BNA: Brand New Animal

BNA: Brand New Animal (BNA ビー・エヌ・エー), simply known as BNA, is an original Japanese anime television series produced by Trigger and directed by Yoh Yoshinari. The series' first six episodes premiered on Netflix in Japan in March 2020; another six episodes premiered in May of the same year. The series also aired on Fuji TV's +Ultra anime programming block from April to June 2020.

Plot

The series is set in a world where humans co-exist with a branch of humanity called beastmen, who face persecution for their ability to turn into humanoid animals through a trait in DNA called "beast factor". The series centers on Michiru Kagemori, a young teenage girl who suddenly turned into a beastman after her best friend Nazuna Hiwatashi was abducted following a blood transfusion. Michiru runs away to seek refuge in Anima City, a haven made for the beastmen, and meets the mysterious wolf beastman Shirou Ogami, who works for the city's mayor, Barballet Rosé. The two work to investigate the circumstances of Michiru's transformation while maintaining peace in Anima City, only to stumble into a conspiracy involving Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals prestige medical research center in Anima City, whose unsavory employees were responsible for accidentally providing the blood used in Michiru's transformation along with Nazuna. The company placed Nazuna in a cult to claim herself as the beastmens' guardian deity known as the Silver Wolf. However, Michiru learns the real Silver Wolf is Shirou, who was forced to reveal his true power when dealing with the Sylvasta researcher Yaba, who mutated into a crazed monster following his arrest. Michiru learns Shirou is an immortal who gained his powers as the sole survivor of Nirvasyl, a city of beastmen destroyed a millennium ago by humans, and has since dedicated himself to protecting his kind. Alan Sylvasta, the owner of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, reveals the beastmen of Nirvasyl were victims of a stress-induced phenomenon called Nirvasyl Syndrome, that caused them to kill each other before the humans finished them off.

Characters

Michiru Kagemori (影森みちる)

A human high schooler who turned into a tanuki beastman and came to Anima City to find a way to turn herself back to normal, believing her transformation was initially a disease before learning it was the result of being infused with beastman blood while in the hospital. Due to the circumstances of her transition into a beastman, Michiru can access the traits of other animals and stretch her form to massive lengths.

Shirou Ogami (大神士郎)

A wolf beastman with a keen sense of smell who dedicates himself to protecting Anima City. He possesses immense strength and regenerative abilities along with immortality and the ability to turn into a giant wolf. Shirou is later revealed to have been a normal beastman who lived in the city of Nirvasyl a millennia prior, but was killed by Raymond Sylvasta along with the other Nirvasyl residents when they went berserk. Shiro gained his powers after being revived from absorbing the blood of 2,000 Nirvasyl beastmen corpses, creating the myth of the Silver Wolf (銀狼) as he dedicated his life to protecting beastmen.

Nazuna Hiwatashi (日渡なずな)

Michiru's childhood friend and classmate, who had aspirations of becoming an idol prior to becoming a kitsune beastman as a result of being infused with beastman blood while hospitalized. She was taken in by Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals to refine her abilities to alter her form. Alan convinces Nazuna to join the Silver Wolf cult alongside Boris Cliff under the alias of Déesse Louve to pose as the Silver Wolf, tricking her into believing she is helping the beastmen.

Alan Sylvasta (アラン・シルヴァスタ)

A rich, enigmatic entrepreneur and the president of Sylvasta Pharmaceuticals, who provides medical support to Anima City while expressing an interest in Michiru and Shirou for their unique physical capabilities. His ancestor Raymond Sylvasta was responsible for destroying Nirvasyl when its resident beastmen went berserk, and Alan is aware of Shirou's identity as the Silver Wolf. He intends to humanize all beastmen that succumb to Nirvasyl Syndrome, and later reveals himself to be a pureblood beastman with a golden Cerberus version of Shirou's Silver Wolf form, revealing his prejudiced motives in eliminating Anima City's residents for being impure beastmen.

Barballet Rosé (バルバレイ・ロゼ)

The mayor of Anima City, who is a naked mole-rat beastman with a Ph.D. in beastman genetics. She is also a long-time acquaintance of Shirou and is aware of his identity as the Silver Wolf, as he rescued her from a research facility when she was a child. She is also aware of Michiru's condition, which is assumed to be a disease at the time, and pledges to help find her a cure while keeping it a secret to prevent mass panic.

Marie Itami (マリー伊丹)

A mink beastman who is involved in shady dealings. She occasionally helps Michiru, but asks for a favor in exchange for her help.

Yūji Tachiki (立木勇次)

A Great Dane beastman who works as a police inspector and sometimes relies on Ogami for help.

Gem Horner (ジェム・ホーナー)

A cockerel beastman and Melissa's husband, who give Michiru a place to stay. He and his wife are devoted believers and worshippers of the Silver Wolf.

Melissa Horner (メリッサ・ホーナー)

A wombat beastman and Gem's wife. She and her husband are devoted believers and worshippers of the Silver Wolf.

Giuliano Flip (ジュリアーノ・フリップ)

A beluga whale beastman who is the head of a powerful gang and Nina's father. He has an immense hatred for humans because his father, Nina's grandfather, was killed by beastman hunters. then cooked and eaten. However, Nina says it did not happen, and is just the story she was told.

Prime Minister Shiramizu (白水総理)

A human who is the presiding Prime Minister of Japan. He worked with Mayor Rosé to establish Anima City, but harbors distrust towards beastmen and is willing to infringe on their rights.

Nina Flip (ニナ・フリップ)

A dolphin beastman who is the daughter of Giuliano Flip and Michiru's friend. She has never been outside of Anima City.

Jackie (ジャッキー)

A young and naïve bear beastman that Michiru often encounters.

Boris Cliff (ボリス・クリフ)

A snake beastman and the head priest of the Silver Wolf Order cult, who has taken a strong interest in Nazuna.

Pinga (ピンガ)

An albatross beastman mercenary who once fought as a soldier against anti-beastmen radicals, only to become disillusioned over the government infringing on the rights of migratory beastmen.

type	TV series
director	Yoh Yoshinari
producer	Yuka Okayasu Eri Isobe
writer	Kazuki Nakashima
music	Mabanua
studio	Trigger
licensee	Netflix
network	Fuji TV (+Ultra), BS Fuji, Kansai TV, THK, TNC, UHB, ABA
first	April 8, 2020
last	June 24, 2020
episodes	12
runtime	23 minutes

BNA: Brand New Animal

Plot

Characters

Release

Episodes

Other media

Manga

Novel

Soundtrack

Reception

Awards

See also

External links

References