Kaiju No. 8 Watch Order
Season 1, Hoshina's Day Off, season 2 and the Narumi shorts: episode counts and dates, what Mission Recon and the mini-anime are, and what is known about the Final Chapter.
Watch season 1, then the side story "Hoshina's Day Off," then season 2, then the four-episode short "Narumi's Week at Work." Only the two seasons are required. The compilation film Mission Recon retells season 1, the mini-anime ミニっと！かいじゅう８号 (ANN lists it as minute! kaiju no. 8) is an optional comedy extra, and a "Final Chapter" has been announced with no date or format.
Everything, in order
| Order | Entry | Length | Released |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kaiju No. 8 (season 1) | 12 episodes | April 13 to June 29, 2024 |
| Optional | ミニっと！かいじゅう８号 (mini-anime) | Short weekly episodes | Streaming from December 6, 2024 |
| Optional | Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon | Compilation film of season 1 | Japan March 28, 2025; United States and Canada April 2025 |
| 2 | "Hoshina's Day Off" | One original episode | With Mission Recon in Japanese theaters from March 28, 2025; on TV July 5, 2025 |
| 3 | Kaiju No. 8 (season 2) | 11 episodes (13 to 23) | July 19 to September 27, 2025 |
| 4 | "Narumi's Week at Work" | 4 short episodes | September 5 to 26, 2026 |
| 5 | Final Chapter | Not announced | Production announced December 20, 2025; no date as of October 14, 2026 |
Season 1
Production I.G's adaptation premiered on TV Tokyo on April 13, 2024, and ANN's episode list runs to episode 12, "Kafka Hibino," dated June 29. It streamed on X worldwide as it aired, and on Crunchyroll with subtitles and an English dub. The 12th and final episode closed by announcing a sequel.
Mission Recon and "Hoshina's Day Off"
These arrived together. The official site announced that the compilation of the first season and a new original episode, "Hoshina's Day Off," would screen together in 32 Japanese theaters for three weeks from March 28, 2025. ANN's encyclopedia files Mission Recon as a "compilation of" season 1. If you have watched the season, it is a recap; if you have not, watch the 12 episodes instead.
Separately, the official site announced on December 6, 2024, that the mini-anime ミニっと！かいじゅう８号 had begun streaming weekly: new episodes showing the Defense Force members' laid-back daily life, which the main story does not depict. It is an extra, not part of the story.
"Hoshina's Day Off" is the new part. Its original story is credited to Yuto Tsukuda, the creator of Food Wars!, and it follows Reno as he senses something unusual about Hoshina, who is also on his day off. It aired on Japanese television on July 5, 2025, two weeks before season 2, with a simultaneous stream on X announced. It is a side story and can be skipped; its television airing two weeks before season 2 is why we place it there.
Season 2
The second season premiered on July 19, 2025, on TV Tokyo and affiliates. ANN's episode list gives it 11 episodes, numbered 13 to 23, from "Kaiju Weapon" to "Second Wave" on September 27. It is one episode shorter than the first season, so do not go looking for a missing 24th.
"Narumi's Week at Work"
This is a short about the working week of Gen Narumi, captain of the Defense Force's First Division. ANN reports four episodes scheduled for Saturdays from September 5 to September 26, 2026, on the TOHO animation channel, with Crunchyroll to stream them as they aired; the official site announced on September 5 that streaming had begun. Its story was conceived by Kizuku Watanabe, creator of the Kaiju No. 8: Relax spinoff manga. It is a bonus. Season 2 is where Narumi enters the story, per the official site's season 2 synopsis, so watch the shorts after it.
What comes next: the Final Chapter
On December 20, 2025, the official site posted "Kaiju No. 8 Final Chapter Production Confirmed!" with a teaser trailer and visual. The Japanese announcement calls it the anime's 完結編, its concluding installment. Neither page says whether it is a season or a film, and neither gives a date; the site's news list, checked October 14, 2026, has nothing later about it. We will update this table when a date is announced.
If you want the manga
ANN reports that Naoya Matsumoto's manga ended in July 2025, so the whole story is available now. The Kaiju No. 8 catalog lists VIZ's English paperbacks with ISBNs and dates. For the lead, see Kafka Hibino, starting again, which contains spoilers.