Thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for the eARC to review.

GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis Vol. 1 by Kent
Series: GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis
Genre: Action, Kaiju, Teen
Pages: 192
Published: April 26, 2025
Publisher: Kodansha Comics

Book blurb:

“A monster that people call GAEA-TIMA devastates a small, seaside town. Ten years later, the resilient community has emerged as a tourist destination, and Miyako, who became a local celebrity by surviving the attack, is making a living selling mini-replicas of the beast. But when GAEA-TIMA returns, Miyako and her neighbors will discover that their enduring connection to the creature goes deeper than tourism and trauma. Just what is the true agenda behind the attack of the “gigantis?” Are there more like GAEA-TIMA waiting for their moment? And is humanity capable of responding to violence with anything other than more violence?“

My thoughts:

Volume 1 covers the first 4 chapters of this brand new Kaiju manga and is already building up to be an action-filled series with a heart-warming story. When we meet Miyoko she’s experiencing feelings of regret, shame of the day the kaiju attacked and is emotionally detached to the GAEA-TIMA figurines she’s making. It’s not until she meets someone who admires the kaiju does she begin to view her unique relationship to the monster in a different way. The humour in this volume is light and enjoyable and gets the tone balance of tension and warmth just right. The illustrations are beautiful and dynamic, able to convey the movement of the ocean around the fighting kaiju with a smooth ferocity.

I’m definitely interested in reading the rest of the series and seeing how Miyoko and GAEA-TIMA’s bond grows closer.

Happy reading! 📚