To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts [Season 1 Episodes 1-12]

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts: A Bloody Symphony of War’s Forgotten Monsters

Imagine fighting for your country, only to become the very thing it fears. That’s the gut-punch premise of To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts (2019), a 12-episode anime that dives headfirst into the messy aftermath of war—where heroes turn into monsters, and morality gets as tangled as a soldier’s dog tags. Produced by MAPPA (the studio behind Attack on Titan’s final season) and based on Maybe’s manga, this dark fantasy doesn’t just serve up action; it asks: What happens when the weapons we create outlive their purpose?

Set in the war-torn nation of Patria, the story follows the Incarnates—soldiers transformed into half-human, half-beast weapons to turn the tide of a brutal civil war. Led by the stoic Hank Henriette (who becomes a wolf-like Incarnate), these “sacred beasts” won the war… only to be labeled threats once the fighting stopped. Now hunted by their former allies, the Incarnates are left to wander a world that sees them as nothing more than monsters. Enter Nancy Schaal Bancroft, a young woman whose father was killed by an Incarnate. She teams up with Hank, not to kill him, but to uncover the truth about her dad—and the dark secrets behind the Incarnate program.

Let’s cut to the chase: This anime is visually striking. MAPPA’s signature gritty art style shines in the battle scenes, where Incarnates like Cain Madhouse (a lion-like brute) and Liza (a bird-winged sniper) unleash their powers with bone-crunching intensity. The character designs are unforgettable—Hank’s wolf ears and piercing yellow eyes, the Manticore’s grotesque mix of man and beast—each one a reminder of the cost of war. But it’s not all blood and claws; the quiet moments, like Hank staring at a sunset or Nancy flipping through her father’s old journal, are just as powerful, grounding the story in raw emotion.

What really hooks you, though, is the moral gray area. The Incarnates aren’t just villains—they’re victims. Take Cain, who’s haunted by the civilians he accidentally killed during the war. Or Liza, who struggles to control her beast form after losing her family. As one fan on MyAnimeList put it: “You can’t help but feel for them. They didn’t ask to be monsters—their country made them that way.” The show doesn’t sugarcoat the horrors of war, either. We see villages burned, families torn apart, and soldiers grappling with PTSD long after the fighting ends. It’s heavy, but it’s real.

Of course, it’s not perfect. Some fans have criticized the pacing—episodes 5-7 feel a bit slow, with too much time spent on side characters instead of advancing the main plot. And while the action is top-tier, the animation occasionally dips in quality (looking at you, that one awkward CGI beast scene). But these flaws are easy to overlook when the story hits its stride. The final three episodes, in particular, are a masterclass in tension: Hank confronts his former commander, the truth about the Incarnate program is revealed, and Nancy has to choose between revenge and redemption. By the end, you’re left breathless, wondering: Who’s really the monster here?

What makes To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts stand out is its heart. It’s not just about fighting—it’s about identity. Hank spends the entire season asking, “Am I still human?” Nancy grapples with whether she can ever forgive the Incarnates. Even the “villains” have layers: The military leaders who abandoned the Incarnates aren’t just evil—they’re scared, too, of the weapons they can no longer control. As another fan noted: “This show doesn’t take sides. It just shows how war ruins everyone.”

If you’re into dark fantasy with depth—think Fullmetal Alchemist meets Claymore—this is a must-watch. It’s not for the faint of heart (there’s a lot of blood, and some scenes are genuinely unsettling), but if you stick with it, you’ll be rewarded with a story that stays with you long after the credits roll.

In the end, To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts isn’t just about monsters. It’s about people—broken, lost, and trying to find their way back to humanity. And in a world where we’re constantly creating new “weapons” (whether they’re machines or ideologies), that’s a message we all need to hear.

Final Verdict: 8/10. A brutal, beautiful tale of war, identity, and the monsters we leave behind. Just make sure you have tissues handy—you’ll need ’em.

— A fan who stayed up until 2 a.m. binging the whole season 🐺🔥