Summary
Kaiju No. 8is a modern Shonen action anime that has taken the world by storm due to its fascinating world, incredible action, brilliant pacing, and lovable characters. Though it does follow in the footsteps of many similar series that have come before it, in terms of world building and power systems, its take on them is a breath of fresh air due to how they’re presented to the viewers.
One of the best aspects of this series is the main character, Kafka Hibino. Though many of his character traits aren’t exactly unique in the sense that they have been done before, the way thatKaiju No. 8pulls them off is refreshing, captivating, and hilarious. So, let’s look at who Kafka is as a character and why he makes for one of the greatest protagonists in modern anime.
A Compelling Backstory
An engaging and realistic origin
Ever since he was a child, Kafka had lofty dreams about getting into anofficial division within the Defense Forceso he could take down as many Kaiju as possible. After seeing the pain and destruction they caused, his resolve was strong, leading to him making a vow to his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, to eventually join the Force and become its 2 toughest fighters.
However, his life took a drastic turn. Despite taking the test to join the Force multiple times, Kafka always ended up failing, leading to a life in the Kaiju cleanup crew, going to bed every night thinking about how it all came to this. This is an amazing set-up to his personality since it is so different from how most other Shonen protagonists are portrayed since they usually undergo grueling training or are born gifted, making their ascent to power a relatively easy one.
Chasing your dreams means there’s always someone out there who’s beating you at the thing you care about most.
Kafka’s journey is much more relatable because of how realistic it is. Instead of being like a warrior of myth or a genetic anomaly, he is just a regular guy who wants to do so much but is initially unable to, making him a much-needed breath of fresh air into the current Shonen climate due to how it sets Kafka apart from others.
Due to this, Kafka’s hard work and training to become someone worthy of standing shoulder to shoulder with his childhood friend makes fans root for him at every stage.Though he is just an average person, the hard work that he puts in makes him incredibly relatable and fans of the series end up sympathizing with the character even more, since many may even see themselves in him.
He Relies On Himself
Kafka only uses his powers as a last resort
Despite failing the test to join the Defense Force multiple times before, Kafka eventually proved to be resilient enough to join it at last, even though he was well over the age of the rest of the recruits. However, once he finally joined their ranks, he set the record for havingthe lowest power releasein the history of the Force. Despite his power capping off at a whopping 1%, Kafka never let that get in the way of his duties.
His lack of power meant that he could not use the power suit and the weapons of the Force effectively at all. Even though he had his Kaiju powers at the time that allowed him to surpass even his strongest teammates, Kafka never let them show, instead always relying on his knowledge of the biology of Kaiju to help his peers. Unlike many other Shonen protagonists, Kafka is always ready to play the support role, not necessarily being given the opportunity to kill the big monster despite having the power to do so.
This time, I’m not giving up!
This also highlights Kafka’s tactical mind. The years that Kafka spent on the Kaiju cleanup crew proved to be invaluable since it strengthened his level of knowledge of Kaiju biology to a point that was greater than everyone else in the Third Division. Even though he doesn’t have thepower to fight even a Yojuin his base form, his knowledge has proven vital on many occasions, since he is happy to provide help to his team rather than steal the glory.
However, when push comes to shove, and he sees no other way out of a scary situation, Kafka transforms to his overpowered Daikaiju form; that of Kaiju No. 8. This form is one that he uses as a last resort and usually when he or his team are in an incredibly dire situation, such as when the battle against Kaiju No. 10 resulted in a massive Kaiju Bomb that would have destroyed the city if Kafka did not interfere.
A Hilarious And Lovable Character
Kafka is one of the funniest Shonen protagonists
Humor has long been used in all mediums to get fans to like characters. However, the implementation of humor when it comes to Kafka’s personality is one of the best in recent memory. Like many Shonen protagonists, Kafka has achildlike and often stupid personality, though this is never overdrawn to the point of it being annoying or frustrating.
The way that Kafka is shown to be a hilarious character never diminishes his arc or development since he is always serious when he needs to be and relaxed when there’s room for it. His hilarious antics, as well as how he’s the butt of his friend’s jokes, always land since there is never any malice or negativity behind these moments, making Kafka an incredibly funny, likable, and relatable character that fans have fallen in love with.
Kaiju No. 8can be streamed onCrunchyroll.
Kaiju No. 8
Production I.G’s Kaiju No. 8 is a Spring 2024 anime based on Naoya Matsumoto’s Shonen Jump+ manga. Set in an alternate version of Japan, the story follows the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force as they try to protect the nation from monster attacks.
