We Are Not Beasts Manga Review (Minor Spoilers)

Synopsis

Kazusa, an omega, won the respect of alpha brothers Raita and Fuuta with his short stature and strong sense of justice. While the two brothers are close, they become rivals after realizing Kazusa is starting to have omega heats. Only one of them will be his “fated mate.” Meanwhile, Kazusa must contend with what society thinks is an omega’s place,now that he has reached puberty.

The Good

If you’ve never heard of the omegaverse, We Are Not Beasts gives a short introduction within the first chapter. We Are Not Beasts features the usual tropes: suppressants, heats, and the fact that there is a match out there for every omega and alpha. The spin this time is that because the Onizuka brothers share enough genetic material, either one of them could be Kazusa’s mate.

The two Onizuka brothers, Raita and Fuuta, are both tall enough that their size dwarfs Kazusa. It’s even more adorable and funny when you see that Kazusa is the reluctant leader of their mismatched gang. Raita and Fuuta’s admiration for him deepens further once they realize that Kazusa is sexually maturing into an omega. Since they are both alphas, they must balance their feelings for Kazusa with being the very danger that Kazusa is fighting against every day.

Kazusa’s banter with each brother is distinct, and it was fun to guess which brother was ahead in the race for Kazusa’s heart. Raita (the one with the brown hair), and Fuuta (the brother with the black hair) care for each other while still being rivals on equal footing. Overall, We are Not Beasts is a light romantic comedy that dances around heavier topics of the discrimination of omegas in an omegaverse society.

Somewhere In Between

Artists usually have their own spin on the omegaverse. We Are Not Beasts’s take is traditional, with drugs being required to keep Kazusa’s pheromones from causing others to “attack” (read: assault) him. It’s clear from the multiple incidents at school around Kazusa that alphas are aware of their ability to overpower omegas. Whether it’s luring omegas into situations where they will be alone, taking video of them when they’re in compromising situations, or enticing them to not take their drugs, this manga highlights all the uncomfortable parts of what high school in an omegaverse society might look like. Depending on the flavor of omegaverse that you like, the “in peril all the time” aspect may or may not be to your taste. Kazusa does grow from these experiences by saving himself from being attacked by alphas. Also, the actions of each Onizuka brother differentiates them enough that Kazusa is able to choose the one he wants.

If you’re hoping for atypical relation dynamics between the three, though, you might want to look elsewhere. A red herring midway through the story may frustrate readers hoping for something less traditional when it comes to omegaverse mates.

The Bad

Omegaverse, at its core, introduces a new power dynamic into a story that allows for the characters to behave in a way that overcomes their personal inhibitions and changes power relationships. I enjoy the genre as salacious bodice-ripper reading, but I’m personally not interested in reading a story about an omega being attacked all the time. Unfortunately, the drama in this manga hinges on that.

I find it uncomfortable when a story puts so much emphasis on the inequality of omegas only features women who are either subservient or senseless. It’s one thing when the whole cast is male. It breaks story immersion for me when a Boys’ Love manga adds women or girls to the cast only to mistreat them.

Also, all sorts of sexual actions in We Are Not Beasts are treated “like CPR.” I’m annoyed by everybody’s lack of sexual education; the characters all operate on different levels of knowledge. This implies the onus is just on the omegas to figure out how to prevent people of the other secondary genders from attacking them. It’s not like the danger isn’t present in any other omegaverse world, but it’s particularly unsatisfactory here when the solutions and alluded issues are not explored in any deeper way.

The Verdict

Readers who enjoy the flavors of omega peril, size difference, and omegaverse high school life might like this manga. Kazusa is not a meek omega, and he learns to rely on others as much as his friends learn to believe in him. The erotic and action scenes make We Are Not Beasts a sweet story of a couple realizing their feelings for each other outside of the influence of their alpha/omega selves. If you’re able to overlook the book’s flaws, you’ll find a fun rivalry manga about two genuine, but dense, brothers doing their best for their love interest.

Credits

Story and Art: Shoko Rakuta
Translation: Kat Skarbinec
Lettering: Kaitlyn Wiley
Cover Design: Mariel Dágá
Proofreader: Krista Grandy
Production Designer: Stevie Wilson
Senior Editor: Shannon Fay
Published in English by Seven Seas Entertainment

Thank you to Seven Seas Entertainment for providing a review copy. Receiving this copy did not affect the reviewer’s opinions as expressed here. 

Article edited by: Adam Wescott

Featured Sponsor - JAST

The sweetest romance and the darkest corruption, the biggest titles and the indie darlings; for visual novels and eroge, there's nowhere better.

Visit JAST's Website