An event to commemorate the fact that the first-ever exhibition of "Kaiju No. 8 Exhibition," a popular manga by Matsumoto Naoya that runs on Shueisha's manga app "Shonen Jump+," had surpassed 20,000 visitors, was held on October 17th at the venue, Tokyo Dome City Gallery AaMo (Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo). Miyashita Kenshitaka and Kusanagi Kouki of comedy duo "Miyashita Kusanagi" appeared as presenters and presented the 20,000th visitor with an official pamphlet for "Kaiju No. 8 Exhibition."
Miyashita Kusanagi, who is an avid reader of "Kaiju No. 8," appeared dressed in the protective gear of Monster Sweeper, the company that specializes in cleaning up monsters, where the main character Hibino Kafka worked. Regarding the appeal of the "Kaiju No. 8 Exhibition," Kusanagi said, "Just looking at the 'Climax Battle Area' where digests of famous scenes and battles are on display, you can remember the excitement you felt when you read the work," and Kusanagi appealed, "The life-size photo spot of the characters is also a highlight."
When asked about being selected as a presenter for the event, Miyashita said, "It's a real honor. I loved reading this manga, so I'm happy to have been invited," while Kusanagi commented, "I was worried whether we would be able to do it." When asked, in comparison to the monster cleaning company, "Have you ever had a difficult job in the past?" Kusanagi revealed, "The most mentally toughest was my part-time job stocking shelves at a supermarket. I was bullied by my colleagues... I thought I couldn't do it on the first day. There was no senior to protect me like Hibino Kafka," which drew laughter. When asked how they would fight the monsters, Kusanagi replied, "I'll fake being sick," while Miyashita said, "I'll use Kusanagi as a decoy, and when the monster chases Kusanagi while he's running away, I'll hit him on the back."
The exhibition will feature about 120 framed illustrations of famous scenes from "Kaiju No. 8," as well as "One Hundred Monster Scenes," which depicts everyday scenes where monsters exist, and life-size equipment and weapons of defense force members. Visitors can enjoy the world of the work by becoming defense force candidates and touring the base. The exhibition will run until November 10th at Tokyo Dome City Gallery AaMo.
"Kaiju No. 8" is a battle manga that has been serialized in "Shonen Jump +" since July 2020. Set in Japan, a monster superpower where monsters mercilessly invade everyday life, the story follows the exploits of the protagonist, Hibino Kafka, whose body has been transformed into a monster by a mysterious creature. The comic has sold over 15 million copies in total. The TV anime aired on TV Tokyo and other networks from April to June. There is also talk that the second season of the TV anime will air in 2025.
