Review of Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon was announced last year with a well-known format featuring (unfortunately) a recap of the TV anime and some new content. In this case the new content was the Hoshina's Day Off special and in addition to it, the movie also featured a new ending theme song "Invincible" by One Republic. The movie is coming worldwide this month and we had a chance to see it before it hit the cinemas. Here are some main points to help you determine whether Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is worth watching.

The Curse of Recaps

Recaps of TV anime are nothing new and they have been around for over two decades now. Some are better than the others and some play with formats in a way that doesn't even try to condense the full (usually 12-episode) season but highlights the most exciting bits. Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon does a bit of both, but I regret to have to say that it kind of missed the mark with the 1 hour and 30 minute recap.

Here is the thing: Kaiju No. 8 TV anime had a really good pacing. The adaptation had its issues and some viewers (myself included) were less than impressed with its art direction, but overall it was pretty solid and it told the first part of the story in a meaningful way that was filled with symbolism, good world-building, and action. Its strongest suit was the fact that it took its time to tell Kafka's story: we could see his growth from the first episode and because it took time to happen it gave weight to his character development. Through his eyes we also got to meet other characters who all contributed in their own way.

The Mission Recon doesn't have this, even though it was an integral part of what made the Kaiju No. 8 anime interesting. Sure, it does tell the story from the beginning but to fit into this runtime a lot of important scenes had to be cut out. I usually wouldn't think that they would matter this much, but when I saw the scene in which Kafka worries about getting left behind by his peers, I realized just how much they added in terms of his internal struggles that actually made him an interesting character.

And it's not just Kafka: Kikoru somehow both takes up a lot of space as a prominent character in the recap movie but is also not shown enough. We see how capable she is, but for example, we don't see why she develops feelings for Kafka. Hoshina is similar; he was already playing the part of the resident mysterious and quirky character but in this Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon he comes across as a little big unhinged at times. Furthermore, the movie doesn't take time to introduce side-characters who are the part of the Third Division but we get random lore drops about them without even learning their names.

The animation remains unchanged from the TV anime, with Production I.G on animation and khara on kaiju designs. In short, there is absolutely nothing new to look forward to in the first part of the Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon. If you are going in as a new fan, do yourself a favor and watch the TV anime first because if you don't, you will not know what is going on and you will be missing the conclusion of the first season. While the recap is a nice way of refreshing your memory, you absolutely need to watch the version that covers the Kaiju No. 9's arc or you'll be kind of lost in July when the second season premieres.

Hoshina's Day Off - Review

All that said, the Hoshina's Day Off special could potentially be watched without having seen the first season of the anime and by relying only on the recap. You will still be a little lost because many side characters do appear in it and I'm not sure you'd enjoy a story focused solely on Hoshina if you only relied on what the movie showed you so I once again, I suggest you watch the first season of the anime (streaming on Crunchyroll) before you head off to the cinema.

Hoshina's Day Off, on its own, is a very fun addition to the main story. I'm well aware that Hoshina is one of the most popular Kaiju No. 8 characters (and I do get the appeal, he has the Levi vibe) but and this special does focus on him, but also Reno, Kikoru, and other recruits from the Third Division. It explores their non-work personalities and gives us a bit of an insight into what they are like when not fighting monsters in a strict military environment. A big chunk of the story is also dedicated to highlighting just how important their work is, which again, is in stark contrast with what you see in the first half of the screening. It's a typical fun slice-of-life filler episode but it's very much in tone with the main series and it will be enjoyable to watch.

Food Wars' mangaka, Yuto Tsukuda. wrote the original story for Hoshina's Day Off. Yuichiro Kido, who will be working on the second season, did the script. Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya are credited as directors for the Mission Recon movie.

It's somewhat unfortunate that about 75% of the Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is a subpar, incomplete recap, but the Hoshina's Day Off special makes up for it. This is not a movie I'd recommend as a starting point for people who are only now looking to get into the franchise since it fails stand on its own as a separate entry. It's better to spend a bit more time to watch the TV anime and then, if you really want to support the series, go see this movie in the cinemas.

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon will screen in North America on April, 13-14 and 16 (in both subbed and English-dubbed versions). Global release dates include:

• April 10 - Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Dominican  Rep, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Denmark, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, United Arab Emirates, Australia, New Zealand, Kazakhstan
• April 11: Finland, Sweden, Norway, Poland, India
• April 14: Italy 
• April 16: United Kingdom
• April 17: France
• April 29: Germany and Austria 
• May 9: Spain 

Anime Atelier received an advance screener of the Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon movie.
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