Production

[edit]

Matsumoto had always loved tokusatsu, and he particularly liked the protagonist archetype seen often in the genre—where individuals gain extraordinary abilities, and become a hero, but also bear the weight of inner struggle as a consequence.

—Shōnen Jump+ editor-in-chief Seijiro Nakaji on Naoya Matsumoto's tokusatsu influences.^[1]

Naoya Matsumoto began his career in 2006 with Neko Romancer, published in Jump Giga (then known as Akamaru Jump).^[2] He authored Nekowappa!, which debuted in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump in 2009. The series continued a one-shot from the JG1 One-Shot festival.^[3] He published another one-shot, Shikai Enbu, in the 2012 spring edition of Jump Giga (then Jump Next),^[4] before starting his second serialization, Pochi Kuro, on Shueisha's Shōnen Jump+ website and application in 2014.^[5]

Near the end of 2018, Matsumoto presented the initial story idea and outline for Kaiju No. 8 to Shōnen Jump+ deputy editor-in-chief Seijiro Nakaji.^[6] Influenced by tokusatsu media such as the Ultraman series—particularly Ultraseven (1967)—as well as Shin Godzilla (2016)^[7] and Pacific Rim (2013),^[2] Matsumoto aimed to create a story about a protagonist who pursues a goal while concealing their identity from a hostile organization they have joined, which he considered an entertaining concept.^[7] The premise of Kafka joining the Defense Force to fulfill his dreams was established early in development, though initial plans involved him maintaining a secret identity while living a normal life.^[1] Kafka's predicament was partly inspired by Matsumoto's own career struggles in the manga industry.^[8] Working on Kaiju No. 8 was challenging for Matsumoto but allowed him to depart from his typical stories;^[9] Nakaji noted the concept was unexpected, as Matsumoto had previously authored fantasy series.^[1]

The page layouts were designed for clarity, particularly on smartphones, due to the manga's digital release.^[1] Nakaji cited a fully colored panel in the second chapter as an example of utilizing the digital format in a way not feasible in a physical magazine.^[6] A coworker suggested the kaiju codenames be based on typhoon categorization to enhance their portrayal as disasters.^[8] The kaiju designs drew from mythological creatures, animals, and plants. Kaiju No. 8's design was modeled after oni, with its color scheme inspired by the film Tron (1982).^[1]

Matsumoto worked with three assistants: Osamu Koiwai, responsible for background art; Jiro Sakura, who handled finishing work; and Mantohihi Binta, credited with weapon design.^[10] For background art, Matsumoto provided a storyboard with panel compositions to Koiwai, who created a draft for approval before finalizing the art, a process taking three to four days. Koiwai shared his creative process for the series on YouTube.^[11]

In August 2020, Kaiju No. 8 adopted a schedule of three weekly chapters followed by a one-week break.^[12] From June 25, 2021, the series switched to a biweekly schedule.^[13]

Anime adaptation

[edit]

Production I.G producer Masashi Ohira brought Tetsuya Nishio onto the project as character designer and chief animation director, believing Nishio's designs facilitated animation and possessed a three-dimensional quality.^[14] Nishio designed the human characters and humanoid kaiju.^[14] In addition to serving as chief kaiju designer, Mahiro Maeda provided detailed imagery of kaiju anatomy for battle scenes. Ohira recruited Shinji Kimura as art director for his ability to create a realistic setting.^[14] Toho Animation producer Katsuhiro Takei stated that Production I.G and studio Khara were selected due to similarities between Kaiju No. 8 and their previous works. He noted the series' focus on daily life resembled Production I.G's Patlabor (1989), while its setting evoked Khara's Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995). Involving both studios aimed to recreate the aesthetic of 1990s anime.^[15]

The anime combined hand-drawn and 3D animation.^[16]^[17] Lead 3D animation director Masaru Matsumoto worked with a small team using Autodesk 3ds Max and Blender; production began in March 2022 and continued during the broadcast.^[16] Directors Tomomi Kamiya and Shigeyuki Miya identified sequences requiring 3D animation during storyboarding,^[17] while Kimura and mechanical designer Shinobu Tsuneki collaborated with the team to evoke the aesthetics of Production I.G films like Patlabor and Ghost in the Shell (1995), emphasizing realistic military combat.^[16] Extensive 3D animation was used for battles against numerous monsters and for dynamic camera work in action sequences.^[17] Studio Khara, in collaboration with the creative agency WOW, produced the opening sequence. Directed by Hibiki Yoshizaki with Kouhei Nakama as CG director, the sequence aimed to depict the origin of the kaiju.^[18]

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "2024 Manga Picks Editor Interview Vol. 1 – Kaiju No. 8 (Monster #8)". Manga Plus. Shueisha. Archived from the original on February 16, 2024. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ついにスタート！『怪獣８号』原作・松本直也先生が語る！アニメ化への思いと見どころ。. Men's Non-no (in Japanese). Shueisha. April 13, 2024. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved April 17, 2024.
^ JG1読切祭で好評を博した「ねこわっぱ！」連載化. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 9, 2009. Archived from the original on December 18, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ 「少年疾駆」附田祐斗と新鋭のコンビがジャンプ増刊に登場. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 29, 2012. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ Loo, Egan (September 21, 2014). "Shonen Jump+ Debuts with Over 30 Monthly Manga for Free". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on November 4, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Vol. 01 大ヒットマンガの裏側に迫る! (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 2, 2024. Retrieved July 2, 2024.
^ ^a ^b Nomoto, Yuki (September 24, 2021). 「"最強の主人公が追われながら目的地を目指す話"を描きたい」『怪獣８号』松本直也インタビュー《「次マン」Webマンガ部門1位》. Da Vinci (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on May 25, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2023.
^ ^a ^b Kayama, Ryuji (June 1, 2024). なぜ怪獣が“8号”なのか？『怪獣８号』原作者の明かした「『シン・ゴジラ』と“災害としての怪獣”」. Shūkan Bunshun (in Japanese). Bungeishunjū. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved June 28, 2024.
^ 「次にくるマンガ大賞2021」Webマンガ部門1位『怪獣８号』作者・松本直也先生に聞きました！「次マン」作品への想いとは？. Da Vinci (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. August 29, 2022. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
^ Matsumoto, Naoya (April 5, 2022). Kaiju No. 8. Vol. 2. Viz Media. p. 204. ISBN 978-1-9747-2714-8.
^ Paquot, Valentin (March 11, 2022). "Découvrez Koiwai Osamu, dessinateur de décor de mangas!". L'Internaute (in French). Archived from the original on February 10, 2024. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
^ "[ex] Monster #8". Manga Plus. Shueisha. August 27, 2020. Archived from the original on September 10, 2021. Retrieved October 31, 2021.
^ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (June 29, 2021). "Kaiju No. 8 Manga Temporarily Switches to Biweekly Schedule". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 20, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
^ ^a ^b ^c Chikaraishi, Hisamoto (April 13, 2024). 世界中で人気な『怪獣８号』がアニメになるまで。アニメーションプロデューサー大平将史の"最強"を詰め込んだアニメのつくり方とは？. Men's Non-no (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on April 13, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^ Chikaraishi, Hisamoto (April 12, 2024). 『BLUE GIANT』『TRIGUN STAMPEDE』『怪獣８号』のプロデューサー・武井克弘が語る「日本アニメの現在地」. Men's Non-no (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on July 3, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Akiyoshi, Hizume (September 17, 2024). 臨場感を高める3DCGによるカメラワークとカメラマップに注目！『怪獣８号』(1)～モデリング・ギミック篇. CGWorld.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 29, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
^ ^a ^b ^c Akiyoshi, Hizume (September 18, 2024). 臨場感を高める3DCGによるカメラワークとカメラマップに注目！『怪獣８号』(2)～カット制作篇. CGWorld.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 29, 2024. Retrieved October 19, 2024.
^ "Kaiju No. 8 Opening Sequence". WOW Inc. Archived from the original on November 1, 2024. Retrieved November 1, 2024.

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