For all you Kaiju No. 8 manga fans out there, the story is set to end with Chapter 129 on June 19, 2025. The rising star of Shonen manga has enjoyed a run of 127 chapters so far, and while its latest arc has exhausted the fans with its drawn-out battles, fans will undoubtedly miss their beloved story and characters. The abrupt ending of Kaiju No. 8 has caused a few bells to ring in our minds. Several fans are experiencing this sensation as well. Why does Kaiju No. 8’s rushed ending remind us of Gege Akutami’s Jujutsu Kaisen?
Kaiju No. 8 fans who’ve noticed this are voicing frustration on platforms like X, echoing Jujutsu Kaisen fans’ disappointment over rushed endings. As Kaiju No. 8’s Last Wave Arc mirrors Jujutsu Kaisen’s showdown with its crammed reveals, twists, and transformations, the question looms: why can’t these stories slow down to deliver satisfying epilogues?
The parallels between Kaiju and Kaisen: Epic battles with ancient evils
Both Kaiju No. 8 and Jujutsu Kaisen have built their climaxes around prolonged (exhaustingly prolonged) battles against ancient beings that couldn’t be stopped by the previous generation. While Sukuna was a being from the Heian Era, Meireki is a being that existed 400 years before Kaiju No. 8’s main story. Everything from the nature of their antagonists to the course of the battles seems to be the same in both stories.
Jujutsu Kaisen saw Gege throwing everything he had into the story to help the Jujutsu Sorcerers defeat Sukuna (bro was legit throwing a new character into the mix with every chapter). The battle was pure chaos with every character using every technique they had learnt to defeat the King of Curse. While it started off as a great battle between Gojo and Sukuna, it soon devolved into a mess. The same seems to be happening with Kaiju No. 8’s Last Wave Arc.
The Last Wave Arc pits Kafka against the fusion of Kaiju No. 9 and Meireki Mega Monster. The Mega Monster is a kaiju that appeared 400 years before the main timeline, and guess what? Just like Sukuna, the warriors back then failed to destroy it. Are you noticing a pattern here? Both villains were dormant for centuries, resurfaced in modern times while wielding overwhelming power, and forced heroes to throw everything they could muster.
The similarities don’t end there. Both manga pushed their characters to their limits. Characters like Ichikawa and Shinomiya in Kaiju No. 8 gain off-panel power-ups, much like Yuta and Maki in Jujutsu Kaisen. Ichikawa can suddenly command the power of his Kaiju suit to perfection, while Shinomiya is revealed to be compatible with multiple Kaiju weapons. Why was this not shared with us earlier?
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This approach of handing out power-ups off-screen and cramming revelations during the final arc has been criticized by fans on X. Fans have criticized this approach, and have stated that the drawn-out string of battles is starting to get exhausting, and that watching the characters suddenly get powered up off-page was disappointing.
All these factors have disappointed fans. The story, while starting off with a strong narrative, devolved into a basic battle Shonen during its last arc. Kaiju No. 8, much like Jujutsu Kaisen, is focusing too much on killing the antagonist, while it could be doing so much more. This, however, isn’t possible, because let’s be honest, 2 damn chapters ain’t gonna be enough to answer all the questions, explore all the lore, and end the fight.
Kaiju No. 8’s rushed finale mirrors Jujutsu Kaisen
The reveal that Kaiju No. 8 will end in two chapters has sparked fears of a rushed conclusion in the fandom (as it should). Several fans are already predicting that the manga’s ending will be disappointing, akin to Jujutsu Kaisen’s. The latter’s final arc spanned over 30 chapters and culminated in a whirlwind of battles but offered minimal aftermath. Fans were left with several unresolved questions about the jujutsu world.
We cannot believe that we are saying this, but Kaiju No. 8 fans might need to brace themselves for a similar fate. The Last Wave Arc, which started around chapter 111, has been crammed with a relentless barrage of battles, unexplained revelations, several Kaiju weapons, and new powers. Fans expected the arc to end with Kaiju No. 9’s death, and for the story to have a slow ending that would go into the aftermath of the events. The looming deadline, however, suggests otherwise.
This, honestly, is such a damn shame. The series has such a rich world that is ripe for post-battle exploration. Kaiju No. 8 fans want to see what happens once Kafka defeats No. 9. They want to see how he stands beside Mina, not as a human, but as a Kaiju. Rather than ending the story in 2 rushed chapters, the story could extend its chapter count and use its final chapters to show the characters’ new normal. These are characters we’ve spent a lot of time with, and wish to see how they deal with the post-battle events.
As Kaiju No. 8 hurtles toward its end, fans of the series are expressing their frustration. They want something more than a rushed finale, but with only two chapters left, Naoya Matsumoto might not be able to wrap up his story without repeating Jujutsu Kaisen’s mistakes. This seems to be becoming a recurring fashion in Shonen. As the genre evolves, we can only hope for series that deliver endings that balance action with satisfying resolutions.
Jujutsu Kaisen and Kaiju No. 8 are currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
