Just like that, the anime that made a lot of people question whether or not they're actually furries has ended officially. But does it end on a high note? As someone who read and quite enjoyed the manga, it was interesting seeing exactly how things deviated. This is not a one-to-one adaptation, as a lot of story beats were either condensed, cut out, or shuffled around. While I do think some of those changes were for the better, it is unfortunate that the BEASTARS anime finale does have a few things holding it back from being truly amazing.

What I liked about this final season was that it took the time to give almost every character room to breathe. While the main characters are definitely Legoshi, Haru, and Louis, the final season did give dedicated moments to a lot of the supporting cast to give the audience a sense of what it was like living in this messed-up society from different perspectives. The second half of this final season continues that trend, and some of my favorite moments of the season focused on the side characters like Jack and Bill. The impact that this society has, the twisted necessary evils required to keep going, and the shady double standards applied to different species to maintain order are still very strongly prevalent. During the first half of the final season, Legoshi was starting to experience this society as a young adult away from the safety of his school. But now he has to directly confront a lot of the violence that makes it what it is, and that's in the form of Melon.

Melon is hands-down the best part of these final episodes. Melon is a dark reflection of Legoshi, who is also a mixed species. However, whereas Legoshi is more mild-mannered and soft-spoken, Melon is loud and theatrical. Whereas Legoshi wants to engage in an interspecies relationship, Melon sees them as a blight on the very society itself. A lot is going on with his character regarding self-destructive tendencies, self-hate, and how he was molded by his own twisted sense of curiosity. There are so many things going on with his character, and he legitimately steals every scene he's in. During the first half of the final season, he was more of this looming, threatening force. But in the second half, he is relishing in all of the acts of depravity that he is engaging in.

A lot of that is definitely sold by his performance as well. Scott Whyte does a fantastic job of playing Melon as an incredibly twisted psychopath. There's so much glee and excitement in his voice when he allows himself to let go, but he's also able to pull it back and hit some really haunting tones. The dub for BEASTARS in general continues to be fantastic, with Jonah Scott continuing to lead the charge with what I can only imagine has been his career-defining role. I will always find it a little bit funny whenever I hear Lara Jill Miller as Haru. I grew up with this woman through Digimon, so hearing her talk about how much she wants to "eat" Legoshi absolutely kills me. If anything, it makes me wish that she were in more mature shows like this. The only problem with the dub is that there are a few instances of double-casting. I kept counting two or three of the same voice actors playing a lot of background or supporting roles. It did get distracting after a certain point, considering the sheer amount of characters in speaking roles throughout this entire show, but when it came to the people front and center, they were given great material to work with.

Speaking of, I'm glad that this part of the final season gave Haru more focus and made her relationship with Legoshi more prominent. She was probably one of the weaker elements of the entire franchise. These episodes do try to showcase them together as much as possible to the point where I legitimately see them as a couple that acknowledges the difficult perceptions of their relationship while also being willing to make an honest effort to do it anyway. Louis's arc is also interesting as he continues to navigate the unfair politics of his position in society. The way the show ties in sexual themes with these feelings of identity and affection is still really strong, with some even coming full circle by the end. All of these characters are tackling this society from completely different angles, and it definitely continues to make you think about what it would be like if a society like this were actually real.

The problem is that while it is a good thing for a lot of those ideas to be left open, especially when it comes to the idea of community and togetherness, the show speeds up to the final episode and stops without actually being about anything in the end. If you look at the show as a simple love story about a young man going against odds to just be with the girl he loves, then I actually feel like it comes out more satisfying in the end. But that's not the only thing that the show is about. These ideas about preserving life, the way that different species are supposed to live in harmony, what do you do when people like Melon exist as sort of this warped conception, are never really addressed. Sometimes the show will highlight that something is messed up, but not really get into the weeds about it. Romances between characters get dropped, plotlines just vanish, and the fates of characters are just left vague by the end, which ultimately leaves the show feeling like there are a bunch of wasted opportunities.

When I look at this final season as a whole, the pacing feels extremely uneven. The first part of the final season and the first batch of episodes in part two follow a sort of slow-burn methodical pace, feeling like glimpses into the lives of all of these characters. But once it starts gearing up towards a final climactic confrontation, things feel rushed. This season needed an extra episode or two as an epilogue to really let the weight of everything that happens settle. It almost feels like the episode count snuck up on the staff, and while it's not like the finale felt like a completely different show, I can't say I walked away from the show feeling as satisfied as I wanted to.

However, while the story did end up feeling a bit rushed in the end, the presentation didn't hold back. If anything, I found a lot of the characters a lot more expressive in this final part compared to most of the anime's run, especially Haru. This final season also integrated a bit more action compared to previous seasons. While it never reached the same heights as the climax of season two, I still felt a lot of the weight and realistic sluggishness in all of the characters' movements. Nothing looked too clean or super well-choreographed, but I think that was to the show's benefit. It feels weird saying that a series about anthropomorphic animals felt very realistic, but I think that was kind of the point when it came to Studio Orange's attempt at capturing a lot of the subtle character acting in how everybody moved. Then, of course, there is the music, which brings a lot of those bombastic horns and smooth jazz to match the different atmospheres. I still think the main leitmotif for this series is something that'll stick with me for a while.

Overall, I was a little bit disappointed by this ending. I can still recommend it to a lot of people, as there is still a lot of good to be found here, and it still stands out as one of the more unique dramas to have come out in the past couple of years. The characters are all incredibly likable and endearing, while the questions that the story poses got me thinking without feeling too preachy. I wanted what was best for everybody in the end. The problem is that even when it didn't adapt everything from the original manga, there still wasn't enough real estate in the anime's run to fully expand upon or improve how a lot of these ideas were presented. This show's finale felt like a gradual ascent on a roller coaster, but then, when it was time to drop into the climax, I felt like I was hitting a wall. While I still appreciate the juicy meal that was BEASTARS, the final bite was far from the most satisfying.