Episode 11 of Kaiju No. 8, titled “Kaiju No. 8 Captured“, begins with a tense atmosphere as the members of the Defense Force discuss the fate of Kafka Hibino.
Kafka, who has recently revealed his identity as Kaiju No. 8, is now in custody at the Third Division.
The scene is a stark contrast to the previous episode, where Kafka heroically saved his team from a blast by transforming into his Kaiju form.
Especially as the Defense Force commanders are now discussing Kaiju-to-human tissue transplants to create more powerful weapons.
The Director General of the Defense Force, Isao Shinomiya, eventually decides to tell the Third Division to bring Kafka into custody at the Maritime Base, and they will then decide what to do with him.
After the intro, the episode shifts to Kafka, imprisoned in an iron chair at the Third Division where he has been for 24 hours, and remembering what Kikoru told him.
If a Kaiju is given a number and then is caught, the Defense Force will usually use its body parts for weapons.
Kafka is upset as he keeps thinking he was so much closer to be able to stand by Mina’s side before he was caught, and now she will be mad at him.
Right at that point, Mina, along with Hoshina and several soldiers, arrives to take Kafka to the Maritime Base. When he tries to apologize to her, she tells him not to speak.
As he walks out of the facility surrounded by armed soldiers, Kafka starts to think everyone must be angry with him because he lied about who he is. Even Reno must be furious, because he got caught.
But, as he walks in between the assembled Third Division members and up into the back of an armored vehicle, Reno rushes forward and shouts at him that he is absolutely sure he will be coming back to them.
At that point, Kafka realizes Reno isn’t angry with him and doesn’t hate him. He is just concerned.
The doors of the armored vehicle close, and Kafka is left in the back with just Mina accompanying him. She tells him Reno will have to do 50 push-ups for speaking when he wasn’t supposed to.
Mina then reminds Kafka there are no cameras in the back of the truck, and that when he saved them all she was shocked that he was a Kaiju but, at the same time, caught herself thinking that was just like the Kafka she has always known.
She also tells him she will be testifying on his behalf because, if they can prove he is human and not Kaiju, they may be able to save him.
She also makes sure he knows not one member of the Third Division hates him.
Kafka asks her will she still let him try to stand by her side and, of course, Mina tells him she will. At that, Kafka begins to cry.
As the armored vehicle and other vehicles pull away, the scene shifts back to the assembled Third Division as Hoshina appears in front of them and calls for the Third Division to salute the back of the vehicle carrying Kafka and Mina.
When his commanding officer, Keiji Itami, demands just what he thinks he is doing, Hoshina cleverly responds he asked the Third Division to salute Captain Mina.
Fast forward to the Maritime Base where Kafka has just arrived, and is now imprisoned in another iron chair as several days pass.
Meanwhile, back at the Third Division, some of Kafka’s friends are talking about him and about how he saved their lives.
The scene shifts again to Mina, who is in her office when Okonogi arrives and Mina gives her all the paperwork she has compiled on Kafka’s behalf.
Back at the site where Kafka saved everyone, a soldier asks Hoshina what he thinks headquarters will do about Kafka.
Hoshina replies that he needs Kafka to come back to the Third Division as, when he fought him, he could tell he wasn’t at his full strength. And he wants to know what that full strength is like,
Next, we see Kikoru walk into the office of Director General Isao Shinomiya. A man who also happens to be her father.
RELATED: When does Kikoru first appear in the Kaiju No 8 anime?
She is there to plead for Kafka’s life as he saved hers, but her father calls her a fool.
He then asks her is she there to point out her own failures, and shows her Kafka’s chest x-ray with a core close to where his heart should be.
That means Kafka isn’t human. He’s a Kaiju like the one that killed her mother.
As he asks her to leave, Kikoru turns around to leave, and then turns back, telling her father she still wants to believe in Kafka.
Back at Mina’s office, she has assembled Reno, Iharu, Kaguragi and Izumo to tell them they are all being transferred to different divisions temporarily.
This is due to the extreme damage to the Third Division’s headquarters, and because they believe more super strong kaiju may be on the way.
That is why they are choosing the strongest rookies and training them across divisions, so they can be used in any division that needs them.
When Izumo asks if they are being transferred because of Kaiju No. 8, and the top brass’ need to split up the group that was closest to him, Mina says that is not the case.
As Iharu and Kaguragi say they don’t want to be transferred, Reno tells Mina he will go.
Up on the rooftop, Izumo is considering calling his father, the owner of the Izumo Tech weapons company to see if he can help Kafka.
But as he is considering what to say, he hears Kaguragi on the phone to someone asking if they can help save Kafka.
When he has finished talking, he notices Izumo who asks him who he was calling.
Kaguragi tells him he wanted to see if his former commander in the Defense Company could help.
When Izumo tells him he didn’t think he was the type to ask for a favor, Kaguragi replies that he has always said he won’t leave anyone behind — and that Kafka is an important part of the Third Division.
The episode moves to the Maritime Base where Kafka is still being held as General Shinomiya arrives with a group of soldiers.
As Kafka shouts, telling him he is not a kaiju, the General tells the control booth to free Kafka from his bounds.
As one of the technicians tells him it’s too dangerous, the General barks back that Kafka is sitting there because he wants to and, if he wanted to get free, he could do so immediately as he is that powerful.
But, as Kafka stands up and tells the General he’s human, the general shoots him several times, and then grabs a sample of his blood while telling him a creature that can stop bullets with its skin is not human.
The General then begins to put on arm weaponry that was made from a kaiju’s deceased body parts — Kaiju No. 2 — and announces he is beginning the disposal of Kaiju No. 8.
He then attacks Kafka who, at first tries to not fully transform into Kaiju No. 8, until the General blows off Kafka’s arm.
At that point, Kafka is then forced to transform as the attacks from the General become even more powerful.
The episode culminates in this confrontation between Kafka and the Director General of the Defense Force, with Kafka first trying to dodge the General’s attacks but then being forced to fight back as his limbs are blown off and then regenerate.
But, as he fully transforms, it becomes obvious to both Kafka and to Kikoru who is watching the fight that something is wrong
That something is Kaiju No. 8 completely taking over Kafka so that he is no longer in control.
That is where Kaiju No. 8, Episode 11 ends.
The final episode of the first season of Kaiju No. 8 will air next Saturday.
Until then, you can read our recaps for every other episode in the season here at Leo Sigh — Kaiju No. 8, Episode 1, Episode 2, Episode 3, Episode 4, Episode 5, Episode 6, Episode 7, Episode 8, Episode 9 and Episode 10 — and rewatch them via Crunchyroll.