, or simply known as ''BNA'' by

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

internationally, is an original Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

television series produced by

Studio Trigger , also known as Studio Trigger, is a Japanese animation studio founded by former Gainax employees Hiroyuki Imaishi and Masahiko Ōtsuka in 2011. It has produced anime works including '' Kill la Kill'' (2013), ''Little Witch Academia'' (short fi ...

and directed by

Yoh Yoshinari is a Japanese key animator, storyboard artist, and anime director. Biography Yoshinari was born in Tokyo on May 6, 1971. He graduated from Tokyo Designer Gakuin College. Career Yoshinari entered the anime industry through the influence of hi ...

. 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 JOCX-DTV (channel 8), branded as and colloquially known as CX, is a Japanese television station based in Odaiba, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Owned and operated by the it is the key station of the Fuji News Network (FNN) and the Fuji Network Sys ...

'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 due to 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

tanuki Tanuki may refer to: *Japanese raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes viverrinus'' or ''Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus''), a mammal native to Japan *Bake-danuki, a type of spirit (yōkai) in Japanese mythology that appears in the form of the mammal *A de ...

beastman after her best friend Nazuna Hiwatashi was abducted following a blood transfusion. Michiru ran away to seek refuge in Anima City, a haven 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 keeping the peace in Anima City, only to stumble into a conspiracy involving Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals-a 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’s, who the company placed in a cult to claim herself as the Beastmens’ guardian deity known as the Silver Wolf. But Michiru learns the real Silver Wolf is Shirou, who forced to reveal his true power when dealing with the Sylvasta researcher Yata, who mutated into a berserk monster following his arrest. Michiru learns Shirou is an immortal who gained his powers as sole survivor of Nirvasyl, a city of Beastmen that was destroyed a millennia ago by humans, and dedicated himself to protecting his kind. Alan Sylvasta, the owner of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, reveals the Beastmen of Nirvasyl were actually victims of a stress-induced phenomenon called Nirvasyl Syndrome that caused them to kill each other before being finished off by the humans. Alan also explains that he is resolving the issue with Nazuna pretending to be the Silver Wolf to reduce stress while he developed a drug to render Beastmen human should they go berserk. But Alan’s actual plan is induce Nirvasyl Syndrome, having Nazuna exposed on stage while revealing himself to be a Beastman from a pure bloodline. The pair also learn that the cure to Nirvasyl Syndrome is Michiru and Nazuna’s blood, averting the crisis with Michiru accepting her condition while remaining in Anima City to help Shirou protect it.

Characters

; : :A human high schooler who one day turned into a

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 her 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. ; : :A

wolf The wolf (''Canis lupus''; : wolves), also known as the gray wolf or grey wolf, is a large canine native to Eurasia and North America. More than thirty subspecies of ''Canis lupus'' have been recognized, and gray wolves, as popularly u ...

beastman with a very keen sense of smell who dedicates himself to protect Anima City, possessing immense strength and regenerative abilities along with immortality and ability to turn into a giant wolf. Shirou is later revealed to be once a normal beastman in the city of Nirvasyl a millennia prior, killed by Raymond Sylvasta along with the other Nirvasyl residents when they went berserk. But Shiro gained his powers when revived from absorbing the blood of 1,000 Nirvasyl beastmen corpses, creating the myth of the as he dedicated his new life to protect beastmen from human atrocities. ; : : Michiru's childhood friend and classmate with aspirations of becoming an idol prior to becoming

kitsune In Japanese folklore, , are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to ''yōkai'' folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employing t ...

beastman as the result of being infused in beastman blood while hospitalized, 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 the girl into believing that she is helping the beastmen. ; : : A rich, enigmatic entrepreneur and president of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals who provides medical support to Anima City while expressing an interest in Michiru and Shirou for their unique physical capabilities. Revealing his ancestor Raymond Sylvasta was responsible for destroying Nirvasyl when its resident beastmen went berserk, Alan is aware of Shirou's identity as the Silver Wolf while explaining his intent to humanize all beastmen that succumb to Nirvasyl Syndrome. Alan later reveals himself to be a pureblood Beastman with a golden

Cerberus In Greek mythology, Cerberus (; grc-gre, Κέρβερος ''Kérberos'' ), often referred to as the hound of Hades, is a multi-headed dog that guards the gates of the Underworld to prevent the dead from leaving. He was the offspring of the mo ...

version of Shirou's Silver Wolf form, revealing his prejudiced motives in eliminating Anima City's residents for being impure beastmen. ; : :The mayor of Anima City who is a

naked mole-rat The naked mole-rat (''Heterocephalus glaber''), also known as the sand puppy, is a burrowing rodent native to the Horn of Africa and parts of Kenya, notably in Somali regions. It is closely related to the blesmols and is the only species in th ...

beastman with a Ph.D. in Beastman genetics and is a long-time acquaintance of Shirou, aware of his identity as the Silver Wolf when he rescued her from a research facility as a child. She is also aware of Michiru's condition, assumed to be a disease at the time, and pledges to help find her a cure while asking her to keep it a secret to prevent a mass panic. ; : :A

mink Mink are dark-colored, semiaquatic, carnivorous mammals of the genera ''Neogale'' and '' Mustela'' and part of the family Mustelidae, which also includes weasels, otters, and ferrets. There are two extant species referred to as "mink": the A ...

beastman who is involved in all sorts of shady dealings. She helps Michiru from time to time but also asks for a favor in exchange for her help. ; : :A

Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...

beastman who is a police inspector and sometimes relies on Ogami for help. ; : :A

cockerel The chicken (''Gallus gallus domesticus'') is a domestication, domesticated junglefowl species, with attributes of wild species such as the grey junglefowl, grey and the Ceylon junglefowl that are originally from Southeastern Asia. Rooster ...

beastman and Melissa's husband, who give Michiru a place to stay. He and his wife are devoted believers and worshipers of the Silver Wolf. ; : :A

wombat Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials that are native to Australia. They are about in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between . All three of the extant species are members of the family Vombatidae. They are adap ...

beastman and Gem's wife. She and her husband are devoted believers and worshipers of the Silver Wolf. ; : :A

beluga whale The beluga whale () (''Delphinapterus leucas'') is an Arctic and sub-Arctic cetacean. It is one of two members of the family Monodontidae, along with the narwhal, and the only member of the genus ''Delphinapterus''. It is also known as the whi ...

beastman who is the head of a powerful gang and Nina's doting and overprotective father. He has an immense hatred for humans because his father (Nina's grandfather) was killed by beastman hunters then cooked and eaten shortly after -- although his daughter says it didn't actually happen, and is just the story she was told by him. ; : :A

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, ...

who is the presiding leader of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

in the series. He worked with Mayor Rosé to establish Anima City, but he harbors an eternal distrust towars beastmen and isn't afraid to infringe on their rights. ; : :A

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (the ...

beastman who is the daughter of Giuliano Flip and has never been outside of Anima City. Nina is a friend of Michiru. ; : :A young and naive

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

beastman that Michiru often encounters. ; : :A

snake Snakes are elongated, Limbless vertebrate, limbless, carnivore, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes . Like all other Squamata, squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping Scale (zoology), scales. Ma ...

beastman and head priest of the Silver Wolf Order cult, who has taken a strong interest in Nazuna. ; : :An

albatross Albatrosses, of the biological family Diomedeidae, are large seabirds related to the procellariids, storm petrels, and diving petrels in the order Procellariiformes (the tubenoses). They range widely in the Southern Ocean and the North Pacifi ...

beastman mercenary who once fought as soldier against anti-beastmen radicals, only to become disillusioned over the governments infringing on the rights of migratory beastmen.

Release

During

Anime Expo Anime Expo, abbreviated AX, is an American anime convention held in Los Angeles, California and organized by the non-profit Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA). The convention is traditionally held annually on the first we ...

2019,

Trigger Trigger may refer to: Notable animals and people ;Mononym * Trigger (horse), owned by cowboy star Roy Rogers ;Nickname * Trigger Alpert (1916–2013), American jazz bassist * "Trigger Mike" Coppola (1900–1966), American gangster ;Surname * Bru ...

revealed that they are producing a new original anime television series that is directed by

and written by

Kazuki Nakashima is a Japanese playwright, novelist, contributing editor and screenwriter. In addition to working on ''Getter Robo'', he is a fan of Ken Ishikawa. He took pride in being a "Getter Person". This was the same Futabasha's chief producer and product ...

. Yusuke Yoshigaki is designing the characters, and mabanua is composing the series' music. The series premiered on

's +Ultra anime programming block,

BS Fuji Fuji Network System (known in Japan as simply , FNS) is a Japanese television network operated by Fuji Television Network, Inc., part of the Fujisankei Communications Group. FNS distributes entertainment and other non-news television programmes t ...

, 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

in Japan on March 21, 2020. The other six were later available on May 6, 2020. Distributed by

Toho is a Japanese film, theatre production and distribution company. It has its headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is one of the core companies of the Osaka-based Hankyu Hanshin Toho Group. Outside of Japan, it is best known as the producer an ...

, the series was released in three volumes on

DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kin ...

and

Blu-ray The Blu-ray Disc (BD), often known simply as Blu-ray, is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 2005 and released on June 20, 2006 worldwide. It is designed to supersede the DVD format, and capable of sto ...

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 theme song, "Ready To", is performed by

Sumire Morohoshi is a Japanese actress, voice actress and singer from Kanagawa Prefecture. She debuted as a solo singer under the Flying Dog record label. Biography Sumire Morohoshi was born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, in 1999. At the time of birth, the right ...

as Michiru Kagemori, while

electronic Electronic may refer to: *Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor * ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal *Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device *Electronic co ...

musician

AAAMYYY Honami 'Amy' Furuhara (born in Kawakami, Nagano), known professionally as Aaamyyy (, stylized as AAAMYYY) is a Japanese people, Japanese electronic musician. Originally a member of electronic pop groups Go Retro and Eimie, Furuhara began working ...

does the ending theme, "Night Running". ''BNA: Brand New Animal'' was released worldwide on June 30, 2020 on

Episode list

Other media

Manga

manga Manga (Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is u ...

adaptation illustrated by Asano was serialized in

Shueisha (lit. "Gathering of Intellect Publishing Co., Ltd.") is a Japanese company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The foll ...

'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

prequel A prequel is a literary, dramatic or cinematic work whose story precedes that of a previous work, by focusing on events that occur before the original narrative. A prequel is a work that forms part of a backstory to the preceding work. The term " ...

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

''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

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 BNA should have a second season.

Awards

''BNA: Brand New Animal'' was nominated for a Ursa Major Award in the Best Dramatic Series category. The Ursa Major awards are given in the field of

furry fandom The furry fandom is a subculture interested in anthropomorphic animal characters. Examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term ...

works and are the main awards in the field of

anthropomorphism Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human traits, emotions, or intentions to non-human entities. It is considered to be an innate tendency of human psychology. Personification is the related attribution of human form and characteristics t ...

. BNA was also nominated for an

Annie Award The Annie Awards are accolades which the Los Angeles branch of the International Animated Film Association, ASIFA-Hollywood, has presented each year since 1972 to recognize excellence in animation shown in cinema and television. Originally desi ...

for Best Character Design in TV/Media.

References

External links

* at

Anime official website
* {{Tonari no Young Jump 2020 anime television series debuts Action anime and manga Anime with original screenplays Comedy anime and manga Dash X Bunko Fuji TV original programming Netflix original anime Racism in television Science fantasy anime and manga Seinen manga Shueisha manga Studio Trigger Terrorism in television Toho Animation