Michelle Topham 
Episode 7 of Kaiju No. 8 opens with Kafka’s colleagues from the cleaning crew witnessing the battle between the Defense Corps and a honju from a distance.
They wonder about the whereabouts of the new recruit from the previous episode (the one who was in the bathroom transformed into a kaiju).
We then see that recruit in a half-kaiju/half-human form suddenly attack Iharu with a projectile. He then reveals himself to be a kaiju and vows to capture one of the Defense Corps members.
Reno and Iharu recognize this kaiju as the same one that attacked Kikoru during the selection exam.
As Reno attempts to contact a Platoon Officer for backup, the kaiju explains why communications are down (he’s put up a barrier to the outside world) and then launches another attack — this time against Iharu.
RELATED: When does Kikoru first appear in the anime series Kaiju No. 8?
Thanks to Kikoru’s advice from a previous episode about watching the kaiju’s fingers as he prepares for an attack, though, Reno narrowly avoids severe damage.
Reno then tells Iharu to run for help.
Initially fleeing, Iharu remembers Hoshina’s words about surpassing one’s combat power. He decides to return and help Reno, as he no longer wants to be a bystander who needs to be helped, but a hero.
Despite their valiant efforts working together to defeat the kajiu, however, the kaiju is still able to severely injure Reno.
Meanwhile, Platoon Leader Ikaruga informs Hoshina that they’ve lost contact with Reno and Iharu, and that they can’t detect their vital signs either.
Kikoru arrives and tells Kafka that the sentient kaiju they’re fighting is present.
As the kaiju continues to harm Reno in front of Iharu, he is able to lever himself off the ground and try to shoot past Reno to hit the kaiju, but his gun jams.
The kaiju then tells Iharu he doesn’t need him anymore and prepares to kill him, as Iharu prays for someone/anyone to save Ichikawa.
It is then that Kafka arrives in his kaiju form and decapitates the enemy with one blow of his fist.
After ensuring Reno’s safety, Kafka faces the kaiju, whose head has reattached itself.
The kaiju tests its projectiles on Kafka and vows to go all-out to capture him. Kafka responds with a brutal assault, exposing the kaiju’s core.
However, it is then that Defense Force troops arrive and aim at Kafka, complicating the situation and allowing the humanoid kaiju to escape.
Meanwhile Kikoru, after defeating yet another Yoju, remembers Kafka’s plan to track down Reno and Iharu, and so heads off towards where Kafka went.
In the final scenes Kafka, who is still transformed into Kaiju No. 8, is down a dark alleyway when Hoshina suddenly appears and begins to attack him with enormous blades in an incredibly powerful assault.
The episode ends with Hoshina unleashing combat power of an amazing 92 percent, and vowing to kill Kafka (Kaiju No. 8).
Kaiju No. 8, Episode 7 did a particularly good job balancing some pretty important character development with some very high-stakes action scenes, while its cliffhanger ending means most of us will be tuning in the second next week’s episode hits.
Until then, you can read all our previous Kaiju No. 8 recaps on Baozi Buns — Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, and last week’s Episode 6.
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