Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is coming out this week, and CGMagazine talked with Sochiro Hoshina voice actor Landon Macdonald to hear more.
As the weather warms up, it thaws out the monsters. The omnibus Kaiju No. 8 film Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is dropping in theatres this week, offering an action-packed Season 1 recap and a never-before-seen episode in the manga and anime. CGMagazine also had a quick chat with voice actor Landon Macdonald on how he landed his role in the series and what fans can expect from this movie and Season 2. The second season is premiering in July 2025, so this is the perfect opportunity to catch up on Season 1.
Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is predominantly a recut recap film of Season 1 but also features a new original episode titled Hoshina’s Day Off. Macdonald lends his voice talents to a myriad of popular anime series on the English dub side, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, Jujutsu Kaisen and The Red Ranger Becomes an Adventurer in Another World. But he takes on a considerably bigger role in Kaiju No. 8, playing the fun-loving vice-captain of the Third Division of the Defense Force and member of the great Hoshina Family, Sochiro Hoshina.
“Way before I got cast, I was already a fan. I read the manga early on, and that doesn’t always happen. Sometimes, the best we can hope for is to be a part of one of our favourite franchises, but we don’t usually get to play our favourite character within those franchises. But every so often, it happens—and it happened for me! [Hoshina] was far and away my favourite,” Macdonald commented on how he was drawn to Kaiju No. 8.
Kaiju No. 8 is adapted from the original manga created by Naoya Matsumoto, which began serialization in July 2020. It is animated by Production I.G (GHOST IN THE SHELL), with kaiju artwork and design supervision by Studio Khara (Evangelion: New Theatrical Edition, Shin Godzilla (Pre Visualization Development).
Some of Macdonald’s most anticipated moments to see on the big screen in Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon are the big fights. “I’m looking forward to seeing the big fight between Hoshina and Kaiju No. 10, played so well by Brent Mukai. To see that on the big screen is just going to be mind-blowing. I cannot wait to revisit that. I’m so happy with how that turned out. And oh my goodness, Katelyn Barr, who plays Mina, always does a great job. Those are also some of her best moments during that fight, including Abigail [Blythe] as Kikuru Shinomiya.”
Hoshina’s Day Off covers a rare day off in the Defense Force. After spending so long training, Reno Ishikawa has forgotten what he’s supposed to do with his free time. He sees that Hoshina is up to something with his day off and decides to go on a mission to tail him with Iharu Furuhashi! The Defense Force recruits do not know what they have gotten themselves into.
“What I am looking forward to, without going into specifics, is Aaron Dismuke’s character, who we only got to see briefly at the end of Season 1.”
When asked about what to expect from the never-before-seen original episode, Macdonald shared his thoughts about a new comedic duo dynamic being born. “In this story, the comedy duo is actually between Reno (Adam McArthur) and Iharu (Ben Stegmair). The two of them together are so funny. They have got great chemistry. I am not sure if they have ever met in person, but you would not know it because they seem like old friends. They have an Abbott and Costello [type of] energy.” He also noted how Hoshina has “an animal interaction” that is said to be “very cute and funny.”
As I am almost up to date with the latest Kaiju No. 8 chapter, I have a general idea of what Season 2 is going to cover. I know many of the Defense Force recruits will evolve in their own ways, as well as expand on Kaiju No. 9’s true goals. We asked Macdonald for his general thoughts on what Hoshina will be up to in the upcoming season.
“What I am looking forward to, without going into specifics, is Aaron Dismuke’s character, who we only got to see briefly at the end of Season 1. But he will have more to do with Season 2. He and Hoshina have a great dynamic together: frenemies.” He continues to talk about how he and Dismuke have “known each other for years but have not been in many shows together.” Without spoiling Dismuke’s character tease, the character is named Gen Narumo.
Macdonald left off on a high note, highlighting how seeing anime on the big screen is extra special. While Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon is mostly a recap, Hoshina’s Day Off provides a wholesome episode to look forward to. “Please come support us. Support anime on the big screen so we can keep doing events like this. Watching at home and streaming is great, but there is something about theatres—it is real communal magic.”
Kaiju No. 8: Mission Recon will be out across North American theaters on April 13, 14, and 16, 2025! Kaiju No. 8 Season 1 is out on Crunchyroll.
