12 Beast was latest fantasy manga created by Inui Takemaru who has pen-name ‘Okayado’ who famous for his on going series named monster Musume no Iru Nichijou (2012). It has been trademark of Okayado-sensei for his ‘monster girl story’ creation. The 12 Beast manga has more broad storyline than his previous series. It was close resembled to Deadline Summonnr one-shot (2012) who Okayado-sensei create before his manga serialization debut.
12 Beast manga storyline is describes fantasy adventure of high school student, Eita Touga, who looks like normal student but expert in Role-Play-Game (RPG) games. He was pissed up to his pervert and playboy older brother, Kouki, who not revealed yet, for left him behind meanwhile his brother go around world trip for chasing beautiful girl.
Eita looks like coward and prefer avoid direct confrontation in surface. But, in reality he is a martial arts expert who has hidden ninja skills to make his enemy submitted to him or he use it for his pervert purpose, in this case, for groping girl breast accidentally.
Eita was secretly observed by a mysterious girl who looks like know him from beginning. She later revealed as a Harpy (female human bird) named Aero. She was claimed came from Autana world, an alternate fantasy world where humanoid and beast species life.
Aero, the harpy girl, revealed to Eita and his grandpa that Autana world is in middle of destruction due series by Gigas, a robotic species, which terrorize other Autana clan. The girl is begging Eita to help her to eradicate Gigas from Autana world. In addition, Aero told Eita that she was send by Kouki, his older brother due Eita has weakness cannot refuse girl request. It makes Eita pissed off while regret his own weakness. Unfortunately, they were attacked by a Gigas while in middle of conversation forced Eita to defeated it.
The Gigas much revealed in one-shot than in serialization version, its a giant robotic species who can obliterate anything that crossing it’s path leaving trail destruction. There no much information about reason why they attack other Autana species yet. It can be for revenge, domination or enslaved other Autana clan. In addition, Gigas, much like a robot created by some evil species or organization in Autana.
In one-shot shows Eita as strategist who coordinate multiple attack of Autana troops for defeat Gigas intruder. He got the skill from his gamer experiences at school. Eita’s battle plan include uses wedge and box formation combined bomber formation to confuse Gigas attention and create a punch hole to it’s weakness point.
Meanwhile, Eita skill as ninja apprentice is much revealed in 12 Beast serialization version. He use light weight attack combined agility skill to avoid Gigas attack and surround it followed by final strike called Touga Style Senzankou.
In the end, Eita manage to defeated the Gigas and agree to help Autana world with his grandpa blessing. In addition, he also have to searching his missing older brother who missing in Autana world. Unfortunately for Eita, he suck for fund management due his weakness where he cannot turn down any request result him lose money for his campaign in Autana world.
12 Beast manga is good and refreshing for comedy, action, eechi and fantasy shounen manga. The manga looks like more genre of mangaka style so Okayado-sensei will much devoted his time to make it. Moreover, in this manga reader can see wide variety of monster girl species, such as, Harpy, Arachnid, Centaur, Werewolf, Lamia, Lizard, Mummy, Holstaurus (Cow-girl), Golem, etc. I hope this series can be successful like Magister Negima created by Ken Akamatsu.
Here an interesting related link: Monster Girl Encylopedia
