(WARNING: This review contains spoilers. You have been warned)
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| Copyright belongs to Akita Shoten |
Beastars
Created by: Paru Itagak
Status: 2016-present, ongoing
From Reynard the Fox to Watership Down, Bre’r Rabbit to Animal Farm, the tried and true beast fable has weaved enchantment down the millennia with allegorical tales expressing truths on everything from the threat of tyranny to the absurdity of mob mentality. And of the myriad works in this categorical zoo, few in recent memory match the impact and wide appeal of Disney’s 2016 animated film Zootopia. Set in a diverse metropolis where creatures of all kinds live together in a shaky peace, Disney’s Oscar offering blended humor and buddy cop sensibilities with a mature meditation on racial bias and institutional prejudice. With rich world building and some complex characterization, Zootopia made a huge splash with critics and audiences alike. And yet in that same year, Paru Itagak, an unknown mangaka in the Land of the Rising Sun, embarked on her own journey into the question of interspecies community, one closely resembling Zootopia but with a bit of a darker twist. Her work, Beastars, tackles that same quagmire of interspecific living with a touch of charm and a pinch of brutality, and with an upcoming anime set to debut this fall on Netflix, let’s take a peak at this edgy parable full of overlapping layers of meanings.
Plot Synopsis
In a world of civilized anthropomorphic animals, there exist multiple divides extending across and within species lines, but few run deeper than the line between carnivores and herbivores, thanks to entrenched instincts on both sides of the food chain serially poisoning any attempts at achieving true unity. Although predation has been outlawed, the prey drive remains strong in most carnivores, leading them to either suppress their desires, or indulge them on the down-low by purchasing herbivore meat in illegal back-alley markets or, worse yet, cutting loose and actively hunting. These sporadic acts of murder leave herbivores in a perpetual state of high tension, uncertain if or when their carnivore friends and neighbors will snap and make a meal of them. At the heart of one city in this world marked by diversity, communion, anxiety, and mistrust lies Cherryton Academy, an integrated elite high school that stands as a microcosm for the hopes and horrors of life beyond its hallowed walls. Legosi, an oversized grey wolf and stagehand in Cherryton’s drama club, is used to slinking about the margins of social life. With the face of a vicious thug but the gentle soul of a lamb, he faces much fear and hatred, not helped by his social awkwardness, but keeps to himself and tries his damnedest to resist any predatory lurches from his dormant instincts. But his comfortable world fractures when a member of his club turns up murdered in a tragic act of predation. As suspicion falls on him and other carnivores in the school, a fateful encounter with a dwarf rabbit and fellow social outcast named Haru forces Legosi out of the shadows and into the limelight, where his courage, strength, and empathy may yet propel him further to the most coveted rank in their society: the Beastar, a mark of noble distinction conferred upon only the most worthy of animals.
Story
It’s way too easy to pigeonhole this series as “dark Zootopia,” when in fact it’s so much more. Though classified as a shounen manga — and hence, a supposed cousin of such battle staples as Naruto and One Piece — Beastars sits far above the usual teenage smashfest, drawing power from its deep and nimble characterization and complex, layered, multifaceted world building. Our main boy Legosi (or Legoshi, depending on the translation) is a perplexing bundle of strength and awkwardness, tied up in a package that comes off as terrifying and adorable in equal parts. It seems unbelievable how a teenager can be punching mobsters in the face one minute, and yet barely stammer out a greeting to the girl he likes literally the next. Somehow, his ungainly charm keeps his foibles from grating my nerves, and watching him mature and develop is a signature draw of this manga. And “develop” really is the central clause binding this work, since if there’s one thing you can say about Itagak’s characters, it’s that she designs them to be as dynamic as possible. Legosi constantly grows with each new encounter with his expanding circle of friends and loved ones, evaluating his principles in light of fresh discoveries and revelations. And Legosi shares the spotlight with a diverse cast, each noteworthy for the depth and care with which Itagak sculpted their personalities. Haru, an earnest spitfire of a dwarf rabbit who becomes Legosi’s friend and eventual love interest, comes saddled with speciecist self-loathing she assuages through sex with multiple animals. Then there’s Louis, an arrogant, carnivore-hating red deer and the darling of the Cherryton drama club burdened by memories of a terrible past and a pervading sense of inadequacy which together drive some of his most extreme actions. These characters, though par for the course in the teen dramas Beastars so closely resembles, distinguish themselves through incisive and believable growth and development. Spurring this along is the complex world of species politics Itagak constructs with meticulous care and detail. Like the minds behind Zootopia, she eschews simple black-and-white views of “predator bad, prey good”; but she boldly goes where even the beloved film in its darkest of drafts dare not enter. The persistence of feral instincts complicates carnivore/herbivore relationships, and some of the most delightful and nerve-racking parts of the series stem from uncertainty over whether or not a quaint scene of mixed dietary creatures will end tragically. The creator twists the carnivore prey drive into an unconscious urge or even addiction, one that many characters try to come to terms with to varying degrees, while herbivores try to reconcile their desires to get closer to select carnivores with the deep-rooted instinct to flee for their lives. Although the carni/herbi divide takes center stage for most of the story, each new volume brings added depth to the world, showcasing the lines drawn within both sides of the food chain dichotomy among birds, mammals and reptiles, along with the existence of the “sea people” who are a different kettle of fish (pun intended) altogether. This expansive world allows Itagak to explore the fault lines of diversity beyond the racial bias angle of Zootopia, slapping down analogues to mixed-race children, sex discrimination, and even religious beliefs. Her concern pushes past Zootopia's tunnel vision to target the great riddle of diversity within unity itself, and through Beastars, she ponders it with much greater sensitivity and nuance than one would expect from a "mere" shounen series.
In fact, I’d say most of the series’ minor weaknesses spring from whenever Itagak indulges in the shounen side of its lineage. While the first couple of arcs give the impression of a teen coming-of-age drama, the introduction of a group of lion gangsters shifts it into a clunky shounen fight manga for a couple of chapters. This settles into a recurring pattern, where psychological introspection fades into a meritocracy of the fist and back again. The developments aren’t necessarily bad in and of themselves, but the seesawing implementation gives the series a chunky, uneven texture. In addition, Itagak occasionally stoops into shounen-esque melodrama, particularly during fight scenes; last minute power-ups, extended mid-battle dialogue, and the dreaded “power of friendship” pick-me-up all make an appearance at one time or another, and I reflexively cringe whenever they do. Still, I guess it comes down to a matter of taste, and the dynamic genre shifts and over-the-top displays of drama may add to the charm for some readers, and in either case, do little to ruin the series’ strong showing.
Rating: 9/10
Art
Despite some early roughness, Itagak gives her art a smooth touch that fits the mood and direction of any scene almost perfectly - a crucial talent in a story that bends genres so often. Characters can morph from adorable to horrifying on a dime, and she captures personality and states of mind almost perfectly. Legosi has the greatest range as you’d expect, introduced in the first chapter as almost disturbingly menacing before his inner goodness manifests into a cuter, less threatening countenance. However, Legosi’s ferocity resurfaces during any of the manga’s intense fight scenes, and you’re left wondering in awe how such disparate drawing styles can coexist in the same work. Itagak displays a distinguished capacity for artistic nuance, somehow making a character like Haru expressive and emotional despite her pitch-black eyes, or morphing an elderly Komodo dragon grandfather into an almost preciously adorable old man. She straddles the line between realistic and cartoonish depictions of the beasts in her play, which works out in avoiding uncanny alley while bringing the creatures close enough to human to garner sympathy. Besides the range of expression she gifts her characters with, Itagak masters the use of shadows and darkness in setting an atmosphere, and can communicate menace and humor with skillful timed paneling. Sure, she’s still rather rough even at her best, but I have no complaints; art in a graphic novel should work in service to the story, and the engaging way Itagak sets up her scenery more than makes up for a little lag in technique.
Rating: 9/10
Throughout its three-year run, Beastars has proven a sleeper hit in Japan, and it’s no wonder why. Itagak’s rich, engaging world and compelling characters suck you in, and even though the fights and drama prove an uneven mixture at times, they do not detract from the experience. Though an award winner in its native land and on the cusp of exposure to a wider audience, I fear that it may prove incapable of shaking the “darker Zootopia” label here in the West. If so, it would be a right shame; without taking anything away from Disney’s excellent film, Beastars has the potential to be so much more, and I’d invite anyone, whether they’re into manga or not, to feast on the offerings of this dark, mature fable of our times.
Total: 18/20 = A
