Summary
Warning: The following contains spoilers for Kaiju No. 8 Episode 3, “Revenge Match”, now streaming onCrunchyroll.
Kaiju No. 8is a science fiction anime, but it is set in a world that we can recognize and understand. The anime takes place in modern Tokyo, but with a special twist - there are kaiju attacks happening regularly! To fight back against this constant threat, the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force was created, and these elite soldiers neutralize the kaiju and protect the civilian population of Japan. While many of the things in the world ofKaiju No. 8are easy to recognize and understand, there are a few special bits of lore that a deeper understanding of can lead to a greater enjoyment of the anime.
For example, this past week inEpisode 3 “Revenge Match,“we finally got a good look at the special suits that the Defense Force wears. Previously, the suit could be seen on members like Mina Ashiro, leading character Kafka Hibino’s childhood friend, but it looked like nothing more than a uniform. However, that changed this week when Kafka and the other latest potential recruits for the Defense Force underwent their training. This “uniform” was instead introduced as a “combat suit,” and there were some references in the anime to its combat power and kaiju cells. So what exactly are the combat suits inKaiju No. 8?
First Manga Appearance
Chapter 1
While they have only been touched on so far in the anime, there is a lot more information about the combat suits available in theKaiju No. 8manga. They are far more than just a uniform that members of the Defense Force wear when they fight kaiju, and they actually are able to bolster their power and help them survive the encounters. This ability comes from what the suit is actually made from. According to Chapter 20 of the manga, the combat suits are more bioweapons than uniforms, and they areconstructed from kaiju cells and muscle fibers.
In “Revenge Match,” some of the would-be members of the Defense Force make comments on how the combat suit feels when they first put it on. The suits adjust themselves to fit their bodies almost like a second skin, and the kaiju cells and muscle fibers integrate with their own to create their special relationship. By doing so, the combat suit is able toaugment a user’s statsand make them even more powerful. Some of the stats that can be improved by a combat suit are speed, strength, precision, and reflexes.
Unleashed Combat Power
A big part of the plot in “Revenge Match” this past week revolved around “Unleashed Combat Power,” which was being measured on all recruits after they put on the combat suits. Again, according to Chapter 20 of theKaiju No. 8manga, Unleashed Combat Power is the user’s ability to augment with the combat suit, and thus have their own stats boosted. WhenVice Commander Soushirou Hoshinais checking the Unleashed Combat Power of everyone for the first time, he comments that anyone who can get around 10% is good enough for their first time putting on the suit.
Hoshina also makes a comment that no one has ever gotten a 0% of Unleashed Combat Power before, and then has to eat his words moments later when Kafka gets exactly that. As the episode continues, it becomes clear that Unleashed Combat Power does have a direct effect on the person wearing the combat suit, because Kafka struggles to keep up with the other recruits and fight against the kaiju they are pitted against. He complains that the massive weapons they are carrying are heavy because his combat suit does not help him at all, thus handicapping him compared to the others.
This shows that the higher the percentage of UnleashedCombat Powera Defence Force member achieves, the more powerful they will be on the battlefield. Hikoru Shinomiya proves that quite well, taking one of the highest Unleashed Combat Power scores Hoshina has ever seen in a new recruit, and neutralizing kaiju after kaiju before the other recruits have a chance to even try. The combat suit’s compatibility has a direct correlation with success on the battlefield, with the stats boosts giving Defense Force members what they need to succeed.
At least by the end of Episode 3, Kafka is able to raise his Unleashed Combat Power to .001%, which is higher than 0% at least. Of course, Kafka has other advantages that he can use on the battlefield - such as turning into a powerful kaiju himself, for instance - but for normal humans, the combat suit is what makes the difference between a successful mission, and potential death.Kaiju are powerful monsters, as Kafka proves in his kaiju form, and it took harnessing some of their power for humans to stand any kind of chance against them. Luckily, the Japan Anti-Kaiju Defense Force was able to do exactly that with combat suits!
WatchKaiju No. 8now onCrunchyroll.
Kaiju No. 8
Production I.G’s Kaiju No. 8 is a Spring 2024 anime based on Naoya Matsumoto’s Shonen Jump+ manga. Set in an alternate version of Japan, the story follows the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force as they attempt to protect the nation from monster attacks.
