The first 500 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/jacksaint9 You asked for it, so I delivered! And might I just say thanks to all you commenters for suggesting I check out Beastars in the first place - it really is something special, and I hope this video at least partially captures why that is. MORE TO COME!! (make sure to throw me a buck over on patreon if you like the video, even a small fraction of you doing so means no more need for ads, etc etc). Have a great weekend! also hey just out of curiosity, what do you think my fursona would be? PATREON: patreon.com/jacksaint KOFI: ko-fi.com/lackingsaint TWITTER: twitter.com/LackingSaint TWITCH: www.twitch.tv/lacksaint STORE: www.teepublic.com/stores/jack-saint-store COMMUNITY: discord.gg/BttSM9j
Love it! This show and manga are so great, I'm so happy you're making a series about it! Most of my friends haven't seen it since it comes out in the US next month, which suuuuucks. Hmm, good question! Your hair makes me think of a friendly shaggy dog, but you've got a great dry sense of humor that makes me think of a big cat of some kind.
I want to point out that in Japan, "to eat someone" is a euphemism for sex, and "herbivore" is used in modern times to refer to men who do not pursue romantic/sexual relationships. So the average Japanese reader will see a lot of this as pretty on the nose.
And this association is directly referenced several times. Even with the punishment for predation being the same as a sex offence irl. And all predations we see occur having implicite or explicit sexual conotations
The general concept of infatuation is just that. It's when the couple finds a reason to stay together after that initial infatuation wears off that it becomes what most define as "true love".
This show resonated with me so much. I had so many of the same feelings as Legosi (not the eating part!). I was absolutely infatuated, but also really ashamed of my fixation because I knew I felt too much based on too little. After watching this video I contacted my crush of many years ago, who is now a casual friend, to ask if I could ask him some things. We've never discussed that period, and he's kind of a strange and shy guy (the impossibility of getting close to him only made things worse), so I'd like to know what he might have thought. I have never felt such intense emotion before or since.
Funnily enough, when the woman who created Beastars is pictured in public, she's usually wearing the mask that looks like the chicken character who sells her eggs. The eggs could represent her creative offerings, hoping they're liked. A pride that comes from how her eggs don't just "happen" but that she works to make them the best they can be, and that they help society.
Louis secretly wants to get eaten. He was probably thinking to himself, "Oh yes, eat me you hunky lions!" But he... oh, that's still spoilers, I guess. Eh screw it. He's alive. But part of him does get eaten eventually... no, this is not innuendo.
this was one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me, and i'm also surprised he didn't mention it. like ekeiram said, maybe in the next part. haru is full of conflicts and contradictions; she's such an interesting character, i can't wait to see her explored more. i've also been painfully aware of (and shocked by) much of the fanbase's dislike for her. i've seen some damn gross comments, even in youtube discussions.
@@Leunenkoenig I had no idea this comment had responses or upvotes- but I def didn't think anyone "forced" her into permiscuity, that's why I put the "deviated" in quotations- I actually identify with haru completely in this aspect of her which is not a thing I expected to be portrayed in media, let alone an anime about animalhumans. I grew up under privliaged and am also a small girl and people treat me a certain way- but I do get some emotional support via men wanting to hook up with me. It's really exactly the same, all of the sudden I'm not pathetic- they're interested in what I think of them and how I feel. I would personally not think of it as specifically "empowering" rather a dysfunctional coping mechanism because it's not a solution to not being treated with respect in society as a whole- but since haru isn't a worthless child she's found a way to cope. I'm not super caught up with beaststars at the moment but it also makes sense that when she realized legoshi *actually* respects her it stops being that less functional game of bartering and becomes an actual respectful friendship.
@@vukkulvar9769 I wish I knew that when I read Freud's theories in high school. Believing the Oedipus complex was universally accepted gave me nightmares
Oedipus tried his hardest not to kill his dad and marry his mom. However he had no idea who they were, so he did it anyways. Freud must’ve heard the story from someone recounting it on the most simplest terms.
Ah Beastars. Come for the furries stay for the problematic goodboys having very complex feelings about society, systemic categorization and entering adulthood as a politicized body
My mom called me weird for watching Beastars and I countered by asking what the difference between it and Twilight is. She hasn't questioned me again since.
Literally my first thought seeing it recommended to me on Netflix was "Twilight but furry? Sign me tf up!!!" lol, so thank u, I'm feeling super validated rn.
@Julie Walker Exactly. Your show/manga will easily get more originality just by avoiding humans. It's also a window to creating far more varied characters. While not in the case of Beastars, anthro animals can appeal to children a lot better than humans can.
you didn't mention this but there is something to be said about how this show tackles deviance through the aesthetics of sexualized animals. being a furry is considered quite not normal so this show being a furry show is kinda meta for the whole deviance theme lol
i love beastars quite a bit but i feel like it’s one of those shows where being a westerner makes me feel like i miss a lot of the social commentary that might be unique to Japanese culture, especially considering how much pressure there is to fit into society and not make waves
本田盾子 alas we are still expected to. We can surely express ourself but acceptance will not come as easily as in the west. It’s ingrained in our culture that diversity is cool and good as long as it does not defy religious beliefs or just asian social taboos/stigmas.
I think the issue i have with beastars is that as jack points out because this is a world of animals trying to be like people but still are impacted by and slaves of biological imperatives, any allegory or correlation to our society and or societal issues cannot work and or is ruined by that fact. For example the message of Prejudice is wrong, since the carnivores are constantly being put down and restricted/victimized and vilified for being who they are, every-time an incident occurs...except that the show explains and shows us that predators frequently give into and or fall prey to their own instincts and devour their herbivore colleagues...ALL THE TIME Even Legoshi would have killed haru the first time he met her had their not been a distraction distracting him, as his instincts literally took over his entire body, he’s lucky he only scratched her arm and not torn her throat. So even the character who tries as hard as he can to control his instincts and not be that kind of predators, would have committed murder had not their been a distraction that allowed haru to escape and him to regain his senses so actually prejudice is justified because yes all predators are potentially and would be killers at a moments notice even the part where legoshi and haru have a fight and are forced to flee because everyone else assumes it’s him trying to hurt her the reason for that is because just the other day a group of herbivores were viscously ripped apart by a gang of predators, led by a gray wolf. So seeing a gray wolf somewhat assaulting a small herbivore would raise a lot of questions especially since the predators in question and their gray wolf leader are still lat large... so even the idea jack pushed about males getting rape accusations for handling women a certain way, loses traction when the realties of the society are fully explained in context. Makes it very hard to connect to a lot becasue the overall theme of the franchise is “instincts are absolute and always win” as jack even says in the video, the manga still hasn’t decided if Legoshi’s love for Haru is simply his instinctual desire to eat her or actual love.
The fact that you used "Ну погоди!" (Russian cartoon with a wolf and a rabbit) worms my heart! Also there is so much potential to read it with queer theory XD
@@NoReplyAsset Having animals instead of humans leaves you with more options. Can _Beastars_ really exist if the characters were humans instead of animals? Nope, it wouldn't. I think _Ну, погоди!_ got away with its child-unfrienfly stuff because it was animals doing that stuff, and the simplicity of the episodes' structure and the soundtracks kept our senses too occupied for us to care or give it a second thought about what are we watching.
I feel like you can toss a similar queer reading to this as you could when dissecting the fanaticism of vampires in media (and why it almost always goes awry thanks to its roots in horror)
Vampire fiction has been consistently and incredibly weird. It ranged from horror, to a kind of metaphorical thing, to totally non-metaphorical romance.
Vampires have been written to represent so many different concepts over the years - but deviance and ostracism (especially in terms of how they were defined at the time of writing) is a big one. TH-camr Maven of the Eventide has made it her duty to dissect the vampire fiction in terms of allegories and themes!
That’s why i like true blood vampires while overly sexual and sexualized it’s stated that one reason for that is vampires get off and or get better flavor from their victims through sexual action... it’s also shown that drinking vampire blood is like an aphrodisiac to humans. However at the same time the true blood vampires are shown to be incredibly scary since they could and can at any moment rip your head off, turn you, or snap your neck/kill you on a whim if not in a second so the franchise manages to allow them to both be highly deviant but also maintain the horror roots.
I'm really glad this video ended up happening, and to hear that there's a second one in the works was unexpected but by no means unwanted! The last video basically made me reexamine most animal discrimination media I've consumed since I never really put much thought into it, with Beastars being the latest on the pile. Comparing and contrasting notes and opinions on this channel always feels like a fun sort of book/movie club, it's honestly a nice workout to explore themes of fiction I used to overlook just for the sake of enjoying the greater whole. 2020 is the year of Jackal Saint.
Furry character provide alot of advantages when used well. Superficially they are more visually interesting and diverse and this also can open up more options for character designs that help communicate or subvert a character. The animal stereotypes also are something you can play with or subvert at will as well as the dynamic not only between predator and prey but between species as well. While this can be used as allegory it doesn't have to be and can just be part of the world on a facet by facet basis. Furthermore their animal nature gives a greater suspension of belief for them having enhanced physical abilities like strength or speed or flying or etc. Then you have individual quirks like chickens laying eggs or deer molting their antlers. Beastars is prolly the first piece of furry media I've seen that expertly plays on nearly every aspect and ties it all up into a wonderful cocktail of world building, character design, character development, complex social interactions, and allegory. All while using the natural strengths of it's characters and settings to stay RIVETING even as it tells what is in all reality a slower paced story with minimal action a very little incidents of direct drama...instead relying on underlying tensions and societal elements to carry it. Wheras Zootopia forces a "reach for fox spray moment" that doesn't make sense for the history of those two characters Beastars shows a very believable moment where Legosi walks out of the shadows to hand an herbivore a letter and she's just terrified until she realizes his intentions thanks to the greater context of not only the world but their very real physical capability disparity. The differences in the facets and layering of what plays into those two moments is the difference in quality between those two works. Zootopia is good, Beastars is just so good that it manages to make Zootopia look bad by comparison.
What I think is particularly interesting (at least in the anime, I can't speak for the manga) is how the very categories of carnivore and herbivore are blatantly ridiculous. We have animals like hippos and elephants who, in the natural world, have no real natural predators, being lumped in with rabbits and mice as "victims", and weasels and foxes being grouped shown as potential threats to them. Moreover, there is something that the characters do which is quite interesting, in that whenever asked about their personal preferences they always will say "wolves like..." or "rabbits want...", they don't think for themselves but automatically fall back on their stereotype. This is particularly noticeable in examples like when Haru asks Legosi what temperature he wants the room at, and he struggles to recall what wolves like. Unlike Zootopia, where the allegory is very clear, I don't think that Beastars is about any particular bigotry or social oppression, I don't think the predators stand for homosexuals or men or ethnic minorities etc. Instead I think by showing us a world with entrenched social norms that are very different from our own and demonstrating the ridiculousness of it and the harm it can do to individuals, it gives us pause to reflect on the assumptions we ourselves make in our society.
The very first script for "Zootopia" was almost identical to the setup of "Beastars", with predators frequently losing control of their carnivorous instincts. But then someone at Disney realized there's no way they could pretend they didn't steal it from Paru-san. ;]
Cute fact: it’s more accurate to use fetish in regard to an object and paraphilia in regard to behaviour. It’s possible you know this and were simplifying for brevity.
So, Beastars is more like an exploration of a concepts from sociology in a fictional world that does not necessarily parallels our own? Is there a coined term for that type of media? Like a genre? If not, let's call it... so-fi; Sociology-Fiction.
I can't wait to see you talk about Legosi's grandfather Gosha. He's honestly one of my favorite characters, and his impact on the whole story is really interesting to me.
THANK-YOU!!!!!! It’s so hard to talk about Beastars without people just claiming you’re a furry, but it does social commentary and relationship so well and interesting. Can’t wait for the rest!
@@spuilloh2637 People like Fantastic Mr. Fox and those folks aren't furries. There's more a community factor than just liking cartoon animal characters.
@@nathanblue5548 actually I think there's a term for people like that "furry-adjacent" coined by Ben diskin (the voice actor of haida from aggretsuko) basically its someone who's involved with 'furry' stuff but not necessarily a full on furry.
I watched like 5 min of Beastars over my bf's shoulder before figuring out it was written by a woman from how visceral, erotic, eclectic, deep, terrifying and kinda poetic the approach of sexuality was. Not saying men can't see it that way, just that it's less common in my experience. Loved you analysis, can't wait for season 2!
I think the moment that really stuck with me was the moment where Haru went into her whole "feeling too small and frail"-complex. And I was just like damn... My gurl. I of course know that women aren't "biologically weaker than men", but shit. I think that moment really made me understand just how much it can suck to be perceived as weak and frail.
I understand what you meant by this, but I would say majority of men have physical advantage over women. I, personally, along with the women of my family, cannot just physically combat a man(unless with a weapon). It wouldn’t be a fair fight, and in that case I would feel weak and frail. I understand Haru’s perspective since an alarming amount of men want their woman to be somewhat submissive take on a more nurturing role.
@@vera5171, God what a weird sentence to start of a sentence with, but okay, usernames are usernames I guess xD Yeah for sure, I guess the term "biologically weaker than men" can have quite an ambiguous meaning, since I wasn't meaning in the physical sense, but more in the "women have something inside their DNA that makes them objectively weaker human beings on more than just a physical level"-way, which I guess I just should have explained. Glad for your perspective though, have been wondering about how many other people had a similar moment with Haru, since I don't hear a lot of other people talk about it.
@@paja9762 My take on it: Haru is someone considered powerless in her societal role. Not considered to be special or anyone of value or self worth and feeling defenseless vs predators she asserts control over her life using the only power she has at her disposal, her sexuality. This is what lets her feel like she has some agency, but it's also a double edged sword in that it's the only thing she feels valued for as well and that leaves her feeling empty as well. When Legosi first introduced himself to her she just assumed he wanted sex. She didn't talk, she didn't check, she didn't even really look at him. She instantly decided that the only reason someone would come to her was sex. That was her power, but also her only place and role. I think Legosi being interested in more than just sex with her scares her more than just with him being a carnivore. Especially considering that the one person she thought would show up and save her, Louis, didn't show and Legosi did instead. I think she's conflicted and torn. She wants to let herself be with Legosi and be more than just the sex bunny alone in the garden nobody ever visits without ulterior motive. But she was recently hurt and she doubts both Legosi and herself. As well a serious relationship would mean giving up her one true sense of agency in that world because her having sex with other people would come to an end assumedly during that relationship....which would mean her agency is reliant on Legosi who is an unpredictable element to her. Meanwhile all her instincts tell her to run away any she tries, but she cannot force herself to run away serious and Legosi is persistent in a way she both likes and wishes he wouldn't be. She appreciates being valued but is scared of everything ahead. So I think she DOES feel biologically weaker, but not necessarily because of her status as a woman but more because of what value her biology gives her in a societal context as a weak tiny COMMON herbivore rabbit. She's not a more valued breed like the Harlequinn. Then we have Juno the wolf as another woman example who easily overpowers Louis. She's strong both physically AND in personality being very assertive and going for what she wants almost ruthlesslessly. So the show is certainly not portraying women as weak in any way. Anyhows, that's just my thoughts. I'm just some derpy bisexual furry dood though so take it with a grain of salt and a chicken egg :P.
@@Ralathar44 Haha, any take by a derpy furry is just as welcome as any other take. In fact I actually do think that you hit a pretty solid interpretation right there. One thing I have also come to think about is the slut shaming where Haru is stuck in a narrative where she will always be the cheap, silly, disgusting slut - while all the men who sleep with her will be able to brag to their friends with nothing but social benefits. So at this point, part of it is probably also her trying to take control of the narrative and owning it - however much it hurts But anyway, that is just a take from a nerdy, white, cis, straight guy:p
Haru reminds me of myself as a teenager, talking about how much I hated twilight and makeup because that's what other girls like and I'm not like other girls. They're weak and feminine and normal, and I like masculine things, and that makes me better. I think being part of a group thats fetishized as being small and cute and something to protect gives you a real complex, because say what you want about short girls, but let me tell you, it gets real tiring looking up at people all the time. I'm not at all surprised that haru became obsessed with a place where she could finally see eye to eye with people and be forward. A type of role she had some measure of control over. And at the same time, when a guy comes along and tries to protect you, gives you his jacket--it feels good but it also feels like a betrayal. Were you always like this? Deep down, did you always just want to be protected by a big man?
What the hell is an omnivore? Youre either a carnivore or a herbivore. You cant just be both. UPDATE: Hello friends this in fact is a joke about the absurdity of bisexual erasure
We do see omnivores in the story, but they are either grouped with carnivores because they share predatory instincts, such as with bears, or with herbivores because they don't have predatory instincts, such as with pigs. Also, all carnivores have to eat vegetable proteins in this society, making them defacto omnivores. It's not perfect though as we see Hippos grouped with carnivores despite that they are 95% herbivore, only occasionally observed eating carrion.
I’m glad you’re not gatekeeping anything, usually when people find out that something that they like is suddenly popular. They usually try to make themselves seem superior to the “normies”
I wanted to start by saying hello and that this makes me feel very represented. You also made me laugh harder than in other videos, partially because I'm so close to the source material. Although Beastars has a public following, the media is niche and appreciating it for its deeper psychological and social aspects is rare to me. I don't want to over-write a TH-cam comment that no one is gauranteed to read, but I will write a little reply for my own self-analysis. As a Persian-raised American bisexual furry man, I see Beastars as beautifully multi-purpose and freeform in part because it follows its strict rules so well. I loved your analysis of these parts of the story and highlighting the normalcy versus deviancy stuff. 24:40 I wanted to chime in that, personally, parts of this story were really fun to project my battle with male roles in society. From being encouraged to have sexual conquests or be powerful and/or destructive in personality, Legosi was the perfect metaphor of the me that says "no. "(I could have phrased everything here better!) And, as a side note, this *anger at another indulging in one's own repressed urges and not just an incident* is always a great theme, so thanks for that phrasing as well. It gives me a lot to think about.
Maybe Beastars hides its allegories ambiguously enough because its creator didn’t part from any social stance to create this universe. I may be wrong, but I think that in this kind of stories, it is easier to write from an in-universe perspective than constantly second-guessing what the real world analogy is represented in the end product. That way, one leaves room for analysis and criticism with the caveat that you cited at the end (minorities, unlike the predators depicted in the series, not being “ inherently” anything).
I translated part of an interview where she said, more or less, that she set out to create a realistic version of an animal society (which I guess would make it kind of a deconstruction of that trope?) that she had been imagining from childhood with a wolf/rabbit couple as main characters and made no intentional commentary on social issues. If that's the case, I would have to conclude that it's a lot better to write realistically rather than top-down metaphorically as realism creates the real-world parallels all on its own.
Except the main problem is, almost none of beastars allegories or the allegories we assign to it, actually work, they will always fall flat because of that point... anything we apply to it is flat and meaningless... in beaststars every creature is literally a slave to their instinct, and instincts will always win out and or cannot be defied... In the black market episode one of the eagles tells legoshi as adults they will need to rely on the black market or else they’ll most likely kill someone. the show goes out it’s way to show us that the reason the black market is allowed to exist, why selling/kidnapping sentient herbivores to be eaten alive and or slaughtered for food is tolerated, excused and or overlooked is solely because if not, the predators would all go crazy and start slaughtering herbivores everywhere they find them... Free will is not something that exists in beastars because as shown with legoshi, instincts can take you over completely and you're powerless to stop it. And while this is interesting to bring up in the world of beastars if we try and apply any of our own interpretations and or allegories to anything they will not work when jack describes how the scene with legoshi getting in trouble for public fighting with haru reminds him of how males can be accused of sexual assault for being interpreted as abusing a women even if they weren't it falls flat however, because the reason that stood out was because in the show/maga recently a predator attack occurred that killed several prey, and the leader of the press was a grey wolf, and the wolf and the press are still at large. so actually any authority or figure aware of this would not just overlook a grey wolf seemingly assaulting a rabbit in public. So again nothing we apply to the show can work the few things that do is haru's storyline and character points.
"In Zootopia predators and prey have long enlightened themselves beyond any actual need or desire to eat each other... In beastars, well-" *KFC ad cuts in*
@@0deadx21 no you haven't read the manga all the way if you think he's gay for carnivores... He is in love with Juno! He has a carnivore fetish, sure but not for males!
“So this anime is supposed to make you into a furry? I don’t buy it...” *Watches anime* “...” *Immediately reads manga* “...” *RuLE34 BEAstArS* *“AWAKEN MY HIDDEN URGES!”*
Saying that Beastars is a "copy" of Zootopia is like saying that anything that shares the same concept with other media is already a copy without doubt.
Now that I've actually watched the video and am not making jokes, this series is about the oppression of a group of people who are vilified and encouraged to self harm because of the belief that they are inherently violent. (Granted in beastars there's actually prescient.) To the point where media depictions of that group of people always puts them in the villain roll, and there are things that teaches them to suppress themselves at the cost of harming their mental state and if they show any of these traits at all they will be mocked and abused and even jailed for it. This feels way too real for me as a neruodivergent/atypical person
I hate how people with mental illnesses are portrayed as ticking timebombs waiting to commit a crime, when most crimes are committed by people who are mostly healthy or "right" in the head
23:06 Notably, must be the first time an Uncanny Valley effect enhanced my experience of a series instead of detracting from it. It definitely felt that his face looking so wrong was the point. I can imagine the modellers flipping their render upside-down to get rid of creator's bias, and being like "yep, it looks creepy as shit. _Just as intended."_
I feel awful saying this but I read all of the currently released manga for beastars in one day. I picked it up ironically thinking it would be a hilarious cringe read but holy shit was I wrong. Finished volume one immediately purchased the rest and sat down and read it all.
I had thought the egg scene was a metaphor for the anime/manga itself and the chicken. Was the creator. She makes the eggs / anime and manga for herself. Because she feels pride in making them and does it for herself. However she can’t help but care when other people love it. And when legosi (however it’s spelled) disliked it, it obviously effected her.
For some reason I keep thinking of Bojack Horseman and its half-animal half-people world, and how the whole "prey vs predator" thing doesn't really exist. Aside from a few background jokes: in one episode in the background at a restaurant, two people are eating a pig head, and on the other side of the screen a pig character looks nervous. Not nervous enough to leave though. Oh wait, there's also one episode about eating chicken. Literal chicken people farmers farm other chicken people; it was nuts lol. But overall the show doesn't really delve into this conflict. (unless something comes up in the last eight episodes; i haven't seen those yet. but i doubt it)
I think most western commentators about Beastars do not understand the East-Asian shamanistic roots when it comes to identifying anthropormophic animals. For example, there are two ethnic minorities in China who believed entirely that their key ancestor was a literal dog. A dog who attained at least partial human form to mate with a human princess, and begot their entire ethnicity. In the creation myth for most East Asian countries, humans are NOT given special treatment during the creation process, with animals sometimes explicitly mentioned to exist first, and in some cases humans start of as literal dirt. Animals are stated to be able to attain human-level intelligence through enlightenment and spiritual cultivation, yet at the same time they're also explicitly superior to humans in some cases due to their magical abilities. Humans and animals after this process, can also mate, and their offspring is usually explicitly exceptional in some way. How it relates to Beastars is in how the anthro character is viewed as purely a metaphorical creation. The wolf in Red Riding Hood can be seen as purely metaphor for a drifter out to rape Red Riding Hood, or just a horny man who would lead her astray in general, just as Red Riding Hood would be seen as a symbol of a girl going through puberty or reaching adulthood. However, in a culture where the wolf would be a character in its own right, with equal narrative importance as any human character interchangeably, then the metaphor in it being a wolf is lessened. Them being a wolf is just an additional label on top of the character being whatever they are, because of how normalized it is in East Asian society to even label people by their zodiac animal. I have to wonder if looking too deep into it from a western perspective, makes it more 'queer' than it actually is beyond what's mentioned in the story of Beastars itself. In Beastars, it's actually more about the concept of race mixing that comes up more than anything else, rather explicitly. The concerns are biological, which when you reach Melon, you realize is actually well-founded and has biological repercussions. This is an inverse mirror of how hybrids between humans and animals in East Asian mythologies were mostly beneficial and superior, by being implicitly showing in Beastars, how their physical and mental capabilities can vary and are often detrimental.
Thanks for that ending. I was getting worried when you called Legoshi best boy, and then later Louis best boy, but cmon we all know Jack is bestest best boy
I watched the anime this weekend and enjoyed it. The scene in the subway where Legosi grabs Haru's arm is uncannily similar to a scene in the 2002 movie Far From Heaven. In that scene, set in 1950's America, an African American man grabs the hand of his Caucasian lover in a crowded street and is confronted by an angry crowd and a policeman. Just by the similar choreography, I'll bet whomever wrote the scene is familiar with the American film.
@@josh-oo The pathOwOgen, it's what furries call it when someone is introduced to some form of furry media and say "shit, I kind of get it now", thus leading down the slow spiral of "I just like this show with animal characters, ok?" to "wow, this art created by furries is really cool" to "I mean, if I HAD to pick an animal to represent myself...", and finally "OwO here's my fursona"
I just love the way this was handled. So elegant and gentle but honest and layered. This is amazing analysis and I wish we watched more of the same media so I could see Jack do this again. :(
Aha! So it's not just anime Zootopia... It's Zootopia meets Tokyo Ghoul. Truly, the Dark Souls of anime. ...GOD this comment was painful to type. I crave death.
BEASTARS also works very well as an allegory for BDSM and coming to term with it. The desire to hurt or be hurt by specify people in specify way, the way is is viewed from outside etc.
@ No, I mean the BEST kind. Western Furries made by independant artists online all seem to have that weird, neon, flamboyantly gay look to them. Japanese Furries, or Kemonos have a much more rounded, exotic, and pudgy look to them (thicc) They look like a race of intelligent creatures you would find deep in a rainforest, or the top of a massive mountain. To compare, most internet Western Furries look like that cousin who tries to hard to be everyones best friend. And thats my in-depth opinions on cultural designs for Furry characters.
@@jakespacepiratee3740 about the neon, rainbow, gay, unicorn diarrhea part you used to characterize furries? Yeah now, not quite, there's a lot of actually good furry character designs out there, people can get really creative. That's why things like skulldogs and protogens exist.
I saw this video on my feed, watched the first two minutes, paused it to go read the first 6 volumes of the manga online, and then came back. Good video.
Haven't seen the show yet, but from what you show here it appears a very interesting one. It really presents itself at very rapidly as a deeper exploration of a possible actual society of antropomorphic animals instead of the animal appearances being barely more than a costume like in many other cartoons (or all others?). Not sure if there are good English dubs or subs of it, but Alfred J. Kwak (Dutch cartoon from the 80's) may be interesting to look into in the animal allegory category, as especially later seasons handled some political stuff (apartheid and nazi germany), antropomorphisation of the animals is comparable to Disney's Duckburg but slightly more animal attributes are kept. It is very much a children's cartoon though, but quite a good one as it doesn't really talk down to the audience. Not very sure about how deep this show went into animal instincts but I recall a magpie character being a kleptomaniac.
I recently found out that cats including Tigers actually must eat meat. They are part of a group known as "obligate carnivores", as their bodies do not naturally produce amino acids and minerals. It changed my perception of Bill as a character, as well as Melon and Sheila, and the Shishigumi. How creatures like that fit into the world of Beastars is so intriguing.
Queer theory isnt a shit name. "Queer" is broad in a way thatencompases a lot of things that are difficult to encompass with acronyms or the like, and it's appropriate to use a word that is directly about the ways in which people marginialised for gender and/or sexuality reasons are classified by societal cisheteronormativity, ie as "odd", since what is constructed as queer and the ways that look are culturally and societally dependent in a way that means it differs from country to country and throughout history.
“I’m gonna make the bold claim that beastars is a profoundly queer text” that is one of the least bold claims I’ve ever heard lmfao, but I guess you gotta clarify for the straights
I love the analogy of uncanny valley but for metaphor. "“He called you pretty,” he finally continued, his frown deepening. “That’s practically an insult, the way you look right now. You’re much more than beautiful.”" "“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn’t know how potent that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”" "“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word. “What a stupid lamb,” I sighed. “What a sick, masochistic lion.”" ~Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
This is among your best videos yet, and I really love how you tied in the episode about the chicken and her eggs. Can't wait for the jack Saint beastars multiverse
Lord forgive me but I have seen this video so many fucking times that I have almost remembered the script for it. This and it's second part. I sit around my room and think about this video and topics discussed in this video very often. I am straight but I have had few gay friends. They never really shared their experiences in detail but this video kind of makes me understand how much outcaste they feel here. I am not saying the allegories of Beastars fits 100% with them but in shades. I live in an Asian country with very conservative and anti-gay environment even among the so called left circles in the country are pretty homophobic. It makes me feel happy that they can confide their secret of being gay with me as a friend.
The first 500 people who click the link will get 2 free months of Skillshare Premium: skl.sh/jacksaint9
You asked for it, so I delivered! And might I just say thanks to all you commenters for suggesting I check out Beastars in the first place - it really is something special, and I hope this video at least partially captures why that is. MORE TO COME!! (make sure to throw me a buck over on patreon if you like the video, even a small fraction of you doing so means no more need for ads, etc etc). Have a great weekend!
also hey just out of curiosity, what do you think my fursona would be?
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Jack Saint Ass
Love it! This show and manga are so great, I'm so happy you're making a series about it! Most of my friends haven't seen it since it comes out in the US next month, which suuuuucks.
Hmm, good question! Your hair makes me think of a friendly shaggy dog, but you've got a great dry sense of humor that makes me think of a big cat of some kind.
grats on 100k subs!!!
you have gauned ny subcription just by talking about how beastars gets what zootopia didnt.
jack i am upset that you are continuing to falsely insist that umasou is a racism allegory and you haven't yet said that it is not
I want to point out that in Japan, "to eat someone" is a euphemism for sex, and "herbivore" is used in modern times to refer to men who do not pursue romantic/sexual relationships. So the average Japanese reader will see a lot of this as pretty on the nose.
And this association is directly referenced several times. Even with the punishment for predation being the same as a sex offence irl. And all predations we see occur having implicite or explicit sexual conotations
I thought this video was going to be about rape culture and making the perpetrator a nice relatable guy.
Now things just got a lot more kinky
I can't necessarily confirm this, but I can believe it considering how often hentai refers to the vagina as a "lower mouth."
Then Legoshi has a gay sexual attraction/fetish to/for, uhhh, the number 4
"Strong feelings despite barely knowing them" is kinda the definition of teenage romantic love.
The general concept of infatuation is just that. It's when the couple finds a reason to stay together after that initial infatuation wears off that it becomes what most define as "true love".
This show resonated with me so much. I had so many of the same feelings as Legosi (not the eating part!). I was absolutely infatuated, but also really ashamed of my fixation because I knew I felt too much based on too little. After watching this video I contacted my crush of many years ago, who is now a casual friend, to ask if I could ask him some things. We've never discussed that period, and he's kind of a strange and shy guy (the impossibility of getting close to him only made things worse), so I'd like to know what he might have thought. I have never felt such intense emotion before or since.
Teenage? I have 25 and I have experienced exactly that for the very first time.
Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou?~
indiciaobscure how did the conversation go
Funnily enough, when the woman who created Beastars is pictured in public, she's usually wearing the mask that looks like the chicken character who sells her eggs. The eggs could represent her creative offerings, hoping they're liked. A pride that comes from how her eggs don't just "happen" but that she works to make them the best they can be, and that they help society.
What a cute interpretation 😊
Well Legosi BUT her hence Lego-ME
Wait the creator is a girl? that makes waaay to much sense
I'm very happy to have read your comment :D I liked the side-character Legom
@Delta 23 what are you even trying to imply
I cant believe jack saint will force me to keep up with the furry manga so I can watch his new video series talking about deer gay racist boy
Layers, donkay. Layers
Deer are always racist. Here in NJ we have tons of them. They always travel in huge groups and attack your cars!
It's worth it, trust me
I want to make a joke about deer gay racist boy sounding like a politician's fursona but I don't want to cause any serious discussions
Louis secretly wants to get eaten. He was probably thinking to himself, "Oh yes, eat me you hunky lions!"
But he... oh, that's still spoilers, I guess.
Eh screw it. He's alive. But part of him does get eaten eventually... no, this is not innuendo.
I'm surprise you didn't mention haru's whole arch of being expected to be worthless and in need of protection making her "deviate" into promiscuity.
maybe he will in the next part
this was one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me, and i'm also surprised he didn't mention it. like ekeiram said, maybe in the next part. haru is full of conflicts and contradictions; she's such an interesting character, i can't wait to see her explored more. i've also been painfully aware of (and shocked by) much of the fanbase's dislike for her. i've seen some damn gross comments, even in youtube discussions.
He talks about it in the second part
@@luka9518 he could probably do a video about this length on each character tbh.
@@Leunenkoenig I had no idea this comment had responses or upvotes- but I def didn't think anyone "forced" her into permiscuity, that's why I put the "deviated" in quotations- I actually identify with haru completely in this aspect of her which is not a thing I expected to be portrayed in media, let alone an anime about animalhumans. I grew up under privliaged and am also a small girl and people treat me a certain way- but I do get some emotional support via men wanting to hook up with me. It's really exactly the same, all of the sudden I'm not pathetic- they're interested in what I think of them and how I feel. I would personally not think of it as specifically "empowering" rather a dysfunctional coping mechanism because it's not a solution to not being treated with respect in society as a whole- but since haru isn't a worthless child she's found a way to cope. I'm not super caught up with beaststars at the moment but it also makes sense that when she realized legoshi *actually* respects her it stops being that less functional game of bartering and becomes an actual respectful friendship.
Sigmund Freud, reading Oedipus Rex for the first time: "Boy, I hope this doesn't awaken anything within me."
Unamused Rohan Sigmund Freud, after reading Oedipus Rex for the first time: “Ooh, so that’s why I wanted to kill my dad and fuck my mom!”
Freud tried to argue that EVERYONE had his same personal mental problems to make himself feel better for his mommy and daddy issues.
Freud work can be summarized as "Everyone else must be as deviant as me without showing it"
@@vukkulvar9769 I wish I knew that when I read Freud's theories in high school. Believing the Oedipus complex was universally accepted gave me nightmares
Oedipus tried his hardest not to kill his dad and marry his mom. However he had no idea who they were, so he did it anyways. Freud must’ve heard the story from someone recounting it on the most simplest terms.
So it's less like Zootopia, and more like the music video for Lone Digger got it
Well there is a scene with a herbivore stripper in a cage infront of carnivores, sooo... yeah, I guess?
@@Ymryrth and the rampant fighting in later scenes
Well at least I wasn’t alone coming to that conclusion ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Also, Blacksad, kind of...
To me it seems like Zootopia meets Lone Digger meets Twilight.
"So yes, I'm doing the annoying youtuber thing"
Me: yes
"This is going to be part one"
Me: YES
Somebody's got a youtube fetish
@@haroldthaf Your fetishes are what makes who you are.
Gustavo Liba So if someone has a bad fetish, they're bad in every way?
If someone doesn't have a fetish, are they no one?
Whatdoyoumeanbythatexactly
@@argumengenichyperloquaciou4115 It is a beastars reference. It a joke, it is not mean't to be taken seriosly.
Gustavo Liba Don't worry, I know. If I thought it was meant to be taken seriously I wouldn't have asked that second question.
14:28 "i'm not only talking about sexuality, even if *the gay* shows up"
*the gay:* 🦌
oh lawd he comin
Deer twink yeessss
both pina and Louis are very, very straight.
@@Qatrebew they are theater kids thats the gayest thing u could be
@@Qatrebew
Did you just call Pina Colada straight?
The Virgin Zootopia VS The Chad BEASTARS
Lol 🤣🤣🤣
Don’t you mean
Virgintopia and Chadstars?
@@foxywoxy0w068 chadstars
chadstars
I was going to like this comment but it is at 666 likes
legosi a virgin tho HHSFJFJRB
Ah Beastars. Come for the furries stay for the problematic goodboys having very complex feelings about society, systemic categorization and entering adulthood as a politicized body
Hot Take: Legosi is Edward Cullen if he was written well.
My mom called me weird for watching Beastars and I countered by asking what the difference between it and Twilight is. She hasn't questioned me again since.
Holy shit, you’re right!
Literally my first thought seeing it recommended to me on Netflix was "Twilight but furry? Sign me tf up!!!" lol, so thank u, I'm feeling super validated rn.
Shit...
Exactly what I was thinking while reading the manga. Plus, Haru is more convincing than Bella Swan...
"The idea of animals instead of humans isn't just for aesthetic or fetishism but rather a genuine element of writing Itagaki fully commits to"
I think the theme finds itself because Itagaki is an assumed proper furry and the idea of deviancy just comes along with this sort of thing.
Oceaniz?
You mean FOR fetishism. =)
@Julie Walker Exactly. Your show/manga will easily get more originality just by avoiding humans. It's also a window to creating far more varied characters. While not in the case of Beastars, anthro animals can appeal to children a lot better than humans can.
@@twilightvulpine so the creator is an actual furry?
you didn't mention this but there is something to be said about how this show tackles deviance through the aesthetics of sexualized animals. being a furry is considered quite not normal so this show being a furry show is kinda meta for the whole deviance theme lol
we did it fellas, we coerced jack saint to become a full time furry channel
Step 1 in a multi-part plan...
::taps fingers on each other in Montgomery Burns fashion::
_"e x c e l l e n t"_
@@cn2673 mate...
“ it’s ok to eat fish because they don’t have any feelings “ Kurt Cobain
Song lyrics, friendo
Until you reach that part of the manga...
@bryan diaz varela shh...
@@Homodemon Which part ? I don't care if it's a big spoil so please tell me.
@@vukkulvar9769 Sea speak. But the sea is okay.
i love beastars quite a bit but i feel like it’s one of those shows where being a westerner makes me feel like i miss a lot of the social commentary that might be unique to Japanese culture, especially considering how much pressure there is to fit into society and not make waves
You need to update on your statement. We are not china, we are allowed to express ourselves and don't have to directly fit into society.
Chadstars chadstars
本田盾子 alas we are still expected to. We can surely express ourself but acceptance will not come as easily as in the west. It’s ingrained in our culture that diversity is cool and good as long as it does not defy religious beliefs or just asian social taboos/stigmas.
I think the issue i have with beastars is that as jack points out because this is a world of animals trying to be like people but still are impacted by and slaves of biological imperatives, any allegory or correlation to our society and or societal issues cannot work and or is ruined by that fact.
For example the message of Prejudice is wrong, since the carnivores are constantly being put down and restricted/victimized and vilified for being who they are, every-time an incident occurs...except that the show explains and shows us that predators frequently give into and or fall prey to their own instincts and devour their herbivore colleagues...ALL THE TIME
Even Legoshi would have killed haru the first time he met her had their not been a distraction distracting him, as his instincts literally took over his entire body, he’s lucky he only scratched her arm and not torn her throat.
So even the character who tries as hard as he can to control his instincts and not be that kind of predators, would have committed murder had not their been a distraction that allowed haru to escape and him to regain his senses
so actually prejudice is justified because yes all predators are potentially and would be killers at a moments notice
even the part where legoshi and haru have a fight and are forced to flee because everyone else assumes it’s him trying to hurt her
the reason for that is because just the other day a group of herbivores were viscously ripped apart by a gang of predators, led by a gray wolf.
So seeing a gray wolf somewhat assaulting a small herbivore would raise a lot of questions especially since the predators in question and their gray wolf leader are still lat large...
so even the idea jack pushed about males getting rape accusations for handling women a certain way, loses traction when the realties of the society are fully explained in context.
Makes it very hard to connect to a lot becasue the overall theme of the franchise is “instincts are absolute and always win”
as jack even says in the video, the manga still hasn’t decided if Legoshi’s love for Haru is simply his instinctual desire to eat her or actual love.
Jack: he loves her, but wants to eat her
me, knowing what vore is: *nods sagely*
No stop
@@PondWaterEnjoyer agreed
I started watching this anime for vore but the story do be good
@@Hayden_Cat cease your heresy
Lawbringer with a gun UwU
The fact that you used "Ну погоди!" (Russian cartoon with a wolf and a rabbit) worms my heart!
Also there is so much potential to read it with queer theory XD
It's not a rabbit, it's a HARE. But close enough.
@@0deadx21 yes! I forgot the word
W O R M S (we will take over your brains, the revolution has already started).
@@NoReplyAsset Having animals instead of humans leaves you with more options. Can _Beastars_ really exist if the characters were humans instead of animals? Nope, it wouldn't. I think _Ну, погоди!_ got away with its child-unfrienfly stuff because it was animals doing that stuff, and the simplicity of the episodes' structure and the soundtracks kept our senses too occupied for us to care or give it a second thought about what are we watching.
dipole I'm czech and I swear I watched like all of it when I was a kid
I feel like you can toss a similar queer reading to this as you could when dissecting the fanaticism of vampires in media (and why it almost always goes awry thanks to its roots in horror)
Vampire fiction has been consistently and incredibly weird. It ranged from horror, to a kind of metaphorical thing, to totally non-metaphorical romance.
Vampires have been written to represent so many different concepts over the years - but deviance and ostracism (especially in terms of how they were defined at the time of writing) is a big one. TH-camr Maven of the Eventide has made it her duty to dissect the vampire fiction in terms of allegories and themes!
That’s why i like true blood vampires
while overly sexual and sexualized it’s stated that one reason for that is vampires get off and or get better flavor from their victims through sexual action...
it’s also shown that drinking vampire blood is like an aphrodisiac to humans.
However at the same time the true blood vampires are shown to be incredibly scary since they could and can at any moment rip your head off, turn you, or snap your neck/kill you on a whim if not in a second
so the franchise manages to allow them to both be highly deviant but also maintain the horror roots.
@@mckenzie.latham91
The risk of death turns me on
I'm really glad this video ended up happening, and to hear that there's a second one in the works was unexpected but by no means unwanted! The last video basically made me reexamine most animal discrimination media I've consumed since I never really put much thought into it, with Beastars being the latest on the pile. Comparing and contrasting notes and opinions on this channel always feels like a fun sort of book/movie club, it's honestly a nice workout to explore themes of fiction I used to overlook just for the sake of enjoying the greater whole.
2020 is the year of Jackal Saint.
So would you say the upcoming second video was a surprise to be sure, but a welcome one?
Furry character provide alot of advantages when used well. Superficially they are more visually interesting and diverse and this also can open up more options for character designs that help communicate or subvert a character. The animal stereotypes also are something you can play with or subvert at will as well as the dynamic not only between predator and prey but between species as well. While this can be used as allegory it doesn't have to be and can just be part of the world on a facet by facet basis. Furthermore their animal nature gives a greater suspension of belief for them having enhanced physical abilities like strength or speed or flying or etc. Then you have individual quirks like chickens laying eggs or deer molting their antlers. Beastars is prolly the first piece of furry media I've seen that expertly plays on nearly every aspect and ties it all up into a wonderful cocktail of world building, character design, character development, complex social interactions, and allegory. All while using the natural strengths of it's characters and settings to stay RIVETING even as it tells what is in all reality a slower paced story with minimal action a very little incidents of direct drama...instead relying on underlying tensions and societal elements to carry it. Wheras Zootopia forces a "reach for fox spray moment" that doesn't make sense for the history of those two characters Beastars shows a very believable moment where Legosi walks out of the shadows to hand an herbivore a letter and she's just terrified until she realizes his intentions thanks to the greater context of not only the world but their very real physical capability disparity. The differences in the facets and layering of what plays into those two moments is the difference in quality between those two works. Zootopia is good, Beastars is just so good that it manages to make Zootopia look bad by comparison.
I'd like to thank jack for taking my singular advice (and nobody else's) to talk about beastars.
What I think is particularly interesting (at least in the anime, I can't speak for the manga) is how the very categories of carnivore and herbivore are blatantly ridiculous. We have animals like hippos and elephants who, in the natural world, have no real natural predators, being lumped in with rabbits and mice as "victims", and weasels and foxes being grouped shown as potential threats to them. Moreover, there is something that the characters do which is quite interesting, in that whenever asked about their personal preferences they always will say "wolves like..." or "rabbits want...", they don't think for themselves but automatically fall back on their stereotype. This is particularly noticeable in examples like when Haru asks Legosi what temperature he wants the room at, and he struggles to recall what wolves like.
Unlike Zootopia, where the allegory is very clear, I don't think that Beastars is about any particular bigotry or social oppression, I don't think the predators stand for homosexuals or men or ethnic minorities etc. Instead I think by showing us a world with entrenched social norms that are very different from our own and demonstrating the ridiculousness of it and the harm it can do to individuals, it gives us pause to reflect on the assumptions we ourselves make in our society.
The very first script for "Zootopia" was almost identical to the setup of "Beastars", with predators frequently losing control of their carnivorous instincts.
But then someone at Disney realized there's no way they could pretend they didn't steal it from Paru-san. ;]
Disney doesn't have a good history when it comes to stealing stuff from Asians.
JakeSpacePirate E *cough* *cough* LION KING *cough*
@@jakespacepiratee3740 Disney 'borrows' pretty much everything. ;]
@@abunbot "You must avenge my death Kimba... er, I mean 'Simba'" lol, old Simpsons joke
More like it was gonna get R rated.
"The Annoying TH-camr Thing™" oh, but I CRAVE your commentary on this series now. This is the kind of BeaStar content I DESERVE!!!
jack really likes that clip of legosi drooling huh
Cute fact: it’s more accurate to use fetish in regard to an object and paraphilia in regard to behaviour. It’s possible you know this and were simplifying for brevity.
So, Beastars is more like an exploration of a concepts from sociology in a fictional world that does not necessarily parallels our own? Is there a coined term for that type of media? Like a genre? If not, let's call it... so-fi; Sociology-Fiction.
I can't wait to see you talk about Legosi's grandfather Gosha. He's honestly one of my favorite characters, and his impact on the whole story is really interesting to me.
Beastars analysis series? Guess you could say that he’s gone down the rabbit hole.
Shut up, SHUT UP!!!
Well thats one thing both Jack and Legosi have in common
@@TheRixtah1 i hate you
@@delta2372 I hate you too, bud. Hugs and kisses UwU
@@TheRixtah1 :D
Disgusting! How could you put Talking Tom & Jerry in my wholesome video about furry porn?!?!?!
Tisk tisk
The real crime is the fact that they can sing in the movie that clip was from
Ive been telling people beastars is good for YEARS and now people finally understand... finally...
THANK-YOU!!!!!! It’s so hard to talk about Beastars without people just claiming you’re a furry, but it does social commentary and relationship so well and interesting. Can’t wait for the rest!
@@spuilloh2637 People like Fantastic Mr. Fox and those folks aren't furries. There's more a community factor than just liking cartoon animal characters.
@@nathanblue5548 actually I think there's a term for people like that "furry-adjacent" coined by Ben diskin (the voice actor of haida from aggretsuko) basically its someone who's involved with 'furry' stuff but not necessarily a full on furry.
I watched like 5 min of Beastars over my bf's shoulder before figuring out it was written by a woman from how visceral, erotic, eclectic, deep, terrifying and kinda poetic the approach of sexuality was. Not saying men can't see it that way, just that it's less common in my experience.
Loved you analysis, can't wait for season 2!
This is it, the best Beastars analysis.
Can't wait till u talk abt Best Boi omg,,
I'm not even going to wait until the end of the video "I regret to tell you all I have thoughts." is incredibly relatable
I think the moment that really stuck with me was the moment where Haru went into her whole "feeling too small and frail"-complex. And I was just like damn... My gurl. I of course know that women aren't "biologically weaker than men", but shit. I think that moment really made me understand just how much it can suck to be perceived as weak and frail.
I understand what you meant by this, but I would say majority of men have physical advantage over women. I, personally, along with the women of my family, cannot just physically combat a man(unless with a weapon). It wouldn’t be a fair fight, and in that case I would feel weak and frail. I understand Haru’s perspective since an alarming amount of men want their woman to be somewhat submissive take on a more nurturing role.
@@vera5171, God what a weird sentence to start of a sentence with, but okay, usernames are usernames I guess xD
Yeah for sure, I guess the term "biologically weaker than men" can have quite an ambiguous meaning, since I wasn't meaning in the physical sense, but more in the "women have something inside their DNA that makes them objectively weaker human beings on more than just a physical level"-way, which I guess I just should have explained.
Glad for your perspective though, have been wondering about how many other people had a similar moment with Haru, since I don't hear a lot of other people talk about it.
@@paja9762 My take on it: Haru is someone considered powerless in her societal role. Not considered to be special or anyone of value or self worth and feeling defenseless vs predators she asserts control over her life using the only power she has at her disposal, her sexuality. This is what lets her feel like she has some agency, but it's also a double edged sword in that it's the only thing she feels valued for as well and that leaves her feeling empty as well. When Legosi first introduced himself to her she just assumed he wanted sex. She didn't talk, she didn't check, she didn't even really look at him. She instantly decided that the only reason someone would come to her was sex. That was her power, but also her only place and role.
I think Legosi being interested in more than just sex with her scares her more than just with him being a carnivore. Especially considering that the one person she thought would show up and save her, Louis, didn't show and Legosi did instead. I think she's conflicted and torn. She wants to let herself be with Legosi and be more than just the sex bunny alone in the garden nobody ever visits without ulterior motive. But she was recently hurt and she doubts both Legosi and herself. As well a serious relationship would mean giving up her one true sense of agency in that world because her having sex with other people would come to an end assumedly during that relationship....which would mean her agency is reliant on Legosi who is an unpredictable element to her. Meanwhile all her instincts tell her to run away any she tries, but she cannot force herself to run away serious and Legosi is persistent in a way she both likes and wishes he wouldn't be. She appreciates being valued but is scared of everything ahead.
So I think she DOES feel biologically weaker, but not necessarily because of her status as a woman but more because of what value her biology gives her in a societal context as a weak tiny COMMON herbivore rabbit. She's not a more valued breed like the Harlequinn. Then we have Juno the wolf as another woman example who easily overpowers Louis. She's strong both physically AND in personality being very assertive and going for what she wants almost ruthlesslessly. So the show is certainly not portraying women as weak in any way.
Anyhows, that's just my thoughts. I'm just some derpy bisexual furry dood though so take it with a grain of salt and a chicken egg :P.
@@Ralathar44 Haha, any take by a derpy furry is just as welcome as any other take.
In fact I actually do think that you hit a pretty solid interpretation right there.
One thing I have also come to think about is the slut shaming where Haru is stuck in a narrative where she will always be the cheap, silly, disgusting slut - while all the men who sleep with her will be able to brag to their friends with nothing but social benefits.
So at this point, part of it is probably also her trying to take control of the narrative and owning it - however much it hurts
But anyway, that is just a take from a nerdy, white, cis, straight guy:p
Haru reminds me of myself as a teenager, talking about how much I hated twilight and makeup because that's what other girls like and I'm not like other girls. They're weak and feminine and normal, and I like masculine things, and that makes me better. I think being part of a group thats fetishized as being small and cute and something to protect gives you a real complex, because say what you want about short girls, but let me tell you, it gets real tiring looking up at people all the time. I'm not at all surprised that haru became obsessed with a place where she could finally see eye to eye with people and be forward. A type of role she had some measure of control over. And at the same time, when a guy comes along and tries to protect you, gives you his jacket--it feels good but it also feels like a betrayal. Were you always like this? Deep down, did you always just want to be protected by a big man?
What the hell is an omnivore? Youre either a carnivore or a herbivore. You cant just be both.
UPDATE: Hello friends this in fact is a joke about the absurdity of bisexual erasure
Lol gives a new perspective to Gouhin the panda's choices doesn't it?
We do see omnivores in the story, but they are either grouped with carnivores because they share predatory instincts, such as with bears, or with herbivores because they don't have predatory instincts, such as with pigs. Also, all carnivores have to eat vegetable proteins in this society, making them defacto omnivores. It's not perfect though as we see Hippos grouped with carnivores despite that they are 95% herbivore, only occasionally observed eating carrion.
Humans, pigs, many primate species, most birds...
so it's canon: all foxes are bi
As someone who's been reading the manga since 2017, this makes me immensely happy
I’m glad you’re not gatekeeping anything, usually when people find out that something that they like is suddenly popular. They usually try to make themselves seem superior to the “normies”
I choked at "He's a cutie, he's my best friend, and he's racist"
I wanted to start by saying hello and that this makes me feel very represented. You also made me laugh harder than in other videos, partially because I'm so close to the source material. Although Beastars has a public following, the media is niche and appreciating it for its deeper psychological and social aspects is rare to me. I don't want to over-write a TH-cam comment that no one is gauranteed to read, but I will write a little reply for my own self-analysis.
As a Persian-raised American bisexual furry man, I see Beastars as beautifully multi-purpose and freeform in part because it follows its strict rules so well.
I loved your analysis of these parts of the story and highlighting the normalcy versus deviancy stuff.
24:40 I wanted to chime in that, personally, parts of this story were really fun to project my battle with male roles in society. From being encouraged to have sexual conquests or be powerful and/or destructive in personality, Legosi was the perfect metaphor of the me that says "no. "(I could have phrased everything here better!)
And, as a side note, this *anger at another indulging in one's own repressed urges and not just an incident* is always a great theme, so thanks for that phrasing as well. It gives me a lot to think about.
Maybe Beastars hides its allegories ambiguously enough because its creator didn’t part from any social stance to create this universe. I may be wrong, but I think that in this kind of stories, it is easier to write from an in-universe perspective than constantly second-guessing what the real world analogy is represented in the end product. That way, one leaves room for analysis and criticism with the caveat that you cited at the end (minorities, unlike the predators depicted in the series, not being “ inherently” anything).
I like this. Well said
Even if an author does that subconsciously your views and knowledge of our world would still seep in
The author wears a mask, hiding her identity so people don't know she the daughter of the Baki mangaka.
I translated part of an interview where she said, more or less, that she set out to create a realistic version of an animal society (which I guess would make it kind of a deconstruction of that trope?) that she had been imagining from childhood with a wolf/rabbit couple as main characters and made no intentional commentary on social issues. If that's the case, I would have to conclude that it's a lot better to write realistically rather than top-down metaphorically as realism creates the real-world parallels all on its own.
Except the main problem is, almost none of beastars allegories or the allegories we assign to it, actually work, they will always fall flat because of that point...
anything we apply to it is flat and meaningless...
in beaststars every creature is literally a slave to their instinct, and instincts will always win out and or cannot be defied...
In the black market episode one of the eagles tells legoshi as adults they will need to rely on the black market or else they’ll most likely kill someone.
the show goes out it’s way to show us that the reason the black market is allowed to exist, why selling/kidnapping sentient herbivores to be eaten alive and or slaughtered for food is tolerated, excused and or overlooked is solely because if not, the predators would all go crazy and start slaughtering herbivores everywhere they find them...
Free will is not something that exists in beastars because as shown with legoshi, instincts can take you over completely and you're powerless to stop it.
And while this is interesting to bring up in the world of beastars if we try and apply any of our own interpretations and or allegories to anything they will not work
when jack describes how the scene with legoshi getting in trouble for public fighting with haru reminds him of how males can be accused of sexual assault for being interpreted as abusing a women even if they weren't
it falls flat however, because the reason that stood out was because in the show/maga recently a predator attack occurred that killed several prey, and the leader of the press was a grey wolf, and the wolf and the press are still at large.
so actually any authority or figure aware of this would not just overlook a grey wolf seemingly assaulting a rabbit in public.
So again nothing we apply to the show can work
the few things that do is haru's storyline and character points.
"In Zootopia predators and prey have long enlightened themselves beyond any actual need or desire to eat each other... In beastars, well-" *KFC ad cuts in*
4:09
A 14 year old dominatrix?! Japan, why do you have to be like this?
16 years of age is the legal age in Japan, but sadly well Japan is well Japan......
@@delta2372 well national it is 13 but de facto its 16 due to local government
@@mikeoxsmal8022 your shitting me the national average in Japan is 13...WTF DID THE NUKES DO TO THEM
@@delta2372 That's just the bare minimum any local government is allowed to set it to, and they all set it higher than that. Calm down.
I think it kind of amplifies how screwed up her past is, since she did it to make ends meet. Yikes × 100
Girl-eating awkward wolf boy? Stan.
Promiscuous tiny bunny girl? We stan.
Racist bisexual deer boy? Big stan.
Doggo the friendo? *A+++++++++++++++ STAN*
But Louis is not bisexual! ._.
@@DANCERcow they are probably referring to in the manga when Louis was asked by his dad if he was gay.
It's open for interpretation!
@@oppaisenpai300 he is gay! Paru even never stated it!
@@DANCERcow Louis could be bisexual for sure. He had feelings for Haru, and he also has a carnivore fetish, especially *male* carnivores.
@@0deadx21 no you haven't read the manga all the way if you think he's gay for carnivores... He is in love with Juno! He has a carnivore fetish, sure but not for males!
“So this anime is supposed to make you into a furry? I don’t buy it...”
*Watches anime*
“...”
*Immediately reads manga*
“...”
*RuLE34 BEAstArS*
*“AWAKEN MY HIDDEN URGES!”*
Honestly, Japan just does Furries better than the West.
I see, you like herbivores
AY YAI YAI YAAAAAAIIII!!!
e621 .net
@@Argacyan Mah man
Saying that Beastars is a "copy" of Zootopia is like saying that anything that shares the same concept with other media is already a copy without doubt.
I bet they're the same people that think Coco is a rip off of Book of Life just because they're about the same holiday.
Yeah, man, everyone knows that every platforming game in existence is just a Mario clone. amirite?? hurrrr
Yea
Concept in itself is not “new” or “creative” but the way you put a twist on the concept may give it a sense of “fresh” or “breath of fresh air”
I keep replaying "that time legosi said no to biting people in the ass" and I lose it everytime
This was incredible and I am pumped for the rest of the series!
Now that I've actually watched the video and am not making jokes, this series is about the oppression of a group of people who are vilified and encouraged to self harm because of the belief that they are inherently violent. (Granted in beastars there's actually prescient.) To the point where media depictions of that group of people always puts them in the villain roll, and there are things that teaches them to suppress themselves at the cost of harming their mental state and if they show any of these traits at all they will be mocked and abused and even jailed for it. This feels way too real for me as a neruodivergent/atypical person
As a poc I feel this
I hate how people with mental illnesses are portrayed as ticking timebombs waiting to commit a crime, when most crimes are committed by people who are mostly healthy or "right" in the head
@@theblandcharlie822 This is so true.
23:06 Notably, must be the first time an Uncanny Valley effect enhanced my experience of a series instead of detracting from it. It definitely felt that his face looking so wrong was the point. I can imagine the modellers flipping their render upside-down to get rid of creator's bias, and being like "yep, it looks creepy as shit. _Just as intended."_
In Canada, we call it "Beasties".
Chadstars chadstars
Is this a Beast Wars joke lozl
I feel awful saying this but I read all of the currently released manga for beastars in one day. I picked it up ironically thinking it would be a hilarious cringe read but holy shit was I wrong. Finished volume one immediately purchased the rest and sat down and read it all.
I had thought the egg scene was a metaphor for the anime/manga itself and the chicken. Was the creator. She makes the eggs / anime and manga for herself. Because she feels pride in making them and does it for herself. However she can’t help but care when other people love it. And when legosi (however it’s spelled) disliked it, it obviously effected her.
Really weird that a furry vore comic is so mainstream now.
Welcome to japan
Let us not forget that these furries now have access to Stand powers
@@invalidopinion1016 is that a mf jojo's reference!?
*a furry vore comic that says a lot about life
What is vore?
For some reason I keep thinking of Bojack Horseman and its half-animal half-people world, and how the whole "prey vs predator" thing doesn't really exist. Aside from a few background jokes: in one episode in the background at a restaurant, two people are eating a pig head, and on the other side of the screen a pig character looks nervous. Not nervous enough to leave though.
Oh wait, there's also one episode about eating chicken. Literal chicken people farmers farm other chicken people; it was nuts lol. But overall the show doesn't really delve into this conflict. (unless something comes up in the last eight episodes; i haven't seen those yet. but i doubt it)
It's would be interesting to compare this series to the movie "The Fantastic Mr. Fox" and its message on inner nature.
I think most western commentators about Beastars do not understand the East-Asian shamanistic roots when it comes to identifying anthropormophic animals. For example, there are two ethnic minorities in China who believed entirely that their key ancestor was a literal dog. A dog who attained at least partial human form to mate with a human princess, and begot their entire ethnicity. In the creation myth for most East Asian countries, humans are NOT given special treatment during the creation process, with animals sometimes explicitly mentioned to exist first, and in some cases humans start of as literal dirt. Animals are stated to be able to attain human-level intelligence through enlightenment and spiritual cultivation, yet at the same time they're also explicitly superior to humans in some cases due to their magical abilities. Humans and animals after this process, can also mate, and their offspring is usually explicitly exceptional in some way.
How it relates to Beastars is in how the anthro character is viewed as purely a metaphorical creation. The wolf in Red Riding Hood can be seen as purely metaphor for a drifter out to rape Red Riding Hood, or just a horny man who would lead her astray in general, just as Red Riding Hood would be seen as a symbol of a girl going through puberty or reaching adulthood. However, in a culture where the wolf would be a character in its own right, with equal narrative importance as any human character interchangeably, then the metaphor in it being a wolf is lessened. Them being a wolf is just an additional label on top of the character being whatever they are, because of how normalized it is in East Asian society to even label people by their zodiac animal. I have to wonder if looking too deep into it from a western perspective, makes it more 'queer' than it actually is beyond what's mentioned in the story of Beastars itself.
In Beastars, it's actually more about the concept of race mixing that comes up more than anything else, rather explicitly. The concerns are biological, which when you reach Melon, you realize is actually well-founded and has biological repercussions. This is an inverse mirror of how hybrids between humans and animals in East Asian mythologies were mostly beneficial and superior, by being implicitly showing in Beastars, how their physical and mental capabilities can vary and are often detrimental.
turkic peoples are a good example of this, they claim ancestry from a female wolf.
20:41 fun fact: Freud later in the end of his life recognized that he was mistaken and far more complex than he thought
I'm so glad that not only did you cover this series but will further cover it in future videos. I'm more excited than I should be!
I absolutely adore the "3d looks like 2d" style. it's one of the long list of reasons Spiderverse is my favorite movie
the editing on this one is so crisp, jack! really nice job
Thanks for that ending. I was getting worried when you called Legoshi best boy, and then later Louis best boy, but cmon we all know Jack is bestest best boy
Great now I have to read and watch the furry media, no other choice, my hands are tied. Alas
Your pic is Agumon. Either you are ignorant or deep in the closet. :V
Robin Bodare I just watched it all in one sitting, it’s now 5am, you may be on to something
Jack Saint - Im not a furry BUUUUUUUT
Beastars awakened the hidden furry inside all of us.
I watched the anime this weekend and enjoyed it. The scene in the subway where Legosi grabs Haru's arm is uncannily similar to a scene in the 2002 movie Far From Heaven. In that scene, set in 1950's America, an African American man grabs the hand of his Caucasian lover in a crowded street and is confronted by an angry crowd and a policeman. Just by the similar choreography, I'll bet whomever wrote the scene is familiar with the American film.
Amazing analyses as usual!
Looking forward for the manga deep dive!
🐺🐺🐺🐺THE PATHOWOGEN WILL CONSUME YOU ALL!🐺🐺🐺🐺
The what?
@@josh-oo The pathOwOgen, it's what furries call it when someone is introduced to some form of furry media and say "shit, I kind of get it now", thus leading down the slow spiral of "I just like this show with animal characters, ok?" to "wow, this art created by furries is really cool" to "I mean, if I HAD to pick an animal to represent myself...", and finally "OwO here's my fursona"
@@tigerguy529 Do they have a word for people who skipped step one but never progressed past step 4?
@@josh-oo a furry
@@Cool_Calm_Cam I meant if furries had a word for it.
I just love the way this was handled. So elegant and gentle but honest and layered. This is amazing analysis and I wish we watched more of the same media so I could see Jack do this again. :(
Join the discord for manga leaks discussions and MEMES..... also shipping
Even if you don't use the Discord at all it's really nice for just getting notifications when new chapters are out and translated
@@havengulzenith2198 and…..... memes
“Formalism, the lame one for nerds.”
Me, a lame nerd: lol that me
Haru sleeping around reminds me of an overprotected Christian teenager rebelling against her parents by becoming promiscuous
I guess I have to rewatch the anime and reread all of the manga now in order to better see your analysis
not like i wasn't going to do that anyway
Welcome to the club. Your complimentary pillow princess fox OC is in the mail, and should reach you in 3-6 business days.
Aha! So it's not just anime Zootopia...
It's Zootopia meets Tokyo Ghoul. Truly, the Dark Souls of anime.
...GOD this comment was painful to type. I crave death.
That Shadow Guy yeah it was painful to read I’m currently digging my grave rn so I don’t have to live with the memory of seeing it
I've never seen zootopia or tokyo ghoul lmao, I am interested in the anime in this video though.
Zootokyark Gouls
Same
'A story about a Chicken laying eggs'
Oh no.
OH NO.
-Interspecies Reviewers flashbacks ensue-
OH YEAH! THAT ANIME IS THE BEST!
So she's selling her own children for people to eat?
@@oaksynia7353 apparently it's a panties selling metaphor... somehow.
oak synia Unfertilized eggs. Not fertilized.
@@oaksynia7353 eggs are eggs
BEASTARS also works very well as an allegory for BDSM and coming to term with it. The desire to hurt or be hurt by specify people in specify way, the way is is viewed from outside etc.
I’ve read the entire manga and now I’m watching the anime, I am a true furry
Japanese Furries are called Kemono, the best kind.
@ No, I mean the BEST kind. Western Furries made by independant artists online all seem to have that weird, neon, flamboyantly gay look to them. Japanese Furries, or Kemonos have a much more rounded, exotic, and pudgy look to them (thicc) They look like a race of intelligent creatures you would find deep in a rainforest, or the top of a massive mountain.
To compare, most internet Western Furries look like that cousin who tries to hard to be everyones best friend.
And thats my in-depth opinions on cultural designs for Furry characters.
*ONEOFUSONEOFUSONEOFUSONEOFUS*
Its actually better with animals it makes it diffrent i aint a furry but the story woudnt be as good
@@jakespacepiratee3740 about the neon, rainbow, gay, unicorn diarrhea part you used to characterize furries? Yeah now, not quite, there's a lot of actually good furry character designs out there, people can get really creative. That's why things like skulldogs and protogens exist.
who couldve known a furry vore anime was the vampire narrative we needed
Talking about how the egg plot-line is a truly important one sounds exactly the same as saying the potato chip scene in death note was amazing.
I saw this video on my feed, watched the first two minutes, paused it to go read the first 6 volumes of the manga online, and then came back.
Good video.
Haven't seen the show yet, but from what you show here it appears a very interesting one. It really presents itself at very rapidly as a deeper exploration of a possible actual society of antropomorphic animals instead of the animal appearances being barely more than a costume like in many other cartoons (or all others?).
Not sure if there are good English dubs or subs of it, but Alfred J. Kwak (Dutch cartoon from the 80's) may be interesting to look into in the animal allegory category, as especially later seasons handled some political stuff (apartheid and nazi germany), antropomorphisation of the animals is comparable to Disney's Duckburg but slightly more animal attributes are kept. It is very much a children's cartoon though, but quite a good one as it doesn't really talk down to the audience. Not very sure about how deep this show went into animal instincts but I recall a magpie character being a kleptomaniac.
Did
Did I see "Nu Pogodi" in this video? WTF how did you even got to know it? 0_0
I love it.
I started my day by watching this video, watched the entire season in one sitting, and then ended it by watching this video again
I recently found out that cats including Tigers actually must eat meat. They are part of a group known as "obligate carnivores", as their bodies do not naturally produce amino acids and minerals.
It changed my perception of Bill as a character, as well as Melon and Sheila, and the Shishigumi. How creatures like that fit into the world of Beastars is so intriguing.
So... when are you covering Nu Pogodi? :D
My childhood cartoon. The child-unfriendly things they got away with without bothering the children or the parents.
Queer theory isnt a shit name. "Queer" is broad in a way thatencompases a lot of things that are difficult to encompass with acronyms or the like, and it's appropriate to use a word that is directly about the ways in which people marginialised for gender and/or sexuality reasons are classified by societal cisheteronormativity, ie as "odd", since what is constructed as queer and the ways that look are culturally and societally dependent in a way that means it differs from country to country and throughout history.
“I’m gonna make the bold claim that beastars is a profoundly queer text” that is one of the least bold claims I’ve ever heard lmfao, but I guess you gotta clarify for the straights
I'm glad you gonna dedicate a video to Louis. There sooo much to talk about him.
Welcome
Order your fursuit soon Jack.
I love the analogy of uncanny valley but for metaphor.
"“He called you pretty,” he finally continued, his frown deepening. “That’s practically an insult, the way you look right now. You’re much more than beautiful.”"
"“About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, there was a part of him-and I didn’t know how potent that part might be-that thirsted for my blood. And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.”"
"“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb…” he murmured. I looked away, hiding my eyes as I thrilled to the word.
“What a stupid lamb,” I sighed.
“What a sick, masochistic lion.”"
~Twilight, Stephanie Meyer
Wow Jack Saint love the haircut, you're now on par with Big Joel for being an objectively hot troubadour
GET HYPE FOR GOSHA!!!
Man, if you haven't read the manga you better before he talks about the best grandpa ever.
Hell yeah part 2 i'm ready for ya!
I just watched it and thought omg I really hope Jack Saint has a video about this show.
Is it just me or does this have vampire vibes
First vid ive watched by you but quite enjoyed. Good insight and commentary. Looking for part 2 now
This is among your best videos yet, and I really love how you tied in the episode about the chicken and her eggs. Can't wait for the jack Saint beastars multiverse
Lord forgive me but I have seen this video so many fucking times that I have almost remembered the script for it. This and it's second part. I sit around my room and think about this video and topics discussed in this video very often. I am straight but I have had few gay friends. They never really shared their experiences in detail but this video kind of makes me understand how much outcaste they feel here. I am not saying the allegories of Beastars fits 100% with them but in shades. I live in an Asian country with very conservative and anti-gay environment even among the so called left circles in the country are pretty homophobic. It makes me feel happy that they can confide their secret of being gay with me as a friend.