This week marked the release of the penultimate chapter of Naoya Matsumoto's Kaiju No. 8. The popular action sci-fi shonen manga first debuted in 2020 and after 129 chapters, the story of Kafka Hibino will finally draw to an end.
With Chapter 128 officially released and available on Manga Plus, we only have one more chapter to go.
According to the Manga Plus website, Kaiju No. 8 Chapter 129 will be released on Thursday, July 17, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. (Friday, July 18, 2025 at 12:00 a.m. JST). Chapter 129 should b ereleased across various digital platforms, including Viz Media's official website, Shueisha's Manga Plus website, as well as Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ digital publication platform.
Written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto, Kaiju No. 8 is set in a dystopian future where destructive monsters pose a constant threat to humanity. The story follows Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old who once dreamed of joining Japan's frontline defense, the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force, but after multiple exam failures had to settle into a job cleaning up kaiju corpses with a private cleanup crew. However, after a small parasitic kaiju invades his body, he is granted the power to transform into a humanoid kaiju, known as Kaiju No. 8. With his new powers, he joins the Defense Force but must hide his true identity, carefully balancing his monstrous side with his humanity while simultaneously protecting the world.
Kaiju No. 8 has found explosive success with over 18 million copies in circulation by mid-2024. The series has been praised for its cinematic action and battle choreography, balanced approach to action and humor, and unique premise. In addition to its massive popularity, the series has also scored numerous critical awards.
An anime adaptation from Production I.G, with design supervision by Studio Khara, debuted last year to rousing enthusiasm. A second season of the anime is set to premiere next month on Saturday, July 19, 2025, just a few days after the manga comes to an end. The series will be available to stream via Crunchyroll and X.
The synopsis reads:
The story revolves around Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old longing to join The Defense Force and make good on his promise to a childhood friend, Mina Ashiro. He befriends a new coworker Reno Ichikawa, while cleaning up Kaiju remains, whose determination to join The Defense Force inspires Kafka to fulfill his childhood promise to pass the entrance exam and join Mina to protect humanity. When a small Kaiju burrows itself inside Kafka, he gains superhuman strength and powers fit for fighting Kaiju. He works to earn the trust of his human teammates, defeat increasingly powerful Kaiju, and keep the world safe.
Season 1 of Kaiju No. 8 is available to on Crunchyroll with subs and dubs.