Paru Itagaki’s manga identifies itself as a drama and sell it in a complex labyrinth of feelings. Someone such as Legosi adapts a reflective personality, where he spends his time examining himself more than others. It’s a question we the viewers should ask ourselves: can carnivores co-exist in a society with herbivores? The law of nature says otherwise as herbivores are hunted by carnivores. If you go to a zoo and see a lion, tiger, or some carnivore staring at you. Chances are, they are hungry and want to be fed. Living in cages and trapped, robbed of freedom, and deprived of hunting is how animals are treated at the zoo. But in Beastars, everyone is free, at least those who haven’t committed lawful deeds. So, how can carnivores and herbivores exist together without one species wiping out the other?
The answer isn’t simple and that’s what makes Beastars an intriguing specimen. When watching Beastars, it feels as if the show is testing the audience, to see how we examine the character and if we are right or wrong. In the beginning, we meet Legosi, the gray wolf with a rather reserved personality. Despite being a carnivore, you don’t see him as a ferocious beast and in fact, quite the opposite. Being a fan of tragic stories ironically puts him into a position where he faces against drama of his own. After making acquaintance with Haru, a third year rabbit and member of the Cherryton gardening club, the duo builds a complex relationship. It’s the type of character pair you’d least expected similar to Beauty and the Beast. Legosi’s relationship with Haru is the antithesis of a carnivore as he spends his time building a connection with her. He doesn’t see Haru as a prey but rather as a companion, someone he can relate to because both of them share their loneliness. It makes you almost feel sorry for them because part of society has ostracized the pair. Haru’s a scapegoat for this example. When bullied by her peers, Haru treats it as a normal day routine and it’s sad to see how real it is. Bullying can lead to psychological problems with Haru being a victim. It doesn’t take a genius to see how Haru just wants others to accept her and she wants to do whatever it takes, no matter the risk. Even if it means having sex.
It’s a cruel society, isn’t it? Well, maybe not for everyone. When you’re someone like Louis, the third year deer student with a mountain of pride, there’s not much to worry about. And because Beastars loves to play around with its drama, Louis becomes part of this great machine. Now you’re probably asking yourself the question, what exactly is a Beastar? In pure definition, it’s a rank accepted by the anthropomorphic society as a great individual. Think of them as a leader of a great nation, student council president, or important member of society. This type of individual is far from either Legosi or Haru’s reach but the show does push its effort for certain characters such as Louis to become one. Sadly, this anime is only 12 episodes long so the road is still a long way ahead. On the other hand, watching characters develop complex feelings towards one another is instrumental to the show’s success. Like teenagers growing up, characters experience livelihood and what they depend on to be in their society. Do Haru and Legosi depend on each other to survive? Does Louis depend on his social class to become a Beastar? Or even someone like Juno, can she depend on herself to build a loving relationship with someone like Legosi? These are some of the complex questions in the show and the answer may be ambiguous. Back to what I mentioned before, Beastars feels as if the anime is testing us to understand the characters. This isn’t some Zootopia where every day in sunshine and joy. Beastars carries a dark tone of storytelling clouded with complex feelings between characters. Actions has consequences. The animal world is imperfect. And this show opens up the nature of animals at its darkest of hours.
As someone who has read the manga, expectations from this adaptation was high with its unique artwork. The manga is drawn with a simple yet very effective way of art style that depicts characters’ animalistic natures without being too real or fake. It’s most noticeable when characters’ animal instinct kicks in and feelings sometimes overtake their personalities, such as the case of Legosi. Other times, it’s drawn with fragile context such as the case of the dwarf sized rabbit Haru. Society in Beastars is mostly not different from our own with established schools, residence, and modern houses. It’s not the type of nature where we see their society being completely free. Action has consequences like I said before, and there are rules to obey. Still, I want to throw this out there right now that if you plan to watch Beastars, be aware of its mature content. The law of nature has very little limits when animals behave like animals. Bloodshed, torture, and abuse is not an uncommon sight. Haru is a testament of fragileness as she is smaller than most characters. And putting her into this society shows how vulnerable rabbits can be.
The most unlikely of pairs, a rabbit and a gray wolf having complex thoughts with one and the other. Who would of thought? Beastars seemingly makes the impossible a reality, a society where carnivores aren’t just free to fill their appetite. Legosi’s predatory instincts tests the limits of how much a carnivore can resist themselves and while it’s not always easy, he gives us an insider look at their psyche. Watching Beastars is more than just about a drama story of Beauty and the Beast but as a way of showing how cruel the real world can really be.
