Things escalate quickly for the last two episodes of Beastars, too quickly in fact that we are now moving from school settings to the Black market. Haru and Legosi’s relationship remains in the back seat so far, because this is Legosi’s own journey through and through.
Legosi’s investigation comes to a standstill where he’s pretty much sticking his nose in where it doesn’t belong. First, he questions the carnivore members as he thinks they (including himself) are the main suspects for Tem’s murder. It’s one of the “taboos” that no one likes, and dares, mentioning so it doesn’t surprise me that the group members feel unsettling about it. He then encounters – or to put it more correctly, is ambushed – by the culprit and it confirms 2 things, at least for now: 1) Legosi IS NOT the killer 2) the killer is ridiculously strong, even with Legosi he beats our poor wolf to a pulp. Even then, Legosi manages to bite his neck, that means that whoever has that neck injury could be the main culprit, but I have a feeling that this sets up to be a misdirection.
Not that Beastars has much interest in following that direction, anyway. What fascinates me about the series so far is how the story is constructed more as an allegorical tale than as a clear-cut love story between a wolf and a rabbit. Whether it’s gender-politics or racist issues or whatever topic she touches on are muddled, though, as I don’t have a clear sense what her ultimate “message” is. In a sense it feels like Beastars is committed to asking questions rather than answering them. Maybe at heart it’s just a story about these individuals who learn to accept themselves despite what their “assigned roles” are supposed to be.
And that couldn’t be any more truer in Louis’s case, as he literally steps out of his own cage just to find himself struggling in a much bigger cage. In episode 3, it’s revealed that the decision to put Louis as the leader of the Lion gang is not his own but by the rest of the gang who are like a chicken running without its head. The trial is brutal, eat meat or you become the meat yourself. Although Louis coming there prepared to die, he also sees an opportunity to escape his own fate. He doesn’t get much better by doing that though, simply because deer doesn’t eat meat. For me, more than Legosi, Louis rises to the top but by sacrificing himself with chains that forever tie him up to become his true self. Even with the help of Commander-in-Chief Ibuki I don’t think it will fare any better for Louis at the end of the day. But maybe that is Louis’s goal all along, trying to sip out as much power and dark secrets as he can before his body’s dying out.
The last two episodes introduce other two remarkable characters: Pina the sheep and Cosmo (I don’t know what animal she is) – noted that they are both herbivores who tip-toeing their presence with the carnivorous counterparts. Pina is the perfect replacement for Louis – the prince-type who walks into the theatre troupe like he owns it. He taunts Legosi for his scars and he’s posed to be the right candidate for Beastars role (and male lead for the play), although I don’t know how relevant his role is now considering Legosi escapes to the Black market. Cosmo’s appearance is fascinating as well. She’s using her body to “seduce” the carnivores. It’s such a beautiful extension to this dark, unfair world and an interesting angle to explore, so much so that I’m willing to overlook the shaky parts of her nearly got eaten (so clumsy the exposition for me) and the way the show sets her up to be Louis’ love interest. Please, do more with her characters, she’s such a treasure.
As Legosi decides to stay out of the school, he both literally and figuratively leaves his best mate Jack behind in a moment where I assume that things won’t be the same anymore. I’m glad to see our Panda guard Gouhin back for sure, he’s always the kind that has a great banter with Legosi, and Legosi desperately needs a “mentor” with the state he is in now. The one that I feel most left out in this season is undoubtedly Haru. Not only I don’t feel her contributing much to the story, but also her brief encounters with Legosi feel lacking for me. Now that the settings change drastically to a darker, more sinister “Black Market”, I figure it’s time for Legosi and Louis to cross paths as they are in the opposite points of their lives right now.
