Beastars Episode 10 [Anime Review]

Welcome, one and all, to my continued review series for Beastars. With episode ten, it’s rescue time! This was wonderful. Let’s look at why.

Louis And Weakness

Louis only appeared briefly this episode. While Legosi was out looking for Haru, Louis was confronted by Juno and admitted that he couldn’t do anything and Legosi will die. Louis really didn’t look happy here. I got the impression that he doesn’t want Legosi to die, but that he also doesn’t like seeing his own weakness in action. It was a short scene, but a good break between the core part of the story.

Legosi The Hero

So, after failing to find out where the Shishigumi were, Legosi was almost killed for his fur. Luckily for him, Gouhin made the save. The old panda tried to warn him off too, telling him that the Shishigumi were a criminal organization of 35 lions, and he would die facing them. Legosi was aware of that but wanted to atone for what he did anyway, and if he survived, he’d confess his love.

The sad thing with this first chapter of the tale is that Legosi didn’t just feel like atoning for trying to eat Haru. He was also wanting to atone for falling for her. He even described himself as a worthless wolf. The poor boy has been beaten down so much emotionally.

So, he made it to the criminal HQ and was confronted by a lion that hates canines. Once he knew why Legosi is there, he claimed that he’d already eaten Haru, and Legosi snapped. He made the lion shoot himself in the ear, and told him he knows he didn’t eat Haru because he knows the scent of her blood. She belongs to him, she’s his prey…that wording stopped him in his tracks and the lion got back on top, only for Gouhin to appear again. He was amazed a love confession could be so life-threatening and told Legosi to go for the throat. He told him not to run away because the greater a good deed is, the harder it is. He told Legosi to tame the beast inside him because that’s what it means to be an adult in this society.

This was an interesting chunk. I was glad that Legosi wasn’t going in alone, and it was good to see that he had a chance at being effective against his foes. He needs to find a balance here, using his strength, but not going against his morals.

The pair then began the fight. Gouhin appeared to be doing more damage, while Legosi was intent on fighting through without killing anyone. Legosi ended up taking a punch to save Gouhin, and the lion that hit him confirmed that he would kill Legosi with the same hands he used to kidnap the rabbit. Legosi headbutted him and got to running.

That was really exciting. The action was high paced, and seeing the difference between Legosi and Gouhin was a nice touch. Legosi was every bit the hero here. He acknowledged his own selfish desires too but was so determined anyway.

Haru: Defiant To The End

We learned a lot about Haru here. Her first real appearance saw her writing her will. She reminisced about her life and how she was always the smallest, even in her family. Throughout her life, she was viewed as a baby due to her size, and for a long time, she was simply trying to stay alive as a female and a small animal. Then, she found something that worked for her: sex.

All she ever wanted was for people to view her as ‘Haru’. But instead, they pitied her. In the bedroom though, she felt accepted. Even it meant losing all her friends, that was a better life than just being a normal, helpless animal. She thought about not being able to confess to Louis, and then Legosi popped into her thoughts. She viewed him as awkward and quiet but appreciated that he always faced her head on, never pitying or sympathizing with her. She decided to die a rabbit that Legosi would be proud of.

That’s when we jumped back to reality. The head lion was telling her that shame and humiliation get the blood flowing and makes the meat sweeter. Haru responded by kicking the can out from under him and telling him that she will be the worst meal of his life because she is a girl with no shame. The lion decided he would simply tenderize her and pinned her to the ground. His teeth closed in on her face.

Wow. This whole section was phenomenal. We finally got to see why Haru lives the way she does, and if anything, it’s sadder than her simply trying to live up to society’s expectations. She only ever wanted to be accepted as herself, but all anyone could see was her size. So, he latched onto the first thing that made her feel good and strong. It’s a terrible situation for her. I was so happy to see her base her actions on Legosi rather than Louis though. She’s kinda realizing that she might feel something for our lupine hero and is acknowledging how important he is to her.

One Last Moment

Legosi appeared just before the lion’s teeth could reach Haru and smashed him I the face with his own case He then gave Haru his shirt to cover up with and got to fighting with the lion. The episode ended with him saying he had too many reasons to be there that he couldn’t even say, and Haru calling him an idiot.

I split this scene off because it represented a coming together for the pair in a way. The way it was presented, with Legosi making the save and taking his top off for her gave me goosebumps. Everything from the animation to the colour tones to Haru’s expression was so well done, it really had the romantic hero feel down to a tee.

Overall

This was a fast-paced but awesome episode. Most of the interactions between the core cast were stripped away, in favour of forcing Legosi and Haru forward apart, then bringing them together. It was an important one for Legosi’s growth. For me though, Haru was as much a star. We saw her vulnerability and her strength, and we saw her start to shift her focus to Legosi. And I loved every moment. Now, they just have to figure out how to get out alive.

But what about yourselves? Did you enjoy this episode, and do you agree with my interpretation of the story so far? Let me know in the comments below.

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