Beastars Episode 3

Welcome, one and all, to my continuing episodic review series for the anthro anime, Beastars. Today, I’m watching episode three, A Wolf Male Is Born. Given where episode two left off, I’ve been looking forward to diving back in and seeing what Legosi does! So, let’s get to it!

How You See Me / How I See Me

There was a good bit of focus placed on the balance between differing views on people again this episode. When we started the episode, we saw a few of the boys – including Kibi, the anteater from the last episode – talking among themselves. The harlequin rabbit that was mentioned in the first episode is there and still gushing over Haru, only for it to be revealed that she’s been with many boys and always cleans up before she leaves. That led to Kibi rushing back, worrying about Legosi. He then proceeded to warn Legosi off, explaining that Haru is a crazy slut, who targets a lot of the boys.

The thing is, if you only saw the scene with Haru in the shed out of context, you might be tempted to believe it. She was certainly trying to play up on the concept of sex appeal, and was genuinely shocked to realize that that wasn’t what Legosi was after. She’s well aware of her reputation and can’t seem to find a way not to play into it. Public expectations are a powerful thing, and poor Haru is stuck with some that she’s obviously not really happy with.

But not everyone feels that way. Legosi outright stated that she may be going through some stuff but seems kind hearted on the whole. I think that a lot of that perception comes down to Legosi being in a similar position in terms of people seeing him differently to how he is.

There was a really nice scene late on where Louis confronted Legosi and tried to get him to bite him and take responsibility for his own strength. Legosi explained that there is no pride in a wolf being strong. It troubles him though. He knows that Louis is right about him in some ways, but doesn’t see himself as just a monster lurking in the darkness. He’s a carnivore, a mammal, a canine, and a male.

I love the way this playing out. Even with an anthro cast the tale is being presented in a realistic way. It should be easily relateable to anyone who ever had an unfair reputation at school and ended up playing up on it.

Louis Is Lost

That says it all, I think. While I get the feeling that Legosi and Haru have a good idea of who they truly are (even if they are discovering new things), Louis seems like he’s less sure. He hates the idea of being looked over just because he’s an herbivore, and wants more than that. Hence him watching Legosi’s subtle body language closely. He came across as desperate for reaffirmation from others. That in itself, combined with his own self doubt, is a good sign that he feels lost.

Louis knows what he wants to be. He also knows what people think he is. What he doesn’t seem to know for sure is how he feels about himself. He’s more focused on projecting a specific image and being in the spotlight. I do feel sorry for him, but the way he acts is erratic, and internally, he’s pretty negative, which makes him less likable.

Other Points

I liked the idea of Environmental Day. The different set ups designed to allow beasts of the same species to hang out and feel at home was well thought out. I’m presuming it’s supposed to act as way to quell natural urges and let them being themselves in safe environment. It was a nice touch.

Meanwhile, the episode also gave a clear indicator that everyone is struggling with something. For now, we’re mostly looking at the drama club, where everyone apparently has issues of some sort. We have a leopard who used to be a dominatrix, a giraffe that can’t look at herself due to her trypophpbia, and so on. The animals pick on each other, and lash out, but the truth is, they’re all struggling in some way. The actions shown are negative, but the message of that is actually pretty positive, I think. It’s worth noting that you aren’t alone in having difficulties.

Legosi is adorable. The way he panicked and immediately went to covering Haru up so she wouldn’t get cold or get bitten by bugs gives away how sweet he is. That he jammed his own tail I the door when he ran was hilarious too. When he realizes that he might have feelings for Haru, he gets a nice little tail wag going too. My only worry for him is that he acknowledges Haru is the first girl to show any interest in him, so I do wonder if his attraction is real or just him reaching out to the nearest branch. We shall see.

Overall

That went by really quickly. The pacing on this show has been really good so far. The only real criticism I have is that there are a lot of characters and not all of them seem to get openly named. In some ways, it’s realistic like that. When you know someone, you don’t say their name every sentence. At the same time though, I’m having to look stuff up a lot.

Still, that’s a minor quibble. The animation is good, the characters are great, and it’s all been enjoyable so far.

So, those were my thoughts. But what about yourselves? Did you enjoy this episode? Do you agree or disagree with any of my observations? Let me know in the comments below.

Previous Episode Reviews