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Kaiju No. 8finally delivered a mostly good episode with episode #16, and it left plenty to be excited about for episode #17 and beyond. The story’s latest decisions are surprising, to say the least, but hopefully, it can use them to pull off something great in the weeks to come.
While Kaiju No. 9 was seemingly defeated, that turned out to be a ruse as it moved onto its true target: Isao Shinomiya and his Kaiju Weapon made from Kaiju No. 2. Isao put up a great fight in what he knew would be his final battle, regardless of the outcome, but unfortunately, even he couldn’t pull off a miracle.
What Time Kaiju No. 8 Episode 17 Releases
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 17’s Release Schedule
TheKaiju No. 8anime streams exclusively on Crunchyroll, accessed through their app, website, and third-party streaming services like Amazon Prime. Assuming there are no delays, episode #17 will livestream at 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and following that,Kaiju No. 8episode #17 will be available for regular viewing on Saturday, August 16 at 7:30 AM Pacific Standard Time (PST), 10:30 AM Eastern Standard Time (EST), and 3:30 PM British Summer Time (BST).
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 15 Review: Season 2 Continues To Stumble
Kaiju No. 8 Episode 15 In Review
Visually speaking,Kaiju No. 8episode #15 was probably one of the strongest episodes to date. Kafka and Narumi’s fights with Kaiju No. 9 were both incredibly stunning from start to finish, and that makes perfect sense when remembering episode director Haruo Okono’s history on projects likeHaikyu!!andYour Name.
Unfortunately, the writing suffered once again. While learning more about Kikoru’s past was great, the same can’t be said of Kafka’s arc about being unable to transform, as between the suddenness of it starting and how easy it was for him to get over it after one pep talk from Kikoru, the entire thing felt contrived from start to finish.
EvenGen Narumi’s scenes have started to lose their appeal; while Narumi’s content is great, it’s gotten to the point that it’s far better than anything happening with Kafka, who’s supposed to be the main character, and the fact that Narumi’s scenes overshadow Kafka’s so much feels more distracting than engaging.
Kaiju No. 8is devolving into a show that uses fight scenes and visuals to distract from poor writing, and that’s disappointing to see after how good the early parts of the show were at balancing the two extremes. Hopefully, the rest ofKaiju No. 8season 2will improve on that, but unfortunately, things aren’t looking too good.
What Happened In Kaiju No. 8 Episode 16?
Produced By Production I.G; Directed By Ryo Kodama
InKaiju No. 8episode #16, “The Man Called Isao Shinomiya”, with Kaiju No. 9’s defeat, everyone cleaned up the few remaining Kaiju, and the operation was officially declared a success. Narumi, however, thought it was too easy, and he was worried that No. 9 still had something up its sleeve.
Sure enough, when the Kaiju No. 9 that Kafka fought finally died and disintegrated, Kafka realized that it was also a clone. As for the real one, it had used its shapeshifting abilities to sneak into the First Division’s base to accomplish its true goal of killing Isao Shinomiya and absorbing the Kaiju Weapon made from Kaiju No. 2.
Isao was quick to jump into battle, but Kaiju No. 9 had evolved into a stronger state following theKaiju No. 8season 1 finale, and it quickly overwhelmed Isao. Nevertheless, as Isao thought about his family and the new generation of soldiers, he refused to give up and kept fighting.
With his body pushed to its limits, Isao used the last of his strength to hit Kaiju No. 9 with a massive blast of energy that even No. 9 couldn’t avoid. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t enough; Kaiju No. 9 barely hung on to life, and with Isao having no strength to fight, No. 9 absorbed him and the Kaiju Weapon.
Kafka, Kikoru, and Narumi arrived too late to stop Kaiju No. 9, and it had now evolved to an even stronger state than before. No. 9 was ready to make its leave so it could fully adapt to its new power, but Kafka wasn’t having it, and the episode ended with Kafka initiating another fight with No. 9.
Kaiju No. 8 Season 2 Sees Improvement, But There Are Still Problems
The Highs And Lows Of Kaiju No. 8 Episode 16
Overall,Kaiju No. 8episode #16 was the best episode of season 2, by far. In addition to its great action, the drama that the anime got out of Isao’s final stand was great to see, and it’s the kind of decision that’s sure to change the entire trajectory of the story from here on out.
The problem with that decision, however, is how abrupt it was. Isao has only just been properly introduced in theKaiju No. 8anime, so as emotional as his death is supposed to be, it’s undermined by how little reason there was to care about him, so having his death happen now feels like a wasted opportunity.
Pacing has always been one of the biggest issues plaguingKaiju No. 8, and unfortunately, it was on full display with episode #16. Things might improve withKaiju No. 8episode #17 and beyond, but that doesn’t make it any less disappointing to see the series struggle to such a degree.
Be sure to watchKaiju No. 8episode #17 when it releases on Saturday, August 16.
