Beastars

by Paru Itagaki

This is a review for the series as a whole, not just this volume.

Beastars is one of the most interesting mangas i’ve had the pleasure of reading in recent years. The industry is quite oversaturated with shonen, so it was nice to read something so refreshing and so politically conscious. The series uses a predator/prey or carnivore/herbivore dichotomy to comment on issues like prejudice, assault, sexism, discrimination and so on. This dichotomy is never black and white, and it also never represents a single issue. Sometimes it’s a tool to comment on racism, and sometimes it’s used to comment on gender inequality, and that multitude of factors makes it one of the most complex commentary i’ve seen in recent years, especially in manga!

But this series isn’t only a drama. It also features great romance arcs, especially the ones which comment on “interspecies” relationships, and how society comprised of all kinds of species reacts to these kinds of issues.

Speaking of animals: do not disregard this series because it includes anthropomorphic animals. I get why seeing representations of “furries” (but not really) being intimate could make someone uncomfortable, but if you push through you’ll find a gold mine of social commentary and amazing characters.

10/10

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