Let’s talk school academy stories: a review of THE BEAST PLAYER by Nahoko Uehashi
A young woman bonds with a beast, discovers the secret history and tragedy of her world. Also. snuggling with giant winged-wolf-beasts!
Today I want to talk about The Beast Player, a coming of age story with an unusual academy setting. The first novel in the duology was released in English in 2019. But my first encounter was the anime based on the novel, which aired ten years earlier in 2009, an anime series called Erin that captured my attention and held it for all 50 episodes. (Unfortunately, it is no longer available in English, through any legal streaming sites.)
Nahoko Uehashi has written several popular fantasy series in Japan, including Moribito (also released in English by the publisher’s of Harry Potter and has an anime) and her recent series called The Deer King (the book will be released in English in October and there’s an anime movie!)
Look at the beautiful covers! Doesn’t it make you want to read them!
Uehashi creates beautiful worlds, dense and full of a living history. The Beast Player was inspired by classic fantasy transitions such as JRR Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and Ursula Le Guin’s Earthsea. It focuses on the lives of humans and mythical beasts. If you want more details about Uehashi and the amazing translator Cathy Hirano, who does a fantastic job translating this story, here’s a link to an interview.
What is the story of Elin, the Beast Player?
In The Beast Player, we follow the life of Elin. She is a precocious child, quick to learn and observant of the world, especially plants and animals. She stands out from others in her village because of her vivid green eyes. (And green hair in the anime, because of course she is an anime protagonist!)
In this world, mythological creatures exist. Their lives are woven into the fabric of everyday life and culture. There are the Touda, think Komodo dragons but bigger so that warriors can ride them into battle. There are also Touda caretakers. Elin and her mother live in a village that is devoted to the Touda, and ruled by the Duke, who uses the creatures to protect the kingdom.
Touda are not the only creatures. Later in her life, Elin encounters a mysterious yet majestic beast in the wild, called a Royal Beast. (Gigantic wolf-headed eagle, like a griffin, except they sit upright on their haunches, making them ten-fifteen feet tall when fully grown.) The Royal Beasts kill the Touda by instinct.
Elin’s journey takes us from a young child among the Toda caretakers, to a Beekeeper’s home and then a school for Royal Beasts caretakers. At the school, Elin empathizes with one of the young (but gigantic) creatures, who has also lost her mother. The two form a strong bond, and after a lot of trial and error, Elin discovers she can use a harp to communicate with the beast named Lilan.
This moment changes everything.
Eventually, the Royal Capital learns about Elin and Lilan. They become involved in the lives of the royal family and the Duke’s family, who are in the midst of a power struggle. The Duke and his people have held the burden of defending the country, and they are looked down upon by those living safely in the royal capital. There are rebels demanding change, and have attempted to kill the elderly Queen. Is the Duke and his son still loyal? Will they try to take over the country?
When the royal family learns about Elin and Lilan’s bond, they want her to use Lilan for protection, as proof of their heritage, and to protect themselves from the Touda, if the Duke should attack. Elin must choose whether to continue to follow her heart or give in to their demands. How will she face the consequences of her actions thus far? Her journey with Lilan is far from over.
Can we just focus on the snuggling for a moment? Haven’t you ever wanted a giant fluffy-ball to throw your arms around and just — ew wait… smells like wet fur and imagine the shedding. Did we talk about Elin’s job cleaning all the giant piles of scat! Well, let’s not. Uehashi is a much better guide to this story.
While the story of the Beast Player is set in a traditional fantasy world, Uehashi’s background as an archeology professor shines through in her world building. There are layers of history, which are slowly revealed as our main character grows. Details about the people and how they live feel authentic, from the honey bee farmer to the pure-hearted, yet naive newly crowned queen of the kingdom.
The world of the veterinarians for mythical Royal Beasts is wholly believable. Mostly, because of how Elin observes things and makes careful decisions from her experiences. The school has an important lesson about cleaning the beast’s pens and she is the only one who observes their scat. Later, she begins to train Lilan to fly, and cares for Lilan during her pregnancy. These events make you feel like you’re right there with Elin, learning about the beasts and experiencing something extraordinary.
