Oh my god! Did this manga actually remember that it has a murder-mystery subplot?
As with my reviews of the earlier volumes in the Beastars series, this review will contain some spoilers for events that occurred in the previous volumes, so I suggest getting caught up on the series before reading this.
Synopsis:
Things feel like they’re starting to get back to normal for Legoshi. Well, almost back to normal. Louis still hasn’t returned to school and there are some rumors going around about Legoshi and Haru. Still, Legoshi is happy that he can go back to leading a quiet life. That is, until he’s approached by Six Eyes, the academy’s secret security guard, with a proposal. Six Eyes is a massive snake who’s able to secretly observe the students by slithering through the ventilation system and he’s been watching Legoshi for some time and wants his assistance with solving the murder of Tem. Legoshi agrees to help, but he may be getting in way over his head, as, not only is the killer extremely dangerous, but it’s also been decided that whichever student manages to apprehend the murderer will become the next Beastar!
Review:
I can’t tell you how excited I am that the mystery of Tem’s murder is finally becoming relevant again! I think it’s been several volumes since it was so much as mentioned and I’ve been dying to know who the culprit is! So far Bill seems like the most likely suspect, but he’s also too obvious, so I don’t actually think it’s him. Given that the drama club was intentionally recruiting students with emotional/psychological issues, any of the carnivore members are potentially suspicious. Sadly, Legoshi seems to be a pretty clumsy investigator, so it will likely be a while before we get any answers. Meanwhile, the competition for the Beastar position is also, finally, kicking off and it looks like Legoshi will be accidently becoming a competitor. With all these pieces starting to fall into place, it feels like the plot has started moving in earnest!
This volume we’re introduced to a couple of new characters: Six Eyes, the schools one and only security guard, and Pina, a Dall Thinhorn Sheep who’s the newest addition to the drama club’s acting pool. I love Six Eyes as a concept: he’s got a great design and the idea of a security guard, whom most of the students aren’t even aware exists, slithering around through the vents, spying on everyone and becoming the stuff of rumors and myths, is simultaneously very cool and creepy. But I have to question the judgement of a school guard who, after failing to prevent a murder, decides to foist their duties of keeping the student body safe onto a random student. Seems a little lazy to me, is all I’m saying.
I don’t have a lot to say about Pina at this point, other than that he appears to be an arrogant jerk who likes to stir up trouble. I think he’ll be a fun addition to the cast, although I’m sure it will turn out that he has some dark secret too.
Louis seems to be settling into his new life as the boss of a criminal syndicate of lions and has already started to win the loyalty of some of his underlings, despite the fact that he’d initially been made their leader mostly as a matter of convenience. Despite experiencing some health complications as a result of his new life style, he remains determined to follow this path, but his former classmates aren’t ready to let him go. Juno manages to track him down and shows up out of the blue to try and convince him to come back to school. I think I might be becoming a Louis and Juno shipper, as they’re surprisingly cute together and Juno’s self-confidence and determination make her a good match for Louis.
This turned out to be a pretty exciting volume. It feels like we’re getting into the main plot of the series now and I’m really enjoying all of these new developments. As always, I can’t wait for the next volume to come out!
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10
For more information on this series, check out Viz Media’s website.
What did you think of this volume? What are your thoughts on the new characters? Let me know in the comments!
Also, be sure to check out my reviews of the other volumes in the Beastars series:
- Beastars Vol 1 Review
- Beastars Vol 2 Review
- Beastars Vol 3 Review
- Beastars Vol 4 Review
- Beastars Vol 5 Review
- Beastars Vol 6 Review
- Beastars Vol 7 Review
- Beastars Vol 8 Review
- Beastars Vol 9 Review
- Beastars Vol 10 Review
- Beastars Vol 11 Review
- Beastars Vol 12 Review
- Beastars Vol 13 Review
- Beastars Vol 14 Review
- Beastars Vol 15 Review
- Beastars Vol 16 Review
- Beastars Vol 17 Review
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