To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts

To the Abandoned Sacred Beasts (Japanese: かつて神だった獣たちへ, Katsute Kami Datta Kemono-tachi e) is a Japanese dark fantasy manga series written and illustrated by Maybe. Set on the continent of Patria, the story unfolds after a civil war that divided the nation into the industrialized Northern Union and the mining-based Southern Confederation. To counter the South, the North secretly used forbidden techniques to transform soldiers into powerful “Incarnates” who could morph into giant mythical beasts. Despite their battlefield prowess, the Incarnates were later deemed threats, losing their humanity and becoming hunted by Hank, a former comrade turned “Beast Hunter.” Nancy, whose father was also an Incarnate, seeks revenge but ultimately joins Hank, embarking on a journey to hunt other fallen Incarnates. The series delves into themes of war's brutality, the loss of humanity, and redemption, portraying a complex world where former heroes are now feared and hated. The manga ran in Kodansha's Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine from June 2014 to June 2023 and was adapted into a 12-episode anime by MAPPA, which aired from July to September 2019.