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A Centaur's Life #1
A Centaur's Life, Vol. 1
Himeno is a sweet, shy little centaur girl. In her world, everyone seems to be a supernatural creature, and all her classmates have some kind of horns, wings, tails, halos, or other visible supernatural body part. Despite their supernatural elements, Himeno and her best friends, Nozomi and Kyoko, have a fun and mostly normal daily school life!
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2011
12 people are currently reading
266 people want to read
About the author
Kei Murayama
35 books8 followersKei Murayama (Japanese name: 村山慶) is a Japanese manga author and artist whose A Centaur's Life won the eighth Comic Ryujin Award in Japan. He is also known for Mushroom Girls in Love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 60 reviews
May 27, 2015
This was refreshing. And not just because it's "different" with magical creatures.
What's so great about this is how normal it is, even with centaurs and angels and such running around. It's a slice of life that has its hooves firmly planted in the real world, even with all the goat people. No crazy student council plots, no obnoxious boob-to-the-face fan service. Just a nice little trot through Himeno and friends' world and their lives. I'll admit it's much, much slower than most slice of life manga these days, but I think that that just adds to the charm.
The characters are pretty much normal teenage girls with normal teenage problems. Himeno mostly deals with normal things like her weight, but also with more "centaur" problems like her size (and her weight again) and some self-consciousness about her body as compared to other girls (and it's treated surprisingly... normally and not fan servicy at all). She's got good friends and normal parents... The fact that this series is so "normal" makes it really "abnormal" as far as manga go. And I really like it.
Murayama-sensei's attention to detail is amazing. The fact he actually thought about how clothing works in this world with crazy races just astounds me. There's even a little history of Kanata city, the place the story is set, in the back of the book.
I'm not sure whether to describe the artwork as "simple" or "detailed," since it seems to switch somewhat back and forth between these depending what the focus is on. I really liked the artwork.
I will admit, though, that there are some things that made me raise eyebrows, mostly in "chapter 0," but all things considered it wasn't too weird (maybe I'm desensitized?).
If you want a slice of life that isn't too crazy, this is the series for you.
What's so great about this is how normal it is, even with centaurs and angels and such running around. It's a slice of life that has its hooves firmly planted in the real world, even with all the goat people. No crazy student council plots, no obnoxious boob-to-the-face fan service. Just a nice little trot through Himeno and friends' world and their lives. I'll admit it's much, much slower than most slice of life manga these days, but I think that that just adds to the charm.
The characters are pretty much normal teenage girls with normal teenage problems. Himeno mostly deals with normal things like her weight, but also with more "centaur" problems like her size (and her weight again) and some self-consciousness about her body as compared to other girls (and it's treated surprisingly... normally and not fan servicy at all). She's got good friends and normal parents... The fact that this series is so "normal" makes it really "abnormal" as far as manga go. And I really like it.
Murayama-sensei's attention to detail is amazing. The fact he actually thought about how clothing works in this world with crazy races just astounds me. There's even a little history of Kanata city, the place the story is set, in the back of the book.
I'm not sure whether to describe the artwork as "simple" or "detailed," since it seems to switch somewhat back and forth between these depending what the focus is on. I really liked the artwork.
I will admit, though, that there are some things that made me raise eyebrows, mostly in "chapter 0," but all things considered it wasn't too weird (maybe I'm desensitized?).
If you want a slice of life that isn't too crazy, this is the series for you.
April 23, 2018
[I keep seeing ads for the anime, so I decided to repost my old reviews for the first three volumes of the manga to Goodreads. TLDR version for all three volumes: This is a series that tries to be charming and instead comes across as a little icky. Its world-building is obsessively detailed in sometimes strange ways (which I found morbidly fascinating), and there's lots of evidence that Murayama didn't really think everything through. Also, its lesbian rep is weird and awkward.]
Himeno (nicknamed “Hime”) is a shy, pretty, and somewhat ditzy centaur currently attending high school. Her best friends are Kyoko, one of the goatfolk, and Nozomi, a draconid. In this volume, Hime deals with the awkwardness of having an angelfolk guy give her a love letter, starring as a princess in a school play, and everyone's differing physical abilities in gym class. Readers also get a peek at her family life and other everyday aspects of living in a world populated entirely by fantasy beings.
I remember being intrigued by the idea of this series when it was first announced that Seven Seas Entertainment had licensed it. A slice-of-life series with centaurs, angels, satyr-like beings, and more, in an ordinary modern day setting – sure, why not?
I currently own the first three volumes, and the very beginning of this one made me wonder if I'd regret having them. An angelfolk guy offered Hime a love letter, causing her to freak out and run off. It turned out that she was nervous about the idea of dating anyone, because dating could eventually lead to sex. A past incident in which a classmate teased her about her genitals probably looking similar to those of livestock made her worry about what an angelfolk guy would think if he saw her naked. Hime's friends tried to reassure her, asking her if she'd ever looked at naked people in public baths or elsewhere and compared herself to them, but she'd always been too embarrassed to look.
This was all uncomfortably detailed but, I thought, a legitimate (if premature) concern for Hime to have. After all, of all her classmates, she appeared to be the only one who wasn't human from the waist down. I absolutely did not expect Nozomi's solution, however. She suggested that she and Kyoko show their genitals to Hime, and then they'd look at Hime's. Everyone was at least a little embarrassed, Kyoko most of all, but everyone did it.
I don't know about other women, but I can't imagine I or my friends ever offering to do this when we were in high school. I especially can't imagine it going quite the way it did in this manga. To be specific, here's the dialogue when Nozomi showed hers off:
Either Hime or Kyoko, fascinated: “Can...can we open it a little?”
Nozomi, blushing a bit: “Do what you want! Except...don't put anything in. Especially you, Kyoko.”
Nope. Just nope. I mean, WTF? No.
I might have liked the second chapter more if it hadn't been for the first chapter. In that one, the girls got ready for a school play, and there were stronger indications that Nozomi was probably a lesbian. An attempt by a male classmate to get Hime to kiss him backfired and resulted in Hime kissing Nozomi instead, and Nozomi spent a good chunk of the chapter blushing over and thinking about the incident.
The world-building was intriguing, but confusing. All (most?) of the races were descended from primates, but instead of Homo sapiens, evolution gave rise to centaurs, goatfolk, angelfolk, and more. There were indications that the races had previously been more segregated. Goatfolk like Kyoko once enslaved centaurs like Hime and used them as mounts in war, and some beings, like Antarctic snake people, still tended to be presented in a negative light in movies and fiction.
Architecture, furnishings, and clothing were set up to accommodate as many races as possible, but there were still awkward moments. For example, there were scenes showing what centaurs like Hime had to do in order to use a Western-style toilet, and Hime's family lived in a home that wasn't originally built for centaurs.
So far, Murayama's sometimes uncomfortably detailed look at the mechanics of living in this world is interesting. I'm morbidly curious about what the next couple volumes will bring. That said, Murayama doesn't incorporate most of this information very well, and some of it seemed like the kind of stuff that basic history and physical and sex education classes should have covered, if the races were really as integrated as they seemed to be. There were things that the girls shouldn't have needed to ask each other about, or that should have been more awkward to bring up than they were. I mean, Hime didn't even twitch when Kyoko mentioned that goatfolk used to keep centaurs as slaves.
Extras:
- Several information pages about things like centaur undergarments and footwear (I don't think that horse hooves work that way, though), how angelfolk undress, tail holes in undergarments, and more.
- Two full-color illustrations.
- A 2-page manga-style afterword in which God (Murayama?) is revealed to be a goat. An actual goat, not goatfolk.
- Two pages about Kanata City's past, present, and future. I was very confused about this bit, since it seemed to be info about a real-world city rather than world-building for the series, but my Googling indicates that the place names are probably made up.
- A 12-page preview of Monster Musume. It includes on-page sexual stimulation of a lamia, with enough nudity to show off the lamia girl's nipples and reveal that the artist found a way to incorporate human genitals onto a snake body. Basically porn.
Rating Note:
I struggled with my final rating. The bulk of it was 3 stars, but that first chapter was 1-star WTFery. I settled on 3 stars.
Update, an hour or so later: The more I thought about it, the more that first chapter made me uncomfortable and grossed me out, so I downgraded my rating to 2 stars. I'd advise prospective readers of this series to skip the first chapter.
(Original review, including read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
Himeno (nicknamed “Hime”) is a shy, pretty, and somewhat ditzy centaur currently attending high school. Her best friends are Kyoko, one of the goatfolk, and Nozomi, a draconid. In this volume, Hime deals with the awkwardness of having an angelfolk guy give her a love letter, starring as a princess in a school play, and everyone's differing physical abilities in gym class. Readers also get a peek at her family life and other everyday aspects of living in a world populated entirely by fantasy beings.
I remember being intrigued by the idea of this series when it was first announced that Seven Seas Entertainment had licensed it. A slice-of-life series with centaurs, angels, satyr-like beings, and more, in an ordinary modern day setting – sure, why not?
I currently own the first three volumes, and the very beginning of this one made me wonder if I'd regret having them. An angelfolk guy offered Hime a love letter, causing her to freak out and run off. It turned out that she was nervous about the idea of dating anyone, because dating could eventually lead to sex. A past incident in which a classmate teased her about her genitals probably looking similar to those of livestock made her worry about what an angelfolk guy would think if he saw her naked. Hime's friends tried to reassure her, asking her if she'd ever looked at naked people in public baths or elsewhere and compared herself to them, but she'd always been too embarrassed to look.
This was all uncomfortably detailed but, I thought, a legitimate (if premature) concern for Hime to have. After all, of all her classmates, she appeared to be the only one who wasn't human from the waist down. I absolutely did not expect Nozomi's solution, however. She suggested that she and Kyoko show their genitals to Hime, and then they'd look at Hime's. Everyone was at least a little embarrassed, Kyoko most of all, but everyone did it.
I don't know about other women, but I can't imagine I or my friends ever offering to do this when we were in high school. I especially can't imagine it going quite the way it did in this manga. To be specific, here's the dialogue when Nozomi showed hers off:
Either Hime or Kyoko, fascinated: “Can...can we open it a little?”
Nozomi, blushing a bit: “Do what you want! Except...don't put anything in. Especially you, Kyoko.”
Nope. Just nope. I mean, WTF? No.
I might have liked the second chapter more if it hadn't been for the first chapter. In that one, the girls got ready for a school play, and there were stronger indications that Nozomi was probably a lesbian. An attempt by a male classmate to get Hime to kiss him backfired and resulted in Hime kissing Nozomi instead, and Nozomi spent a good chunk of the chapter blushing over and thinking about the incident.
The world-building was intriguing, but confusing. All (most?) of the races were descended from primates, but instead of Homo sapiens, evolution gave rise to centaurs, goatfolk, angelfolk, and more. There were indications that the races had previously been more segregated. Goatfolk like Kyoko once enslaved centaurs like Hime and used them as mounts in war, and some beings, like Antarctic snake people, still tended to be presented in a negative light in movies and fiction.
Architecture, furnishings, and clothing were set up to accommodate as many races as possible, but there were still awkward moments. For example, there were scenes showing what centaurs like Hime had to do in order to use a Western-style toilet, and Hime's family lived in a home that wasn't originally built for centaurs.
So far, Murayama's sometimes uncomfortably detailed look at the mechanics of living in this world is interesting. I'm morbidly curious about what the next couple volumes will bring. That said, Murayama doesn't incorporate most of this information very well, and some of it seemed like the kind of stuff that basic history and physical and sex education classes should have covered, if the races were really as integrated as they seemed to be. There were things that the girls shouldn't have needed to ask each other about, or that should have been more awkward to bring up than they were. I mean, Hime didn't even twitch when Kyoko mentioned that goatfolk used to keep centaurs as slaves.
Extras:
- Several information pages about things like centaur undergarments and footwear (I don't think that horse hooves work that way, though), how angelfolk undress, tail holes in undergarments, and more.
- Two full-color illustrations.
- A 2-page manga-style afterword in which God (Murayama?) is revealed to be a goat. An actual goat, not goatfolk.
- Two pages about Kanata City's past, present, and future. I was very confused about this bit, since it seemed to be info about a real-world city rather than world-building for the series, but my Googling indicates that the place names are probably made up.
- A 12-page preview of Monster Musume. It includes on-page sexual stimulation of a lamia, with enough nudity to show off the lamia girl's nipples and reveal that the artist found a way to incorporate human genitals onto a snake body. Basically porn.
Rating Note:
I struggled with my final rating. The bulk of it was 3 stars, but that first chapter was 1-star WTFery. I settled on 3 stars.
Update, an hour or so later: The more I thought about it, the more that first chapter made me uncomfortable and grossed me out, so I downgraded my rating to 2 stars. I'd advise prospective readers of this series to skip the first chapter.
(Original review, including read-alikes and watch-alikes, posted on A Library Girl's Familiar Diversions.)
June 17, 2022
Rated 3 stars, but it's more like a 3.5--if only that were possible on here.
Had a lot to keep me interested, since I'm really into the combination of fantasy and slice of life. The world building was great and there was plenty of cut ins between chapters with interesting information. The reason I don't rate this higher is because the fan service gets really, really creepy. Not just normal stuff like the characters looking sexy, sweating in a beach chapter or something... Like in other volumes it's literally other highschoolers pulling one character's panties down without her consent to check if she's "really a girl" since her boobs are small.. And a very weird scene in the literal first chapter. It's something you sort of just have to put up with with manga, but you can kind of tell the creator's a freak irl. I probably wouldn't have ignored it if I had read this when I was older.
Had a lot to keep me interested, since I'm really into the combination of fantasy and slice of life. The world building was great and there was plenty of cut ins between chapters with interesting information. The reason I don't rate this higher is because the fan service gets really, really creepy. Not just normal stuff like the characters looking sexy, sweating in a beach chapter or something... Like in other volumes it's literally other highschoolers pulling one character's panties down without her consent to check if she's "really a girl" since her boobs are small.. And a very weird scene in the literal first chapter. It's something you sort of just have to put up with with manga, but you can kind of tell the creator's a freak irl. I probably wouldn't have ignored it if I had read this when I was older.
July 24, 2020
I've been reading a lot of monster-girl light novels and manga as of late, and after watching the anime for this slice of life manga, I decided to pick it up.
This series does a lot of things that I found to be very unique. From the centaur being concerned that her private parts are not attractive and look like a cow's, to how they deal with romance, to why centaurs have to remain thin, there is a lot of stuff tackled in this manga. Add to it the fact that anything that easily could have been sexualized is NOT sexualized, and you have something that remains slice of life without turning lewd. (something I can't praise it enough for doing)
The characters are interesting, and each has their own personalities that work well with the other characters. They deal with everyday situations and everyday school life. The monster girl aspect and how they do things is just naturally streamlined into the story and the fact that it wasn't in your face made for a pleasant story.
In the end, if you are looking for a nice slice of life manga with monster girls, this is the one for you. It's an easy, calm read and easily one you could read while sitting in your favorite chair while sipping your favorite drink.
This series does a lot of things that I found to be very unique. From the centaur being concerned that her private parts are not attractive and look like a cow's, to how they deal with romance, to why centaurs have to remain thin, there is a lot of stuff tackled in this manga. Add to it the fact that anything that easily could have been sexualized is NOT sexualized, and you have something that remains slice of life without turning lewd. (something I can't praise it enough for doing)
The characters are interesting, and each has their own personalities that work well with the other characters. They deal with everyday situations and everyday school life. The monster girl aspect and how they do things is just naturally streamlined into the story and the fact that it wasn't in your face made for a pleasant story.
In the end, if you are looking for a nice slice of life manga with monster girls, this is the one for you. It's an easy, calm read and easily one you could read while sitting in your favorite chair while sipping your favorite drink.
June 24, 2021
5/10
not bad, it got, ah, a little pervy at times. Didn't ruin it for me but it was noticeable. There's some LGBT coding going on that I was all for. Ill keep reading if I can find it for cheap.
not bad, it got, ah, a little pervy at times. Didn't ruin it for me but it was noticeable. There's some LGBT coding going on that I was all for. Ill keep reading if I can find it for cheap.
May 10, 2023
Kimihara Himeno and her friends are normal high school students, expect in their world everyone's some sort of supernatural creature.
Follow along as these supernatural creatures goes through high school.
------------------------------------------------------------
I impulse bought this from the library for a $1. It was cheap and the art looked pretty so I didn't think much of it.
Low-key regretted reading this tbh. It's just so sexual for no reason and obviously written for the male-gaze. It becomes extremely obvious when men write for the male gaze when they have girls acting in abnormal ways. Apparently this a yuri's series but everything feels meant for guys.
This book will be finding its way back to the library where some other unfortunate soul can buy it for a $1.
Follow along as these supernatural creatures goes through high school.
------------------------------------------------------------
I impulse bought this from the library for a $1. It was cheap and the art looked pretty so I didn't think much of it.
Low-key regretted reading this tbh. It's just so sexual for no reason and obviously written for the male-gaze. It becomes extremely obvious when men write for the male gaze when they have girls acting in abnormal ways. Apparently this a yuri's series but everything feels meant for guys.
This book will be finding its way back to the library where some other unfortunate soul can buy it for a $1.
December 29, 2022
THE GOOD:
The art is adorable. I love the variety in characters and the book is great as a concept.
THE NOT SO GOOD:
I was expecting this to be really cute but it unfortunately got sexual in many spots for no reason. It rubbed me the wrong way since I believe they're meant to be in high school.
OVERALL:
2 stars. Really disappointed by this one :(
The art is adorable. I love the variety in characters and the book is great as a concept.
THE NOT SO GOOD:
I was expecting this to be really cute but it unfortunately got sexual in many spots for no reason. It rubbed me the wrong way since I believe they're meant to be in high school.
OVERALL:
2 stars. Really disappointed by this one :(
December 15, 2022
DNF. A bit too immature and slice of life for my taste.
June 22, 2015
A Centaur's Life, by Murayama Kei, would seem to be some fantasy adventure if one just saw the cover. Strange mythological animal creatures usually mean sword and sorcery, right?
Well, not always, apparently. This manga is actually a slice-of-life series about a teenage girl centaur in a world of mythological creatures. As I heard one description online on tvtropes put it, it's a world where evolution went differently. Now, I have heard that there are some fantasy plots occasionally in the later volumes, but mostly this is just a story about our teen high school student, and her friends and family, in this wierd setting.
Our main protagonist and her two friends are a Centaur named Kimihara Himeno, a Draconid girl named Gokuraku Nozomi, and a Goatfolk girl named Naraku Kyouko. Together, these three friends navigate their way through the high school play and beyond. It's certainly sweet to behold, though some might have issues with some of the content, to be sure.
Nothing really bad or disgusting happens, but the manga depicts them as having body issues and worries that normal girls do at that age. Of course they wish to discuss and solve these issues. Only in these case, there are complications due to their species. It's a source of humor that if you can remember is intended for sweetness and not any weird fetish, is really fun.
The author seems, as tvtropes also notes, to have put some thought into how various mythological species in a mundane setting might work and it shows in his work. This is from differences in body size versus weight for different species, in different skill sets for different species, so on. The world-building for a slice-of-life story is impressive even in the first volume.
Of course the characters are also fun. The reason that the scenes and humor with Himeko, Nozoki, and Kyouko were sweet and fun was because the characters are ones you root for.
I really am looking forward to future volumes of this strange, but sweet and fun, manga.
Well, not always, apparently. This manga is actually a slice-of-life series about a teenage girl centaur in a world of mythological creatures. As I heard one description online on tvtropes put it, it's a world where evolution went differently. Now, I have heard that there are some fantasy plots occasionally in the later volumes, but mostly this is just a story about our teen high school student, and her friends and family, in this wierd setting.
Our main protagonist and her two friends are a Centaur named Kimihara Himeno, a Draconid girl named Gokuraku Nozomi, and a Goatfolk girl named Naraku Kyouko. Together, these three friends navigate their way through the high school play and beyond. It's certainly sweet to behold, though some might have issues with some of the content, to be sure.
Nothing really bad or disgusting happens, but the manga depicts them as having body issues and worries that normal girls do at that age. Of course they wish to discuss and solve these issues. Only in these case, there are complications due to their species. It's a source of humor that if you can remember is intended for sweetness and not any weird fetish, is really fun.
The author seems, as tvtropes also notes, to have put some thought into how various mythological species in a mundane setting might work and it shows in his work. This is from differences in body size versus weight for different species, in different skill sets for different species, so on. The world-building for a slice-of-life story is impressive even in the first volume.
Of course the characters are also fun. The reason that the scenes and humor with Himeko, Nozoki, and Kyouko were sweet and fun was because the characters are ones you root for.
I really am looking forward to future volumes of this strange, but sweet and fun, manga.
February 14, 2016
Wow, this was a really weird (but still fun) manga. I am not entirely sure if I will read the rest of this manga, for now I will say no.
Especially the first chapter (Chapter 0) was just awkward and I almost dropped the manga because of things happening there. Hime gets a confession, and is worried about things like romance. About what would happen if she would have sex. She feels insecure about the parts down below. And from there it starts to go just wtf weird. Her friends decide to help her out and show her their parts....... To give her more confidence and all that. You don't see anything, but it was highly awkward seeing them sitting in front of their friend and commenting on their parts...
Luckily, that chapter was the only one that was weird in that way. The others are more comedy and don't focus on Hime alone. They also feature her parents, her friends and their lives. Of course, most of it is still about Hime and her life.
All the characters in this book are different species, but they all get called human from what I could see. It was great fun to see such a diverse cast of all kinds of species. It was interesting to see centaurs, but also that some characters had random parts of some species but weren't really looking 100% like that species.
Even with the supernatural cast the story is mostly slice of life and is mostly about 3 girls in high school and how they go along. They talk about love, dieting, modelling and homework. It was really fun that the author decided to keep the supernatural element to be mostly about how the characters look, and keep the rest just normal.
The art is pretty decent, they did a good job on the cast. I can imagine drawing a horse in various poses with clothes on isn't an easy task.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
Especially the first chapter (Chapter 0) was just awkward and I almost dropped the manga because of things happening there. Hime gets a confession, and is worried about things like romance. About what would happen if she would have sex. She feels insecure about the parts down below. And from there it starts to go just wtf weird. Her friends decide to help her out and show her their parts....... To give her more confidence and all that. You don't see anything, but it was highly awkward seeing them sitting in front of their friend and commenting on their parts...
Luckily, that chapter was the only one that was weird in that way. The others are more comedy and don't focus on Hime alone. They also feature her parents, her friends and their lives. Of course, most of it is still about Hime and her life.
All the characters in this book are different species, but they all get called human from what I could see. It was great fun to see such a diverse cast of all kinds of species. It was interesting to see centaurs, but also that some characters had random parts of some species but weren't really looking 100% like that species.
Even with the supernatural cast the story is mostly slice of life and is mostly about 3 girls in high school and how they go along. They talk about love, dieting, modelling and homework. It was really fun that the author decided to keep the supernatural element to be mostly about how the characters look, and keep the rest just normal.
The art is pretty decent, they did a good job on the cast. I can imagine drawing a horse in various poses with clothes on isn't an easy task.
Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/
November 9, 2020
2.5
really interesting premise and details but I'm a bit confused on how all ppl in this world were still descended from African primates and they somehow evolved to the current state. I hope this will be touched on more.
also I was pretty uncomfortable with the first chapter of this - although it may have portrayed a legitimate concern the way the girls (who are underage) talked about it and "solved the issue" felt really unrealistic and icky to me. big reason why my rating is so low along with the rest of the slightly boring chapters (dull dialogue and character interactions)
really interesting premise and details but I'm a bit confused on how all ppl in this world were still descended from African primates and they somehow evolved to the current state. I hope this will be touched on more.
also I was pretty uncomfortable with the first chapter of this - although it may have portrayed a legitimate concern the way the girls (who are underage) talked about it and "solved the issue" felt really unrealistic and icky to me. big reason why my rating is so low along with the rest of the slightly boring chapters (dull dialogue and character interactions)
February 5, 2019
It had some interesting worldbuilding, but it was a bit of an awkward read. Some things weren't quite explained well, while others veered towards expository—especially in contexts where the characters should've known the Thing Being Exposited™. Add in somewhat stilted dialogue and my not being a fan of slice of life, and, well. It wasn't not worth reading, but I wouldn't rush to recommend it, either.
May 6, 2020
What the hell did I just read?!
So first of all, I loved the art! The images were really fascinating and adorable. Second I thought it would be a cute and silly read but the sexual aspects of the book were really creepy. It could have been really good but for some reason it all made me think about things I don’t want to think about especially since most of them are half human half animal.
Want to get more into mangas though!
So first of all, I loved the art! The images were really fascinating and adorable. Second I thought it would be a cute and silly read but the sexual aspects of the book were really creepy. It could have been really good but for some reason it all made me think about things I don’t want to think about especially since most of them are half human half animal.
Want to get more into mangas though!
May 11, 2016
Clever and well done approach to the material, although a bit too slow to really hold my interest. Worth checking out for yourself though.
Review: https://derailmentsofthought.wordpres...
Review: https://derailmentsofthought.wordpres...
September 22, 2016
Very interesting read. The story was meh a bit. No overarching plot really. I guess it's good if you need a break from reading heavy things. I would like to see where they go with the lore but not really in a hurry to pick up the next volume.
December 27, 2017
A cute slice-of-life in an alternate world. The service is a little heavy for me, starting right out in the zeroth chapter. On the other hand, the casual inclusion and realistic feel of female affection for one another is quite nice.
February 6, 2015
Cute and very different from what I have read before. I do like the different take on the races involved.
November 20, 2017
This review will feature instances and portrayal’s from the first four volumes, since reading one may not give a well enough idea of whether one might want to continue the series or not. Monster girl fans (especially centaur fans) will enjoy this one because the main character is a centaur and there are a number of other monster girl races featured in this series.
While this series does not seem to have an overarching plot (although it seems to have some interesting political and historical context that gets sprinkled in a bit in each volume) in the first four volumes, it does feature what a centaur’s life is like. Who do they hang out with, how do they get dressed, how to they bathe or use the toilet, what kinds of worries do they have when dating? These are all questions answered by this manga.
One of the more mature content things I enjoyed was that the very first chapter, Hime, the main centaur girl, gets a love confession by a creature of another race, and her concern is that her female parts are that of a horse, so all her friends compared…This was a hilarious and fun opening, but the rest did not match up from there onward. Within the first four volumes, we get to see what it is like for a centaur in PE and sports, to visit a mermaid school, go swimming, visit family, dress, eat, and get a haircut!
At the end of volume three, a new race is introduced, and interesting race called Antarcticans that have human legs and arms, but are otherwise serpentine in appearance. This is where the politics of the show get interesting. In the community, there are a number of speculations about Antarcticans, but no one knows what is true and what is not because no one has actually seen one in person, until one transfers to Hime’s school. Hime finds this creature to be frightening based off of a horror movie she saw as a child, but she learns that Antarcticans can be just like everyone else. I personally find this race to be interesting and might continue reading just to see the interactions between Hime and her friends and this race.
All-in-all, this series was okay (thus far). I am on the fence about continuing it though. As much of a monster girl fan as I am, this series is cute and interesting to see different monster girl races, but the lack of an overarching story, or perhaps just the small hints of a major plot, are not enough to keep me reading. I would say at least give volume one a shot if this is your type of thing, that way you can see for yourself if it is worth the investment. The art is great, though, and Hime is such a cute character!
While this series does not seem to have an overarching plot (although it seems to have some interesting political and historical context that gets sprinkled in a bit in each volume) in the first four volumes, it does feature what a centaur’s life is like. Who do they hang out with, how do they get dressed, how to they bathe or use the toilet, what kinds of worries do they have when dating? These are all questions answered by this manga.
One of the more mature content things I enjoyed was that the very first chapter, Hime, the main centaur girl, gets a love confession by a creature of another race, and her concern is that her female parts are that of a horse, so all her friends compared…This was a hilarious and fun opening, but the rest did not match up from there onward. Within the first four volumes, we get to see what it is like for a centaur in PE and sports, to visit a mermaid school, go swimming, visit family, dress, eat, and get a haircut!
At the end of volume three, a new race is introduced, and interesting race called Antarcticans that have human legs and arms, but are otherwise serpentine in appearance. This is where the politics of the show get interesting. In the community, there are a number of speculations about Antarcticans, but no one knows what is true and what is not because no one has actually seen one in person, until one transfers to Hime’s school. Hime finds this creature to be frightening based off of a horror movie she saw as a child, but she learns that Antarcticans can be just like everyone else. I personally find this race to be interesting and might continue reading just to see the interactions between Hime and her friends and this race.
All-in-all, this series was okay (thus far). I am on the fence about continuing it though. As much of a monster girl fan as I am, this series is cute and interesting to see different monster girl races, but the lack of an overarching story, or perhaps just the small hints of a major plot, are not enough to keep me reading. I would say at least give volume one a shot if this is your type of thing, that way you can see for yourself if it is worth the investment. The art is great, though, and Hime is such a cute character!
December 7, 2023
"How many levels of irony are you on?"
"I don't know, maybe 5 or 6."
"You are a like a baby. Watch this!" *releases A Centaur's Life*
A lot of the negative reviews seem to take the text purely at face value, which I think is a bit of a mistake. A lot of the text is written with its proverbial tongue jammed in its proverbial cheek. For example, racism is a very important topic. However, it seems that no singular race was ever dominant. For example, centaurs were often enslaved and used as mounts, but centaurs were also the Nazi stand-ins. In the modern day, there are many anti-racist laws, and it is said by the characters that they are somewhat overboard. A centaur cannot carry an exhausted friend on her back, lest they both be arrested, and angelfolk cannot knowingly cut their "hair halo".
But, like, what does that mean? Is Kei Murayama saying that anti-racist laws are going overboard, basically a "wokeness gone wild"? Or is he saying that racism should only exist in a world of incredibly diverse body plans? Or is he poking fun at the idea of "wokeness gone wild" in general?
Part of the fun of reading this is trying to work out what the author is trying to say. Even reading 20+ volumes, I honestly cannot say what Kei Murayama's true politics are.
On a more surface level, I also like all the little details in the world building.
"I don't know, maybe 5 or 6."
"You are a like a baby. Watch this!" *releases A Centaur's Life*
A lot of the negative reviews seem to take the text purely at face value, which I think is a bit of a mistake. A lot of the text is written with its proverbial tongue jammed in its proverbial cheek. For example, racism is a very important topic. However, it seems that no singular race was ever dominant. For example, centaurs were often enslaved and used as mounts, but centaurs were also the Nazi stand-ins. In the modern day, there are many anti-racist laws, and it is said by the characters that they are somewhat overboard. A centaur cannot carry an exhausted friend on her back, lest they both be arrested, and angelfolk cannot knowingly cut their "hair halo".
But, like, what does that mean? Is Kei Murayama saying that anti-racist laws are going overboard, basically a "wokeness gone wild"? Or is he saying that racism should only exist in a world of incredibly diverse body plans? Or is he poking fun at the idea of "wokeness gone wild" in general?
Part of the fun of reading this is trying to work out what the author is trying to say. Even reading 20+ volumes, I honestly cannot say what Kei Murayama's true politics are.
On a more surface level, I also like all the little details in the world building.
August 12, 2018
I love the idea of a slice of life manga depicting a world where there's centaurs and all sorts of other animal-people type characters all coexisting. There's some really interesting worldbuilding and consideration given to how exactly these creatures could exist in a modern society and serious props to the author on that. I just wish there wasn't so much attention given to the sexual aspects. It's a little creepy, honestly, and especially since almost all of the main characters are underage schoolgirls.
August 12, 2020
There are but a few Centaur series listed on the Comix site, so this caught my eye. The characters are a varied mix and Himeno should actually be called a Centauride, a female Centaur. The group touch on all the day to day problems most their age struggle with, it's even more complicated with you have four hooves and and ample chest. The interaction with the younger siblings is spot on, as they ask arkward questions in such a straightforward manner. There is an English dubbed DVD around, but I have yet to find a copy. I did however purchase all 18 editions of this intriguing series.
May 1, 2019
I liked this book but found a few inconsistencies and parts that didn't exhibit enough clarity. The illustrations were good but this book is a bit "run of the mill". I would recommend it if you don't mind a little bit of a generic plot. The illustrations do good at distracting from the plot and are admirable and the character design was nice, but never the less Certainly not my favorite.
October 11, 2022
Not the best slice of life comedy but the fantasy elements are pretty fun, making up for the not too exciting plot. The characters are fine, they're too interesting but their basic character and personality is enough to make them at least someone you wouldn't mind reading about. There's a little bit of worldbuilding thrown in, oddly political too? Or at least very connected to the real world.
Not much to say about this, if you like centaurs or those kinda humanoids like me you'd enjoy this. If you love slice of life and want something with a twist, then here!
Not much to say about this, if you like centaurs or those kinda humanoids like me you'd enjoy this. If you love slice of life and want something with a twist, then here!
November 24, 2019
A fun and intresting read. This series has suprisingly alot of deepth to it when it comes to politics, history and racism which I dident expected.
A centaur´s life volume 1 by Kei Murayama get a 9/10 stars.
A centaur´s life volume 1 by Kei Murayama get a 9/10 stars.
March 17, 2017
Normally I really like slice of life type mangas, but this one was poorly written with bland characters and bad dialogue. I probably won't read the rest.
May 23, 2017
Just another slice of life manga but with monster people boring
November 21, 2019
1.5 stars.
February 10, 2021
Eh. I didn't hate it but it's not interesting enough for me to keep reading.
July 7, 2021
The art is cute, but I couldn't get into the story. DNF
August 1, 2022
I tried. I tried to get into this. I didn't. I didn't get into the stories, didn't get into the illustrations. Didn't read the second volume.
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