Steven Reynolds 
Much of the plot of the ongoing military-themed, sci-fi anime Kaiju No. 8 centers around protagonist Kafka Hibino and his goal to become an officer in the Defense Force fighting against enormous monsters called “kaiju”.
That goal is reached somewhat when, in Episode 5, Kafka is allowed to join the Defense Force but, instead of as an officer, he is put on probation as a cadet.
By the beginning of Kaiju No. 8, Episode 6, Kafka and the rest of his Defense Force team are heading out on their first mission.
A mission that carries through to the end of Episode 7, and that has Kafka not only fighting a massively overpowered kaiju, but also having to save Reno and Iharu from certain death.
How does Kafka feel after his first mission in Kaiju No. 8?
After his first mission then, like anyone would, Kafka Hibino experiences a mix of emotions.
Those include pride — because he feels an enormous sense of accomplishment for contributing valuable insights about kaiju and their physical structure — both the location of their cores, and where best to shoot individual kaiju in order to kill them.
Those insights helped his team kill hundreds of kaiju, and were also recognized by his supervisor, Hoshina, as being one of the big reasons the team was so successful.
Because of this alone, Hoshina makes Kafka a full officer in the Defense Force (in Episode 8). Effective immediately.
RELATED: In which Kaiju No. 8 episode does Kikoru Shinomiya first appear?
Because of Kafka’s first mission, and his performance on it then, his determination to improve his skills also increases.
After all, he saw his childhood friend Mina, Hoshina, and other Defense Force members kicking some major butt, and he wants to be strong enough — both mentally and physically — to be able to do the same.
Along with those positive feelings, however, Kafka also feels some anxiety as, despite being successful in helping his team overcome so many kaiju, he still realizes that facing kaiju is both daunting and dangerous.
And that, unless he transforms into Kaiju No. 8 himself, his physical power is still very limited.
Overall though, Kafka’s first mission reinforces his resolve to fight and protect, but also serves as a sobering reminder of the challenges he will continue to face as a member of the Defense Force.
You can watch Episode 8, and every other Kaiju No. 8 episode now.
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