Naoya Matsumoto - Kaiju No. 8 Manga

Kafka Hibino has spent his entire adulthood cleaning up the aftermath of kaiju attacks—massive monster battles that level entire cities across Japan. Once, he dreamed of joining the elite Defense Force and fighting kaiju head-on, but after failing the entrance exam repeatedly, Kafka resigned himself to a life of hazardous cleanup shifts and unfulfilled ambition.

Everything changes when a small kaiju enters Kafka’s body and transforms him into something unprecedented: a humanoid kaiju with a conscience. Now designated “Kaiju No. 8,” Kafka possesses incredible power—but if the Defense Force discovers his identity, he’ll be exterminated as a threat.

Determined to finally stand beside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, now a celebrated Defense Force captain, Kafka joins the Force as a rookie while hiding the monstrous secret lurking beneath his skin. Alongside the fierce prodigy Kikoru Shinomiya and the stubborn underdog Reno Ichikawa, Kafka must battle humanity’s most terrifying enemies while keeping his dual nature from destroying the life he’s always wanted.

Kaiju No. 8 combines high-impact monster action, workplace comedy, heartfelt determination, and a uniquely adult protagonist, setting it apart in a genre dominated by teen heroes and giving it broad appeal across shōnen and seinen audiences alike.

Interesting Notes About Naoya Matsumoto

• Professional Roots: Before Kaiju No. 8, Matsumoto created several short works for Weekly Shonen Jump, including Neko Wappa! and Pochi Kuro. Many early themes—monsters, camaraderie, and humor—evolved directly into the tone of Kaiju No. 8.

• Genre Influence: Matsumoto revitalized the kaiju genre in manga by merging classic tokusatsu energy (Ultraman, Godzilla) with modern shōnen character drama.

• Historic Serialization: The series became one of Shonen Jump+’s fastest-growing titles, known for crashing servers on release days and achieving some of the platform’s highest early readership numbers.
  

Japanese Name: 怪獣8号
Manga-ka: Naoya Matsumoto
Original Publisher: Shueisha (Jump+)
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Years: 2020–present
Reading Age: Teen
Volumes: 13+ (ongoing)

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi, Kaiju, Military, Comedy, Drama

Comics & manga to be assumed VG+ or better unless otherwise noted. No broken spines, no writing, no stickers, and may have light shelf wear. All manga and comics are assumed to be pre-owned.