Kaiju No. 8: Relax, Vol. 1

Sometimes even the greatest kaiju-fighting heroes need a day off.With the highest kaiju-emergence rates in the world, Japan is no stranger to attack by deadly monsters. But kaiju don’t attack every day! Sometimes, even the best and brightest kaiju-fighting heroes get a chance to relax.Join the top troops of the Third Division of the Japan Defense Force, a military organization tasked with the neutralization of kaiju, on their days off! Kafka Hibino attempts to bare his soul in meditation, only to end up baring something else. Then, an off-duty Captain Mina Ashiro blows off steam at the arcade, Reno Ichikawa confronts his fear of ghosts, a curious cadet sets out to glimpse Vice-Captain Hoshina’s eyes and uncovers a sweet surprise, and Kikoru Shinomiya finally spends time with her friends.

Kizuku Watanabe is a manga artist from Kumamoto Prefecture. He debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2010 with the fairy-tale parody Marchen Prince Grimm. From 2015 to 2019, Watanabe planned and wrote Assassination Classroom: Koro Sensei Quest!, the official spin-off of the best-selling Assassination Classroom. In 2024, he returned with his latest manga, Kaiju No. 8: Relax.Naoya Matsumoto published his first serialized series, Neko Wappa!, in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2009. His next series, Pochi Kuro, began serialization in Shonen Jump+ in 2014. Kaiju No. 8 is his follow-up series.