Amidst the anticipation surrounding part 2 of Beastars‘ final season and the upcoming anime adaptation of SANDA, Paru Itagaki has surprised fans with an all-new series, and it may just be her strangest one yet. First announced by Itagaki on November 21st, 2024, Taika’s Reason has finally made its debut on Weekly Shonen Champion, and here’s everything we know about this strange crime thriller so far.
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The first chapter of Itagaki’s new manga Taika’s Reason was released in Weekly Shonen Champion on January 16th, 2025. The series has also been featured on the cover of this week’s issue to commemorate its release and features Taika, the titular anthropomorphic pit bull terrier that the story revolves around.
[Related: Beastars Creator Just Launched the Raunchiest Manga of 2024]
What is Paru Itagaki’s New Manga Taika’s Reason About?
Unlike Beastars which is completely dominated by anthropomorphs, Taika’s Reason is set in a world where humans and their humanized pets known as dogmen and catmen live in symbiosis. This humanization is introduced to help combat the declining birthrate, though the increasing number of crimes committed by dogmen and catmen causes many to protest against this policy. The series follows one such family against this humanization, their daughter Ao, a hot-tempered high schooler, and their dog Taika.
Ao and her family mostly lead an uneventful life and as such, the first half of the first chapter comes across as a charming slice of life. However, things take an ugly turn when Ao returns home one day to find Taika has attacked and killed her father while her mother is away. Not wanting Taika to be put down, Ao hides the body and keeps her father’s murder a secret. Time passes and her mother eventually consents to humanizing Taika, turning him into a dogman. Still, Ao believes their secret is safe, that is, until Taika chillingly suggests that they turn themselves in.
Despite its unconventional premise, Taika’s Reason makes for quite a compelling read with a strong prologue that leaves readers on the edge of their seats. As with Itagaki’s other series, Taika’s Reason also features charming art and though fans have not seen Itagaki draw humans too often, Ao makes for quite a standout protagonist both in terms of her personality and character design. That said, what seems to be the real selling point of the series is how quickly the story can shift tones within a single chapter. While Taika’s Reason has yet to be licensed in English, the series already shows plenty of promise and hopefully, it won’t be too long till it makes its way to Itagaki’s fans around the world.
