For five years now, Naoya Matsumoto's Kaiju No. 8 has entertained readers with monstrous kaiju battles. But alas, all good things must come to an end, and that includes this beloved manga.
Shueisha's Shonen Jump+ confirmed that the Kaiju No. 8 manga will be ending in just two chapters. Chapter 127 was just released this week, and will be followed by Chapter 128 on June 20th. Chapter 129 will serve as the manga's finale.
Written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto, Kaiju No. 8 first debuted on Shonen Jump+ in July 2020. In the years since, its become one of the platform's most successful titles, consistently ranking in bestseller lists.
Set in a world where humanity is under a constant threat of attack by kaiju, the story primarily follows Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old man who once dreamed of joining the Defense Force alongside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, only to end up working in a dead-end job cleaning up kaiju corpses.
However, after an unexpected experience with a mysterious parasitic creature, Kafka gains the ability to transform into a humanoid kaiju, giving him immense strength, super speed and reflexes, health regeneration, and all sorts of kaiju-based abilities. While Kafka uses these powers for good, they also make him a target of the Defense Force.
The series was met with overwhelming positive reception, including praise for its mix of action, humor, and emotion, as well as its twist on kaiju tropes and military/sci-fi genres. While it definitely stands on its own, it has also drawn comparisons to other popular manga such as Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and One-Punch Man.
An anime adaptation from Production I.G and Studio Khara premiered in April 2024, and was met with similar success. The series wrapped its first season in June 2024 with confirmation of a second season that is actually set to debut this summer. In fact, it was just announced that Season 2 of the Kaiju No. 8 anime will premiere on July 19, 2025. The series will stream on Crunchyroll as well as on X/Twitter.
Releasing ahead of Season 2 will be the special epiode, "Hoshina's Day Off," whih is set to air on July 5, 2025.