Paru Itagaki

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Lenni Reviews: “Witching Hour” Vol. 1, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.

Trapped in a marriage where they are only intimate to get pregnant, Megumi longs for a more fulfilling sex life. When a spirit manifests to satisfy her, her husband, Yuji, grows suspicious.

This is weird. At first I thought this would be kinda goofy, but it’s actually dark. Megumi is essentially cheating on her husband with a ghost; the consent is iffy, and while I understand this is just the first volume, it’s paced like it’s a one-shot. It’s rushed, and overall, this is a bit off-putting, and I don’t think it is in the way the author is intending. There’s gotta be a way for this premise to be done and work without giving me the ick. 2 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Taika’s Reason” Vol. 2, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Taika is enjoying typical high school things; playing with the basketball team, enjoying the sports festival, and befriending a humanized cat named Anna. But Anna is not to be trusted, willing to manipulate Taika to her own ends.

It’s kind if spoilery of me to say that crows get such a bad rep. They’re cool! It’s the seagulls that are assholes…

Even though we’re suspecting Taika of murder, in this volume he’s just the goodest boi; learning to navigate the world after being humanized. While we have that mystery in the background, I’d be fine just watching him slice of life style. He’s just fun! But this comic does make sure to have bloody violence to remind the reader that this ain’t just fun and games. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Taika’s Reason” Vol. 1 by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review and is suggested for mature readers.

To address the problem of declining birth rates, the Pet Humanization Policy is established, turning pets into humanoids. When Ao’s pet pitbull undergoes the procedure, she is unsure if he is behind a gruesome attack.

This is gorier than I ever anticipated. I thought this would be a goofier version of Fool Night, but instead of plants, it’s pets. I’d get some laughs over the humanized Taika adjusting to being in a human body with dog senses, but nah. There is death and gore. Major whiplash. I love how Paru Itagaki seriously explores the implications of this world and the darker implications of “what if our pets were human?” I feel the art is a bit too sketchy in some places. I feel like “sloppy” is too mean a term for it but it takes some extra effort to understand some scenes. But I’m into it. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Beast Complex” Vol. 4, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume contains:

  • Black Panther and the Sea Otter
  • The Zebra and the White Tiger
  • The Snake and the Mouse
  • The Wolf and the Dog
  • The Iguna and the Penguin
  • The Rabbit and the Wolf

This is a fun collection. I love seeing more of this world and the very unique issues that are impossible to avoid with this setup. We also get to see more species, and the sea creatures are really interesting. And of course, that last story is a chance to see Haru and Legoshi again. This series is just a great way to expand this world and the beautiful art. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Beast Complex” Vol. 3, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume includes:

  • The Python and the Hyena
  • The Japanese Deer and the Snow Leopard
  • The Turtle and the Sheep
  • The Wolf and the Seal
  • The Lion and the Rabbit
  • The Alligator and the Cow

These stories are weird but interesting and in some cases very touching. Legoshi comes back The Wolf and the Seal and gives us some more insight into how the aquatic beasts are on an entirely different level from the land beasts. While there are plenty of new characters, its nice to see some from Beastars come back in (also in The Lion and the Rabbit). I do wonder if the new ones will be recurring in this series as there are plenty of dynamics I can see being explored further. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Beast Complex” Vol. 2, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

This volume includes these stories:

  • The Pig and the Peacock: A police officer peacock becomes friends with a pig taxidermist and asks him to preserve his body.
  • The Shiba Inu and the Shiba Inu: A shiba inu model fears aging out of his cuteness and losing his job.
  • The Crow and the Kangaroo: An albino crow in a “Brights” neighborhood befriends an albino kangaroo who must sleep with any male who asks in order to live in safety.
  • The Steller’s Sea Eagle and the Mongolian Gerbil: An eagle is concerned about losing his gerbil sugar mama.
  • The Chipmunk and the “Mountain Hare”: When an author’s manuscript is nearly overdue, a young chipmunk goes to visit the author directly.
  • The Wolf and the Rabbit: We revisit Legoshi and Haru for a special ceremony.

I like these stories. They give more insight into the world of Beastars. I never thought about the unique issues an albino beast would have (that one is fucked up, to be honest, for what they make the kangaroo do). The specific issues certain species face is really interesting and of course it was good to see Legoshi and Haru again. This is a solid collection! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “BEASTARS” Vol. 22, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

With Melon making the news, his father shows up to the Black Market. Gosha thinks he can help stop Melon but Yaha finds the gazelle suspicious as Melon and Legoshi have their final confrontation.

This is the final volume of the series and it ends great in some places and not so great in others. There are some plot points that never came to fruition (uh… We never got a new Beastar?) and some character’s stories just stop. I wanted to see something more tangible with Louis and some actual repercussions for Melon’s dickhead father. I’m satisfied with Legoshi’s story and where he ended up because I have a soft spot for the lovable goof and and I just want him to be happy with Haru. I wouldn’t mind a special “Where Are They Now” volume down the line to get the closure the other characters deserve. 4.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Beastars” Vol. 21, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

After defeating the Doku-Gumi, Legoshi must contend with the all female gang, Inari-Gumi. But the lovable goof that is Legoshi still fells like he can’t face a woman head on.

This also has Legoshi and Melon fighting and while it pains me to see Legoshi get maimed further, the fight between them is badass. It’s amazingly drawn and full of action. We even get Gosha and Yahya dealing with the chaos erupting in the Black Market. This volume will take your breath away. 5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Drip Drip” by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Mako Hiragi is a clean freak. So much so that even the sight of something she considers “dirty” causes her to have massive nosebleeds; including other people’s bodies. This makes it nearly impossible for her to have any relationships, much less intimacy. Desperate for human contact, Mako tries even the most insane things to finally have her happy ending.

This is fucking bananas and skip this one if you’re squeamish about blood. I always give weird stuff a try and it can be hit or miss because weird can’t carry an entire story on its own. What makes this good is Mako. She’s a fun character and her story arc is not about just the gushing blood, it’s about idealizing relationships and issues with intimacy. It’s not perfect but worth giving a shot. And it’s interesting to see Itagaki draw human characters, even if sometimes they do look a bit like her animal characters. 3.9 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Beastars” Vol. 20, by Paru Itagaki

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*This book was given to me in exchange for an honest review.

Gosha and Yahya are in the Black Market where Legoshi prepares to work his way through the various gang leaders; starting with the Doku-gumi – a gang of Komodo dragons.

The action in this volume is top notch for this series. Even with Legoshi’s classic goofy moments, it’s a real page turner. It’s cool to read but I find it a little bit of a buzzkill for Legoshi to need to go through so many other people to get to Melon but it gives us a change to see what Legoshi has learned so far and apply it in combat. We did read through all that training he was doing so, it’s to see it pay off. 4 out of 5.

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