Warning! Spoilers ahead for Kaiju No. 8 chapter 66!
The development of Soshiro Hoshina and his new relationship with Kaiju No. 8's main character Kafka Hibino could be the start of a perfect tragedy in future chapters.
What initially appealed to readers about Hoshina's character was the creepy persona he espoused when Kafka was originally hiding his identity as the eponymous eighth kaiju. As a vice captain of the Defense Force's Third Division, Soshiro Hoshina always served as a major hurtle whom Kafka would have to overcome since Hoshina originally didn't trust him at all and even began to suspect that Kafka could very well be the so-called Kaiju No. 8. Therefore, every time Kafka was left alone with Hoshina (and Kafka unfortunately found himself in these unpleasant predicaments numerous times), readers couldn't help but feel uneasy. It didn't help that Hoshina appeared to have a two-faced personality that made him seem unbalanced. Sometimes, Hoshina found Kafka's antics hilarious and openly laughed at them like an adolescent child. At other times, he would be completely serious in his suspicions of Kafka and stare menacingly at him.
But that dynamic completely changed once Kafka's true identity was revealed to the entirety of the Defense Force. And now chapter 66 of Kaiju No. 8 by mangaka Naoya Matsumoto has steered away from it completely by having Hoshina adopt the role of the tough-loving teacher and Kafka as the starry-eyed pupil who yearns for his sensei's approval. In the chapter, Hoshina not only brings Kafka to the shrine of his ancestors, but begins training him in the art of the so-called Squadron-style Combat Technique. This will help Kafka overcome an affliction where the more he transforms into a kaiju, the more parts of him don't revert back to normal.
Although not as intriguing a dynamic, the new relationship between Hoshina and Kafka makes sense. Hoshina can no longer suspect paired with a deceased kaiju, and the end result could lead to Hoshina getting corrupted and eventually betraying both Kafka and the Defense Force.
The closer Kafka gets to Hoshina, the more such a betrayal would affect Kafka, and, consequently, the more readers will become invested in their relationship. Even though it's unlikely that, even as enemies, this prospective status could ever top their former dynamic, it's always heartening to see any character change rather than for them to remain static. It doesn't help, though, that in chapter 65, mangaka Naoya Matsumoto had both Kafka Hibino and Soshiro Hoshina reenact an earlier pivotal scene when they first fought seriously. He's teasing that something is coming in future Kaiju No. 8 chapters. Hopefully it's big.
