Episode 1

The Man Who Became a Kaiju

Kanji

怪獣になった男

Romaji

Kaijū ni Natta Otoko

Air Date

April 13, 2024

April 13, 2024 (English Dub)

Adapted From

Chapter 1, 2 (p. 2-4)

Arc(s)

The Man Who Became a Kaiju Arc

Ending Song

Nobody

**Episode Guide**
← N/A	Episode 2 →

The Man Who Became a Kaiju (怪獣になった男, Kaijū ni Natta Otoko) is the first episode of the Kaiju No. 8 anime series.

Synopsis[]

Kafka Hibino has almost abandoned his dream of joining the anti-Kaiju "Defense Force." He now works in Kaiju clean-up, disposing of the bodies of slain Kaiju and thinking back with regret to the days he spent with his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, captain of Defense Force's Third Division.

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.

Later, in her room, Mina takes a bath and recalls how Kafka promised to be by her side in fighting Kaiju, but had lied. She receives a call for Kaiju's appearance at the hospital and agrees to dispatch her team.