Norwegian singer-songwriter Aurora has sung the opening theme song for Season 2 of the anime series Kaiju No. 8, slated to release on Crunchyroll on July 19.
Toho animation on Thursday dropped a fresh trailer of the upcoming instalment of the anime, offering a first-look at First Division Vice-Captain Eiji Hasegawa and platoon leader Rin Shinonome. Hiroki Yasumoto will be the voice actor for Eiji Hasegawa, while Kana Hanazawa will voice the character of Rin Shinonome this season.
Amid emotionally-charged, high-octane scenes, a brief snippet of Aurora’s chorus from the track titled You Can't Run From Yourself played in the background.
“I love anime and have always loved anime and will always love anime. Making this track for Kaiju No. 8 was a great honour. Being in Japan meeting all the lovely people behind the show was wonderful too. I got to meet Godzilla (at TOHO). I hope this piece of music will return me back to Japan again soon. My heart flutters when I'm there,” the singer said in a statement recently.
Over the years, Aurora has expressed her love for anime, mentioning that it has fascinated her since childhood. She has also visited Japan and met with fans there. Besides being an anime fan, the singer has collaborated with the Japanese musical group Atarashii Gakko! and released a song inspired by One Piece titled My Sails Are Set.
Soon after the trailer was released, fans couldn’t stop raving about the song by Aurora. “Just found out Aurora is making the opening for Kaiju no. 8 Season 2. Holy f*** I’m so excited,” one of them wrote on X. “Still thinking about Aurora singing the op for Kaiju No. 8 Season 2… I just know the edits and her songs later are gonna go crazy,” another fan tweeted.
Aurora Aksnes, known on stage as Aurora, is known for her ethereal sound and emotional songwriting. Called the ‘Fairy of Pop’, the 29-year-old singer’s 2015 track Runaway went viral during the Covid-19 Pandemic, with netizens hopping on a social media trend that lasted for several months.
For Season 1, the makers had roped in English singer-songwriter Yungblud for the opening theme titled Abyss. Following its release, fans couldn’t stop raving about the unique sound and visuals, with many of them comparing it with James Bond opening sequences.
Kaiju No. 8 follows Kafka Hibino, a middle-aged man who once promised his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, to protect humanity from kaiju (giant monsters). After losing faith in his abilities, Kafka’s dream is reignited by an encounter with a much-younger man named Reno Ichikawa. However, things take a dramatic turn when Kafka transforms into a kaiju himself and must conceal his identity while being a part of Mina’s Defence Force.
The second season, adapted from the manga by Naoya Matsumoto, will pick up after the events of the first instalment, with a new threat emerging from Kaiju No. 9, who causes widespread havoc across Japan.
Shigeyuki Miya and Tomomi Kamiya have directed the first season of Kaiju No. 8 at studio Production I.G, with series composition by Ichiro Okouchi (Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch from Mercury), character designs by Tetsuya Nishio (Naruto) and music by Yuta Bando (BELLE).