REVIEW: Beastars (2019)

Beastars (2019)

Netflix Original Series

Beastars is what happens when Zootopia and Ouran Highschool Host Club form a gang rivalry that leads to two star-crossed lovers dying in the crossfire. This anime is a beautiful—and horrifying—amalgamation of Japanese and furry culture; the first season perfectly explores the dysfunctional relationship between romantic and sexual attraction that is present in a repressed society. The world is rich with political and racial strife that asks what it means to be an individual in a society and how much of that individuality needs to be sacrificed for the greater good.  

The characters are also incredibly endearing: Legoshi is a soft-spoken wolf, Louis is an inspiring deer, and Haru is a rabbit antihero whom you just want to be happy. The mystery presented in the first few episodes is left to the wayside for most of the season, and the animation style of drawing 2D over 3D models can be unnerving for some. But who cares? Beastars tells an incredibly compelling story about race, politics, carnal repression, and theater kids giving their all in the school play.

Originally published in Leading Edge: Issue 77