Predators vs. prey, there’s a divide amongst carnivores and herbivores that only grows more apparent when one of their own is found brutally murdered. Gray wolf Legoshi is assumed to be the prime suspect due to his given nature. Despite him being used to being judged and feared, we see him struggle through whether or not he should give in to his desires or to go against the grain of what is expected from him. The question throughout the book remains on whether Legoshi truly is guilty of committing such acts.

Then there’s Haru, a dwarf rabbit who’s used to being seen as vulnerable due to her size and meekness, along with being a female. Once Legoshi and Haru cross paths, it goes to show that maybe things aren’t as black and white as they seem when it comes to the stereotypes we place on others.

I like the questions the book poses. To go beyond what we see on the surface and take a second look at what we think we know and the actual truth we may find out in the end. All in all, a solid first volume.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

A very interesting beginning to the series. I'm not fully sold on the world and premise as a whole yet but from what I have seen there are elements and characters I would read on to see more of.

Absolutely loved it. I’ve read up to volume 14 now and watched the first season of the anime. Can’t wait for more!

I loved the Anime and I knew I would enjoy the Manga. I just didn’t know how much.

This gives me an ongoing series that reminds me of Zootooia, which makes me so happy. I can’t wait to read book 2.

I really loved the art style of this book. The story is interesting, I like the bit of mystery and the large cast of characters. I've heard amazing things about the anime as well. I look forward to carrying on with this one.

I really enjoyed the anime of this series, and it was fun to see the manga for the first time! Such a great series I'm recommending to my older teens!

'Beaststars' takes place in an anthropomorphic world where herbivores and carnivores have to get along, very similar to the movie 'Zootopia'. We begin the volume with the murder of a herbivore at a high school, which causes all of the other herbivores to become very wary of their carnivore classmates, especially a kind-hearted grey wolf named Legoshi. As a predator, Legoshi is used to the dirty looks he receives from the herbivores and tries to keep his head down. Then he meets Haru, an outcasted female bunny with a scandalous reputation. Legoshi thinks he's attracted to Haru or maybe he is just confused and he wants to eat her?? I enjoyed this first volume, but I think I prefer the anime.

4 stars

This was so odd yet I really enjoyed it. I'm definitely excited to continue on with the manga and then watch the anime. It's a cool concept and I can't wait to see where it goes.

'Beastars Volume 1' created by Paru Itagaki is a manga about a really odd boarding school.

The boarding school is filled with anthropomorphic animals who are divided in dorms by predator and prey. The school has a tension because of this that is ramped up when a popular drama student is killed, probably by one of the predator students. Legoshi, a large grey wolf, is the prime suspect. Still, the show must go on, and the big play (about the grim reaper) that the students are preppeng for must go on with a new lead in the show.

This is a curiously odd story that makes me ask questions, like 'if a student is murdered, why is the play still happening?' but I liked this strange world and I would like to read more about it. I especially liked the sense of danger that the prey animals were feeling. I also really liked the art and character design.

I received a review copy of this manga from VIZ Media in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this manga.

I looooove this manga, I watched the anime and thought I’d start reading this and I seriously think it’s perfect. Also super creepy. I can’t wait to read the rest.

This isn't my usual sort of thing and I'm still not sure that I will read more - but it was an enjoyable read and I can definitely see the appeal!

If you're a reader who picked up this book because of the Netflix anime, the art and story won't disappoint. I enjoyed the unique art style and paneling in this manga a lot with Legoshi not being the typical alpha wolf and everyone trying to live a normal life after someone in the drama club gets murdered.

Definitely a 5 star book!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Anthropomorphic animals going to high school- sounds cute, right? Wrong. Here, we have carnivores and herbivores, a.k.a. predators and prey, commingling in a not-so-easy peace- there's tension in the air, but for the most part, it's an undercurrent. Then one day, an alpaca, is found murdered and eaten by an unknown carnivore, and tensions rise. Meanwhile, we have several issues involving the school play, a wolf almost losing his cool after running into a dwarf bunny, and dwarf bunny getting bullied and slut-shamed. So, slice-of-life high school drama with a murder mystery, starring animals! It's dark, intense, and intriguing, with good art and a story that leaves you wanting the next volume.

#BEASTARSVol1 #NetGalley

I found this manga very intriguing. I liked the story being told and it held my attention easily. The art style appealed to me, was nicely drawn and I felt fit the story perfectly. I found it easy to see the similarities and draw connections between the animal characters and so many of the things that occur during this story to humans in general and things that happen in our own world. I thought this was excellent and I will definitely be checking out future volumes of this series.

Fun fact, I alternatively could’ve called this post “the time I accidentally made my friends become furries”. I shall explain how and why I was able to do this, and perhaps you’ll consider joining us in becoming Beastars Trash.

(sidenote: no one is actually a furry because of this manga, but I thought that would be a funny opening. We are 100% trash for this series though)

I’d been hearing about this series for a long time online but as I’ve been finding watching anime to be very hit or miss for me I opted instead to consider the manga. Then I just so happened to see it on NetGalley and knew I’d won.

Upon opening however, I wasn’t immediately very fond of the art work on the first page and minimised it for another day. Only for my boyfriend and his friend to suggest we watch Beastars together, I agreed.

Beastars Season 1 is on netflix, and at 12 episodes averaging 22 minutes each, it is entirely possible to watch in a day. We stopped halfway through. I spent the next week continuing to think about what happens next and the desire to continue, but our free time never matched up.I did the unthinkable. I watched ahead without them. And oh my god, it was so worth it. But now I had the issue of not being able to talk about it!

Yep, you guessed it. This is when I turned to my pals and dragged them into the bin with me. I needed their support and I got it very quickly. Amy, then Beth, both sat and watched it in one sitting. Success! Beastar Trash group message time sharing all the fanart.
So, are you ready for SEVEN reasons why you should watch (and read) BEASTARS?

1. Enemies to lovers
2. No, really, he tries to kill her in episode one
3. He has to try and deal with that guilt, amongst his love
4. Soft and shy girl, but also promiscuous and happy about it
5. Tall and small couple! (no really, omg, fun height dynamics to play around with)
6. It’s a slow burn!!!!
7. Oh and they’re actually a wolf and a rabbit which leads to other dynamics being explored (role reversals)

Now to focus entirely on volume one of the manga. It’s a very good introduction to the world and even though I initially was put off by the art, if I had bothered to turn the page I would’ve realised it wasn’t actually offputting. There are heavily stylised scenes to portray and emphasise on different emotions, but overall the art was a lot calmer for most of the story. I really liked the art style throughout and found it fitting for what was being told.

The narrative of volume one explores the hierarchy of the world due to the imbalance between carnivores and herbivores. But also explores the prejudice that carnivores experience when herbivores are devoured, especially if you’re our main character Legoshi who is a big bad world.

Seeing the world from Legoshi’s point of view is great, because all he wants to do is care for bugs and keep the art department of the drama club running smoothly. But after his best friend, a herbivore, is murdered all eyes are on him. Leoshi is truly the softest, sweetest bean to exist.

But fighting against your true wolfish nature is difficult, and sometimes, you slip up a little. Sometimes you may accidentally try to devour a tiny rabbit. Ooops! This is the creation of the main story arc that’s likely to carry on for a few volumes. Seeing the turmoil that Legoshi goes through because of his actions was a really good focus point that humanises him a fair bit.

Additionally in this volume you meet Lois (stag) who is very popular for his amazing acting skills, Jack (labrador) who is Legoshi’s bestest friend, and of course, our lovely Haru (dwarf white rabbit).

I anticipate in other volumes we’ll get more of Haru’s point of view but in this it’s only a small part of the story. It is enough to get you interested in wanting to know more about her, but also it really tugs on your emotions as you already want to protect her from the bullying she’s receiving. But also very proud of her for standing up for herself and her attitude is so enjoyable.

Overall, I liked the manga – it provided a good starting point to get invested in these characters. As with most volume ones I do think it lacked a little in some areas but I’m very happy with the manga series and plan to keep reading.

Unable to read this one due to technical issues but looking forward to checking out the series when I can find a physical copy.

Darting through the abandoned halls after dark, herbivore Tem desperately tries to outrun his carnivore pursuer. Tem's luck runs out in Lecture Hall 2, where he is brutally murdered. The next day, fellow members of the Drama Club cast suspicion on Legoshi, a large Grey Wolf. Little does everyone know, Legoshi and Tem were actually close friends, and Legoshi has to weather the fear and hate cast at him with the grief he feels at losing his friend. Yes, he is a carnivore, but he has been fighting his blood-lust all his life. That, and he doesn't want to be expelled, nor break the law, both of which would happen if a carnivore was caught snacking on a classmate.

I'm going back and forth a bit for my personal rating because I think the title got a little over-hyped for me. I enjoyed the story and the mystery that is built in this first volume. I really like the cliff-hanger and can't wait to get ahold of the second volume. I think there is a lot of potential to draw parallels to this dichotomous society and the racism that pervades U.S. culture. But, I didn't find myself liking the story nearly as much as I thought I would given how much I've seen others rave about it. The illustrations are a bit too simple for my taste, and a bit rough in some instances. It seems like there are certain panels that are features, and Itagaki spends a lot of time on them, then there are other panels where characters are moving and they're drawn rather roughly. I'm definitely interested enough to keep reading, so maybe successive volumes will change my mind.

VIZ rates this for Teen Plus, but I'm not sure why from this volume. The murder at the beginning does show blood, and the subject of murder itself is a bit elevated, but I'm not sure yet why this is the rating. Given that VIZ might know more about the future of the series, and the fact that the Anime also has an older age rating, I'll stick with their age rating for now until proven otherwise.

Sara's Rating: 8/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12

This review was made possible with a digital reader copy from the publisher through Edelweiss.

Read more graphic novel reviews at www.graphiclibrary.org.

BEASTARS has been a hit in its own right, but I was glad to get a chance to preview before purchasing. Ultimately, this helped tip me over the edge to purchasing.

**I received a complimentary copy of Beastars on Netgalley in return for a honest review**

Okay.. so this first caught my eye after seeing the show pop up on Netflix and can I just say wow! I was so pleasantly surprised by this - it's beautiful! This takes what you normally expect from a manga and turns it completely on its head and provided intricate designs and amazing details. The animals are anthropomorphic (have human characteristics - think Goofy) and behave as such while still facing the "typical" animal troubles.

The story is promising and I was so immensely wrapped up in this that I felt the need to purchase this for my own personal collection after reviewing. I definitely would recommend this to any fans of Manga, or anyone wanting to break into this type of reading.

When the anime television series Beastars, based on the manga written and illustrated by Paru Itagaki, was released on Netflix back in March, the common if redundant description about the show is that it’s the Disney animated Zootopia with sex and violence. It does a disservice towards a story that is nuanced through its world-building and relationships with anthropomorphic animals. Having been impressed with the first season, whilst waiting for the second season next year, I was curious to read the source material and how it compares to the TV adaptation.

As the initial volume of Paru Itagaki's series – adapted as the first two episodes of the show – the story opens with Tem the alpaca being brutally murdered and devoured in the night, setting off a wave of unease and distrust between the herbivore and carnivore students of Cherryton Academy. At the center of this cultural divide within the school, is the large gray wolf Legoshi, who keeps to himself as a stagehand for the drama club, despite suspicions raise towards him. Generally conflicted with his status as a carnivore, this conflict reaches new heights when Legoshi has a fateful encounter with the small dwarf rabbit, Haru.

Similar to the seminal TV show Twin Peaks, the murder that opens the story is ultimately the backdrop in establishing this world and characters, all of which go through some form of relationships, whether it is heartwarming or deceptive. Already the conflict between herbivore and carnivore has been established, and yet this divide isn’t simply black-and-white and there is even friction between the various factions. As the central cast is predominately the school's drama club, that’s where unsurprisingly the drama occurs.

As the star actor of the school's drama club, with the dream to become the next Beastar, the red deer Louis doesn’t let his position as an herbivore feel inferior and tends to look down upon those around him and assert his dominance, even if he occasionally antagonizes Legoshi in an attempt to push the latter’s carnivorous instincts. In fact, Legoshi has never given in those instincts throughout his seventeen years of existence, and despite being seen as a weirdo by most of the school, he has a tenderness that only a few are aware of, especially how he resolves an issue that his late friend Tem tried to resolve before his demise.

Like I said before, the world-building is impressive, as seen one dramatic sequence taking place in the school cafeteria, where all the various animal students are served differently, whilst where they seat is somewhat humorous, like the mice students being seated on the higher floors above everyone else. Even the supplemental material from this volume dissects some details, such as school uniforms and lavatories. As impressive in how Itagaki conceives this world, her art doesn’t always convey that. Considering that this is her second manga after Beast Complex, you still get the sense that Itagaki is still developing her style that can look unsettling in how it merges various genres, but the end result can still look amateurish.

Artistic issues aside, this initial volume is a strong enough introduction to Paru Itagaki's creation, which is able to explore mature human themes through the lens of its anthropomorphic animal cast.