I enjoyed this is so much! I really liked the art style, I think its simplicity helped enhance the storyline and you could really feel the characters emotions. I haven’t read the original book so can’t make any comparisons but I’m really enjoying the storyline so far and feel the pacing is good. I always appreciate it when there’s enough suspense and intrigue to make you want to continue with the series but not a massive cliffhanger. I’ll be asking my library to get the rest of the series in as it comes out so I can continue with the story!

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review.

This one just didn't work for me. It's not bad, the artwork is nice, but the reader is left too much in the dark about what is going on, because the MC h is 10 and she has no idea what is going on, because the one person who COULD tell her, her mother, doesn't explain ANYthing. Not sure if that was to "protect" her daughter (Harry Potter trope-adults tell the kids NOTHING so they make uniformed decisions that move the plot along) or to protect her people, I have no idea and I wasn't impressed enough with the story to care.

This would be good if you like slow burn plot, guessing/a story that is a mystery and discovering the world along with the MC, as the volumes progress and without any sort of story arc being completed by the end of the first volume. It didn't work for me.

2, I don't have time for learning about the world along with an MC that was purposefully kept ignorant "for their/others' own good", stars.

This seems like it will be a fun adaptation of the original book! So far, the book is still a lot stronger in my opinion, but this will definitely bring the story to a lot more readers.

I'd like to start out by saying I had no idea this was an adaptation of a novel, so I have no way of comparing the two. For this being the first volume in the series its has a decent start, the story structure seems to lean towards relying on the mystery around Elin's mothers people and what their connection is to the Toda, and the general world around them. The first half felt like it was more of a set up for the foundation of the story while the 2nd half feels like that's where the story really starts. It wasn't super compelling and I'm not sure it really did enough to make me want to continue reading.

The art is decent as well, there are some panels that are done in this beautiful watercolor style in the beginning and sporadically placed through out the manga but as for the main art its not something that really stands out, its a pretty run of the mill manga style

"The Beast Player" is a manga adaptation of a novel of the same title by acclaimed Japanese fantasy author Nahoko Uehashi. I've been a fan of Uehashi's Moribito series for years and recently started the Beast Player series. Little did I know Kodansha was about to publish the manga adaptation in English.

This first volume is a pretty faithful adaptation of the novel's initial chapters, in plot and dialogue alike. The very first pages, in full colour, are beautifully drawn and captivating.
Unfortunately, I found the pacing a bit too rushed. I felt we didn't spend enough time with the protagonist's mother and community, so the many twists that followed didn't have the same emotional impact. I also find the drawing style (especially in black and white) a bit too minimalistic for my taste.

Overall, even though I still prefer the novels, I appreciate this manga as a new way to experience the richness and magic of Nahoko Uehashi's worlds, and I think I will keep reading the series.

A unique story that starts off with a mother tending to beasts, she's a specific race of people who are not well liked amongst the village, she "poisons" the beasts and the leader of the village finds out and sentences her to death. Of course her daughter in an attempt to save her, is put in danger so she must reveal the secret of her people before sending her daughter off and being killed. The art is nice, the setting is really cool but as the main character states, i'm not sure what the point of the story will be now! There's no clear set up of what is next and no clear direction that the main character wants to go in. As of right now, someone has saved her and that's who she is with. I'll give this a few more volumes to see if it shapes up!

(Unedited, scheduled to published July 13, 2024)

At merely 10-years-old, Elin, enamored with the sea beasts her family has been tasked with caring for, is forced to flee the life she has always known when her mother is sentenced to death by the very creatures she has spent her life caring for. Faced with grief, but realizing that she isn't alone, Elin learns that the abilities she took for granted are unique and lead her on an amazing adventure.

With nods to indigenous cultures, "The Beast Player" is manga appropriate for readers as young as age 10, with the understanding that Elin's mother is sentenced to death by sea creatures early in the book.

Manga is a format of book that is read backwards, by American standards. The book opens on the left side and is read from right-to-left. Aside from the orientation, it is presented in a comic-book style format, and often can be read in a single sitting.

"The Beast Player 1" was written by Nahoko Uehashi with art created by Itoe Takemoto. A duology of middle reader novels about Elin titled "Beast Player" and "Beast Warrior" by Nahoko Uehashi were also published in 2020.

Reviewer feedback: "Honestly, the title was incredibly misleading and I enjoyed the story much more than I anticipated! About halfway through there was a twist that, personally, made me smile; but I don't want to give it away! I am seriously considering purchasing the novels — I enjoyed it that much! And I don't like manga, as a rule!"

"The Beast Player" by Nahoko Uehashi & Itoe Takemoto

c. 2023, 190 pages, $10.99

If you're looking for a story with a cast of strong women, this is your manga!!

While this genre is typically not my cup of tea, the issues and emotions portrayed were relatable and vivid. If you're into shonen manga or fantasy, check it out!

The Beast Player felt so familiar that I was almost panicking, haha. Then I remembered that tried to read the original book by Nahoko Uehashi (well, the first book that contains two of the original books). I didn't finish it though, but this manga version was actually better. Elin is ten years old and lives in a village with her mother. Her mother is a beast doctor taking care of Toda that the warriors ride. The serpent beasts suddenly die and Elin's mother gets the blame. She sacrifices herself in order to save Elin and breaks the code of her (former) people. Now she must navigate her life without her mother. The plot is very interesting and the manga is sorrowful. Elin is an actual child and a great protagonist. The manga version is eleven books long and I enjoyed the rhythm a lot, since the book always felt slow.

The art looks great and works well with the story. This is a really good adaptation and looks just how I imaged everything. The pace is great and Elin feels like a real person too. I think I'll read this version till the end, since it intrigued me a lot more than the book(s).

When I started reading, I did not expected it to be this emotional and surprisingly sad storyline. I had goosebumps and couldn't stop reading, wanting to know how it all will continue.

As a fan of the novel, I was excited to pick up this manga adaption of the first section of the book, and it did not disappoint! It stayed very true to the source material, which I appreciated, as there is little to improve with the novel. The art was cute, and really drove home just how young Elin is when her story begins. I love how the bee keeper (I always forget his name lol) was drawn--not how I was expecting him to look (I pictured him being much older for some reason) but it captured all the tender gentleness of his character. I highly recommend for fans of the novel and new readers alike! (Though new readers will probably want to have the novel at hand, as this just gets started into Elin's story and you won't want to wait to finish it!

I received an ARC of the manga adaptation of the novel The Beast Player from NetGalley and Kodansha Comics, and I must say, it's truly captivating. The artwork is exceptional, and I'm amazed at how well the creators were able to establish the setting and develop the characters in just a few pages. The only thing I wish is that the illustrations were in color. I understand that black and white is the traditional style for manga, but I can't help but imagine how vibrant and beautiful the scenes would be with color. Nonetheless, I'm eagerly anticipating the release of the upcoming volumes.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for providing this opportunity to reviewers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the advance digital copy of this manga! “The Beast Player” by artist Itoe Takemoto is a manga adaptation of a novel by Nahoko Uehashi. I was immediately engaged in the world building in this first volume. Details about the care of the dragon serpents and the cultural prejudices and spirituality of different regions were all communicated naturally through the plot. It’s not really a spoiler if you’ve read the book’s description that the main character, Elin’s, mother dies. Sohyon could have been given very thin characterization because of this, but instead she is a truly complex woman, torn between her duty to her culture and her daughter. I enjoyed this first volume and its glimpses into the complex world that surrounds Elin, I will definitely be seeking out future volumes and the original novel series.

Thank you so much for letting me read this manga. Although this story has some very sad scenes it is just so beautiful at the same time.

I had recently read the novel version that this was based on and really enjoyed it, but honestly I loved the manga even more! I think the visual format is perfect for conveying the tone, atmosphere, and worldbuilding in The Beast Player. First of all, the art style(s) were absolutely stunning, especially the color pages. But the style also subtly shifted to fit the story, and I thought that was such a nice detail. I also feel that the art style really managed to do a lot of heavy emotional lifting. I really feel like we lived and felt with Elin, enjoying the sweet slow moments, and feeling the terrible tragedies as well. I'm so excited for the next volume of The Beast Player.

An immersive and highly interesting first volume which makes me anticipate the coming of the second one. This was a perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The characters were so well written. Highly enjoyed reading it and would recommend it profusely.

Having read the first novel in this series I was already familiar with the story. I loved this adaptation and I think it may be the best format for a story like this. The art work was beautiful and fit the style of the story well. I'm looking forward to continuing this series.

I loved The Beast Player novel series and love Manga so I was extremely excited to read this one. I have to say that it captures the story incredibly well. The panels and text work perfectly together. The art style is beautiful and it was lovely to put a sort of picture to Elin. I really hope we get the whole series turned into manga and would love to own both.

If you enjoy fantasy manga this will be a big hit. The best part is it will either introduce you to the world of The Beast Player or you can reread the story in a new format. Either way it is a win. The world is vividly brought to life in the art and is sure to hook new and old fans alike.

This is a really strong start to a solid fantasy story! Not a big surprise, considering it's an adaption of a YA novel! I will say, I read this without prior knowledge of said novel series, so this review is just about this manga version. Congratulations, manga version! Your artistic depictions of the world and strong introduction to the story has made me interested in checking out the novel and or continuing with this adaption! This first volume does a lot of good setup work for the world and characters before the plot proper kicks off. It's going to be a ride, but probably a good one!

I've owned the novel The Beast Player for years without picking it up, so I was intrigued to see this manga adaptation on NetGalley. In this first volume, the story has barely really begun, but is off to a good start. The toda are terrifying!! as they probably should be, and I'm already adoring Joeun.

TW: animal death, animal attack, death of a parent