Highlights
- Thrilling action-packed series
Kaiju No. 8
explores loyalty, friendship, and transformation, following protagonist Kafka’s journey against giant monsters. - Fans of
Kaiju No. 8
may also enjoy
The Rising of the Shield Hero
and
Demon Slayer
, which feature protagonists fighting against powerful foes. - Similar to Kafka, characters in
My Hero Academia
,
Gamera: Rebirth
,
Attack on Titan
, and
Solo Leveling
undergo transformative journeys.
Studio Production I.G’s Kaiju No. 8 is a science-fiction action series based on Naoya Matsumoto’s Japanese manga series of the same name. Revolving around recurring popular culture themes like loyalty, friendship, identity, sacrifice, and redemption, the show follows a dejected and demotivated 32-year-old Kafka who regrets not following his dreams. He inhabits a world where Kaijus have invaded normal human life to the point that a Defense Force has to be set up especially to fight against them.
Kafka, unlike his childhood friend, has failed to join the militarized organization and hates how his life has turned out. After a strange incident, he somehow gains the ability to transform into a Kaiju himself and decides to put his dream of joining the Defense Force one last push. Fans of Kaiju No. 8 who have enjoyed the action-packed drama that unfolds in the wake of Kafka’s strange transformation will probably the following anime as well.
7 The Rising of the Shield Hero
An Isekai Series Centered Around Fighting Monsters
Naofumi Iwatani is an ordinary otaku who is summoned to the kingdom of Melromarc along with three other people from modern Japan. Upon arrival, the four of them learn that they have been picked as the Four Cardinal Heroes and are expected to protect the kingdom from the Waves of Catastrophe that have unleashed unfathomable death and destruction in the past. Although Naofumi hopes to serve the people, his life takes a dramatic turn as one of his comrades betrays him following which he is shunned from society. Despite being dejected and depressed initially, Iwatani gathers courage and embarks on a long journey to restore people’s faith in him.
The Rising of the Shield Hero is an isekai series, unlike Kaiju No. 8. However, both shows feature action-packed sequences where protagonists go on to fight against incredibly strong monsters and thrive despite the odds stacked against them.
6 Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Dark Fantasy Series Revolving Around Fighting Supernatural Beings
Ufotable’s Demon Slayer follows Tanjiro Kamado as he joins the Demon Slayer Corps to avenge the murder of his family and turn his sister into a human being again. Despite being relatively unskilled and untrained as a swordsman, he rises through the ranks driven by his deep-rooted desire for revenge against Muzan Kibutsuji, the progenitor of demons.
The action-packed series captures the challenges and obstacles Tanjiro has to overcome as he confronts dangerous foes at every turn and transforms into an even better warrior with experience. Tanjiro’s journey may not necessarily be similar to Kafka’s, but both shows revolve around monster-hunting protagonists who undergo dramatic transformation with each battle. Therefore, fans of Kaiju No. 8 will probably enjoy Demon Slayer as well.
5 Goblin Slayer
An Exciting Monster-Slaying Anime
In a world where adventurers take on challenging missions to fight dangerous monsters, Goblins, deemed as the lowliest of creatures, are often overlooked. They take advantage of the weak status attached to them to grow in numbers and manage to become powerful enough to invade rural civilizations. Deceptively ruthless, goblins leave death and destruction in their wake.
Goblin Slayer, the silver-rank adventurer who is familiar with the cunningness and cruelty of these monsters, has made it his lifelong mission to eradicate them for good. The struggles of the titular protagonist in Goblin Slayer and his valiant resistance against dangerous beasts are a lot like Kafka Hibino’s efforts to fight against Kaijus.
4 My Hero Academia
Story of an Underdog Who Achieves the Seemingly Impossible
In a world where 80 percent of the population is born with some power, Izuku Midoriya is one of the unfortunate few who is bestowed with no special ability. Despite being quirkless, he hopes to become a hero like his personal idol, All Might, and fight the villains. His gifted friends and acquaintances see his ambition to be a sign of stupidity and often mock him. But Izuku’s desperate efforts bear fruit as All Might recognizes his innate derive and chooses him as his successor.
Much like Kafka Hibino from Kaiju No. 8, Midoriya unexpectedly gets bestowed with immense powers that are beyond his wildest imagination. With incredible abilities at his disposal, he sets out to go toe-to-toe against some of the most dangerous villains with the hope of someday making the world a more peaceful and kind place.
3 Gamera: Rebirth
Sci-fi Action Series Focused on Fighting Kaijus
- Release Date: 2023-09-07
- Genres: Action, Kaiju, Science Fiction
- Studio: ENGI
Boco, Joe and Junichi are average school-going teenagers whose life takes a dramatic turn in the summer of 1989 when Japan is attacked by mysterious Kaijus. When the trio are about to become a victim of one such horrific attack, they are saved by another giant monster. Boco later goes on to name it Gamera and the Kaiju keeps fighting to protect human beings whenever his kind wreaks havoc.
As the three friends get dragged into the puzzling drama that ensues, they discover some shocking secrets about the world that they inhabit. Gamera: Rebirth is a captivating series that has no dearth of fight sequences between Kaijus. Although there is no superhero protagonist like Kafka Hibino in the show, fans of Kaiju No. 8 will still find the anime entertaining.
2 Attack on Titan
A Humanoid Monster Hunting Saga That Surprises At Every Turn
Inspired by Hajime Isayama’s eponymous award-winning Japanese manga, Attack on Titan (also known as Shingeki no Kyojin) is an action anime. Through its multifaceted narrative, the series explores profound questions related to human nature and political conflict. The show recounts the story of a world in which humanity is pushed to the verge of extinction after the arrival of monstrous humanoid creatures that appear to relish, subjecting humans to the worst tortures imaginable.
Over time humanity learns to fight back and establishes the Survey Corps as the first line of defense against Titans. After witnessing the horrific death of his mother, Eren Yeager joins the Corps, determined to exterminate these vicious monsters. But little does he know that the path he is about to embark on will change his life forever. Fans of Kaiju No. 8 who are looking for another action-packed series that focuses on humanity fighting back against rabid beasts should add Attack on Titan to their watchlist.
1 Solo Leveling
Another Story of an Underdog Who Undergoes An Unexpected Transformation
Interdimensional portals that harbor dangerous monsters unexpectedly spring up all over the world, putting humanity in an existential crisis. Since these beasts are immune to modern weapons, the struggle against them seemed almost impossible until it was discovered that the emergence of the mysterious gates had also bestowed some humans with superhuman abilities. Leveraging their powers, such people become hunters who embark on dangerous quests in interdimensional dungeons after forming guilds.
Although most hunters are extremely strong, Sung Jin-Woo is an exception, as he can barely fight monsters without the help of his colleagues. Frequently mocked as the weakest hunter, he tries to remain positive and shoulders the responsibility of earning enough money to support his mother’s medical treatment and his sister’s education. One day as he joins a crew on a seemingly ordinary quest, things take a deadly turn. In all the chaos, Sung Jin-Woo makes a valiant decision and puts himself on the line to save his comrades. As he is brutally butchered in the dungeon, he looks back at his life.
In a strange turn of events, Sung Jin-Woo wakes up in a hospital realizing that he is not just alive but has undergone an explicable awakening that is going turn his life around forever. Solo Leveling like Kaiju No. 8 follows a vulnerable and struggling man who is desperate to make a mark in a world that is riddled by conflicts with kaiju or monsters. In both shows, the protagonist undergoes a dramatic transformation and becomes a force to be reckoned with.
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