Brand New Animal

, simply known as ''BNA'', is an original Japanese anime television series produced by Trigger and directed by Yoh Yoshinari. The series' first six episodes premiered on Netflix in Japan in March 2020; another six episodes premiered in May of the same year. The series also aired on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block from April to June 2020.

Plot

The series is set in a world where humans co-exist with a branch of humanity called beastmen, who face persecution for their ability to turn into humanoid animals through a trait in DNA called "beast factor". The series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who suddenly turned into a beastman after her best friend Nazuna Hiwatashi was abducted following a blood transfusion. Michiru runs away to seek refuge in Anima City, a heaven made for the beastmen, and meets the mysterious wolf beastman Shirou Ogami, who works for the city's mayor, Barballet Rosé. The two work to investigate the circumstances of Michiru's transformation while maintaining peace in Anima City, only to stumble into a conspiracy involving Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals prestige medical research center in Anima City, whose unsavory employees were responsible for accidentally providing the blood used in Michiru's transformation along with Nazuna. The company placed Nazuna in a cult to claim herself as the beastmens' guardian deity known as the Silver Wolf. However, Michiru learns the real Silver Wolf is Shirou, who was forced to reveal his true power when dealing with the Sylvasta researcher Yaba, who mutated into a crazed monster following his arrest. Michiru learns Shirou is an immortal who gained his powers as the sole survivor of Nirvasyl, a city of beastmen destroyed a millennia ago by humans, and has since dedicated himself to protecting his kind. Alan Sylvasta, the owner of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, reveals the beastmen of Nirvasyl were victims of a stress-induced phenomenon called Nirvasyl Syndrome, that caused them to kill each other before the humans finished them off. Alan also explains he is resolving the issue by having Nazuna pretend to be the Silver Wolf while developing a drug to turn beastmen into humans should they go berserk. But Alan's actual plan is to induce Nirvasyl Syndrome, having Nazuna exposed on stage while revealing himself to be a beastman from a pure bloodline. After the pair learns the cure to Nirvasyl Syndrome is Michiru and Nazuna's blood, the crisis is averted, with Michiru accepting her condition while remaining in Anima City to help Shirou protect it.

Characters

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:A human high schooler who turned into a tanuki beastman and came to Anima City to find a way to turn herself back to normal, believing her transformation was initially a disease before learning it was the result of being infused with beastman blood while in the hospital. Due to the circumstances of her transition into a beastman, Michiru can access the traits of other animals and stretch her form to massive lengths.
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:A wolf beastman with a keen sense of smell who dedicates himself to protecting Anima City. He possesses immense strength and regenerative abilities along with immortality and the ability to turn into a giant wolf. Shirou is later revealed to have been a normal beastman who lived in the city of Nirvasyl a millennia prior, but was killed by Raymond Sylvasta along with the other Nirvasyl residents when they went berserk. Shiro gained his powers after being revived from absorbing the blood of 2,000 Nirvasyl beastmen corpses, creating the myth of the as he dedicated his life to protecting beastmen.
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: Michiru's childhood friend and classmate, who had aspirations of becoming an idol prior to becoming a kitsune beastman as a result of being infused with beastman blood while hospitalized. She was taken in by Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals to refine her abilities to alter her form. Alan convinces Nazuna to join the Silver Wolf cult alongside Boris Cliff under the alias of Déesse Louve to pose as the Silver Wolf, tricking her into believing she is helping the beastmen.
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: A rich, enigmatic entrepreneur and the president of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, who provides medical support to Anima City while expressing an interest in Michiru and Shirou for their unique physical capabilities. His ancestor Raymond Sylvasta was responsible for destroying Nirvasyl when its resident beastmen went berserk, and Alan is aware of Shirou's identity as the Silver Wolf. He intends to humanize all beastmen that succumb to Nirvasyl Syndrome, and later reveals himself to be a pureblood beastman with a golden Cerberus version of Shirou's Silver Wolf form, revealing his prejudiced motives in eliminating Anima City's residents for being impure beastmen.
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:The mayor of Anima City, who is a naked mole-rat beastman with a Ph.D. in beastman genetics. She is also a long-time acquaintance of Shirou and is aware of his identity as the Silver Wolf, as he rescued her from a research facility when she was a child. She is also aware of Michiru's condition, which is assumed to be a disease at the time, and pledges to help find her a cure while keeping it a secret to prevent mass panic.
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:A mink beastman who is involved in shady dealings. She occasionally helps Michiru, but asks for a favor in exchange for her help.
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:A Great Dane beastman who works as a police inspector and sometimes relies on Ogami for help.
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:A cockerel beastman and Melissa's husband, who give Michiru a place to stay. He and his wife are devoted believers and worshippers of the Silver Wolf.
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:A wombat beastman and Gem's wife. She and her husband are devoted believers and worshippers of the Silver Wolf.
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:A beluga whale beastman who is the head of a powerful gang and Nina's father. He has an immense hatred for humans because his father, Nina's grandfather, was killed by beastman hunters. then cooked and eaten. However, Nina says it did not happen, and is just the story she was told.
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:A human who is the presiding leader of Japan. He worked with Mayor Rosé to establish Anima City, but harbors distrust towards beastmen and is willing to infringe on their rights.
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:A dolphin beastman who is the daughter of Giuliano Flip and Michiru's friend. She has never been outside of Anima City.
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:A young and naïve bear beastman that Michiru often encounters.
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:A snake beastman and the head priest of the Silver Wolf Order cult, who has taken a strong interest in Nazuna.
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:An albatross beastman mercenary who once fought as a soldier against anti-beastmen radicals, only to become disillusioned over the government infringing on the rights of migratory beastmen.

Release

During Anime Expo 2019, Trigger revealed that they were producing a new original anime television series directed by Yoh Yoshinari and written by Kazuki Nakashima. The series' characters were designed by Yusuke Yoshigaki, and its music was composed by Mabanua.

The series premiered on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block, BS Fuji, and other channels from April 8 to June 24, 2020. Prior to its Japanese television debut, the show's first six episodes were streamed on Netflix in Japan on March 21, 2020. The other six were later available on May 6, 2020. Distributed by Toho, the series was released in three volumes on DVD and Blu-ray in Japan. The first volume was released on August 19, 2020, while the other two gets a September 16 and October 14 release respectively. The opening theme, "Ready To", is performed by Sumire Morohoshi as Michiru Kagemori, while electronic musician AAAMYYY does the ending theme, "Night Running".

''BNA: Brand New Animal'' was released worldwide on June 30, 2020, on Netflix.

Episodes

Other media

Manga

A manga adaptation illustrated by Asano was serialized in Shueisha's ''Tonari no Young Jump'' web magazine from May 29, 2020, to September 9, 2022. Its sole volume was released on September 16, 2022.

Novel

A prequel novel, ''BNA Zero: Massara ni Narenai Kemono-tachi'' (''The Animals That Can't Be Brand New'') written by Nekise Ise, was released on April 23, 2020.

Soundtrack

The show's soundtrack was released on June 24, 2020.

Reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, ''BNA'' has a 100% "fresh" rating based on six reviews. Lisa De La Cruz of CBR praised the anime as "captivating", having an "original storyline, bright and flashy visuals, and anthropomorphic animals" and notes that since anime fans are often disappointed in second seasons, she asks if the series should have a second season.

Awards

''BNA: Brand New Animal'' was nominated for an Ursa Major Award in the Best Dramatic Series category. The Ursa Major Awards are given in the field of furry fandom works and are the main awards in the field of anthropomorphism. ''BNA'' was also nominated for an Annie Award for Best Character Design in TV/Media.

References

External links

* at Netflix
Anime official website

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{{Tonari no Young Jump

2020 anime television series debuts
Action anime and manga
Anime with original screenplays
Anime and manga about terrorism
Anthropomorphic animals
Comedy anime and manga
Dash X Bunko
Fictional human–animal hybrids
Fuji Television original programming
Netflix original anime
Television shows about racism
Science fantasy anime and manga
Seinen manga
Shueisha manga
Studio Trigger
Television series about talking animals
Toho Animation