Paru Itagaki is not done with the world of BEASTARS just yet.
After almost two years since the last new chapter, the acclaimed manga creator is reportedly preparing to release a fresh short story later in Summer 2026. The update was shared by manga news tracker MangaMoguraRE, with more details expected closer to release.
For fans who only discovered BEASTARS through Netflix, this is a pretty nice post-anime surprise. The manga originally launched in 2016 and wrapped in 2020, while the anime adaptation finished its run in March 2026. All seasons are available on Netflix, making it one of the easier modern anime series for Malaysian and SEA viewers to catch legally without hunting across multiple platforms.
Why this return matters
BEASTARS has always been one of those series that sounds strange on paper but hits hard once you actually get into it. Yes, the cast is made up of anthropomorphic animals. But underneath that setup, the story tackles prejudice, fear, social pressure, desire, violence, and identity in a way that feels more like a dark school drama than a simple animal-world gimmick.
The original manga also earned serious recognition. It won the Manga Taisho Award in 2018, and also picked up honours at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize and the Kodansha Manga Award in the shounen category that same year. So this is not just “Netflix furry anime returns” territory, bro. Paru Itagaki’s work has proper manga industry credibility.
The new story is expected under Beast Complex
Before and alongside BEASTARS, Itagaki also built out Beast Complex, a collection of short stories set in the same wider animal society. Unlike the main manga, these chapters have been released irregularly across the years. According to the source report, Itagaki has produced 25 stories so far, with the previous chapter arriving in July 2024.
The upcoming story is currently expected sometime during the Summer 2026 window, which runs from July to August. No plot details have been revealed yet, so for now we do not know whether this new chapter will directly feature familiar characters or focus on another corner of the BEASTARS universe.
Honestly, that is part of the appeal. Beast Complex works best when it zooms in on smaller social tensions inside this world — carnivore and herbivore relationships, public fear, private instincts, and the awkward emotional mess that comes from trying to live together when society already judges you from birth.
A quick refresher on BEASTARS
The main story is set in a society where herbivores and carnivores live side by side, but the peace is fragile. Many herbivores see carnivores as dangerous predators, while carnivores are forced to carry that suspicion even when they have done nothing wrong.
Things get worse after Tem, an alpaca student, is murdered inside Cherryton High School. The case sends fear through the school and puts even more pressure on carnivore students.
At the centre is Legoshi, a quiet and socially awkward wolf who is feared simply because of what he is. His life becomes more complicated as he struggles with his own instincts, the way others see him, and his feelings for a herbivore who has secrets of her own.
For Malaysian anime fans, this is the kind of series that works especially well if you enjoy heavier character drama — less power-scaling, more psychological tension. And with the anime already complete on Netflix, the timing is solid for anyone who wants to catch up before Itagaki’s new material lands.
The original BEASTARS manga is available in English, while Beast Complex has also released multiple collected volumes through Viz Media.
Source: ComicBook Anime