This series just keeps getting better! Sometimes after around 5 volumes I find manga series start to stretch things out and the pace slows down, but that's not the case with Beastars. From the very first book I was totally hooked, but luckily it just keeps improving as time goes on. Seeing very problematic human behavior from the perspective of animals really helps break down difficult topics and helps reflect on real life from a less biased perspective. A few of my friends have been staying up to date with the manga and we love to discuss together.

This was a great installment to the series! We see Legoshi train with Gouhin and we learn a bit more about his family. We see some (more or less) touching interactions between characters that are normally antagonistic, and Tem’s murderer is finally revealed. All in all, it was a jam-packed volume and I’m super excited to see how the series will continue! I know anthropomorphism really throws people off, but it’s actually a really well done series, and I hope more people will give it a chance.

Beastars by Paru Itagaki is a genre-bending series published in English by VIZ Manga's Signature imprint and is currently in its ninth volume. Beastars Volume 9 continues to prove the depth that this series has to offer.  Last volume, the gray wolf Legoshi trained to take on Tem's killer and began the process of learning how to survive without meat in order to truly protect herbivores - namely his love interest Haru, the petite dwarf rabbit. While Legoshi is pushing away meat, the red deer Louis is embracing it as the leader of the Shishigumi, an organized crime syndicate made up lions. However, the two haven't interacted since Haru's rescue in volume six from the Shishigumi which sets the stage for Beastars Volume 9. 

Drama and intrigue fill this volume of Beastars. After investigating every carnivore in the drama club, Legoshi has been able to confirm the identity of alpaca Tem’s murderer. When a drama club member is maimed during rehearsals, Legoshi takes the moment to confront the killer and quickly learns that when it comes to strength he can't beat him. If it wasn't clear when the two fought in volume 8, it's beyond clear now as the two attempt to intimidate each other. While Legoshi tries to focus on bringing the killer to justice his own way, the Cherrytown Academy administration resolves to segregate the students and disband all interspecies clubs. Tem's death coupled with the accidental maiming push the school's hand, and ultimately allow for the surrounding cast to get moments of self-expression in relation to species dynamics.

That said, the meat of Beastars Volume 9 comes from the backstory we receive for Legoshi and how his chance meeting with Louis in the Black Market. In the former, we get a chance to learn more about our favorite gray wolf and finally see him interact with his family. While we've spent a lot of time with Legoshi as the main character, readers don't know who he is beyond his love Haru and dedication to protecting herbivores. In this volume, we learn the tragedy in his past and we finally get to see a more dynamic image of this lead in the same way Itagaki has been able to present Louis.

Now, with all this being said, Louis and Legoshi's reunion is one that will set ships sailing, but also adds more interesting elements into mix. When we see Louis commanding the Shishigumi, it's extremely easy to forget that he is a teenager, and that not that long ago, was still in high school. When he's reunited with his former clubmate, Itagaki works to show glimpses of Louis' vulnerability and true age. This part of Louis conflicts with his manicured and meat-eating Shishigumi facade and continues to make Beastars more than just attractive anthropomorphized animals.

Ultimately Beastars Volume 9 is a volume that is stuffed with content. We learn who Tem's murderer is, we learn Legoshi's backstory, love triangles evolve, and we get to see Louis be a teen again, if even for a small moment. If you fell in love with Netflix's original anime, we're only two volumes past where the anime left off, so it'll still be easy to jump right in. And if you've been enjoying the series in its English manga format, this volume won't disappoint.

Thank you to NetGalley, VIZ Media, and Paru Itagaki for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

FYI: BEASTARS is on my auto-buy list and I really cannot get enough of this series. I get the chance to read it early, which is awesome and appreciated, but this is certainly a manga worth owning and reading over and over and over again!

In this volume, not much Legoshi/Haru action, but the reader gets to see a bit more of Legoshi's past and his current state of training. Tem's killer is finally revealed in this volume as well, and the reader gets a little tale about what led to Tem's death. Quite intriguing!

The herbivore versus carnivore social cultures are ever-escalating in tension.

And I just learned this series comes to a close at 21 volumes, the final volume having been released in Japan in October 2020. Thank you VIZ Media for doing an English translation for us here in North America every two months! This gives me something to look forward to, and the volume length feels just right as well. How will it end?!

This volume is probably my favorite in the series to this point.
There is a MAJOR REVEAL in this particular volume, that we have been waiting on since the first chapter. We also get to see another side of Pina, our character on the cover.
We also get some time with Louis and Legoshi, and I continue to truly enjoy the journey of this series! Don't give up! Keep going!

WOW! Thrilled that I was able to read Vol.9 in advance thanks to Netgalley. Really excited about the story plot! We finally get to see Louis and Legoshi together, and we get to see more clues of who the murderer is. I can't wait for the next volume.