The Beast Player
A girl controls beasts amid a war between two territories.
The Beast Player (獣の奏者, Kemono no Sōja) is a Japanese novel series by Nahoko Uehashi, released by Kodansha from 2006 to 2009. The story follows a girl with the ability to command the most powerful beasts, who becomes entangled in a conflict between two territories within a single kingdom. The novels inspired a manga serialized in Kodansha’s Monthly Shōnen Sirius starting October 25, 2008, and an anime television series titled Erin, produced by Production I.G and Trans Arts, which aired on NHK from January 10 to December 26, 2009.
The plot begins with ten-year-old Elin living with her mother Sohyon in the kingdom of Ryoza, in territory ruled by the Aluhan, the Grand Duke. Their village raises Toda, dragon-like creatures used by the Aluhan’s army. Sohyon, from the secretive nomadic Ahlyo tribe, serves as head Toda Steward. When the Toda under her care die mysteriously, she is blamed and sentenced to be eaten alive by wild Toda. During the execution, Elin tries to rescue her, but they are surrounded. Sohyon whistles to calm the Toda—calling it a mortal sin—places Elin on one, and it carries her away as the others devour Sohyon.
Elin washes ashore in land directly governed by the Yojeh, Ryoza’s divine ruler. An elderly beekeeper named Joeun adopts her and teaches her to play the harp. One summer, they take their bees into the mountains, where they see wild Royal Beasts—dangerous, majestic symbols of the Yojeh. When Toda attack a Royal Beast cub, the cub’s mother whistles, making the Toda submit while she kills them.
At fourteen, Elin enters Kazalumu Beast Sanctuary to become a beast doctor. There she meets Leelan, an injured young Royal Beast who refuses to eat. Elin persuades headmistress Esalu to let her care for Leelan. Using her harp to mimic wild Beast sounds, Elin gets Leelan to eat. She raises Leelan without the Silent Whistle—which paralyzes Beasts—or the tokujisui potion required by the Royal Beast Canon. Leelan becomes unusually attached to Elin, allowing touch and close approach.
When Elin turns eighteen, Leelan learns to fly, a skill never seen in captive Beasts. An Ahlyo approaches Elin, warning that communicating with Beasts is a mortal sin and that Leelan’s flight will bring disaster. That winter, an injured wild Royal Beast named Eku arrives for treatment. Eku mates with Leelan, making her the first captive Beast to become pregnant.
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- Author
- Nahoko Uehashi
- Publisher
- Kodansha
- Publication Years
- 2006–2009
- Genre
- Fantasy novel series
- Adaptations
- Manga (Monthly Shōnen Sirius, from October 25, 2008); Anime (Erin, Production I.G and Trans Arts, aired January 10–December 26, 2009)
Lore & Background
The story begins with 10-year-old Elin living with her mother Sohyon in the kingdom of Ryoza, in territory governed by the Aluhan, the Grand Duke. Their village raises Toda, dragon-like creatures ridden by the Aluhan's army. After the Toda under Sohyon's care mysteriously die, she is blamed and sentenced to be eaten alive by wild Toda. During the execution, Sohyon whistles to calm the Toda, places Elin on one, and is devoured while Elin escapes. Elin washes ashore in land governed by the Yojeh, the divine ruler of Ryoza, and is adopted by an elderly beekeeper named Joeun, who teaches her to play the harp. Later, she sees a wild Royal Beast mother whistle to make attacking Toda submit, inspiring her to enroll at Kazalumu Beast Sanctuary at age 14 to become a beast doctor. Th
Reader's Guide
The Beast Player is significant as a fantasy novel series that explores themes of communication, war, and the bond between humans and animals. Its protagonist, Elin, challenges established codes such as the Royal Beast Canon, which forbids beasts from flying, bearing young, or becoming friendly with humans. The series presents a nuanced view of power, with the Ahlyo's secret knowledge of beast control considered a mortal sin, and the Yojeh's ancestor writing the Canon out of repentance. The story's conflict between the Aluhan's territory and the Yojeh's territory reflects a kingdom divided by war and political intrigue. The adaptations—a manga serialized in Monthly Shōnen Sirius and an anime produced by Production I.G and Trans Arts—extended its reach. The anime, titled Erin, aired on NHK in 2009. The series' legacy lies in its detailed world-building and its questioning of how humans use animals for war, as seen in Elin's refusal to use the Silent Whistle or tokujisui, and her dream of understanding between humans and beasts.
Did You Know?
- The original novel series was published by Kodansha between 2006 and 2009.
- The anime adaptation, titled Erin, aired on NHK from January 10 to December 26, 2009.
- Elin's mother Sohyon was from the secretive nomadic tribe called the Ahlyo.
- Leelan was the first captive Royal Beast to become pregnant.
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