This weekend saw the debut of two highly anticipated anime series. Both Kaiju No. 8 and Black Butler -Public School Arc- premiered on Saturday, and with that, we now know the official episode count for each show's season.
The inaugural season of Kaiju No. 8 will run for a total of 12 episodes, according to Blu-ray and DVD releases in Japan (via Comicbook.com). The first episode of the anime premiered worldwide on Saturday, April 13, kicking off what is sure to be an exciting season.
Kaiju No. 8 is based on the Shonen Jump+ manga written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto. The manga has drawn comparisons to other popular titles like Attack on Titan, Chainsaw Man, and One-Punch Man, but its tone (blending action, comedy and adventure) along with its art style and unique characters have helped set it apart from others. The story follows a 32-year-old who joins The Defense Force to help fulfill a childhood promise and gains superhuman strength and powers when a small Kaiju burrows itself inside him. The full synopsis, according to Crunchyroll, 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 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.
Kaiju No. 8 debuted on Crunchyroll this weekend as part of the service's Spring Anime Lineup and with 12 episodes, it should end in late June -- just in time for the Summer lineup to drop. New episodes are released weekly, debuting worldwide the same time they premiere in Japan. For those of us in America, that means a 7:00 a.m. PT live broadcast followed by a 8:30 a.m. PT stream and dub airtime.
Black Butler -Public School Arc- is another highly anticipated anime series that debuted this week. The first new season of the series in about a decade, this season will run for 11 episodes, according to the listings for the Blu-ray and DVD releases in Japan (via Comicbook.com). This episode count should also take us to late June, before the Summer anime schedule kicks off in July.
Black Butler -Public School Arc- is the latest season in the adaptation of Yana Toboso's acclaimed supernatural fantasy manga. Yen Press describes the plot:
Just a stone's throw from London lies the manor house of the illustrious Phantomhive earldom, its master one Ciel Phantomhive. Earl Phantomhive is a giant in the world of commerce, Queen Victoria's faithful servant . . . and a slip of a twelve-year old boy. Fortunately, his loyal butler, Sebastian, is ever at his side, ready to carry out the young master's wishes. And whether Sebastian is called to save a dinner party gone awry or probe the dark secrets of London's underbelly, there is practically nothing Sebastian cannot do. In fact, one might even say Sebastian is too good to be true . . . or at least, he is too good to be human...
Black Butler -Public School Arc- debuted on Saturday and is now streaming exclusively on Crunchyroll. The latest season picks up where the Black Butler franchise left off, so if you want to catch up on what's going on, you can find previous TV and feature film releases on Crunchyroll as well.