This year belongs to Kaiju No. 8. At the beginning of 2024, the world watched as the anime made its historic launch. Gifted a real-time simulcast from Japan, Kaiju No. 8 has kept us enthralled for weeks since episode one went live. And thanks to a new report, series creator Naoya Matsumoto admits he owes Black Clover and several other shonen series for their success.
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The confession comes straight from Matsumoto as the artist spoke with Bunshun in Japan. It was there the artist spoke about his history with manga, and when asked about Kaiju No. 8, Matsumoto said the series began out of both spite and desperation.
“My successful friends started in [manga] magazines, but I wasn’t making any money. I channeled all my frustrations into a manga about a thirty-year-old unable to realize his dream,” the artist said. Of course, the result with Kaiju No. 8 as the series begins with its lead Kafka flailing to reach a lifelong goal. But before long, fate intervenes in a way no one saw coming.
As for Matsumoto’s successful friends, well – he was not kidding around. The artist called out Black Clover creator Yuki Tabata specifically along with two more. Toshiaki Iwashiro of Psyren and Ryuhei Tamura of Beelzebub were listed as well. The artists are all good friends, and despite a lengthy career in manga, Matsumoto did not hit the big leagues until Kaiju No. 8 was released.
Since the manga’s launch, Matsumoto has been on a hot streak, and Kaiju No. 8 continues to rope in new fans. Its popularity is at an all-time high now thanks to the success of the Kaiju No. 8 anime. At last, Matsumoto says he’s able to rank his own work with that done by his most successful friends. So if you haven’t checked out Kaiju No. 8, help the guy out! The sci-fi series is streaming on X (Twitter) as well as Crunchyroll. So for more info on Kaiju No. 8, you can read its official synopsis below:
“With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. Enter the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju. Kafka Hibino, a kaiju-corpse cleanup man, has always dreamed of joining the force. But when he gets another shot at achieving his childhood dream, he undergoes an unexpected transformation. How can he fight kaiju now that he’s become one himself?!”
What do you think about the recent rise of Kaiju No. 8? Let us know what you think over on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
