Kaiju No. 8 is Coming Back With a Movie and New Se...

Naoya Mastsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 got an anime last year, and many found it to be a generally good adaptation. The show’s coming back for the summer anime season, and it’s bringing a new face along for the ride.

Last season ended with Kafka imprisoned after he lost control and tried to kill Defense Force general Isao. He stopped himself by punching himself in the heart, and the Defense Force wants him to prove his worth by promoting him to the First Division. This puts him and Kikoru under the command of Gen Narumi. Despite how he comes off as a gamer nerd, Gen more than locks in when it’s time to fight some kaiju with a massive bayonet rifle, and all he wants from his new officers is they prove their “overwhelming strength” as the Division takes on new, even bigger beasts. Gen’s looking like he’ll be a fan-favorite in the anime, which is just as well, because he appeared in the final chapters of the Kaiju No. 8 spinoff, B-Side.

Ahead of the new season, Toho is releasing a recap film for season one called Mission Recon. The 119-minute movie also comes with an original episode about Reno and Iharu tailing Hoshina and seeing what their friend gets up to during their day off. Mission Recon will play in theaters in subtitled Japanese and English dub in the US and Canada on April 13, 14, and 16. The “Hoshina’s Day Off” episode also comes with new ending theme from OneRepublic titled “Invincible.”

Tickets for Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon are on sale, and you can purchase them here. The anime is still set to air new episodes on Crunchyroll beginning in July.

Boom 💥 First Division Captain Gen Narumi, reporting for duty. #KaijuNo8 pic.twitter.com/1kQip3v8FP

— KAIJU NO. 8 (@KaijuNo8_O_EN) March 22, 2025

Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.