Masaya Fukinishi on his voice for the hero of older anime fans in Hibino Kafka: Kaiju No. 8

Kaiju No. 8 is one of the hottest anime series of the season, but it differs from the other major series launching this summer in one respect: the age of its main protagonist, Hibino Kafka.

Kafka is a modest guy in his early thirties, which is a far cry from most of the protagonists of shounen anime, who are usually in high school or at most just starting college.

We had the chance to speak with Kafka’s voice actor Masaya Fukinishi about what it’s like voicing an older character in such a successful shounen anime like Kaiju No. 8, compared to his younger roles and the coming-of-age films that currently dominate the market.

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Although Kafka is older than most shounen protagonists in popular anime, Fukinishi believes that the character’s “old-school” spirit actually makes him more relatable to certain viewers.

“A lot of manga focuses on younger high school students who have bright futures,” he told us in an exclusive interview at Anime Expo. “It’s exciting and full of possibilities, so it’s rare to see a protagonist who has more years under their belt. It almost feels like counting down to some kind of time limit or deadline.”

“I think that Kafka’s character expresses a certain fear or anxiety, which I find very interesting. But despite all that, I think that Kafka’s almost human nature, so to speak, is very old-fashioned in terms of his approach. And that brightness, I think, makes him a really, really identifiable hero.”

When it comes to finding a voice for Kafka, Fukinishi gives it his all – much like Kafka himself, a character he was immediately drawn to in the booth because of his colorful facial expressions and strong visual cues.

“This sounds like a really clever answer, but I have a certain feeling the more I get into the role. When I play a character, I start to realize, ‘Oh, I’m getting to this age. I’m starting to transform.’ So when I play an older character, I naturally feel older. Or when I play a younger character, I feel younger,” he explained.

“But in the case of Kaiju No. 8, when I read the original manga from the first chapter, I already knew: ‘Wow, this is a character that would really suit me.’ Because I think that Kafka as a character in the anime adaptation has a lot of color in terms of his variety of expression.”

“Whenever he runs, I think, ‘Wow. He looks kind of pathetic.’ So when I get that visual cue, I do that and feel older in a way.”

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In fact, Fukinishi says he has some traits in common with Kafka, one of which is that the character is “very expressive.”

“Seriously, I think when we approach our work, I always try to reach the maximum at any given moment and find out where that limit is,” he told us. “I think Kafka does that in his own way. And another thing – he has a nice smile.”

During our conversation, Fukinishi proved that he is just as lively as the character he plays in Kaiju No. 8. He constantly wore a big smile and talked with his hands as he excitedly gave us his answers. It’s clear that he’s a huge fan of the show, and he even recounted a moment that made both him and the entire cast laugh in the recording booth.

“This is for me and the entire cast we were recording with that day: There’s a scene where Hoshina Soshiro, the stand-in, is laughing kind of crazy. And everyone in the studio burst out laughing.”

The first season of Kaiju #8 has just concluded and the series has already gained a huge fan base. Viewers can’t wait to see what happens next with Kafka on his journey as a half-human, half-Kaiju and a member of the Anti-Kaiju Defense Force.