Warning! Spoilers ahead for Kaiju No. 8 chapter 68!An incredible utilization of foreshadowing in Kaiju No. 8 reminds readers of a well-written, but less effective version of the same methodology in Jujutsu Kaisen while simultaneously showing One Piece the right way to introduce new villains to an ongoing story before they are of any consequence.
Undoubtedly one of Jujutsu Kaisen's most ambitious arcs was the highly complex Shibuya Incident. The mechanics which mangaka Gege Akutami used to introduce this storyline turned out to be a style that he imitated throughout the course of the incident in Shibuya, which set the overall tone of what was to come. First, Akutami set the stage by sharing a brief, written record of an ominous event that sparked different reactions nearby. Next, he proceeded to share the names of various locations in Shibuya where certain characters reacted to the aforementioned event to create the sense that this arc would involve many moving parts. He then employed a tactic that proved these previous events were occurring simultaneously by documenting what happened next at certain times during the latter half of the chapter, also creating the impression that the documentation of mere minutes would be crucial in the following chapters.
In chapter 68 of Kaiju No. 8, mangaka Naoya Matsumoto augments this particular style to his own benefit but without recording the age of time, as it's clear that knowing how many minutes have ed isn't crucial to the story. Instead, Matsumoto shares a string of separate incidents in quick succession that introduces new kaiju who were alluded to during an earlier twist in Kaiju No. 8. Over the course of 12 pages, seven kaiju are shown. What makes these rapid scenes so effective without diminishing the introduction of each monster is that Matsumoto provides a description for each of them, explaining how they manifested in the human world and the odd things they did before disappearing, heightening reader interest. By relying on words with illustrations as the , numerous s are reduced to just a few while adding an eerie effect that drawings can't always capture.
Kaiju No. 8's technique overshadows the execution of Jujutsu Kaisen's framing for the Shibuya Incident because the former manga used words to enhance and minimize the length of numerous unsettling scenarios when the latter series only documented one menacing instance. Seeing the jujutsu sorcerers react in real-time to one phenomenon isn't as dramatic as witnessing numerous threatening events happening all across Japan. Aside from Jujutsu Kaisen, these scenes also pinpoint One Piece's flaw with how it introduces villains. To the detriment of the story's pacing, One Piece usually throws a slew of antagonists in the midst of an ongoing arc when Luffy and his crew are already contending with more-established opponents. Not only does this make it more difficult for readers to become invested in these newer characters, but the way in which he introduces them is uneventful. Oda has an affinity for bringing in new villains during meetings where the first thing readers see them doing is responding to random questions or comments. This isn't as exciting as debuting a large group of kaiju creating havoc or terrorizing people all around Japan. Although the villains that One Piece introduces this way usually become important later on, these moments are underwhelming and readers rarely recall who they were when they eventually reappear later on in the story.
In just one chapter, Kaiju No. 8 successfully debunked the effectiveness of a longstanding formula that One Piece has been incapable of breaking for decades while improving upon a certain style that Jujutsu Kaisen employed so well for its longest and most complicated arc. Hopefully, Kaiju No. 8 will receive the recognition and critical acclaim that it overwhelmingly deserves.
Kaiju No. 8 is available now on Viz Media's Shonen Jump app.
