Beastars, Volume 5

[theradicalchild]

BEASTARS, Vol. 5 by Paru Itagaki
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The fifth entry of mangaka Paru Itagaki’s Beastars series continues from the previous with dwarf rabbit Haru’s kidnapping by a lion crime syndicate known as Shishi-gumi, with the group’s leader paying particular attention to her because the meat of non-pigmented animals allegedly tastes the best. In the meantime, Louis the red deer converses with the town’s mayor, also a lion (although he had his fangs extracted) and is told to remain silent. As Louis leaves, Legoshi confronts him about Haru’s abduction, although their talk ultimately becomes violent, with the wolf ultimately needing to be restrained.

Taking matters into his own hands, Legoshi visits the black market and asks about the Shishi-gumi, believing them responsible for the power outage during which Haru was abducted, and is accused as a spy, getting mugged as well and having his life threatened. The black market’s panda psychiatrist enters and rescues Legoshi, warning him about the dangers of trying to confront the crime syndicate on his own. The kidnapped Haru in the meantime journals about her impending death, mentioning her experiences when younger with other carnivores, and discussing her numerous past loves.

Haru attempts to fight back against her abductors, with Legoshi and Gohin coming to the entrance of their headquarters, fighting many of its members. After he rescues Haru, Legoshi seeks a hotel to stay at for the night, the volume ending with Legoshi starting to tell her that he was the carnivore early on that attempted to devour her. All in all, it’s another enjoyable entry of the manga, with plenty of action and endearing animal characters along with a solid localization, but there are a few rough spots, for instance, with regards to the name of the Shishi-gumi. Regardless, I will continue reading this manga.

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