This was a very good story. The art was so cool and the world was strange and different. The main character was quiet but intense at the same time. I am very interesting in reading further and watching the anime.

This is probably the first manga I’ve read that shows disorders (mental and hereditary) and racism is such an easy to understand way that wasn’t a picture book. For example, in just this first book, you see teenagers dealing with all levels of anxiety on top of learning that one of their friends has been brutally murdered. Readers can commiserate with these characters on the anxieties of fights between friends, being bullied for something you can’t help, and being in a room with all eyes trained on you. Such strong connections make this manga relatable to teens, tweens, and emerging adults. This is a book that shows teenagers fighting with themselves and others to prove they aren’t monsters, carnivore or not.
If Beasters isn’t on your to-read shelf or read-shelf, make sure it is on your library’s shelf.

I really enjoyed this! The story is so unique, the Mangaka is very creative. The art is also very gorgeous, the way all the different types of animals are drawn is so great.. The story drew me right in from the start, I couldn't put it down. All of the characters I have seen so far are great, I really love Legoshi! I love the idea of a big awkward and shy wolf.

I will be definitely reading the other volumes of this manga I need to know what happens! I would recommend it to everyone who is looking to read a very unique and beautifully drawn manga.

I really wanted to love this graphic novel. I had heard good things about it but I had a hard time getting into the story. I didn't love any characters, although I was starting to like the main character Legoshi and his interaction with Louis. In these two characters the typical prey and predator natures seem to be the most opposite of what you expect. Legoshi appears to be timid and shy while Louis is confident and aggressive. It wan't until the very end that this started to come to light and everything before this was mostly just set up. I feel like the novel could have been a bit longer to get you more interested in these differences.

The premise of this manga is a really interesting one. A boarding school where herbivores and carnivores have to coexist which in turn leads to anxiety as they are forced to interact with each other in all aspects of school life.

We begin with a herbivore student being murdered which only ramps these anxieties up.

The art style for this was really cool and more sketchy in style that I usually read in a manga but that only added to the pleasure of reading this. The personalities of the various different characters was really able to shine through which was definitely this manga's core strength. You find yourself rooting for a number of students.

It certainly lives up to the hype, and I'm already looking forward to getting stuck into Vol 2. Definitely recommend.

Some of the worst, least-readable artwork does its best to spoil this teen-friendly drama of school days. In this school for anthropomorphised characters, a surly grey wolf is the prime suspect when a herbivore is slain – and whaddaya know, they were both in the drama soc and the performance was weeks away? The end result is a very patchy affair, sometimes serious in showing us jealousy, hatred and other such animalistic natures, sometimes laying it on really childishly. It was a good job I was only going to see the first of the twenty books – seeing the rampant randy rabbit come on to our wolf in part two would not have been my thing.

Love this manga, the characters are so intense and beautifully created. I have watched the anime and love the direction this series goes, the writing/translation flows well with few hiccups. The emotions in the scene are translated well within the drawings too which is appreciated.

One fo the best manga i've read in a very long time. I enjoyed Legoshi's character so much, i'm looking forward to keep reading this story,

Great manga. I'm pretty new to this, and each time I open one i'm amazed by all the imagination required to write such stories. You get easily caught up in the plot, you want to know what happens. It's really interesting. Great read!

I don't know what I was expecting, exactly, but it was not this. BEASTARS is a high school drama manga that seems to use predatory/non-predatory animals as an allegory for racism and racial segregation. There is a bit of a mystery introduced in this first volume with the murder of an herbivore, assumed to have been enacted by a carnivore. I can't quite tell with the information provided in just this one volume, but it seems to have the feel of a Dracula or werewolf type story--Legoshi appears to be having a struggle with his nature that is classic to those types of tales (and Legoshi is borrowed from the actor Bella Legosi).

I enjoyed the character design, and some of the larger and extremely detailed panels were excellent. I do wish there had been more of a cohesive story, to improve pacing and to make me care about finding out more about these characters. As it stands now, I am ambivalent.

I love the idea of slice of life with animals! This is SUCH an enjoyable series. I’m going to pause on reading the series though because I’m going to watch the tv show and I’m excited!

This was a different type of comic to what I usually read. I think Chapter 6 would have been better to start as Chapter 1, as that's where it made the introductions to the characters. It needed more explaining at the beginning to start the comic off.

It is a unique idea of a school with animals, slightly separated by herbivores and carnivores. I really liked the concept of Lego fighting with his natural instincts.

There wasn't much in the story that gripped you or made you feel on enjoy, but overall the story was ok.

Beastars (Volume 1) by Paru Itagaki, 198 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. VIZ Media, 2019. $13.
Language: PG (8 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: PG13
BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL
AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE
When Tem, an alpaca, is found murdered on campus, all carnivores at the high school are under suspicion. Tem’s friend Legoshi, who happens to be a wolf and a loner, is under as much scrutiny as the other meat eaters. And when Legoshi starts to struggle with his bestial instincts, he is as frightened as the herbivores.
Even having read the whole volume, I still feel confused about what was going on and what the point of the story is, which is odd because I was interested in Legoshi’s story while I was reading it. Some of the confusion may be because of the conspicuous cloud of suspicion that hangs over so many of the characters introduced -- even some of the herbivores. While I am still curious about the loose ends, I don’t feel compelled to search out volume 2. The violence rating is for murder and gore.
Reviewer: Carolina Herdegen

Beastars is a hidden gem and I'm so glad it's receiving more attention! It's a murder mystery wrapped up in a slice of life romance and the art is absolutely gorgeous.

The focus of the story is on Legoshi, a gray wolf student, and his day-to-day life. At the beginning of volume 1, an alpaca student is murdered by a carnivore which throws suspicious onto Legoshi. However, our hero is anything but a viscious pack animal. He is a gentle giant, awkward and trying hard to stay out of the limelight.

Volume 1 doesn't get much into Legoshi's love story, but he does make the acquaintance of rabbit named Haru that he eventually develops feelings for. His connection with her starts to force him out of his shell some. Volume 1 introduces all of the main characters and sets the story up, but things don't really ramp up until Volume 2 :)

Overall, this is a fantastic read and great start to an imaginative series. Itagaki's art is beautiful, detailed and expressive, bringing out the little details of this world.

What a great series for anyone who enjoys Graphic Novel with retellings! Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this graphic novel

Everyone wants to be a hero, or even a superhero, in Beastars Vol 1, a new high school manga for grades 4 through 7.

At Cherryton Academy, carnivores and herbivores live in separate dorms. But when an alpaca is killed, the carnivores are the prime suspects especially a large wolf called Legoshi. The murdered alpaca, Tem, was friendly with Legoshi in their drama club. Tem was also the lead in the club’s latest play. Could his murder have been motivated by envy rather than hunger?

This manga is marketed to ages 9 through 12, which explains the rather simplistic plot. I would have liked more world-building. Why are the animals in a mixed school? It also seemed weird to have a budding romance between a huge wolf and a dwarf rabbit. I’m sure there must be an underlying message (about bullying or belonging in high school) that I’m completely missing. Nevertheless, I’ll give Beastars Vol 1 3 stars for children in the right age group.

Thanks to Viz Media and NetGalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

This is such a strong opening for the series! The murder mystery has me hooked, but my favourite part is seeing the different dynamics between the characters. Legoshi (our male lead) is so interesting - shy and sensitive but struggling against violent instincts. We don’t get to spend much time with our female lead, Haru, but I enjoy her confidence. I definitely want to know what happens next!

Definitely giving me a mature Zootopia. I really enjoyed this first volume. The characters are all interesting and I enjoy the world building. I can't wait to pick up the rest of the volumes, because I want to find out who killed Tem.

I love this series! I am so glad it has been translated into English. The plot is fascinating and the characters are complex and extremely compelling. The series does a lot with the prey vs. predator dynamic, but it is more than just a social dynamic; the series looks at psychology and the struggle the main character faces knowing that he has the potential for terrible violence. I cannot stress enough that every collection needs this series. Even if animal characters aren't your thing (they aren't really mine), you should give this one a go. It won't disappoint!

Saw that this series was getting an anime release soon and figured I would give it a shot. Overall, I would say it's not bad but it's not for me. Story and themes just didn't drag me in.

Peeves:
- I wasn't a big fan of the art style, it often seemed incomplete to me, but that is probably more of a personal preference thing.
- The font used looked something someone did on paint, but I got a digital ARC, so perhaps it's placeholder text in case they make changes to their translation. I'll give them the benefit of the doubt on that and assume the official release will be better formatted.

Random Asides:
- Was very amused to see a hippo set aside on the predators side.
- Giggled at the last page. I think it was meant to be serious but honestly I just thought it was kind of funny.

Thanks to NetGalley and VIZmedia for a digital copy to review.