Kaiju No. 8 Episode 5: Kafka Joins the Defense Force as Another Attack Begins

The highly anticipated Spring 2024 anime series, Kaiju No. 8, continued to impress with the official release of episode 5 on Saturday, May 11, 2024. Despite a relatively uneventful episode, fans were still excited for the continuation of the series.

Despite this, Kafka Hibino’s successful entry into the Kaiju Defense Force as a cadet in episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8 also marked the beginning of his first mission. As a result, viewers are eagerly anticipating the encounter between Kafka and the humanoid Kaiju, who was seen in the previous episode, during this mission.

Kaiju No. 8 Episode 5: Kafka’s Journey to Stand Next to Mina Begins

Brief Episode Recap

Kafka finally achieves his dreams in Kaiju No. 8 episode 5 (Image via Production I.G)

The fifth episode of Kaiju No. 8 started with Kafka Hibino returning to his day job, feeling anxious about the exam results and placing the blame on Reno Ichikawa for pushing him. They both received their results from the Kaiju Defense Force and nervously opened them together at work. The focus then shifted to a branch headquarters of the Kaiju Defense Force, where successful examinees were seen socializing.

Upon Kikoru Shinomiya’s entrance, Ichikawa formally introduced himself to Iharu Furuhashi. He proceeded to discuss Kafka’s status, but was interrupted by the arrival of Mina Ashiro, signaling the beginning of the entrance ceremony. Kikoru was chosen to give a speech as the top performer in the new class, and Mina commended her for defeating the revived Honju and greatly minimizing casualties.

Despite her initial belief that Kafka did not deserve to hear those words and instead wanted answers from him about his humanoid Kaiju form, the events of Kaiju No. 8 episode 5 ultimately led her to change her mind. As Kafka entered in uniform and revealed that he had passed, a flashback began that showed how he was initially deemed destined for failure by those in charge of such decisions.

Mina is moved by Kafka's words in Kaiju No. 8 episode 5 (Image via Production I.G) — Mina is moved by Kafka’s words in Kaiju No. 8 episode 5 (Image via Production I.G)

Just as Mina appeared to be about to object, Soshiro Hoshina stepped in and offered to mentor Kafka. Hoshina noted that although Kafka may not have impressive credentials, his intelligence and the valuable support he provided demonstrated that he would be a perfect fit for the Defense Force. He also mentioned Kafka’s sense of humor as an added bonus. As a result, Kafka was accepted into the Third Division as a cadet, with both Mina and Hoshina personally overseeing his training.

Mina, in episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8, congratulated those who passed the exam and also acknowledged the increasing danger of Kaiju in recent years. She used the latest incident of the test Kaiju coming to life as proof of this, which greatly motivated Kafka. He was so inspired that he even called her by her first name and expressed his determination to stand by her side in the near future. This caused everyone in the room to give him awkward looks, making him realize his mistake.

Despite clearly wanting to respond, Mina suppressed her emotions and maintained her role as an officer by punishing him. Hoshina attempted to lighten the mood with a joke, but was surprised to see Mina actually smiling at his words. As Kafka began his 100 push ups, Hoshina reflected on the coincidence of receiving a 9.8 magnitude Kaiju alert while also realizing that Kafka’s vitals had stopped transmitting.

Reno Ichikawa bonds with Iharu Furuhashi in Kaiju No. 8 episode 5 (Image via Production IG)

In episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8, Hoshina made it clear that he is aware of something unusual or special about Kafka and is determined to uncover the truth. Despite this, Kafka managed to complete his 100 push-ups and received applause from the onlookers. Kikoru then approached him and insisted on having a conversation, leading both Kafka and Ichikawa to join her in discussing the origins of Kafka’s powers.

Kafka’s suggestion was to inform the Defense Force, however Kikoru advised against it. Her main concern was that it would jeopardize his position as an officer, or even put his life at risk. Kikoru also mentioned that numbered Kaiju are often used to create powerful weapons once defeated, and this could potentially happen to Kafka if his true identity is exposed. Despite Kafka pleading with Kikoru to keep his secret, she agreed but warned him that she would not hesitate to eliminate him if he were a Kaiju with malicious intentions towards humanity.

In the episode of Kaiju No. 8, Kafka expressed his reliance on her in case of that situation, as the scene shifted to Kafka and his team’s initial training session concentrating on target practice. They each completed the course individually, and their times and combat abilities were recorded. Hoshina watched from above, remarking on Ichikawa’s significant improvement.

Despite the others being focused on their scores, Kafka was seen celebrating his 6-and-a-half minute runtime and 1% unleashed combat power. However, Hoshina quickly dampened his spirits by stating that he would be fired in three months if he didn’t improve. Despite this, Kafka was still pleased to see competition among them.

In episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8, Kafka and Ichikawa joined the group in the bath, where their competitive nature persisted. Kafka couldn’t help but reflect on how long it had been since he had taken part in such activities. Meanwhile, Kikoru and the girls stumbled upon Mina in the laundry room, leading to a conversation about Mina’s training routine.

The group of men were engaged in a discussion about their reasons for joining the Defense Force. Each member had their own unique motivation, but many mentioned Ashiro as a source of inspiration or a goal to strive for. Kafka, feeling perplexed, turns to Ichikawa for an explanation, unaware of how much influence Ashiro had on his peers. As the conversation continues, Kafka shares his romantic involvement with Mina, causing the others to react with envy and resentment. Despite Kafka’s attempt to leave, the group insists on hearing the full story before allowing him to leave the bath.

In episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8, a training montage was shown, showcasing the upcoming days for the recruits. The montage ended with Kafka staying up late one night to study. He reflected on the fact that he needed to put in twice as much effort as his peers, but Hoshina reminded him that getting enough sleep is also crucial. They also talked about Kafka’s feelings towards Mina, with Kafka even mentioning his goal to become the Vice-Captain and take Hoshina’s place.

Despite Hoshina’s warning to keep a distance from others due to the potential danger of death at any moment, he still entrusted Kafka with the task of locking up the library within two hours before leaving. As they were about to embark on their first mission, a Kaiju alert sounded, signaling the end of the episode.

In review

Despite its lack of major events, episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8 still offers viewers many heartwarming and humorous moments, with one of the most memorable being Kafka’s successful entrance exam. The trend of comedy continues throughout the episode, a departure from the tone of previous chapters.

The episode successfully continues to develop side characters that were previously introduced, notably Iharu Furuhashi. The introduction of Kafka and Hoshina’s rivalry is also well done, particularly when considering their relationship from Hoshina’s perspective.

Overview

Despite its mundane appearance, episode 5 of Kaiju No. 8 displays potential for the series to have a successful and enduring future. Through its ability to excel in more than just action and sakuga, the series gains a depth that can be appreciated even by casual viewers.