The pacing of Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon

is relentless. The action is non-stop, and director Tomomi Kamiya’s (Carole & Tuesday) film plays like a horror film in the sense that everything feels propulsive and constantly ratcheting up. The monsters provide the horror, and the character Kafka Hibino provides the levity. One of the most horrifying elements is the way people get injured. When the seemingly indestructible valedictorian gets sH๏τ, it feels like your breath has been taken away. When she is sH๏τ several more times, you almost can’t believe it.

Frankly, the choice to lean in any one direction in terms of genre saves this film from being a smorgasbord of fight scenes. The obligatory addition of the special episode “Hoshina’s Day Off” does nothing to move the story forward, but is a nice change of pace for a movie so intense.

In a world on the verge of collapse from constant Kaiju attacks, Kafka Hibino (Masaya Fukunishi) is feeling his 30s in the worst way. He spends his day cleaning up after Kaiju attacks, wishing he could join his childhood friend Mina (Asami Seto) on the front lines. After meeting his new coworker, Reno (Wataru Kato), they’re both injured on the job. Kafka wakes up in the hospital with a small Kaiju nearby. The beast enters and makes him the тιтular Kaiju No. 8. Kafka is still able to work his way up the ranks to Mina, but the road is long and unforgiving.

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon Is A Good Bridge

But It Also Could Have Cut Some Unimportant Stuff

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is the perfect way for fans of season 1 to catch up with the show, but if you are coming into this without that prerequisite, you will miss a lot of the character development. Perhaps most detrimental to new viewers is how the main character goes from a nobody to a transforming monster with more than adequate control over his new power. This is a problem in a lot of anime in general, and this being a recap movie can’t really be held against it. Regrettably, something had to be cut, and Mission Recon loses some structure as a result.

The main flaw with Kaiju No 8: Mission Recon is that the supporting characters get shortchanged into obscurity. Characters like Reno and Soshiro still serve their roles, but it feels like they are parachuted into the story rather than being actively by Kafka’s side. Sadly, characters like Aoi (Shunsuke Takeuchi) are subjugated to hired guns that look cool but are ultimately empty vessels. The saddest part about this is that the story hinges on Kafka’s obsession with following Mina. And though she is the strong, silent type, with the film’s condensed runtime, she is just silent.

The way the film is edited doesn’t help. Some lines would have been better off being cut from the film because they’re not important to viewers, and even confusing to newcomers. When Kafka reveals himself as a Kaiju to his peers, he explicitly says, “I tried doing the partial transformation like last time.” We do not see the “last time” in Mission Recon. It would’ve been an easy fix, too, because the camera isn’t on Kafka’s face and the line could have been cut while keeping the sH๏τ.

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon Is Good When It Counts

The Film Isn’t Perfect But The Big Emotions Are Executed Well

Kaiju No 8: Mission Recon shines in its ability to land emotionally. When the show is in its bag, you are rooting for Kafka, and if you’re over 30, you may feel like you are Kafka. A high point of the film comes after he realizes he isn’t the strongest, but he can use what he knows from his day job to be an invaluable ᴀsset. When Kafka is finally told he’s done fine work by a superior and the camera holds on his face, movie magic happens. The ability to get that kind of feeling in this format is something to applaud.

There’s not much to say about “Hoshina’s Day Off” as it really only serves to justify itself. On the bright side, it does provide a place for the supporting cast to congregate and show off their chemistry, though it’s not an accurate depiction of where the characters are in the show currently, and it proceeds as if they are all best friends instead of new acquaintances. The complete lack of action tells us this was not a priority for the studio, but it’s nice to see where these characters are heading in season 2 in terms of their dynamic.

The purpose of Mission Recon is to recap season 1 while drawing in new fans. There is a case to be made that this formula is something more shows, live-action or otherwise, should adapt. Though YouTube is rife with season recaps, there is something special about it being made by the creators. Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon meets fans and newcomers right in the middle, and the resulting movie is for everyone. Overall, it’s a summation of one of the best animes out right now, and if you want to prep for season 2 and are short on time, it’s serviceable.