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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.

Ah yes, Steins;Gate. This series has a special place in so many people's hearts because of they many things it does right with an easy to mess up genre: good ol' time travel. A lot of us were blown away by the brilliant writing and likable characters, especially during those last 12 episodes. When Steins;Gate 0 was announced, the hype was in the air. For me, however, I was somewhat afraid. What could this new show add to a story that doesn't really need a sequel? The answer to that, is answers.

Story: 9/10
Based off a rather big visual novel, 0 tries to blend the ... many routes it has into 23 episodes (and one OVA of course) and does a rather impressive job with it. One thing to note before going into it is that 0 is MUCH more tragic than the original, offering legitimately painful moments that don't feel pointless or unneeded (hi Re:Zero). The story may come across as "all over the place" to some, but this just signifies the insanity of this doomed world line, it covers so much ground, more than the original if I'm being honest. As I look back at the story, I was amazed where the show started and how it's ending, solely due to the fact that we were transported into subjects and possibilities that were only mentioned in the original.

Art: 6/10
This is it, the biggest flaw of the show. Even in the original Steins;Gate, the art wasn't exactly noteworthy. It did, however, get the job done, and never proved to be noticeably lacking. 0's art/animation, however, becomes more than a distraction, it become mystifyingly bad at times. The main moments in question are some of the fight scenes. While they aren't the worst I've seen in my time of watching anime, they are still poorly executed and done rather sloppily. Some characters from a distance are awkward to look at, making some moments feel rather choppy. Despite this, there are still moments that offer rather good animation (i.e. some later fight scenes and the beginning of episode 12 come to mind), which makes up for what was seen earlier in the show.

Sound: 10/10
The. Soundtrack. Is. Godly. Using some of the best songs from the original as well as new eargasmic tunes, the music elevates the melancholy nature of the anime's story, and can sometimes be honestly motivational. Order the OST, it's fantastic. The voice acting is also very powerful. You can tell the VA's poured their hearts out for the vast majority of this show, offering conversations and confrontations that made me laugh, cry, or both.

Characters: 9/10
Steins;Gate succeeds because of it's well written characters, and the character writing is still as potent as ever. Okabe Rintarou (notice how I didn't say Hououin Kyouma) is a broken man, and this is important to take note of. Some complaints I see of 0 revolve around a lack of everyone's favorite mad scientist, and while I agree it's depressing, it fits the show. We are supposed to miss Kyouma's signature laugh, poses, and mannerisms because at the end of the day, all the suffering pays off. Some characters get a much needed spotlight shined onto them, especially Daru and Mayuri. While best girl Makise Kurisu isn't alive in this story, the artificial intelligence with her memories in it even proves to be a good character in it's own right. We even get some new characters, such as loli girl Maho Hiyajo and the walking meme himself, Professor Leskinen. The only flaw to point out is that some characters don't get enough development and are shoved to the side due to the constantly moving plot. This isn't a completely bad thing, but it would've been cool to see more development for the colorful cast the show has.

Enjoyment: 9/10
We finally got more Steins;Gate after about seven years. Despite the long wait, I enjoyed this show just as much as I did when the original started airing. The twists and turns the show has at it's disposal never really faded. I always wanted to know what was going to happen next due, and I was often shocked by some of the development that took place. The show did what it could when it comes to adapting the core of the visual novel, and it is honestly impressive how they handled it. While having some bumps in the road, 0 will make you laugh, bawl your eyes out, ask questions, and make you feel satisfied.

Overall: 9/10
Steins;Gate 0 is an excellent sequel to an equally excellent anime, and may very well be one of the best offerings of the year. Although it doesn't quite match the quality of the original, what we have here is another chapter to a book we thought was finished. It shows different outcomes and stakes for Okabe and his friends, offering a heaping dose of suffering from beginning to end. The real question is: what are you waiting for? Go watch it! El. Psy. Kongroo.