Kaiju No. 8 is one of the most satisfying shows to watch this year and has quickly trended on the Internet to become everyone’s favourite anime. Kaiju anime, as the name of the genre suggests, is about huge monsters fighting in human habitat and unleashing the power of pure strength, magic, or advanced science. Humans tremble under these monsters’ feet, often being bystanders of these incomprehensible creatures that are disturbing our precious daily lives.

Over the years, Japanese creators have developed this genre featuring giant monsters and expanded its boundaries to narrate different aspects of the Kaiju catastrophe. From the famous Ultraman series to Godzilla, the Kaijus have already established a deep root in Japanese TV and cinema production. Recently, Kaijus have also made an appearance in animes: Godzilla Singular Point, SSSS.Gridman, and its sequel SSSS.Dynazenon. Intriguingly, these anime all decide to shy away from the already established formula of the Kaiju story, focusing on how the stories of the human characters unfold in a world threatened by the appearance of Kaiju. You can see how creators are trying to explore new narratives for the Kaiju story and dive deep into its profound meaning of humanity vs. unknown.

Kaiju No. 8, the anime produced by Production I.G which aired from April to June 2024 is another successful adaptation of a Kaiju story. In this fictional world, Japan is constantly under attack by Kaiju and the government had to develop a special team called the Defense Force to deal with the matter. The main protagonist, Kafka Hibino (the name could have been inspired by the famous author Franz Kafka who was known for his book The Metamorphosis), is a member of the cleaning crew who were only tasked to deal with the aftermath of Kaiju invasions.

Kafka had a harsh childhood watching his home and school destroyed by Kaiju. He vowed with his childhood friend Mina Ashiro to join the Defense Force when they grew up. However, he did not pass the recruitment exam and went to the cleaning department, whereas his friend Mina successfully joined the Defense Force and later became a captain. As the year passed, his dream of becoming a hero faded away and he is doing a great job as the “gut cleaner” of the Kaiju. One day, he was tasked to train a new crew member Reno Ichikawa who joined the Force hoping to fight Kaiju. Despite his initial resentment towards Reno, Kafka later forms a strong bond with him after they fight off a Kaiju that almost eats Reno. This new friendship invoked the buried dream in Kafka and ultimately motivated him to try again to take the recruitment exam for Kaiju fighting division. Then, out of nowhere, a tiny flying Kaiju appears, says “I found you.” to Kafka and flies directly into his mouth. After waking from a coma, Kafka noticed he had turned into a human-sized Kaiju with enormous power.

Now, Kaiju No. 8 is trending on the Internet and fans cannot wait for its second season to release. But before the drop of its new series, let’s look at its merchandise production and see how many anime figures of Kaiju No. 8 are in production! Every year, the top collectibles creators and distributors add new items to their lineups. Due to the ever-changing nature of the collecting landscape, it can be challenging to keep up. If you’re a Kaiju No. 8 fan who is looking for somewhere to start, here is the ultimate checklist for your Kaiju No. 8 action figures to collect in 2024.