Kaiju No. 8's current arc won't be its last (& Matsumoto's approach all but confirms it)

In the recent months of mangaka Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 manga series, one of the biggest debates amongst fans has been whether or not the series is approaching its end. While the ongoing The Last Wave Arc certainly suggests this to be the case in name and everything beyond, no official announcement has come confirming this.

However, there are fans who argue otherwise, pointing to the television anime adaptation’s success and other projects the franchise has going on which could further its longevity. Yet perhaps the biggest sign that Kaiju No. 8’s current arc won’t be its last major one is exactly how Matsumoto is structuring its narrative.

---

Kaiju No. 8’s unanswered questions and more suggest the manga has more life left than fans think

One of the biggest signs that Kaiju No. 8’s current arc won’t be its last is how Matsumoto is approaching it. For starters, The Last Wave Arc has been structured as a constant back and forth between Kafka Hibino and co, and the Meireki Era Mega Monster (Meireki for short). Virtually every time one party got an advantage over the other, some major development occurred which made the battle more even once again.

There’s also the fact that plenty of questions are still unanswered and would presumably go unanswered if this was the series’ final arc. This includes the origin of the Kaiju, clarification on what the remaining Numbers Weapons are, the exploration of other Defense Force divisions, how Kafka will return to his human form, and more. If the current arc is indeed the last, it’s virtually impossible for Matsumoto to satisfyingly answer all of these questions.

Even Matsumoto’s publication approach to Kaiju No. 8 in recent months suggests that another arc is still to come. Despite being a bi-weekly series, the manga will have only released four issues from chapter 124’s release on March 27, 2025 to chapter 127’s upcoming release on June 5, 2025. Were Matsumoto planning for this arc to be the last major one in the series, it seems unlikely that he’d be taking such lengthy breaks with the finish line in sight.

Likewise, these breaks were taken without any formal announcement of issues with Matsumoto’s health. Although they could be a result of his involvement with Production I.G’s television anime adaptation and other franchise properties, it seems unlikely given the series is already bi-weekly. Thus, such breaks legitimately suggest the idea that Matsumoto is taking the time to figure out how to extend the series beyond the current arc and fight against Meireki.

Arguably the final major piece of evidence suggesting this current arc won’t be the manga’s last major one is Reno Ichikawa’s role in it. Although many significant characters have shown up to help Kafka against Meireki, the series’ deuteragonist is notably absent. Likewise, chapter 126’s events essentially eliminated the last reasonable role Ichikawa could play in the fight. With this in mind, it seems unlikely that fans have seen all they will of Ichikawa and Numbers Weapon 6.

---

Final thoughts

Kafka and co's current battle against Meireki is unlikely to be the manga's last (Image via Production I.G)

While still speculative, there’s clearly enough evidence to cast serious doubt on the idea that the current arc of Matsumoto’s manga will be its last. Both narratively and practically, there are too many contradictions to the typical approach mangaka take to their final arc’s publication and development.

---

Related links

• Kaiju No. 8 chapter 127 release date and time
• Kaiju No. 8 chapter 126 highlights
• Kaiju No. 8 chapter 125 highlights