Animehouse

GAEA-TIMA the Gigantis is the latest entry in the K-Manga app and is a relatively new manga, having only been around since 2023. It is one of the most successful additions to the Young Magazine Monthly selection, and for good reason. I’ve been following this series closely since its release, and I’m happy to see it finally has an official English release (even though I’m not too keen on the English title; couldn’t it have just been GAEA-TIMA? The “Gigantis” part in English feels a little extra).

GAEA-TIMA, the book’s namesake, refers to a monster that attacked a seaside town where our main protagonist, Miyako, happened to live. This kaiju attacked, wrecked the city, and simply left. Rather than the expected outcome, this attack turned the town into a booming tourist destination. The kaiju became a local specialty.

Ironically, our main protagonist, Miyako, who nearly died at the hands of the kaiju and feels guilt for the harm caused to others during that day (including a friend’s dad who lost a limb while trying to save her), now makes figurines of the kaiju. This is something she is not entirely proud of. I like the intro to the series in general; while it takes great care in showing Miyako’s struggle with her past and how she is benefiting from a tragedy, it never feels like they’re forcing her feelings on you. She doesn’t constantly repeat her dissatisfaction or talk about it much at all, but you can see it in her actions and the way her friend treats her at the beginning.

Her current career path eventually leads her to meet an interesting figure named Tatsukuni, who greatly contrasts with her. Rather than being afraid of the kaiju Gaea-Tima that attacked the town many years ago, he’s extremely fascinated by it and claims that Gaea-Tima saved his life. As you might predict, the encounter with this eccentric man eventually leads to Gaea-Tima reemerging and setting off the story. I don’t want this review to just be a summary or spoil too much, so I’ll start discussing my thoughts as I believe I’ve given enough context.

While my summary might have sounded a bit serious, GAEA-TIMA is quite amusing when the kaiju isn’t fighting other monsters. I personally find the stark difference between him fighting and him acting like a child-sized gremlin absolutely hilarious, and it never fails to make me laugh. The characters, while eccentric, don’t come off as overdone. Once you’re introduced to the main cast, including Tatsukuni’s group, you’ll find them quite likable. The manga is honestly just a great time.

I mean, the concept of turning an aggressive Kaiju into a deployable toy is amazing, and the artwork for the fight scenes is gorgeous, especially the detail in the kaiju. I’ve saved a lot of images, which I won’t be showing here because you should go read them yourself. This is not to say that the series quickly disregards the tragedy that starts the first chapter; instead, it mixes action and comedy with a lot of hidden lore that you can spot if you pay attention to the background and the details of the kaiju themselves. It really does make you wonder where the story will go. This volume sets up a lot of potential storylines such as the government getting involved, the intrigue on the origins of Kaijus and Tatsukuni’s obsession with them.

Gaea-Tima is a journey about a girl who has, in a way, become the guardian of the very thing that once caused her so much trauma. She tries to do some good in the world alongside her new friends. For the most part, it’s a fun time and pretty lighthearted (with some occasional more serious implications).

As I’m not even particularly a big fan of kaiju, the fact that I’ve loved this series means you should definitely give it a try too.