I thoroughly enjoyed reading the BEASTARS manga. I think it brings attention to a lot of subjects which are relevant to todays society (racism, sexism/feminism, coming of age and sexuality being just a few) and I think the way that it tackles them is very mature and subtle. I understand this manga carries a large amount of stigma with it, being associated with the fury community and being criticised for its sexual content displaying animal-like characters, however I found it to be a well illustrated and well read manga.

Before reading the manga I had previously watched the first season of the anime adaptation (which is what prompted me to read the maga in the fist place as I very much enjoyed the thick plot and deep character development) and had also seen the first few episodes of the second season (which is currently being released as I write this review).

The art style of the anime (which I find very reminisent of the manga) is very attractive, displaying fun and colourful characters with (despite them being animals) a very human feel to them.
The art style for the manga is also very attractive to me and I very much found myself appreciating the coloured pages which Itagaki includes with the more 'eventful' chapters. One thing I also found myself enjoying was the numerous "funny edits" which Itagaki began to include in the later chapters/volumes of the manga (where she and the translation team would edit the text in the manga to create jokes about character ships or popular culture references). The art in the chapters themselves is very detailed and shows high-quality images filled with action, graphic fights and the typography suits the secenes very well.

With regards to the plot, I think the story arcs were detailed, action packed and showed a nice amount of character development. My interest in the manga's plot increased as I made my way through, learning more about each character's backstory and having to piece each part together as the manga progresses. Some of the more notable moments from the manga (for me) included the introduction of "hybrid" animals and the history of Legosi's origins (his parents/grandparents story), as I found learning about the struggle for freedom to love between the species to be an interesting aspect of the plot and enjoyed watching those who would rebel and push the boundaries of that struggle before it became mainstream to do so. I also found the backstory of Melon to be very interesting and emotional. However, I do think it was slightly cringey that Itagaki began calling him Melon part way through the manga.

The only thing that was I can think to heavily fault in this manga is the final few chapters. I believe that they drag the manga on slightly and barely add to the development of these characters that we have been watching grow throughout the manga. The final battle (in my opinion) should be the end of the maga and there should not be the additional chapters. If Itagaki wished to close the manga and explain the ending in a 80's teen movie style, then she could have easily done it in one additional chapter instead of three which drag and make the manga feel less intense and realistic as a story. I think these few chapters may (possibly) work better in the anime adaptation however I don’t think these work as part of the manga.

To conclude, I very much enjoyed the BEASTARS manga and very much look forward to watching the anime adaptation. I found it fun, exciting and I think it does well to explain a lot of the issues we are currently facing. As a shounen, I think it is a good manga and I believe it can be enjoyed by the majority of readers (however I would most likely not recommend this manga if you do not enjoy graphic scenes or are sensitive to sexual content). I think the main character is very likeable (the majority of the time) and relatable (in a lot of aspects). I will happily read more of Itagaki's work, should I come across it in the future.

There is a lot more I could say on the manga however if I put it all here I think I'd run out of space. If anyone wishes to discuss the BEASTARS manga with me, feel free to contact me :)

Jynx.