"The Beast" aired on 11 October 1995 and scored a 5.3% rating of audience share on Japanese TV. It also screened with "Angel Attack" in front of two hundred people at the second Gainax festival on 22 and 23 July 1995 in Itako, Ibaraki, a few months before the airing. According to Gainax co-founder Yasuhiro Takeda, the work received a positive reception.
"The Beast" made its debut on October 11, 1995, and garnered a small but notable audience share of 5.3% on Japanese TV, also being screened at the second Gainax festival in July 1995 alongside "Angel Attack" for an exclusive audience of 200 people in Itako, Ibaraki, before its broadcast. The work was reportedly well-received by viewers.