"To conquer this world, you need to live by instincts. I can't even get in the ring. You can just have me if you want. But I want you to know, that even a pathetic animal like me had a reason to run away or cry out in fear."
Look beneath the anthropomorphic high school drama gimmick and you will find a show with incredible character depth, storytelling and metaphorical meaning. It explores themes such as self-control, temptation, school dynamics, forbidden love - typical coming-of-age themes, albeit presented in a different light. The show doesn't shy away from social and political themes as well, seamlessly including elements
...
of corruption, black market trade and homicide into its major plotlines. As a result, the show feels fresh and even defies genre expectations, despite its familiar premise. With surprising depth and maturity, the show delivers in both fun entertainment and intellectual stimulation. I had a great time.
First and foremost, Beastars is not a show for kids, unlike Zootopia, whose major goal is to present mature ideas to young viewers through fun, palatable morsels. Blood, gore, sex, death and underground activity pervades Beastars. After all, it is typical of animes and mangas to pursue a more hard-core, visceral style than Western animation. The violence depicted in this show is fairly consistent and does not come off as gratuitous. For example, the fight scenes have proper build up and hold weight. There is a reason behind each act of violence, so when blood splatters across the screen, it captivates you and draws you to the edge of your seat. While perverts were missing out on romantic themes in Zootopia (I am ashamed to say I am part of that cohort), Legoshi places romance at the forefront and does it many folds better than many, including me, could have imagined. The conflicted romantic feelings of Legoshi, often accompanied by imaginary sequences that feature breathtaking visual flourishes, give the show its heart and soul. Beastars is about a wolf who yearns over a rabbit yet feels reluctant to open up, be it a problem of his introvert nature, or his canivorous instincts, or the taboo that surrounds "inter-species" sex. Connect them to all sorts of real-life scenarios and you find a plethora of metaphorical meaning. Eventually, you find that the anthropomorthic concept proves to be an ingenious way to explore mature themes about school, society, and self, which is a shame that it is overseen due to the overall stigma or aversion certain general audiences hold towards anthropomorphic characters.
Speaking of which, the show's best asset is its characters. While not a lot of character development takes place over the span of 12 episodes, the major ones are very fleshed-out, their personalities and backstories as interesting as the animal personas they inhabit. Legoshi, the protagonist, is a shy, quiet, gentle wolf who despises and strains to subdue the belligerent, voracious beast inside him. Raisu, a model student, is a stern, callous, and capable deer, with a knack for leadership and reading thoughts, constantly struggling to fulfill his own expectations and hide his weak side with a glassy facade. Halu, a female senior, is a small, kind, thoughtful rabbit, who is ostracized by her fellow students, loves daydreaming, and hopes to be respected and recognized by the cold world she lives in. The way the show presents each facet of their character is meticulous and methodical, a mark of great storytelling skills. For example, it is only when we have grown fond of Halu's innocence and attitude that we are presented with her ugly side - an infamous prostitute. We are told the reasons behind her actions in the last episodes of the show, where in a "death note" she wrote about wanting to be seen as equals by the society instead of a worthless being that does not command respect. Such character depth is present in many other characters of this show. It exemplifies how a show can concoct high quality characters when given the right mix of a good source material, and screenwriters with a good eye on the human condition.
The technical front of this show is incredible. Although I had reservations regarding the animation in certain scenes, where character movements could feel too smooth for the typically jagged 2D animation, I had a blast with the show's visual presentation. The cinematography is endlessly creative. I especially enjoy the split screen presentation, while paying a homage to the manga the show is based on, also helps the subtle delivery of messages and embraces the "show not tell" technique.
I have rather few critiques about the show, most of them nitpicks. As a western films/television show enthusiast, I am rather new to animes. I did not come into the show expecting a high school setting, and given my distaste for animes of such kind, I was rather discouraged by the end of the first episode. However, I have grown used to it and soon come to view it more positively as the show progresses. I would still prefer a lesser emphasis on the usual high school motifs and more focus on everything else. This is but a nitpick. I cringed at certain scenes where the show references real life attributes of the animals the characters are based on. For example, the "nocturnal" students being able to see during a blackout, the "distaste" felidaes has towards canidaes etc. Although points are given for humor, they stick out like sore thumb in the script, and they bother me no less. I must note that in most occasions the show melds its animal characters with their humanistic settings very well, one of the highlights being the panda character, whose omnivore nature helps the understanding of his character and adds an extra layer of depth. There is a devilishly hilarious sequence at the beginning of an episode told from the perspective of Legoshi's classmate, a hen, who lays eggs for Legoshi's weekly egg sandwich lunch, while she tries to hide her excitement upon the sight of a satisfied customer. While my initial feelings for that sequence were mixed, I view it favourably in retrospect. It is so messed-up that it is memorable, clever, and unique.
Beastars is not for everyone. Those who are not attuned to violent depictions of cute animal-human hybrids (their designs can be sickening, especially their feet) might want to put this aside. Those who would like a show that boasts surprising amount of depth and content, with excellent characters set in a dark and unrelenting world, packed with metaphorical meaning, timeless themes of coming-of-age, and rife with social commentary, this is a show that you shall not pass. Highly recommend this to everyone, not just furries who crave for stimulation and then some.
All (3)FriendsAlso Available atRSS Feeds |
Apr 2, 2020
"To conquer this world, you need to live by instincts. I can't even get in the ring. You can just have me if you want. But I want you to know, that even a pathetic animal like me had a reason to run away or cry out in fear."
Look beneath the anthropomorphic high school drama gimmick and you will find a show with incredible character depth, storytelling and metaphorical meaning. It explores themes such as self-control, temptation, school dynamics, forbidden love - typical coming-of-age themes, albeit presented in a different light. The show doesn't shy away from social and political themes as well, seamlessly including elements ... 
Dec 11, 2018
Aggressive Retsuko
(Anime)
add
I'm trying to recall the points I made 6 months ago. Note that many of the detailed story elements aren't too fresh to me given my vague memories of the show. I will, however, try the best I can to provide an unbiased critique, a personal account on how I view it.
I am ardently hyping for season 2. It is a pretty standard show that caught my attention due to the popularity of a few of its characters, especially Haida, who has since became quite a sensation in the furry fandom. Regardless of that fact, Aggretsuko doesn't exactly break boundaries. It's concept is interesting, but ... |
