There are many coming-of-age stories that can take place in the transitory phase of maturity but a subgenre of the same is where Kaiju No. 8 lies. The subgenre is referred to as delayed coming of age. The themes of maturity, finding yourself in the world, and other such factors remain, except that the age of the protagonist is much past their 20s. One of the biggest examples of the same can be Julia Roberts’ Eat, Pray, Love.
Kaiju No. 8 stands as another such story. In the world of shonen manga, to establish oneself in such a magnitude is a big feat on its own. Naoya Matsumoto managed to do so with common tropes and a unique vision.
While it can be debated upon about what exact genre it fits in, one thing is very clear; both the editor and the writer disagree with it being science fiction.
Kaiju No. 8 is the World’s Reflection
In an interview with Manga Plus by Shueisha, Kaiju No. 8’s editor, Seijiro Nakaji got candid about where exactly he sees the manga in terms of genres. While shonen genres revolve around fantasy, fiction, science fiction, and magic, Naoya Matsumoto’s work lies nowhere in between. In fact, it is tied directly to reality.
“Kaiju No. 8 isn’t science fiction, but rather, it portrays a world that is an extension of the everyday world we currently live in. The only difference from reality is that instead of natural disasters, monsters appear. It’s not a futuristic, fictional world but rather one that closely resembles present-day Japan. To emphasize this, Japanese motifs like shopping districts and swords are deliberately incorporated.”
He explained that in order to grasp realism, Japan was its biggest inspiration. A fictional world would be a utopia, one without the struggles of the real world. However, the world in Kaiju No. 8 is far from it. It is filled with aspects of one’s everyday life and those that can make it even more relatable.
However, all this came to be because of Matsumoto’s one rule.
Storytellers are also Liars
Seijiro Nakaji revealed in his interview with Manga Plus by Shueisha that Naoya Matsumoto has one rule he strictly follows. It is also a rule many other writers go by. The ability and power to lie to your audience. Fiction is a world of lies. Magic is a vast creation of lies. Most stories are based on lies. Kaiju No. 8 takes that and puts only one lie in the story, the existence of monsters.
“Matsumoto has a rule that ‘there is only one lie per story.’ In the case of Kaiju No. 8, the existence of monsters is the big lie. While settings related to this lie, such as the Defense Force and monster cleanup crew are introduced, additional elements like “humans can use magic” are intentionally avoided. This makes it more relatable and acceptable for readers.”
The author limits himself to one lie per story. His lie simply being the replacement of natural disasters with actual monsters. He used everything that made the world what it is today and turned it into the beautiful tale of Kaiju No. 8.
Kaiju No. 8 will be available to watch on X and Crunchyroll from 13th April 2024.
