One of spring’s biggest anime shows will release with a streaming world-first

Kaiju No. 8, one of the year’s most anticipated anime, is coming to Crunchyroll on April 13 – with a surprise world-first for the streamer.

As per Crunchyroll, the anime subscription service "will stream new episodes of the series live every week in more than 200 countries and territories around the world at the exact same time as it broadcasts in Japan, starting on Saturday, April 13 at 7:00 am [Pacific]."

Why is that a big deal? Well, any anime fan will tell you how (im)patiently they’ve had to wait for big shows to finish airing in Japan in recent years – before having to dodge the inevitable wave of spoilers that crop up on social media.

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For Kaiju No. 8, at least, that problem is a thing of the past. And if you can’t catch it day-and-date? It’ll be streaming on Crunchyroll as normal 90 minutes after it begins airing.

An adaptation of the acclaimed manga from Naoya Matsumoto, Kaiju No. 8 revolves around the unlikeliest of premises: a man who can transform into a monstrous kaiju after swallowing one – all while working as a lowly Monster Sweeper for a kaiju Defense Force.

The upcoming series isn’t the only new anime hitting streaming later this year. Demon Slayer season 4 bursts onto our screens in May, while the new One-Punch Man season 3 trailer suggests Saitama is back after a multi-year hiatus later in 2024.

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.