Absolute brilliance! SEA CREATURES! 

Listen, this series is my guilty pleasure. It’s just so goddamn weird and yet probably the most compelling and emotionally invested I’ve been in a series in ages.

Legoshi is adjusting to his new “adult” life since he’s stuck in a run-down apartment following his criminal record. This is mostly a volume that introduces new characters, all of which I love so far. Legoshi has been working at a noodle shop since he was kicked out of school, and his boss sends him to the sea to deliver some noodles for sea creatures in the community. Here he meets Sagwan, a spotted seal, and I can tell you right now I would die for him. Sagwan teaches Legoshi a bit about the life of sea creatures and how they fit into the Beastars world and touches on religion for the first time because sea creatures believe in reincarnation. It’s quite beautiful and Sagwan will be an excellent mentor or guide figure for Legoshi in the future.

We also get more snippets of some of my personal favorite characters, including a conversation between Gosha, Legoshi’s grandfather, and his ex-partner/best friend Yahya, the current Beastar. Yahya is a freaking god; I love every time he shows up. The art for his character RULES and he is so fascinating to read about. We also get to see my one true favorite, Louis, return to see Legoshi after he busted up a crime ring. In my opinion, Louis is THE BEST character in the series. I don’t care much for Haru and Legoshi as a romantic pairing, I just want more Louis and Legoshi friendship moments.

This volume walked the line between giving us enough of the older characters to keep us interested while introducing a slew of new characters within Legoshi’s apartment complex. It rules. I want to get to know all the new characters and their experiences within this world. This volume also goes into a lot more of the racism and xenophobia aspects of the series, which I love that the author inserts and doesn’t shy from. The world-building is so brilliant I think I will start buying this series now rather than just getting it from my library.

Title:  Beastars (Volume 12)
Author: Paru Itagaki
Format: Paperback
Pages: 208
ISBN: 9781974712540

Three Descriptors: Captivating, Dark, Dramatic