~~ can’t help it, this will have SPOILERS ~~
This volume doesn’t seem to have a lot of plot moving, because most of it is the big fight between Legoshi and Riz. The first few pages are Riz preparing for the battle by ditching all his strength-suppressing meds, and Legoshi giving himself pep talks. There’s more pages from Riz’ perspective, where you find out that he has some twisted idea that eating Tem was a way of showing his greatest love for his friend. By taking him into himself. That love turns into an all-consuming passion to possess and consume. In an ironic way, Legoshi comes to the same conclusion- but let me get to that. First, Louis has an epiphany about the nature of carnivores which makes him want to quit the lion gang, only they refuse to let him leave- and someone dies for it. Riz uses Pina to goad Legoshi into greater ferocity, and the wolf himself accepts a bloody sacrifice from a friend, knowing (from his little experiment with the insects) that it will enhance his strength. There’s an odd interlude in the middle of the battle where Legoshi willingly makes himself vulnerable, shocking the bear into calm, and they actually sit there having an honest conversation. Come to an understanding that they are far more alike than they’d realized. No telling who would have won or died from the battle, because police forces show up and apprehend them all.
The gang scenes and fighting and overall bloodiness in this book reminded me of that Nyankees series. I thought I wouldn’t like this volume, but the moral dilemmas and deeper look at issues of carnivory in this animal-populated world grabbed at me. Is it okay to consume flesh, if the other party is willing and consents? is that still a crime? Are the meat-eating animals all just vicious monsters barely keeping themselves contained, or struggling to live sanely in direct opposition to their true natures. I think a lot of the animals in Beastars are trying to answer these questions for themselves, too.
Borrowed from the public library.