IT’S THE FINAL COUNTDOWN

It’s the final volume of Beastars! I cannot believe this series is over, but it’s had a fantastic run. Regarding manga, I don’t often read an entire series, so the fact that this series has held my attention until the very end is a huge win.

In this final volume, we are presented with the last showdown between Legoshi and Melon. I was genuinely shocked at how hopeful this series ended and how much closure the characters were given at the end of the volume. The black market is no more, destroyed not physically by Melon but by all herbivores and carnivores alike, coming together to eradicate the backward thinking that had spread through their world. It was quite inspiring and went perfectly with the story of Gosha and the Beastar Yahya. Their friendship was central to forming the things they believed in for the world, and having them rekindle their friendship allowed them to work together for a common goal. We see Yahya retire from his role and yet keep his need to help others, except now, not all the burden rests solely on his shoulders. Louis and Juno also have an interesting end to their tale, and we are given bits of information regarding Legoshi’s other friends by the end of the series. Legoshi is somewhat able to defeat Melon (who knows if there will be a spin-off at some point) and reunite with Haru. Despite not being a fan of her character, I was glad to see Legoshi have a new lease on life and try living without the world’s weight on his shoulders.

In all, it was a pretty satisfying conclusion to the series. If I were the one writing, I might have changed a few things, but I’m not, so who cares! It’s a mostly happy ending and a good note for the series to go out on!

Title: Beastars (Vol. 22)
Author: Paru Itagaki
Format: Paperback
Pages: 192
ISBN: 9784253229104

Three Descriptors: Captivating, Dark, Dramatic