While definitly not as vibrant and deptful as the novel this was a great adaptation! The Beast Player is a great story for people who love animals and animal compenions. While this is the first issue and quite introductory to Erin and the world, it already shows the mystical elements and some political layers that are very much at the forefront of the novel. I think this light visual representation of the story will hopefully attract a whole new reader base! In the meantime I am going to hunt down the anime as I have heard great things about that version as well!

I didn’t know what to expect going into this manga, but I am so intrigued! This is an emotional manga about a little girl named Elin who is forced to escape her home.

The art in this manga is absolutely stunning, especially the full colour pages. The watercolour style is gorgeous and is one of the nicest full colour pages I have seen in any manga.

I am really looking forward to continuing the next volumes of the manga, and reading the novel too.

3.5 stars.

I have not read the original novel this is an adaptation but felt this first volume was very intriguing. The art is stunning, especially the watercolor full spreads. I felt confused at a few scenes, not sure if the scene just didn’t translate well from novel to manga format since I’m unfamiliar with the novel. Seems like an interesting adaptation to follow and I’m considering picking up the original novel.

This was a cute manga about a young girl, who goes through something hard. I can't wait for the second volume to come out in English!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this digital copy for free in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I haven't read the novel this is an adaptation of, and honestly didn't know it was a novel before. But this has such a promising beginning. The main character is a 10 year old girl who, following the loss of her mother due to capital punishment, is now out on her own. The art is stunning. There were some full color watercolors at the beginning of the Manga that were so beautiful. I do wish they had made the character's eyes colored since it's mentioned that the people her mother hails from are known for their oddly colored eyes. But I know nothing of manga production, so this may have just been too difficult or costly to do. This manga leaves off at the perfect point to hook the reader into the rest of the story. I hope to continue the series as it progresses.

Wow!

This would definitely not be my usual go to, but I'll definitely be getting the second one when I can. I haven't read the novel it is based on before, so I went into this one totally blind. I thought I wouldn't have enjoyed it much as the main character is a young girl, but the story is so enthralling that I couldn't put it down.

Toda are the royal beasts used by the military as weapons of destruction. The main character's mother was the carer for these creatures, until something goes horribly wrong and she is executed. This story follows the daughter's journey to discover the secrets of the beasts and her village. The first manga in this series appears to be an introduction to the main parts of the story, and setting up for more lore to come.

Although there wasn't a lot of action in this manga (as would be expected from "military" beasts), I expect the Toda will be more prominent later in the story and we will learn much more about them. Despite this, I still found this one really interesting and got through it in no time.

Thank you to Net Galley for providing me with a digital copy of this one in exchange for an honest review.

ARC Copy...Makes me wonder about the original novel now. Feels like promising manga series so far with the world building and what will happen to our young protagonist.

I'm intrigued.

I thought that the art style was incredibly pretty, I loved the coloured pages.
I'll probably buy the novels that inspired this adaption so I can continue the story faster because I'm very curious to see where it goes!

Published by Kodansha and available May 14, 2024, The Beast Player is a shounen fantasy based on the novel of the same name taking place in a fantasy world similar to Central Asia. The protagonist, Elin, comes from a culture that raises a species of crocodilian dragon called the toda. The world and their creatures is interesting and beautifully drawn, reminding me of Studio Ghibli's Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. The opening plot regarding Elin's mother is a bit predictable, straying into Dead Manga Mother territory, though as always this is a setup to the hero's journey for Elin. Overall, I'm intrigued to see more of this world and how the story progresses, and see how the title ties into the story.

I read this with no prior knowledge of the novel it was adapted from, but I loved it so much!

I’m slightly a sucker for small children driven fantasies that definitely AREN’T for small child audiences.. because kids do deal with horrible experiences in real life which are considered not child appropriate.

In this manga, 10 year old Elin’s mum is blamed for the death of the village’s “toda” (aquatic dragons of sorts), and Elin tries to save her only to end up on a honey farm in a neighbouring country without anyone she knows.

And I am so excited to read on as more volumes are released- I have so many questions about the world and characters and I need to know that Elin is okay! 😭

Having read the novel version, I was extremely excited to get this ARC from NetGalley! I think the art style fits the story very well. It's very Ghibli-esque, and I've always thought that this series is kind of Ghibli/Miyazaki-adjacent in its themes about animals, nature, and morality.

I think that this was a great first volume content-wise. You get the set up with Elin's mom and learn a bit about the overall conflict between two peoples, and then you get to the beginning of Elin's time with Joeun!! I absolutely loved this part of the novel, so I'm very excited to continue reading it in volume 2. Joeun and Elin are so perfectly done!

So many thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for the chance to ready this manga!

The Beast Player is a treat to read in any form. I fell in love with the novels this is originally based off and all of that love transfer right over to these manga. The setting, while a wholly unique fantasy world, focuses more on the creatures that inhabit it instead of the many wars and conflicts humans tend to get up to. The Beast Player is more of a quiet study on fictional beasts and the people that devote their lives to them. It is a kind and softhearted read that is for those that love a more studious manga.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kodansha for the e-arc!

The Beast Player is the story of Elin whose life changes when her mother is accused of poisoning the Toda. She is set on a journey alone to survive and ends up in a new land with a kind stranger. This first volume was a solid setup for the story. However, I felt as I kept reading there were a lot more questions and fewer answers. There wasn't enough to keep me interested in the story. I would probably revisit this at some point but for now, I won't be continuing with the series. I would still recommend checking it out if the premise intrigues you.

I first tried reading Beast Player in library school, but the amount of world building from the get go was overwhelming and fast paced. So much so, I ended up giving up before finishing. However, I loved the manga. I found it a lot more digestible, and with the primer of the first volume, I think I may be able to go back and give the novel a shot again.

Thank you for the ARC!

I loved this manga! I've been meaning to read the Beast Player "regular book" for awhile now, but never had the time. This graphic novel is perfect if you don't have the time or energy to read pages with only text, and I belive this is perfect for those who already read the book as well. I really enjoyed the reading I hope there will be more soon!

The Beast P{ayer is a world rich with fantastic beasts and magical worldbuilding. Elin is the daughter of the clan's beast doctor, who takes care of the fearsome Toda, the wild serpents that the people of the clan ride into battles. After a massive incident happens with the Toda, Elin's mother is used as a scapegoat and Elin is thrown from the life she knew. This first volume does a good job of getting you hooked and explaining some of the premise of the story. I found myself very interested in some of the elements of what I assume will become political intrigue later on. I don't want to spoil it, so I won't go into details. But it ends so abruptly, that it feels like it wasn't even meant to end there. It's not even a cliffhanger, it's almost as if the final chapter got its last half removed. The story shows you how Elin is flung from her life and how she comes to survive the aftermath, but the pace slows to a snail's crawl after the first few chapters. I am still extremely interested, so I will be seeking out more volumes!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review!

I wasn’t sure going into it, but now I’m reading the novel, reading the other available manga volumes, and about to start watching the anime…so yeah. Seems I enjoyed it a lot.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I feel dumb for I can't believe that I did not read this novel and its sequel which I already have on my shelves! Now, this manga is stunning and I've got completely hooked to the story of Elin and her mother. The world reminded me a lot of the Tibetan tribes with their clothing's style and way of life which made love this manga even more. I will totally be reading both the book and the manga for sure.

The relationship between the mother and daughter is so touching in this book. Seeing how they learn, protect, and love one another melts my heart, and that was my favorite part of the book. However the rest I couldn't get into. I think it was just a difference in taste, and this wasn't for me. However, the mother and daughter relationship was enough to make me continue reading this volume, and I did like that aspect a lot.

Thank you NetGalley for an advanced ARC of this manga

I was instantly interested in this book about a female child who admires and looks up to her mother who is a beast doctor, but at the same time finds out that her mother is so much more as well, whi is someone fro. A different tribe of people but through love she left them and followed her heart. The strong bond between them both shines off the page but the child's innocence conflicts with what she has learnt over time and also found of that she has powers but learning to use them takes a bit of a toll.

I look forward to keep reading