Category: Beastars

After the big reveal in episode 7, we go away from Riz for a more mundane school life story. I’m quite amused by how Legosi gives very little attention to Tem’s killer this week, and like I mentioned in my last post Beastars has this “one-minded” and oblique approach to it. It’s apparent in the way that after the big events, everything just reverts back to normal like nothing ever happened (the end of season 1 to the beginning of this season is one prime example). It’s visible in the way that some characters just disappear for a while and then pop back like normal and it’s apparent in the way Beastars keeps changing the focus from the murder mystery to the school events to the star-crossed love. The shift is jarring at times, but looking deeper it fits to the context of its universe. The normalness of Cherryton Academy is just the facade for the unspeakable tension between the carnivores and herbivores. It’s a crack beneath the beautiful pie which gives you a faux sense of peace on the surface, but crack through it and you can see the tension boiling up.

And the short sweet one-off segment of Shiira the leopard and Peach the sheep further examines that sentiment. Here in Cherryton, it’s trendy to have a selfie of carnivores and herbivores together, and Shiira isn’t comfortable with that as she thrives for more intimate relationships. Comes her sudden impulses of inviting Peach for their shopping mall trip and their bond over the dress code. This segment might be unrelated to what Legosi and the cast has been going through, but it’s a perfect examination of the carnies-herbies relationship and their attempt to go over that facade.

Continue reading “Beastars 2 – 08 [Laughing at the Shadows We Cast]” →

Beastars throws a big curveball these past 2 weeks, with the revealing of Tem’s killer. Honestly, it came out of left field that it actually takes me by surprise how straightforward and quickly Legosi resolves this. But as with the nature of Beastars it’s more about the implication behind the killer’s motive and not really about who the killer is. Before we get to the meat of the mystery, however, let’s wind back to episode 6 to see the calm before the coming storm.

It remains true that this season of Beastars is interested in delving into the duality of Louis and Legosi’s fate as they embark on two opposing roads. Episode 6 finds Louis ends one relationship and opens up to another one, both herbivores who are living in a carnivore world. Both ends the way that is beyond Louis’s calculation. His father Oguma doesn’t budge when Louis points the gun at his face. He regrets the lack of emotional attachment between them and still offers Louis a place to come back to. For Cosmo, she blatantly asks him to run away from Black Market while he can. Everyone knows he is stepping to the land of mine here.

Continue reading “Beastars 2 – 06/07 [Fly, O Corrupt One/ Unforgettable Sweetness]” →

Well, this episode certainly caught me off guard. As Legosi decided to enter the Black Market last week, I didn’t expect him to go back to school this soon, although it makes sense in retrospect. The plot threads of Beastars race and Tem’s culprit are still in there, after all. But more than anything presented so far in this second season, for me episode 5 best captures the essence of Beastars’ second season themes: the duality between Legosi and Louis as they are chasing different paths. There’s an interesting parallel between Legosi’s and Louis’s actions for the past several weeks, and this week it becomes predominant. As Louis is forced to eat meat to retain his social status, Legosi trains himself to go full vegan. As Louis determines to clear every ties to advance his ladder (and to prevent them from getting hurt because of him), Legosi tries to live in harmony with the herbivores. The roles have switched between these two, as Louis thinks and acts like a carnivore, and Legosi behaves like a herbivore.

Continue reading “Beastars 2 – 05 [Call it Like it is]” →

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.

Continue reading “Beastars 2 – 03/04 [Changes / Entangled]” →

Beastars is back (and I am, too. It has been a while). Beastars was one of my favorite anime in the last few years, so naturally I was eager for this next installment. These first two episodes of this new season kinda push a reset button to its core story: Haru has limited screentime, other characters are on their new character arcs. They return to Tem’s murder mystery – which was never the main focus in the first season – and set Legosi up to be the central figure of it all. I do find it amusing for Beastars to tab in different directions, but at the same time it feels as if Beastars takes a detour with a different focus to its carnivore/ herbivore themes. 

But boy was this second episode full of surprises.

Continue reading “Beastars 2 – 02 [The Grey Police Hound Runs]” →

Beastars again ups its games considerably this week, offers a darker and deeper takes to its themes. While there is a lot going on in this episode, they’re all interweaving and heading towards the same direction. It’s such a smart move, for example, to delve into Louis’s troubled past at this point of time. Not only we have a great grasp of his character and why he is the way he is now, we can also see the difficult choice and sacrifice he has to make, between Haru the girl he loves and his life goal. This flashback sure is cruel and terrifying – as terrifying as the current day’s plot – Louis remembers his past as a caged prey waiting to be butchered. Although unable to speak nor write, he holds his dignity high and that impresses his later-adoptive father (still, a cruel way to test his resolve). It’s the past that Louis’ trying to forget, but it’s also the past that ties with him and makes him the way he is now: full of pride, determined to be on top.

Continue reading “Beastars – 09” →

Beastars is in pretty good shape this week, as far as the narrative is concerned. We have a great amount of scenes between lovestruck Romeo & Juliet Legosi & Haru in this episode, and Beastars tangles its chemistry web by exploring the chemistry between Louis and Juno. I will start first with what I feel didn’t work too well this week, Juno’s development. When Louis comments that she’s overconfident, my immediate reaction was “nah”. We first saw her literally being bullied just 2 weeks ago, and the way she’s falling for, and declaring her love to Legosi is way too quick. I don’t see any chemistry between her and Legosi, although it’s by design since Legosi doesn’t really think much of her (but Hidaka in Hi Score Girl is basically the same role and she has such strong chemistry with Haruo and she’s the best girl, so…). 

Continue reading “Beastars – 08” →

With this episode I have a good grasp of how to approach Beastars: it’s that of a grand star-crossed Greek play. That would fall neatly in place with the drama performance within the show, and explains Legosi’s heightened expression of love and jealousy at the end. This week, Beastars goes through the love quadrilateral and informs us about the chemistry between each pair. Everyone, especially Louis, encourages Legosi to go out with Juno, and certainly Juno has some affection towards our main boy. Legosi, however, turns her off with his talk about biology (it’s more like chemistry to me) and it’s quite clear that he only has Haru in his mind. Poor Juno who is already lost in a battle before it even starts.

Continue reading “Beastars – 07” →

This episode marks the beginning of the next chapter after introduction phase in the first five episodes. This week it’s all about expanding its unique settings. Many new players are introduced, most notably Juno, the female underclassmen grey wolf, and Gouhin the Panda, who all make a nice first impression. This week is also the first time we see the outside world, and most significantly, the black market. In addition, the core themes about “being true to their nature” takes a sharp progression in this episode, which forces Legosi to re-access what his feeling is for Haru. It’s a truly knockout episode in every sense.

Continue reading “Beastars – 06” →

Episode 4 is kind of a testing game for Legosi’s own nature, but from a new angle they haven’t approached before. Instead of testing his relations towards the herbivores, Beastars introduces Bill the Tiger, another carnivore who is the exact opposite with Legosi. Bill embraces his own nature and is proud of it. He’s macho, isn’t afraid to speak his mind and always wanted to be in the spotlight – your typical alpha dominant type. It’s quite clear how this Bill character is built as a foil for Legosi and further pushes our grey wolf to come to term with his animal instinct, and then some. The “then some” part is ultimately a small dose of rabbit blood that boils Legosi’s own blood. Make no mistake, the vial of blood reminds both Legosi and Bill of their nature. Whereas Legosi sees it as a curse, Bill regards it as something he’s entitled to have. I can clearly see Bill’s argument over this, as up until the second stage performance he walks a fine line between embracing his predator side and getting along well with the rest. As for Legosi, this vial of blood also reminds him strongly of Haru and all his guilt towards harming her.

Continue reading “Beastars – 04/05” →