Summary
TheKaiju No. 8manga was already amazing, as evident by how immensely popular it has become in just a handful of years, but the anime has managed to take this series to a whole new level. It’s not often that a series' animated iteration is considered to be superior to the manga right off the bat, but many fans agree that theKaiju No. 8anime has now become the best way to experience this action-packed monster-hunting series, and there are a few very specific reasons why this is the case.
Whether it’s the sleek and stylish animation from Production I.G, or the fact that more scenes have been added to flesh out the world and characters, there’s honestly so much to love about the anime, to the point where it almost definitely surpasses the original source material in several areas. With the manga officially over and the anime still going strong, it’s a perfect time to take a closer look at what exactly the anime series does better than the manga to understand why so many people consider it the best way to consume the story and characters.
6More Exciting Fight Scenes
The Eyecatching Animation Makes Every Kaiju Attack Feel Explosive And Powerful
TheKaiju No. 8manga features somepretty incredible fights, especially anytime Kafka gets involved to cause some carnage in his Kaiju form, but as is the case with most manga series, it can often be hard to convey just how powerful or explosive certain attacks are supposed to be in a comic. This is an issue which the anime completely negates thanks to its jaw-dropping animation, alongside the dazzling colored palette which makes each and every Kaiju ability look truly overwhelming in battle, as they should be.
Additionally, the high-quality animation also ensures that fans can follow the fights much more easily. Sometimes, things can get a little messy in the manga during a fast-paced and intense action sequence, but by keeping fans' eyes glued to the screen at all times, and by using the animation to guide them through the fight at a steady pace, it ensures that each of these scenes are able to stand out as much as possible.
5Better Pacing
Kaiju No. 8’s Anime Takes Its Time, Letting Fans Soak In The Story And Characters
At only 129 chapters long in total,Kaiju No. 8is actually considered a pretty short manga, especially for ashonen series. This can end up affecting the pacing of the story, since there are several arcs and key moments that feel a little rushed, especially when also considering that fans are able to read through these sections of the story very quickly, as many of them only take up a few panels.
The anime has done a much better job at laying out the pacing of the story so that it doesn’t feel like it’s ending too quickly. This gives fans a lot more time to soak in and enjoy the emotional character moments and high-octane fight scenes, which, overall, just leads to a more fulfilling and enjoyable experience that never feels like it’s moving at too quick a pace to keep up with.
4Great Voice Acting
Feel The Rage And Fury Of The Defense Force As They Duke It Out With Giant Monsters
While this is a pretty obvious difference on the surface, it’s remarkable how much more believable and realistic a character can seem when they arefully voice-acted. In a series likeKaiju No. 8, where many of the characters receive their own personal emotional moments throughout the story, it definitely goes a long way to have someone who can replicate the characters' feelings and inner emotions in these scenes through their voice alone.
On the other hand, it also helps to amplify those epic showcases of power where a character is free to scream at the top of their lungs before launching a deadly attack, specifically in the case of Kafka, who has made this somewhat of a personal hobby. The anime’s English and Japanese voice actors do an excellent job at bringing these iconic characters to life, and it’s just one of many reasons why so many people consider the anime to be superior to the original manga.
3Impactful Soundtrack
The Music Amplifies The Hype, While Also Enhancing Emotional Character Moments
While it’s evident that Production I.G dedicated a lot of their time and effort into the animation, another area where they went above and beyond was the soundtrack.Kaiju No. 8’sanime features a medley of different soundscapes that greatly amplify the weight of certain moments. For example, while Kafka might get a head-banging electric track to accompany him when he blasts a Kaiju into dust, there will also be much slower and more somber tracks that play for emotional character moments, such as when Kafka jumps in to rescue Kikoru.
Similarly toAttack on Titan, which was also greatly praised for itsdiverse soundtrack, the music in theKaiju No. 8anime really does feel like a crucial part of the experience, to the point where it’s difficult to go back to the manga without at least having it on in the background while reading.
2Extra Scenes
New Sequences Help To Make The Story Easier to Follow
It’s not uncommon for anime adaptations to add in a few extra scenes to help flesh out the characters and world a little more, butKaiju No. 8has done this in a few pretty clever ways. While there are some brand-new scenes that give a better insight into who these characters are and their personalities, there are also those that are taken straight from the manga, but simply made much longer so that viewers can follow what’s actually going on much more easily.
A prime example of this is the introduction to the series, where aferocious monstercan be seen terrorizing Japan. In the manga, this is barely two pages long, which can make it a bit tricky to understand the true extent of how powerful these beings truly are. The anime, however, gives the Kaiju a lot more time to show off its destructive power, while also highlighting the residents of Japan and their reactions to the ongoing incident, really emphasizing the terror that these monsters present to the population at large.
1Even More Gore
Seeing Giant Kaiju Be Blended Into Tiny Meat Chunks Will Never Get Old
Admittedly,the addition of more gorebeing a good thing is entirely subjective to the viewer, but it was still a very big reason why the manga became so prolific, as many readers were eager to uncover just how brutal these fight scenes could truly get between the Kaiju. Rather than trying to cut down on the gore or censor it, the anime has actually doubled down. Seeing Kaiju the size of skyscrapers being turned into nothing but tiny chunks of meat, or having a reign of blood showering Kafka after an intense battle, results in some pretty jaw-dropping scenes that will stay with fans for long after they finish an episode.
At the same time, adding in more gore also helps viewers visualize how dark and dangerous this world actually is, which is appropriate considering there are monsters prowling around every corner who are big enough to destroy entire cities single-handedly. After all,Kaiju No. 8is considered pretty mature in its story, as evident by Kafka himself, who is a little older than the average shonen protagonist, so it seems like the right decision for the animators to go all-out with the bloody violence.
