As the shortest anime shows of the Winter 2021 season are approaching their final episodes, new fans will likely crave more content in the form of light novel or manga series, and the supernatural shōnen anime Kemono Jihen is no exception. With a cast of well-rounded characters, an interesting plot, and a rocking opening theme, Kemono Jihen can definitely be counted among the season's strengths. But is there a manga and is it ongoing? Here's everything you need to know:
Kemono Jihen is aired weekly on Funimation. It follows Kabane, a 14-year-old boy who never truly experienced childhood. Fostered by his aunt, he is shunned by children and adults alike, forced to work hard, and led to believe his parents abandoned him.
This changes when occult-specialist detective Inugami arrives at Kabane's village to investigate some mysterious animal deaths. Soon, Inugami, who is a kemono – part human, a part beast with unique abilities – realizes that Kabane is like him.
Inugami takes the boy with him to Tokyo, where he lives with his other wards, Akira and Shiki who are both kemono, and works with Inugami to resolve conflicts and restore harmony between humans and kemono. Like Kabane, Akira and Shiki have painful backstories and they all hope to be reunited with family members one day.
The anime show is based on a manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Shō Aimoto. Initially, it was serialized in the shōnen magazine Jump Square (also home to Blue Exorcist). Later, Kemono Jihen started being published on its own. As of February 2021, there are 13 volumes, with the most recent one has just come out on the 4th of February 2021.
The manga is currently ongoing and the exact number of future volumes isn't known. This means that there is some degree of uncertainty regarding the future of the story, but it will also exciting to know we can anticipate new content.
The first season of the Aija-do Animation Works' adaptation will only be 12 episodes long, which just doesn't feel enough. The character already show signs of serious growth and it feels like we've just started to know them better. There is plenty of material for a second season but meanwhile, reading the source material will hardly ever disappoint.
Meanwhile, if you're looking for more manga to read, you can check out The Promised Neverland and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.
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