Beastars Vol. 6 is without a doubt my least favourite volume of the series so far. It’s a volume that further showcases the pacing issues in the series while also not providing enough interesting character development to counterbalance the awkward pacing.

Beastars Vol. 6 contains both the conclusion of the Meteor Festival arc that resolves (for the most part) the tension of Haru and Legoshi’s relationship and sets up the next phase for all of our characters in the story.

And that’s my biggest problem with the volume in general. The story should have ended after it resolved the conflict of the previous volume, but, for some reason, decided to continue. It made the narrative feel uneven and jarring. After the catharsis of the resolution of Haru and Legoshi’s relationship, tacking on the start of the next school semester felt unnecessary and did very little for the story.

However, I’ll caveat that this complaint is one many readers of this series won’t have. Many manga readers consume a story chapter by chapter or read volumes all in one go. If I read the series that way I probably wouldn’t have noticed how jarring the way this volume was collected felt. I’d recommend binging this series rather than spacing out the issues like I’ve been doing because it’s very clear in hindsight that the series wasn’t written to be read the way I’m reading it.

The central focus of this volume was the resolution to Haru and Legoshi’s relationship. These two have been coming together for the past 5 volumes and I was excited to see exactly how Itagaki would handle their relationship. My overall feelings are mixed. I love that Haru and Legoshi don’t ultimately end up together (for now) because Itagaki has made it clear that neither of them are ready for a romantic relationship. The way Itagaki writes their ultimate friendship was adorable and I continue to love their dynamic with each other.

However, this volume and the manga in general’s hyper fixation on these two having sex was both uncomfortable and distracted from the story. This was uncomfortable because I have no interest in watching underage animals doing the nasty and the volume before this detailed the sexual assault of one of the two participants. Because of that, even the suggestion of these two having a sexual encounter at this moment felt gauche.

It also felt as if Itagaki was ignoring all of the other reason Haru and Legoshi shouldn’t be together to focus on their sexual incompatibility. It felt as if this issue brushed aside the emotional arcs and character development of these two for the sex which was more than a little infuriating. The manga barely, if at all, acknowledged how Haru uses sex for validation or the fact that Legoshi barely understands whether his attraction to Haru comes from a place of love or primal instinct. Which was strange given that this is the central core of these two’s relationship.

The plot development outside of the romance was fine. Overall I like where Louis’ character is going through his rise to the leader of the Shishigumi felt rushed and was another thing that could have been solved by splitting this volume into two parts. On the other hand, I’m very on the fence about Juno’s character development. While I loved her heel turn in volume 5 her obsession with Legoshi in this volume didn’t do much for me. Juno has the potential to be incredibly completing and a great foil to Louis. She’s a fascinating character but I fear she’ll just become a romantic obstacle for Haru and Legoshi. I hope Itagaki utilizes Juno in a more interesting way in future volumes because when she does the story really shines.

While this is the most negative review I’ve done for a Beastars volume yet I still have a lot of love for the series. Itagaki has created the foundations of a very interesting story and I’m going to see it through. However, my feelings about this volume make me think it’s time for a break from this series. I’ll come back to this series when a dozen or more volumes are out so I can have a clearer picture of where this story is going.