Beastars Season 1 - TV Review

Life can be crazy sometimes. Right now with the COVID-19 going rampant across the world and people having to be locked up in their houses life is crazy for many people, including me. But even with these crazy times we can escape from the real world into countless others from movies, TV, and video games. But some of these pieces of media make us think about the real world and not always in pleasant ways. But sometimes these moments also make us think and philosophize about our own lives and the lives of others. And because of that (and also some interesting clips from the show) I was introduced to Beastars. I just really need to review an anime and this one was just... wow!

Imagine the movie Zootopia set in high school, but with more dark elements of herbivores vs carnivores. The first scene of the show has a wolf lunch at a tiny white rabbit and he almost eats her. Right after that an alpaca student gets attacked and ripped apart by an unknown assailant. Then after that we see all the carnivores on campus, even the very friendly ones, being looked at like by the herbivores like they were a part of the murder. Beastars can get really dark at times, but also has some heartwarming moments like how our main character, a wolf named Legoshi, delivers the love letter of the murdered student to the girl it was intended for.

Legoshi is a very odd character for many reasons. As a wolf you'd expect him to be proud, a leader, and very dignified. However he's very shy, has problems speaking with others, hides a lot of his feelings and his normal wolf mannerisms so he doesn't make his herbivore students uncomfortable, and is very gentle and apologetic. I instantly felt a connection to him because I also had a problems interacting with others and still try to keep conflict to a minimum when I can. But early on in the show he hits that point in his life where is inner wolf, the beast inside him, begins to awake after he sees a cute little dwarf rabbit. As you might realize now, he was the wolf that went after that little rabbit in the first scene of the series.

This part of his character is one of the big themes of the show as he tries to figure out if what he's feeling is the desire to eat his prey or a feeling of love. Connecting it to the real world I believe what this conflict might be is trying to figure out if when we think we love someone if it's really love or if it's just lust for them. These ideas can be hard to distinguish, especially if that person you're interested in is from a different culture or has a very different mindset from you. I have been in such a relationship and it can be difficult at times with how different we grew up and our beliefs and ways of thinking. So at first it's really hard to understand how a wolf can be attracted to a little rabbit without thinking it wants the eat the rabbit.

This rabbit, named Haru, is not some little fragile thing that we at first suspect she is. Well, she kind of is, but she is also adamant into trying to not be viewed in such a way. One of the ways she tries to feel in control of her life is through sex because that way she feels not recognized as a weak bunny, but as someone with a name. But of course because of how cute and delicate she, most characters look at her like she's just a small rabbit. Only two characters (so far) recognize her as such, one being Legoshi and other being a popular red deer named Rouis (or Louis for my fellow English speakers).

To me this relationship between Legoshi and Haru is the main reason to watch the show and see it develop more. It's very awkward at first and they have a hard time communicating to the other. However it builds as the season progresses and we see Legoshi especially struggling if having a relationship with an animal that could easily be his next lunch is wise. I wish there was a bit more before we see Legoshi confess his feelings, but if there is a season 2 (which there is a strong chance of) we'll see it develop more. Even so I find the conflict between these two characters to be so interesting because it's definitely so unorthadox to have a wolf and rabbit fall in love with one another that you mostly feel it's not going to work out. And yet you still hope it does in some way.

This is basically the main story of the show, and yet it didn't feel that pressing for the first couple of episodes. Those first couple of episodes are more focused on a play that Legoshi becomes a part of, lead by the red deer Rouis. This play, and the way Rouis leads it, helps set some stage for some of the big themes throughout the show. I'm not going to talk too much about the play itself, but seeing it happen I believe that (to the human audience watching) it foreshadows how most of the world views the carnivores and how, no matter what, they'll eventually turn savage. Legoshi is fighting this trend of society and with how unique his character is you can't help but genuinely wonder if it's possible for him to not become a savage.

With these simple story points though, if we don't look deeper into the ideas the story is telling us, I do worry that some individuals watching Beastars might be bored because it's a very realistic portrayal of high school life. There are some moments of violence and a bit of romance, but for those looking for something exciting without some really dark moments mixed in you're not going to get into the show. The show very much encourages you to think and that's really good, I'm just noting this down for people who desire a show that's not completely serious with its material.

Now a real complaint I do have for the show is that there isn't much development for most of the other characters. They don't have quirks or stereotypes to them, but we don't get to explore most of them very much. For a high school setting, especially one about growing up and trying to discover who you are, Beastars could benefit from a bit more development to the rest of the cast. I definitely enjoy a majority of the character, but such a world is making me crave for more information. The same complaint can be made a bit to the world itself, but again I still enjoyed a lot of what we got in this first season.

Okay, I've been holding this back for a while, but now I really need to talk about another massive plus for the show: The animation. It's incredible looking, such well rigged 3D models in 2D environments. The way the characters move is so smooth and even more impressive who you look at the designs. Again, it's like Zootopia in appearance, but a bit more realistic. It wouldn't be as impressive if it was 2D because the 3D designs make them feel more... real. More alive. Also with the 3D designs it's easier to make the animations. I don't think I saw a single reused animation throughout this season, it all just felt very fresh and new.

I mean look at the poster for this article and each of the characters on it. Each of them instantly stands out, from the color to their looks, to their facial expressions. I'm sure most people who have watched a bit of movie media have seen the clip from the "live-action" Lion King where Mufasa falls into the pit and Simba yells, "Nooooooooo!" That was so expressionless it was painful. Now yes Beastars is a lot more animated than that disaster from Disney, but it also takes realistic designs and adds ways to make the characters expressive so we can clearly tell how they feel.

Overall, Beastars made a huge impression on me. It made me consider the people I've interacted with in the past and my previous relationship. Such an eye-opening and deep anime deserves a lot of attention. The animation was amazing, the main characters very interesting, and the world and story has a lot of possibilities going forward. It just needs more development to side characters and keep the tone very similar and it'll be remembered for years to come!

Tentative Score: 8.5/10

Definitive Score: 8.5/10

Ah man I need a serious anime in my life and Beastars was just perfect. I like stuff such as Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Doctor Stone, and Demon Slayer (though that's also a very serious show and it's also amazing), but sometimes I need something a little more grounded in reality. I do hope it'll get another season, but with how popular it's become there's very little doubt this won't be the last we see of Legoshi and Haru!