meri

The thing about beastars is it doesn't try to make you draw direct parallels between real life issues and the issues faced by these fictional animals. Beastars creates a world where all kinds of animals coexist in an integrated anthropomorphic society and then interrogates the privileges and issues this society implies. The carnivorous animals are both privileged and oppressed: they're more likely to be taken seriously and listened to, but they're constantly under surveillance and viewed as a threat. The herbivore animals are viewed as trustworthy, but they're also more likely to be condescended to and ignored. Public infrastructure doesn't adequately accommodate for animals that are as big as elephants or as small as mice. Integrated relationships are encouraged but bi-species children are unnatural. Haru is ostracized for having an active sex life even though rabbits mate year-round, Louis is constantly aware of his own vulnerability and spends his life compensating for it, and Legoshi is constantly aware of his privilege. None of the animals are a clear cut allegory for the experiences of people of color, disabled people, or immigrants, but the issues that play out in the world of Beastars are organic and reflect how multiple facets of oppression exist in the real world