Thanks to NetGalley for the free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Years after a giant monster known as GAEA-TIMA leveled a small seaside town, the community has rebuilt itself into a tourist hotspot centered around the event. Miyako, a survivor of the attack, now makes a living selling kaiju-themed souvenirs. But when signs of the monster’s return begin to surface, the town is forced to confront what it really means to live in the shadow of something so destructive.

This had a strong opening. A good balance of fights and worldbuilding. It’s fast-paced, too. I liked the realistic take on the aftermath of a kaiju attack, with merchandise, tourism, and the town trying to move on. The art is solid, though some of the action panels are a little hard to follow.

If you’re into the kaiju genre and want something that focuses on the people as much as the monsters, this is worth checking out. Overall, a promising start. I’m looking forward to seeing where the series goes.

Like stories about giant creatures battling each other while cities crumble around them? Then you might really enjoy this one! It follows a young girl who loses her mother—and nearly her own life—when a giant creature attacks and destroys her home. As she grows older, she must come to terms with a mysterious connection she shares with one of these creatures. It’s an emotional, action-packed story that mixes heart and high-stakes chaos in a really compelling way.

This manga is a combination of many things, resulting in something strange yet interesting, leaving you wanting to know more.

I started reading it because GAEA-TIMA seemed very similar to Evangelion, and what a surprise I was in for.

We'll see how the story continues because it clearly has much more to tell and develop.

Thank you, Kodansha Comics, for the digital copy I read on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Great illustration and pacing. I enjoyed the unique story and can’t wait to see where it goes from here!

I don't usually read manga with kaiju, but this one looked really cool! It follows a town that was attacked by a giant monster a decade ago. Now it's back, but things are looking different this time. I am intrigued on what the battles will be like, and I can't wait to read more!

Kaiju No. 8 and Pacific Rim vibes. I love that we’re getting more Kaiju stories. And I love how this one had a bit of a twist to the normal Kaiju stories we get. Will 100% be continue the series.

This was such a fun and interesting first volume. It plays with the traditional aspects of Kaiju with a twist I've never seen before. We get to see both the aftermath of a Kaiju appearance and how people reacted differently to the monsters coming back. Excited to see where this story goes once more volumes are translated into English.

This manga has the vibes of Kaiju no 8 and Pacific Rim but in a quirky way. I found it enjoyable but I was not too invested in the story. Still, I would be curious to know where the plot is headed.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC !

Thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

A fabulous, fun take on the Kaiju genre. Perfect for fans of Godzilla, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.

Local girl Miyako finds herself the centre of attention after surviving the Kaiju attack on her seaside hometown and going on to make models of the kaiju Gaea-Tima when the town found itself becoming a tourist attraction. . When Gaea-Tima returns she finds herself central to the quest to understand the kaiju.

Kent’s dynamic art style deftly combines action and emotion making Gaea-Tima The Gigantis a joy to read.

Asadora meets Pokemon is the best way I can describe it, but KENT can do no wrong and I am all-in.
If you enjoy stories about massive kaiju battles, or just enjoy fantastic artwork and story-telling, get on board.

I would like to said thank you to Kodansha Comics and NetGalley for allowing me to read this comic/manga book 1 of the Gaea-Tima the Gigantis 1. This book 1 is part of the series. Reading this in less within 2 days wasn't bad. It was interesting to read because it about a monster who destroy the town but then there was more monster and a group of researcher that create this monster things are trying to protect the town or grab those. I going to give this book a 3.5 stars. I will definitely continue to read this series.

GAE-TIMA the Gigantis is a manga that presents itself with great force: it spills over to the reader information about the world, the characters and a bit of social context. If it keeps up the pace, it would be a formidable story.
Thanks to NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader's copy.

I think it's a promising start! Ultimately, how well this series will be received depends on the character development.

GAEA-TIMA the Gigantics Vol. 1 opens with a compelling premise: a seaside town still haunted—physically, emotionally, and economically—by a kaiju attack a decade prior. Now a tourist hotspot profiting from its own tragedy, the story follows Miyako, a survivor-turned-local-celebrity, as the monstrous GAEA-TIMA resurfaces and threatens to unearth more than just buildings.

The concept of commodifying trauma—turning devastation into seafood festivals and monster merchandise—is genuinely intriguing and layered. The manga explores several interesting ideas, and those themes kept me intrigued even when other elements fell flat.

This first volume tries to do a lot—worldbuilding, character backstory, social commentary, action—and it sometimes buckles under the weight. The pacing feels rushed, and the info-dumping can be clunky, making it difficult to fully immerse in the narrative. Miyako’s emotional arc, in particular, lacked nuance; after carrying guilt for a decade, her sudden resolution felt abrupt and unearned.

The art is a mixed bag. The cover is stunning and immediately caught my attention, but the interior illustrations didn’t quite match that level of polish. That said, there are some visual moments that land emotionally or comedically—yes, despite the heavy tone, there are surprising bursts of humor that stand out thanks to the contrast.

Despite its flaws, GAEA-TIMA shows promise. If future volumes slow down and give the themes more space to breathe, this could develop into a compelling entry in the kaiju genre. I’ll likely continue reading—though I hope it doesn’t fall into a “monster-of-the-week” pattern.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As someone who is a fan of Godzilla and has always been interested in Kiju stories I did enjoy this but I think it would have benefited from being a little longer so the audience has time to make an emotional connection to the characters. I can see myself continuing this story. I am interested in learning how it heals

4.5 ⭐️

I really enjoyed this manga. I’m a big Godzilla fan so this was right of my lane. I can see where the spirit of Godzilla and Godzilla Minus One came to play in this manga. If I were to say that I can even see some similarities between this manga and the Godzilla tv show ‘Monarch King of Monsters’ especially in the beginning.

The graphic was good and the text was easy to read and follow. I love that we are getting a different take from this type of story when it comes to monsters. I love the different designs of the Kaiju, love how they weren’t all the same shape and size.

My main criticism for this manga is that it’s the first book of the series they could have spent more time introductions the setting and characters so that way the readers would feel some type of connection with the main protagonist and the people who are getting impacted by these monsters.

Looking forward to see how this series progresses.

I recommend this to fan of Godzilla or anyone who loves anything to do with monsters and them teaming up with humans to fight against other monsters.

Thank you to the publisher for giving this Arc at NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Gaea-tima is like Godzilla meets Pokémon meets Evangelion—a fun action-adventure with a unique twist. Years after a seaside town in Japan is devastated by a Kaiju attack from a creature nicknamed Gaea-tima, the town now thrives on tourism surrounding the mysterious beast, who vanished at the end of the attack. When another Kaiju appears, a young girl discovers she can summon Gaea-tima—and hijinks ensue. A lively manga with loads of potential.

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

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.

I am so sad to say that this manga did not meet my expectations. I was kinda nervous about going into it seeing as its kinda a play on Godzilla and king kong in a way but I didn't expect it to fall this flat for me. I honestly feel like we didn't get much history on what the creatures are and what the reason they came to the mortal realm. I also expected the fighting scenes between the creatures to be a little better. I don't think I see myself reading more in this series but I would like to read more from this author to see if its their writing style that I am having issues with. I am still thankful that I read this manga because it opened my eyes to something that I know not to pick up again so all in all it did help me explore my reading taste and show me what I like and what I don't like.

Miyako is just trying to live her life in a small seaside town, but she's inexplicably connected with a gigantic monster that surfaces from the ocean. This is an interesting and mysterious title with quaint characters that will be an interesting ride for readers.