Beastars

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ynopsis
In a world populated by anthropomorphic animals, herbivores and carnivores coexist. For the adolescences of Cherryton Academy, school life is filled with hope, romance, distrust, and uneasiness.

The main character is Legoshi the wolf, a member of the drama club. Despite his menacing appearance, he has a very gentle heart. Throughout most of his life, he has always been an object to be feared and hated by other animals, and he has become quite accustomed to that lifestyle. But following the murder of a classmate, he finds himself becoming more involved with his other peers, who have their own share of insecurities, and finds his life in school changing slowly.

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Just watched episode 1. I think this might be the secret sleeper hit of the season, just like Hoseki no Kuni was. Why am.I mentioning that anime? Because Beastars, even though cgi animation, also looks REALLY good and has a smooth framerate. The cgi actually enhances the liveliness of the world.

Speaking of which, I find the setting super exciting. All the racism/classism and how it comes naturally from the animals' kind. There's a lot to be asked abour this world, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually.

Main character Legoshi looks cool and likeable. And while I'm a fan of sexy furry girls, too, I like how the animal characters here are more realistic and less fap-baity than I've come used to with anime.

Apparently ep 2 and 3 are out, too, so I guess I'll catch up :]

I was about to check it out myself after I saw a random comment about it around.

Heh, at first I thought this thread was about Kemono Michi: Rise Up and MFauli was making up his own name for the series again.

Watched the first 3 episodes, liking it so far.

Seems like episode 4 will be out soon as well.

Episode 4:

Omg, so good. These episodes feel so short :(

I honestly wonder how their society works, because if the adult life outside of school is similar, murder must be frequent and tension at a permanent high.

Honestly feel a bit bad for the tiger. He was under a lot of pressure and felt left alone, plus having had to stay back as a herbivore tool all the spotlight. We haven't seen him outside of this play, so I'd give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he's not as bad as he's been here.

Rabbit blood as a drug, though. I'd LOVE to learn about this society's past and how everything came to be. Because at some point it must have been a dramatic, gruesome eternal battle between carnivores and herbivores. The latter living like the people in Attack on Titan, whereas carnivores felt it to be entirely normal to murder 'the others' and est them, too. And then something happened and made everyone into vegans?

Legosi really is such a great protagonist, too. Love his design. And he's got a fierce side on top of his usual calm, observing self.

Really THE top anime for me atm.

I wonder what message is behind that show.

Another note: is it really ok by this world/society to use eggs and milk as a food source ? Do they have Hens and Cows selling their production with labor rules and all ?

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Originally Posted by David75

I wonder what message is behind that show.

Another note: is it really ok by this world/society to use eggs and milk as a food source ? Do they have Hens and Cows selling their production with labor rules and all ?

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I didn't pay attention, have we seen milk.and eggs?

About the message: if this was a western-made netflix show the message would in-your-face 'eating meat bad, racism bad' type of shit. Since It's a Japanese show, I'm hopeful it's something more interesting.

My only complaint for now is that they kinda dropped the whole murder thing subplot. I'm sure it'll come back, but aside from the first episode, it seems to have been thoroughly dismissed other than a mention here and there in passing.

Is there an investigation going? Or do we just move on from it?

Ep2 or 3 when they are all in the cafeteria and they discuss meals and we see soy alternatives to meat, there are also egg and milk based items.
As for the message, if any, we'll now by the end of the season I guess.

Regarding the first murder, it feels like it could have been Bill himself as the shadow line feels similar to his head/ears and upper body build. Could also be a bear, but their carnivorous instincts are more as opportunists as they are omnivorous, so less likely I'd say, and we didn't see a bear like character to my knowledge, or as background characters at most.

But my Bill asumptions are only based on circumstancial evidences:
-feels too confortable with his predator/carnivorous instincts and claims he's cool with them when we feel it might be impossible...
-posses rabbit blood, akin to cocaïn or crack
-fits the shadow in the Tem murder

Another culprit could be the principal himself, deeper implication if the one in command of that utopian highschool commits the greatest taboo crime against its core principle. Why I think about hip, shadow again...

As for the investigation, we do not know much about their society outside that highschool/academy walls.
They might be in a part of their world testing the cohabitation of predators and preys in a civilised society. Thus they might not have investigators or police dedicated to your normal predator kills prey events for the outside world.

That's the issue: We really haven't seen much of the wider society. I can totally see plot twist where carnivores actually only engaged in all of it to pretend that herbivores are save ... only to more easily "harvest" them. Because it probably was quite an effort to attain prey under past circumstances, with both sides fighting for their lives. Even a Neverland-twist seems possible, where this school is just an artificial environment. And Legosi ends up one of the few, maybe only, carnivores to truly side with herbivores, because he realizes it's wrong to kill other intelligent life.

Lots of potential.

I don't think the murder was really dropped, though. It constantly lingers over every episode, making you think "omg, who did it? omg, will it happen again now?!" and so on.

Episode 5:

Not much plot progression, but I guess this set up future drama for when poor Legosi finds out Haru has been sleeping with Louis :( Damn bunny slut. (the Harlequin bunny is way prettier! /furry)

Well, Haru is only living true to her instincts: she's fast to sex because numbers mean survival of the species...
The antropomorphism applied to the story then creates all kind of paradoxes, choices and contradiction that should increase the fun.
I think Haru feels just a little too mature in how she copes with those harlequins brats and how she's able to cope with her most primitive fear instincts.

Minor detail from a precious question of mine about animal products: it seems normal to sell anything of value your body creates as they sell their winter fur as it sheds come spring. I guess it also works for eggs and milk.

"Mhm, your milk is delicious" - something you'd only encounter in hentai till now ;i

Tbh I wonder how procreation works. Considering differing species are gavinh sex, can they also cross-breed?

My theory: Yes, they can, but the offspring always follows one parent, no mixing. Otherwise we'd have noticed chimeras by now (although maybe there's a twist where these students are the elite of the elite and rare pure blooded citizens).

Imagine the same scene eggs :o

Regarding sex and cross breeding, hard to tell.

I don't remember seeing much reptiles ? Maybe I didn't notice them.

Uff, I couldn't swear on it, but I'm pretty sure I saw a lizard guy at some point.

Episode 6:

Fuck, this show isso freakin' good. The characters are actually complex and not the usual 1-dimensional tropes. I especially loved buff panda's test. It sounds like a silly fan-service-y thing at first, but it's actually real sound advice. Bust a nut to what you think you love or realize that it's something else.

What I found weird is how easily accessible the black market is, also how it was insinuated that most adult carnivores eat meat, therefore their inner peace. For one, it must be supee shocking for any herbivore to see that. Secondly, it paints the picture of a terrible, scary society. 'Ah, hi, Mr Antilope. I just ate some of your species yesterday, it was delicious' :/

Honestly, I'd hope that this series wasn't focused on Legosi's drama and more about the larger development of this society because it's bomb waiting to explode.

That said: Buff Panda. Magnificent. Character of the Season.

I understand you'd like to have a proper description of that world/society.
But it would probably not work well from an entertainment POV.
Somehow, from Aoba/Bill/Legosi's POV's, we get a pretty clear picture, don't you think ?
We even get preys' sides, black market, panda... and we're only 6 eps in.

Yeah, you're right, It's a balance with focus on Legosi. Still a bit of a bummer. This ought to be a 50+ episode series so it can flesh out the world.

Btw is nobody but us watching this masterpiece or did everyone die? :(

Episode 7:

Fuck, what an amazing episode. Spends the most time on fleshing out the worls (yay( and then gives us some real drama. And omg, I've never seen someone confess love with THAT look on his face, haha.

On another note, dance advisor Legosi was super hot 🙈

Fun, drama, blood, romance... Packed ep.
And I've got my answer for eggs.

It feels like every ep has some for of violence and/or blood. So a darker conclusion is not out of the window. At least for some characters.

I was telling to myself that prey+love is a recipe to disaster. Legosi might not be able to restrain his instincts against Louis when jealousy mixes with his carnivorous instincts. That grey wolf girly might have the same reaction against Haru.
Legosi himself is not so sure about his instincts being love or thirst for prey flesh. We don't even know if the results of the bunny porn test, or if he even tried.
Also, it seems Legosi might have a short fuse at times. First ep with Haru, on stage fight against Bill and now his mad wolf jealousy reaction. I wonder what happens when reason can't repress that natural violence anymore.

Omg, I didn't even think about girl wolf! Now I'm almost sure that's gonna happen. Like, Legosi attacking Louis is too obvious.

But Legosi's reaction makes me think if that is a special happening or if jealousy more often leads to violent, possibly deadly, acts. Also wondering how relationships work. Afaik in the city there were only same-species couples, rightn? But at school girls of all species are into Louis. Maybe there's some (weird!) rule where students are allowed to have fun, but must pick a same-species partner as adults. Louis mentioned he was already promised some girl to help continuation of his species.

My guess is that any animal of age can have sexual intercourses with any other race, but they still have to perpetuate their own species... Louis clearly stated that and I think it was mentionned at some other point in the anime.

Episode 9:

Omg, next episode pls 🙈

That said, it felt like half an episode was missing to establish thst Louis accepts his fate. As is, it was a bit too abrupt how the mayor said 'forget about her' and he instantly complies. A little more visible struggle would hsve been good.

Still a great episode and I love how mature this story is. Damn, it's such a creepy society! The part where the mayor had surgery done to appear more friendly, omg. And ofc Haru being prepared for being eaten ...

That school feels like a farce now that we get to understand the society behind.
I also feel the balance of that show is crumbling, but maybe because I want it to be a story that ends well when in fact there are signs everywhere telling a more violent truth.

It honestly starts to feel like this society is just one big scam to the advantage of carnivores.

Maybe lower carnivores really only have the black market, but higher ups might actually be able to freely choose ...

And with that old lion scene, it might be that whole school is in fact a farm that gives higher carnivores higher quality preys.
I'm sure that old lion gets higher pleasure knowing he'll get to eat a cute Haru, a fully intelligent being with a life/history and culture.

Exactly. Got some strong Tomorrow Neverland vibes.

Episode 10:

This is *so* good.

Well except that tower run is a little too easy (for now at least), but other than that yes, nice story.
I still do not see a Happy ending, with Legosi understanding his true nature. Sure Panda said he can learn to control that, but with the black market as it is, I don't think many adults can control their instincts...

I chuckled a little to the bamboo x-bow and arrows and the vietnam veteran vibes ;)

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Originally Posted by David75

Well except that tower run is a little too easy (for now at least)

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I think it's a mixture of complete surprise AND the lions actually being victims of their own decadence.

Admittedly, i thought it was a bit easy, too, but it also gave me enormous Kill Bill-vibes (where Uma Thurman fights those hundred underlings of Lucy Liu's all by herself), so I was ok with it.

Next episode will be more telling. I just hope Panda isn't the sacrifice in all of that. And then there's the fact that unless they kill all the lions, the Shishigumi KNOWS them. Panda is a notorious citizen in the black market district, and the lions have direct ties to the school.

Btw something that kinda surprised me: female wolf seemed to genuinely care about Legosi when Louis told her he'd be gone. Kinda makes me root for her X Legosi.

There's no doubt Juno has the hots for Legosi. She's an ambitious wolf, but she has feelings too.
Right now the lesser character is Louis. Sure he's just a powerless herbivore. But all in all he's just another cog in that predator/prey system. He's not even up to the level of the dude that cynically saved him.
Sure predators are a lot stronger, quicker and have some rage factors that help them get the upper hand at times.
But some preys can retaliate too, ever seen a warthog charge a lion ?
Louis really needs to up his game.

I actually wondered why Louis is so weak. A real male deer vs a real wolf? Not an easy fight either way!
And as you mention, that 'savior' deer looked strong, too. Plus you got ways to up your game, see Panda's crossbow.

Unfortunately, Louis seems to be heavily traumatized, maybe even brainwashed, by past events - and I can't fault him for that. Fuck, this society is all fucked up! If the story actually proceeds in meaningful ways, there *has to* be a war between those who desire peace and those who desire flesh.

Sadly, I didn't get much out of the whole rescue scene. From Legosi getting back-alleyed by some obvious punks to the awkward looking struggling/fighting in the tower, I would have actually rather not have been animated; like just cutting to him entering the room with Haru to save her leaving the journey to my imagination.

Good to know animals have access to honest to goodness smokeless powder firearms, but that makes the panda look like a chump since hes shooting to kill anyway.

The whole scene was unfortunate, but I'm still also really enjoying Beastars, and look forward to where the story is going.

Tower was indeed too easy.

Lions have firearms but somehow barely use them. Their only sword was made of wood. Panda coached Legosi to bite throat as his only option. It was never required because Panda fucked everyone up anyway.

The only advantage Legosi has is blood-rage and surprise. Neither of those were used to particularly good effect.

As far as the story goes, it's really telling me that personal strength is everything. I don't think that's what it wants to tell me, but that's the moral of the story here.

And.. well.. if guns exist, surely you can have a herbivore SWAT group take out the lions.

Episode 11:

A maturely presented sex scene in my anime? Unpossible!!1

What a fantastic episode. From Legosi's beast mode, to his fun friends, until the love hotel part. Everything flows so well.

Only bad part imo was Louis going insane, meh. I had hoped that Panda would shoot the lion with his crossbow.

Man, I'm constantly tearing up because of what a good, yet troubled boy Legosi is.

Can't wait to see the reaction when he returns to school.

That last scene with Haru was a bit strange. I know there are suicidal preys, but only in specific conditions/cases.
Well, you could always argue the love hotel setting and flirting with a predator is a newly discovered case ��

You know, on one hand I understand Louis. For Legosi the rabbit is everything to him, but not the case for Louis. Plus, this only worked out well because SuperPanda wiped out maybe 34 of the 35 lions out there for him. Even then, had Louis not turned up Legosi would have been dead anyway.

If Louis had a good chance then he might have taken that as well.

Panda talked about meat being sourced from hospitals and funeral homes etc, but surely a panda as well versed as himself wouldn't have known about cases like Louis.

Episode 12:

Bad: The whole Shishigumi event being shrugged off by teachers is super bs. If that's how much power meat-eating carnivores hold in the shadows, wow, this society is fucked.

Good: Everything else.

Usually I hate when the hero doesn't get the girl he wants (NaruSaku trauma flashbacks ...), but here it felt fine. Probably because it isn't decided yet, and they're both open about their feelings at that point, willing to work on it and see what happens. I like it.

Painfully reminds me of the opposite happening to me and a girl I liked. We used to chat on LINE. After some months I told her I like her, but that I'm not forcing anything. I only wanted to let her know so she wouldn't be completey surprised later on, long after she'd have friendzoned me. Ofc, instead of saying 'ok, let's see what happens', she got angry. We continued chattinf for a couple more months, but then she got so angry about random stuff (disagreeing on anime opinions ...) that she broke off contact. Still hurts a bit, but I can't change what happens ... ok, enough, sorry lol

Season 2 announcement is magnificent. I fully expect Louis to resurface, probablt as the shishigumi's new leader. His adoptive father seemed to be badass for a deer, too, so it's not too farfetched imo.

One big hope I have is for Legosi to develop some agenda, beyond 'i lile Haru'. Now that he knows about carnivore society, he ought to oppose it. With words, at first, but action, too. After all, many of his friends are at danger, too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXsURQxoGe8

First episode of the second season should be airing today.

Wait, if it's on Netflix, does this mean all episodes drop at once?

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Originally Posted by MFauli

Wait, if it's on Netflix, does this mean all episodes drop at once?

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Probably only Netflix Japan as many of these Netflix anime have been, not simulcast. Haven't checked. Other series that have been Netflix Japan have been weekly as well, maybe twice a week.

S2e01

Good to see Louis again. Few characters cut such an imposing figure as he.

Juno went full-dere, and I can't say I dislike it...

I like that Legosi isn't impressed by his own prowess in detecting this 'observer'; nor does he begin to doubt his own conclusions when no one else believes him. That speaks more to his 'strength' and 'power' than any amount of praise from others.

Lol, them ending with that cliffhanger, even though EVERYONE who's seen the trailer knows its the snake.

Nice first episode, but i hope it picks up the pace quickly. I feel like we still hardly don't know anything about the world. What about Legosi's parents?

That small mammal teacher was using a pointing stick. How nostalgic.

episode 2 of season 2 should be long ought according to livechart, any one you saw it already?

Apparently, the guy who used to sub Beastars stopped doing so. So now we gotta wait a couple days for another subber. :(

Available from DKB and YuiSubs for x265 compatible machines, seems PAS released a x264 encode.
Check nyaa or animetosho

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Originally Posted by David75

Available from DKB and YuiSubs for x265 compatible machines, seems PAS released a x264 encode.
Check nyaa or animetosho

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Thx. Yeah, got uploaded today.

Episode 14:

Animation is sooo good ❤

I like that the plot finally puts some focus on the murder that was the series' opening event. The interactions between all these species is so fascinating to observe. And even the shep didn't loook like generic background characters, but had lots of variation.

I can't wait to find out about Loui's promise, though. There must be an outside force that scares the lions.

Fuck I hate the sheep going all "What are you doing you carnivore, get out of here."

Firstly, he was at the door and he's there to chat. He's not in your space.

Secondly, if he really wanted to fuck you guys up, your little door and voice wouldn't stop him.

So chill the fuck out, and see what he wants.

Back to backed the last two episodes.

Lewis is quite the gangstar, and those lions were surprisingly level headed when their boss got capped...

Its kind of weird that- just now- Legosi (the security snake, really) or anyone for that matter is just now taking the Lem murder investigation seriously, as if it served its purpose as an inciting incident in season one and had to wait its turn to be relevant again.

Interesting that Legosi's admiration of Haru is likened to worship- that's strangely appropriate, and his romance is suffering because of it. Does anyone not think the killer was Bill at this point? I wonder what heavy burden being the Beastar is that there hasn't been one in so long as an apparent mercy by the school principal? Perhaps this society functions fundamentally different than we have been led to believe (instead of an approximation of human society)?

S2 E4:

I don't get it. Had Legosi stayed at school, he could easily identify the murderer by the bite wound to his neck. And now it seems like Panda is gonna send him back to school anyway. Weird move, Legosi.

Hot deer striptease, but I'm used to better stuff this season LOL

Ep5

Legosi's training is... dieting? "Smell meat, but don't you dare eat!"

I forgot to mention last episode, but 2nd in command Lion is surprisingly thoughtful to buy Lewis a salad. Speaking of Lewis- is that the same character we saw this episode, or is this what a Lewis looks like when all of his tension and stress of pursuing the Beastar melts away? Almost a different character. He was far less intense and brooding, and Juno was a wonderful compliment to him for their impromptu dance by the river.

Every episode I expect to actually find out who the killer is, and every episode it is pushed aside for other things. Sneaky, sneaky...

Man, this episode was so chock full of fantastic scenes.

Legosi's monk training, the girls' lockerroom talk, or Legosi and Kaworu-erm, Pina having some loveydovey meeting.

I'm, too, a bit annoyed that Legosi ignores the fact that the murderer must be walking around with a visible wound on his neck - why not tell everyone and why not look around school? This comes off like an obvious writing error, so I hope it's either resolved soon or we get a real good explanation at some point.

Ep6

So this is the part where Legosi has to... unlock his new power or something? Or did he just get weak from not eating protien or something?

Great scenes and cinematography, as usual, and Haru isn't being completely sidelined, but there are more important things to focus on right now. Like finding that hungry carnivore. I'm thinking more and more its the bear just because of his strength and generally unassuming demeanor. I wonder if he's going to be like the "Legosi gone wrong" character that never got an outlet for his hunger and so ate Tem.

Juno's heart has been played with again!

episode 7:

I dont get it.

I think the implication is that Riz's attraction to Tem was possibly romantic at the beginning, but it ended up manifesting as an insatiable hunger. He was in withdrawal from his presumably hormone altering drugs and not in his right mind. Passion became hunger is how I see it. Maybe that's how it works for predators? Legosi seemed to do something similar in the first episode.

B-but he still MURDERED someone. There's being understanding and then there's that, letting a dangerous persson run free in a school full of potential follow-up victims.

Then the bishounen sheep (Pina?) and Legosi provike him with 'hopefully you don't find sleep tonight' and leave him be - wtf, imagine if Ritz killed someone else that night!

I really don't like how Legosi handles this. You have to assume that murder isn't an everyday-occurrence in the news for this to be even slightly plausible. At the very least he could ask Panda for advice. Ugh.

I also wonder what happened and why in all Pina scenes.
These scenes do not fit with the rather harsh and cynical world that has been depicted till now.
Will wait for Legosi's thinking next ep.

I suppose some inferences can be taken in that only the snake has been seriously investigating the murder until now. The police haven't gotten involved, it seems. This society isn't fully conformed to our thinking. The danger of letting a 'murderer' run free is overshadowed by maintaining the illusion of a harmonious society that this, to outside observers, is clearly not.

I also don't get what the sheep is trying to pull.

8

I'll just have to take Legosi's new power up as presented, because I don't see how having a weaker jaw improves his other stats, or that he is suddenly tougher to chew...? No matter; not that kind of show. Juno isn't able to fully commit to hating either Legosi or Haru, and that's a cute character trait. I like that canines apparently like to help others- but that may be because I logs dogs in general.

It is pretty weird how the show has completely lost focus on the elephant (bear) in the room of what is going to go down with Riz. I guess there is an uneasy peace for now? Was there a deadline set for their confrontation?

For all of its theatrics, Beastars can be a bit obscure sometimes.

episode 10:

Yes/No question for manga-readers: Does the manga do a better job at explaining why Legosi or Pina don't rat out the murderer to authorities? Tell the police, tell the school leadership, someone.

I have big trouble making sense of this. Legosi is putting every herbivore at danger.

Episode 11:

WTF
So there *is* a police in this world, but Legosi just chose not to tell them?! Wtf. This makes zero sense. He's putting everyone in danger (too much danger, if Pina is truly dead. Not sure about that. On one hand, Riz has no reason not to kill him, on the other hand, and off-screen death is suspicious).

Meh.

The rest of the episode is superb, of course. I love Ibuki's character development, although I have no idea what the shot at the end was supposed to mean. Why can't Louis ask the lions to come help him with a bear? Legosi disguised as a woman and the reaction from both Louis and Ibuki were priceless, haha.

Yeah, that Legosi/Ibuki/Louis scene was golden from beginning to end.

The ED's lyrics are about that tunnel scene. Though I do not know who gets alive out of the tunnel.
Free could be the one pulling the triger as instructed by Ibuki, but I see no reason he'd be in the car, would make no sense.

That moth scene was just pure crap. That or moth larvae have hallucinogenic to wolves compounds in their bodies.

Final episode:

Well, this is over now. Overall, I liked it very much, but the entire nonsensical "I wont tell the police about Riz, because .... BECAUSE!" soured my opinion on this 2nd season.

Lots of fantastic, memorable scene, great characters. But the meat-power up was unfittingly comical in my opinion. Also, it felt like I was watching some sort of gay-cannibal softcore porn there at the end, lol.

Looking forward to what this studio does next, because their work with cg animation is amazing. If I could choose: Let them remake Gantz from beginning all the way to the end of the manga.

...a swing and a miss...

This finale really didn't work for me... hardly at all. The mystical bug eating séance (how enlightened of insects to grasp the concept of desire, but not actually possess any) and the fight with Riz were both underwhelming. I know this isn't an action show per se, but there was action on display here and the flowery, sentimental writing style did not even try bending to accommodate it. The action felt disjointed, like the entirety of the circumstance surrounding it, in actuality. When the stakes of an interplay are life and death, I need to feel the urgency of the encounter or all of the dramatic tension is lost, even when the outcome is inevitable. Pausing fights to have touchy-feely conversations and understand each other better has its place- before the final confrontation. Here, it was damaging to the pacing.

Lewis' return, and the circumstances for doing to were a bit better, though the scenario was a bit too black and white for me to take seriously. Going to help a friend does not necessarily mean throwing away or forsaking his entire enterprise, as it was interpreted by number 2 lion. I don't get it. Also, deagle lion was more dedicated than I pegged him for to stalk, shoot and release/banish. It served the purpose of keeping Lewis's hands clean... except that he already gave lead poisoning to the old boss in s1.

The biggest disappointment though was the somewhat contrived 'shut up and eat my foot' power up Legosi didn't even use to 'win' his fight. If Lewis thought or surmised that eating meat is what draws out a carnivore's true power, there were other ways to get him the hook up; they were out of Riz's sight after all, and he just came from the black market where cadavers were readily available. I get that the sacrifice had symbolic meaning, but I ain't buying into this bromance nearly enough to brush aside the thoughtlessness of the climax as a whole.

Well, with season 2 over, the mystery set up by the first episode is cleared and we can now move one to the actual meaning and ramifications of the Beastar itself now. I look forward to it, and have re-adjusted my expectations as to how this story is being handled and will try to embrace my inner simp.

Season 3 is apparently out now, officially on Netflix.

What a dumb decision to release this all at once. Way to ruin any hype :/ Oh well, will start the binging later.

4 episodes in I gotta say: LOL. So the only animals that are truly fucked are insects. Those are okay to eat, because ... fuck insects! :D What a weird distinction to make.

Season 3:

Well, that was that.

First, the two things I REALLY hated and soured me on the whole series:

- it took until season 3 to reveal that different species can have biological offspring. WTF. How was this not made clear in the first two seasons? This chages everything. The whole mechanic between Legoshi and Haru back then was weird, both because carnivore and herbivore, but also because there was the assumption that any interspecies relationship would lead to a sad life due to not being able to have babies.

- and the same shit again: it took until season 3 to reveal that, oh, those rules about eating each other? THEY DON'T EXIST FOR MARINE LIFE. Wtf. Again, that changes the outlook on this entire world, but it wasn't some in-universe secret, the writer simply kept that information from us. BS.

- actually, similarily, a third complaint: So suddenly everyone's eating meat, the Black Market is visible to anyone? And it's no big deal? Did I DREAM the first 2 seasons where even the mention of eating meat was taboo? Where baring your fangs was taboo?

- oh, and: So there IS a police. Except it's not doing anything, because apparently when the Beastar doesn't do it, nobody else does. wth. Just send the police to deal with Melon and the Kines-production.


And as I paused to write the above and just finished: WTF, THIS IS ONLY PART 1?!!? God, I'm so sick of this "part"-bs that anime started doing. Eff this shit :/

This series was clearly written as it went, as the worldbuilding is shaky and there are some pretty good sized lore holes as mentioned above. I can ignore all of that and still enjoy it for what it is, but my major issues stem from Legosi himself being an... unlikable character. I'll circle back around to that.

This first part final season spends almost the entire time treading water, trying to build up a nonexistent confrontation to pin the 'future' of this society on, I think. Post time skip, Legosi ha dropped out of school, Haru is in college, and for some reason we get to see the remains of the drama club doing their thing without any of the major players, yet Haru, an emotional core of the series has almost no screen time and what little she does get is spent trying to convince everyone around her that Legosi isn't trying to kill/assault her. The Seven character... I'm not even sure what her role in the story is apart from giving someone for Legosi to talk to during his meat withdrawl; she is also conveniently shuffled off after a few interactions. Sea creature, and the whole 'sea dynamic' also fell flat.

Its nice we got to see the beastar finally, even if he has a hokey flashback relationship with Legosi's grandpa. The character (and his rat intel network) is neat, and I like his sleuthing, even if I still don't understand what dynamics are at play here (a wish granted?).

The whole 'forbidden offspring' mixed race thing is pretty jarring for not having been mentioned ever before, but as far as shoehorned plot devices go, it served its purpose.

Aaaaand that brings us back to Legosi; a toxic simp. I get turning your back on your speciated natural desires- an anime trope as old as time- but there are ways to do it that don't make the character look like a naive online 'activist' with (rightfully) no friends because he pushes his narrow beliefs on everyone else. Declaring he will 'protect' all of the 'weak' herbivores from the mean old powerful carnivores in a society where guns exist is just embarrassing. Likewise for starting fist fights with energy drink dealers in dark alley ways who have no idea why you're fighting them. Tearing out your own fangs as a symbol of not eating meat, which you did only once, and now wear fang dentures to speak normally so no one can tell anyway? He was right when he confesses to Luis that he is simply an idiot tugged around by his own 'kinks and fetishes'. The boy needs better supervision. Haru's few scenes with him also reinforce that there is no remaining chemistry here and they would likely be better off going their separate ways.

It's just all so clumsy how Beastars has begun handling its societal commentary, like it wants to say something so much more than it actually has substance in its ideas.

At this point, I'm ready for it to be over and gently slide this one into the memory bank. At least the joker mix character is done entertainingly. The show is kind of riding on him right now.

Also: They claimed in season 3 that Legoshi was unusually big thanks to his Comodo-genes. Wasn't he pretty similar to the other wolves-students in season 1? Feels like another retcon.

Anyway, agreed with everything you said, neflight. Tbh the scene where Legoshi rips out his own fangs really angered me. Nobody would do that. ThaT's just so ... over the top. And sudden. And allthewhile feeling cheap, too, because instead of thinking of a good way to resolve the situation, Legoshi instantly went for the submissive approach. sigh

And yeah, Haru's little screentime was weird, too.