Kaiju No. 8 episode 4 that aired on Saturday gave us a perfect example of what an anime adaptation can and should do to its source material. After what I consider to be hiccups in the anime following last week's episode of questionable decisions, Kaiju No. 8 hits a home run this week by upping the quality of the source material with high-quality animation, The voice acting is excellent and adds some originality to its biggest film yet. moment.
Kafka and Kikoru
Yes, we get it. Blur can be annoying to us viewers in any action-packed episode in anime. We've seen it with Jujutsu Kaisen Season 2 multiple times and it happens again in this episode with Kaiju No. 8. But will it really hinder the moment when Kafka saves Kikoru? Absolutely not. In fact, some of the creative touches in this scene even make it better than it was in the manga.
First, the entire scene and everything leading up to it painted Kikoru in the right light, something last week's episode failed to do. She is determined to kill the honju just to prevent any casualties from occurring. She didn't want to beat it for her pride, not to be praised but to save others and live up to the unrealistic standards her own father had imposed on her.
Some of the original content added here is all from a creative standpoint. The 360-degree camera pans around Kafka in his kaiju form, the build-up to the soundtrack leading up to his transformation that briefly saves Kikoru, and even the ultra-wide shot of how far he diverts the incident explode with his fist and how big it is — all original content.
But the original content doesn't stop there. The entire time Kikoru spent in the recovery room at this facility was completely original. Although the previous scenes I mentioned are all in the manga but with their own excellent touches to make them even better, the moment Kikoru talks to Hoshina in the recovery room is 100% original and it makes her look more like a leader than she did in this first position—and damn, I loved every minute of it.
Again, coming from last week where she seemed like a rich, spoiled girl who looked down on Kafka has proven that she really cares about him, his secrets and all others on the battlefield with her. She's not simply a Self-Defense Forces prodigy because of her skills and pedigree — she's a prodigy because she will and can do whatever it takes to protect everyone around her. around you, even if it means sacrificing your life.
I almost jumped out of my seat the moment Kafka showed up to save Kikoru because it was so well done that I couldn't believe it at first. It's been a while since I've felt this way about adapting an episode—for me it was perfect.
Kikoru's reaction. Kafka's kaiju design is more “angry” than in the manga. Music. Animations. Color design and color settings. The camera was rolling. This is my favorite moment in the Kaiju manga issue #8 and they did a great job of it.
Ichikawa deserves to be loved
It's easy for Ichikawa to get lost in everything that's going on despite his solid screen time up to this point. Kafka and Kikoru certainly stole the spotlight for a few weeks but Ichikawa also deserves some praise.
Ichikawa was the only person to visit and stay with Kafka in the hospital, more than Kikoru. She didn't even have anyone by her side, only Hoshina talked to her about the incident. Everyone needs a friend like Ichikawa. Someone who can tell us when we're overstepping our bounds but who will also be there no matter what and will never judge us.
Ichikawa doesn't seem like the all-powerful best friend that other manga series have. is a strong opponent of the main character. Actually, he's quite simple but in a good way. He brings humor to the series and gives our goofy kaiju hero someone to always rely on. Kafka has shown at times that he has his down moments and what failing the exam entails and that is where Ichikawa shines.
Carrying Kafka, who had to carry as much weight as possible, on his shoulders to be able to continue taking the exam was something only a close friend would do. Even though Kafka was his “senpai,” the relationship never felt like that. They are two best friends and will do whatever it takes to help each other achieve the goals they strive for.
Although Mina came to thank Kafka at the hospital, it was short-lived. However, in the manga, Mina is outside the hospital room the entire time Kafka and Ichikawa are talking, she does not appear out of nowhere like the anime shows her doing. It didn't affect the episode much (at least for me), but I can see the argument as to why people thought removing the shot of her from the room behind the door was very important. Additionally, Kafka never greeted her back in the manga like he did in the anime.
Forward
Currently only two people know Kafka's huge secret. Kikoru had the opportunity to reveal the secret to Hoshina and Kafka as Kaiju No. 8, but she did not. We already knew that Ichikawa would never do that, but the moment Kikoru lied to Hoshina to protect Kafka in the original anime was glorious for every possible reason.
We have a bit of a mystery to see who will be the next person to grasp the secret. With Hoshina and Mina both keeping an eye on them, the intensity of the secret being publicly revealed at some point will only continue to increase from here on out.
With Kaiju No. 9 making its first appearance in this episode, unfortunately preceded by Kikoru's (almost) death, the plot thickens as a high-level threat is living among the cleanup crew posing as a normal person. And after witnessing what he did to Kikoru, it must have been telling what he could only do next.
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 4 Summary
Best episode of Kaiju No. 8 so far is definitely episode 4. It did everything perfectly and more. That's what an anime adaptation has to do with an already high-quality source material. The production team and voice cast deserve a round of applause, some flowers and a drink.
Episode 4 rating: 10/10
If you liked Kaiju episode #8 4, please vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8 will be released on Saturday, May 11. The series is streamed weekly on Crunchyroll and X.
Screenshot via Crunchyroll
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