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With only five episodes under its belt,Kaiju No. 8, featuring Kafka Hibino as the protagonist of the series, has made a big name for itself in the anime world. The series was awaited by fans for a long time because of the popularity and reception that theKaiju No. 8manga got, which has been going on since 2020.
While fans are happy with the story, animation, and characters of theKaiju No. 8anime series, the one thing that the fans were not happy about was Kafka’s physical appearance in the series. Episode 5 ofKaiju No. 8, which was released on June 20, 2025, featured a scene where Kafka unveils his puffy belly, which has shocked fans.
Anime fans instantly started comparing Kafka with Shonen protagonists from other series and pointed out how he does not have the typical body of a main character. However, Kafka’s voice actor, Nazeeh Tarsha, could not bear to see Kafka getting berated by fans, so he defended him by pointing out that Kafka’s body is the ideal physique for a male.
Kafka Gets Berated By Anime Fans For His Physical Appearance
In Episode 5, Kafka and his other colleagues decide to take a bath after intense training. During the bath, Kafka, Ichikawa, and Iharu start comparing the muscle build, and at first, Kafka shows a bulky body with intense muscles. However, suddenly, it is revealed that Kafka was just holding his breath to pull his stomach in.
No, Kaiju No. 8 Isn’t an Attack on Titan Rip-Off Despite it’s 1 Glaring Similarity With Eren Jeager’s Story
As soon as he breathes the air out, his stout belly bounces out, and Iharu and Ichikawa start making fun of him and even state that he can’t be a part of the Defense Force if he has a build like this.
However, Iharu was not the only one who made fun of Kafka because of his body. AKaiju No. 8fan account shared a tweet on X(Formerly Twitter) comparing the physical builds of Kafka and other shonen protagonists.
MC in the other anime VS MC in kaiju no 8 …. I can’t do it with Kafka 😓 🙈 ❣#怪獣8号#KaijuNo8#8号リアタイpic.twitter.com/dfBgFP1Ikr
— Angicer (@Angelicaceresa1)August 14, 2025
Fans instantly started insulting Kafka for having a pudgy belly and even commented about how he was unfit for being an anime protagonist.
Kafka’s Voice Actor Defends Kafka
While other anime fans were joking about Kafka’s dad bod and how the main character ofKaiju No. 8is not a good fit for an anime that has quite a lot of battles and training, Kafka’s English voice actor Nazeeh Tarsha came to protect the honor of his character.
Tarsha pointed out that Kafka’s body is the ideal male body, and although fans might not like it because he doesn’t look like beefed-up main characters from other series, his physical appearance is at its peak.
Kaiju No. 8 Can Not Only Attract Godzilla Fans But Also Those Who are Tired of the MCU
As soon as Tarsha shared his tweet,Kaiju No. 8fans came together to defend their main character. Some fans even stated that Kafka’s dad bod is much better than other protagonists.
This is the ideal male body. You may not like it, but this is what peak performance looks like.https://t.co/TAuo210gBu
— Nazeeh Tarsha (@NazeehTarsha)August 20, 2025
I can maybe understand three of those characters having some kind of abs (Izuku, Eren, and Tanjiro), but??? and whatever happened with Asta’s body during his training, I just… ugh. Characters with a body type like Kafka and Laios (Dunmeshi) is average and perfect.
— nicevibes, always. 🇵🇸 (@jncvibe)August 22, 2025
I swear to God, you could put all of my anime crushes together multiple times (Toji, Gojo, Sukuna, Jiraiya, Kakashi, etc) together and I will choose Kafka every time. He’s got the perfect body imo 🥰
— Kelsey 🇨🇦 (@StrwbrryOvrkll)June 01, 2025
https://twitter.com/Alystar_XXX/status/1789748889722982711
Give me a Kafka bod any day. Ideal male and peak cuddle potential!
— Kya ⤹˚˖ ♫ ୭ somewhere in Eorzea (@Kyarrific)August 14, 2025
Kafka’s plumpish body might not be liked by fans that much, but it offers a realistic experience to the anime, and that is certainly loved byKaiju No. 8fans. Irrespective of his body, his real strengthcomes from his Kaiju form, which fans will get to see more in the next episode, which is scheduled to be released on August 17, 2025.
You can watchKaiju No. 8on Crunchyroll.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
