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17 days and 22:40:43
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タイカの理性 [Taika no Risei] #1
Taika's Reason, Vol. 1
Not yet published
Expected 21 Jul 26Win a free print copy of this book!
17 days and 22:40:43
10 copies available
U.S. only
Due to a declining birth rate, pets are being transformed into humanoid members of society. But are they truly human? Or are humans truly animals?
- GenresMangaGraphic Novels
216 pages, Paperback
Expected publication July 21, 2026
About the author
Paru Itagaki
105 books693 followersParu Itagaki ( 板垣巴留, Itagaki Paru) is a multi-award-winning Japanese manga artist, known mainly for her work Beastars. She is the daughter of Keisuke Itagaki.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 11, 2025
Hàng mới từ tác giả tạo ra Beastars
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
In a world where the human population has declined to the point of humanizing pets– a procedure turning the pet into a humanoid cat- or dog-person – our main character comes home one day to find her pit bull standing over the mutilated body of her father. Afraid that he will be put down, Ao covers up the death so that she will not lose the only other person she cares about. Then Taika gets humanized and the whole plan looks like it might be doomed.
I have thoughts. I want to start off with the fact that the art, of course, is amazing. I love the art style of Beastars and think that it is super expressive, unique, and works extremely well for the particular feel of this story. There is this kind of strange seesawing between the reader being afraid of Taika and then seeing him acting goofy like a normal dog. I think that fits very well with the story because it’s a constant thought of “Did he actually kill Ao’s dad?” and “No, he couldn’t have look at how sweet and dumb he is.”
The writing is also extremely well done. I like the abrupt tonal shifts. I like the characters a lot. I am intrigued and want to know more about the world and what happened to Ao’s dad. For example, are there other pets being humanized besides cats and dogs? What about pet birds? Lizards? Hamsters? Rats? It would be interesting to see that expanded on. And as a quick aside, I think it’s kind of funny how Ao is all worried about losing the TWO people she cares the most about - her dad and Taika. What about her mom!? I thought the mom was dead until she suddenly showed up with a humanized Taika.
And now to the not so great things. There is a very strange and slightly off-putting sexual undertone to a lot of this. Which, to be fair, I expected on some level. But I didn’t expect it immediately, and I didn’t expect it to come off as creepy as it does. And, honestly, I don’t think it’s needed. Especially not this early. We have enough cool and interesting things going on without it.
This did bring my rating down a little and left me conflicted on if I am going to continue the series or not. Maybe the rest of the series will focus more on other things. That’s what I hope, because we have a really interesting set up here and a really cool world and some of these panels actually creeped me out. I’d hate for a few weird scenes to bring all of that down.
As always, a BIG thanks to Netgalley and VIZ Media for the DRC!!!
I have thoughts. I want to start off with the fact that the art, of course, is amazing. I love the art style of Beastars and think that it is super expressive, unique, and works extremely well for the particular feel of this story. There is this kind of strange seesawing between the reader being afraid of Taika and then seeing him acting goofy like a normal dog. I think that fits very well with the story because it’s a constant thought of “Did he actually kill Ao’s dad?” and “No, he couldn’t have look at how sweet and dumb he is.”
The writing is also extremely well done. I like the abrupt tonal shifts. I like the characters a lot. I am intrigued and want to know more about the world and what happened to Ao’s dad. For example, are there other pets being humanized besides cats and dogs? What about pet birds? Lizards? Hamsters? Rats? It would be interesting to see that expanded on. And as a quick aside, I think it’s kind of funny how Ao is all worried about losing the TWO people she cares the most about - her dad and Taika. What about her mom!? I thought the mom was dead until she suddenly showed up with a humanized Taika.
And now to the not so great things. There is a very strange and slightly off-putting sexual undertone to a lot of this. Which, to be fair, I expected on some level. But I didn’t expect it immediately, and I didn’t expect it to come off as creepy as it does. And, honestly, I don’t think it’s needed. Especially not this early. We have enough cool and interesting things going on without it.
This did bring my rating down a little and left me conflicted on if I am going to continue the series or not. Maybe the rest of the series will focus more on other things. That’s what I hope, because we have a really interesting set up here and a really cool world and some of these panels actually creeped me out. I’d hate for a few weird scenes to bring all of that down.
As always, a BIG thanks to Netgalley and VIZ Media for the DRC!!!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Manga | Humanized Pets | Middle School Setting
Thank you to Viz Media LLC for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
• Plot:
Taika’s Reason Vol 1 starts off with a mystery behind what happened to Ao, the MC’s dad, then goes into a flashback. Her dad supports her ego and her outbursts about how she hates humans and the humanization of dogs as people. Something terrible happens, and the story unfolds from there.
• What I Liked:
The intro is strange and dark, hinting at realities that sometimes happen to pet owners. I also like Taika's height difference against Ao. He reminds me of Legoshi from Beastars.
• What Didn’t Work for Me:
Taika mentions he would rather mate with Ao than see her as his master, which is kind of cringe and borderline bestiality-like.
• Themes / Ideas:
What sometimes happens to an owner who passes with an animal around them, there's gore, lying, bullying, etc.
• Who I’d Recommend It To:
This manga might appear to those who like furries. It’s a little cringe because Taika asks Ao’s boyfriend whether he can watch them mate, so be aware. There are also graphic scenes where another dog asserts dominance over Taika and urinates on him. If you enjoyed Beastars, this is by the same creator.
• Overall Thoughts: Taika is a pitbull dog and gets humanized. In this universe, people choose to have pets over children, partly due to the decline in birth rates, so this might appeal to pet owners who view their pets as their babies and family. There’s some comedy where the dogs act like dogs still despite being humanized sniffing butts. Taika attends school with Ao, who is a middle schooler. Taika has a foe and tries to protect Ao. The art style is great, it’s really expressive. I'm curious what the next volume will hold.
Thank you to Viz Media LLC for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
• Plot:
Taika’s Reason Vol 1 starts off with a mystery behind what happened to Ao, the MC’s dad, then goes into a flashback. Her dad supports her ego and her outbursts about how she hates humans and the humanization of dogs as people. Something terrible happens, and the story unfolds from there.
• What I Liked:
The intro is strange and dark, hinting at realities that sometimes happen to pet owners. I also like Taika's height difference against Ao. He reminds me of Legoshi from Beastars.
• What Didn’t Work for Me:
Taika mentions he would rather mate with Ao than see her as his master, which is kind of cringe and borderline bestiality-like.
• Themes / Ideas:
What sometimes happens to an owner who passes with an animal around them, there's gore, lying, bullying, etc.
• Who I’d Recommend It To:
This manga might appear to those who like furries. It’s a little cringe because Taika asks Ao’s boyfriend whether he can watch them mate, so be aware. There are also graphic scenes where another dog asserts dominance over Taika and urinates on him. If you enjoyed Beastars, this is by the same creator.
• Overall Thoughts: Taika is a pitbull dog and gets humanized. In this universe, people choose to have pets over children, partly due to the decline in birth rates, so this might appeal to pet owners who view their pets as their babies and family. There’s some comedy where the dogs act like dogs still despite being humanized sniffing butts. Taika attends school with Ao, who is a middle schooler. Taika has a foe and tries to protect Ao. The art style is great, it’s really expressive. I'm curious what the next volume will hold.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley and Viz Media for the arc.
This one really surprised me, but I ended up really having fun with it!
I really liked the sharp and expressive art style, and the actual plot ended up gripping me quickly - darkly funny with a tinge of suspenseful mystery.
For readers interested in:
Dark humour
Mild gore
Exploring dog personalities if they were human eg German shepherds being hard working
The manga/Netflix show 'BEASTARS' (the artists previous work)
Themes of bullying and teenage experiences in school
This one really surprised me, but I ended up really having fun with it!
I really liked the sharp and expressive art style, and the actual plot ended up gripping me quickly - darkly funny with a tinge of suspenseful mystery.
For readers interested in:
Dark humour
Mild gore
Exploring dog personalities if they were human eg German shepherds being hard working
The manga/Netflix show 'BEASTARS' (the artists previous work)
Themes of bullying and teenage experiences in school
October 13, 2025
Mở bài thú vị, dàn nhân vật có sức hút
November 23, 2025
Empieza muy interesante esta historia de la creadora de Beastars, ya veremos como sigue.
March 15, 2026
Wow! I am really excited for this new series. I miss Beastars and Itagaki is back with a new anthropomorphic tale with humans. Can’t wait!! Volume 1 has left me dying for the next volume.
March 30, 2026
a ver es un muy buen inicio, solo que la autora digamos que, creó que se le olvido que este otro manga, y no es beastars
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews