It makes some sense, as he’s still clinging to his childhood dream.
Summary:
- At the start of Kaiju No. 8, the protagonist, Kafka Hibino, is 32 years old.
- He doesn’t act his age, and that upsets some viewers.
- However, that’s a part of his characterization.
The currently-airing Kaiju No. 8 has been met with somewhat mixed reviews from fans. While some believe that it’s a new and unique series that gives a fresh breath to the battle shounen genre, others are less convinced.
One of the main criticisms towards the series is its comedy. It feels like it’s aimed at teenagers, and older viewers don’t really care much for it. That goes directly against the fact that the protagonist is supposed to be an adult in his 30s — but he doesn’t act like one.
He’s Over 30, but Has a Mind of a Teenager
Kafka Hibino is 32 at the start of the series, but he acts half that age. He gets emotional very easily and often screams, which is normal for battle shounen protagonists, but he’s said to be different — he’s much older than your average teenage shounen lead.
As such, many viewers feel like they’re disappointed by the anime. It promises something we haven’t seen much in recent shounen series, but it fails to deliver. In that way, it’s not actually much different from series like Chainsaw Man and Attack on Titan (Shingeki no Kyojin), and it was already compared to both in its premise.
Manga fans, however, point out that Kafka is not that bad. In fact, anime viewers don’t even consider him bad, but he definitely isn’t the serious adult protagonist they expected. Still, Kafka supposedly gets more serious moments later in the manga, and we’ll see them at the end of the anime, probably.
This Is Not a Bad Thing, Actually
In fact, Kafka acting like a teenager actually makes sense to some. Yes, he’s in his 30s, but he himself doesn’t feel like it. He’s a member of the clean-up crew, but he always wanted to join the Defense Force and fight kaiju instead.
Even at the start of the series, he still holds to that dream he set for himself as a teenager, and he never grew mentally. Acting like a teenager is actually a part of his character — he’s definitely one at heart — and he’s likely going to develop further.
The target audience of the anime should also be considered. Shounen series are aimed at teenage boys, and this one is no exception. There’s a need to make the protagonist relatable to the target audience. As such, Kafka is different enough to make Kaiju No. 8 a new take, but he is still relatable for the readers and viewers.