- Kaiju No. 8 and Attack on Titan feature male main characters who can transform into demons.
- Both anime include female leads who are more capable fighters than the male titular characters.
- Kaiju No. 8 features big twists and turns like Attack on Titan, and they are equal in terms of popularity.
Produced by Production I.G., Kaiju No. 8 is one of the much-awaited anime adaptations of Spring 2024. The story takes place in a world infested by huge monsters, and then we get introduced to a weakling protagonist, Kafka Hibino. When the promotional trailers for the series started surfacing, several fans found it similar to Attack on Titan. Despite having many differences, we can’t deny that Kaiju No. 8 boasts several significant similarities with AoT. So, here, I have talked about how Kaiju No. 8 is similar to Isayama’s story and how it could reach Attack on Titan’s popularity.
The Protagonists of Both Series Have Similar Traits
Attack on Titan and Kaiju No. 8 are both set in a world terrorized by monsters, Titans and Kaiju, respectively. While Eren Yeager undergoes a demonic transformation by being injected with a serum and consuming the former Founding Titan, Kafka Hibino sees a small mosquito-like Kaiju force its way into his body and undergoes the drastic transformation.
AoT and Kaiju No. 8 see their protagonists transforming into the enemy to defend humanity. While Kafka and Eren were considered useless in their human forms, there’s no denying that the duo gets impressively powerful in their demon body.
Initially, Kafka and Eren can’t get hold of their new bodies, and as a result, they end up hurting the ones they love.
Female Leads of AoT and Kaiju No. 8 Have Similar Personalities
While AoT’s Eren Yeager grows up with Mikasa Ackerman, Kafka Hibino from the universe of Kaiju No. 8 grows up with Mina Ashiro by his side. Like Mikasa, Mina is also a very passionate individual who devotes her entire life to training and becoming potent enough to defeat the Kaiju that attack her homeland. Both the female leads are considered the best in their departments in their respective universes.
Mikasa and Mina are highly skilled fighters and can give a hard time to their opponents. Apart from their physical abilities, their intellect makes them capable enough to assume leading positions in their divisions. Finally, their care and love for their childhood friends, Eren and Kafka, also make them quite alike.
Attack on Titan and Kaiju No. 8 Boasts Mind-boggling Twists
When AoT first revealed Eren’s shapeshifting ability, everyone was shocked and left to wonder what had just happened. Until the manga/ anime disclosed the origin of these titans or where the humans got the shapeshifting abilities from, the fans couldn’t stop thinking about it and crafting different theories. The twists and turns of the anime/manga never disappointed us; in fact, over time, Attack on Titan creator Iseyama surprised us with some of the best twists we’ve ever seen on television.
Similarly, Kaiju No. 8 shows Kafka getting the ability to turn into a Kaiju. Moreover, as the story progresses, we are introduced to Kaiju No. 9, the primary antagonist of the series. Much like AoT, we can expect some surprising facts about the Kaiju to be revealed as and when new chapters are released.
Possibilities also suggest that we can see some more shapeshifters who choose to fight against humanity driven by secret motives. In AoT, we were intrigued to learn about Titans, and in Kaiju No. 8, we will be thinking about the origin of Kaijus. If handled well, Kaiju No 8’s twists and turns could be as surprising and satisfying as AoT’s.
Attack on Titan and Kaiju No. 8 Manga are Alike in Popularity
Attack on Titan manga’s popularity is not an element that needs to be doubted. We all know how popular it got after the premiere of the anime’s first episode. In fact, after the release of the anime, several fans rushed to read the manga, and it instantly became a fan favorite.
Well, you’d be surprised to know that Kaiju No. 8’s manga is already said to be one of the fastest-selling Shonen mangas ahead of the anime adaptation’s official debut. It’s no wonder there has been a lot of hype for the anime since its announcement. Now, let’s just hope that the anime lives up to the expectations and does not follow the footsteps of Chainsaw Man anime, as it couldn’t stay up to the expectations of the fanatics.
Kaiju No. 8 shares many similarities with AoT, so if the animation studio does a good job, it could very well fill the void left in our hearts after Attack on Titan’s conclusion. Also, Kaiju No. 8’s manga is still ongoing, so let’s hope that the author maintains this hype through their writing and doesn’t stretch or rush the story.
Of course, there are many things that can go wrong or may eventually feel underwhelming, but if all goes well, Kaiju No. 8 could very well be the next Attack on Titan.
Ajith Kumar
