Review | Kaiju No. 8: Misson Recon

“Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is an action-packed and riveting recap of season 1 that also a features a fun and light-hearted bonus episode “Hoshina’s Day Off.””

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is a recap of season 1 and features a new original episode “Hoshina’s Day Off.” In Japan, the film was released back in March. The international rollout is handled by Crunchyroll and Sony Picture Entertainment. It releases in America on April 13, 14, 16 and in the UK on April 16.

STORY

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is an action-packed and riveting retelling of season 1 that doesn’t waste anytime. Right from the start, it sets the mood with a heavy kaiju action sequence. But, it also takes some time at the beginning to introduce the characters and the story. After that, it’s almost non-stop action. It’s pure adrenaline. Clocking in at 119 minutes, it’s a comprehensive recap but it doesn’t feel that long at all.

It’s a good preparation for season 2 that allows you to revisit the story in a minimum time and with the focus put on the action. This film is as much for people who want to catch up on the series before season as the fans of the series and the manga who just want to discover the story again. For fans of the series, this film has a nice surprise for them – an original episode.

“Hoshina’s Day Off” is not part of the main story, it’s actually in the mid-credits. So it does feel weird to have the credits being cut for the time of an episode. This should have been included in the recap. It would have actually lightened up the mood before the final fight. Plus, it would have given the characters some time to breathe. While here, the recap ends and then the story goes back in time for this episode. It just feels off. And that’s a shame because this little side story is so much fun and light-hearted. It allows the audience to see the characters in a different light. Indeed, this episode has a strong slice of life vibe. It’s something quite refreshing in the middle of this life-threatening world.

VISUALS & SOUNDTRACK

Visually, it’s as good as the series since it’s a recap. Production I.G. knows how to impress with their graphic action scenes. It’s gory and intense. Moreover, the ending theme song for “Hoshina’s Day Off” reunites OneRepublic with Kaiju No. 8. The band is back with a new song – “Invincible.” It’s still kind of strange to have a Western band singing a theme song for an anime. But it’s OneRepublic so you just love it! This new song is a catchy one with a similar vibe to “Nobody” that was made for the first season.

VERDICT

Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is an action-packed and riveting recap of season 1 that also a features a fun and light-hearted bonus episode “Hoshina’s Day Off.”

Global Theatrical release dates for the film are as follows:

North American release dates are: April 13, 14, 16

April 10 – Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Central America, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Rep, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela, Denmark, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, United ArabEmirates, 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