It has been revealed that the total number of copies of the popular manga "Kaiju No. 8" by Naoya Matsumoto which is currently being serialized on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump + (Plus)", including the digital version, has exceeded 14 million in Japan. As of March 2023, the total number of copies published was about 10 million, and due to repeated reprints, the number has increased by about 4 million in about a year and three months. The TV anime adaptation of the work, which started in April, is also attracting attention, and its popularity is said to be accelerating.
To celebrate the milestone of selling over 14 million copies, the cover of the latest 13th volume of the manga, which will be released on July 4th, has been revealed. It depicts Izumo Haruichi holding a bow-like weapon.
"Kaiju No. 8" began serialization in "Shonen Jump +" in July 2020. Set in Japan, a monster superpower where monsters mercilessly invade everyday life, the story follows the adventures of the protagonist, Kafka Hibino whose body has been transformed into a monster by a mysterious creature. It also attracted attention when it was selected as the grand prize winner in the web manga category of the "Next Manga Awards 2021" in 2021.
In August 2021, it surpassed 150 million views, the fastest in the history of "Shonen Jump+," and boasts a total of more than 600 million views. The second volume of the comic, released in March 2021, surpassed 1 million copies in total circulation, the fastest in the app's history. It continues to gain popularity, with each episode currently receiving more than 2 million views.
The first exhibition, "Kaiju No. 8 Exhibition," will be held at Gallery AaMo in Tokyo Dome City (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo) from September 13 to November 10. The TV anime is currently being broadcast on TV Tokyo and other networks every Saturday at 11:00 pm.