In a civilized society of anthropomorphic animals, an uneasy tension exists between carnivores and herbivores. At Cherryton Academy, this mutual distrust peaks after a predation incident results in the death of Tem, an alpaca in the school's drama club. Tem's friend Legoshi, a grey wolf in the stage crew, has been an object of fear and suspicion for his whole life. In the immediate aftermath of the tragedy, he continues to lay low and hide his menacing traits, much to the disapproval of Louis, a red deer and the domineering star actor of the drama club.
When Louis sneaks into the auditorium to train Tem's replacement for an upcoming play, he assigns Legoshi to lookout duty. That very night, Legoshi has a fateful encounter with Haru, a white dwarf rabbit scorned by her peers. His growing feelings for Haru, complicated by his predatory instincts, force him to confront his own true nature, the circumstances surrounding the death of his friend, and the undercurrent of violence plaguing the world around him.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Injenss
I hate this anime. It was doing so good, and then in the final few episodes it just got so stupid and illogical. I do not know why such a logically broken anime has such a high score. Is it because of cute animals? I don't know, but the ending was just frickin' dumb. WARNING: MAJOR STORY SPOILERS AHEAD. The anime started off well and was a bit surprising. I went into this thinking it was a comedy, but it's a drama. There's a little humor, but mostly it's a serious anime that imagines what the relationship between carnivores and herbivores would be ifthey had a human society. In the midst of this, the likable MC, Legoshi, falls for a rabbit, Haru, basically because she talked to him once in a greenhouse. Even though he tried to eat her the first time they met. This is the first logic break, because he's apparently attracted to her forward and outgoing nature, when everyone around him seems to be outgoing and he's the only introvert in the show.
But, you can ignore this logic flaw and still get into a pretty bizarre, but definitely good story. Legosi struggles to define his feelings for Haru, while struggling to contain his own predatory nature. There's a bit of a love triangle going on with Legoshi, Haru and Louis. Louis is a very irritating and overconfident deer, who is tapped to be the Beastar, which, I'm still not quite sure what it is, but it has some kind of power over society or something. Because Haru is a rabbit who feels like she's weak, she sleeps with everything that moves. (Screw like rabbits. hardy har har, I guess.) She slept with Louis because of this and tried to sleep with Legoshi, because she'll sleep with anyone who wants it. This triangle with Louis, Legoshi and Haru provides some intrigue. Through this situation, you wonder if the anime might take a dark turn due to jealousy. I watched every episode wondering how this was going to go south, especially once the second grey wolf, Juno enters the anime, who has a thing for Legoshi. It really seemed like it might go the "School Days" route, because Legoshi could just eat Louis and Haru if he wants to and he seems psycho enough to do it. Or, Juno could eat Haru, or something. The wolves were kinda nuts.
But, just as this love square seems to hit a crescendo, between predators and prey, BOOM, they throw a completely stupid curve ball at you that destroys the story. Haru the Rabbit, is suddenly kidnapped by a group of lions who plan to feed her to their boss. (Which, BTW, the lions should've been females, they're the hunters. Males don't hunt for other males.) But, this is when it gets incredibly stupid.
What was a weird, animal, high-school, romance drama, suddenly turns into Die Hard, as Legoshi goes all Bruce Willis (Complete with the wife beater and broken glass) to rescue the rabbit. And with only a crossbow wielding Panda by his side, he somehow defeats THIRTY-FIVE LIONS. A wolf beating one lion is stupid. A wolf beating 35 lions? Come on, man.
The entire world's lore broke with these ridiculous episodes. The chief world breaking issue is the fact that suddenly, the lions have guns and the panda has a crossbow. Now, this entire world is based upon that idea that strong carnivores are a massive threat to helpless herbivores. But, if there are GUNS then why the hell are the herbivores so scary and helpless? SHOOT people who try to eat you. The playing field is level with guns, so the whole concept of the society falls apart and becomes senseless.
So many logic breaks happen after this. Just, so many. The Leo Group (The lions) are supposed to be terrifyingly powerful, but are easily beaten by two people. The Leo Group goes through all the trouble of kidnapping a tiny rabbit for the boss to eat, and they let her live like ALL NIGHT LONG. I mean, I get felines play with their food, but, seriously... The kicker, is after Legoshi is done doing his Bruce Willis thing, Louis shows up and kills the boss and then gives himself up to be eaten to two other armed lions while laughing like a nutcase. And it is barely mentioned. Louis was not a minor character, and his role in the anime was supposed to be extremely important, like a MLK bridging the gap between carnivores and herbivores. (Still not sure how). He disappears, and it might be mentioned 3-4 times by others. You'd think the whole city would freak out, but, nah...they're good.
But, the biggest plot hole in no one seeming to care? Is that of everyone who doesn't really care, it is Haru herself who seems to care the least. As she does not mention Louis again even once after he disappears. Rabbit thot is all about Legoshi now, like she never knew a deer named Louis. She was supposed to love him. That was established many times in the anime. But, I guess Legoshi was so manly in his Bruce Willis tee, she just completely forgot all about Louis.
I can't even explain all of the logic gaps this anime contained. Why is it unnatural for a rabbit to bang a wolf, but it's natural for it to bang deer, foxes, dogs and whatever the hell else Haru slept with? And why the hell do animals with keen senses of smell not know how to find people unless its convenient to the plot? What the hell happened to the Panda after the miracle fight? Did he just leave Legoshi to fight the boss? Is he dead in a pool of his own blood? Why the hell would he even follow a guy he had one conversation with to fight the most feared Mafia in the city? Why is a student from a love-story suddenly fighting a mafia anyway? Why does smelling scents make Legoshi stronger than frickin' lions? I don't know...
Then we get to the ending. The non-ending. The no reason at all for it to be a non-ending, ending, but is a non-ending ending, anyway.
After rescuing her, Haru is prepared to slut out for Legoshi a second time, but then her "instincts" make her jump into his mouth to try and be eaten by him, instead. I'd like to know what kind of animal instinct this is, that causes prey to jump into the mouth of their predators? I've never seen it in the wild, and I love nature documentaries. I was completely unaware that animals developed instincts to jump into predator's mouths, when they get horny. Just a completely dumb reason for them to not have sex. Especially dumb when you consider this rabbit has slept with dogs and foxes, who also hunt rabbits. No mouth jumping there?
After the awkward "I want to make love to you but my body told me to commit suicide, instead" scene, we flash forward to the festival, where Legoshi tells Haru he loves her again and she runs away (Even though she just tried to screw him less than 24 hours ago) which causes Legoshi to chase her to the mandatory "hill overlooking the city" scene, where he tells her AGAIN that he loves her, like it's the first time. And then, even though she tried to bone him TWICE, even though she said she can't live without him now, they DON'T get together. Instead, Legoshi says he'll become stronger for Haru so he can overcome his instincts and society that says they shouldn't be together. And what a specifically racist society. Only wolves and rabbits can't hook up. Rabbits and deer are fine. We can even have inter-species love hotels. But, no rabbits and wolves! Bigots.
Her response to Legoshi's declaration of becoming strong enough to apparently not have the instincts of a wolf, is "I'll wait." (Although she had no interest in waiting yesterday.) Why? Why are we waiting? Is he NOT going to be a wolf at some point? Hasn't he already NOT eaten her many times? And seeing how she jumped into his mouth and he still didn't eat her, shouldn't he be waiting for her not to be the world's dumbest rabbit?
This anime teaches us all an important lesson: If you're going to get drunk, do it after you finish episode 12, not episode 9.
Karhu
Beastars is an anime about prejudices, self-discovery and life under idealistic totalitarian rule where carnivores and herbivores supposedly dwell in harmony, and all of this takes place in a certain school's drama club. Everyone is already acting and then they try and act some more. **Before we continue, in case you lean to the right side and consider yourself red-pilled, you most likely are at least on some level avoiding this anime like plague. I had my fair share of skepticism before going in, but I conclude this series is not driven by any pre-set political agenda. Social commentary exists, you can take it aspolitical satire, call its world building neo nazi enigma, see the similarities to Stalin styled communism, laugh at how it practically labels food chain fascist, acknowledge the furry-relations, or entirely watch the series as an independent, stand-alone work that may have real life influence to back it up, but rather than preaching already discovered answers, it raises questions. It creates thought-provoking situations and presents them from multiple different perspectives, leaving room for the viewer to make their own interpretation. More than anything, it is what you make of it. What do we call this? Showing respect towards the audience.
There are three main cast members who all are vastly different from each others. They each have their own complex and shallow sides, inner and outer personalities; the one they are inside and the one they show to others, there is a clear portray of each individuals' self-image, fair bit of awareness of what their self looks like to the outside eye, even inner monologue filled with reflecting exist, and the list goes on. The character-centric focus is highly psychological while the presentation itself is partially toned with philosophical questions. This level of detail and accuracy is highly uncommon for anime characters even in psychological anime series. There is more depth, detail, planning and polish that one would expect or let alone see at first glance. The cast members all come with self-awareness and ideas that come from within the person. There are no moments in the narrative where a thought or piece of behavior seems out of place or controlled by the author behind the 4th wall. While some of the supporting cast members (such as mixed breed rabbits) clearly appear as devices in the narrative instead of being sincere individuals, the main cast members do not come with any type of compromises.
Our trio consists of Legoshi, Louis and Haru. Legoshi is the main main character, a cautious and sensitive wolf who faces prejudices that are about his supposed wolf-like nature. He aims to counter this by censoring himself and acting almost like the polar opposite of what is expected of him. This causes some inner psychological struggle and visible bounce in forms of his nature overwriting his supposed raw personality. Louis is a deer whom seems to have not only overly egotistic behavior but narcissism, superiority complex and manipulative skills. His ego is no less than enormous, but what makes him vastly different from common student who is narcistic is that his near flawless self-image carries thru making wide masses around him actually genuinely believe he is the greatest person alive, which is due to his skill to manipulate people on individual level and in masses but still not entirely limited to this. On a side note: I'd love to see how he puts on a buttonless t-shirt considering those massive antlers. They never explain that.
Our last main character is Haru and she is perhaps the most disliked character. She is a rabbit and literally a slut. She sleeps with everyone and is widely hated by girls for supposedly stealing their men. She is the most controversial character in the series and many seem to despise her. Despite her getting bullied, assaulted and violeted, it seems to be rare for viewers to feel any sympathy towards her. I think that's her true genius, because most people - at least in my generalization - love attention from the opposite sex (or their sex of interest) and are more than willing to make love with sexually attractive people, but we do not appreciate this feature in others. This is the viewer's moment to reflect. Haru is a bit pushy self-victimizer, and her ideas seem to be some type of double edged sword where she'd want to see someone see her inner personality, but her outer behavior tends to ratiate only the slutty features she has. She is practically a self-caused illness, but this is still fascinating thing to follow, because she is nowhere near a weak person. By weak, I mean both: not weakly-writter nor the opposite of strong. Without her the series would definitely not be the same, and she is essential because what makes the cast so incredibly strong is not really their stand-alone personas, but how they interract with each others and develope relations. In these moments, when you have high understanding of these characters, even their smallest actions come with profound slow-burn effect.
As far as the writing goes, the premise and world building are basically wit wonderlands. The psychological side is accurate and clever, the animal prejudices -which are used as metaphoras- along the societal structure and way the world works, do not only have their real life relevance and political satire factors in them, but do hell of an impressive job creating the anime's very own universe. One of its main ideas seems to be that healthy ideals do not necessarily create a healthy, functioning world. When a wide portion of society doesn't feel well, it tends to backlash, leaving room for extremist, anti-government activity, havoc and, more specifically in this case, create downunder societies and black markets for the products that are banned. Where's the funny in this, then? Because the herbivores blame those who cannot digest this; not the nu-food nor the bureaucratic bs and paints them the "bad guys."
The actual plot could be said to come with its fair share of simplicity, and certain events play out with some level of convinience, which shows that not every bit has been thoroughly planned to hold water (this is the series' sole biggest weakness), but as a whole, its writing has "attention to detail" type of approach, and when considering this, it's quite hard to give justified criticism of its shortcomings when they come out as attributes rather than flaws. However, it should be noted that some of the story events are heavily slice of life oriented, and during these fractions, the series can side track from its actual main content quite a bit. In case you cannot accept more baseline vanilla plot events that are simply beautified with detail, it may be hard to find Beastars' story significant and it may not appeal to you. If you can look past this rather niche and superficial issue, I promise what you see is a brave attempt succeeding and living up to its potential. I can only try and imagine the moment when the author wrote this and realized it's actually good. I am sure not even she planned this all to work so well in her favor. It all just kinda happened, fitted together like compounds of a vaccine. For this reason, it may be easy to overanalyze the series: give its intellectual side more credibility than it deserves. But on the other hand, the lack of strong inprint from the author makes the series seem far less pseudo-intellectual than majority of series that are supposedly aimed for smart people. More than being a tool thru to which the author tries to prove her own genius, Beastars does what was already once said: leave room for viewer's own judgement.
Some of the questions this raised in me were: Is equality the first step towards inequity? Are societal norms and values the very roots of human double standards? Can a person truly escape the mold that shaped him? Was Mufasa from Lion King actually wrong (you must take your place in the circle of life)? And most importantly, why do we so rarely get anime series that not only show us multidimensional characters, but tell a meaningful story? My final judgement: AOTY.
Krunchyman
“Ewww….this animation is gross.” — a naive Krunchyman Coming into Beastars, I was a bit skeptical. That’s because I saw the 3D animation and immediately thought of Berserk 2016. Granted, the previews for Beastars were enough to convince me otherwise, but I was still leery. It’s not say that 3D aesthetics are terrible in general, but an artistic essence, if you will, seems noticeably absent — as compared to 2D aesthetics — making the 3D visuals seem a bit lifeless. Also, Japanese artists (unlike Western artists), draw 2D characters, which makes the conversion process to 3D look unnatural and wonky. Furthermore,the multitude of anime with horrendous 3D animation has soured expectations in the anime community, making a preponderance of fans jaded to the very notion.
Taking that all into consideration, I must say that Beastars far and away exceeded my expectations; as I was thoroughly impressed and astonished by its brilliant imagery. Episode 4 was the high water mark for the series, with its expressive color palette, remarkable camera angles, and phenomenal still-shots. It literally felt like someone painted a masterpiece, over, and over, and over again; stitching each stunning image into one cohesive product, that we call an episode. This, in my opinion, is the mark of a great film/series. One that leaves lasting images in the viewers memory long after the viewing experience. The shot with Louis extending his arm to Legosi — similar to Michelangelo’s, ‘The Creation of Adam’ — was simply marvelous. Also, the scenes with Haru and Legosi in the hotel bedroom featured poignant shots that expressed the emotional/sexual tension between the two. A tension that felt eerily relatable to the human condition, as each one of Legosi’s awkward advances were mired in insecurities. While there were hiccups here and there with the various character movements (the fight between Legosi and the Shishigumi boss comes to mind), it did little to diminish the dazzling visuals on screen.
That all being said, images only go so far, as a thematically rich story with well developed characters is needed to create a truly great work. Fortunately for the viewer, Beastars does just that. Starting with our main character, Legosi, he is a tortured soul that has a strong, innate urge to eat meat (which is considered taboo at school). In episode 2, we see the metaphorical demon that dwells within Legosi, and how that shapes him as a person. Because for Legosi, displaying any signs of aggression, in the presence of an herbivore, is unacceptable; thus, he represses this facet of his personality, in exchange for a timid persona that exudes little-to-no confidence. But while this calm, socially-withdrawn facade may put his fellow students at ease, it is tearing him up inside (resulting in self-loathing).
This was highlighted in episode 4, when Legosi and Bill (the bengal tiger) put on a ‘performance’ in front of the student body. But what appeared to be acting, was really subtext for the act that carnivores put on while in the presence of herbivores at school. An act that Legosi will need to acknowledge if he is to ever break free from his self-imposed constraints. Needless to say, it will be interesting to see how Legosi confronts this dilemma, especially as his affections for Haru proliferate.
One of the other major character arcs in Beastars is that of Louis; a male deer who is the antithesis of Legosi (strong-willed, confident, and self-affirming). His dilemma, however, is not unlike Legosi’s — in which he feels insecure in his own skin — causing him to overcompensate with a brash attitude to conceal his ‘weaknesses’ as an herbivore. In this regard, Louis and Legosi are two sides of the same coin; wanting they cannot attain, but not appreciating what was given to them. They are both putting on an act that they cannot sustain, as all shows must come to an end — and after the show, comes reality.
Speaking of reality, Louis’ past reality is a tragic one. But it is worth remembering in understanding how that shapes his future self (it is also worth remembering for its stunning, visceral images). Because while it seems that Louis is always composed and in control — in truth, he is not. Louis is a slave to his perceived fragility, creating an identity crisis in which he desperately seeks power to prove himself to others. It is a quest that will, most likely, lead to self-destruction if he does not accept his limitations.
Another herbivore that seeks to transcend her limitations, is Haru. A bunny-girl that feels looked down upon (physically and emotionally) by society. This was accentuated beautifully in episode 10, when Haru chronicled her life’s story in the anticipation of impending death. But her plight for acceptance is different from Louis, as she utilizes lust to achieve ‘equality.’ A desire that provides temporary benefits, yet no lasting returns. And this self-destructive cycle not only precludes an endearing relationship, but it also tarnishes her reputation among her classmates — creating social isolation. All in all, Haru does more damage to herself via overcompensation. A theme that is pervasive in all three main characters (four, if you count Juno).
Needless to say, I was completely engrossed by the changing dynamics of Beastars, and how it utilized symbolism and subtext to emphasize its core themes. While the show featured different species of animals to underscore the hardships of carnivores and herbivores living together, it really showcased the same trials and tribulations that we face as humans. Hence, why it is crucial to watch these types of anime for proper perspective.
“The tendency to live within one’s own reality is a dangerous notion, and without proper grounding from outside influences — we can easily foster our own emotional seppuku.” — Krunchyman
YeeYeeAss
This show is so fucking good. The characters are great and the story is oddly dark. There are many anime with animal characters like Aggretsuko. But none of those anime inspect the food portion of the world. What do they eat? In this universe Carnivores and Herbivores live in peace. Only problem is that carnivores crave meat but they need to eat the same food as herbivores. Sometimes their carnivore instincts take over and they eat a herbivore. They also have somewhat of a clever solution for this problem and it is THE BLACK MARKET. There you can buy meat. But it will have side effects. Thereare few important characters: Legosi is the main character whose life we follow. Legosi is this awkward wolf who has troubles keeping his instincts inside him. Then we have Louis. Louis is this deer and a candidate for the next Beastar. He is in the same club as Legosi. He is also the most famous student in the school. He is respected by both Herbivores and Carnivores. Then we have Haru. Haru is a rabbit and also the main love interest of this show. Haru is also rumored to be sleeping with multiple guys. Haru is a fun and sweet character. She must be protected. Gouhin is the black markets therapist. He is a panda and a badass. Jack is a golden retriever and Legosis best friend. He has known him since childhood. Jack is a good boy.
The OST is fucking good. The opening is catchy as hell. The ending changes every episode which is cool. The background music is very fitting and greatly chosen for each scene.
For some stupid reason when all the characters speak to each other it feels more natural than any other anime. It really does feel like they were talking and randomly the mic was still on.
I have no idea what the story is supposed to be about. I think its just about becoming a Beastar. Even though its more of a battle manga right now. The main theme is still becoming a beastar but for some while it was saving haru from the shinshigumi which is a gang of lions.
Many may look at this show and think oh it is a filthy furry anime but it is some much more than that. The story and characters are all good. Also some may be turned off by the cgi but in this show the animation is supreme. Orange is one rare studio that can use cgi well.
Do I recommend this anime? Hell yes. It is an amazing series.
MaliTigar
Duo to everyone hyping this anime I decided to check it out. And, oh boy was it bad. Story: Basicaly revolves around the relationships between carnivores and herbivores, their desires, instincts..etc. It's a nice premise with nice worldbulding but it lacks one major thing. Decent/likeable characters. Art It's just atrocious. There is literally nothing more to say. Even tho it was better than average CGI used in anime, it's still bad. Very bad.Character:
Now, like I said before, there is no likeable characters. We have Legoshi, aka soy boy wolf who's more than annoying with all the overthinking he does. Definiton of soy boy. Weak. Afraid of anything. Can't even speak to females. Overthinks everything. Doubt's himself and his actions. But I guess, that's popular and reletable now seeing how we live in a society full of weak men.
Next we have Louis who's a chad stereotype. He's popular, get's all the girls, edgy, everyone fails in comparison to him..Later on we get some poor attempt at his backstory to flesh out his character a little bit more which was laughable.
We also have Haru. Poor small white rabbit who sleeps with everyone in school with the excuse of "I may die at any moment so I want to experience true love"..Yeah, by sleeping with literally anyone. Her character is also a classic stereotype.
The rest are just side characters that are not even worth mentioning. All in all, every character is forgetable and none of them is likeable.
Overall:
Disappointed. Premise full of potential ruined by unlikeable characters and terrible animation. But hey, at least the soundtracks are nice.
-Alucard420
Spoiler warning: I will speak on certain spoilers about the story, so therefore I would recommend you to watch the show before you read this review. I also would like to encourage the reader to not blindly follow my or anyone else their opinions. I believe that my opinion is neither correct nor incorrect. I apologise in advance for any grammar or vocabulary mistakes as English is not my native language. After reading some other reviews on MAL, the overall conclusion seems to be that Beastars is one of the best anime’s this season has offered. I dare to disagree with this as Beastars turned outto be a show with a lot of potential that got wasted on a very cliché story. My biggest critique with this show is that it tries way too much in a series that only has 12 episodes, therefore a lot of subjects and characters turn out to be quite useless in the end.
The main goal of Beastars in my opinion is that it tries to tell you that stereotypes exist and that one can either break free from this or be stuck in it forever. Legoshi the main character is a wolf that prefers being quiet and peaceful instead of showing dominance as one would expect from a wolf. As he grows up, he discovers his true nature as a carnivore in the first episode. The problem I have with this part of the story is that it does not progresses throughout the series expect for a couple minor scenes. It just does not show enough moments where Legoshi seems to suffer from a thirst for blood as a normal wolf would do. I believe the main focus should have been on this subject as it would have shown an instinctual conflict of a beast.
The story instead decides to put its main focus on Legoshi and his feelings for a rabbit. This again touches upon a stereotype, ‘a big bad guy can not be with a small cute girl’. Instead of developing a cute romance story, it feels to me like a forced relationship. The conversations are awkward and Legoshi barely had any contact with Haru the rabbit before he decides he is in ‘love’. Love does not just happen because you saw a girl naked or because you saw her once or twice. Love takes time to develop and in this case it’s just a simple crush that seemed way too forced. Nonetheless Legoshi has the correct mindset and he is not bad character at all, he admits he is not perfect and for this I praise the show.
Haru is by far the worst character in this show. I can understand that one must feel frustrated if they always get looked down upon and people pity her but the way she deals with it just is god awful. A girl selling her body to be more on an equal foot with male is honestly a disgusting thing. The show could have focused more on Haru being a smart and helpful girl that tells u: “no matter how small u are, u can have a meaning in life”. It is also weird to me how she ends with feelings for Legoshi while Louis disappearing seems to not bother her at all. For context: in episode 10 she admits to being in love with Louis.
Louis is your typical perfect deer (guy) with a strong sense of justice. This makes him most of the time very boring and predictable. He has a troubled past that still haunts him but tries to overcome this with his pride and his outstanding acting performances on and off stage. The most interesting part about him is that he does in fact put herbivores as a species over a single rabbit. This does strengthen his image of a strong leader but goes against the idea of him being an actual good guy. His ending scene confuses me, but I guess his troubled past got to him in the end and he cracked under the pressure.
Apart from these 3 characters the others were mostly useless. The tiger had a fight with Legoshi but after that nothing happened. The female wolf tried to make Legoshi get feelings for him but not at a single point did the male grey wolf show interest towards her. The dog friend just heard Legoshi out about his problems. The list goes on, but I hope you understand my point. I do have to give credits to ‘panda Gouhin’ as his individual story sounded very interesting.
The whole herbivore versus carnivore subject felt like it never got the attention it deserved. Apart from some bullying scenes, this subject never mattered.
Overall the sound was enjoyable but nothing special. The art was pretty bad most of the time as I felt it looked ‘laggy’ and their movements did not seem natural. There were some aesthetical scenes for which I have to credit them.
The ending was quite interesting. It went from a useless ‘knight saving a princess from a dragon’ to a rabbit and a wolf almost having sexual intercourse, to a very awkward love situation. Since there is season 2 coming it is quite easy to finish with this kind of ending. The show does not need to explain because it can just explain it next season.
Overall Beastars is not a bad show. It just tried too much with too little time and ended with a lot of holes and uselessness making it me therefore give it a 6. I still recommend it because overall it was an enjoyable show, I just wish they kept it simpler and gave the series an actual direction.
Stark700
Beastars, a show that transcends the logic of nature in the animal kingdom. From a world where social anxiety is the common norm and characters are portrayed as non-humans, we have ourselves a show that is about more than just animals. Living in this time era and adapting like survival of the fittest, Beastars embodies a story of a beast who strives to be who he is but faces against his personal demons in an imperfect world. Paru Itagaki’s manga identifies itself as a drama and sell it in a complex labyrinth of feelings. Someone such as Legosi adapts a reflective personality, where he spends histime examining himself more than others. It’s a question we the viewers should ask ourselves: can carnivores co-exist in a society with herbivores? The law of nature says otherwise as herbivores are hunted by carnivores. If you go to a zoo and see a lion, tiger, or some carnivore staring at you. Chances are, they are hungry and want to be fed. Living in cages and trapped, robbed of freedom, and deprived of hunting is how animals are treated at the zoo. But in Beastars, everyone is free, at least those who haven’t committed lawful deeds. So, how can carnivores and herbivores exist together without one species wiping out the other?
The answer isn’t simple and that’s what makes Beastars an intriguing specimen. When watching Beastars, it feels as if the show is testing the audience, to see how we examine the character and if we are right or wrong. In the beginning, we meet Legosi, the gray wolf with a rather reserved personality. Despite being a carnivore, you don’t see him as a ferocious beast and in fact, quite the opposite. Being a fan of tragic stories ironically puts him into a position where he faces against drama of his own. After making acquaintance with Haru, a third year rabbit and member of the Cherryton gardening club, the duo builds a complex relationship. It’s the type of character pair you’d least expected similar to Beauty and the Beast. Legosi’s relationship with Haru is the antithesis of a carnivore as he spends his time building a connection with her. He doesn’t see Haru as a prey but rather as a companion, someone he can relate to because both of them share their loneliness. It makes you almost feel sorry for them because part of society has ostracized the pair. Haru’s a scapegoat for this example. When bullied by her peers, Haru treats it as a normal day routine and it’s sad to see how real it is. Bullying can lead to psychological problems with Haru being a victim. It doesn’t take a genius to see how Haru just wants others to accept her and she wants to do whatever it takes, no matter the risk. Even if it means having sex.
It’s a cruel society, isn’t it? Well, maybe not for everyone. When you’re someone like Louis, the third year deer student with a mountain of pride, there’s not much to worry about. And because Beastars loves to play around with its drama, Louis becomes part of this great machine. Now you’re probably asking yourself the question, what exactly is a Beastar? In pure definition, it’s a rank accepted by the anthropomorphic society as a great individual. Think of them as a leader of a great nation, student council president, or important member of society. This type of individual is far from either Legosi or Haru’s reach but the show does push its effort for certain characters such as Louis to become one. Sadly, this anime is only 12 episodes long so the road is still a long way ahead. On the other hand, watching characters develop complex feelings towards one another is instrumental to the show’s success. Like teenagers growing up, characters experience livelihood and what they depend on to be in their society. Do Haru and Legosi depend on each other to survive? Does Louis depend on his social class to become a Beastar? Or even someone like Juno, can she depend on herself to build a loving relationship with someone like Legosi? These are some of the complex questions in the show and the answer may be ambiguous. Back to what I mentioned before, Beastars feels as if the anime is testing us to understand the characters. This isn’t some Zootopia where every day in sunshine and joy. Beastars carries a dark tone of storytelling clouded with complex feelings between characters. Actions has consequences. The animal world is imperfect. And this show opens up the nature of animals at its darkest of hours.
As someone who has read the manga, expectations from this adaptation was high with its unique artwork. The manga is drawn with a simple yet very effective way of art style that depicts characters’ animalistic natures without being too real or fake. It’s most noticeable when characters’ animal instinct kicks in and feelings sometimes overtake their personalities, such as the case of Legosi. Other times, it’s drawn with fragile context such as the case of the dwarf sized rabbit Haru. Society in Beastars is mostly not different from our own with established schools, residence, and modern houses. It’s not the type of nature where we see their society being completely free. Action has consequences like I said before, and there are rules to obey. Still, I want to throw this out there right now that if you plan to watch Beastars, be aware of its mature content. The law of nature has very little limits when animals behave like animals. Bloodshed, torture, and abuse is not an uncommon sight. Haru is a testament of fragileness as she is smaller than most characters. And putting her into this society shows how vulnerable rabbits can be.
The most unlikely of pairs, a rabbit and a gray wolf having complex thoughts with one and the other. Who would of thought? Beastars seemingly makes the impossible a reality, a society where carnivores aren’t just free to fill their appetite. Legosi’s predatory instincts tests the limits of how much a carnivore can resist themselves and while it’s not always easy, he gives us an insider look at their psyche. Watching Beastars is more than just about a drama story of Beauty and the Beast but as a way of showing how cruel the real world can really be.
literaturenerd
Beastars wasn't my very favorite anime of 2019, but it was certainly one of the most memorable. It's the kind of show one would imagine would be divisive but...not really it turns out. Beastars is near universally beloved here on MAL, so I feel like I'm being a complete edgelord by only giving it a 6. This wasn't my intent though! I actually love a lot of things this show did. However, I ended up with mixed feelings overall. Beastars is adapted from an ongoing manga by Paru Itagaki. She's the daughter of famous mangaka Keisuke Itagaki and started publishing the manga when she was only22 years old! Since she grew up surrounded by manga, she did what all kids do and rebelled a bit. Rather than obsess over manga and anime, Paru is a rabid fan of Disney movies and American cartoons. Beastars actually began life as a Zootopia fanfiction before evolving into something far more complex. Since Paru wasn't just influenced by previous manga and anime, Beastars manages to escape from many of the tropes and trappings of typical shonen. Instead of a tournament arc or an old man that steals panties, Beastars builds a rich world that's both complex and imperfect, much like our own society.
The story takes place in a world where carnivores and herbivores have signed a truce and now live together in uneasy peace. Carnivores eat meat substitutes like soy and constantly repress their violent natures. Our story takes place in a high school because...it's still an anime. Seriously, they never even go to class or take tests! Anyways, there is a brutal murder of an herbivore student and one of the carnivore students is clearly guilty. A good-natured wolf named Lugosi (named after Bela Lugosi), must adapt to an atmosphere of increased hostility while dealing with his feelings for a bunny girl named Haru. Lugosi is in the drama club, which is led by an extremely charismatic deer named Louis. The Chad deer is admired by all the girls and is a shoo-in to become the next school leader.
What really makes Beastars work is the characters. After all, what good is an interesting world if there aren't interesting characters to inhabit it? Lugosi is an awkward virgin who is dealing with sexual frustration for the first time. He thinks he loves Haru, but he also just barely managed to stop himself from eating her. He cares for her deeply, so he doesn't want to put her life in danger to satisfy his own sexual desires. Lugosi is deeply conscientious, so his own murderous instincts are disgusting to him. His constant struggle against his own nature makes him a compelling protagonist.
Haru is the main female character and she's also interesting. She's been approached by men her entire life due to her good looks, but they all just want to sleep with her and leave. While she desires true companionship, she's become jaded and has given up hope. She embraces her role as "the school slut" because the only time she feels in control is when she's having sex. This of course leads to constant torment and abuse by her classmates and deep feelings of guilt. She feels so tainted that a part of her actually wishes to be killed by a carnivore. Her relationship with Lugosi is completely against the societal norms and was never going to be easy. Throughout the series it's a constant struggle, which makes for good drama.
Rounding out the main trio is Louis and he might be the most interesting of all. He was born a victim and rescued at a young age from being some carnivore's food. Rather than despising carnivores, he despises his past weakness. Louis is actually disgusted that society constantly shames carnivores and forces them to repress their true nature. He wishes for carnivores to embrace their nature (within reason) and stand beside them as a true equal rather than being pitied. He starts the series acting like a jerkass and every high school jock stereotype, but he's a complex character underneath all that.
Much like Zootopia before it, Beastars has inspired a LOT of online discussion over what message it’s trying to deliver. Is it more sympathetic towards the herbivores? The carnivores? Both?
The Left leaning internet will tell you that Beastars is all about Japan's deathly fear of foreigners and the awkward race relations of an increasingly diverse Tokyo. However, this interpretation doesn't really work. The herbivores have good reason to fear the carnivores! Even the saintly Lugosi almost killed a herbivore on one of his off days. It is in their deeply ingrained nature to eat herbivores. Chinese and Korean expats living in Japan don't have a universal instinct to kill and eat Japanese people! While many human civilizations have practiced cannibalism for cultural or religious reasons, it isn't deeply ingrained like a wolf's instinct to eat a rabbit. We don't have to worry that beloved Maori director Taika Waititi is going to eat someone next year!
That isn't the only interpretation though because SOMEHOW, this show found a fandom on the hard Right. Allow me to introduce you to the "fur-pill" interpretation! Fuck me sideways! In this interpretation, Louis is actually the main character. Louis represents Japanese society, while the carnivores represent White people. Louis is a Japanese man crying out for White people to stop being "cucks" and allowing themselves to be shamed and pushed around. The White people must take back their natural place on top the hierarchy or society will collapse into chaos! This interpretation unsurprisingly has a lot of flaws. Lugosi is clearly framed as the main hero and fights with all his might to repress his predatorial instincts. The carnivores who give in to their base desires are framed as villains and Louis himself even kills one!
To be honest, I'm not sure Beastars was trying to convey any real world message. I don't think it was created specifically as a satire. If Ms. Itagaki has a message she intends to get across, I wasn't able to find it from just watching these 12 episodes. I haven't read the manga and can't comment on it.
Moving on to the technical aspects, the music is pretty damn awesome! The OP is a badass Jazz tune and it has a mostly smooth jazz soundtrack that always puts me in a good mood.
So after having said ALL those positive things, why did I give this a 6 and not a 7 or 8? Oh you know why! It's because this show is ugly as sin! I know I'm one to talk, since I have a Studio Deen anime and an ARMS anime in my top 10. However, I'm being dead serious when I say Ashita no Joe from 1970 looks WAY better than Beastars. Watching 20 minutes of Joe's coach Danpei Tange dance around naked would be more visually pleasing than Beastars!
Studio Orange is a blight on anime. They address Japan's labor shortage by using CGI, but their CG has ugly character models and low frame rates. They know what they're doing, but the end result still looks far closer to Brazil's Video Brinquedo than America's Pixar. Go look up the movie "Ratatoing" if you want to see how Beastars looks to me. There is a threshold where a film or show becomes so visually hideous that no script in the world will save it. Ratatoing could have Andrei Rublev's script and it would STILL be shit!
Blue rat CG abortion: "I've committed the sin of murder! Can even God forgive me for that?"
Green rat abortion: "Of course God will forgive you, but you must never forgive yourself!"
It goes from being powerful and moving to being hilarious. Sadly, that's a lot like what watching Beastars was like for me. The day that all anime looks like this will be the day I stop watching anime!
Overall, Beastars has a lot of potential and I pray to God that someone else adapts season 2. Even if it's a hentai studio, it would be better than Orange! If you keep an open mind and can bare the shame of watching a furry anime that started out as a young girl's Zootopia fanfic, I recommend Beastars.
ReallyPatrice
Preface The lights in the theater breathe back to life and the mobs of slobbering children begin to surge out of their seats, spilling into the exit lanes with reckless abandon. Still sitting betwixt the undulating streams of moviegoers, you stare vacantly at Zootopia's credits as they crawl up the screen, paralyzed in a state of sheer misery. With Kesha's abominable music roaring through the now-empty theater, you slump down into your seat, crushed under the weight of your own dejection. Alone amid the maelstrom of scattered popcorn and nondescript viscera, you wonder if you should just end it all right here and now. In truth,the only thing keeping you going is the confidence that you'll never have to experience a dog-shit 'animal society' story like this ever again.
Or so you thought...
Enter Beastars, the decrepit anime version of Zootopia that only the most depraved of weeaboos and furries asked for. Mathematically sharing the exact same amount of spunky bunnies, corrupt Lion Mayors, and lazy social metaphors, Beastars is quite possibly the feeblest and most derivative narrative of 2019, relying almost completely on a veneer of animal allegory to tell what would otherwise be a repugnant and unwatchable story. So thorough is my discontentment for this show that it took me months to find words adequate for summarizing its long list of affronts. I've been a writer since, arguably, before I was born, and yet my affinity did nothing to protect me from the proverbial writer's block constricting all who describe the incorrigible.
It was only at the nadir of my journey, where selling my Tesla stock and diving headfirst into a wood-chipper seemed preferable to thinking about Beastars for one more second, that I had my epiphany. Hastily, I gathered my notebook and limited edition Gryffindor quill, intent on doing the unthinkable: I rented Zootopia and watched it again, knowing that the only way to indict Beastars was to indict its inspiration. I began taking notes in earnest, and like the rising dread one feels before vomiting, my thoughts on Beastars slowly bubbled to the surface during Zootopia's 1hr 50m run-time, ascribable at last. What follows could have easily been my final testament.
A Fundamental Rule
When constructing an alternate reality as a direct analog to the real world, a writer must project an acute understanding of their setting's chronology, and respectfully articulate where and how it diverges from real-world history. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that you're writing a story set in a modern time where humans never domesticated animals, and the combustion engine was never invented. It only stands to reason that nearly everything about your setting will be starkly different. History plays out in a completely alien manner; markets and economies, should they even exist anymore (god let's hope they do), will function in an entirely different paradigm. If you're willing to put the thought and effort in, this hypothetical premise might produce an interesting and dynamic universe. Done lazily, and it might come to resemble a grotesque facsimile of the Flintstones, where the world miraculously looks and functions the same as usual except vehicles are driven solely by using your two legs. “What about airplanes”, you ask? Go fuck yourself.
Animal Planet
This necessary component of world-building is what's missing in the hollow core of Zootopia and its lesser cousin Beastars. In both cases we're presented with a world that is virtually indistinguishable from the one we live in, despite being shared by thousands of sapient species for all of history – each with their own instincts, physiology, and dietary needs. Indeed, Beastars rejects its diegetic responsibility to build its own history and setting, instead opting to supplant human beings with anthropomorphic animals and have them prattle about in a near 1-1 replica of the real world. The instant you have the gall to ponder how and why everything looks the same, you begin asking very uncomfortable questions, such as how WWII played out in the Beastars universe, or how the economy doesn't buckle trying to provide for the litany of different species operating in it, or if there's also generic high schools full of dolphins, sharks, and jellyfish doing equally uninteresting things under the sea.
Delve too deep into the flimflam and your questions become even more existential. For example, you might start to wonder why a wolf is shacked up with a dumbass Labrador Retriever character, despite there being no humans to domesticate wolves into dogs. The rabbit hole goes on for an eternity from here, and regrettably, I can not bring you back from the dull void you must now embark on. Beastars doesn't expect you to ponder these questions, and it doesn't leave a smidgen of satisfaction for those who do. Whereas Zootopia did the bare minimum by depicting the wildly creative architecture required to house a variety of differently-sized animals in one city, Beastars offers up little more than the occasional sight of a mouse-sized door or chair. It's for this reason that we can consider Beastars the apogee of shitty world-building. Instead of capitalizing on its infinite potential and telling a story in a rich alternate reality, it plants us in the same high school we've seen in millions of different (and usually better) anime series.
Beastars doesn't take risks and foreshadow an aquatic invasion spurred by encroaching sea levels, or depict a world reeling from the grip of Marsupial Fascism. Instead, it drags us through a deranged story about a troubled loner struggling with his simultaneous desires to eat and fuck his bunny friend, which I don't find particularly relatable or compelling. And that brings me to the denouement of my theory - the very heart of why I hate Beastars with every fiber of my being: The characters are only animals because the relationship between the two leads would be beyond disturbing otherwise, and Beastars likely wouldn't have been published, let alone adapted, if they were humans. And maybe that would be for the best, because Beastars is truly the lowest on the food-chain of stories.
Conclusion
I can't say that I was invested in a single plot point the show offers up during its school drama spiel, and when the Lion Mafia is suddenly introduced into the story to add tension, I was somehow even less interested. If this show accomplishes anything from a narrative standpoint, then I wasn't able to see it because I was too distracted by its nonsensical setting. I sincerely believe that this show is only liked by people who want to have intercourse with the wolf or the tiny rabbit character; or at least I certainly hope that's the reason, because I can't comprehend enjoying Beastars on any other merit.
I've been burned by awful animal stories too many times, and quite frankly, I'm at my limit. I went through it with Zootopia, I went through it with Beastars, I went through it with the original Dr. Dolittle. And now, just in case I wasn't already sufficiently miserable, Satan himself has risen from the depths to shit out even more garbage in the form of Brand New Animal, which I'm urged to watch every day via the emails you relentless goblins spew at me. In the deepest shuttering of my conscious, I picture the boardroom where yet another no-talent hack is currently negotiating an anime adaptation of The Office where all the characters are talking animals. Oh wait, it already exists and it's called Aggretsuko.
I'm tired. My friends see it on my face every day. Beastars has taken from me, and I expect I'll resent its infectious memory until the day death comes to relieve me. I'm done.
CodeBlazeFate
The dark horse enters the scarlet stage, illuminated by the crimson moon. With mask in hand, he embraces the carmine spotlight. Tied down to two stigmas, he was limited in his audience, but his performance made him shine like few others. The drama, the passion, the presentation, all marvelously shown as he proudly rose beyond almost everything else this year. This struggle and scenario somewhat mirrors that of Louis, one of Beastars’ greatest characters. He’s a prideful, somewhat prejudicial deer who has put the world on his back. He refuses to be seen as weaker than carnivores simply because he’s a herbivore, so he fights backagainst that stereotype with all his might and pride. The show explores the many layers behind all of this through the backdrops of performances, love triangles, and the social issues stemming from this civilization that mixes carnivores and herbivores. The setting itself helps drive many of the systemic, psychological issues regarding Louis as well as other characters, such as our main protagonist, Legosi. He’s a timid wolf, afraid of the beast within him as he deals with the perpetual dejectedness of being feared by everyone. The social stigma of carnivores being savage monsters that kill the weak and endangered herbivores is perpetuated by the school our main characters live in after one of their classmates is murdered in the first episode. There are other predators that serve as foils to Legoshi thanks to this stigma, but he's the one that gets the most focus. As an introspective character, he resorts to several monologues. Most of them inform us of his character or become amusing rather than distracting, which is not something that applies to all monologues in this show. They help further dramatize the conflict of him trying to suppress the beast inside, resulting in a majority of the biggest moments of the show. His relationship with Haru, the female love interest of the show and centerpiece of the love triangle between them and Louis, further complicates matters.
Haru herself is an interesting and flawed person, just like everyone else in the show. Like Louis, she’s someone who does not want to be seen as a victim. However, Louis stubbornly fights back with his pride and skill, becoming a respected student who’s admired by many. Haru, who feels misunderstood by everyone due to being a frail rabbit, finds herself reviled due to a certain act of hers that allows her to find herself in equal footing with her peers. This along with how she understands and embraces society’s prejudices on herbivores and carnivores keep Legosi at arm’s length as he falls deeper in love with her. There’s more to this from all three perspectives, of course, but I’ve said enough without resorting to massive spoilers. It’s enthralling to watch the show delve into the layers of these three characters and how this love triangle unfolds as it affects them. It’s electrifying watching their own societal struggles and where all of these factors take them as everything spirals towards the season’s final act. There are a few developments regarding Louis and Legoshi which felt like they needed more build-up, but it’s still exciting to watch these characters. Not every character is given anywhere near the level of thought and detail that these three and the three big supporting characters. Haru’s bullies are one-note bitches who exist solely to make her miserable and fulfill an archetype. However, the trio is more than enough before we even mention some of the supporting characters who show up later in the show.
The sheer dramatization of the show helps sell these characters and their scenarios. It isn’t your typical anime melodrama filled with screaming, yelling, crying, and contrived circumstances. Instead, it’s the theatrical, Code Geass level of bombastic presentation that is as passionate as its characters are. Shinichi Matsumi shines as the director, selling brilliant scenes like Louis’ performances in the school play during the first arc, and the scenes of Legosi trying to resist the beast within. There are other stellar sequences such as the first two scenes of episode 1 or the first scene of episode 7. Studio Orange pushes the limits of CG anime at times with the kinds of imagery they can get away with. It’s almost enough to distract from how the CG models almost look rubbery and how they’re so jittery and choppy thanks to moving at a jarring number of frames per second. It really does become a bit of a hurdle at times, and the show also attempts bits of 2D integration, which do not work if you’re looking at the occasional 2D models. Thankfully, there is one way the 2D works: the backgrounds. While several 2D anime nowadays contain bland backgrounds or hideous CG hellscapes, Beastars is filled with lovingly hand-drawn backgrounds and environments that are brimming with gorgeous art direction. The blood-red moon, the indigo sky, these are only a few instances as to how the show’s environments can sometimes look ravishing. The show looks surprisingly decent, dare I say good despite the awkward, jittery CG models, which puts it far above your standard TV CG anime.
Another wonderfully dramatic aspect of the anime is its music. Satoru Kousaki’s OST is filled with several wonderful tracks such as the romantic accordion track “Juno In Love” or the many versions of the titular “BEASTARS” theme. The first one is just as whimsical and lovely as “Juno In Love” but without the hilarious deflation that track ends on, which mirrors one of the scenes featuring the namesake of the song, Juno. The second rendition (classical) is a beautiful, somber violin piece that desperately needs extending, as it complements the blood moon ambiance and intense tone of the show’s first scene which the track accompanies. The third (pf solo) is a magnificent piano piece following the same tender melody in a less intensely dramatic fashion, opting to be quieter and more emotionally potent. There are more renditions of the song, and more tracks that play off of it such as “Renewed Legosi” with its guitar, and “BEASTARS Wolf and Rabbit” which combines the instrumentals of the more somber renditions to deliver an emotional climax to this cavalcade of leitmotifs. I also enjoy the vocal track “Tale of the Moon” for its nice vocals and heartwarming tone. There is more to many of these tracks that this pretentious amateur pseudocritic is inadequate at describing, but that just speaks to how adept the composer for Haruhi Suzumiya’s OST and Fate/Extra: Last Encore’s OST is at his job. There are several other tracks, but these are the main ones that stand out to me. The anime does not always make its tracks apparent, but the ones that shine, shine brightly. Sadly, I neither care for the jazzy OP thanks to its vocals, and the EDs aren’t that interesting to me. It’s interesting that there are numerous ones for a 12 episode production that get shuffled across different episodes, and I personally somewhat enjoy the third ED “Marble” by YUKIRA. However, that’s as far as I will go.
Beastars is a tremendous psychological drama filled with powerful cliffhangers, rich character studies, and a fascinating exploration of the themes sprung from its setting. Its visual direction, powerful melodies, and glorious theatrics help bolster generally wonderful character writing while its art direction strengthens an already well-crafted world. The CG will definitely throw people off and some will turn their nose at an anime that even remotely reeks of “furry” but Beastars is one of the absolute standouts of 2019. Here’s to a second season.
abystoma2
First things first - Beastars isn't a furry anime. Beastars is a modern fable. Even if you hate furries, you might still perfectly well enjoy this series. Source: me, someone who doesn't like the furry culture at all. Short version in case you don't want to read the whole review: imagine zootopia, but with with complex characters and plot meant for adult audience. The longer version: Beastars is a character-driven drama. And boy are the characters great. Their thoughts, their actions, their interatcions with the world and other characters and the diverse cast of characters with various personalities all together make amazingly believable world. As ironic as itmight sound, Beastars has one of the most human-like characters. At the very least among shounen anime.
The bittersweet drama is enhanced by how detailed the worldbuilding is. For such a fantasy concept, the setting is done as realistically as possible and fully absorbs the audience in the story without them having to ask "wait how the fuck is that supposed to work?". For example, we get a part of episode dedicated to answering the question how could eating eggs be considered perfectly acceptable even though it's an animal product and while eating meat is considered a huge taboo in this society. And it does so not through infodumping, but following the "show, don't tell" rule. We get the story of a egg-laying hen that makes yet another shard of the continuously growing and continously more detailed world.
The character themselves grow and change with story progression as real people would. You might find yourself starting to like a character that you've previously disliked, be it because they've changed with redemption or because another side of their character is gradually more revealed, making their actions more understandable.
Lastly, Beastars does amazingly well even the 3D CGI animation. Yes, you've read that right, an actually good CGI animation. After Land of the Lustrous, studio Orange continues to flex with CGI animation that fits the narration, that is not used because it's the cheaper alternative but as a conscious artistic choise. Lot of the scenes that show the characters emotions would be difficult to animate in 2D anyway, and this CGI adaptation portrays them so well this might be the turning point for anime community accepting at least some of the CGI instead of hating it in general.
Overal, Beastars is a great-written show that is never boring and is one of the best anime that I've seen lately.
Katecof
It's furry fanservice, the romance is cancer, they're the most toxic kind of relationship I've ever seen, one is a carnivorous wolf that has the instinct to eat meat, and the female rabbit is a whore who in the last episodes, she lets herself to be eating... because apparently, that's her instinct. The anime gives you a lot of reasons why this relationship is garbage, and the anime is constantly trying so desperately to make it work, and even worse, it's trying so hard to make you believe this is okay. The world-building is lazy, the police forces, or any kind of government power, hardly hasany presence on the show, despite that the social issues that are portrayed (the murder of a herbivorous and the black market) have a lot of weight on the series.
The discrimination subject is inconsistent, for one side, the anime tries to give the idea that it's good for the carnivorous to change their natural behavior, in order to be a good citizen, but then, they even show you how harmful is this to them (when Legosi meets the panda) it's a bit twisted that they showed something that can hurt them as something noble.
The characters are not bad, but all the narrative problems that I've already mentioned prevent this anime to get a high score.
mistersunday
“I’m beginning to understand it now, the reason I was born a wolf.” – Legoshi At its core this anime is relatively simple; however, the way in which the show presents this world of anthropomorphic animals sets up a number of thematic elements that can be interpreted in many different ways, and I think that's the key to good storytelling. Beastars creates a societal structure that's somewhat similar to our own society yet also fundamentally different. As a recently graduated Political Science & Geography student, my interpretation of Beastars and its ties to our own world is as follows: In our society, biological determinism has deeply negativeconnotations. The belief that human behavior is directly controlled by an individual's genes, or some component of their physiology, has been used as a justification for scientific racism, eugenics and even debates surrounding the heritability of IQ. Today, we view this problematic notion as the antithesis of human rights advocacy. The mere act of proposing that human beings are biologically different from one another based on their ethnic or racial composition is racist. However, what if we lived in a society that was guided by biological determinism? To me, this is what Beastars proposes one way or another...
The type of society that Beastars presents is one that's essentially shaped by the rules of biology. Biology and genetic differences mold the world that Legoshi, Haru and the other students at Cherryton Academy find themselves in. Just by being born a herbivore you always live with some fear for your life in the back of your head... to the point that interacting with carnivores might prove difficult. Nonetheless, all of these anthropomorphic animals live in a society that supposedly treats them as equals. Despite this, the sheer number of physical differences between the cast of Beastars is significant. What I really find brilliant about the show is the way in which these differences are presented. Since Beastars takes place in a modern and industrialized society, it makes sense that these biological differences would be accounted for in the world's infrastructure and rhetoric. There's a clear sense of 'biological consciousness' by society-at-large which makes the story that Beastars presents incredibly believable. From Legoshi's strength complex to the scene where a group of mice students prompt each other to walk near the walls so they won't get stepped on, the characters are always reminded of their biological differences. This evidently creates nuanced dynamics where herbivores and carnivores alike struggle to find their place in the world. Ultimately, this isn't too different from our own society, but that's the whole point right?
Whether it's watching Legoshi try to navigate his own strength and identity as a wolf, or seeing Haru's jaded perspective of her survival, the show masterfully explores relationships and conflicts in a way that's still relatable to the audience. This is another marker of good storytelling in my eyes. As I mentioned earlier, there's a multitude of ways to interpret these thematic elements. The scene where Haru says that she feels like her life is always in some level of danger when she moves through the world of Beastars is probably similar to many experiences that women and queer people have in our own society. Watching the characters navigate their identities as herbivores/carnivores, male/female, small/big, etc, was reminiscent of intersectionality and social justice. Evidently this isn't the only interpretation, but as a gay political science student these are the notions that I've been studying (and to some extent experiencing first hand) so that's what spoke out to me when watching the show. However, I think Beastars excels because you can truly come up with a completely different reading of these characters and their interactions depending on how you experience the world.
Something that I also started thinking about when watching the show (and this is not entirely relevant to this review or the quality of Beastars) was what our society would look like if we DID have biological differences amongst human beings. What if human beings had to co-exist with other species of humans? If there are any creationists reading this sorry to burst your bubble here, but homo sapiens (our species) once shared the world with various other species of human beings (eg: homo erectus). These other species of humans could be biologically similar or different to us. For instance, homo habilis would only grow to be around 3 - 4 feet tall. So what would our world look like today if we had to co-exist with other species on equal footing in society? Would it look like Beastars? Honestly that would seem like a relatively good option considering how much we already struggle to co-exist with our own species...
Anyways, now that all that fluff is out of the way here's my score breakdown:
Story: 8
The story itself is pretty basic tbh but the way it's executed and revealed to the audience is excellent. The whole show could be explained in one episode but the storytelling is paced and timed perfectly to keep the viewer entertained while also taking time to present key elements. There were some times when I felt like certain aspects of the show could have more direction, but it didn't really hinder the story in the long-run.
Art: 7
I thought the art was good! I understand how some people may be thrown off by it but I promise that by episode 2 you won't even think of it. There were some very pretty scenes actually. I loved the final scene between Haru and Legoshi when they overlook the cityscape, or even the simple stuff like Jack and Legoshi walking through campus. I wouldn't say the show's animation is exquisite, but it's definitely competent and capable of setting the right atmosphere when needed.
Sound: 9
The sound was very good, not the best part about the show but it definitely worked and helped with the tone/atmosphere. I thought the opening song was fantastic.
Character: 10
This is where Beastars really shines. The character development is perfect, it's not overly-ambitious but also substantial enough to guide the story's narrative. These anthropomorphic animals feel much more real & human than most human characters in other shows lol.
Enjoyment: 9
For someone who's drawn to shounen and more action-based anime, Beastars still managed to keep me looped in with it's story. A truly great show! I highly recommend it to anyone tbh!
skyxkami
Bias disclosure: I found this show exceedingly cynical, and it was presented to me as a "furry" story. My review follows. Story - Three questions: Why is there carnivore/herbivore conflict on the news, but not in the present setting? How do carnivore-carnivore, herbivore-herbivore, and carnivore-herbivore interactions play out? Does watching the main characters explain this premise sufficiently? The answers are; I don't know, I don't know, and no.The story takes you through the plot in a reasonable way. It's well paced, and the end of one episode takes you to the next. The world is minimally built out enough to understand the context of how the characters live.
I think this was executed well enough.
I can agree that Beastars was an ATTEMPT at social commentary. But such stories are supposed to hold a mirror to the real world, and reflect back the disturbing nature of truths we don't want to face.
This did not happen with Beastars. It is a fantasy of the author's making that happens to echo themes from the real world. It's compelling because it happens well. But I have to caution the viewer that this is more "Harry Potter" than it is "Animal Farm". This isn't a negative in itself. I just feel bait-and-switched by the end.
The "cynicism" that I referred to at the beginning isn't about the premise. I have no problem with telling a story about "people" having unequal relationships to each other. At least, that is how I understand viewers are taking this to be. Not an insult, just an observation.
After having time to digest the season, and write this review; it feels to me like that author is calling people, animals...in the pejorative. Think back to Zack Synder's "Batman v Superman"; a movie where Snyder argues, "Humanity is too stupid and evil to deserve Superman". Had he done it well, we might have agreed with him. But we know that he didn't and we've rejected the movie outright, not just his thesis.
The same can be said here. It's a cynicism that lacks substance. Sex scenes and violence that don't add to our understanding of the premise about carnivore-herbivore friction.
I still don't understand what the themes are supposed to be.
Inequality?
Coping?
Empowerment?
Friendship?
Seeing "people" for who they are, and not what they are?
That last one feels like I'm putting words into the author's hands.
Art -
3D has come a long way since Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within. I'm not well versed on the technical details, but the lighting and character movements mimic traditional fast-budget anime rather seamlessly.
It allows for dynamic camera movements that most traditional productions simply can't be bothered with. This helps to sell the emotionally intense scenes.
Sound -
I found that the sound design never particularly caught my attention, save for a specific scene that required it. A rating of 6 and "Fair" seems appropriate.
Character -
About halfway through the series, I realized that I didn't care about any of the characters. This sentiment is less about "redeeming qualities", or whether I can relate to them. It is wanting to know more about how their stories will progress. Worse still, it is asking whether they WILL progress or not.
As it turns out; no I don't care about their development, and no they do not develop. We're exposed to the ideologies of the most important characters, but only one of those has a pay-off at the end. I mean pay-off as in, this character faces off against their ideology and has a significant change as a result.
It gets worse. The character dynamics are surprisingly underdeveloped. We get expository monologue explaining how they relate to each other, but the editing itself undermines screen time that two characters might have with each other. Outside of plot-induced conflict, we never get to spend time with characters to see how they behave with each other. For a setting that is supposedly about predator and prey (read: character interaction) dynamics, this is unforgivable.
The three questions again:
Why is there carnivore/herbivore conflict on the news, but not in the present setting?
How do carnivore-carnivore, herbivore-herbivore, and carnivore-herbivore interactions play out?
Does watching the main characters explain this premise sufficiently?
The answers are; I don't know, I don't know, and no.
Enjoyment -
My friend who recommended this to me, presented this for the memes and the "furry". Not off to a great start, but I don't blame them. I'll admit pre-judgement based on this. In my defense, I watched the whole thing in one sitting and really tried to understand the material.
I'm a story person. This really didn't do it for me. I felt that the sex scenes were gratuitous in that they didn't add to the initial premise. Nor did they help to divulge what exactly are the themes that this story is trying to convey. You can remove them, and it wouldn't affect the story. One could argue that it would negatively affect the *impact* of the series, but that would only illustrate my point about it being immaterial to the narrative. I won't spoil all of the "ick" factors of how the animals are human stand-ins in the brutal sense.
The inconsistency in portraying animal traits puts the nail in the coffin for me. Not because I'm Neil Degrasse Tyson and I need science to be accurate in fiction. But because "animal abilities" are contrived; limited to the main character, only if the plot calls for it. When I expect human, I get animal. When I expect animal, I get human. It takes me out of the moment and l end up being disoriented rather than observing the work.
Overall -
If I haven't started a story, but have heard a lot of buzz about it, I don't mind spoilers. Because if a snippet can catch my interest, I would want to know how we got there, and where it goes from there. There isn't a single part in Beastars where I could tell a person, "You need to see how it gets there".
Instead, I'd show just two scenes and say, "Yeah. This is the whole story".
I'm glad it's generated buzz because the art direction was fantastic. It's a real technical achievement and I hope we see more of the medium in the future.
If the reader of this review is genuinely looking for social commentary, then I would recommend George Orwell's "Animal Farm" instead of this.
Stay safe. Be healthy.
CursedWendigo
Where to start...This anime is...Shitty to say the least. I, as a furry, hated it. I was hoping I'd like it and I was excited to watch it so I could cosplay it but, I was severely disappointed. The story and plot had nothing going for it and it's all very predictable. The art style was trying to be 3D and 2D at the same time and trust me, it wasn't anywhere near good. I didn't feel attachment to any of the main characters (Honestly my girlfriend and I were hoping for Juno to eat Haru). The only good part of it was the beautifulintro. The sweet jazzy music and the wonderful Claymation! It was the ONLY good part of it.
ISeeLifePeople
How if a lot of animals gathered somewhere ? Here we go Beastar, a unique anime which similiar representation zootopia show with anime style. theme built based dorm school like bully on world build set with priority on psychological & drama genre when u watched early few episodes, im pretty sure u'll assume dat dis greath show, i cant deny it but u'll figure out dat wont so long. ur expectation about logic accomplishment be ruin instantly. the main chara at last episodes broke it all with deus ex machina accomplishment. wht the hell could it be 2 people can ruin a pack yakuza lions whenlegoshi enough hard when fought with his friend a tiger at drama stage, not to mention semi bestial scene showed deer n rabbit really horrible show can disturb ur mindset immediately
Art is good, not best not also worst but still catchable to watch
Sound on OP enough eargasm, if with ed i forget maybe not interested. in insert song section nothing really momentable to remembered
Character, i like on deer principle, he is one really real man with his describe how to behave, how to walk, how decide something, how to talk, etc if without end legoshi fight scene maybe i condired dis one as my favorite show
Enjoyment, honesly i satisfied until legoshi wtf it all
Overall i hate it mabye litlle problem on certain people but for me when an anime was going with logic plot hen suddenly ruined by deus ex machina accomplishment, dis is unforgivable
Lindle
Beastars setting is that of a world in which anthropomorphic animals, both carnivore and herbivore, live amongst each other in a society closely resembling our own. In that sense, it has essentially the same premise as Disney's Zootopia. Where Zootopia used its setting as a direct allegory for real-world race relations, however, that metaphor starts to fall apart if you take a moment to consider the implications of it. As such, Zootopia is a movie that uses its premise only for surface-level allegory and aesthetics - it's not something that wants you to think too hard about any of the fucked-up implications of its setting. I mentionthis because Beastars is the exact opposite - anything unsettling, dark, uncomfortable, or just plain weird about its premise, it dives headfirst into and makes into its comfort zone.
The plot is primarily driven by the strained relationship between carnivores and herbivores, and the concessions made by their world for them to coexist. However, it touches on many smaller details - how each species' unique traits effect their roles in society, the social hierarchy between specific breeds of animal, what they eat and where it comes from, and many more. The worldbuilding in Beastars is truly excellent.
Rather than just the level of detail, however, what really makes the setting work as well it does is how these details effect the characters.
Our three main characters - Legosi, Haru, and Louis - are all defined by an inner conflict with their perceived place in the world. Legosi, a wolf, expected to be bold and fierce, is instead shy and reserved, fearing his strength and predatory instincts. Haru, a rabbit, struggles with an inferiority complex brought on by her helplessness, and by her common breed. Louis, a deer, is determined to achieve greatness and prove himself above carnivores. The bulk of the plot rests on these three, but broadly every character is in some way driven by how society defines them by their species.
The show leads with an immediately engaging murder mystery hook after a student is devoured, but the focus quickly shifts to the relationships between the three leads, in particular the romance between Legosi and Haru. Legosi's character arc throughout this is compelling, navigating his confusing feelings of both love and predatory instinct. Despite the fantastical setting, the drama is very grounded and human, albeit taking an odd left-turn towards something more action-oriented towards the end. If this show has a major flaw it's the odd clash of tone here, but ultimately it's not so jarring as to be a significant detractor. The only other complaint I could really make towards this show is that it's very much only the first season - it's still very open ended and nothing has really been resolved as of yet. Even the murder mystery from the first episode has yet to be solved. This is quite easily overlooked, however, given that we now have confirmation of a second season in the works.
Even in spite of this clash of tone, though, the focus is always squarely on how the events affect the characters and their relationships to each other, making sure to keep its greatest asset at the forefront.
Beastars is also very impressive from a technical perspective, being a rare example of 3DCG animation that is stylized and aesthetically pleasing. Where full 3DCG in anime is usually used as a cheap alternative to 2D animation, here it feels like it was chosen because it was the best format in which to tell the story. The cinematography here is excellent, using unique and creative shot compositions and pseudo-camerawork to emphasize characters emotional states, draw symbolism, or emphasize the traits of various animals and the differences between them. While it'd be easy to be put off by the nature of the animation, the only time it sticks out that you're watching a 3DCG anime is when it's doing something impressive with the medium.
All in all, Beastars is an impressive not-quite-human drama with a well-written and entertaining cast of characters and a strong visual flair.
Story/Plot: 9/10
Characters: 10/10
Animation/Art: 9/10
Music: 7/10
Overall: 9/10
For Fans Of: Aggretsuko, Houseki no Kuni
elijah254
Was really pumped after watching the first episode. With such a good original concept and so many unique angles it could go. A deconstruction of society and its values almost perfectly mirrored through a metaphorical "predator and pray" lens, one with a controversial - yet grounded in painful existential reality, was practically expecting that this would be a masterpiece, and I much, if ever - think such things....... However, with such an insanely heavy torch they had to carry. I am saddened to say. Beastars not only missed the mark, but did not make it more then a few feet from the starting gate. Story: How would suchan alternative reality operate if anthropomorphic animals lived in a human-like society? How would the dynamics of predator and prey, the food chain, and general animal relations function? Among an infinite of other possibilities.
The story of Beastars as previously said, has an extremely excellent premise. What we see play out however is only touched upon rarely, and usually to a shallow level.
Which is why writing a complete story breakdown is practically irrelevant because of all the themes explored are just that. Rare and shallow. So it will be skipped, and touched upon in other segments.
Characters:
Legoshi. Our main character, is a stereotypical clique of the anime "shy, nervous guy, eternal-virgin" trope. No further explanation on his base personality needed...
As I watched this show, had expected that this was a purposefully subversive element of the genre, and that just as how the purpose of a human male is to grow up, get stronger, and to break out of weakness - becoming a man. Legoshi, a LITERAL wolf, and a soft embodiment of masculine traits - In his metaphorical journey. Would also change and become a man... A Fascistic yet healthy portrait, when society at large effeminatates men, and passifies them from their internal instincts. Just as how in the show he must learn to control his wolf instincts. (woah, now you can see why I originally thought so highly of this series)
However, this does not happen. In fact. Throughout the whole series. He does not develop as a character at all, nor the plotline of controlling his wolf instincts ever develop. There is a lot of false development, whereas it's as he's possessed with some temporary masculinity to make the show progress, but when it's over. He's back to his soy self. Episode 1 Legoshi and episode 12 Legoshi are the same.
Haru:
This is a rabbit which poorly served as a false duality for the story. We know practically nothing about her from the first episode to the last" and her "prey" weakness dynamic serves no purpose to the story other then to provide Legoshi (and the viewer) with a bit of ecchi fanservice and poor romance subplot. We know she likes to whore around, we know she's fearful of carnivores, and that's about it.
Louis:
A seemingly high class and intelligent deer who - in the series, seems to reflect some Fascistic views on the shows central conflicts, with huge potential to provide interesting and thoughtful narratives to the world at large. In the end however. Louis was a poorly written character. His choices, dialogue and behavior do not break any mould, and simply becomes a stereotypical "safe" anime trope, with a bit of shonen edge.
Art:
The 3D animation is passable, but feel very choppy. Characters move unnaturally... The detail on eyes, fur and body parts - combined with the inherent body differences despite almost every species being fundamentally different, renders an air of uncanny unbelievability. If they looked less human, with an emphasis on their inalienable genetic traits - would of gone a LONG way in selling the world.
Conclusion:
I kept watching the show despite my disappointments, because there was some expectation that all this garbage of safe tropes and boring anime nonsense we've all seen a million times before would be flipped on its head, that "in the next episode or so, they are going to bring out the big guns and surprise everyone"..... However, that never happened, and what was left gave more to the imagination. Then what was actually seen and enjoyed in the show.
Do I recommend watching it?
If you have nothing else better to do, check out the first few episodes and ponder the rest in your head. Otherwise. See it as any other junk food watching experience.
Isvi_Berserk
Note: English is not my native language, I apologize for possible mistakes. At first I didn't expect much from this series, personally I had not heard about this manga before and firstly, unlike most, what caught my attention was that it would be done at CGI for nothing less than the Orange studio in charge to do Houseki no Kuni in 2017, so I expected something really good in this point and I am not disappointed. The story takes place in a world dominated by anthropomorphic animals, both carnivorous, as herbivores, aquatic, terrestrial creatures and all the problems that this implies, with a main question What dothey eat? What do carnivores eat in this world?
The world of Beastars is very interesting, it reminds us a lot of the movie Zootopia, but darker and without fear of playing scabrous and more complex themes, this touches many aspects that include sex, discrimination between species, predation, some repression that exists towards carnivores and the frustration they suffer from not being able to feed on what they owe and repress their natural instincts for the good of society, this leads to the existence of "Black Markets" where various groups of carnivores can quench their appetite clandestinely.
While carnivores have to suffer that, herbivores have to live with a constant fear of being eaten, since most of them are weaker by nature than carnivores and live with a constant fear, so it's very difficult for Both groups can relate well.
This is the society that is presented to us in Beastars, where carnivores and herbivores each suffer in their own way, in a restless society that is unable to solve these problems.
As for their main characters are really very well done, everyone has an important side in this story. We are in a boarding school or high school, where our main protagonist is Legoshi, a great gray wolf that is a bit clumsy and shy, which faces his low instincts and personal demons that eat him and seek out, I really loved the psychology used in Legoshi and how at various times he falls to his carnivorous instincts, the images/art they use in that moment are really to appreciate, these manage to get you in Legoshi skin to feel that doubt, anxiety, desire, self-esteem and in the situation or tension of the moment. We also have Louis, our beloved red deer // alpha //, a very popular and beloved deer who is a candidate to become the next "Beastars".
The personalities of these two characters have enchanted me a lot, while Legoshi is a shy wolf and hides an incredible alpha predator inside, Louis is someone with a lot of confidence, charismatic, incredible and arrogant, but who hides a past and cruel fears towards the carnivores that lead him to act like this and which leads him not to understand Legoshi's way of acting very well.
Finally in the main trio we have Haru, she is a little rabbit which serves as the main love interest and desire for predation of Legoshi… it's a funny bunny, which is presented to us at the beginning as someone who is discriminated against by their classmates. She is a victim of ugly sexual rumors, hmm that curiously end up being true.
The relationship between Legoshi and Haru is certainly fun, it has its chemistry, while the wolf is normally calm and has a lot of empathy, Haru is active, direct and somewhat sarcastic, which makes it certainly nice to see them together. The interesting thing about this love desire is that it has its origin in an attempt at predation, the first reason that Legoshi became attracted to Haru was because of his desire to eat her and quench his carnivorous instincts, ,which makes me think that this love that arises later is nothing more than a product or deception of its original desire to devour her, a point that is touched in an episode.
As for its animation, the CGI is very good, the expressions, fluidity and movement are very well taken care of, Orange again does not disappoint with this type of work, we were already surprised with Houseki no Kuni and I dare to say that they even improve this in Beastars. The animation in the fight moments is simply amazing.
The soundtrack is really top tier, the sound is very well maintained, and I really love the opening, it’s very catchy and creative, the idea of using puppets and stop motion animation was great, it's the first time I see that in an anime and I was amazed when I saw it.
So, is it recommended to watch the anime of furry school?
Beastars is a show that is really worth watching, both the development of the world and that of the characters are incredible. If you are interested in seeing a social problem of carnivores and herbivores that touch many types of issues that are not very far from our reality and society, I recommend it and give a chance to animation that by far is very well worked.
