Beastars vol 5 by Paru Itagaki

Haru is kidnapped and taken to the headquarters of the Shishi-Gumi, a gang of Lions who must satisfy their terrible Boos with animals who only have pure white fur. Legoshi is determined to save her, especially when it becomes clear that no one else will attempt a rescue or stand up to the Shishi-Gumi (including the Mayor). Legoshi enters the black market and tries to find out more about the gang, like where their headquarters is, when Gohin, the helpful panda psychologist, steps in and decides to help Legoshi on what is essentially a suicide mission. While Haru is in the clutches of the terrible boss lion, she goes through a few scenes in her life that showcase why she is the way she is with males at school.

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This volume is decidedly more violent than the other volumes as Legoshi and Gohin attack the lions. Haru’s flashback also explores a little bit about her promiscuity and the power she gets from it, specifically the protection from other beasts who are less willing to devour her, or pity her for her small stature. If readers weren't uncomfortable before with the devouring/being devoured concept running rampant through this series, this one will definitely do it. There are a lot of sexual overtones to the boss lion inspecting Haru, even though he's inspecting her in order to eat her. While there isn’t any nudity per se, there are several scenes of Haru in compromising poses during this inspection.

This series continues to be more suited to older, more mature readers, for violence and many sexual(ized) situations.

Sara's Rating: 7/10
Suitability Level: Grades 11-12

Reviews of previous volumes in this series: vol 1, vol 2, vol 3, vol 4
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Publisher: VIZ Media
Publication Date: March 17, 2020​
ISBN: 9781974708024 (Paperback)

​Tags: Rating: 7/10, Suitability: High School, Manga, School Life, Animals, VIZ Media