With Kaiju No. 8 Now Complete, Shogakukan Has a Perfect Successor (And It’s Hilarious)

Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 manga, serialized on Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ online platform for five years, concluded on July 17th with a total of 129 chapters. This series stands out particularly because its protagonist offers a highly relatable background compared to the typical Shonen Jump lead. In his 30s, Kafka Hibino works a modest job clearing kaiju remains, far from living the dream life. However, his world changes drastically when a strange incident grants him the power to pursue his dream of eradicating monsters and fighting alongside his childhood friend. Kafka’s inspiring journey is the heart of the series and has captivated countless fans.

With Kaiju No. 8 now complete and no new chapters to anticipate, another manga is about to make its debut in the West that captures the same spirit Kaiju No. 8 embodied through its protagonist. As the release date of its first volume draws near, fans of Kaiju No. 8 are likely to be drawn to this new work. The ideal successor, Rai Rai Rai, features a female protagonist in a situation similar to Kafka’s and promises to captivate readers just as his journey did, offering the same excitement of watching someone grow and encountering the challenges that this new journey offers.

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Shogakukan’s Rai Rai Rai Captures the Same Essence That Kaiju No. 8 Does With Kafka

Rai Rai Rai, published under Shogakukan’s Ura Sunday manga website and MangaONE app since August 2023, is written and illustrated by Yoshiaki. The manga is set to release its first volume in Western regions on August 12, 2025, with preorders available through Viz Media’s website. Fans in select regions can also read the series’ chapters on Viz Media’s portal. What makes Rai Rai Rai worth trying, especially for those who enjoyed Kafka’s journey in Kaiju No. 8, is how its female lead, Sumire Ichigaya, finds herself in a situation strikingly similar to Hibino Kafka’s.

Rai Rai Rai takes place in a world where humanity has recently triumphed in a war against aliens, only to face a new global threat. Now, humans must deal with “space vermin,” essentially alien-born monsters and space pesticides, both remnants of the failed alien invasion. To combat these threats, organizations have been formed, with their monster-fighting soldiers seen as heroes, akin to the Defense Force in Kaiju No. 8. These soldiers wear special suits powered by alien technology, much like the Defense Force uses suits crafted from kaiju remains. Meanwhile, other roles involve cleaning up the hazardous pesticides left behind, which threaten the environment and resources.

Much like Kafka, who starts in the humble role of cleaning kaiju remains after battles, Sumire works as a pesticide cleaner due to her troubled background; she is burdened with debts left by her father’s abandonment. At just 18, she has been working since middle school to pay them off. The story begins with Sumire being abducted by aliens, leading to a strange alien inhabiting her body. However, unlike Kafka’s kaiju, the alien within Sumire brings its own immediate consequences. This sparks a series of humorous developments but ultimately grants her the power to join the fight against space vermin. With its compelling narrative and strong parallels between Kafka and Sumire, Rai Rai Rai feels like an even better successor to Kaiju No. 8 than Tokyo Fears Rhapsody.