DESCRIPTION

CAST

ANIME DramaBEASTARS
MANGA DramaBEASTARS
MUSIC DramaYasashii Suisei
ONA DramaBEASTARS FINAL SEASON Part 1

REVIEWS

• 

  CeeJayz

  92/100
  Exceptionally impressive, with its story improving by leaps and bounds.

  Season 2 of Beastars reminded me just how much I love anime as a medium.

  Telling a gripping story about a carnivore coming to realize his place in this anthropomorphous society and going against a fellow carnivore to put an end to the mysterious incident at Cherryton Academy, season 2 of Beastars has taken a huge leap forward in the storytelling department while also still retaining the pros it had in season 1 production-wise, making for a very solid sequel.

  Let’s start with the show’s greatest strength: the story. Season 1 of Beastars left off with Legoshi rescuing Haru from the Shishigumi, promising her to become stronger than his instincts. Season 2’s story goes back to the show’s roots, bringing up the murder that happened in Cherryton, an incident which Legoshi attempts to solve while also overcoming his predatory instincts. Legoshi’s story develops into something more of a thriller mystery, where the events slowly unfolding onto his life challenges him until the eventual climax approaches, testing the limits of his abilities. On the other side of the spectrum, Louis’s story develops into a story of corruption as it continues with him becoming the boss of the Shishigumi after season 1, giving the criminal organization a more refined reputation in the Black Market, while also finding a new perspective in the life of herbivores and carnivores throughout his experiences. These contrasting viewpoints come together, creating a juxtaposition of justice and injustice, but manages to coincide by the finale. To put it shortly, the show has managed to tell two opposite sides of the coin, each having their own respective journey and eventually combining as one to create and conclude an emotional, dramatic, and memorable arc.

  By now, the story of season 2 has definitely made a huge impact in the character development portion of the main characters. Legoshi, being the awkward and reserved wolf he is, hones himself beyond his instincts while also coming to realize how vulnerable herbivores really are in this unfair society of the hunter and the hunted. Meanwhile, Louis, who generally has a dislike to carnivores, has come to realize just how much carnivores have made an impact towards his life and accepting them. However, let’s not forget the other characters who are also just as important as the main duo: Riz, Pina, and Ibuki. Riz, usually seen as the friendly-looking grizzly bear, is eventually revealed as Tem’s killer, but is also struggling with his own personal problems that eventually led him to killing his best friend. Pina gives the impression of nothing but a playboy, but dramatically reveals in a practice session in the Drama Club that, regardless of his status as an herbivore, he will not cower and falter. Ibuki, who is perceived to be a fierce and threatening lion, protects the people he cares about, hating the fact that people have been frightened by him as he grows. Basically, season 1’s purpose is to give a general introduction, while season 2’s purpose is to showcase great development with its various cast of characters.

  Going into the production side of things, it certainly feels like season 2 is just more of the same things we’ve seen and heard in the previous season. Still, that doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. The animation and art are great as always, assuring you that Studio Orange definitely cares about the source material. A lot of sequences in how the camera angles are shot reminds me why I love this series so much, as it is able to convey fluid movements in its action and dramatic moments. One moment, in particular, was with the Riz and Tem sequence in Cherryton, where it perfectly encapsulated the beauty of friendship between herbivore and carnivore, as well as the horrific aftermath of uncontrollable desires that followed. Aside from its already-great art and cinematography, the show’s soundtrack and the way it is used is exceptional too, like with the sequence of Louis and Juno dancing in the streets of the Black Market, showcasing a stark contrast between the beauty of dancing in a bleak and dark place. I could go on and on about how the art, animation, cinematography, and soundtrack are so good, but that would make this already lengthy review an even longer one, so to sum it all up, Studio Orange’s production of season 2 of Beastars is nothing short of incredible.

  In conclusion, season 2 of Beastars is definitely a huge improvement over its already solid debut season, and it is also a good example of how sequels of already great anime should be done. At the time of typing this review, season 2 isn’t released worldwide yet, so be sure to check it out when it does come out on Netflix (hopefully with the original Japanese dub and the English dub), as it will be worth the watch.

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• 

  Dawidoo165

  85/100
  Questions about the outside world left behind after the first season were well developed. A great sequel

  Great CGI

  As in the first season, the great animation of beastars never ceases to surprise. Smooth character movements, great facial expressions and captivating camera movements. I have to admit this season attracted me even more than the previous one. Together with Louis and Legosi, we get to know an extensive world full of violence. Anime shows very well the black market in the world of anthropomorphic animals. Organ trade, the cruel fate of herbivores. Legosi trying to overcome their greatest instincts / weaknesses. I especially liked the moth scene in which Legosi begins to really appreciate the importance of other creatures’ lives. He begins to respect them. These moments changed his perception of the world, and it was thanks to this conversation that he was able to finally pass unhindered to the carnivore stage, which can refrain from eating meat.

  Fights

  The fights in this anime are done at a high level. CGI animations as well as camera movements, everything works well together. They are dynamic and addictive. Particularly well-made facial expressions raise the level of these fights.

  Greatly shown metamorphosis

  Throughout the anime, we observe the slow metamorphosis of the characters Louis, Legosi and Ted. Each of them struggles internally with their emotions to eventually overcome them and come to terms with their past mistakes. It is shown in a masterful way. I especially liked camera angles when they showed their thoughts.

  The Last Episode

  And here we come to the last episode of the series. The anime did a great job of building the tension preceding this episode. I must admit that I was waiting impatiently for it myself, but I was a little disappointed. The episode was good, but I think there was something missing, I expected it to evoke some emotions of sadness, etc. The mere fact that Pina wasn’t really eaten by Ted was a bit of a disappointing for me. I wanted to see Legosi going berserk… Overall, this fight wasn’t the best in the anime in my opinion, I’m not saying it was bad, it could just have been better.

  Music

  The opening and ending of the series are very good. Yoasobi as always did a great job on both songs. Visually, they are also made at the highest level. I especially liked the animation style used in the ending. The soundtrack in this anime was nothing really amazing, but it was good.

  Summing up

  The anime showed greatly taboo topics, like the first season. I am a fan of such difficult topics in anime. Questions about the outside world left behind after the first season were well developed. Despite its slightly rushed ending, this season deserves a high rating of 8.5 / 10
  Thanks for reading till the end, this review as well as many others is on my page :)) link in my bio

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• 

  CatSoul

  80/100
  A solid sequel that doesn't hit quite as hard as the original.

  A forbidden, carnal, and possibly disturbed love. This was the theme that dominated the first season of Beastars, along with a murder mystery and the less-than-desirable parts of the divide between carnivores and herbivores. In this season, the furry romance largely takes a backseat in favor of the latter two aspects.

  In many ways, this is a good thing. We get to see Legoshi reach towards his goal and his promise to Haru at the end of the first season, though the antagonists that stand in the way leave both the gray wolf and the viewer wondering if peace between the species is even possible.

  How Louis grows as a character is an entertaining subplot throughout the season, which has a conclusion that feels a bit abrupt but all comes together for one epic moment towards the end. We also find more out about the murder mystery that took a backseat for most of the first season.

  Everything about this season is well-executed on paper and enjoyable in practice. However, I couldn't help but feel like there was just something missing, something that the first season must have done exceptionally well to make it stand out so much for me. Was I just not in the same mindset? Well, that was a given, but it just felt different.

  At the end of the season, I was able to figure out what was missing. Haru.

  Sure, she turned up a handful of times throughout the season. She even had a rather humorous encounter with Juno. But this awkward teenage romance - the misunderstandings, the declarations of love, the first times, the halted first times...it was all seemingly put on-hold for season 2 in favor of the murder mystery and what was essentially a shōnen training arc.

  Don't get me wrong, a lot of people like shōnen training arcs. Hell, I enjoyed this particular training arc for reasons already stated. However, a particular element I enjoyed of season 1 was how it worked as a romance - how it showed this large beast falling hard for the small rabbit, mastering his strength so that instead of devouring her he devours the enemies that stand in their way. We got to know two sides of Legoshi - the badass wolf and the lovesick puppy. The encounters with Legoshi and Haru in this season were so unremarkable that my feelings for them as a couple were weakened by the end of the anime. I saw more chemistry between Legoshi and Louis, which was probably not the anime's intention (unless? :o).

  Overall, while certainly keeping my attention and perhaps serving as a building block for things ahead, Beastars season 2 didn't quite live up to the incredible showcase of storytelling talent that the first season was for me.

  "CatSoul, is this an elaborate way of telling us you didn't think there was enough weird furry shit this season?"

  Okay, hear me out...

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