Onizuka Raita and his younger brother Fuuta are infamous at their school for being two tough alphas who aren't afraid to kick ass. It's also public knowledge that the brothers are totally down bad for the delicate and pretty omega, Kazusa. Despite his dainty appearance and sweet face, Kazusa has an unshakable sense of justice and chivalry. More than anything, he wants to be strong and live life on his own terms--not just as some helpless omega who needs protecting.

But everything changes when Kazusa goes into heat for the first time. Even more shocking? His doctor announces that Kazusa's fated mate is likely somewhere close by!

So what happens when Kazusa's suppressants mysteriously go missing...and his heat hits while he's alone with the Onizuka brothers? Can he fight off fate--and his own instincts?

We Are Not Beasts has a story by and art by Shoko Rakuta. English translation is done by Kat Skarbinec and lettering by Kaitlyn Wiley. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment (March 3, 2026). Rated M.

Rebecca Silverman
Rating:

Omegaverse stories can be used to say a lot of things about sexuality and gender. Sure, on the surface they're just trashy excuses for mpreg stories, but that doesn't mean that they have to be the lowest rung on the literary ladder. We Are Not Beasts manages to be both a very silly and mildly trashy romance about an omega between two alpha brothers and an exploration of gender roles, and while it does at times try to be too much to too many, it largely makes for a fun read with some real points to think about.

Kazusa, the omega, has a difficult relationship with his secondary sex. His father believes all the bad rumors about omegas to the tune of refusing to believe that his omega wife isn't having multiple affairs all the time (she's actually involved in scientific research), and he's furious that his only son is an omega. That means that Kazusa is invested in making real social change: he doesn't want to be stereotyped as weak just because he's an omega, and he doesn't think alphas should be likewise pigeonholed just because of their secondary sex. In the small pond of his high school, he's already making waves, but that only goes so far. And it's complicated when he goes into heat and his two best friends, brothers Raita and Fuuta, are the most likely candidates for his fated mate.

The story itself is equally about Raita and Fuuta trying to sort out who the better mate is for Kazusa and Kazusa making peace with his own body. He and Raita both want to understand the difference between emotions and pheromones, and they both also fear losing each other's friendship. Fuuta is less mature (and a year younger than the other two), and that comes across nicely in the text. It's a love triangle in name, but not really in practice, although for a while I thought it would turn out to be a poly romance. But the real meat of the story isn't the romance itself; it's how the idea of “love” and “mates” has to coexist and how neither of those things is inextricably tied to sex. You have to be happy with yourself first, and that's not an angle I see many omegaverse series taking.

Shoko Rakuta also uses some language that could lead to the interpretation that the alpha/omega situation is analogous to neurodivergency, and I think that's a valid reading as well. What's most important is that this book, for all of its fluffy or sexy elements, is interested in using the omegaverse to explore how our differences as people don't have to determine who we are as people. It isn't perfect, but from Rakuta's afterword, it sounds like she wasn't planning on having a second volume, which Seven Seas has a listing for, so the issues may be resolved there. Omegaverse gets a bad rap, but if you're not fundamentally against reading it, We Are Not Beasts is a good example of what it can do as a genre.

Bolts
Rating:

If there's one thing I really want to give this book credit for, it's the fact that, right at the beginning, it makes it clear that you have seen this song and dance before if you've ever read any Omegaverse titles. That being said, I do think there was a lot here that allowed the story to stand out a bit more compared to other omegaverse titles. While there were definitely a few dramatic and suspenseful beats associated with Omegas' going into heat and the prejudice that comes with certain sexualities, this was a surprisingly laid-back and funny story for the majority of its run. A lot of the comedy just focuses on the main trio bouncing off of each other as they try to navigate the circumstances that their sexuality will inflict upon their really genuine friendship. I thought the story was going to be far more like a traditional love triangle, and while it does eventually get to that point, it's played more for comedy than it is for drama. If anything, I almost feel like the story made a good excuse for why these three should've just become a thrupple. It does such a good job of laying that foundation that by the time I got to the end, I was actually a little disappointed that it didn't make use of all of the seeds that it had planted.

That's my biggest complaint about this story. By the end, I can't help but feel like it wasted a few opportunities. There are a lot of plot points presented at the beginning, like the consequences of suppressing your urges, the two main brothers fighting over the same omega, who the omega eventually chooses, and whether their friendship will survive, etc. Even though the series starts very lighthearted, it transitions into these more dramatic questions quite well. Some of these questions are answered, but others just feel like they get glossed over by the very end with very little fanfare. Even the more passionate scenes in the book feel very lackluster because it almost feels like they're here out of obligation rather than because the story really wants to go into the thick of it.

This is another story that feels like it took its time at the beginning but rushed right to the finish line, like it forgot what the chapter count was supposed to be. When I got to the end, I was mostly satisfied, but there was a part of me that wanted more. Still, as a form of entertainment, I do think this stands out a bit compared to the more drama-ridden Omegaverse stories. The chemistry is great, the light-heartedness is refreshing, and while I wish it were a bit drawn out more, I still think the story is impressive in how it managed to balance these ideas. If you're looking for something a little bit lighter, then please give this a read.