Chapter 1

Chapter 1
Japanese Title	第1話
Chapter Information
Volume	1
Chapter	1
Total Pages	55
Release Date	July 3, 2020
Story Arc	The Man Who Became a Kaiju Arc
Chapter Chronology
← N/A
Chapter 2 →

Chapter One is the 1st chapter of the Kaiju No. 8 manga series.

Summary

A Kaiju appears in Yokohama, but the Defense Force manages to defeat it. Kafka Hibino's company is then sent to clean the body. They start the cleaning and soon the supervisor informs Kafka that a spot had been open and transfers him to the intestines. Kafka is against it but has no choice. That night in bed, Kafka could still smell the intestines. On the TV he sees they are talking about Mina Ashiro, the Defense Forces Third Division Captain, and how skilled she is for her age. He is reminded of a promise he made with her when they were young but is annoyed they ended up so different.

On the next day at work, Kafka is introduced to a new part-timer Leno Ichikawa, who is trying to join the Defense Force. They tell Leno that Kafka also tried to join the Defense Force, but ended up permanently working with them. Kafka explains he gave up as he became older and harder for him. Leno comments he isn't the type to give up and he can't understand that logic. Heading towards the Kaiju, the supervisor gives each team different tasks and puts Leno on intestines, making Kafka laugh, but the supervisor also puts Kafka on it too as he is good at cleaning intestines. At lunch, both Kafka and Leno struggle to eat and Kafka gives vitamins to Leno and nose plugs to make the smell more tolerable.

After work, Leno thanks Kafka for helping him during his first day and informs him that the Defense Force had raised their allowed age to 33. But as he leaves a small monster Yoju appears, however, Kafka manages to push Leno away before he is eaten. He tells Leno to run and call for help, while he holds the monster. Kafka is again reminded of his childhood with Mina and how they both decide to join the Defense Force to defeat the Kaiju. Moments later, the Yoju had easily overwhelmed Kafka and is about to eat him, when Leno returns and attacks it with a sign. Leno explains he sent the alert and if he ran away, he could never join the Defense Forces. As the Yoju is about to eat Leno, Mina and the Third Unit arrive and easily kill the monster and proceed to check the area for more Yoju monsters.

Later at the Minami General Hospital, Leno tells Kafka that he would have been dead if he didn't save him and think he really needs to try for the Defense Force. Kafka accepts it and decides to try, but then sees a flying small kaiju above him. Before he could react, the monster says that he found him and enters his mouth, transforming Kafka into a Kaiju. Both Kafka and Leno are shocked, however, an old man sees them and makes an alert. Realizing that Kafka will be killed, they decide to run.

Chapter Notes

• The first chapter of the series, as well as the first chapter of The Man Who Became a Kaiju Arc.
• Kafka Hibino is a 32 year old worker at Monster Sweeper Inc. who had history with Third Division Captain Mina Ashiro and wished to join the Defense Force alongside her. Despite this, Kafka had always failed to be recruited, eventually giving up on his promise.
• After a kaiju is killed in Yokohama, Kafka is introduced to Leno Ichikawa, the newest member of Monster Sweeper, who quickly antagonizes Kafka for giving up on joining the Defense Force, which Leno still wishes to do.
• While working, Kafka helps Leno through his first day, with Leno telling him that the minimum age to join the Defense Force is 33 now, as a way to thank Kafka.
• They are later attacked by a Yoju and, as Kafka saves Leno, the latter saves his senior himself, before the Yoju is killed and both are saved by Mina and the Third Division.
  • A flashback shows Kafka and Mina as kids, after their houses were destroyed by a kaiju, swearing to join the Defense Force together.
• Kafka and Leno later wake up in hospital, where a flying kaiju enters Kafka's mouth, effectively transforming him in Kaiju No. 8
  • An old man in the hospital sees Kafka and reports him as a kaiju,

Characters In Order of Appearance

• Mina Ashiro (Debut)
• Kafka Hibino (Debut)
• Ichitaka Mitsuike (Debut)
• Hiroto Mori (Debut)
• Masahide Tokuda (Debut)
• Leno Ichikawa (Debut)
• Isao Shinomiya (Debut, Name only)
• Bakko (Debut)
• Unnamed Flying Kaiju (Debut)