After the war between humans and monsterkin, peace comes to the surface, and the age of adventurers who venture into the dungeons below begins. Tina, who ferries novice adventurers in a well-known dungeon, is fatally wounded by a huge monster and saved by a former monsterkin general turned healer.

Beast King Master of Medicines has story by Tatsukazu Konda, and art by Asahi Sakano. English translation is done by Adrienne Beck and lettering by Aly Villanueva. Published by Seven Seas Entertainment (February 10, 2026). Rated T.

Erica Friedman
Rating:

It's so endlessly fascinating to read masses of manga in a similar genre and see just how creative and original they can be. In this dungeon manga, adventurer Tina is about to learn that everything she knows about monsters and dungeons is wrong. Her beliefs about monsters and about humanity are called into question as she learns that dungeons are actually finely balanced ecosystems, and monsters have important functions.

Tina's also going to have her understanding of humans challenged. Of course humans believe that they should be the apex predators of the world…but what if it is possible to live in harmony? And, if it is possible, how is she going to be able to convince other humans when she travels with the Beast King Garon, one of the Demon King's generals? This is seriously good stuff, reminding us as humans how much we take for granted about how we use our planet's resources and life. It also reminds us to question our information sources and remember to ask who benefits from any given piece of information.

Humans are going to be a problem here. We are set up from the beginning to not really trust or like too many humans, and Tina's memories imply a rough early life. When we see a council of adventurers plot to destroy Garon, we know that this is going to be Tina vs the human world, and we can guess that it will also be Garon vs the monster world.

Konda's storytelling is earnest, only a very teeny bit heavy-handed. Sakano's art is likewise sincere over slick. The characters drive the story, not the plot. This is clearly going to be a partnership who wander from place to place, facing the demons of the past—pun intended—and patching up the present. But, if you like dungeons and monsters, action scenes, and behavioral puzzles, this story is certainly going to give us a broader perspective about Tina's world…and our own.