Crunchyroll has announced that Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon, a recap of the first season of the Shonen JUMP+ anime, is coming to cinemas in the UK and Ireland on Wednesday, 16th April. Viewers can watch it in the original Japanese with English subtitles or with an English language dub.

Based on the original manga by Naoya Matsumoto, the anime series debuted in April 2024. It is set in a world under siege by giant kaiju and follows Kafka Hibino’s journey as he chases his dream of joining the anti-Kaiju Defense Force. The recap film premiered in Japanese cinemas in March 2025, along with the original episode “Hoshina’s Day Off,” included in this release as well.

Official Film Synopsis:

In a Japan teeming with kaiju, Kafka Hibino is employed in monster disposal. Upon reuniting with his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, a promising figure in the anti-Kaiju Defense Force, Kafka decides to revive his old aspiration of joining the Force. Yet, he undergoes a startling transformation into the formidable “Kaiju No. 8.” Assisted by his junior colleague, Reno Ichikawa, Kafka conceals his true identity while striving toward his lifelong ambition of passing the Defense Force exam and standing by Mina’s side. However, when a mysterious and intelligent kaiju launches an assault on a Defense Force facility, Kafka finds himself at a critical juncture, facing a tough decision in a dire situation.

The omnibus film Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon features an action-packed recap of season one and a new original episode, “Hoshina’s Day Off”.

“Hoshina’s Day Off”: A day off… a rare day of peace for the Defense Force. After spending so long training, Reno has forgotten what he’s supposed to do with free time. He sees that Hoshina is up to something with his own day off and decides to go on a mission to tail him with Iharu! But then things go in an unexpected direction…

Kaiju No. 8 is adapted from the original manga created by Naoya Matsumoto. It is animated by Production I.G (GHOST IN THE SHELL), with kaiju artwork and design supervision by Studio Khara (Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition, Shin Godzilla Pre Visualization Development).

CREDITS:

Original Manga: Naoya Matsumoto (Serialized in “MANGA Plus by SHUEISHA”).

Director: Shigeyuki Miya & Tomomi Kamiya.

Series Composition & Screenplay (Season 1): Ichiro Okouchi. “Hoshina’s Day Off”

Original Story: Yuto Tsukuda. “Hoshina’s Day Off”

Screenplay: Yuichiro Kido.

Character Designer & Chief Animation Director: Tetsuya Nishio.

Kaiju Supervision (Design & Artworks): Studio khara.

Animation Studio: Production I.G

Source: Crunchyroll Press Release