Ahead of its second season, Kafka Hibino and his friends are back in Kaiju No 8 Mission Recon. Fans will enjoy returning to the world of fighting kaiju as they anxiously await the new episodes coming to Crunchyroll July 2025.
Kaiju No 8 Mission Recon Review
Production I.G., Studio Khara, and co-directors Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya have reunited for Kaiju No. 8 Mission Recon. This isn't like the latest My Hero Academia film or an OVA, but rather it's a recap of season 1 with a bonus anime only episode called “Hoshina’s Day Off.” The popular manga series was first brought to the screen last year and became an even bigger hit. Fortunately, fans won't have to wait too long to find out what happens next with Kafka, especially now that his secret is out.
Japan is teeming with kaiju which means most people either fight the monsters or dispose of waste after the battles. Kafka Hibino is one of the latter, but he has also dreamed of joining the anti-kaiju Defense Force like his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. But he's failed the entrance exam multiple times and now he's in his 30s seemingly stuck on clean-up duty for life. However, Kafka is convinced by one of his younger employees, Reno Ichikawa, to try the exam one more time. But before he does that, the two are attacked by smaller kaiju and end up at the hospital. There, Kafka is infected by a parasitic kaiju which turns him into a human-kaiju hybrid aka Kaiju No. 8. With the help of Reno, Kafka hides his new abilities and joins the Defense Force.
Mission Recon takes season 1's 12 episodes to condense them into about an hour and 20 minutes. Naturally, this means some sacrifices had to be made, mainly to the character development and in some cases key plot points. However, it's a solid way for fans to refresh their minds ahead of the Summer 2025 release of Season 2. Plus, by keeping the action at the forefront and allowing Kafka's infallible charm to shine, Mission Recon is also exciting enough to entice newcomers to go back and watch the show.
One of things that drew me to Kaiju No. 8 outside of the fact that it's about kaiju, is that Kafka is the rare “older” protagonist. As someone also in their 30s, I dislike saying he's old but let's face it, in the world of shonen manga, we are practically at the age of retirement. Unlike some other stories, both the manga and the anime took the time to not only give Kafka character development, but they also spent time on his co-workers, frenemies, and his love interest. Mina isn't a damsel in distress nor is she just there to boost his ego, or run after him calling out his name. She's just as formidable as he is, even without the added boost of kaiju powers.
The main for Mission Recon, at least for current fans, is the anime-original episode Hoshina’s Day Off. Written by Food Wars’ mangaka Yuto Tsukuda, it follows the elusive Hoshina on one of his rare days off. What does he do when he's not fighting kaiju or training new recruits in the Defense Force? That's what Reno, Iharu, and the others want to find out. Of course nothing is what it seems and these recruits are in for a big surprise. This OVA is not a complete side story like Spy x Family Code: White but it's an entertaining story that gives us some downtime with these great characters. Not to mention we get another new OneRepublic song, Invincible, which I hope ends up being used in season 2's credits.
Verdict
Kaiju No. 8 Mission Recon is a solid recap film that reminds fans why they love this world while bringing newcomers into the kaiju flock. I do hope anyone just now discovering Kafka and his friends takes the time to go back and watch season 1. The character-driven stories and the big battle that is left out of Mission Recon are well worth the rewatch. Hoshina’s Day Off is going to be a hit with those already familiar with the characters. Plus it will leave you hoping that the main anime will offer up more OVA in the future. Sometimes fillers can be fun, those of us in Kafka's age range know this! Ultimately, I was already excited for season 2 and Mission Recon reminded me why.
Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is in theaters in the US April 13th.
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