!
What now?
If Kafka Hibino can wait decades until he gets a shot at standing next to Mina on the frontlines of Japan’s defenses against the Kaijuu, surely we can wait until 2025 for more beloved Kaijuu No. 8 content.
If you already resorted to reading the Manga, you should be able to manage. If not, you can always read the Manga Chapters from 1 to 38 to see how the Anime differs from the source material and make your own deductions on whether they are welcome changes or not.
There’s also plenty of fan content made by avid fans much like yourself every day to experience and support online, with my personal favorites being on Pinterest and Twitter!
Until next time, stay strong, and thanks for reading!
