Review: Beastars Vol. 1

Beastars, Vol. 1

by Paru Itagaki

VIZ Media, 2019

Summary: An alpaca is murdered by a carnivore at Legoshi’s school. But no one knows who did it. The show must go on though and as part of the crew Legoshi has to do what he can to support the actors even though they suspect he might be the murderous carnivore.

Likes: The art makes use of shadow and the abstract to convey mood, mystery, and murder. It’s also distinctive. I found myself connecting to and suspecting Legoshi simultaneously. I also want to know where the plot and romance go from here.

Dislikes: I had some flashbacks to Twilight and the initial Bella, Edward issue of him finding her particularly tasty smelling.

Overall this isn’t Zootopia but it does remind me of it. Especially the carnivores versus the herbivores conflict. There are also assumptions assigned to different species. It feels like entertaining allegory plus being about high school challenges. But this starts out darker and may contain dark moments throughout. I definitely want to continue this series.