REVIEW: ‘Kaiju Girl Caramelise’ Episode 4 — “The Scary Kaiju Fest”

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 takes a kaiju-sized step forward in all the right ways. Where Episode 3 had a much more mellow tone without Harugon terrorizing the city, Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4, “The Scary Kaiju Fest,” ramps up the drama, the humor, and yes — the amount of kaiju in the show.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 starts off by introducing viewers to a new character, Hibino Kotaro (Katsuyuki Konishi). When Kotaro shows up to see Akaishi Kuroe (Hikari Senga) and Akaishi Rinko (Kotono Mitsuishi), It’s heavily implied that Kotaro and Rinko have history. It’s also clear that Kuroe adores the older man.

In fact, it’s worth noting that in the original Japanese version, both Rinko and Kuroe call him by his given name, Kotaro, indicating a closer relationship. Rinko and Kotaro call each other by their surnames at the very beginning, but it’s clear that it’s being done in jest.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 introduces Hibino Kotaro, a much-needed father figure for Kuroe.

Kotaro, a biologist, explains that he’s home after being in Africa because of the giant kaiju Harugon, which has been appearing in the city. In an incredibly perceptive moment, he theorizes that the kaiju is female and that her eyes and cries indicate that she’s looking for love. He asks Rinko to join him in his work, but she plays off the offer like she’s not interested in kaiju.

When Kuroe arrives home, it’s clear that she and Kotaro have an incredible relationship. Kuroe would later go on to refer to him as being like an uncle to her, and that’s exactly the vibe they give. Kotaro and Kuroe have bonded over heavy metal, and Kotaro is taking Kuroe to a music festival for metal heads. Their favorite band, Spree Killer, will be headlining. Both Rinko and Kuroe feel confident that without Minami (Daishi Kajita) around, the festival should be a safe place for Kuroe.

What Kuroe doesn’t know is that Minami has taken a job at the festival, and inevitably, Kotaro and Kuroe meet him at the booth where he’s working. Kotaro instantly sees that Minami is interested in being more than just friends with Kuroe, and he becomes very protective. Minami watches the ease with which Kuroe interacts with Kotaro and, in the way only a teenager could, logically decides that something must be wrong with him.

Kuroe thinks she’ll be safe at a heavy metal festival, until she runs into Minami working there.

Minami, desperate to make Kuroe understand how he feels, pulls her into an embrace. The overwhelming feelings going through Kuroe activate her kaiju transformation. She escapes in time for Minami not to see, but moments later, Harugon stands in the fairgrounds. Minami, afraid that something has happened to Kuroe, and against the advice of Kotaro, gets closer to Harugon, but the scared teenage girl inside can’t express herself to him.

Because the audience needed a reprieve from all the serious emotions, Manatsu (Akira Sekine) shows up in a pink helicopter pining after Harugon, and eventually she and Minami get into the helicopter to lure the kaiju away from the crowds. It works, but in the process, Minami gets thrown from the helicopter without a chute. Harugon saves him, and he shares an intense moment with Kuroe, though he doesn’t realize that’s who it is.

In that moment, Kuroe makes the decision that she’s going to tell him everything. She decides he’s safe to trust and she stays with him after he passes out. When he wakes, Kuroe is there and pours out her heart to him, but becomes self-conscious and thinks perhaps he didn’t hear her.

He reassures her and tells her about his moment with the kaiju and how he could see that Harugon was yearning to tell him something despite a serious language barrier. This effort by the giant kaiju encouraged him to see that Kuroe was trying too. They officially become more than just friends, but Kotaro is nearby and hears the whole thing.

Manatsu provides much-needed comedic relief to break up the tension.

By the end of Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4, the payoff is there. It’s messy and chaotic. There are still a ton of unanswered questions, but there is still plenty of show left to grow the storylines, the characters, and this unlikely romance. Kotaro is a nice addition, playing an almost paternal role that Kuroe is missing in the series.

Manatsu continues to be the comic relief that Kaiju Girl Caramelise needs. While from a narrative standpoint, her inclusion in Episode 4 is unnecessary, it’s deeply gratifying to watch something with such intense moments be interrupted by something silly and random to break up the monotony. The best part is Manatsu never feels forced or wedged into a scene. She always shows up at times when it only makes sense for her character. Harugon appeared? Manatsu is on-site, ready to go.

Still, the best part about Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 is that the mean girls from school aren’t around or even mentioned. They played a very small role in the last episode. Whether intended or not, and whether this carries forward into future episodes, it’s creating a cool dynamic where the more confident Kuroe gets, the less the mean girls even matter.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 finally delivers the pay-off we’ve been waiting for.

With Kaiju Girl Caramelise dealing in body image messaging and finding people who accept you no matter what you look like, sound like, act like, etc, it’s a crucial reminder that we all need someone and we shouldn’t let the negativity around us determine what that looks like.

This all works because Kaiju Girl Caramelise is beautifully pulling off one heck of a balancing act. Yes, it’s quirky and funny. Yes, Manatsu showing up in a pink helicopter to continue going after Harugon is both hilarious and chaotic. Speaking of chaos, there’s no shortage of it when a giant kaiju is running around. In Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4, there’s a lot of that.

Still, it’s the emotional tentpoles that lift Kaiju Girl Caramelise up. The series dips its toes into multiple themes, including communication and acceptance. Harugon can’t speak to Minami. Kuroe can’t confess her feelings without panicking. Minami finally learns to look beyond words. Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 demonstrates that the people worth keeping around are the ones who see Kuroe for who she is rather than what she looks like—even if they don’t yet know the whole truth.

Kaiju Girl Caramelise Episode 4 is available now on Crunchyroll.

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