They believe that Kaiju No. 8 is not as popular as it should be

Among all the premieres of the Spring-2024 season (April-June), "Kaiju No. 8" was definitely one of the most anticipated. The original manga became popular from its inception due to its innovative take on many shonen concepts. Instead of focusing on a young man as the protagonist, the story focuses on Kafka, a middle-aged man.

Moreover, instead of relying on his flashy powers, Kafka initially had to hide his kaiju nature from the Defense Forces and fight mostly with his meager skills, except in extreme cases. However, it seems that the manga's story has lost those aspects that made it stand out from others of the same demographic, and fans fear that this will affect the anime's popularity, as reported by one netizen:

• "Kaiju No. 8, a play that many have read but recently comments have appeared like: "It was interesting at first, wasn't it? In the beginning..."; "I remember when this manga was interesting"; and "The anime adaptation will surely grab viewers at first, but disappoint them later," I can't help but pay attention to this," someone wrote on Twitter.

While the post attracted quite a bit of attention, netizens in Japan were quick to see a response that brought them to the attention of the United States. They consider the glitch of "Kaiju No. 8" to be its protagonist:

• "The protagonist is 33 years old, older than Kakashi and Gintoki, but his personality is like that of the Naruto of the first chapters, which is exasperating to watch. I would have liked him to use his age-appropriate knowledge and crafty fighting style," the reply wrote.

And of course, this was the most popular response, sparking a debate among fans of the industry:

• "There's certainly not much I can say against this view."
• "The protagonist is an old man, but inside he's a teenager."
• "Well, I'd like to think that 33 years old is still considered 'young.'"
• "But aren't there isekai stories where the protagonist is an old man? Well, there's always the option for him to die and be reborn as a young man."
• "No more ageism! Kakashi was only mature in front of 11-year-olds, but in front of people his age he was in the shadows. And Gin-san is a kid, by his own admission."
• "I don't think it's a good idea to worry about the age of the protagonist, do you?"
• "In the end, it's impossible to draw characters older than the author's mental age. That's why school stories that allow kids to be kids are so popular."
• "It's not so much the spirit of the protagonist, it's that the development is boring."
• "It's hard because it feels like an old man is trying to regain lost youth."

Source: Yaraon!