In April 2024, Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 anime series hit the screens, and for the first time in years, fans believed that they might have found something unique. The series was quite different from a basic Shonen series as it did not follow the stereotypical anime tropes and introduced a new angle with the help of its protagonist, Kafka Hibino.
Kafka defied every rule that is followed by a main character in a Shonen series, and this was a good thing as it made fans believe that Kaiju No. 8 might be on to something. However, as the story progressed, it went the same route as every other Shonen anime series, and Kafka’s unique traits went to waste.
When it became noticeable in the series, fans pointed it out and shared their opinions about the wasted potential of Kafka Hibino and how one of the most anticipated anime series of 2024 might become responsible for its own downfall.
Kafka Hibino Was Different From Other Shonen Protagonists
Ideally, almost every Shonen anime follows the same theme in terms of a protagonist. The protagonist gets some kind of motivation when he or she is a kid (either by an idol or a mishap), and then the protagonist trains hard with the help of others to follow that motivation, making friends along the way, and finally beats the final boss and achieves his dream.
However, Kafka’s story was a little different compared to others. Although he does face a calamity as a child, which gives him a goal, Kafka is not able to do anything about it and ends up taking a job as a cleaner at Monster Sweepers Inc. at the age of 32. The age factor mattered a lot because all Shonen protagonists are generally between the ages of 12 and 20.
There were other elements too that differentiated Kafka from other main characters. Unlike others, Kafka did not have great physical attributes. He sported a stout belly and broke the in-shape protagonist barrier. He also had facial hair, which is a rare occurrence in the anime world when talking about the protagonist of the anime series.
Kaiju No. 8 Might Have Wasted Kafka’s Potential as a Unique Protagonist
When the series started, the character introduction of Kafka made fans believe that he was not a normal main character but had a different charm about him. However, recent revelations in the episodes of Kaiju No. 8 may point out that the series is going down the same route as every other typical Shonen anime series.
As the story of Kaiju No. 8 gets developed further, Kafka, despite being a unique main character, follows every single protagonist trope there is. His age does not include any kind of relevancy for the character, and he acts just like any normal anime protagonist.
A lot of fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their disappointment with Kaiju No. 8 and Kafka in particular. He could have done a lot better than other main characters and proved himself to be the most unique protagonist of all time.
I love Kaiju No. 8 but it does just about every single anime trope that's ever been made pic.twitter.com/2FAMJFGOem
— kazu°• YURU CAMP (@kiikazuu) May 13, 2024
I’m not caught up, but, the thing is, his age has absolutely not relevancy and he also just acts like a teenager MC would. For me it was a bit disappointing after a while.
— RedpandaBjorn (@Bjornescu96) May 13, 2024
Not to be a hater but the comic starts with a legitimately unique and interesting premise, people who's job it is to clean up after shonen battles, but instead goes the generic battle manga direction
— Goblingirlmode (@Good_day_note) May 13, 2024
His age almost doesn’t even matter since he still feels like an MC who somehow needs to learn some basic knowledge about every new topic he‘s confronted with
— minicooper (@minicooperF50) May 13, 2024
I don't think I've heard a single thing about Kaiju No 8 other than the fact that the protagonist is in his 30s. Legitimately that's all anyone has been saying about it as far as I've seen
— Maxx F (@myoddthoughtzz) May 14, 2024
While Kaiju No. 8 might have gotten a disappointing start, there is still a chance for Naoya Matsumoto to make things right and get the story back on track by using Kafka’s unique traits as a protagonist.
You can watch Kaiju No. 8 on Crunchyroll.
