Highlights
- Dive into the world of Kaiju No. 8, where Kafka undergoes a terrifying metamorphosis into a monstrous Kaiju.
- Explore the deep connection between Kafka Hibino’s transformation and Franz Kafka’s iconic work, The Metamorphosis.
- Witness Kafka’s journey as he navigates his newfound abilities and dreams of joining the Defense Force to fight the Kaiju.
The protagonist of Spring 2024 action sci-fi anime, Kaiju No. 8, lives in a world in which spontaneous monster appearances have shaken the world. These monsters called “Kaiju” vary in size and temperament, but the ones that wreak the most havoc and destruction are designated numbers, with the most recent “Daikaiju” (“Great Kaiju”) designated “Kaiju No. 7”. Due to a series of unique events, 32-year-old Kafka Hibino becomes the host of a strange Kaiju, causing him to gain the ability to transform into a monster that comes to be known as “Kaiju No. 8”.
With this transformation at the core of the Kaiju No. 8 narrative, many will notice some kind of connection between this story and what’s perhaps the most famous work of Franz Kafka – TheMetamorphosis. What exactly is the link between these two vastly different stories?
Kafkaesque
Mixing Bleak Reality With Nightmarish Fantasy
In English, the word “Kafkaesque” was coined to describe that which is nightmarishly complex, frightening and illogical in a way that is reminiscent of the situations described in the novels of 20th century novelist Franz Kafka, who is regarded as one of the major figures of 20th-century literature. His novels often featured protagonists caught in incomprehensible and surreal situations, and as such, his name has been used as a means to describe situations of similar absurdity. In his most famous work, The Metamorphosis, published in 1915, the protagonist, Gregor Samsa, wakes up to find that he has transformed into a giant insect (the phrase “monstrous vermin” is used).
While the type of insect wasn’t identified in the novella, the image commonly associated with the story is that of a cockroach. Struggling to maneuver his new body, Gregor remains stuck on his back, unable to right himself. He begins to think about his career as a traveling salesman and cloth merchant, which he describes as being full of temporary and insincere human relationships.
Gregor is unhappy in his career, working under someone he describes as a despot. If it weren’t for the fact that he was the sole breadwinner, and his bankrupt father’s debts, Gregor would have quit his job ages ago. His life is complicated even more when his manager from work comes to Gregor’s house to check up on him, but no one knows of his condition. He tries to speak to his family members and the manager through the door, but all they hear is incoherent noises.
Gregor drags himself across the room and opens the door, to the horror of the manager, who flees the apartment, as well as his family, who drive him back into his room. Due to Gregor’s condition, his family is thrown into financial instability as his parents and sister wind up getting jobs of their own. His sister Greta becomes responsible for giving Gregor his food, but eventually, his family neglects him, and a number of mishaps leave him badly injured. In the end, Gregor dies of starvation after his family tires of having to take care of “it”, and when he dies, they immediately set out to find a new place to live, as well as a husband for Greta.
Kaiju No. 8’s MC Is Named After Franz Kafka
Will This Transformation Lead to Evolution or Ruin?
The obvious link is that the character Kafka Hibino is named after the author, Franz Kafka. However, beyond that, Kafka undergoes a metamorphosis when he, under unique circumstances, is turned into a humanoid Kaiju when exposed to a strange bug-like Kaiju that flies into his mouth. The family name, “Hibino” is written 日比野, with characters for “day”/”sun” and “flame” followed by “field”; but “hibi” (written with “day” and 々– a dōnojiten; a character that denotes repetition) often translates to “daily” or “day-to-day”.
Altogether, “Hibino Kafka” can be “Kafka of the sunny fields of fire” (as a possible reference to his passionate nature) or rather, “daily Kafka” – he who undergoes a daily metamorphosis. Without him even realizing it, Kafka’s body changes from its original form to a monstrous appearance. Like Gregor from The Metamorphosis, Kafka is stuck in what appears to be a dead-end job.
While it can be seen as respectable to work as part of the cleaning services that remove the remains of Kaiju after they’re eliminated by the Defense Force, Kafka’s dream and a promise he made to his childhood best friend, 3rd Division Captain Mina Ashiro, has always been to join the Defense Force and eliminate the Kaiju scourge. Trapped by circumstances like his advanced age and lack of talent, Kafka has given up on his dream of standing on the same level as Mina.
These basic elements of Kafka’s character put him in a similar circumstance as Gregor; however, the grotesqueries that are the Kaiju are the series’ reflection of Franz Kafka’s surreal, horrifying and absurd approach to his writing, and much like Gregor, being turned into some kind of monstrosity doesn’t stop Kafka from needing to show up at work. Unlike Gregor; however, Kafka’s metamorphosis in Kaiju No. 8 presents him with the opportunity to become the person he’d always wanted to be and leave the job that he dislikes (despite being one of the very best clean-up technicians).
There’s also the juxtaposition of Kafka and Mina, which presents the contrast between talent and courage, spotlight and background in a way that may reflect The Metamorphosis’s relation of Gregor and his sister Greta, who is regarded as beautiful by their parents despite all the hardship they’ve gone through by the end of the novella. Through this metamorphosis, which is often seen as a beautiful process because of how caterpillars become butterflies, which are symbolic of beauty, Kafka becomes a horrifying monster – albeit one with the possibility of a bright future.
Kaiju No. 8 is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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