The King’s Beast, Vol. 1, by Rei Toma is currently scheduled for release on February 2 2021. Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When they were children, Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody dynastic intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope at avenging her brother is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace! Prince Tenyou is not what Rangetsu expected, and the political currents in the palace run deep and strange. Does Rangetsu have any chance of finding justice for her brother, or will she become just another Ajin casualty in the game of kings?

The King’s Beast is a story with a good deal of character and world building to set up the rest of the series, but it is not bogged down by that, which often happens I thought it was well planned and executed, with plenty of character complexity and enough questions to keep me intrigued for the next installment without leaving me feeling cheated or unsatisfied with this part of the story.I thought the art was a perfect match to the text and mood of the story, conveying movement and emotion as it played out. The lines are clean and smooth, not making me squint to make out small details, which me and eye aging eyesight always appreciate. Rangetsu's start might not be all that original- I have read many stories that start with a girl having to pretend to be a boy- but thus far it has not become in to play too much and I look forward to seeing how their story plays out.

The King’s Beast is a well written and drawn graphic novel. I look forward to the second volume and continuing the story.

The King’s Beast Volume One is a manga set in the same world as Dawn of the Arcana.

The King’s Beast Volume One
Written by: Rei Toma
Publisher: Shogakukan
English Publisher: VIZ Media
Release Date: February 2, 2021

When I saw that this story was set in the same world as the Dawn of the Arcana manga, I wondered if this would be a hindrance in understanding this story, since I had only read one volume of the series nearly seven years ago. However, I can say after reading this volume is that The King’s Beast is able to stand on its own and can be enjoyed by readers who have little to no knowledge of Dawn of the Arcana.

In this world, Ajin boys who show special abilities are conscripted to serve as a beast-servant for the imperial palace. Beast-servants are status symbols and shields for their masters and are generally kept or discarded based on the whims of their master. The boys who don’t show special abilities must enlist in the military. Female Ajin are expected to work in lowly positions, with the younger ones serving as prostitutes.

The King’s Beast focuses on a set of Ajin twins: a boy named Sogetsu and a girl named Rangetsu. Sogetsu is discovered to have special abilities and is taken away from Rangetsu. He serves the fourth prince and is killed while in serving as a beast-servant. The rumors say that the fourth prince killed Sogetsu, and Rangetsu overhears the rumors. She decides to take on the identity of a boy and works her way up to become a beast-servant even though she doesn’t have any special abilities. But Rangetsu manages to become the fourth prince’s beast-servant and prepares to take revenge for the death of her younger twin brother.

But we can see that the fourth prince isn’t like the other members of the royal family. Unlike the other members of the nobility, he actually cares about his beast-servants. He defends Rangetsu against his prince’s guard, who tries to put Rangetsu to work doing menial tasks. And when it comes out that the fourth prince didn’t kill Sogetsu, and Rangetsu sees him shedding tears for her brother, she strikes up an alliance (albeit it a tenuous one) to find her brother’s true killer.

Even though the prince thinks that Rangetsu is male, there are some panels in here where he seems like he’s getting a little too close to Rangetsu. We see several panels where the prince and Rangetsu are positioned in ways that is normally seen in shojo romance stories. These panels definitely give off a kind of romance undertone, and it makes me wonder if Toma is leading up to having the fourth prince discovering the truth about Rangetsu and falling in love with her. If that ends up being a twist, it’s one that I’m already seeing from a mile away.

But the story that’s presented here is riveting enough that I found myself not wanting to stop. I also thought that the art complements the story, and it works with the kind of world that Toma has set up for both Dawn of the Arcana and The King’s Beast.

This volume also includes a bonus chapter for Toma’s The Water Dragon’s Bride. I haven’t read any of that manga, but fortunately, the first few panels give readers enough of a recap to help out those who have never read The Water Dragon’s Bride to understand the concept of the series and what led up to the point the bonus chapter is depicting.

I would recommend The King’s Beast to readers who are fans of Dawn of the Arcana or any other of Toma’s work. I would also recommend it to readers who enjoy stories featuring supernatural characters that are set in a world that’s set up like one of the earlier eras of Japanese history.

While the description sounded interesting, it was actually the art style that drew me in! I've never read any of Rei Toma's other works but I was quite impressed with this first volume! Rangetsu has a clear goal in mind, and Prince Tenyou took me by surprise. I definitely want to learn more about this world!

Thank you to Netgalley and Viz Media for letting me read and review this volume early -- I look forward to adding it to my collection upon release!

This is my first time reading anything by Rei Toma, but I really enjoyed it. The artwork was vivid and the world-building, while I'm guessing it might be a bit over done for people familiar with this world, was great for newbies.

For Libraries: A minor word of caution for the content. As tends to happen in dystopian worlds, women are not treated very kindly (particularly those in a minority), so you do have some implied (and one minor glimpse) of theme of sex slavery/rape (trigger warning).

The King’s Beast is a title I have been waiting for since it was announced for English publication from VIZ Media. Coming from mangaka Rei Toma, this new series is one of romance and revenge set in the world of Dawn of the Arcana. Published by VIZ Media’s Shojo Beat imprint, The King’s Beast Volume 1 is translated/adapted into English by JN Productions and features touch-up art and lettering from Monaliza De Asis. Marketed as a story of romance and revenge, this first volume is all revenge and world-building.

The King’s Beast is centered on an Ajin named Rangetsu and his owner Prince Tenyou. In the series, Ajin are superior to humans in every way. Part fox, some have special abilities and use them to serve at the behest of ruling humans. With their population controlled to keep the humans in power, Ajin are nothing more than servants to be used by humans. If they’re male, they become weapons. If they’re female, they become prostitutes, but they all exist until they die to do the bidding of humans. Boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim.

Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant but was murdered soon-there after. Lacking powers herself, Rangetsu spent the rest of her life training to be good enough to become a beast-servant and abandoning her womanhood to become a weapon in the process. Once Rangetsu enters the castle, she realizes that Prince Tenyou is not what she expected. But with her vengeance put on hold, she becomes allies with Tenyou, and they both seek to find Sogetsu’s killer.

As a character, Rangetsu is filled with hatred and hurt. The bulk of the volume is focused on entering the world of The King’s Beast. While the marketing promises romance, none can be found outside the small moments of classic shojo tension. That said, what is in this volume is a deep dive into understanding who Rangetsu is as a character. We learn about her pain, her grief, and ultimately her strength. While the singular focus of vengeance propels her, Toma takes the time to make her both sympathetic and someone not to be pitied. With most “woman turned warrior hiding her gender,” you have a period of the protagonist learning how to become capable, but with The King’s Beast, Rangetsu has already done the training and, by her own admission has killed many humans and Ajin to get to her standing. This is refreshing and allows the readers to see Rangetsu as someone who has made up their mind and not fighting with herself.



Toma’s art is also wonderful, delicately showcasing Rangetsu’s visual aesthetic and depicting her in fight sequences that showcase her power. Additionally, Rangetsu’s fox max is a gorgeous aesthetic to the character that makes her both more beautiful and more intimidating.

Overall, The King’s Beast Volume 1 is heavy on the world-building, but it all works to immerse the reader into the story. That said, knowing that this volume and the second one were released in Japan simultaneously, as noted multiple times in the volume, makes it feel like something is missing. Perhaps it was how the volume was presented as having both romance and revenge that it feels like something is missing. That said, this is a strong debut to a series that I’m sure will only get stronger.

A plunge into the world of humans and Ajin where emotions run high and fast.

Rangetsu has been assigned the fourth prince, Tenyou's beast servant. In a plot to seek revenge for her murdered twin brother, Rangetsu works with the fourth prince to find the culprit. A lot happens fast, giving readers little time to process what happens before the next event. The mistreatment of Ajin in the story seems excessive without a good explanation. Some points seem thrown in for dramatic effect but do not deliver the desired effect. The relationships develop quickly between the two main characters and many others are introduced in the first three chapters. The illustrations are great and capture the action well. The emotions of scenes and dialogue are well reflected in the manga.

I would be reluctant to recommend this book without seeing how the series progresses. It is very reminiscent of the Dawn of Arcana (same world different country) so it feels like readers will know what is going to happen. Hopefully, the plot has better pacing in the next volume.

As a side note, the bonus story about the Water Dragon Bride was great and gave me all the feels!

The King’s Beast set us up for court intrigue and deadly schemes. Apparently set in the same world as Dawn of the Arcana (which I have not read yet) humans and Ajin live side by side. Ajin, humanoid looking with animal features like ears and tail, number less than humans and so are cast to the lowest rungs into slavery.
When Rangetsu was a child her twin brother and her took a medicine to see if they had any special abilities. When her brother was found to have it he was pulled from her and taken to the palace to serve as a beast servant to Prince Touya, and then was killed not long after. Rangetsu hid her identity as a female and worked her way up to prove herself as a great potential beast servant so she can find out what it is that got her brother killed, who did it, and get revenge. When she is assigned to Prince Touya she is now in the perfect position to start finding out what she needs. So long as she survives, because the court is full of intrigue and schemes and Ajin are less than second class citizens and Rangetsu is very much in danger. It’s going to take her and Prince Touya working together to get to the bottom of what happened to her brother Sogetsu.
***
While I usually wait a couple volumes before I have a definitive opinion on a series I can say this definitely has me intrigued so far, enough so to keep picking up the next couple volumes and seeing how the story goes.
***
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have read some of Rei Toma's work before, and her artwork is just beautiful. This series is no exception. Set in a fantasy world, the main character must deal with the prejudices that surrounds her people. Choosing to rise above what is expected of her, the main character becomes the beast servant to a prince. Full of fights, drama, suspense, and a bit of romance.

It was a quick read like most manga but enjoyable. It kept me interested and I wanted to know what would come next. Only upset I don’t have the next book. I will continue to read to see what will happen and if the find the culprit.

What a beautiful story. The art style did a fantastic job with the characters and expressions. I loved how the princ and the beast-servant both understand that they do not understand one another. And I cannot wait to see where this goes. I'm looking forward to the next volume already.

Revenge stories are a cliché narrative – a resentful character who goes out of their way to seek “justice “ or “atonement” by slaying the villain. These stories have an established beat and pattern for a person to expect, so stories of this kind, in my opinion, must have exceptional qualities such as background, world-building, characters, and themes.
The first volume of The King’s Beast adds a layer to the revenge narrative that shows promise and intrigue. While the development of the narrative from its construction of a discriminatory world against Ajin, the beast people of this world, and characters’ motivations can feel slow and tired of a reader who often watches anime with the same “revenge plot,” I did get mild engagement near the end. This title lays the foundations for what this concept can explore in subsequent volumes. It is a breeze to read through, and I am excited to see how mangaka Rei Toma will flesh out plot sequences whether it is through martial arts or the tension between master and servant – Prince Tenyou and Rangetsu respectively.
This is definitely for those who are into the shoujo fantasy genre such as Prince Freya and Yona of the Dawn as well as slightly tapping a niche to the recent trend of donghua (Chinese animated shows/manga) like Mo Dao Zu Shi.

I ended up really enjoying this manga. It has potential to be a favorite as I continue to read it. I had actually never read any of the authors other series but now I really want to and will definitely keep my eye on this one.

This was a super cool manga! I had read the Dawn of Arcana books a good while ago so it's a bit hard to connect those books to this to me as I can't remember too much, but I feel like if I had re-read the books I would have appreciated this one a lot more in how it relates to the other series. I think it is a pretty cool start to the series and I'm sure the other books in the series will be super cool as well!

Having never read any of Toma's other stuff, but hearing awesome things, I thought I'd give this one a try. You've definitely now got a fan, and I'm excited to see more of this, the political intrigue side very interesting on top of some really good characters. I've been reading a lot of different manga lately, and this one calls back to the stuff I loved back in high school, the ones that are still my absolute guilty pleasure series. It also vaguely reminds me of the dynamics in Rising of the Shield Hero, but not in a bad way. I'm curious to see where this goes, and the characters are awesome.

Art is beautiful with good detail, not too much, nothing exceptional but it is appealing. Story is reasonably well written but so full of tropes: revenge, twins, girl masquerading as boy, royal guard. Ok but not great.

The storyline is intriguing and I’m looking forward to volume 2 already. The artwork in this is outstanding!

Rei Toma never disappoints! I always go into her manga knowing I'll get beautiful artwork and an amazing cast of characters. I'm very excited to see where the story goes from here! This will definitely be a day one buy for me!

This is my first manga read that is meant for older readers. (I am an elementary school librarian) I was unable to download on my computer, only on my phone so it made the reading a bit more challenging but worth it. The artwork is amazing. It's a world of harsh class division. You have royalty and the Ajin. Ajin with special abilities become beast-servants to the royalty. Rangetsu and Sogestu are Ajin twins and Sogetsu is sent to serve Prince Tenyou. Sogetsu is murdered and Rangetsu disguises herself as a boy so she can avenge her brother's death. She is assigned to Prince Tenyou and it doesn't take long for her to realize that the Prince is not at all like Rangetsu thought he would be. This is a series so I anticipate deepening of characters and knowledge of their world and its complexities.

This has a very interesting plot line and beautiful artwork! Would and will definitely recommend it to readers who are looking for shoujo content and I will pick up the next volume.

This year has definitely been the year of picking up more Manga’s and seeing what stories there are. I have not read Dawn of the Arcana! So can not compare how Rei Toma previous title compares. What drew me in for The King's Beast was the synopsis and the art style. I really liked the clear lines and that the panels aren’t overcrowded.

I haven’t quite made up my mind about this the story yet, a lot of book one sets up the story and history of how Rangetsu ended up taking her twin-brother’s place as Prince Tenyou beast servant. As the story set up is more thorough, I think it’s really the next instalment that will be the verdict, however this volume has a lot of promise as to how this story could build.