This was very much an “anime giveth, anime taketh away” sort of day. Good news and bad news to be sure, where both a drop of common sense and the maddening venality of the industry were on display. I’ll take more about the latter tonight to be sure, but the good news is certainly very good – Beastars is coming back for a second season. The manga is ongoing so there’s no reason to think that will get us to the end, but it’s sure better than nothing. This is a series with a lot to say and a fascinating way of saying it, and you can’t have too may of those.
As much as I’ve tried to, it’s hard to divorce the events of this narrative from their subtext. I mean, that’s self-evident. But as this is the final episode of the season plot should take precedence I think. It’s hard enough for any two teens to be in a meaningful romantic relationship, never mind adding the whole carnivore-herbivore factor in. I’m not sure what Paru-sensei is trying to tell us by that, but the gist of it is it’s even more complicated than usual. And it’s largely thanks to the personalities of the two of them, whatever biological imperatives are behind them.
The first thing that struck me here was Haru saying she felt guilty over day tripping Legosi in the love hotel. This is the first major obstacle in the relationship – Haru’s self-esteem. This is a girl who’s always used her body as a means of establishing self-worth, and in the process diminished her sense of it even more. She even admits is outright – Legosi is really the first guy who’s seen her as something precious and valuable in her own right (which is quite an indictment of Louis,. it should be noted). The trap here is obvious – the more Legosi establishes himself as a special person in Haru’s eyes, the more unworthy of him she’ll feel.
There’s so much irony embedded in all this, even if one doesn’t factor in the allegorical element. In point of fact Haru turning Legosi down was a compliment – he was the first guy she considered important enough to say no to. Legosi of course has to deal with the normal complications of being an overcharged teenage male with no way of acting on it, but his determination to win Haru doesn’t waver in the slightest. Each of them are so busy blaming themselves for the difficulty in their being together that they’re getting in their own way. And of course the whole “rabbit-wolf” thing gives them a convenient excuse to keep failing.
Then we have Juno. With Louis missing, she takes over as the lead performer in the meteor festival performance. She goes to see Legosi in the infirmary the morning after the night before, and bullies Haru in the process (I guess species takes precedence over seniority). She manipulates events to try and force Legosi into her arms. Juno comes off as pretty much a full-on yandere character here, and as such one of the more generic elements of a very unique series. But the harder she tries to put the squeeze on Legosi, the more he seems to slip out of her grasp.
It does finally all come out in the open – after all those false starts Legosi manages to confess his love to Haru, and she doesn’t bother trying to deny she feels the same. But whatever symbolic underpinnings one attaches to them, the obstacles between these two and couplehood remain very real. As for Louis we never do get an explanation of what’s happened with him – but it’s certainly hinted that it has something to do with these, and that he’s the person Legosi is speaking to in the epilogue. That seems like a feint to me, but we’ll see sometime in 2020.
If it weren’t for that end card (well – I knew already, but you get my point) I certainly would have found this to be a frustrating way for Beastars to end. It wasn’t as compelling as the last couple of episodes to be sure, but the reason is obvious – this “finale” was mostly about setting up events for the second season. It’s obvious that there are limitless possibilities there – this series is just on another level from most in terms of depth and complexity. It’s one that can be appreciated on a number of different levels, which is in itself a very rare quality in anime. Whether you want to see it strictly as a school drama with furries or as an allegory for something much bigger, Beastars has you covered in incredibly engaging and entertaining fashion.
End Card:
MLR
December 27, 2019 at 8:25 pm“[…]the maddening venality of the industry were on display.” Ugh. Don’t tell me. That was a hard pill to swallow. I only started watching seasonals in 2014, but Hoshiai no Sora was probably one of the most messed up finales I’ve ever witnessed (the OP being cut short is killing me – quite the bold move in hindsight). I’m eagerly waiting to see your take on it, I’m betting it won’t be an easy one to write!
But hey, Beastars! Glad the second season is coming, I want the Netflix release to bring more viewers as I felt it was not THAT popular as I thought it would be.
“Whether you want to see it strictly as a school drama with furries or as an allegory for something much bigger, Beastars has you covered in incredibly engaging and entertaining fashion.” I’m re-watching the show with a relative (these last two episodes are going to be awkward again…) and noticed that while it does perform wel in both departments, sometimes I feel like they don’t… blend together so well? I remember you pointing out in the early episodes, that it’s hard to not (over)think the show in certain occasions, so it took a while to get used to the two sides of Beastars, only because they couldn’t merge into one very often imo.
That “something much bigger” is what ultimately elevates the anime to new heights, but it seems it has yet to show its true fangs, even with these last couple episodes being what they were. Oh, the pains of not being a manga reader…
Guardian Enzo
December 27, 2019 at 8:44 pmTaking things at face level has gotten easier for me over the last several episodes. I still want to read into everything, but the circuit closed enough for me to care about the characters for their own sake.
A.Sade
December 28, 2019 at 1:54 amI haven’t had the time to watch the episode in its entirety yet, but from what you said and the screenshots you took, it seems to me like the anime adapted the manga quite faithfully in this last episode (as with most of the rest). In that sense, the lack of closure isn’t really the anime’s fault, though I do imagine that without the second season announcement, the anime committee may have tried to add something to tie things up better.
Overall, as a manga reader who only started the manga after your Season Preview post and ended up loving it to bits, I’m unbelievably happy with the anime. It’s the only anime in recent memory that I followed weekly even though I already read the manga, because the anime manages to surprise me every time with the wonderful cinematography and OST (now released on YouTube in all its glory).
I really enjoyed reading your weekly posts on it too, and I’ll be missing that part of my Thursdays. If you want a little more Beastars before the second season and you haven’t done so already, consider looking at Chapter 30 of the manga. It has a pretty amazing scene that Studio Orange cut out. In fact, I highly recommend reading the entire manga up till the place where the anime ended. The art makes it a different experience, and you’ll know where to stop without getting spoiled for the rest 🙂
Guardian Enzo
December 28, 2019 at 10:37 amThanks, I’ll check it out.
Nadavu
December 28, 2019 at 2:55 amMy guess is that Louis is in a dungeon cell somewhere under the Shishigumi’s stronghold, from where he’ll plot his escape next season. The empty medicine packets I think don’t actually have much to do with Louis, but rather with whoever was the mysterious carnivore who ate up Tem in the first episode.
kiwi
December 30, 2019 at 11:26 amThat’s true…….. we never figured out who killed Tem! Sheesh can’t believe i forgot that
GalekC
December 28, 2019 at 7:52 amIf that were Louis at the end, Legoshi would be facing more downward while saying “Louis-senpai !” and not just “kimi” (you)
kiwi
December 30, 2019 at 11:28 amyeah I was also struck with how familiar he was with that mysterious person. Is Legosi really on such casual terms with anyone, or was the realistic dialogue altered to make a better sequel hook…