Kaiju No. 8 revolves around the journey of Kafka Hibino from an ordinary man to a kaiju-transforming hero, where he pursues his dream of becoming part of the Defense Force to fight against monsters. As he trains to become part of this team of heroes, Kafka must hide his true identity while using his newfound abilities for the greater good. However, The story could have gone differently. That would lead to a completely different dynamic for Kafka.
Instead of pursuing your dreams, Kafka may have decided to hide his identity as a kaiju and tried to live as an ordinary man. In an interview with Editor-in-Chief Seijiro Nakaji, it was revealed that he and Naoya Matsumoto considered two very different paths for Kafka's story. Nakaji explained,
“We considered two paths. One was Kafka living a normal life while hiding his true identity, and the other was him pursuing his dream even after becoming a monster. Either way, it would have led to completely different stories, but based on Matsumoto's wishes, the current path was chosen.”
Kafka's hidden identity would have made for a darker story
An interesting move that could have completely changed Kaiju No. 8
If Kafka had instead chosen to abandon his dream and completely conceal his kaiju identity, the series would have taken on a darker and more suspenseful tone. In this version, Kafka's life would then be dominated by his unattainable dream, and fear of exposure or rejection from people he cares about. He is forced to live in hiding, hoping that the Self-Defense Forces, especially his childhood friend Mina Ashiro, will not discover his secret.
This would also change Kafka's relationship with the supporting characters, including Reno Ichikawa. For Reno to be included in the series as a secondary protagonist, he would likely have to give up his dream of joining the Self-Defense Forces to help Kafka instead. Either that, or he would join the Self-Defense Forces to inform on Kafka. As for the rest of the Self-Defense Forces, it's likely that most of them would be written out or written as threats to Kafka's life.
The Self-Defense Forces will be the greatest threat to Kafka if he instead chose to hide his identity. This could add tension and doubt to Kafka's easygoing personality. It would move the anime from an action/comedy genre to something closer to a psychological thriller, where Kafka's daily life is full of danger and every decision could lead to disaster for Kafka.
Kafka's A World Without Dreams
Aside from Kafka's relationship with the supporting cast and the tone of the plot, the overall theme of Kaiju No. 8 would be completely different. In the current story, Kafka is driven by his desire to fulfill his lifelong dream and fight monsters alongside his childhood friend Mina Ashiro. This gives the anime a hopeful and inspiring tone as Kafka overcomes even the most unexpected obstacles to achieve his goal. If he were to lose sight of this and focus solely on survival, the story would change, becoming more about the hardships of living in a world that no longer feels like home.
If he had instead chosen to conceal his identity, it would have led to a more isolated Kafka, and the story would likely have focused more on his internal struggles than his external battles against the kaiju. In this storyline, Kafka might have used his kaiju powers solely as a means to survive or escape the Self-Defense Forces, rather than using them for the greater good.
Some fans have criticized Kaiju No. 8 for quickly abandoning its original premise of a hero doing a humble job (cleaning up after a Kaiju disaster) and not going the traditional shonen route. If Matsumoto and Nakaji had chosen to go this alternative route, the foundation of Kaiju No. 8 would be a completely different story.
