The television anime adaptation of Naoya Matsumoto’s Kaiju No. 8 shōnen manga has revealed its second teaser trailer and the main cast members. The anime series has also confirmed its debut in April 2024.
Masaya Fukunishi takes the role of the series protagonist Kafka Hibino, a 32-year-old professional monster sweeper, who unexpectedly becomes the titular Kaiju No. 8 after a mysterious miniature Kaiju enters his body.
Wataru Katō plays Reno Ichikawa, a younger part-timer in the monster cleaning business who aspires to become a member of the Defense Force. Asami Seto plays Mina Ashiro, Kafka’s childhood friend and a leading figure in the Japan Defense Force, who is prowess among all the squadron leaders and has successfully subdued hundreds of monsters.
Hailing from the pages of Shueisha’s Shonen Jump+, the original manga first launched in July 2020. The story centers on Kafka Hibino, a man whose childhood aspirations to combat Kaiju alongside the Japanese Defense Force haven’t quite gone to plan. Instead, Kafka finds himself engaged in monster-centric sanitation work until an unexpected incident transforms him into a monstrous hybrid, a unique entity now referred to as “Kaiju No. 8”.
▍Kaiju No. 8 Anime Characters & Cast
■ Kafka Hibino/Kaiju No. 8 – CV: Masaya Fukunishi
A 32-year-old cleaner working for the monster-specific cleaning company, Monster Sweeper. Although he had given up on his former dream of becoming a member of the Defense Force, he harbored unresolved feelings seeing his childhood friend, Mina Ashiro, basking in the spotlight as the captain of the 3rd Defense Force. However, after meeting a young man named Reno Ichikawa who aspired to be a member of the Defense Force, he resolved to pursue his dream once again.
Kaiju No. 8 is the transformed state of Kafka Hibino after being parasitized by an unidentified miniature monster. This monster has an immense power that overwhelms other monsters. Since the establishment of the Defense Force, it becomes the first un-subdued monster and is pursued throughout Japan.
■ Reno Ichikawa – CV: Wataru Katō
A young man aspiring to be a Defense Force member, who joined Monster Sweeper as a part-timer. Initially, he looked at Kafka, who had given up on his dreams, with cold eyes, but after getting to know Kafka’s character, he started to respect him.
■ Mina Ashiro – CV: Asami Seto
Captain of the 3rd Defense Force in Japan and Kafka’s childhood friend. At the young age of 27, she has subdued hundreds of monsters and boasts top-class popularity and prowess among all squadron leaders. She excels in handling sniper weapons and specializes in subduing large monsters.
▍Kaiju No. 8 Anime Staff & Production
Original Work: Kaiju No.8 by Naoya Matsumoto (Serialized in Shūeisha’s Shōnen Jump+)
Animation Production: Production I.G
Kaiju Design & Artworks: Studio Khara