One night at Cherryton Academy, an herbivore student is brutally murdered. Among the members of the Drama Club, the herbivores’ suspicions naturally turn to their carnivore classmates… The prime suspect? Gray wolf Legoshi. But he wouldn’t hurt a fly. Or would he? Will dwarf rabbit Haru bring out the beast in him? Or are his feelings for her…something else?
Paru Itagaki ( 板垣巴留, Itagaki Paru) is a multi-award-winning Japanese manga artist, known mainly for her work Beastars. She is the daughter of Keisuke Itagaki.
I started buying these mangas after watching the first season anime on Netflix. I hope they make the anime’s available to buy as well! I loved it. Mature audiences only
[Edit to add: this is on my library's top 14 Staff Picks for Teens.]
This was... odd. It's a boarding school story where the school is populated by semi-anthropomorphic animals. The student body is divided into predators and prey, and there is discomfort with this while at the same time the students interact in class and clubs, and are sometimes friends.
Then a student is murdered. Is the death even being investigated? We don't really know because we only see the kids' viewpoints, not any adults or anything outside the school. Most people seem eager to forget the disturbing crime.
Definitely the strongest element here is the personalities of the students, which are influenced by but not entirely based on their animal trait. One of the main characters is a wolf: fierce, yes, but also socially awkward and filled with anxiety and self-conscious about the fear he arouses in others. The stag, a prey animal, is surprisingly aggressive and dominant in personality -- almost abusive, I thought, although he seems to be admired by everyone.
I look forward to finding out more about both how this world is built and what is going on at the school.
I have no idea where this story is going to go but it is extremely interesting. I would have never thought having herbivores and carnivores together at one school would be so interesting. I completely and totally adore Legoshi! He’s such an interesting character and Im curious of how everything is going to work out with Haru coming into the picture. It’s clear that Legoshi is losing some control but I think there might be more to the story than we anticipate. I was actually really surprised about how much I ended up enjoying the artwork. It wasn’t something that pulled in my attention but once I got into the story, it felt like the perfect fit. Im excited to move on to the next volume!
At a high school where the students are literally divided into predators and prey, it’s personal relationships that maintain the fragile peace. Who among them is a Beastar—an academic and social role model destined to become a leader in a society naturally rife with mistrust? Is it Legoshi, the scary looking but soft hearted wolf? And what is up with this murder?!
The Premise
In Beastars vol 1 Legoshi is a grey wolf. A large predator animal. When his friend is murdered he is seen by the other students as the most likely suspect. We learn behind the scenes that looks are deceiving. He works behind the stage for the drama club and is quite good at handling all the grunt work. When his club president, Louise, embroils him in some school rule breaking he gets into an uncomfortable situation with a rabbit student, an outcast among her own kind. This was all so fascinating... I'm not sure I'm totally sold on any of it. The murder is one of the most intriguing aspects of the story after Legoshi himself.
The Buzz
I feel for the prey animals in Beastars vol 1... They are literally at the mercy of the predator animals, especially the smaller ones like the rabbits. But like any high school there is also fighting among the animals of their own kind. One rabbit girl is ostracized because boy rabbits come onto her. I was really fascinated that she becomes this big issue for Legoshi... I admit that the cliffhanger totally makes me want to continue and find out how her and Legoshi's relationship will develop.
The Feels
Legoshi's friendships with the prey animals is what won me over to his side in Beastars vol 1. He is really willing to take a lot of crap for them to support his friendship. I can't imagine being accused of my own friend's death when we didn't have a bit of anger between us. This was shown very well because once the mangaka revealed what a Beastar is I knew right away that it isn't Louie that should be a Beastar but Legoshi with his friendshipping ways!!
The Visuals
The art of Beastars vol 1 was fascinating... totally different from what I've see before (which was one of the reasons I wanted to read this!) There is this almost cartoonish feel to the style but it really suits the animal world and the mystery at the heart of Beastars. I loved how creepy and predator looking Legoshi would become at moments in the manga, totally giving weight to his reputation despite his friendships among the herbivores.
Beastars vol 1 is a really different seinen manga with a mystery that isn't solved in the first volume. Plus an intriguing animal predator vs prey political world that adds a lot of natural tension to the story. Legoshi is the best part though, a wolf with a heart that could make him the next Beastar!
Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________ You can find this manga review and many others on my book blog every Monday @ Perspective of a Writer. See my manga and graphic novel reviews at the bottom of the page.
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This is probably one of my hottest takes, but I don't like the romance in Beastars. I like its take on an anthropomorphic animal society, and the art is phenomenal, but I couldn't care less about Haru, and the way the romance is written feels too similar to the type of shoujo I don't like.
Ganador de la 11ª edición de los premios manga Taisho, ganador de 22º premio Cultura Tezuka Osamu y también proclamado mejor shonen en los Kodansha Manga Awards, se trata de un manga bajo la demografía shonen con seres antropomórficos que comenzó en 2017 en las páginas de la Weekly Shonen Champion, de la editorial Akita Shoten.
Imaginaos un mundo al estilo de Zootopia pero con un bagaje moral y ético mucho más maduro y profundo. Un alegato contra los prejuicios sociales y los propios instintos. La historia comienza con el horrible asesinato de Tem la alpaca, un hecho que conmociona a todos los estudiantes de la Escuela Cherryton. A partir del asesinato de Tem, las desconfianzas entre el grupo de alumnos hervívoros y carnívoros esta más agitada que nunca. Así conoceremos a Legoshi, un lobo miembro del club de teatro que esconde un carácter sensible bajo su aspecto amenazador. Poco a poco iremos conociendo al resto del alumnado, con una historia más profunda de lo que parece al principio.
Beastars apuesta sus cartas a sus personajes. Nada estereotipados, plagados de grises y muy humanos. Nunca sabes que esperarte de cada uno. Sorprende también la estructura narrativa, fuera de los cánones, juega con fondos y formas. Los enfoques son muy diversos y el diseño de los personajes se siente muy real. Todo consigue transmitir una atmósfera enrarecida, de tensión, de oscuridad. Sabes que algo no esta bien, que cualquier puede estar guardando el más temible de los secretos. Y me encanta.
Wow! I’m wicked surprised by this one - I was hoping to like it but wasn’t expecting to like it THIS MUCH! Such a unique idea, such interesting art, and it’s got me itching to pick up the next one!
I tried to watch the anime adaptation a few months ago while browsing Netflix with my daughter, but I'm not a fan of subtitles because I like to do chores while "watching" TV. Also, it was a freaky weird show that did not appeal to my daughter at all. When the manga showed up in one of my libraries a while later, I thought I'd give it another go. This first volume overlaps pretty much entirely with the portion of the show I saw.
Anyway, this is an angsty high school melodrama with the allegorical twist being that all the students are anthropomorphized animals that fall into predator or prey cliques in their segregated school. There is much mistrust, especially since an herbivore has just been killed and everyone suspects it was one of the carnivores.
Legoshi is the male lead, an introverted guy who just wants to fly under the radar, but who happens to be a big, bad wolf, an apex predator who freaks everyone out just by standing there. All the tension from the murder mystery has everyone on edge, and the vibe is starting to awaken some dark instincts in Legoshi, especially when he is close to Haru, a dwarf rabbit who has been ostracized by the herbivores' queen bee. She's small, weak, and cut off from the herd . . .
I found it easy to identify with Legoshi, having been the big guy who'd rather read comic books than take the football coach up on his offer to buy me a brand new helmet if I'd just join the team. And I find the story intriguing enough to keep reading on through the several volumes I have on hand.
Me cuesta un poco acostumbrarme a leer sobre animales, se hace raro jajaj pero la historia va bien. Me agrada Legosi, Jack, el ciervo y la pequeña conejita jajs Al principio me recordaba a zootopia (la peli Disney xd) pero ya no, son bastante diferentes la peli es más infantil xd. Aquí se explota más el odio a los carnívoros y el racismo, no se si esta bien empleada la palabra, pero me refiero a escenas como "Aqui no están permitidos animales de tu especie" o cuando le dijeron a Jack (un labrador) "te sugiero escoger mejor a tus amistades" (refiriéndose al lobo feroz). Veamos como sigue jeje
After watching the first couple of episodes of the anime adaptation of this series I decided I had to check out the original manga.
Volume One does not disappoint. The art is a little rough/sketchy but it works. The story is essentially the same as the anime, but I prefer the order of telling in the manga. Scenes seem to flow more smoothly here.
Characters are distinctive and fun and there is darkness afoot, far more than the family-friendly cover art suggests.
Okay, well now I understand why there's so much buzz about this title. My son watched the anime, and I caught a few bits here and there, enough to intrigue me. I'm currently trying to keep up with three or four other anime, and am loath to add another to the mix. But I did get my hands on the first couple of manga volumes …
It begins with a murder. An herbivore student at Cherryton Academy is killed. Since he was in the Drama Club, suspicion turns to the other members, specifically the carnivores. Because in this world, everyone is literally divided into predators and prey, uneasily coexisting with each other. The characters are anthropomorphic animals. Carnivores and herbivores each live in their own separate dorms. It's an interesting world. Anyway, this volume is mainly about introducing the characters and their relationships. Honestly, the murder almost seems to get put on the back burner. Although some of the students seem to suspect the wolf, Legoshi, we don't see him being questioned by the police or anything like that. One of the threads in this volume involves setting up a possible love interest for him …
I love the artwork! There's a nice, sort of flow-y quality to Itagaki's line work that is just mesmerizing. Check out those watercolors on the cover! And the facial expressions and body language throughout the book! This is some tasty stuff …
I have a hard time keeping it in my head that these are high school students. I don't get as many age cues from the faces as I would if these were human characters. And, with a sprawling campus worth of buildings at the Academy–including dorms, a dining hall, a theater, and so on–it feels more like my college experience than high school.
So far, it's an intriguing beginning. I'm liking what I see. Recommended!
There is a saying in life that goes "you need to try everything at least once".
So when I tell you I do not understand furries, I clearly have gone out of my way to avoid reading anything about furries. There is a time for everything I suppose. I would have kept avoiding furry-related content if it weren't for my friend. The other day she mentioned this manga to me and said that she would never read it. I took that as a challenge. Being the intrepid individual that I am, I willingly sacrificed two hours of my life to read Beastars, Vol. 1.
What I was greeted with was a wonderful story when taken out of context. Some of the screenshots I took actually made me laugh and I am more than happy to give this series that benefit of the doubt. It's got humor. In context, however, this manga is the most bizarre thing I have ever come across in my life. We start with the murder of an alpaca (can you see how well this is going?) and the murder being the catalyst for our introduction to the school environment, and the ever-continuing battle between the herbivores and the carnivores (I cannot believe I just wrote this sentence). Sure, they bully each other, but what really got me was that they even have separate libraries. What books are they hiding from each other? Romances about each others' eating habits? Beyond that, there is school play drama, wild character dynamics, a rather slutty deer, and the beginnings of a pretty disturbing relationship between a 6-foot-tall wolfman and a 3-inch-tall bunny rabbit. I just want to know why the omnivores weren't represented.
Even if I chose to ignore the furries and the incoherent plot, this art style was not my favorite. This manga came out 4 or 5 years ago, yet the art style looks so dated and even incomplete in some spots as if the artist didn't bother to edit their sketches. I only bring this up because it was hard to tell which of the animals were speaking sometimes and some of the animals were so blob-like in form I couldn't figure out what animal they were supposed to be. For a story revolved around only animals, I should be able to discern between them. I thought Jack (the Labrador) had the best design, but that might just be because I think Labs are cute.
Beastars was giving furry Grease. If you're into that, check this out. Or get therapy. Whatever works for you.
*4.5 I know @tay knows 😂 but the story and the art was really great to read through and I love all of the characters I’m actually excited to read the other volumes to see more about themselves
I have seen the anime which inspired me to buy the manga. So I knew already the overall plot but it was still nice to experience the story again. The setup and plot are of course superb.I still have to get used to the drawing style but it's not in any means bad, just different from my usual choices.
I love the exploration of predators from a herbivore's perspective and its crossover with (toxic) masculinity from a female's perspective. It's so fascinating to explore the similarities, the fears that come from that and how you might be able to combat that.
I have so many questions about this series but in the best way possible. Did Jack and Legoshi grew up in the same neighbourhood because it was a carnivore neighbourhood or was it coincidence? Why is Jack to be one the "good" carnivores who shouldn't associate with Legoshi? What makes him better in the herbivore's eyes? How many prejudices from our world survived in this one, like fucking like rabbits, the big angry wolf, and goats eating paper...
BEASTARS is like a decidedly more adult version of "Zootopia." Like the new Disney classic, this story imagines a world populated by anthropomorphic animals who have called a truce between herbivores and carnivores and live in a civilized society. Also like "Zootopia," there is a simmering resentment and distrust between predator and prey that occasionally bubbles to the surface. (Did anyone else wonder what the hell the predators ate in "Zootopia?" At least in BEASTARS, the food situation is explained.)
I like the character designs quite a bit. This comic also inspired me to check out the anime series, and the artwork is stunning.
That said, there is a major scene in this comic that I wouldn't be surprised to learn is generating controversy. Without giving too much away, it is a scene in which a male carnivorous animal has a frightening run-in with a female herbivorous animal, and the way it is depicted is just...extremely cringey. I think that most readers will know exactly what I mean when they encounter this scene in the book.
A very unique and interesting manga that I thought was not possible, but it was. In a world where anthropomorphic animals 🦊🐼🐯 exists together based on their species, a murder has occurred in a prestigious boarding school. Legoshi, a brooding gray wolf 🐺 who’s also a member of the school’s drama club, is immediately seen as a prime suspect. While brushing off the claims and going on with school life, a dwarf rabbit named Haru 🐰 gets his attention and possibly his beastly urges.
For a story about about anthro animals, it’s very tame and serious with some humor too. It’s stylishly charming seeing many types of animals in this school. Legoshi’s character is definitely the heart of the story so far, and i can’t wait to see if we’ll see another side of him. A (100%/Outstanding)
So, after watching seven episodes of its great 3-D anime format, I couldn't wait another week to find out what happened to Legoshi and the gang. With Legoshi and Louis becoming gangsters, the narrative was becoming more intriguing. However, I was disappointed by the hurried ending since I really wanted Louis to marry Juno, especially because, like Haru and Legoshi, each pair didn't appear nearly enough during the story to truly be engaged.
Don’t get me wrong, the character development was really well done in this series but the plot was changing so much in terms of genre change that it made the story disorganised. Regardless it’s a story you would get your teeth into if you’re into the furry world!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It has been a long time since I've seen such a beautiful manga. We are used to less into detail designs and watching humans or humanlike creatures but in here, there are animals that behave like humans but that they face animal troubles. This manga is really a treasure to keep. The design is fantastic and the story looks promising.
Paru Itagakin "Beastars, Vol. 1" (Viz, 2019) sijoittuu Cherrytonin high schooliin, jossa antropomorfiset lihansyöjät ja kasvinsyöjät opiskelevat rinta rinnan. Saaliiden ja saalistajien elämä on sujunut mutkattomasti - molemmilla on omat asuntolat ja ruoka on kasvispainotteista - mutta eräänä iltana kampuksella tapahtuu hirmuinen veriteko. Teatterikerhon toiminnassa mukana ollut alpakkapoika Temi tulee syödyksi. Syyllisestä ei ole tietokaan.
Suurimmat epäilykset kohdistuvat niin ikään teatterikerhon toiminnassa olevaan Legoshi-nimiseen susihukkaan. Sutta pidetään vähän omaperäisenä tyyppinä, jolla ei kuitenkaan pitäisi olla ongelmia pitää sisäistä petoaan piilossa - onhan hän ollut murhatun alpakan hyvä kaveri - mutta miten mahtaa käydä kun kun kuvioihin saapuu söpö jänistyttö?
Sarjakuva pisti silmään täällä Goodreadsissa saamansa positiivisen arvion perusteella. Vaikka ensimmäinen osa meni vielä miljöötä ja henkilöitä esitellessä, niin alkuasetelma oli sen verran kiinnostava, että ajattelin jatkaa elukkakoululaisten parissa seuraavankin osan ajan.