There was no shortage of exciting announcements to come out of Jump Festa 2025, but one that fans are certainly interested in is the return of Kaiju No. 8. The anime adaptation of the Japanese manga written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto, Kaiju No. 8 premiered in April and ran until June 2024.
The series, which was produced by Production I.G and directed, was one of this year's biggest hits. Critics and viewers praised the series for its tone, art style, action sequences, and compelling characters.
Since the inaugural season's end in June, fans have been eager to see what will come next for Kafka and humanity's fight for survival. Well, now know approximately when the show will return.
Announced on social media, Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 will begin airing in July 2025. The announcement was accompanied by a new teaser visual for the upcoming season. The visual features Gen Narumi with the tagline: "Proof I'm the strongest."
With months to go until Season 2 premieres, it's not too late to catch up on all the kaiju action. The entire first season of Kaiju No. 8 can be streamed on Crunchyroll, which describes the series:
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 Reno Ichikawa, a new coworker, while cleaning up Kaiju remains. Reno’s 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. Part human and part Kaiju, Kafka recognizes the creature beginning to take over more frequently, and he must fight to hold on to what makes him human.
For those who have already watched the first season, you can look forward to a compilation film of the first season along with the “Hoshina’s Day Off” special episode.
The compilation movie comprises all 12 episodes of the anime's first season and is paired with the new original episode, "Hoshina's Day Off." The episode is developed by Yuto Tsukuda, the original creator of Food Wars! Shokugeki no Soma, with the script originally written by Yuichiro Kido (Dr. Stone). It follows the titular Defense Force vice captain along with Reno Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi on their day off.
So mark your calendars because the compilation movie and "Hoshina's Day Off" will be released in theaters in Japan on March 28, 2025. It will be followed by Kaiju No. 8 Season 2just a few months later.