The King's Beast, Vol. 11

王の獣 [Ō no Kemono] #11

by Rei Tōma

Ajin boys who show signs of special abilities are conscripted to serve in the imperial palace as beast-servants—status symbols and shields for their royal masters, to be kept or discarded on a whim. When they were children, Rangetsu’s twin brother Sogetsu was ripped from her arms and sent to the palace to attend Prince Tenyou as a beast-servant, where he quickly fell victim to bloody dynastic intrigues. Now in a world that promises only bitterness, Rangetsu’s one hope at avenging her brother is to disguise herself as a man and find a way into the palace!

Now that Rangetsu has her brother safely back, she can finally relax after years of revenge-fueled vigilance. But her peaceful days are anything but restful. Without the fiery urge for vengeance to distract her, the terrible disparity between the treatment of Ajin and humans has become even more painfully clear. Can she really be content to stay quietly at Prince Tenyou’s side when the world sees her as less than a person?

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult, Graphic Novels, Historical, Japanese Literature

168 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2022

About the author

Rei Tōma (Japanese: 藤間 麗,Tōma Rei) has been drawing since childhood, but she only began drawing manga because of her graduation project in design school. When she drew a short-story manga, "Help me dentist" (ヘルプ me デンティスト), it attracted a publisher's attention and she made her debut right away. Her magnificent art style became popular, and after she debuted as a manga artist, she became known as an illustrator for novels and video game character designs.

Dawn of the Arcana is her first long-running manga series, and it has been a hit in Japan, selling over a million copies.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that things are all sorted, it’s time for the big happy ending and it’s all going perfectly and Rangetsu and Tenyou will be together forever and peace and happiness for everybody. Or not.

That’s more like it. This is more of what I love about this series, seeing it take itself seriously when it should and not so much when it shouldn’t. If the balance was off last time, and it was, it rectifies that here.

Partly this is due to Rangetsu being very aware that just because Tenyou wants to change things, and he very clearly loves her, doesn’t necessarily mean much of anything to the greater world outside the palace. This is a place of privilege for all concerned.

Despite an amusing moment where Rangetsu meets her prospective mother-in-law and her very funny talk with Princess Ririn, our hero knows that this life she’s leading can’t amount to the change she wants to see.

Which is a bittersweet, yet effective, means of splitting our leads up and also gives Sogetsu something to do, plus it lets Tenyou and Rangetsu get incredibly twitchy around one another for a bit. Few manga have dates as well earned as this one.

Some of this is on a precipice of too goofy. Case in point, Rangetsu’s plan is to retire to the country so she isn’t in Tenyou’s way, which leads to a ridiculous rejection party from his brothers. I wouldn’t say this has quite found the balance between its serious and silly sides, clearly, but it feels like a better balance than last time.

In fact, when Taiga, another aijin, ends up accompanying Rangetsu and it appears that they’re setting off on a rather bawdy adventure, it’s actually an excuse to reinforce to both Rangetsu and the audience how bad the situation in the nation is for the aijin. They clearly influence the world, but they are not always welcomed in it.

This is more what I wanted from last volume, which seemed ready to not do anything with its new direction except make vapid commentary on mental illness and also do flirty stuff.

Here, well, I was really happy with both the main narrative, the flirty stuff, and how both of them interact with one another. It’s a much, much better justification for continuing on to something new after all the mystery and intrigue.

4.5 stars - this is way more of everything I like about this series, back in a stronger package. That’ll do quite well for making me a happily satisfied reader.

[Momo · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 stars out of 5

This volume was okay-good but it just was the final meh for me after the last two very ew volumes. Maybe this series is ending soon because the other series in this world also ended very meh but I just don't want this on my shelves anymore and I don't even want to make an effort to read it online. I will be adding this author to my not buy authors list (other than Suijin no Hanayome if I decide I want to rebuy that gem that I never got to finish).

[givememycheetos · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

Luego de la racha de que a partir del 3, todos los tomos hayan sido 5⭐️, este si sintio un poco mas flojo. No quita que siga siendo de mis mangas favoritos, pero hubieron escenas bastante meh. Igual las compensa las escenas de Rangetsu y el principe Tenyou, esa despedida 😫😫 cuando se pone shy porque Rangetsu es la OG y DIVINA, BELLA PODEROSA. Tambien sus props por la nueva travesia de empezar a descubrir un poco el imperio.

Buen tomo en general

[MargReadsManga · Rating 5 out of 5]

Squeeeee!!! I absolutely love this series so much!!! I can’t get enough of it!

[Vivienne Beloved · Rating 2 out of 5]

Una totale sorpresa vedere Rangetsu andare via dal palazzo imperiale e lasciare indietro il principe Tenyo.
Si, si sono fatti una sorta di promessa, ma quanto durerà questa separazione? Ci sarà un lieto fine?

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ch 40-43

Read on VIZ app

[Kaitlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is so cute, and gives me all the butteflies

[Aiko (Temiko) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars. Fluffy romance 🥰

[The Book Dragon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rangetsu meets Prince Tenyou's mother and... nothing really happens. And we're past it so fast it feels like it didn't matter because now that Sogetsu is back, he gets his position as Tenyou's beast servant back and Rangetsu gets an honorable discharge, complete with a land grant and her freedom.

So she leaves to "see the world" and build a new life on her farm, while Tenyou vows to work extra hard to fix how society views Ajin. But Rangetsu's not alone, because Teiga (the 1st prince's beast servant, dog boy with lightning powers) goes with her to keep her company.

[Janis Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

While it had the desired result, that was a strange plot choice. It wasn't fully believable to me, regardless of the "now I know I can't live without you" lesson. It felt very childish (maybe that was the point) for the maturity level and that "dumbed down" Ragetsu's feelings to stereotypical "girl feelings/reactions". I would've preferred a slightly more mature approach that took the introspection that is already there and applied the pathway there within the same city -this trope has been better played out before (i.e. Saiunkoku Monogatari). I know she's still young which is why I don't think I'm asking too much.

Anyway, I'm not stopping now! I still think this is cute and engaging enough to continue to the end.

[Sequoia Cron · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief meet with Tenyou's mother. Nothing happens from that, which is disappointing.

Rangetsu and Sogetsu agree to swap places: Rangetsu is discharged from her position as beast servant to Prince Tenyou, and Sogetsu takes over his previous position while Rangetsu travels the country side home. Rangetsu is joined by Teiga, one of the other beast servants, and Tenyou is trying to fix the unrest between Ajin and humans. Of course, they both miss each other, and I'm hoping for a reunion sooner than later.

[ℂ ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gir inesperadíssim dels esdeveniments perquè just quan semblava que érem a prop d'un final feliç, la cosa es posa intensa. Tot i que s'estimen amb bogeria, la Rangetsu demana al Tenyou marxar del palau per explorar la nació, amb el pretext de no interposar-se en els seus plans de reforma del país, que inclouen canviar les lleis per millorar les condicions de vida dels ajins i permetre'n el matrimoni amb humans. No sé a on vol arribar, però m'ha semblat interessant i, tot i que la relació és del tot agònica, s'exploren nous fils argumentals :)

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rangetsu and Prince Tenyou spend a last night together and then she heads for home.

It's a temporary trip, of course, or this book wouldn't continue. I would give the first half of this book (the last night) four stars for adorable non-sex. The second half would get three stars. I'm glad the mangaka did not stretch this part out for several books and hopefully Rangetsu and her companion's comments on how brothels are being scammed for taxes helps. I'm a little leery of how this is going to continue since the arc wrap-up seemed to take care of most things.

[R. · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rangetsu decides to head back home and see the country on her way. Unexpectedly, she's joined by Teiga along the way. At the beginning, there's a brief ray of hope, but that seems to have been dashed rather spectacularly by the time they make it back home. Considering the way both Rangetsu and Tenyou are handling their separation, can't help but wonder if Taihaku showing up means Rangetsu may soon be back at the palace with her brother and everyone else.

[Mariána K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too short!

I hate how long you have to wait between releases and then you get such a sort volume that you're done reading it in an hour or less. There's so little progress that the story is crawling at a pace that reminds me of Dragon Ball Z.

[Aurora · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn’t like this volume as much as previous volumes, because it seems like her running away came out of nowhere. I’m not sure if the author is quite prepared for the dystopian society they set up here either. 😅 Hopefully we’re back to things I enjoy next volume…

[Shyann Emory brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Soo cute

I loooooove this series. It is sooo cute. I cannot wait for the mext installment. I am wondering what's next especially with that last panel leaving us waiting to see if he's there, was it just a message? Is she going back?

[Kimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Be prepared to cry. OMG the emotions. And getting to see more of the country at least to the degree of what life is like for the Ajin the further away from the capital you get is just heartbreaking. I'm waiting for the revolution.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute but honestly it felt like a filler to me. Nothing really happened at all and I have a feeling that what happened in this volume won't matter much, if at all, in the future volumes. I don't think this one will be as memorable.

[Faith Troupe · Rating 4 out of 5]

ir was cute but not much went forward

Very cute but I don’t think they went forward very much.

I do look forward to the next book because some very nice development that I’m looking forward to the author exploring.

[Ellen Scheid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as memorable as past volumes

[BeckyisBookish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm obsessed with this series and Rei Tōma's work in general. I want more spice, but the romance is so adorable!!

[meelee · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Bree Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved this one. It's a quick read—as they all are—but it packs a powerful punch.

Content warnings: Alcohol, racism, sexual content, slavery, and violence.

[Rebecca Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

[Milo Blais · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t wait for volume 12

[Kimberlee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The way it took me until volume 10/11 to realize this manga is in the same universe of Dawn of the Arcana. It's too bad that I've forgotten most of that manga.

[Kavitha Sivakumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different imagination with the same discrimination due to differences in appearances.

[Victoria Kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series and I can't wait for more! It's so sweet and sad at the same time.

[Siobhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's almost the end of the series but I really don't know how it is going to end. I just really hope Rangetsu and Tenyou end up together. 🙏🙏