Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon

Set in a Japan plagued by giant monsters known as kaiju, the story follows Kafka Hibino, a man employed in monster disposal. Inspired by his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, a successful member of the anti-kaiju Defense Force, Kafka attempts to revive his dream of joining the organization. However, he unexpectedly transforms into a powerful monster himself, becoming Kaiju No. 8. With help from his colleague Reno Ichikawa, Kafka hides his identity while striving to pass the Defense Force entrance exams. The plot reaches a critical point when an intelligent kaiju attacks a military base, forcing Kafka to make a difficult decision. This film provides an action-filled summary of the first season and includes an original story titled Hoshina's Day Off.

Directed by Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya, the production was handled by TOHO, Shueisha, and Production I.G. For Miya, this project follows his work on Lupin the Third: Angel Tactics and Lupin the Third: Green vs Red, and precedes Kaiju No. 8: Hoshina's Day Off. For Kamiya, it is the first of two listed films in the series. The voice cast features Masaya Fukunishi, Wataru Katoh, Fairouz Ai, Tessyo Genda, Kengo Kawanishi, and Keisuke Komoto. The film earned 1 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audiences gave it a rating of 6.8/10 on IMDb based on 790 votes and 8/10 on TMDB from 106 votes.