The anime adaptation of Naoya Matsumoto's Kaiju No. 8 manga has received a new teaser trailer. Kaiju No. 8 is set to premiere in 2024 and the animation studios that will be working on the title have now been confirmed.
The Kaiju No. 8 anime adaptation was originally announced in August 2022. At the time, only a brief trailer with vague but evocative photographs as visuals was available.
The anime now has a proper teaser, showing us our first look at the main character Kafka Hibino in both his human and kaiju forms. Perhaps more importantly, the new announcement confirms the animation studios which will be on the production of the Kaiju No. 8. Production I.G will be the primary studio on the project, while Studio Khara will be handling the designs and artwork for the kaiju within the series.
Production I.G should need no introduction. The storied studio is known for series like Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Haikyu!!!. Recent works include Fena: Pirate Princess, and the new adaptations of the Legend of the Galactic Heroes series. The studio also produced both new FLCL sequel series, and will be handling the forthcoming FLCL: Shoegaze series as well.
Studio Khara, meanwhile, was founded by Neon Genesis Evangelion director Hideaki Anno in 2006 upon leaving Gainax. The studio has primarily been known for producing the Rebuild of Evangelion films, the final instalment of which released in 2021. Handling the titular kaiju of Kaiju No. 8 should be a natural fit for Khara, as both Evangelion and Anno himself were greatly influenced by the Ultraman tokusatsu series, known for its collection of distinctive and memorable monsters, i.e kaiju.
Naoya Matsumoto's Kaiju No. 8 manga started serialization in July 2020 on the Shonen Jump+ website. The story concerns a version of Japan regularly attacked by monsters known as kaiju, and the Japanese Defense Force who battle them. The main character Kafka Hibino initially works with a crew that cleans up kaiju corpses after battles, but accidentally gains the ability to transform into a kaiju himself. The series follows Kafka, alongside others, as he utilizes his new powers in his efforts to join the Japanese Defense Force.
Production I.G and Studio Khara will be taking their time with the series, as the website for the anime currently projects the release for sometime in 2024.