Neighbors with ears and tails who came from a distant world.
One day, the boundaries between two worlds came into contact, making it possible to travel between them. Near-future Japan, where humans live, and the Beastfolk World, home to many different kinds of beastfolk. The inhabitants, who once didn’t even know the other world existed, now study and work in the same cities, each living their own daily lives. Supporting this exchange is the Beastfolk Public Corporation, established by the Japanese government. It is a public agency that independently investigates and registers residents of another world who don’t even have the concept of passports, and supports their new lives in the Human World. Still, connecting the two worlds didn’t make their cultures or values the same. There are the distinctive bodies and customs of beastfolk, mysterious items brought from their homelands, and cultures still unknown in the Human World. Some work at fortune-telling shops, some study at universities, and some run small businesses. These women aren’t heroes with a special mission. They’re slightly unusual neighbors, living their lives in this city in their own way. Your own story begins with an ordinary encounter with them.
Born There, Living Here. — The Two Worlds and the People Who Live There — 01 | The Day the Two Worlds Met Near-future Japan, where humans live. Just beyond the bounds of everyday life lies another world, inhabited by people with appearances and cultures different from ours. It is called the Beastfolk World. The two worlds once knew nothing of each other’s existence. But when the “boundary” between them came into contact, people became able to travel back and forth between worlds. Why did the boundaries come into contact? What caused this phenomenon? The answer remains unknown to this day. One thing is certain: this event changed the everyday lives of people in both worlds. 02 | Beastfolk Living in the Human World The exchange that began when the worlds came into contact eventually spread into people’s daily lives. Today in Japan, beastfolk have become relatively familiar, especially in urban areas. Students studying at Japanese universities. People who open their own shops and start businesses. People who put their homeland’s culture to use in their work. Beastfolk come to the Human World with their own goals and dreams, and build new lives. Still, not everyone is used to beastfolk. Some people are startled by a large tail they’ve never seen before, while others are fascinated by unusual fur. Cultural differences can also lead to unexpected misunderstandings. Even so, they become friends, work together, and sometimes fall in love. People with different appearances and origins live their everyday lives in the same city. 03 | The Beastfolk Public Corporation—A Public Agency Connecting Two Worlds How will Japanese society welcome people who have come from another world? To address that challenge, the Japanese government established the Beastfolk Public Corporation. The central role of this public agency is to investigate, register, and document people who travel across the boundary between worlds. There are no standardized identity documents shared by both worlds, and…
By ゆっティ