Animal tales are often considered the purview of kids and fun fantasy. However, sometimes you’ll get one like Orwell’s Animal Farm, which is more a commentary about human society. Beastars also falls into that category, and you can read on for my review of Volume 4. (For reviews of other volumes, click here.)
Back Cover Blurb
As gray wolf Legoshi continues to grapple with his feelings for dwarf rabbit Haru, he discovers another member of the Drama Club is friendly with her too. But just how friendly…? Meanwhile, someone is developing feelings for Legoshi. And Bengal tiger Bill is threatening to reveal some disturbing truths about someone’s past…
The Review
This series began with a murder on campus, and such herbivore killings are on the rise throughout town. However, even though they’re fueling distrust and tension among the Academy students, these ominous incidents hover mostly in the background while the narrative focuses mainly on the individuals involved in interspecies relationships.
This installment begins with Haru, who once more throws me for a loop. At first, she seemed like the victim of an undeserved reputation. Then she seemed the type so casual about sex that she has no emotional attachment to anyone she sleeps with. Now we discover that she does have a special someone. Her relationship with Louis is surprising in two respects. One, that she has genuine feelings for him, unlike the other guys. Two, that Louis–for whom image is everything– risks sneaking to Haru’s shed when so many others are sneaking over there for a quick fling. While there is more to the relationship than sex, it is also clear that both are intent on keeping it under wraps to preserve Louis’ reputation. Thus, we have both Legoshi and Louis drawn to Haru, whom neither can have, and things get really fraught when Legoshi discovers Louis and Haru’s relationship AND Juno discovers Legoshi’s crush on Haru.
Juno, by the way, undergoes an extreme personality makeover in this volume. Before, she was so wimpy as to be bullied. Now she’s got aspirations of becoming the next Beastar and holding her own against Louis. According to the character design notes, the creator decided she didn’t like Juno’s original personality so she changed it. While Juno is more interesting this way (and I rather like the way that she challenges Louis), the shift is jarring, and the only aspect of her that remains unchanged is her puppy like affection for Legoshi.
Unlike Juno, Louis has been established as having a complicated personality. The pressure of his vaunted lineage factors into it, but the primary reason goes much deeper. I’d thought that our glimpse of the black market in the last volume was as bad as it got, but apparently the city harbors worse, and Louis originated out of those depths.
It is unclear where the plot is going, but with all these suppressed desires and increasing tension between carnivores and herbivores, I get the sense the Academy is heading toward a boiling point.
Extras include story thus far, cast of characters, character design notes, bonus comics, and the creator’s afterword.
In Summary
Louis may put on a front of perfection, but he’s got a lot to hide, and this volume swings wide the door on his secrets. We also get a glimpse of Juno’s aspirations, which surprisingly go beyond capturing Legoshi’s heart. While it’s unclear where the story is headed, the internal struggles of these tormented characters are definitely keeping things interesting.
First published at The Fandom Post.
Keeping It In Canon ...mostly 