The men inKaiju No. 8subvert common tropes at every turn and display a refreshing level of empathy and self-esteem. This can be seen in everything from the in-team rivalries that fuel competition and personal development in the characters of the Defense Force, to the admiration shown for Kafka Hibino by his teammates. Many of them embody the common masculine ideal of “protector”, without undermining the abilities and agency of the women and men around them,modeling a positive masculinity that warrants celebration.
This should be noted as something that anime as a genre does well with its earnest, unabashedly caring protagonists who aren’t afraid to cry or express affection for their friends, and embrace their weaknesses. Still,Kaiju No. 8is a surprisingly consistent innovatorthat still revels in the joys of a typical power fantasy, while also steadily subverting those tropes to promote a more empathetic and realistic perspective. Though, later in the manga it does begin to lean back into a few of thetropes it once subverted.
Kafka Hibino is Not Your Average Underdog
Though he is perhaps more true to the term than any to follow the trope before him, seeingKaiju No. 8’sgenuinely middle-aged, realistic protagonistis unusual on its own. Add on to thatKafka’s utter lack of strength or power by any typically measurable standards, and his willingness to fail in embarrassing and public ways, and he makes for a remarkable standout. His antics are endearing to the viewer just as they are to Vice Captain Hoshino as he invokes both laughter and respect for Kafka’s determination and perseverance.
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Even more striking, he is almost instantly given more power than his peers by becoming Kaiju No.8–but he doesn’t take full ownership of it. Instead,Kafka wrestles with his own sense of worthiness, working to prove himself without those powers and treating them as a last resort, even celebrating emphatically when his unleashed combat power increases to a measly 1%. He finds creative ways to overcome his weaknesses, applying his knowledge of Kaiju anatomy from his waste disposal work to create value for the team outside of combat. Rather than being defined by his limitations, they become his inspiration.
The Defense Force Has the Right Kind of Rivals
There is no shortage of rivalries in the series, but each one steadily produces loyalty and friendship. Right off the bat, viewers are introduced toReno Ichikawa, a stand-in for the typical underdog protagonist tropeas someone young and determined, not yet recognized, but clearly with a lot of talent. However, any tension that could arise from Reno and Kafka is dispelled immediately by Kafka’s goofy, in-your-face kindness and Ichikawa’s easy display of gratitude. The two are fast friends and display radical loyalty to each other, risking their lives to protect each other despite only having met days prior.
Every ‘rival’ that appears for Kafka from then on, including Kikoru Shinomiya and Vice Captain Hoshino,Kafka views with unreserved admiration and respect, even when embarrassed or indignantat Kikoru’s (constant) teasing. He notably never roots for anyone’s downfall, or imagines he needs them tostopimproving so that he can catch up: he simply works hard to be worthy of standing alongside them, and roots for their success. It’s a model for the best kind of sportsmanship, with an emphasis on personal growth and team ability rather than hierarchy or superiority.
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This model is repeated with Vice Captain Hoshino, who openly supports and roots for Kafka despite his bold statement that he wants Hoshino’s position, and repeatedly is his loudest cheerleader. It repeats again with Ichikawa and Iharu Furuhashi, who struggle with feelings of inadequacy and resentment for Ichikawa’s rapid and seemingly easy rise. At first modeling a more typical jealous rival, he grows to realize his respect and admiration for Ichikawa, and even attempts to emulate and save him.This ends up being the key to Furuhashi’s continued improvementand an excellent example of overcoming a toxic mindset.
Kafka Learns to Rely on Radical Trust
A recurring theme inKaiju No. 8is the need to believe in and trust in one’s comrades and their abilities. Several times, a version of“don’t underestimate me” is repeated as a rejection of the savior mentalitythat Kafka must go rescue another defense force officer. Instead, the characters ask their comrades to depend and rely upon them, to hold the line or cover a certain area, as they split up to most efficiently handle the problem at hand.
Kaiju no. 8 Could Have Had a Wildly Different Story That Would Have Changed Kafka Completely
Editor-in-chief Nakaji reveals that Kaiju No. 8 could have had a different storyline where Kafka leads a normal life while hiding his identity.
Though it may seem small, this challenge is an important departure from the norm. Rather than the typical trope that the main charactermustarrive at the last second as the only possible savior (which, to be fair,still happens a few times), there is a parallel line of thinking throughout the story thatKafka should instead trust in their comrades and their abilities. This mindset encourages recognition of and pride in the group, belief in community, and a sort of shared identity above an overly individualistic savior-type mindset.
Kaiju No. 8Men Show Empathy and Unabashed Affection
The characters also totally lack shame when it comes to cheering each other on, and showing trust and affection in each other. Most notably, rather than having issues with losing trust among comrades due to hiding something from them, Kafka is immediately forgiven not just by Kikoru when he first tells her, but by the entire Third Division after it is revealed that he is Kaiju No.8 and was hiding it. This level of trust in a protagonist’s actions and support for them in spite of how things seem is surprising when there is drama to be had in the conflict of distrust.
Kafka openly fights for the goal of standing by Captain Ashira’s side, and Ichikawa openly fights to be strong enough to defend Kafka. These kinds of motivations fill the group, who become all the more determined through their care for each other.
Instead, the characters are just as quick to forgive as they are to voice support for each other, as Hoshino did in accepting Kafka to the defense force and Captain Mina Ashira did in defending him to the higher-ups. Kafka openly fights for the goal of standing by Captain Ashira’s side, and Ichikawa openly fights to be strong enough to defend Kafka. These kinds of motivations fill the group, who become all the more determined through their care for each other.
Kikoru and General Shinomiya Subvert the Stoic Father Stereotype
General Shinomiya is set up to follow a trope of an icy, distant father, only to be unmasked as a doting one instead, as he has taken his daughter’s words to heart and been willing to give Kafka a chance to prove his humanity. Though the general clearly struggles with displays of affection where Kafka is generous with them, he also subtly subverts a stereotype in his respect for his daughter. Later in the manga, this becomes a foil to Kaiju No. 9’s fake fatherly feelings towards Kaiju No. 15, who identifies the deception through the sincerity of the Shinomiyas' love.
The Real World Origin For Kaiju No. 8’s Kafka Makes the Manga so Much More Heartwarming
Kafka’s narrative of following his dream originated from author Naoya Matsumoto’s struggle.
Kafka then models the kind of verbal praise and support that Kikoru should have received.Scenes often juxtapose the two and show Kafka praising her abilities and congratulating her status even as she seems to be overly intent on proving it, slowly boosting her self-esteem as well. It cleverly upends the typical distant and demanding father trope while also displaying the ways it falls short.
The Antagonist Subtly Embodies Toxic Masculinity
Kaiju No. 9’s abilities involve transforming themselves and transforming the corpses of others. As a perfect opposite to Kafka, the antagonist’s power essentially relies ontakingandabusingthe powers and bodies of others. Furthermore, the only goals we can see so far from the Kaiju are a blind determination to subjugate everyone and everything around it: a view that sees a threat where Kafka sees inspiration.
Even Kaiju No. 10, who Hoshino defeats and then later teams up with in the form of his armor, displays a sort of identity in the love of fighting itself, and an ability to respect his opponent’s power. Kaiju No. 9, by contrast, is singularly focused on becoming superior, subjugating or killing and taking the abilities of anything strong he encounters. With yet another example of clever character development,Kaiju No. 8shows off incredible depth in its construction and ischock-full of subversive examples of positive masculinity.
Kaiju No. 8
Cast
Kaiju No. 8 follows Kafka Hibino, who dreams of joining The Defense Force alongside childhood friend Mina Ashiro in a world beset by Kaiju. Kafka’s path diverges as he works cleaning up post-battle, but his encounter with Reno Ichikawa reignites his vow to defend humanity. Released in 2024.
