10 Books/Manga Like Kaiju No. 8
Kaiju No. 8 is a sci-fi horror manga written and illustrated by Naoya Matsumoto. This manga contains action-packed kaiju fights, well-written characters, and a fun storyline. It’s currently being serialized in Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+ application and website since July 2020. With its astonishing art quality and gritty premise, the volumes circulated over 11 million copies. With an anime set to air in 2024, kaiju and anime fans alike can’t wait to see what Production I.G. has in store for everyone.
If you’re in the mood for more action-packed fantasy or sci-fi books/manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Kaiju No. 8. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
One Punch Man – ONE
Similarities – Superpowers, Monsters, Action
One Punch Man is an intriguing manga series written by One and illustrated by Yusuke Murata. It’s about Saitama, a hero who can defeat anybody in his way with one punch. Despite his feats, Saitama grows bored of hero work as he doesn’t receive the recognition he deserves. One day, a cyborg hero named Genos arrives and informs Saitama about The Hero Association.
Therefore, Saitama travels with Genos to the Hero Association to sign-up. By doing so, Saitama hopes he’ll restore his passion for fighting and gain the respect he deserves. Kaiju No. 8 and One Punch Man follow protagonists who achieve great powers and use them for the good of humanity. These characters will fight numerous monstrosities that look otherworldly and frightening.
Both manga harbor incredibly-drawn characters and settings. You’ll be bewildered by the level of polish Murata puts into each of One Punch Man’s fights. On the other hand, One Punch Man delivers some incredible deadpan humor and jokes to keep you hooked. If you’re searching for another compelling action manga with a dose of hilarity, give this a shot.
Black Clover – Yuuki Tabata
Similarities – Action, Protagonists, Fantasy
Black Clover felt like a spiritual successor to Naruto and Bleach. It evokes strong themes of friendship, heroism, and goodwill. In this story, we follow a muscular boy named Asta. Despite having a great physique, Asta’s ridiculed for lacking magic prowess. After saving a friend from a villain, Asta awakens his dormant abilities.
This encourages him to embark on a quest to become his world’s, Wizard King. Black Clover and Kaiju No. 8 represent the modern era of the Shonen Jump while retaining aspects fans loved from classic titles. Kafka and Asta share bombastic personalities and wield powers that will help them triumph over several obstacles.
Both stories offer dark and emotional plotlines. Black Clover focuses more on magic and takes place in a medieval setting, though. Nonetheless, if you’re into action-packed shonen works with entertaining rivalries and glorious artwork, Black Clover should satisfy you.
Attack On Titan – Hajime Isayama
Similarities – Horror, Action, Monsters
Attack On Titan is a series known for its riveting action, well-rounded cast, and nightmarish creatures. It takes place in a world where mankind lives inside large walls that protect them from nature. They don’t want the Titans (giant humanoid beasts) to get in and wreak havoc on their residents. Unfortunately, the Colossal Titan arrives at one of the towns and opens a pathway for his fellow Titans.
This is the home of our protagonist Eren Jaeger and his friends. Only Eren, his friends, and others survived. Vowing to slay every Titan in his world, Eren joins the Survey Corps to get stronger. Attack On Titan and Kaiju No. 8 involve humans defending themselves against large mythical beasts. The protagonists obtain powers that will give them the upper hand in completing their tasks.
Attack On Titan’s artwork is immaculate. It’s on par with what you’d find in Matsumoto’s work. On that note, Attack On Titan contains satisfying twists and introduces complex lore that will riddle your minds with many questions. For those who adored Kaiju No. 8 and want something similar, check out Attack On Titan.
Chainsaw Man – Tatsuki Fujimoto
Similarities – Gore, World, Themes
Chainsaw Man is a manga series that achieved mainstream popularity. It follows the daily outings of Denji and his Chainsaw Devil sidekick Pochita. Denji works multiple jobs to raise money to pay off his deceased father’s debt. One day, Denji and Pochita arrive at an abandoned warehouse to defeat a strange devil for a Yakuza boss. However, they end up getting double-crossed and killed.
Fortunately, Pochita gives his life and powers to Denji. This allows Denji to become the half-man and devil hybrid Chainsaw Man to wipe the floor with the Yakuza and the devil they worked with. Afterward, a woman named Makima and several others arrive at the scene and offer Denji a significant opportunity at Public Safety. Denji accepts her offer and we follow his new life slaying devils.
Kaiju No. 8 and Chainsaw Man are action-packed manga series with gruesome violence and astonishing monster designs. Fans will find Chainsaw Man’s devils appealing from a design and personality perspective. Despite having immense power, Denji will struggle to fight these foes alone, so he’ll rely on his allies to assist him. Chainsaw Man can feel overly raunchy and suggestive compared to Kaiju No. 8. If you can overlook its sexual content, you’re in for a blast with this one.
Jujutsu Kaisen – Gege Akutami
Similarities – Action
Jujutsu Kaisen is a new-age shonen like several others on this list. It can be just as dark and comedic as you’d expect from a Shonen Jump work. It tackles themes like friendship, courage, and perseverance. This manga can feel overly complex with its battle system, though. Many readers might be put off by its early complexities. However, its characters and action make it a thrill to read.
It takes place in a world familiar to our own. Yet, this world isn’t all that it seems. In the shadows lies supernatural entities caused by Curses and powerful humans called Jujutsu Sorcerers. We follow an ordinary teenager named Yuuji who gets roped into their conflict after digesting the legendary Curse, Sukuna Ryoumen’s dried-up finger.
After bonding with Sukuna, Yuuji places a target on his back. Fortunately, the skilled Jujutsu Sorcerer Satoru Gojou offers Yuuji a chance to make things right. To continue living, Yuuji joins Jujutsu High and vows to become a skilled Jujutsu Sorcerer. As one can tell, Jujutsu Kaisen has a similar story structure to Kaiju No. 8. Both characters achieve supernatural powers and learn to master them. Nonetheless, if you’re searching for a manga with deep combat principles, Jujutsu Kaisen’s worth your time.
Bleach – Tite Kubo
Similarities – Action
Bleach is an iconic and popular Shonen Jump manga. It has a dark atmosphere, a memorable cast, and incredible sword battles that will get your adrenaline pumping. It revolves around a teenager named Ichigo. He’s attacked by a devious Hollow at home, but a Soul Reaper named Rukia arrives to save him. Unfortunately, the Hollow puts Rukia in her place.
Rukia bestows Ichigo with Soul Reaper powers, and he gets the job done in her place. Now thrust into the world of Hollows and Soul Reapers, Ichigo must do whatever it takes to prevent evildoers from threatening his world. Where Kaiju No. 8 excels at prolific monster vs monster combat, Bleach offers a variety of foes for Ichigo to fight.
He won’t only be fighting Hollows, he’ll be duking it out with fellow Soul Reapers too. Ichigo won’t be fighting enemies alone, though. He’ll be joined by others, some being his close friends from the human world. They all have remarkable personalities and receive enough screen time to earn fans’ support toward them. With its gritty art style, dark world, and well-developed cast, Bleach is a great manga to read after you’ve caught up with Kaiju No. 8.
Solo Leveling – Chugong
Similarities – Plot, Action, Mesmerizing Artwork
Unlike the previous entries, Solo Leveling isn’t a manga. It’s a Korean comic (Webtoon) with a significant following. Many people enjoy this work for its gripping plot, incredible artwork, and epic fights. It takes place amidst a connection between the human world and a magical realm. This entices mythical beasts traversing the former while humans gain supernatural abilities thanks to the latter.
Enter Sung Jin-Woo, known for being the weakest hunter in his universe. He spends his life tracking down weak monsters to slay, which isn’t fun in his eyes. His life takes a dramatic turn when he finds a floating Quest Log. It asks him to complete a training regime and Sung Jin-Woo accepts because he feels it’ll make him stronger. Therefore, we follow his adventure to become a formidable hunter.
Both stories harbor protagonists who come from low ranks but receive dramatic transformative powers that make them feel useful and formidable. Kafka can transform into a kaiju to fight other monsters while Sung Jin-Woo gains formidable powers after clearing a dangerous dungeon quest. However, where Kaiju No. 8 has more lighthearted moments Solo Leveling features a grander scope with its battles and world design. If you adored Kaiju No. 8’s action and storytelling, you’ll get a kick out of Solo Leveling.
Gantz – Hiroya Oku
Similarities – Sci-fi, Horror, Action
Gantz is a manga with intense violence and psychological themes. It follows Kei, a boy who wakes up and learns he’s part of a death game. This game will have him competing with numerous monsters that will test his endurance, thinking patterns, and desire to live. As he continues completing missions for its host, Kei becomes more entranced by the thought of killing.
Gantz is a brutal work that lacks lighthearted themes. Hiroya Oku highlights his characters’ psyche and depicts them struggling to maintain their decent human qualities. The monsters Kei fights in Gantz look as nightmarish and grotesque as the beasts Kafka fights in Kaiju No. 8. Kei and other cast members receive excellent character development over time, too. If you’re after a manga that offers mature storytelling, themes, and imagery, this one’s worth checking out.
Hunter X Hunter – Yoshihiro Togashi
Similarities – Action, Fantasy, Shonen
Hunter X Hunter offers a gripping plot full of well-rounded characters and epic fights. It offers a complex power system like other Shonen Jump works that many fans will enjoy. In it, we examine the journey of a young male named Gon Freecss. He lived a prosperous life with his aunt on Whale Island. However, sets out on a quest to become a skilled hunter like his father, Ging Freecss.
During Gon’s journey, he’ll battle multiple enemies, each varying in appearance, personality, and skill. Every battle exhibits a unique take on martial arts and strategy. This is due to each character harboring a different fighting style and power. Like Kafka, Gon will develop his skills through fighting and will undergo a unique transformation of his own in one of Hunter X Hunter’s defining arcs.
Hunter X Hunter offers emotional and lighthearted segments like Kaiju No. 8. These story beats will give viewers breathing room from the manga’s exposition and dialogue-centric moments. Prepare to read large excerpts of dialogue at a given point in the narrative, too. If you’re okay with that inevitable experience, give Hunter X Hunter a chance because you won’t regret it.
Space Brothers – Uchu Kyoda
Similarities – Sci-fi & Characters
Space Brothers is an incredible slice-of-life story revolving around two ambitious brothers. The brothers hope to become phenomenal astronauts who’ll explore space and take in its alluring scenery. Despite having different goals, Kafka and these brothers carry strong determination and resolve. Both stories feature entertaining side characters who have unique personalities and goals.
Both mangas differ in their art styles, though. Where Kaiju No. 8 features bold and action-packed sequences that match the frenetic energy of Kafka’s defense force’s battles. Its landscapes are highly-detailed and the character has stylish designs that harken back to classic Kaiju films of the 80s and 90s. Space Brothers leans into a traditional manga-styled approach with its designs.
Survival and teamwork are themes tackled in Kaiju No. 8. As for Space Brothers, it explores what life is like for astronauts. You can expect our characters to participate in training regimes and undergo selection processes. If you enjoyed Kaiju No. 8 for its determined protagonist and sci-fi themes, you’ll love Space Brothers.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Kaiju No. 8.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!