Kaiju No. 8: B-Side, Vol. 1

Gr 9 Up–From the beginning of his training at a young age, Soshiro Hoshino was told to abandon developing his sword techniques as the world was entering the age of ballistic weaponry, but swordplay was all Hoshino knew and loved. He was convinced he would still be able to take down powerful kaiju provided he trained enough. As an adult, Hoshino catches the attention of Captain Ashiro of the Third Division, who eventually offers Hoshino a home as the Vice Captain of her squad. As this side story follows the backstory of Hoshino, a popular supporting character from the hit series “Kaiju No. 8,” familiarity with the main storyline is fairly essential. This volume does not provide exposition nor character introductions and assumes readers have the significant context necessary to follow along with Hoshino’s time jumps and trips down memory lane. Those with the requisite knowledge will find this exploration charming and enlightening. The humor and lightness from the beginning of the main series is present in this volume, providing a reminder of the initial tone and characterization of the series.