Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts (贄姫と獣の王, Niehime to Kemono no Ō) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yū Tomofuji. It was serialized in Hakusensha‘s shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume from November 2015 to October 2020. It is licensed in North America by Yen Press. An anime television series adaptation is set to premiere in 2023.

Plot

The King of the Beasts and Demons regularly receives female human sacrifices to eat in order to assert the dominance of his people over the human race. However, for the 99th sacrifice, the human girl brought to the capital, Sariphi, intrigues the Beast King. In fact she isn’t afraid of him or any other beast and even accepts her death without begging or crying as she has neither home nor family to return to if she were released. The King finds her intriguing and let her stay at his side as his consort despite being human. This is the story of how Sariphi will become the queen of the demons and beasts.

Manga

The manga started serialization in Hakusensha‘s shōjo manga magazine Hana to Yume on November 5, 2015, and it ended on October 20, 2020. The manga was part of the initial lineup in Hakusensha’s online shop selling series-themed goods. Yen Press announced that they had licensed the manga at Anime Expo 2017, releasing the first volume in May 2018. The manga is also licensed in Germany by Carlsen Verlag. A special edition of the sixth volume of the manga contained a CD of an audio drama adaptation of the series.

A spin-off manga will begin serialization in Hana to Yume on August 20, 2022.

Reception

Rebecca Silverman from Anime News Network said that “Beauty and the Beast is alive and well in Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts – it’s almost a by-the-book retelling of the classic fairy tale. That’s definitely part of the appeal of this initial volume, because the Beauty of folklore isn’t always as spunky as she could be, often winning over the Beast with her gentle ways and calm demeanor.” Richard Gutierrez of The Fandom Post saw the story as more than a retelling, saying that the author “has sincerely crafted a narrative which engenders the reader on many fronts”, complimenting the pair’s relationship and its innocence. Sean Gaffney of Manga Bookshelf noted that the manga has nostalgic scenes that reference other series, liking the characterization of the characters and especially the protagonist, but was wary of her young age.

Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts
Cover of the first manga volume
贄姫と獣の王 (Niehime to Kemono no Ō)
Genre	Fantasy, romance
Manga
Written by	Yū Tomofuji
Published by	Hakusensha
English publisher	NA Yen Press
Magazine	Hana to Yume
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	November 5, 2015 – October 20, 2020
Volumes	15 (List of volumes)
Manga
Written by	Yū Tomofuji
Published by	Hakusensha
Magazine	Hana to Yume
Demographic	Shōjo
Original run	August 20, 2022 – scheduled
Anime television series
Original run	2023 – scheduled