Kaiju No. 8: Does Kafka have a love interest?

Kaiju No. 8, created by Naoya Matsumoto, is set in a world threatened by supernatural monsters known as Kaiju. The protagonist, Kafka Hibino, is a middle-aged man whose regular life drastically changes when he gains the ability to turn into a humanoid Kaiju himself.

With his newly obtained strength, Kafka works towards joining humanity’s saviors, the Defense Force, for the sake of protecting everything he holds dear. Given the importance that emotions and bonds play in Kaiju No. 8, fans may naturally wonder whether the protagonist has a love interest in the series. No, Kafka Hibino does not have a love interest in Kaiju No. 8.

Nevertheless, given that the story is a battle shonen, where main characters tend to have some sort of romantic side story, fans have constantly theorized about potential friendships of Kafka that could grow into something more in the future. At the top of this list is Mina Ashiro, Kafka’s childhood friend.

The circumstances surrounding Mina and Kafka’s first meeting are never revealed in Kaiju No. 8, but they share one of the most positive relationships in the story. As children, the pair were organically drawn to each other due to the common tragedy faced by their hometown from Kaiju attacks. Mina’s pet cat had died, while Kafka is also presumed to have lost some loved ones.

As a result, the two promised each other to grow stronger together and join the Defense Force, driving out the Kaiju for the sake of humanity. Kafka and Mina were a dedicated pair who worked relentlessly towards achieving their dreams. Kafka, as the older boy, felt a sense of responsibility and always tried to appear dependable in front of Mina.

This also worked, as Mina saw him as her source of strength. Unfortunately, the pair were soon driven apart when Mina passed her Defense Force exam and Kafka failed. While Kafka had told his friend to go on ahead, he eventually lost motivation to keep reapplying. Mina, on the other hand, turned out to be a prodigious talent that would bring a revolution to the era of Kaiju extermination.

She was initially terrified of the power she possessed and was desperate for Kafka to join her. However, she settled into her role and became the Captain of the Third Division. Ever since, Mina resented Kafka for failing to fulfill his part of the promise. She only began forgiving him once he tried to join the Defense Force again.

Despite their difference in positions, Mina and Kafka’s friendship rekindled when the protagonist was selected to join the third division. Kafka was primarily driven by his desire to be by Mina’s side, while Mina was also awaiting his arrival.

Even after discovering that her friend was Kaiju No. 8, Mina did not give up hope on him. She continued motivating Kafka, seeing him as the person she always knew. Hence, Mina and Kafka are the central relationship in Kaiju No. 8. However, there has been no hint that the two of them share any sort of romantic feelings for each other.

Their bond is purely platonic, where they are emotional crutches who boost each other’s self-confidence. Nevertheless, there have been endless theories on how they will likely end up with each other.

This stems from the shonen trope where protagonists are given some sort of romance or a romantic partner to conclude their tale, regardless of the development till that point. Should Kaiju No. 8 continue the same pattern, then Mina will most likely be Kafka’s final love interest.

Does Kikoru like Kafka in Kaiju No. 8?

The second closest bond that Kafka shares with a girl in the series is with Kikoru Shinomiya. As the daughter of the legendary Isao Shinomiya, Kikoru is a haughty girl who aims to rapidly gain strength. She met Kafka during the Defense Force test, and despite their early tensions, soon grew to be his treasured friend.

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While Kikoru does like Kafka, she does not see him as a love interest. Setting aside ethical questions about their age difference, Kikoru is a girl who desperately craves the approval of her father, who has been strict with her all her life. Given how Kafka is a middle-aged man with a positive influence on her, their relationship stemmed from her underlying emotional needs.

However, it merely began that way, and Kikoru and Kafka have since developed a very close friendship. Kafka has repeatedly risked his identity and safety for Kikoru, while Kikoru has worked very hard to become stronger and help Kafka. This is yet another platonic friendship that is highly wholesome with no signs of romance.

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