Paru Itagaki's Beast Complex manga is coming back with a new one-shot story arriving this summer, according to an announcement from the official X account for Itagaki's works.

Beast Complex originally ran in Weekly Shōnen Champion back in 2016 as a standalone anthology series. The manga explores interconnected stories about animals navigating complex relationships and societal pressures. One storyline follows a tiger and beaver raised together who resist peer pressure to maintain their friendship while fighting injustice. Another centers on a camel journalist with a changing perspective on carnivores after meeting a seductive wolf. The series also features a crocodile and gazelle working as a cooking show team, and a fox and chameleon wrestling with stereotypes.

After the initial run, Itagaki launched a Beast Complex mini-series in January 2021 that wrapped up in March 2021, with three compiled volumes released. A fourth volume shipped in December 2024, keeping the series alive for readers. Viz Media licensed the manga for English-speaking audiences.

This new one-shot represents the first significant Beast Complex content since the fourth volume's release. Itagaki has remained busy with other projects, most recently launching Witching Hour on Champion Cross in October 2024. That series concluded on May 13, with its second volume shipping in December.

Itagaki is best known for BEASTARS, the wildly popular animal-centered manga that received anime adaptations. The BEASTARS television anime debuted on Netflix in Japan in October 2019, with international release in March 2020. The final season's second part premiered on March 7, 2026. Beyond BEASTARS, Itagaki also created SANDA, which premiered as a television anime last October in the "Animeism" programming block.

With Beast Complex returning this summer alongside Itagaki's track record of successful adaptations, fans may be wondering if this one-shot could lead to future anime projects. For now, the new story offers a chance for readers to revisit Itagaki's distinctly animal-focused take on character-driven narratives.