BEASTARS, Vol. 4 by Paru Itagaki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
At this high school, instead of jocks and nerds, the students are divided into predators and prey.
At a high school where the students are literally divided into predators and prey, friendships maintain the fragile peace. Who among them will become a Beastar—a hero destined to lead in a society naturally rife with mistrust?
As gray wolf Legoshi continues to grapple with his feelings for dwarf rabbit Haru, he discovers another member of the Drama Club is friendly with her too. But just how friendly…? Meanwhile, someone else is developing feelings for Legoshi. And Bengal tiger Bill is threatening to reveal some disturbing truths about someone’s past…
Warnings: character brandishes gun, slave trafficking
This was a Louis centric volume and I, for one, was glad to get his backstory. It explains so much about his character’s motivations. We also get more info about Haru’s relationship to him, and how inter-species romances work in the world of Beastars. Meanwhile, Legoshi, who initially was surprised to see them acquainted, soon realizes the truth, and while he is struggling with his own feelings regarding Haru, he also respects Louis. It shows more in what he tries to do for him, knowing how the power balance in the Academy is shifting. The escalation of incidents of carnivore violence has had opposing effects – some carnivores like Legoshi and his friends realize their herbivore friends are in danger and seek to protect them, while other carnivores like Bill are trying to take back their power. Juno, who as a character who seemed minor before in that she was a first year who happened to have a crush on Legoshi, gets a bigger presence in this story. All of it just made me more excited to see how things will turn out now!
Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review from Viz Media LLC, via Edelweiss.
Previous books in the Beastars series
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Releases on January 21, 2020
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