Kaijuu 8-gou Chapter 118 Discussion

I have mixed feelings about this chapter. On one hand, I really appreciated the emotional depth we got from Kafka and the people who died, especially as they shared their regrets. It added a layer of humanity to the story that felt impactful. The dialogue was definitely a highlight—emotional, raw, and engaging.

But then there’s the whole samurai-turning-his-heart-into-a-core thing. I’m sorry, but it’s just weak. There’s no precedent for this in the story, and it feels like the author just pulled it out of nowhere to move the plot forward. It’s a straight-up ass pull. It makes the execution of an otherwise promising moment fall flat.

How do you guys feel about this? Did the "heart-core" thing work for you, or do you think it undermined the chapter?

@logic340 there's truth to your words, up until now there was never even a mention of that happening. Unless that was never witnessed and recorded for the Japanese Defense Force to use.

@Mezzy93 You’re absolutely right—it’s not just about what the Japanese Defense Force does or doesn’t know. The bigger issue is how the samurai even had the knowledge or ability to pull this off. Like, where did this come from? We barely understand the kaiju’s origins or mechanics as readers, so this sudden ability to turn a heart into a core and harness the emotions of other dead samurai feels completely out of left field. It’s such a massive leap in logic without any prior setup.

I did like how the chapter tied Kafka’s existence to their shared regret and inability during that critical moment. It added depth to his struggle and made the dialogue stand out. But the execution of this whole "heart-core" concept really undercut the impact for me. It’s frustrating because the potential was there—it just needed better groundwork. How are you feeling about where the story might go from here?