This Week in Anime

Was BEASTARS Worth the Wait?

Andy
Welcome to the Jellicle world of Anime.

Studio Orange really tried on this one. They've proven not only that they're better at CG than CATS, but also that they're horny for DOGS (which are not cats).

Horny teens ain't new to anime, and the internet could arguably use less horny animal people, but that's only a problem because most of those things aren't BEASTARS. Which approaches themes of sexuality and depression against a backdrop of societal oppression and extremely upfront logical questions about different animals boning. Questions like: Is it a kink for chickens to watch you eat their eggs?

Look, I'm sure your upbringing has lots of questions and unconventional results as an adult when you're the literal heir of the Baki throne. Paru Itagaki is a champ and if I ever get the chance to meet her I know the perfect place to go.

He's the most relatable protagonist we've had at TWIA in quite a while.

He's a good boy that hasn't been domesticated enough to be happy-go-lucky. Instead he slouches in the shadows and tries his best to go unnoticed. Oh right, this show is also a murder mystery? But don't get too attached to that because it turns out that you can only fit so much into 12 episodes, and we've got a lot of sexual frustration to get through.

Or, as we learn later, are happy to cover up to keep the peace! Everyone in BEASTARS is supposed to be strictly vegetarian, and it tends to go badly whenever anyone gets a taste otherwise. This kind of cowing of carnivore instincts seems to be a necessary step to co-existing with prey animals, but the stigma that one of them could murder the other at any moment hangs heavy over every interaction.

There's only one way to be sure.

The supporting cast is built expertly to further emphasize each of his issues. Where Haru is a good inclusion in the problem of "how does sex work between a really tall person and a really short one?" The main dichotomy in the story is between Legosi and Louis (who, much like the dub, I also refuse to call Rouis), and the imbalance in those who want power but lack it, and those that have power and wish to never use it. Note: This also comes off very horny.

He's got the deer fear! And he's so ashamed and hateful of it that he's decided the best way to overcome it is to make others fear how much they love him. He's certainly learned how to command a room, but at the end of the day he has to keep up an impossible facade, because any slip and his own mind starts screaming that he's nothing more than another weak herbivore.

Can we take a moment to appreciate that the show is kickstarted with the death of the Drama Llama?

HIGH STAKES DRAMA CLUB. Also, while it originally felt like a throwaway point, it's increasingly obvious how important the weirdness of this club is. First off, this is a fancy ass private school, and yet the only people allowed into the drama club are personally scouted from the weirdest and shittiest circumstances possible and then enrolled into this school to partake in the club. Every one of these characters explicitly have tragic anime backstories. We don't see them all, but they're there! Which really begs the question:

God the art style they used for that segment was so creepy and good. Also guessing that's why Louis is so eager to lose his foot.

Not exactly a memory worth a Randy Newman song.

OP of the Deer right there.

Let it be known that if you, like me, grew up watching Digimon on cable TV, then this dub is gonna give you a hell of a life experience listening to Kairi talk about wolf pubes.

Coward! But really, the acting in both the sub and dub are very good, but I really did enjoy her as Haru. While her two idiot boys are busy putting themselves on edge 24/7, she tries her best to live the life of a creature who is meant to be on edge 24/7, and honestly the way it informs her life makes a ton of sense.

The idea that everyone shows their true self in bed is Haru's gateway to an actual, if brief, connection with others. Hence the irony in both her main relationships. She assumes Legoshi's weird virgin vibes and inability to articulate anything means he shows up wanting the same thing everyone else does from her, and his freaking the hell out at being fuckable begins an extremely awkward friendship between two people who just want someone to see them. Extreme shout out by the way to the visual combo logic of rabbits living on the moon, wolves looking to the moon, and Legoshi thinking of his near wolfjob in the moon.

BEASTARS has some messages about society, and it ain't exactly subtle. The saddest part is that this is compounded by her relationship with Louis. She met him in a moment of weakness and helped cover for him, and that sparked into a secret relationship, but when push comes to shove it's not much more than she gets from anyone else.

in the end she's a refuge, and while to her that's better than being a throwaway sex object, it still has nothing to do with treating you as your own person.

Juno is a great addition to the cast. As Legoshi finally starts to figure out his place in the world, and how he personally sees life as a carnivore, she shows up to thrust him into the spotlight as the exact opposite of what he believes. That she decides the fight over Legoshi, and therefore the school, is with Louis is the icing on the cake. His, "Girl, he ain't even into me. I cannot wait until you discover his kink," in response is so petty and great.

That's not to say she doesn't have a chance. Sometimes what seems to be a perfect couple runs into a snag or two, like sexual incompatibility.

Heya kid, wanna buy a finger? Fresh from the source!

I appreciate doctors that go above and beyond for their patients. Naturally, this means I am entirely on board with the Panda Physician who treats his patients by murdering their enemies with a bamboo crossbow.

I'd normally agree but it's certainly not the worst kink in the market.

You're right, O Maidens does still have some flaws.

You mean you don't enjoy the half episode of violence followed by the most awkward attempted sex scene, followed by them returning to the festival with everyone aware of the rescue but kinda just shrugging it off and keeping on with the festivities?

WHO GAVE HIM A GUN??
BAMBI 2 UP IN THIS SHIT

Turns out Legoshi calling out Louis for refusing to rescue Haru had about half effectiveness. Rather than join him in his mission, Louis instead internalized the shame of giving into the corrupt society and decided to do a murder with a mob boss and his hungry minions. Which only happens because even in murder mode Legoshi is too kind to properly tear out a throat, even if it really really looks like he does.

Also note the very subtle visual for vore. That's what we call foreshadowing.

Oh, voreshadows? We got those.

I love the detail of all his friends being absolutely sure he cannot pull this off, and then the kicker of him absolutely not pulling this off.

I'm not gonna put the entire blame on them for this though. They both just went through an intensely traumatic experience, and are kind of rushing into this to try and re-solidify their place in the world. Meanwhile the mirrors around them catch the reflections of their current states that they're trying desperately to shove as far down in their minds as possible.

She takes Legoshi's heroic actions pretty well. The reasons behind them on the other hand...

Juno's go-to seems to be to pin people down, and if she'd let go of her crush there's plenty of people who would be into that.

Also there's that whole murder thing, which in case you forgot about it, we end with a wacky first-person POV scene! From the killer! Who Legoshi knows! SEE YA NEXT SEASON! BEASTARS OUT!