LogFAQs > #969840848

BONUS. Beastars
https://myanimelist.net/anime/39195/Beastars
Fall 2019 (12 episodes), Winter 2021 (12 episodes)
My Score: TBA, MAL Score: 7.86/10 S1, 7.82/10 S2
Best Character: Haru
Recommended by: @Bane_Of_Despair

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgo9dJB_icw

Premise: In a world of anthropomorphic animal people, there's an uncomfortable divide between herbivores and carnivores. A wolf named Legoshi experiences that firsthand after a student at his school gets devoured.

The Good: Beastars is a drama set in a world of animal people. All of them are intelligent, but the differences between herbivores and carnivores often make coexistence difficult. Legoshi is a large and imposing wolf, but he strives to stay timid and non-threatening. When tensions are high after another student is eaten, however, Legoshi nearly gives into his urges. Only luck and circumstances keep him from eating a little rabbit girl named Haru (I refuse to use Hal like the Netflix subtitles because the characters are clearly saying Haru). After that, Legoshi begins to examine what it really means to be a carnivore in a world where all potential prey is sentient. He also explores an odd attachment he feels towards Haru, the rabbit he almost ate.

All of that was neat and interesting. I actually found myself thinking about the themes and character dynamics in Beastars a lot more than I usually do. Sadly, my overall opinion wound up being pretty mixed. I liked Legoshi, and his inner turmoil while exploring his identity was good. There were a lot of great side characters too, including small roles like the chicken girl who sold her eggs. The world-building was solid. There was a lot of thought put into what this society would really be like. Even the CGI animation style grew on me, though early on it was a bit janky. Still, my favorite thing was examining the relationship between Legoshi and Haru. They had such a unique dynamic, one where both of them needed to fight their instincts just to be near each other. They also had fun interactions where, personality-wise, the tiny rabbit was a lot more forceful and confident than the big wolf. All of that was great, and my biggest complaint is that they didn't focus on it more.

The Bad: Like I said above, exploring the Legoshi/Haru relationship was my favorite thing in Beastars. Most of the other plotlines felt misused or just not as interesting. I really didn't like Louis. I thought he undermined both Legoshi and Haru's character development most of the time. Like, I could organize everything about the show better in my head if Louis just wasn't in it at all. Most of the arcs in the black market were also too grim for my tastes. I would've preferred it if the murder mystery got more focus early on instead. The idea of a carnivore losing control and eating someone is so much more applicable to the the Legoshi/Haru relationship than any of that other stuff.

Overall: Beastars was an interesting story. There was clearly a lot of thought put into the characters, their dynamics, and the world they inhabited. It's always nice when a show gets me thinking as much as this one did. Sadly, the conclusion I ultimately reached was that a lot of it just wasn't for me. I enjoyed Legoshi, Haru, and especially their relationship. The story never gave them the focus they deserved, however, especially in the second season. I didn't like Louis, and I didn't like a few of the darker, action-oriented arcs the show focused on instead. Overall, my feelings were mixed, and this will probably end up ranking somewhere in my bottom half. I'm still glad Bane recommend it, though! This was an anime with a lot of heart and a lot of good ideas, it just came together in ways that didn't appeal to me specifically. I can easily see how other people would really like it. The unique Haru/Legoshi relationship also made watching it worthwhile regardless, so thank you again for recommending it, Bane!