Beastrings

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I'm going to start by saying Beastings is a good anthology. The stories as they stand individually and separately are very well written, colorful, and humorous. It is the fact that series is in full color that makes this anthology shine. The artwork is truly a sight to behold with rich details of both the cast, and how their species characteristics are shown off. No corners were cut when it came to the "beasts" of Beaststrings. I cannot stress enough how gorgeous the characters are from beginning to end. Say what you want about the plot, and trust me I will, the eye-candy alone makes ... this a worthwhile book to read. The humor is great as well but that is more subjective.
It is when the individual stories try to come together to tell an overarching narrative that Beastrings as a whole falls apart as it's spread too thin among its large cast and attempt at an interconnected story. To understand this series as a whole we need to look at the stories individually.

Part 1 The Mayor's Story: This first story does a good job introducing the reader to Juso City, the main setting of the book, the conflict which is a vague demonic threat, and of course the first main characters we are introduced to being the mayor and his two secretaries. All in all I say this story is the weakest of the book plot wise as it spends more time introducing lore, different aspects of the city, and the city's inhabitants rather than focusing on the mayor's story which itself is nothing special being a strange vigilante story that is light on the vigilante and more serves as a vehicle to inform the reader that there is a threat to the city that needs to be stopped. It is at the end of this that the reader gets the first taste of the "lewd fantasies" that randomly pop up throughout the story which are both jarring and questionable for an anthology rated teen readers.

Part 2: The Zodiac This is the most unique part of the anthology by which it could be an anthology in it of itself. We are introduced to several characters one after the other, each an animal of the Zodiac (6 of them anyway) and each one has their own gimmick. The thing about this is while it is weak on plot, it makes up for in both humor and character relationship. Each Zodiac story is a story about love. Mostly romanic love beside the first which is about parental love. As the reader moves through each story, the relationship and the characters get more and more complicated. More conflict and story in added in each chapter starting at the first which is the most shallow and ending with fourth which is the best because it has the most complete story arc. That is not to say that the first is bad, in fact is is quite funny for being a short skit and the same goes for the second. They're cute for what they are which are very short micro stories. The third part is focused more on relationship between two characters but what I liked about this one is that is takes the time to focus on the beast's biology. When you have characters that are essentially anthropomorphic animals, it is critical that their biology is taken into account and that is what the third part does which I applaud. The fourth and final story notes Zodiac arc, is the best and most elaborate as it feels like a complete story with its own conflict, climax, and resolution. The characters themselves are also hilarious and the best in the Zodiac arc. The first two sections are actually connected which is what I expected from the entire arc, but the third and fourth are separate from the others which is a shame. The arc could've benefited greatly if each section bled into the next.

Part 3: The Witch and the Wolf: If you are like me and you adore the interspecies relationship trope, then this is the section for you. A classic fairy tale like budding romance between an elf witch and her wolf butler. It is very, for the like of a better word, tropey but still the best arc in the anthology. The characters are both flawed, well-meaning, and struggle with their respective desires as well as their feelings for each other. One wants to be a witch while the other just wants to protect her but is afraid of getting too close because of their different life spans. The real highlight of this part is the wolf's background. They are the only species in the anthology where the reader gets to see the world outside of Juso City. The wolves have their own culture, land, and lives all to themselves and the book does a good job as introducing both the reader and the elf to this culture without it feeling forced or disingenuous. Out of all the characters and plots in the anthology, this one felt the most real and grounded.

Part 4: The Bard and the Dragon: This is the most odd part of the anthology. It combines a lot of typical fantasy elements with an urban coat of paint and the result leaves you scratching your head. You have a bard who wants to start a band and a dragoniod who is a professional wrestler but also wrestler is his adventurer class? They are a strange pair but that doesn't take away from the chemistry they have with each other or the struggles they both face. They both have dreams, pasts that need to be confronted, and problems that can't be faced alone. They need each other even if they don't want to admit it. At this point in the story, the events of all four parts are starting to converge together as the story returns to its original conflict of the demon invasion. This leads directly the fifth part of the anthology.

Part 5: The Final Battle: This is when the anthology is at its weakest overall. The ending feels tacked on at the last minute in an attempt to tie the four parts together and give the series its final climax. The only problem is that while the events from the beginning of the anthology come full circle, the entire battle seems needless and confusing. Not to mention it's over almost as quickly as it begins. Like I said it feels like a last minute addition to take a bunch of stories that happen to take place in the same setting, and have their respective plots connect in a meaningful way but ultimately fails to do so. Honestly the ending is whatever because it is needless.

I cannot stress enough how good the artwork is.The characters, action scenes, settings, and even the most mundane panels are look amazing. While the plot and conflict overall is weak, the characters are not (both in personality and physical prowess). The characters are what matters. Their flaws, their personal connections, and how they work together is what makes the series shine so brightly, not some loosely connected conflict. The romance, the bonds, the relationships no matter what form they take is the takeaway from this series no matter how spread thin they may seem.