Beastars 2nd Season

Beastars is an anime that I watched in a whole rainy night before the pandemic appeared. At first sight, I ended it and I thought that it was nothing out of the world, but as soon as time passed, I started to rewatch parts of it and I gradually started to think how a delight of a piece it was. And now that I have this second season, I just reafirm it.

If you refuse to watch this just because you don’t want to be called a furry, you are just a reprimed anime watcher that is afraid to like something because of a category; ... and if you have watched it and use the furry stuff to diminish the show’s quality, you didn’t understand anything of this great anime.

Beastars is a work that reaches an even deeper and darker story every time it advances. It is a story about animals except that has nothing to do with animals but a lot more beyond that. It successfully handles a suspense atmosphere and the thrilling moments once again. Mixing aesthetic with an agressive enviroment is something they are good at, and that achieves its goal of letting the mysterious intact and making it very catching as well. This started in its first season being a school drama with a great and deep background about a splitted society, and ended up being a turbulent drama that went even deeper, delving into trafficking, black market and hervibores survival in the outside world.

Between Legoshi and Louis I couldn’t be able to pick one of them. Louis is a king with every letter of the word, whose intelligence and ambition can’t reach any limit, being the real representation of “I don’t know what I want, but I know how to get it”, and this is the season where we get to know his weaknesses more precisely, more natural. He loses that confident facade to show the vulnerable hervibore that, even 13 years later, only tries to survive and that, at the same time, wishes to leave it all behind. His relationship with Legoshi is more intense than ever before, and that’s great, that’s subtle, and what I love about them is how they are not friends and they are not enemies either; they just respect and admire each other, and it’s represented very clear. They barely see each other during the season, but when they do, I can’t help but watch it while I feel it.

“The reason I’m strong isn’t because I want to be happy” is a phrase that hit me in the middle of my forehead. It just makes a huge emphasis on what Legoshi’s feelings are. His constant crisis about him being a carnivore is more present than ever, and that’s amazing. It is just supported with a great and gradual development where he trains his spirit, so by the middle of it he has to choose between his mind and his body. It’s another step to know Legoshi, to his own self-knowledge, and to realize how much he grew up from the first episode of the series. He started as a coward that couldn’t resist his own instincts, a guy that didn’t know who he was nor what he wanted, finally puts his foot down to know and to say what he really wanted. He becomes a character with determination, but he doesn’t lose his common sense either. He knows when he can’t fight, and he knows when he has to speak. Legoshi is a character that I loved from the beginning, but right now, he is great. His growth is so reasonable, according to his personality, according to his own desires, fears and insecurities; is subtle and happens without losing his essence, without leaving behind his natural charisma and graciousness.

The rest of the cast just function as the background of every scene, as they did the previous season. Jack is still a cinnamon roll, a snake appears to be used as a trigger for Legoshi and disappears, and the bully girls drama disappears entirely, thankfully. The only one of the secondaries I want to remark is Bill. That guy was a pain the previous season, but this one I really liked him. He just has some minor changes, but it is more likeable this time. Kudos, Bill. Haru decides what she wants to do and her true affection for Legoshi takes place. Ibuki and Pina are two secondaries that play in the background and craft the story so it could lead both Louis and Legoshi to the place they have to go. Even though they are not developed as the rest, they have a lot of weight in this work, and they are good characters. Ibuki was my favourite, without a doubt.

This season is, in my opinion, a lot better than the first one, and here’s why: it focuses on what the viewer wanted. They took Haru out of the focus to become a real secondary; Juno took the place as the female lead of the season and approached to Louis, developing a relationship that was born as a defiant one. She constantly confronted Louis because of his attitude, but when in this season she knew who he turned into, their relationship changed, and that’s subtle and another piece that helped constructing Louis’ personality. Not only made me like the characters more, but it gave what the viewer expected from this second season: answers. Tem’s killer is devealed and, even though I felt offended because of who it was, it shocked me when I knew the explanation behind it. I’m not a person that rewatches things that I’ve recently watched, but that scene where Tem dies really moved me. It is not good to feel bad for the killer, but that really caught me off guard. The way the killer is fleshed out is amazing too, valuating the prize of life and the different kind of lives. I wanted answers, but when I got them, I didn’t want to know them anymore. It not only embraces more boundaries between carnivores and hervibores, but it also uses very well and in repeated situations with its according explanations.

This OST is probably one of the best this season. The opening is excellent from every point of view, makes justice to this dark season and is pretty intense as it should be. The ending is no different, it just contributes to the melancholy aura. The only CGI I can actually enjoy, once again. It also never fails in terms of direction to demonstrate the fear in hervibores; the frames and the restrained art style just contributes to the amazing atmosphere that is always there.

A marvelous sequel to a good series, where the tension, the drama and the violence reach its peak. I'm thankful for giving it a chance, and I wish I could talk a lot more without spoiling, because it surpassed my expectations by far. Definitely, worth watching.

Let's be honest: Have you ever thought of sequels that just blows the original out of proportion and into peak culture? We definitely have seen quite the popularity of shows with fanbases claiming for sequels after the originals finished their run (i.e. Kaguya-sama, heck even Yuru Camp with their massive score jumps for sequel seasons), and in the case of Beastars, the basis largely stays intact with more world-building, intricate characters, consistent visuals and music to back that score jump.

For those who've already watched Season 1, you know how massively outstanding Beastars was when we needed a breath of fresh air into the light of ... repeating tropes and clichés for adaptations in the same ludicrious manner of money and fame. But Beastars? Even people who don't watch anime, are absolutely floored from such highly intricate levels of detail, that's come from a now well-established studio Orange that is the "Diamond Play Button" hallmark for fully 3DCG anime ever since Houseki no Kuni in 2017, and on Netflix no less. Season 2, takes that hallmark and cradles it even more to substantiate its solid foundation with mangaka Paru Itagaki's sublime writing that is highly considered to be unparalleled for direct inferences to what can best be described as the anime version of Zootopia.

As compared to Season 1 with the whole Cherryton School debacle with finding out the murderer of that one lone alpaca named Tem, Season 2 takes the anthropomorphic animal societial cast both in and out of school, mostly in regards to the main trio: Legoshi, Louis and Haru. With Louis and the massively high expectations of Cherryton School labelling him as the potential "Beastar" in Season 1, his exit comes as both a surprise and a shock to the school, because for all animal schools, each of them has a "Beastar" representative should the imbalance between carnivores and herbivores come to toll and questioning. So, the next potential "Beastar" of Cherryton School is given to the one who can solve Tem's murder, which immediately falls into Legoshi's responsibility, though his personal conviction is the trigger as opposed to marking him on the big scene. And boy, did Legoshi went out of his way to make a 180 degree change of himself from the inside out, despite his desperate attempts to try finding Louis, and in-between, reciprocate his complex understanding of the relationship between him and Haru (which honestly is still a blank at this point, but by no means bad). Louis, like Legoshi, also underwent a huge change, as his exit from Cherryton School meant that he is a free soul, free to do whatever he wants on his own choices. And while sticking together in the lions' den of the Shishigumi is a bold move, changing the inner workings of the Shishigumi from the typical gangster-esque Yakuza-like atmosphere to being a civil-cum-negotiable group, that's gotta be some bold commendation on his part.

Alas, one can tell that both Legoshi and Louis are aiming for the "grass is greener on the other side" turning point of an ideaology by being an alternate societal gap-reality of themselves: Legoshi, training to be a full-on herbivore by supressing his carnivorous senses with panda doctor Gouhin's intense training, and Louis, a herbivore living in a carnivore's world, and learning to get used to consuming carnivorous food at the behest of his own being. Even Haru, as much as she is on the sidelines for Season 2, still greatly cares for both males that are on differing terms, with more of that tangible feeling still as confusing as the typical love triangle. The focal point for Season 2 is more of the world-building, and more importantly, new characters like KajiKaji's dall sheep Pina and Hirosho Shirokuma's brown bear Riz (as the main antagonist). Unsurprisingly, Pina's first appearance in the anime is just as eschewing of the manga: the nonchalant "Ladies' man" Bishounen herbivore that likes to taunt carnivores and twist words to his advantage, I'd say he is an inviter of trouble. Riz on the other hand, is just as unassuming as you would see in the same characteristics as any coloured bear, only except that he knows how to navigate his way through a challenge when the situation calls for it, and is also tactical of his actions.

Once again, studio Orange is back for more brilliance of its 3DCG prowess, and though it retains more or less the same anthropomorphic heart-felt feeling from Season 1, the juxtapose could not be said when there are action scenes within Beastars, and that has always been seen as the "anime is leaps better" pointing-fingers trope of how polished the entire show has become overtime. It's always so satisfying to watch sharp and fluent 3D scenes done proper, and for good measure. But the music, oh good golly heavens. Season 1 has cemented itself in tip-top shape, and while this sequel kinda loses out in a teeny little fraction, it's still great nonetheless for the haven of Yoasobi fans for covering both the OP and ED. I'd also like to give a shoutout to the animators that did the ED visuals, it's all traditionally hand-drawn and painted on paper for a digitally-painted animation montage of over 1000 sheets of drawing paper, that's some fantastic impressive levels of dedication and passion taken to great levels of care, similar to Season 1's stop-motion OP.

Beastars is one of many stellar works that has never once fallen short of a 10/10 adaptation-wise, but to see the series to fruition may only damper one's hopes, so keep your expectations in check. Nonetheless, another outstanding follow-up to what is already the high base of landmarks for 3D anime.

Everyone’s favorite weird looking furry anime is back! Season 1 surprised me by being way better than I thought it was going to be. I hated the animation style, but the story and characters were compelling, and I looked forward to season 2. I can now say that I’ve been surprised once again! Season 2 was so good I almost didn’t mind the funky animation!

Season 1 set up some plot threads, but it didn’t really resolve many of them. It was more of an introduction to the society of Beastars and the characters. Season 2 actually follows up on those and it delivers! Remember that ... mystery in the first season about who ate Tem? Well in season 2 you get to find out who did it. It’s not just a shocking surprise and “what a twist” moment. You actually get to dive into the twisted psychology of the killer! Remember those lion yakuza guys? In this season we actually get to spend time with them and they’re fleshed out to not just be generic bad guys! You know how Legoshi was constantly haunted by his desire for meat? In season 2 he undergoes training to fully conquer his predatory instincts and get one step closer to making his impossible relationship with Haru a reality. Every episode of season 2 ends with a dramatic finish that will have you dying to see the next one. This is a tense ride from beginning to end. I avoided going to heavily into the plot because I REALLY want to avoid spoilers. The ride wouldn’t be nearly as fun if I knew what was going to happen.

The characters you loved in season 1 are all back and better than ever. It’s not just the main trio of Haru, Legoshi, and Chad Elkington that get character development. Bill the tiger was kind of a dick in the first season, but he gets some important character moments here. We also get to learn more about the grouchy panda. No, not that MAL reviewer who shits on your favorite isekai anime. I mean Gohin from the animal black market. Ibuki the yakuza lion ends up being one of the most interesting characters in season 2. The only character I probably could have gone without is Rokume the snake security guard. Her character’s CGI was easily the worst looking part of season 2. Every time she moved; I felt my whole body cringing.

Did you like the OP from last season? Well, this season strikes back with yet another killer OP and a great soundtrack overall. Beastars has solid production values all around, even if the CG art style still takes some real getting used to. I don’t speak Japanese, but I’ve been told the Japanese voice acting is much more natural sounding than in most anime. This seems to be what I heard, but it could just be bias from hearing someone say that. If anyone who speaks Japanese is reading this, please let me know.

If you liked season 1, you should definitely check out season 2! If you haven’t seen season 1 yet though, watch that one first. This isn’t an episodic anime where you can easily just start with season 2. Despite its somewhat off-putting appearance and the furry factor, I’m going to highly recommend this as one of the top anime of winter 2021!

I am dyslexic, therefore there may be one or two spelling and grammar errors but ill try my best to keep them to a minimum.

I watched season 1 of Beaststar's and found it very enjoyable, probably a 8/10 so I was looking forward to the 2nd season. I wanted to see the show explore a world in which predators and prey live together in a uneasy collaboration where the massive power imbalance between carnivores and herbivores stokes civil unrest in a way that mirrors the real world to a certain extent. Additionally the characters that were introduced and built up were appealing and I ... wanted to see more of them especially the very unusual love interest Haru.

So in what ways does season 2 of Beaststars fail? (since you can see I only gave this season a 3/10)
It fails in almost every respect, the characters I found interesting have been destroyed, the world has been watered down and is completely contradictory and there is essentially no interesting social commentary.

This will be the end of the spoiler free section, I have explained very vaguely my problems with season 2, from here on out im going to get a lot more specific.

*SPOILERS*
Ok im not sure exactly where to start here so ill just start with the characters.

Legoshi is an introverted and mostly kind hearted wolf who has some seriously problematic urges and viewpoints, some of those originating from his carnivores instincts like the desire to essentially own Haru as property (and in doing so protect her) or just straight up consume her. he's kind of a stand in for the quite nice guy exemplifying toxic usually masculine behaviors. He was defiantly a flawed character but this wasn't necessarily a bad thing as it gave us a complex character who was trying to better himself. By the end of season 2 Legoshi is a selfish, self-consumed, toxic, aggressive introvert who doesn't care about anyone but himself and maybe Haru if she happens to be on screen at the time. He works out the identity of the murder and instead of turning him into the police, as any reasonable and moral person would have done, he instead confronts the killer which gets a innocent bystander involved putting someone other than himself in serious danger, he then keeps the murders identity hidden for weeks or possibly MONTHS for some reason without telling the police putting everyone in the school in danger and then finally he challenges him to a 1v1 which if he had lost would have allowed the killer to get away with it. He turns the gruesome murder of his friend into a selfish personal vendetta making everything about him, he obviously didn't respect his friend otherwise he would have contacted the police immediately. Additionally Legoshi plays with Juno's feeling at multiple points for some reason, he isnt ignorant of her feeling for him but he refuses to address them and asks things of her which are simply unfair taking her feelings into account. This character has been ruined which is a real issue as we see the world mostly through his eyes, this only exemplified the problems present which I will go into later.

Haru was a very interesting love interest, most love interests are innocent virgins who dote after the main protagonist and have no regrets, so usually there not really fully fleshed out people. Haru is a sexually promiscuous "slut" who has zero interest in the main character till near the end of season 1 and has feelings for someone else while also being funny, confident and driven, she gets bullied by classmates and is defiantly at the bottom of the social hierarchy. She is a person and a genuinely likable one at that, being herself instead of who people would like her to be. By season 2 she has attained the powers of invisibility and is actually in every scene at least that's what i assume has happened because the only other explanation is that she is essentially not in season 2. she probably gets about 2min of run time and the time for which she is on screen she is a shell of her former self, not as bad as Legoshi tho. Her fear of Legoshi is gone, *poof* its nowhere to be seen which is very convenient, very shallow and unsatisfactory. Her love for Louis, gone apparently. Hows she coping with being kidnapped and almost eaten, very well almost as if it never happened. Like wtf this isn't how Haru would have acted, she has instead been shoehorned into more of a traditional love interest to suit the direction of the show and that really sucks.

Louis is one of the only characters that remains mostly unchanged during season 2 but even then he gets completely destroyed in the final episode. Louis is one of the few herbivores in this school with a position of power, he gives off the illusion of physical strength but his real power is that of the pen which he himself realizes and hates about himself perceiving it as weakness. Louis has a need to feel superior to offset his perception of himself as a weak herbivore. He's a manipulator who is lacking strongly in morals. quite a interesting character to watch. by season 2 hes the same character, he become the head of a criminal syndicate (how this happens is really stupid and disappointing btw), manages to level the playing field between herbivores and carnivores by obtaining a gun, even goes so far as to consume meat to feel superior. this is the case till the final episode where the power of friendship triumphs, he sees the error of his ways, comes to Legoshi's aid... who he should hate. He took his love interest away and knocked him out in front of the school demonstrating his weakness to all of them humiliating him. his character collapses in the final episode but at least he lasted till then, additionally the whole arch where he was a mob boss amounted to nothing and was therefore a huge waste of time.

The final character I can be bothered to even mention is Juno who resembles the typical love interest much more then Haru but who Legoshi isn't interested in. She was a great addition in season 1 however is season 2 she also gained the power of invisibility because she is essentially not in season 2. shes in season 2 more then Haru but that's not saying much. Her character is mostly the same but her drive to become the beaststar has disappeared for some reason. Mehh on Juno shes kind of there but not really.

Any other character from the show is ether one dimensional or simply isn't a person and therefore isn't worth mentioning which btw is a lot of them. There's no excuse for this, other anime like "my hero academia" are able to flesh out a much larger cast in a much shorter span of time.

I feel as though i also have to make specific mention to all the lost potential of the show like the numerous different things that are introduced and then dropped never to be mentioned again:
- The Beaststar plotline, mentioned once at the start never mentioned again. Nor the fact that the person who catches the killer would be made the Beaststar. (which is stupid btw, a school would NEVER agree to this)
- The segregation of the school, mentioned a few times, everyone gives VERY basic one sided opinions on the fact they oppose it, never mentioned again. it would have been nice to hear from the opinion of someone supported it. (other then Juno who's reasoning is shallow also)
- Haru and Legoshi's relationship, dropped almost entirely, barely mentioned.
- cosmo the stripper, dropped never to be seen again.
- Jacks strained friendship towards Legoshi, dropped after 2min.

I also need to mention all the really stupid things that happen:
- Kai ripping of kibi's had coming to such a simple resolution. kibi doesn't have any fear of kai/ carnivores like he should to, herbivores are needlessly understanding considering that could have been them.
- Riz being the killer was insanely obvious.
- Bills inter species relationship with a herbivore called Els, mentioned but never expand on much like a whole bunch of hinted inter species relationships which go no where.
- Rokume is introduced and then never mentioned ever again, only used as quest giver for the protagonist and is therefore a stupid addition.
- pina is a stupid character, he isnt deep hes just dumb.
- The mob boss underling being in the exact right place at the exact right time for no conceivable reason other then plot convenience to shoot Agata saving Louis's life.
- Legoshi not being recognized and killed by the mob immediately, taken for dinner and then left alone with the mob's boss. How insanely stupid can a criminal organization be?

As you can see im very disappointed with this season, I felt a strong compulsion to write this review as I believe people are giving it way too much credit. But in summery this season destroyed everything the previous season built up, its messy, there were clearly too many chefs in the kitchen when this was being made, there are too many plot-lines and most get dropped minutes after being introduced, previous characters have been destroyed and turned into something else. Its really quite bad.

Beastars first season was very surprising to me. I didn't expect a show about anthropomorphic animals to be as good as it was, especially since the last comparable thing I saw was the popular US CGI animal copaganda movie. The characters were multifaceted and there was a pretty intricate set of conflicts.

Beastars second season was more surprising in that it was only okay.

Here are my issues with it:

-The story is almost entirely focused on the singular storyline of fighting Tem's murderer, and some of the major developments in that story didn't feel earned.
-The alternate storyline feels repetitive or stagnant rather than having a back and ... forth tension
-Haru was almost completely absent, and her reactions to Legoshi basically disappearing reappearing at will didn't seem realistic.
-The new character, Pina, seems to exist just to move the plot along. He's hyper-competent, except when he isn't, and I didn't understand his motivations.
-Multiple deus ex machina to resolve the conflicts. All the time spent training, which was essentially the entire season, was seemingly pointless.

The characters and momentum from the first season are enough to carry the bad writing across the finish line but if this were a standalone show I would probably say it's just not good. If you're reading this when season 3 comes out and don't have unlimited time to watch anime all day, I would say skip everything after Tem's murderer is discovered and go straight to the next season.

My thoughts

Ok I'm gonna be completely honest with this show, which is that I don't think this show is for everyone. I didn't really enjoy season 1, after I finished I suddenly felt like I just wasted my time. But here is my thoughts for season 2.

Story: 2

I might be monkey brain tbh, but the show did a really bad job explaining what's really happening, like I get what's the show about but its just super confusing. Season 2 so far have did a decent job of explaining, yet its still super confusing for me because of the stuff season 1 brought to me. ... Take this opinion as a grain of salt because i could just be a monkey brain person.

Art: 8

I think the art is very good, the CG actually fits into this show. Studio Orange did a very good job on the CG, however I wouldn't call this amazing or outstanding. The art is good but compared to stuff like, A silent voice, demon slayer, violet evergarden, your name, Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun, and plenty PLENTY more, this show just felt like that kid who thinks he has better grades then other people, but in reality he was just hanging out with the dumb kids (like me).

Sound: 5

OP is definitely better then the first season in my opinion, but other then that it was just meh. Screaming sounded like screaming, walking sounded like walking, stuff just sounded like stuff, there was nothing great or outstanding about the sound.

Character: 1

Ngl, I already know this is the part that I would get hated for. Gonna be honest, i FUCKING hate the characters of the show, and if it wasn't because of these pathetic character the show would've been a meh show. Every time the rabbit comes into a scene, I just get super annoyed, I really don't know why I hate the rabbit so much but the rabbit could literally ruin my whole day. AND I IM NOT JOKING. Other then that the other character's were pretty dull and poorly explained.

Enjoyment: 1

Uhhhhhh, you could probably guessed why...

Overall: 4

This show is not for everyone, pls keep a low expectation for this show because it might ruin your day. Don't have anything else to say, i feel like season 2 is a bit better then season 1 but by not much. Other then that enjoy the show because its actually really good, so good that my monkey brain couldn't handle it LOL

Beastars season 1 was absolutely one of the greatest anime to come out in 2019. The well written characters and gorgeous CG animation allowed the tight narrative to elevate itself in a way most one cour shows could only dream about. Naturally, when a season 2 was immediately confirmed, my hype was palpable, and now that it just finished, let's talk about it.

Story: 9
Remember the first scene of the show? Where a carnivore ruthlessly devours a herbivore in the middle of the night? We're back on that, and our boy Legoshi makes it his mission to find the killer to prove to himself ... that he is strong enough to protect Haru. Along with that, Louis rejects his humanity and becomes the newfound leader of the Lion Yakuza. The story regularly shifts between Legoshi and Louis, and both stories are interesting in their own ways. Legoshi's desire to get stronger leads him down a path you really wouldn't expect, and the further Louis sinks into the dakrness of the world, the more you understand just how complicated the world of Beastars actually is. It's truly compelling to watch, and some twists and turns make the story even more thrilling than what we saw in season 1. We even get time with some side characters at unexpected times, and even that is amazing.

Art: 10
I actually pity those who won't give Beastars a chance because they know it's CG. I don't know how they did it, but the animation honestly looks better than season 1's. The fluid motion really sticks out more, ESPECIALLY during fight scenes. Not only that, but the shot composition is also gorgeous, especially for anime.

Sound: 9
The Beastars soundtrack is nothing but banger after banger, and this season throws some new tracks into the mix. The voice acting is still incredible, and it has been said time and time again that the way characters talk feels very real, and not like your typical anime. When a character is mad, it really feels like a person you know in real life is mad. The unique way the audio was recorded (VA's acted lines out like they were in theater) is the reason for this amazing voice acting, and I hope to god my ears are blessed with this method more in the future.

Character: 10
The best part about Beastars in my opinion are the characters. They just feel so...real. I get it, they're animals, but honestly they're more human than most humans I know. Legoshi goes through some series growth this season, which is important for his future with Haru. Louis's ideals are put under a microscope, and you can truly see how he envisions the world. Even Haru and Juno go through some development, and that says a lot considering they mostly took a back seat this season.

Enjoyment: 9
It's safe to say I'm a huge Beastars simp. Everything talked about above came together so amazingly and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Overall: 9
If you love anime, watch Beastars. If you're a furry, watch Beastars. I really can't recommend this show enough. Orange made this adaptation with love, and you can really tell. For those of you that have already seen it, join me in a prayer circle. We need a Season 3, and fast.

Season 2 of Beastars reminded me just how much I love anime as a medium.

Telling a gripping story about a carnivore coming to realize his place in this anthropomorphous society and going against a fellow carnivore to put an end to the mysterious incident at Cherryton Academy, season 2 of Beastars has taken a huge leap forward in the storytelling department while also still retaining the pros it had in season 1 production-wise, making for a very solid sequel.

Let’s start with the show’s greatest strength: the story. Season 1 of Beastars left off with Legoshi rescuing Haru from the Shishigumi, promising her to become stronger ... than his instincts. Season 2’s story goes back to the show’s roots, bringing up the murder that happened in Cherryton, an incident which Legoshi attempts to solve while also overcoming his predatory instincts. Legoshi’s story develops into something more of a thriller mystery, where the events slowly unfolding onto his life challenges him until the eventual climax approaches, testing the limits of his abilities. On the other side of the spectrum, Louis’s story develops into a story of corruption as it continues with him becoming the boss of the Shishigumi after season 1, giving the criminal organization a more refined reputation in the Black Market, while also finding a new perspective in the life of herbivores and carnivores throughout his experiences. These contrasting viewpoints come together, creating a juxtaposition of justice and injustice, but manages to coincide by the finale. To put it shortly, the show has managed to tell two opposite sides of the coin, each having their own respective journey and eventually combining as one to create and conclude an emotional, dramatic, and memorable arc.

By now, the story of season 2 has definitely made a huge impact in the character development portion of the main characters. Legoshi, being the awkward and reserved wolf he is, hones himself beyond his instincts while also coming to realize how vulnerable herbivores really are in this unfair society of the hunter and the hunted. Meanwhile, Louis, who generally has a dislike to carnivores, has come to realize just how much carnivores have made an impact towards his life and accepting them. However, let’s not forget the other characters who are also just as important as the main duo: Riz, Pina, and Ibuki. Riz, usually seen as the friendly-looking grizzly bear, is eventually revealed as Tem’s killer, but is also struggling with his own personal problems that eventually led him to killing his best friend. Pina gives the impression of nothing but a playboy, but dramatically reveals in a practice session in the Drama Club that, regardless of his status as an herbivore, he will not cower and falter. Ibuki, who is perceived to be a fierce and threatening lion, protects the people he cares about, hating the fact that people have been frightened by him as he grows. Basically, season 1’s purpose is to give a general introduction, while season 2’s purpose is to showcase great development with its various cast of characters.

Going into the production side of things, it certainly feels like season 2 is just more of the same things we’ve seen and heard in the previous season. Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. The animation and art are great as always, assuring you that Studio Orange definitely cares about the source material. A lot of sequences in how the camera angles are shot reminds me why I love this series so much, as it is able to convey fluid movements in its action and dramatic moments. One moment, in particular, was with the Riz and Tem sequence in Cherryton, where it perfectly encapsulated the beauty of friendship between herbivore and carnivore, as well as the horrific aftermath of uncontrollable desires that followed. Aside from its already-great art and cinematography, the show’s soundtrack and the way it is used is exceptional too, like with the sequence of Louis and Juno dancing in the streets of the Black Market, showcasing a stark contrast between the beauty of dancing in a bleak and dark place. I could go on and on about how the art, animation, cinematography, and soundtrack are so good, but that would make this already lengthy review an even longer one, so to sum it all up, Studio Orange’s production of season 2 of Beastars is nothing short of incredible.

In conclusion, season 2 of Beastars is definitely a huge improvement over its already solid debut season, and it is also a good example of how sequels of already great anime should be done. At the time of typing this review, season 2 isn’t released worldwide yet, so be sure to check it out when it does come out on Netflix (hopefully with the original Japanese dub and the English dub), as it will be worth the watch.

The main issue with season 2 is that this arc just doesn’t work well as an animated series. It’s really a string of sub arcs that the series doesn’t have the time to explore properly apart from the main arc as a result of being confined to 12 episodes - consequently this series comes across as a writer who is struggling to know how to advance the story forward, setting up lots of smaller conflicts that don’t really mesh well with one another and ultimately forgetting about them whenever its convenient - by the same token character actions and motivations change on a dime whenever ... the story requires it so that it can jump from one idea to the next - lots of smart sounding explanations are used in an attempt to cover up for the obvious flaws such as: Why isn’t Legoshi contacting the police? ; How come Legoshi will eat bugs and not meat? ; Why is a lion mafia based around pride and respect for their leader eagerly willing to accept a child herbivore as their new leader when he killed their previous boss in cold blood? – again the story will attempt to provide answers to these but if you actually look into any of the explanations beyond surface level they just completely fall apart under contradiction

The most frustrating mini conflict that the series introduces is the idea that the next Beastar successor will be whoever can solve the murder case, obviously this is a very confusing idea but narratively at the time I understood why it was introduced as it could bring a lot of new characters and dilemmas to the series - unfortunately however this idea is never explored past its initial set up, I was waiting the whole time for the revelation that Pina only joined the drama club in order to solve the mystery so that he could become the next beastar, or maybe that the snake guard in the beginning set Legoshi on this task just to steal credit afterwards or something to that extent - neither of these ideas are the case however and it just feels like this mini conflict was added purely so that it can be used as a throwback and justification for events in season 3 when that is inevitably produced

The other pointless mini conflict introduced is the idea that the school will be separated into carnivores and herbivores, no mixing - Again as a premise this is interesting and could be used in lots of ways throughout the plot, maybe exploring the pressures of forbidden love across the two groups, or to raise tension between the two sides, however this is not the case. I’m guessing the manga actually did something with this idea which is probably why it was added as a set up to the series but again they just don’t have the run time to explore this idea at all and it ultimately feels completely redundant in the show

A special note must be added for Louise dialogue this season - Louise was always a bit of a mouthpiece to shout philosophy and edgy lines in season 1 but they really take it to the next level in season 2, at least season 1 balances his character so that there are down to earth moments amongst the chaos but season 2 holds no punches and almost every line from the character is used to preach ideals in a way that comes across like a 2015 emo Tumblr post - I unironically had to pause episodes a few times just to take a minute to compose myself at what is obviously supposed to be an emotional scene - if there was a perfect way to sum up Louise dialogue this season It would be the classic ‘I am 14 and this is deep’. Seeing as this is the Mangakas first full series this is to be expected and will probably improve with experience; I also don’t think it detracts much from the overall story but I still think it’s something that is worth mentioning as its quite funny.

Also a special note to the Snake character who is introduced and… introduced. I was annoyed around the mid mark of the series as to how little of a role he plays past his introduction but I think what really maxed this idea was ending the series without a single scene in which Legoshi goes back to tell the snake who he thinks the culprit is or anything along those lines – in fact this character was so important to the series that I couldn’t even find a character listing for them on MAL so great job on making use of this character…

Exploring another one of the new additions, The stripper character is seen in 2 episodes and just about with everything else in this series, they come across as entirely redundant – they are introduced, they have one conversation with louise, another later in a bar, and that’s it. Again it feels as though this character was added to the series purely because its an ‘interesting’ scene in the manga and not because it has any overall relevance to the series – I mean you could have at least made the case that this character was added for a fan service moment but it’s all blurred and out of frame anyway so you can’t even justify the character in that regard

To further a previous idea, Louise as part of the mafia is rather underexplored in general – The show dedicates an entire half of an episode exploring an admittedly charming sidestory between the drama clubs cheetah characters and their lama friend, yet fails to set time to expand on its most interesting aspect which is exploring the fraught mental conflict going on inside louise mind about whether his actions are justified as being the head of the lion mob – Aside from 1 scene where a reptile is being sold for meat and the initial task of louise being required to eat meat to enter the mob - there’s no other moral conflicts that are caused as a result of Louise new found position which just feels like completely wasted potential – This could be forgiven if we knew that louise was going to have more conflict in season 3 as a result of being the mafia head but the season ends with louise completely cutting ties with the mob so this concept ends up underutilized in my opinion – actually knowing beastars writing this will probably turn out to be the case and he will do a 180 to turn back to the mob anyway as the show seems to take joy In completely flipping or forgetting character motivation on a whim

Ultimately it feels like this arc was adapted out of necessity for future installments rather than because it’s a worthwhile sequel to make, perhaps a double length series would have allowed for the other narrative conflicts to be explored past their introductions, or to add depth to Louise new found position. Either way I was hoping for a true sequel in s2 that brings new ideas and expands upon season 1 in an interesting and unique way – ultimately however season 2 just comes across as a muddled and washy setup for s3 in my opinion…

I am not even gonna bother writing a long review.

- Nothing makes sense here. Story. Characters. Dialogues. World. Coherence between character relevance and screen time. All of it is absurd.
- The slight possibility that there is actual social criticism (people assume there is in S1 but no one really agrees what is the criticism about), is all in your mind. It doesn't exist.

- Characters are trash. Most of them already were in S1, and they still are. The ones that didn't suck or didn't talk enough to do it, now they do. Zero development or incoherent development for all of them.

- They build up ... hype for an ending that's extremely anticlimactic.

overall a huge pile of s***. Don't waste your time, I gave a 2 because I kinda like the animation, but I wouldn't disagree with someone rating this 1/10

*UPDATED REVIEW FROM PRELIMINARY*

"his fangs... are finally what lifted my curse" - Louis

The melancholy yet harsh truth of reality is what Beastars portrays best, its beautiful layering and development far exceeds many anime as of the recent years. And not many seem to understand why due to its somewhat profound plots that aren't relevant or preternatural as some may say, but the real answer is, that Beastars is the closest thing to modern day time and societal issues, its symbolism by using anthropomorphic animals rather than humans is one of the most creative and smartest ways I’ve seen in which to portray human values. In ... this review I will go off the criteria of Story, Art, Sound, Character and overall enjoyment.

Story - 10/10
The story has so much too express, the world building is unlike almost any other as it splits and divides the two as they rub yet blend with each other, the society in this world tries to bring equality yet there is no where that both carnivores and herbivores stand in, an example of this would be the black market, where many carnivores and herbivores face tragedy, lust and joy. Not everyone is able to understand or live in such a place yet some can break the limits of this. Some things just weren't made for both... yet it is. Beastars still has so much more development to come in this new period of surrounding time. It's a world with no boundaries and somewhere amazing where it's leading it. The characters have so far to go and reach yet it already feels like there somewhere far in only such a short amount of time. As we see the emotion and characters build up one step at a time.

Art - 9/10
The art being CGI still holds its ground with its abstract values that to be fair 2D would not do its justice for any way. Although Beastars may not be 10/10 for its art it still fights amongst the best in my opinion. The thing I believe CGI does even better than 2D is create a atmosphere for the world, it may seem far fetched to some but I believe it's staggering and really shows more of this world then you can even imagine in the first place, from its dark corners to its bright summits it really creates two gaps between this world of pity and damage. We also see the great use of CGI during the fight scenes from the way the characters' bodies move fluidly through the scenes, almost as if I had a front row seat in the moment and a gun to my head just as I couldn't look away even if I wanted too.

Sound - 10/10
The sound.... let me say this again THE SOUND, is tremendously beautiful and creates an atmosphere almost unlike any anime, from its classical and jazz sounding music to its harsh and violent sounds in the most perfect of perfect times. Even whilst I'm writing this review I'm listening to a Beastars soundtrack mix, just because it's something so amazing and that anyone could listen to wherever they go and at any time. Beastars deserves more than what it has, a form of award for it's music and soundtracks would seem fitting at least. The series without the music or sound would change it drastically, it wouldn't be close to what it is now if it weren't for this amazing sound. Just listening to some of the music in this show can bring out emotion in me because it carries the memories with it almost like a weight throughout the series. Some of the best soundtracks in the show include the following:
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXQ85x1cvx4
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6jrysxeNOM
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KMht1cdogDQ
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eO6mntJBo1E
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q06FRYlAZeg

Character - 10/10
The characters have so much development it's not even funny. Just watching these characters can make me cry one moment then laughing the next. It feels like I'm truly witnessing a beautiful world unfold into something even more than what it is already. It blows my mind in only a short period of time, the phenomenal and sinister development of only two characters is just insane and almost shouldn't be possible, Legoshi and Louis face their own reality as the struggles of both their situations become their greatest turning points in the series so far. Not only is Louis battling the new environment in a carnivore filled world but is having to try to adapt to something that no one should ever have to face, Louis has been struggling from the start of his life and it's just an endless road for what may come for him. Legoshi on the other hand has now come to a realization on what he must do, although the people around it find it hard to see him face this environment as it unfolds, he sees that he must finish what was once started in order to serve a meaning of justice into this world of hatred and unbalance. Legoshi and Louis really set the bars high but I can still see the others around them like Jack or Haru developing a lot more as well. The best example to sum this up without dragging it on for ages would be that “it’s as if Louis and Legoshi are only waiting to bloom and grow as individuals whilst crossing each others paths along the way with the help of rain in which is the people around them”.

Enjoyment/Overall - 10/10
Well my enjoyment comes from all of the above topics I spoke about, and overall this series is nothing less than a 10/10, from the way the characters socialize and develop to the beautiful sounds from the surrounding environment. This is all what really makes it deserve a 10/10 at its core.

In conclusion I hope I have put some sort of thought or feeling into you whether it's too start or finish this series, I also do appreciate feedback on this review or any thoughts from yourself. Thank you

I was quite entertained by the first season and decided to go for the second season expecting some more action and development from the characters. After 5 mediocre episodes in season 2 finally there's an intriguing development but it immediately died out and ended by a total anticlimactic final episode. The fight that I anticipated so much from the beginning t urned out to be so weird not even in a good way. I don't hate this season but it definitely took a downturn from first season.

The good thing is at least the opening song is so good kudos to Yoasobi. Besides that I ... don't have anything good to say about this sequel.

i feel like people giving this shit a 10/10 are either being paid or being hold hostage because there's simply no way this anime is good

with the first season of beastars i couldn't tell if this furry debatable work was a complete trash or a genius masterpiece and I feel like a lot of people can relate with that. it's such a weird and different work from most of the animes that at the same time you go "wtf am I watching, what am I doing to myself" you can't stop watching. and when i finished it thinking "now i can finally go back to ... my normal life" we got a second season and i craved to know what would happen for whatever reason. (what kind of sorcery is that??????)

with this season tho, i can finally set down my opinion on "complete trash".


STORY: 4/10

we start off very well, with the mystery behind Tem's death still being a topic that needs to be solved, Louis becoming the Shishigumi leader by chance and Legoshi still struggling to pace himself on his awkward relationship with Haru. very nice, very well. then this cool snake guardian finds Legoshi and talks to him about the murderer still being among them and how he knows only he can catch it. then aside from the first couple of episodes its existence is completely forgotten, he doesn't appear any more and even when legoshi is able to find out who the murderer is, guess what? he still doesn't even tell snake guardian who led him in the right path in the first place.

besides that, there's A SHIT TON of things out of place that were just not developed at all. (SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!!!) for example, they centered whole five minutes on this animal farm ripoff meeting to talk about how would they choose the next beastar and set on whoever catches the culprit for tem's death would receive the title, but he never did and there's no mention of it anymore further in the story (which means, they still don't have a new beastar). the way legoshi found out the murderer was also such a turndown, a whole season centered around it and the mystery ends with "yeah, it was me". what???? also why did he needed to kidnap legoshi? it made no sense in the story besides helping legoshi finding out who the culprit was, someone who until now had no highlight in the story and could be easily forgotten (i forgot about its existence completely for sure). Haru is almost non-existent in this season at all, it is almost laughable how the other season was centered around her and she was completely forgotten in this one, she doesn't even play a big role on the story besides being one of the reasons why legoshi wants to catch the murderer. and wtf was that ending? we still don't know what happened between their relationship, are they dating or what? and why does ibuki tried to kill louis if he was such an important person to him in the first place??? what is juno and haru's relationship now?

there are so many loose ends you can't actually finish the season without a bitter aftertaste. specially when the season whole motto revolves around "put as much gore as we can" (like dude actually ripped off the other's arm and that was it).

and don't even get me started on that fight???? 12 episodes "building up the tension" (there was no tension at all, they didn't even tried) for it and we get a fight with legoshi under the effects of lsd and with 4 coffee breaks. AND HE STILL LOSES. and that convo between louis and legoshi like what is going on?????



ART AND SOUND: 6/10

art is pretty meh, not differently from the previous season. i never understood the reason why 3d animated series put background characters as 2d tho, seems very unfitting and doesn't match the rest of the animation

sound is also nothing special, besides the boppin' op and ed is nothing really remarkable



CHARACTERS: 3/10

there was no character development whatsoever in this season (maybe a bit of louis but also debatable). legoshi's batman training can't be even considered as development, also it had no purpose at all and didn't make any sense. (SPOILER) like dude you train every day to not eat meat when all the meat you eat is vegan anyway (besides the black market's) and in the end just accepts to eat your best friend's foot without any resistance, what did it served for????

Haru is still bitchy about what does she wants with her life because she still thinks about Louis but at the same time wants to be loved and worshipped by Legoshi, which makes you doubt her when she eventually tells Legoshi that she loves him. Juno is also a great character that made absolutely no difference in the story this time besides being a possible candidate for beastar. even her relationship with Haru was not further developed in the series, which is a shame. and the coolest new character which is the snake guardian also yeets itself out of the series after ep 3.

the best insight we have of a character is probably the murderer's itself, since we didn't know much about him before, and his relationship with Tem, who we could also see a bit more (and dude, I'm sorry Els but your ex is gay). also who would think that the character we would like the most out of this season would be Louis the bitch itself?? that was a pleasant surprise.



OVERALL ENJOYMENT: 4/10

this season was a great turndown from the first one for sure. the feeling of "i want to know what happens" is still there but when you see the conclusion of things you can't be satisfied by it. "that's it??" was everything i could think when i finished it. the show tries to build up tension and mystery during the whole thing and fails amazingly every time. in the end you just want to get over with it and go back to your life, eventually forgetting what was that about because it made no sense at all. someone said that there was way more stuff in the manga that they just brushed it quickly here to compel it in 12 episodes, but I'm not digging my grave so deep to actually go and read it, that was enough animal violence for me. anyways, hope you found this reveal useful, don't believe people saying is a 10, they're either blind or just give 10s to every anime they watch

Beastars is one of those shows with a very confusing setup, so its themes can be interpreted however the hell you want to. If you take the show at face value then it’s going to be some kinkier version of Zootopia, about furries wanting to have bestiality. If you see the show as a big metaphor for social issues, then it can be about people expressing their feeling while keeping control of their sexual urges. Or it can be about discrimination because of a cast system (hello India).

Whichever poison you choose, you have to get over the first snag of the show, which is its ... CGI. No matter how good it seems to be for some, it’s fugly for the casual audience and will only age badly before you know it. But since the subject matter was weird to begin with, it would be a niche series no matter how it looked, so it doesn’t detract anything from the show and is actually adding to its weird atmosphere.

A bigger issue is how there are two plots going on at the same time, with each one having a completely different feel. They don’t mesh very well with each other. This can either alienate the viewer for not getting how they can coexist, or it can add to the weird feeling of the show because the viewer stops trying to reason with the story and just accepts it as its own zany thing. It’s like trying to explain why Bob Squarepants can light a fire on the bottom of the ocean. There is no logical explanation and you just have to accept it as part of the world. Which is why you shouldn’t wonder how can carnivores and herbivores coexist when the former constantly eat the latter. Or why the hell are they having theater plays in a school when students are found dead in the premises and a few city blocks away there is a black market where herbivores are eaten by carnivores, one limb at a time.

There is some mitigation going on, since the grim plot that deals with murders and black markets gets sidelined to the most part. The characters ignore it and the plot we mostly follow is that of a reserved wolf who is trying to have a relationship with a slutty bunny, while a school theater play happens in the background. You get all the usual first world problems people face in schools, like bullying, discrimination, finding the courage to move forward and express your love. On its own this plot is an okay school drama. Simple but makes a point. Once it starts to combine with the other grim plot, well, you HAVE to accept all the crazy stuff that is going on that somehow allows this society to exist. There is no realism compared to our world, so as I said don’t try to explain how it works. For Pete’s sake, the titular title of the show magically changes from becoming a Beastar by having the best performance in a school theater, to becoming a Beastar by finding the brutal killer which everyone was ignoring for 20 episodes. And then there are parts where they train to have sharper teeth and they fight man eating gangs which for some reason are not arrested after the protagonists escape and can just call the cops on them. Don’t try to reason it.

Down to it, Beastars is just weird. It doesn’t have anything to teach you or makes a point, because it takes place in a magical furry land where morality doesn’t apply in the same way in does on our world. The school drama part can be engaging if you can stomach the CGI, but the rest of it is just chaff. It’s not about racism, because the animals belong to different species. It’s not about cast discrimination, because they would have their own separate districts and wouldn’t mingle. It’s not about being honest and brave, because that would mean the carnivores will go amok and eat a lot of animals. Let’s not say anything about what it means to be a furry wolf who likes biting horny furry rabbits. And why is everyone in that world fine with marrying his dinner?

I have to admit, this shit fire. the manga and first season were good but this was super fucking good. the beautifully choreographed fights and smooth animation were huge turn ons. the anime actually made hairless legoshi look good, where in the manga he looked ugly af.


I love the sub plot with Gangster Lois and the search forTem's killer was a thrilling experience. also the training arc wasn't the stereotypical shonen training. It was actually compelling and "deep" if you will.


I would recommend this to anybody who is a fan of drama or to anybody who is a furry.

P.S English is not my primary language.

Quickly review this season.

I was not read manga or another things. Just i was watch the series.

This season very impressive by previously season. Maybe i read manga soon.

Character and story background development is very impressive.

... When i was watching this series, i was stressful. I think producer and manga writer expectation this.

Sounds quality and used parts so strong and impressive.

Enjoyment enjoyment enjoyment directly 10 points for this.

If you want this series go and watch. It is commendable. Overall 9 points.

I dont think so season 3 not coming.

AMAZING, 11/10 if I could.

Story: 9/10
At the beginning of season 1 we see a devouring, and rather than have the story be driven by that they focused on the romance between Haru and Legoshi. In season 2 the story is specifically set around the murder and very little of Haru & Legoshi, so if you liked the first season because of the romance, you will not like season 2 as much. We see a lot more from Louis's Riz's pov in season and learn a bit more about their pasts, intention, and motives. We see less psychological stuff, like Legoshi thoughts and such, but ... I'm ok with that because his mental issues were more or less figured out by the end of season 1. I have never seen a more accurate portrayal of existing than this. I think that to really get the full experience from beastars, think of it as a poem or a representation.

Art: 10/10
The animation is just as good as it was in season 1, the mixed 3d and 2d animation work very well. Something I see a lot of in 3d animation is animation errors and general sloppiness, beastars has none (At least after watching the entire season once I didn't see any). The animation is expectedly consistent throughout the show, all of the characters seem like they have weight and strength. The style itself is quite unique when compared to other 3d anime. The frame rate on the characters is 24fps, not a lot that I can say about this since it really is just a preference for the viewer. I'm glad they did that though because even if doesn't take much effort to change frame rates in 3d it's still really nice to make it seem like you are indeed watching an anime and not an American cartoon.

Sound: 9/10
Nothing outstanding when it comes to environmental sounds meets the standard and that's that. The reason I give a 9/10 here is because of how well done the character's voices are. In both the sub and dub, their voices seem so relevant to how the characters feel and are currently moving, really well done and very lovely.

Character: 10/10
All the character have their own ways of thinking, the way the characters think is so so so real. Every one of the characters seems like somebody that could actually exist, for some of the more important characters we get to 'see' inside of their heads and get to understand their motives and thoughts.
Even the side characters had realistic thinking. The character's designs stay generally the same as in season 1, other than Louis getting a stylish new suit and Legoshi briefly changing color.

Enjoyment: 10/10
I wholeheartedly enjoyed this show and will recommend it to all and everyone. Do not judge this book by its cover, this is not the
"Furry show" that I thought it was when I saw it on Netflix.

Overall: 10/10
A lovely use of time.

This anime is good. Good! Real good.
If there's something wrong.. or so, that's because it has much adult content, that... could've at least been hidden a little bit more. If so, I'd go recommending this to everyone around!

Good parts about it:
1. It's not generic.. typical or predictable at all. Not the main protagonist's personality, not the story, not the developments of the series. nothing at all.

2. With each episode, you get a surprise.. no episode is boring at all. When I started it, I wasn't expecting it to be this good, and kept getting lazy about the episode every week, but when ... I watch it, I'm like "I should've watched it earlier.".

3. The main character is reaaally well-built and has human-like attitude (even though he's a wolf lol) with mixed feelings and try to fight his instincts and change and all in a desperate manner, anyone who tried to change something in themselves before would relate.

Many people think that in all animes main character is always the most developed and supporting characters are flat, but I can't disagree more. Main characters always have a one-pattern behavior, and act on that all the series. But in beastars, the main character himself is well-built and human-like and his actions are also made upon some thinking, not like normal shounen protagonists. Even his morals, are something he thought well about, it wasn't his nature or anything.

4. The mystery and suspense, action in it are also so interesting and keep you want to keep to know more and gets you into it.

5. Other characters are so good and interesting and you can't but to love them. Haru, Pina, Juno's development.. the lions from shishigumi... Louis....louis.. louis.. yes. Who would've imagined such major development.

6. The way the characters speak, is something should be noted. It's never forced and anime-like.. especially the main character, his way of talking is so calm and deep.. They speak so naturally, that's it feels good to hear.


I maybe forgot about some things, but in short, it has an interesting plot with reaal good development of events and a well-built main character. Honestly, I could go on talking about how good the characters are for days. And as I said, unfortunately the only bad aspect is having much adult content that isn't suitable for minors.

Beastars Season 2 almost feels like a different show to the first season. Focusing less on the relationship between Legoshi and Haru and more on what goes on behind the shadows in the Beastars world.

Story - 10/10
The Story picks up just after Season 1 ends as we move onto a new arc. In this arc we follow Legoshi's journey to get stronger and to bring a schoolmate hiding a dark secret to justice. At the same time, we follow Louis and his journey following on from the finale of the first season.

This story is much more intriguing than the first season due to the amount ... of world building we get this time. We spend much more time away from Cherryton Academy and more time with the inhabitants of the Black Market along with those who run it.

Every episode is better than the last this season due to the amount of surprises and the increase in tension as we grow closer to the finale and the conflict that will inevitably take place

Characters - 10/10
This character development this season is unrivalled by the first and is likely unrivalled by most anime too. The two main characters this season are Legoshi and Louis and wow do they get a lot of development. The two of them are put into entirely new situations that they likely never would've seen themselves in as we watch how they adapt to these situations and try to grow stronger.

The new characters, while having nowhere near as much development are still really well written and likable characters that I hope we get to see more of in future seasons (well, with an exception or two).

Sound - 10/10
Just like the first season, the soundtrack is phenomenal. It just fits the atmosphere really well, especially the jazzy tunes during the Shishigumi scenes.

The opening this season is amazing. Sure, the first season's opening was great, but this time we have YOASOBI. It doesn't get any better than that.

Art - 10/10
The artstyle is pretty much the same as the first season, being CGI. And no, this isn't your typical low quality CGI that you might see in other shows this season (i'm looking at you Attack on Titan and Promised Neverland), the CGI in Beastars is really well done.

Unlike the first season, the OP and ED are both in 2D this season. Visually, the OP is definitely a downgrade from the first but this really doesn't take anything away from the show. The ED, however, is a major upgrade. The entire thing is beautifully hand drawn and is up there as one of the best EDs visually. Seriously, it looks amazing.

Overall - 10/10
Beastars is the one anime I look forward to every week this season, for the reasons mentioned above, and will likely end up being my Anime of the Year. If you've watched season one and are thinking about watching this, watch it. Trust me, season one is already great but this surpasses it by a mile. If you didn't enjoy the first season, this may not be for you but i'd still give it a chance to see if it grows on you. And if for some reason you haven't watched season one yet then you should really go watch it.

Beastars does something other stories attempt but never quite go full out with it. It creates a world filled with furries. Usually, this is used in more light-hearted series to add a whimsical nature to it's characters. In Beastars though, it is being used to tell a dark and thrilling story about instinct, upbringing, prejudice, and overcoming nature and habit.

The first season does a lot to establish the characters and the rules for this world. Exploring the dynamics between carnivores and herbivores, establishing how different species and even breeds of the same species interact and judge each other. In season 2, the show explores ... the consequences of these dynamics.

Everyone has their own opinions, their own stakes in the world. All characters have their own way of doing the good thing, presenting the issues and conflict between ideologies in a really unique way. Nobody is in the wrong, which is what makes the conflict so engaging and interesting to unfold.

In conclusion, Beastars is a series that presents a world in which animals built a human-like society, a society ruled by laws of nature. And it explores all of the problems that come with that in an interesting and comprehensive way. With a varied cast of interesting characters, it truly explores a world that's unlike anything I ever seen.