Seton Academy: Join the Pack!

Seton Academy: Join the Pack! (群れなせ！シートン学園) is a Japanese manga series by Bungo Yamashita. It was serialized online via Cygames' Cycomi manga app and website from May 2016 to May 2021 and has been collected in fifteen tankōbon volumes by Kodansha (former) and Shogakukan (current). An anime television series adaptation by Studio Gokumi aired from January 7 to March 24, 2020.

Both the manga and the anime received mixed reviews from critics, with the writing, lore and characterizations receiving criticism.

Premise
Due to a population decline, there are fewer humans than there are humanoid animals. Jin Mazama is a human boy who attends Seton Academy where the majority of students are animals. Jin hates animals, but as luck would have it, a female human named Hitomi Hino catches his eye. Unfortunately, Jin finds himself grabbing the attention of other animals such as Ranka Ōkami, a young wolf girl who is the only member of her pack, and has a huge crush on him.

Setting
In the world of Seton Academy, all the male students and staff have the appearance of their species, while the females all appear as various forms of moe girls with kemonomimi, and other features such as tails and/or horns.

Cooking Club

 * Jin Mazama (間様人)
 * A human boy with xenophobic tendencies who hates animals after an incident with Ranka and three bear cubs when they were children. He falls in love with Hitomi at first sight, the only other human at Seton Academy. Initially, he despises Ranka with a passion and tries in vain to avoid her at all costs, up to the point of even abusing her physically at times. But throughout the course of the series, he eventually admits to having secret feelings for her too (but he doesn't want to make it public). Like Hitomi, he enjoys cooking for himself as the academy's cafeteria mostly caters to animal diets. He is very knowledgeable about animals based on their instincts, weaknesses, and modern history. Aside from his stubbornness, Jin usually carries on helping Ranka and other animals, even if it annoys and infuriates him beyond belief. Overjoyed having to fleetingly register at a human school with Hitomi, and as a means to stay away from Ranka and the other animals, Jin soon realized that he's not used to the human society and keeps getting into a perverted state of affairs, that he (unwilling) and Hitomi (missing Ranka and her animal friends) decide to enroll back at Seton Academy, much to Jin's dismay. After being stampede by a herd of elephants, Jin woke up ten years later to find that Ranka has passed away, which leaves him heartbroken and devastated; he used Miyubi's time-leaping device through 145 loops till he succeeds in avoiding this outcome. Jin genuinely approves Ranka and her pack at a graduation ceremony for third-years'.
 * A human boy with xenophobic tendencies who hates animals after an incident with Ranka and three bear cubs when they were children. He falls in love with Hitomi at first sight, the only other human at Seton Academy. Initially, he despises Ranka with a passion and tries in vain to avoid her at all costs, up to the point of even abusing her physically at times. But throughout the course of the series, he eventually admits to having secret feelings for her too (but he doesn't want to make it public). Like Hitomi, he enjoys cooking for himself as the academy's cafeteria mostly caters to animal diets. He is very knowledgeable about animals based on their instincts, weaknesses, and modern history. Aside from his stubbornness, Jin usually carries on helping Ranka and other animals, even if it annoys and infuriates him beyond belief. Overjoyed having to fleetingly register at a human school with Hitomi, and as a means to stay away from Ranka and the other animals, Jin soon realized that he's not used to the human society and keeps getting into a perverted state of affairs, that he (unwilling) and Hitomi (missing Ranka and her animal friends) decide to enroll back at Seton Academy, much to Jin's dismay. After being stampede by a herd of elephants, Jin woke up ten years later to find that Ranka has passed away, which leaves him heartbroken and devastated; he used Miyubi's time-leaping device through 145 loops till he succeeds in avoiding this outcome. Jin genuinely approves Ranka and her pack at a graduation ceremony for third-years'.


 * Ranka Ōkami (大狼ランカ)
 * A pink female Hokkaido wolf. While she considers herself a pack leader, she is its only member which often times makes her feel lonely. She is in love with Jin, treating him as the alpha male and becoming possessive and jealous when he is approached by other females. Initially, she sees Hitomi as a rival wanting to take Jin away from her, but throughout the series, they become good friends. After overhearing Jin's confession to Hitomi, Ranka opts to become the next student council president as a means to escape. Accepting Jin's unexpected opposition in the election, she and Jin challenged each other through the school tower but Jin steps down when privately admitting he is slightly attracted to her. Jin became such an important figure in Ranka's life that she would neglect her health for the sake of being with Jin, often much to his annoyance.
 * A pink female Hokkaido wolf. While she considers herself a pack leader, she is its only member which often times makes her feel lonely. She is in love with Jin, treating him as the alpha male and becoming possessive and jealous when he is approached by other females. Initially, she sees Hitomi as a rival wanting to take Jin away from her, but throughout the series, they become good friends. After overhearing Jin's confession to Hitomi, Ranka opts to become the next student council president as a means to escape. Accepting Jin's unexpected opposition in the election, she and Jin challenged each other through the school tower but Jin steps down when privately admitting he is slightly attracted to her. Jin became such an important figure in Ranka's life that she would neglect her health for the sake of being with Jin, often much to his annoyance.


 * Hitomi Hino (牝野瞳)
 * A human girl who became friends with Jin as the few other humans at Seton. She enjoys cooking and decided to start a cooking club. Although she genuinely cares for Jin, she appears to be oblivious to his crush on her most of the time, and it isn't clear whether or not she reciprocates his feelings. She is easily embarrassed when watching Jin dealing with the animal habits of other girls. She also becomes good friends with Ranka as she genuinely cares for her too, despite their first encounter. In the future, Hitomi became a nurse tending for a patient Jin, although this is unconfirmed if it's really her personal career path once Jin's impending fate has been altered. She is implied to be bisexual, as she is seen to have feelings for both male and female students.
 * A human girl who became friends with Jin as the few other humans at Seton. She enjoys cooking and decided to start a cooking club. Although she genuinely cares for Jin, she appears to be oblivious to his crush on her most of the time, and it isn't clear whether or not she reciprocates his feelings. She is easily embarrassed when watching Jin dealing with the animal habits of other girls. She also becomes good friends with Ranka as she genuinely cares for her too, despite their first encounter. In the future, Hitomi became a nurse tending for a patient Jin, although this is unconfirmed if it's really her personal career path once Jin's impending fate has been altered. She is implied to be bisexual, as she is seen to have feelings for both male and female students.


 * Yukari Komori (子守ユカリ)
 * A female koala who has grown tired of only eating eucalyptus and joined the Cooking Club to expand her diet. She later meets a pig who is soon to be her boyfriend. In the future, Yukari opened her p**p café company that is franchise worldwide.
 * A female koala who has grown tired of only eating eucalyptus and joined the Cooking Club to expand her diet. She later meets a pig who is soon to be her boyfriend. In the future, Yukari opened her p**p café company that is franchise worldwide.


 * Miyubi Shisho (獣生ミユビ)
 * A female three-toed sloth. Like a sloth, she moves extremely slowly and will pass out and die if she exerts herself. She has also been known to pass out (or "die") after taking a bath, eating unfamiliar foods, or walking more quickly than normal for more than a few yards. She has expressed an interest in identifying any sport she could take part in without dying and joined the Cooking Club in order to make friends. In the future, Miyubi became a vague scientist that really confuses Jin of her big vocabulary and professionalism.
 * A female three-toed sloth. Like a sloth, she moves extremely slowly and will pass out and die if she exerts herself. She has also been known to pass out (or "die") after taking a bath, eating unfamiliar foods, or walking more quickly than normal for more than a few yards. She has expressed an interest in identifying any sport she could take part in without dying and joined the Cooking Club in order to make friends. In the future, Miyubi became a vague scientist that really confuses Jin of her big vocabulary and professionalism.


 * Kurumi Nekomai (猫米クルミ)
 * A female cat who can elicit different feelings in others by altering the frequency of her purring. She joined the Cooking Club to make friends but is too proud to admit it. She is referred to as the club's "ghost member" as she rarely takes part in club activities but is sometimes seen around the club room and was instrumental in acquiring a steady supply of vegetables from the Gardening Club. In the future, Kurumi is suited to being a model.
 * A female cat who can elicit different feelings in others by altering the frequency of her purring. She joined the Cooking Club to make friends but is too proud to admit it. She is referred to as the club's "ghost member" as she rarely takes part in club activities but is sometimes seen around the club room and was instrumental in acquiring a steady supply of vegetables from the Gardening Club. In the future, Kurumi is suited to being a model.


 * Mei Mei (苺苺)
 * A female panda who has the popularity of a celebrity. She is quite a spoiled brat who's often self-centered, haughty, and lazy. However, during her visit to the academy, she stumbled on the Cooking Club where Jin and the rest of the members were making panda dumplings. Mei Mei then snatched every piece and ate them, sparking an interest in joining the club, but of course, Jin didn't make it easy for her because of her unruly behavior. She only became a member when Kurumi gave her approval in a way that a cat does and from then on Mei Mei slowly became more cooperative, nice, but a masochist. In the future, Mei-Mei is a producer of an idol agency.
 * A female panda who has the popularity of a celebrity. She is quite a spoiled brat who's often self-centered, haughty, and lazy. However, during her visit to the academy, she stumbled on the Cooking Club where Jin and the rest of the members were making panda dumplings. Mei Mei then snatched every piece and ate them, sparking an interest in joining the club, but of course, Jin didn't make it easy for her because of her unruly behavior. She only became a member when Kurumi gave her approval in a way that a cat does and from then on Mei Mei slowly became more cooperative, nice, but a masochist. In the future, Mei-Mei is a producer of an idol agency.


 * Chii Suimori (吸森チイ)
 * The only vampire bat at Seton Academy who enrolled when the second-year began. Opposed to her nature, she is too scared to suck the blood out of livestock. She comes to the Cooking Club as there is salty or sour food that can satisfy her thirst, to Ranka's delight. Chii develops a natural attraction to Jin due to his unusual kindness to her. In the future, Chii runs her own drink bar compose of different types of blood. While only starring in the manga, she makes a cameo in the 11th episode of the anime.


 * Hana
 * A female Rhinograde that originally came to Seton Academy but Jin unwittingly gave her amnesia. Since her species is supposed to have existed only in fiction she lacks any sense of odor that Ranka couldn't pick up, Miyubi calls it a miracle. Nicknamed Hana, she relies on Ranka's pack to care for her. During a soccer match, Hana and her brethren of the Southern island nearly disappear from the existence that Jin predicted, but Ranka and the female cast lick her entire body to stabilize her existence. Her real name is Hoji-Hoji. In the future, Hana found her talent of being a novelist.


 * Rimu Urie (ウリエリム)
 * A female woolly spider monkey. She acts as an advisor for the Cooking Club.

Supporting

 * Gigasu Terano (寺野先生)
 * A male Tyrannosaurus teacher. During the Cretaceous period, when Gigasu was a student at Mesozoic Academy he had a budding romance with a young Sameno but does not reciprocate them.
 * A male Tyrannosaurus teacher. During the Cretaceous period, when Gigasu was a student at Mesozoic Academy he had a budding romance with a young Sameno but does not reciprocate them.


 * Karorisu Amano (天野 カロリス)
 * A male Anomalocaris is the headmaster of Seton Academy.
 * A male Anomalocaris is the headmaster of Seton Academy.


 * Chloe Mashima (馬縞クロエ)
 * A female Grévy's zebra mare who insists she is a noble species of horse and becomes embarrassed at any suggestion she is related to the donkey species. Her hobby is playing trading card games. After Ranka won the Field race, Chloe is given free space in the Cooking Club room and warms up to the others. A quagga once smitten Chloe to beat her in a game tournament until Jin exposed him.
 * A female Grévy's zebra mare who insists she is a noble species of horse and becomes embarrassed at any suggestion she is related to the donkey species. Her hobby is playing trading card games. After Ranka won the Field race, Chloe is given free space in the Cooking Club room and warms up to the others. A quagga once smitten Chloe to beat her in a game tournament until Jin exposed him.


 * King Shishino (獅子野キング)
 * A male African lion with a large harem of female lions. Despite being surrounded by females of his own species he is in love with Shiho, a female impala. As a supporter of inter-species relationships, he gets along with Jin and the members of the cooking club. A running gag includes his once impressive mane falling out whenever something goes wrong with his relationship with Shiho. King and Shiho will apparently mate and breed cubs ten years later.
 * A male African lion with a large harem of female lions. Despite being surrounded by females of his own species he is in love with Shiho, a female impala. As a supporter of inter-species relationships, he gets along with Jin and the members of the cooking club. A running gag includes his once impressive mane falling out whenever something goes wrong with his relationship with Shiho. King and Shiho will apparently mate and breed cubs ten years later.


 * Miki Hadano (肌野 ミキ)
 * A female Naked mole-rat and Student Council President. She has an army of male naked mole-rats she considers her friends and who treat her as their queen. As a rule, she prefers being naked or partially clothed and considers having to be fully clothed at school deeply embarrassing. She is against the idea of mixed-species romance and considers it her duty to keep the students, particularly Jin, from dating outside their own species. With her presidential position expired she primarily resort to nudism again only to have gotten used to not being too revealing in public. Ten years later, Miki is the acting principal of Seton Academy.
 * A female Naked mole-rat and Student Council President. She has an army of male naked mole-rats she considers her friends and who treat her as their queen. As a rule, she prefers being naked or partially clothed and considers having to be fully clothed at school deeply embarrassing. She is against the idea of mixed-species romance and considers it her duty to keep the students, particularly Jin, from dating outside their own species. With her presidential position expired she primarily resort to nudism again only to have gotten used to not being too revealing in public. Ten years later, Miki is the acting principal of Seton Academy.


 * Shiho Ihara (伊原 シホ)
 * A female impala. She was initially unaware that King had a crush on her but after he confessed she agreed to be his friend, at least until she begins her reproductive cycle and could decide if she is romantically attracted to him.
 * A female impala. She was initially unaware that King had a crush on her but after he confessed she agreed to be his friend, at least until she begins her reproductive cycle and could decide if she is romantically attracted to him.


 * Iena Madaraba (斑刃 イエナ)
 * A female spotted hyena that thinks she's a male. Even after her real gender is proven, Hitomi reassures Iena to just be the tomboyish she wants. It is hinted on multiple occasions that Iena and Hitomi have mutual feelings for each other. In the future, Iena is a martial artist.
 * A female spotted hyena that thinks she's a male. Even after her real gender is proven, Hitomi reassures Iena to just be the tomboyish she wants. It is hinted on multiple occasions that Iena and Hitomi have mutual feelings for each other. In the future, Iena is a martial artist.


 * Ferrill Ōkami (大狼 フェリル)
 * A female Hokkaido wolf. Ferrill is Ranka's older sister and the boss of her own pack. She is tall in size due to enduring cold climates throughout her life in the mountains.
 * A female Hokkaido wolf. Ferrill is Ranka's older sister and the boss of her own pack. She is tall in size due to enduring cold climates throughout her life in the mountains.


 * Wolf Kuromori (黒森 ウルフ)
 * A male Eastern wolf who is a member of Ferrill's pack.
 * A male Eastern wolf who is a member of Ferrill's pack.


 * Teru Anamitsu (穴蜜 テル)
 * A female honey badger that tries to fight Ranka & wants to join with Ferrill. Her thick skin makes her almost invulnerable and Ferrill is one of the only characters strong enough to inflict pain on her.
 * A female honey badger that tries to fight Ranka & wants to join with Ferrill. Her thick skin makes her almost invulnerable and Ferrill is one of the only characters strong enough to inflict pain on her.


 * Manako Kagami (鏡 マナコ)
 * A female tarsier. Even a small amount of stress can be enough to compel her to bang her head on a hard surface in an attempt at suicide. Mei Mei makes friends with Manako.
 * A female tarsier. Even a small amount of stress can be enough to compel her to bang her head on a hard surface in an attempt at suicide. Mei Mei makes friends with Manako.


 * Don Noma (野間 ドン)
 * A male African lion is King's rival and he's a leader of his pride.
 * A male African lion is King's rival and he's a leader of his pride.


 * Kuwano (桑野)
 * A male Iguanodon school doctor.
 * A male Iguanodon school doctor.

Sea Academy

 * Kana Shiraumi (白海 カナ)
 * A female beluga whale who wants to perform in the seaside school show. She becomes a friend to Ranka and her pack.
 * A female beluga whale who wants to perform in the seaside school show. She becomes a friend to Ranka and her pack.


 * Ruka Bando (板東 ルカ)
 * A female bottlenose dolphin who is the captain of the synchronized Swimming Club.
 * A female bottlenose dolphin who is the captain of the synchronized Swimming Club.


 * Nia Ooba (大場ニア)
 * A male Opabinia is a headmaster of Sea Academy.
 * A male Opabinia is a headmaster of Sea Academy.

Darwin Academy

 * Anne Anetani (姉谷 アン)
 * A female neanderthal who eats very large amounts of meat as her species have twice that of modern humans' appetite. Because she has no obvious animal traits, the other characters mistake her for a human. Anne is part of Team EX that is rebellious against humans. While visiting Seton Academy, Jin mistakes her advances towards him as romance and "turns her down," to her disgrace. Anne means to interfere with Ranka's pack. After learning humans inherit 2% of neanderthal genomes, Anne makes peace with the Cooking Club and even reveals to be in love with Hitomi, much to Jin and Ranka's shock.
 * A female neanderthal who eats very large amounts of meat as her species have twice that of modern humans' appetite. Because she has no obvious animal traits, the other characters mistake her for a human. Anne is part of Team EX that is rebellious against humans. While visiting Seton Academy, Jin mistakes her advances towards him as romance and "turns her down," to her disgrace. Anne means to interfere with Ranka's pack. After learning humans inherit 2% of neanderthal genomes, Anne makes peace with the Cooking Club and even reveals to be in love with Hitomi, much to Jin and Ranka's shock.


 * Man Koorimoto (マンコリモト)
 * A female woolly mammoth. She's the boss of Team EX. Her friendship with Anne was promptly by the fact they are extinct species (because of humans theoretically). In the anime, Man's stern behavior towards humans got out of hand when she brutally beats up Ranka in a boxing match that Anne threatens to end their pact if not resolve otherwise. She and other Darwin students later have supper with the Cooking Club.
 * A female woolly mammoth. She's the boss of Team EX. Her friendship with Anne was promptly by the fact they are extinct species (because of humans theoretically). In the anime, Man's stern behavior towards humans got out of hand when she brutally beats up Ranka in a boxing match that Anne threatens to end their pact if not resolve otherwise. She and other Darwin students later have supper with the Cooking Club.


 * Washima Komandorski (ワシマコマンドルスキー)
 * A male Steller sea cow that is a member of Team EX.
 * A male Steller sea cow that is a member of Team EX.


 * Babari Atlas (ババリアトラス)
 * A male Barbary lion that is a member of Team EX.
 * A male Barbary lion that is a member of Team EX.


 * Ando Andrew (安藤アンドリュー)
 * A male Andrewsarchus that is a member of Team EX.
 * A male Andrewsarchus that is a member of Team EX.


 * Yangyang (ヤンヤン)
 * A female Chinese river dolphin that is a member of Team EX.
 * A female Chinese river dolphin that is a member of Team EX.


 * Sameno Tosako (鮫野敏子)
 * A female Carcharodontosaurus teacher. For millions of years, Sameno was hopelessly waiting for Gigasu would admit his love to her. That is until Ferrill transfers and professes this in front of Sameno to her embarrassment.

Manga
The series is written and illustrated by Bungo Yamashita. It began serialization in Cygames's Cycomi website in May 2016.

Anime
On October 4, 2019, an anime television series adaptation was announced by Cygames. The series was animated by Studio Gokumi and directed by Hiroshi Ikehata, with Shigeru Murakoshi handling series composition, and Masakatsu Sasaki designing the characters. Yōsuke Yamashita, Yusuke Katō, and Tomoya Kawasaki composed the series' music. It aired from January 7 to March 24, 2020 on Tokyo MX, SUN, KBS, BS11, and Animax. Crunchyroll streamed the series outside Asian territories. In Southeast Asia and South Asia, Medialink streamed the series on its Ani-One YouTube channel. It ran for 12 episodes, with an unaired episode to be bundled with the series' third Blu-ray volume. The series' opening theme is Gakuen Sōkan Zoo (学園壮観Zoo) by Hina Kino, Haruki Ishiya, Yume Miyamoto, Misaki Kuno, Konomi Kohara, and Sora Tokui as their respective characters, and the ending theme is "Ōkami Blues" (オオカミブルース) by Kino under her character name Ranka Ōkami.