#kafkareno

[lukadotxyz]

where is the kafureno on this damn app let me make it myself

[neverstopwoandering]

Chill times.

(1. one of the photos shown in the ending theme animation of s1 of the anime. 2. an art by Matsumoto).

Neat that the anime takes even those extra arts into account sometimes.

So, we know from the manga that they're close & we get a decent amount of fun and beautiful moments with them. But would have been nice to see how their relationship has deepened over their first three months mentioned in the manga, before JAKDF. They probably had a lot of funny times (also stressful, for Reno, what with Kafka's "transforming uncontrollably in public"/etc thing). Wonder if Reno ever did some cooking for/with Kafka at that time (his character page in the manga states he loves cooking).

The cat could be picking up on the kaiju in Kafka.

[kazorashi]

Reno x Kafka Drabble

It was admiration at first.

Or that's what he tells himself. Reno thinks he might have loved Kafka the moment the older man offered his energy drink to him on his first day of the job. The little thump in his heart might been overshadowed by Kafka putting ear plugs up his nose, but Reno thinks that might have been it.

"Sir..." he whispers softly as he runs a hand down the older man's face. He's fast asleep. The 2nd half of their examination was in a couple of days and Kafka had gotten drunk tonight because of it. Too many failures from years before plaguing his mind.

Reno hopes that his presence tonight had comforted Kafka in some way.

"You'll pass, I know you can." he encourages in the night and Kafka groans, turning in his sleep. The teen is quick to take his hand away and waits with baited breath, waiting for Kafka to quiet down. With his heart thumping loud in his ears, Reno exhales once it seems like Kafka has settled down.

He's afraid of his new found feelings that seemed to have burst within him. Much too soon and much too strong, Reno wants both his feelings to disappear and grow even more fierce. Because Kafka, as amazing as he is, believes deep down that he still can't do it.

Reno knows that he can.

He wants to protect Kafka's dreams and help him move forward. He wants to be the strength to help his friend keep going. To pursue their ambitions together. Because there's no one kinder, more braver, more deserving of it.

"That's why you can do it. That why you'll pass." And as quietly and slowly as he can, Reno risks the dangers of his heart and holds Kafka's hand. The touch of Kafka's rough and aged skin makes him tremble with both delight and fear. "Because you're not alone. You have me." The words come out weak and strained. "Sir..."

I love you.

Taking his hand away, Reno curls up next to his friend's side and falls asleep just as he is. And when he wakes up, he finds the blanket Kafka used is covering the both of them.

End.

[kaiyaps]

Hey! I just posted the first chapter of my hot springs vacation fic here on Ao3 for Kafka x Reno (no clue what their ship name is) it’s set before Kafka becomes an officer and before his secret is revealed.

[stridingseer]

Everytime I think I'm free from my white haired blorbo obsession, another bodies me. Thank u Reno Ichikawa for ur insanity about Kafka. Love that for you.

[neverstopwoandering]

(Matsumoto's illustration for jump festa 2026) An average KafReno lunch break, ig.

Kafka: フタ固え!! -> The lid is so tight!! / Ugh, this lid's so tight!!

Reno: そのクセまだ直ってなかったの!? -> That habit/quirk still hasn't gone away, seriously!? / Seriously, this still happens!?

Which seems a reference to ch 3, where the immense effort required to unscrew the lid brings out the kaiju in Kafka:

Might not be intended anywhere specific in the story, but if was, wonder where. Obvsly past them joining JAKDF. In ch 129 Kafka's kaiju thing is still a secret outside of JAKDF + he's back to that form of No. 8, so could even be post-canon.

Also cute how subtle Reno's pink tips sometimes get in those colored illustrations. Sometimes they're not even there, so it always makes me happy when they are.

[neverstopwoandering]

They look so good together. They don't get much battle collab content in the manga (only the exam at the beginning & the final battle), so at least they got these.

What's interesting is Reno often has a bit more of a "backing him up" vibe, which seems to fit his combat style and how he fights by Kafka's side in the final battle. He's a reliable guy for his man.

(arts by Matsumoto)

Would be nice to get some more KafReno arts once the anime gets to ch 99-101 & 127-129. If Matsumoto went all out for one of these and indulged Reno's romantic chemistry with Kafka (see)... The world is not that beautiful, but one can dream.

[neverstopwoandering]

(art by Matsumoto) Sort of fits their tsukkomi-boke theme (mentioned in Reno's jap character page): Reno serious af, Kafka doing goofy zombie shit or whatever (maybe he's supposed to reference some japanese monster/etc; not a japanologist, so lmk).

Wonder why there are 3 human hands. Reno has a hitaikakushi on his forehead, plus this pale kimono which apparently is a burial kimono (kyokatabira/shinishozoku), so he might either supposed to be dead or be a yūrei (幽霊) which is a japanese analogy to the western ghosts. But ig they don't have 3 hands, so idk. <- Edit (7/20/2026): from Matsumoto's tweet about the art (https://x.com/ringo_inuS/status/1426378817497489409: "ジャンププラスにてお盆企画のイラストが公開されました！おわかりいただけただろうか…。よーく見るとちょっとだけ怖いイラストになっています。" + a drawing (pasted below) with caption "あれ?これ…写ってね?!"), maybe it's some ghost's/ancestor's hand or sth related specifically to whose grave they're nearby.

And then Kafka is some kind of zombie thingy(?). Bc they're at a graveyard. During full moon; which apparently signifies this art references Obon (お盆), a japanese buddhist lunar summer holiday honoring the dead, supposedly akin to e.g. a mix of thanksgiving and the day of the dead, or some other death-related holidays like e.g. russian ones in spring and fall. Depending on the region, it falls on 13-16 of august or of july; the art was published in the magazine on august 14th (https://shonenjumpplus.com/episode/3269754496443150547). Edit: the aforementioned tweet confirms that.

Then the blue flame (青炎) is supposedly a thing in japanese folklore. Linked to hitodama (人魂) which are floating phosphorescent light phenomena appearing at night at e.g. graveyards that are supposed to be the soul/spirit of newly deceased or dying humans. Blue cause the cold of deadness, apparently; kind of funny bc Reno - ice - cold (though it's only the surface). And on that art he lowkey looks like his soul (fire/joy/etc) has just left him.

Idk what's with the rod. Lmk if you do.

With Reno being the voice of reason / etc type, he could be going "ghosts don't exist" (and maybe "relax"'s (which isn't by Matsumoto tho) idea of Reno having a fear of ghosts is supposed to be a looking glass reference to his rationality). Or maybe it's a "even after becoming a ghost, Reno still has to keep it down-to-earth" (yūrei are often depicted w/o legs/feet, floating above the ground). Maybe the rod thingy references his tsukko vibe: catching the boke's goofiness to stop them from spiraling too far off track, by pointing out the absurdity/etc. Would fit if it's a fishing rod. Or maybe Kafka is supposed to be some soul-eating monster, and Reno is giving him food (souls) cuz he loves cooking. OOOOORRRRR...

...Reno has died and is giving his soul up to Kafka, because he is, after all, very devoted to him. "Senpai, I'm giving you my freaking SOUL, would you at least look at it?! I swear to god", bc in the manga, Reno is pining after Kafka (see), bless him, but Kafka won't shut up about Ashiro (there's even this moment in ch 3).

Imagine that tongue playing with Reno's [redacted] soul. Must feel brill.

Or he's going "I'd literally die to keep you safe, and you're just doing goofy shit" bc that's the truth of a life with Kafka-kaiju.