Paru Itagaki, famously known as the mangaka behind the brilliantly creative – and infamous – shonen coming-of-age story Beastars is back with yet another series that delves into the eccentric and strange, while promising to deliver something far more profound for those willing to read between the lines. Titled Taika no Risei, the new manga will be serialized in Weekly Shonen Champion and is marketed as a psychological thriller about “the symbiosis between man and beast.” Itagaki is known for creating stories that have very broad premises; Beastars was initially a series about a society of anthropomorphic animals, while Sanda was a shonen series about a teenager that can embody the spirit of Santa Claus, so the story premise of Taika no Risei isn’t all that surprising.
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Despite how ‘out there’ some of the creator’s work can sound, Itagaki is actually famous for the way she’s able to explore deeply psychological subjects with a unique elegance that, time and time again, proves she’s an absolutely stellar writer. With that in mind, even though the concept of Taisei no Risei sounds a little too open-ended, there’s a good chance that Itagaki already has a great idea of where she’ll take the series – especially with her previous work on Beastars proving just how much she cares about describing human society through animalistic metaphors.
Paru Itagaki’s Beastars Was a Generational Masterpiece & Modern Shonen Staple
Itagaki’s most famous work so far, Beastars, became wildly successful – albeit, somewhat infamous – for taking place in a modern setting, but replacing humanity with anthropomorphic animals that are divided between being labeled as carnivores and herbivores, or, predator and prey. The story follows Legoshi, a wolf boy who attends a boarding school alongside other carnivores and herbivores. He’s introduced as being an introvert, and takes part in his school’s theater program.
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Legoshi’s life is permanently changed when he finds himself falling in love with an upperclassman, a small white rabbit named Haru that’s known for having a reputation. In spite of this, Legoshi finds himself absolutely charmed by her, and has trouble grappling with his feelings, fearing that his innocent crush could, in reality, be something far more primal and deadly.
The class dynamic plays a huge role in the world politics of Beastars, and despite many being initially put off by the character designs, the series managed to tell a deeply impactful and political story about the “othering” of people, class divide, and even the ramifications of how deeply ingrained prejudice can be in a modern society.
With that in mind, Taika no Risei already sounds like it has the potential to resonate with deeper meaning about the relationship between man and beast – and how each informs the other.