Episode 10

Preview image 1 taken from the Beastars anime website.

**A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing** (綿毛、地の果てまで追うならば, *Watage, chi no hate made ou naraba*?) is the tenth episode of the *Beastars* anime.

## Synopsis

Legoshi risks his life to find the Shishigumi. A friend helps him channel and control his inner beast so that he can save Haru.

## Plot

Legoshi's search for Haru leads him to the Black Market, but varying scents of meat in the market makes it impossible for Legoshi to trail further. He asks sellers and customers around about the Shishigumi, but are either scared away or refuse to answer. Two felines he bumps into seem to know where to find the Shishigumi and lead Legoshi to a secluded alley, tricking him by pushing him against a wall while holding a knife and grab his wallet. Finding nothing of value, the felines plan to kill him and sell his pelt to the Shishigumi at the lake, where the gang resides. Suddenly, a bamboo arrow strikes the wall, narrowly missing them. The two felines flee as Legoshi recognizes the panda wielding the crossbow but only calls him by his species name. An irritated Gohin reveals his name and tries to dissuade Legoshi from pursuing Shishigumi, as they are a feared criminal organization made up of 35 lions. But Legoshi persists to know where to find them. Gohin angrily scolds him that rescuing Haru is suicide and she is likely already devoured by the gang. Legoshi refuses to lose hope as he is determined to rescue Haru and confess his mistakes and his feelings to her. Gohin remains unconvinced to help him. Regardless, Legoshi proceeds to rescue Haru even without him.

Strong rainfall prevents the drama club students from returning to school and are stranded at the Meteor Festival. Some of the club members begin noticing Legoshi's absence after his fight with Louis. Juno quietly approaches Louis and asks where Legoshi went after recent events. Louis doesn't say but claims Legoshi may likely not return. Juno suspects Haru is involved in his disappearance. Louis apologetically expresses his regret of having done nothing to help and that Legoshi's life is in danger.

Legoshi makes it to the Shishigumi hideout, where the front entrance is heavily guarded. As he tries to plan his entry, a gun suddenly touches his back pointed by a Shishigumi member who finds him trespassing. Legoshi tries to reason with the lion, but he refuses to listen and has Legoshi raise his hands and slowly forced to walk back toward a bridge while the lion expresses his disgust with canines. All the while, a familiar scent trail emitting from the lion's raised hand is picked up by Legoshi's nose. Legoshi identifies it from Haru's and angrily asks about Haru's condition. The lion realizes Legoshi plans to rescue the rabbit and mockingly tells him that she may already have been eaten by their boss at the top floor. This triggers Legoshi's feral instincts causing him to begin growling angrily at the lion. Confused by his behavior, the lion is quickly overpowered when Legoshi forces him to direct his gun at his ear, blowing it off. With the lion pinned down, Legoshi demands he tells the truth that she is alive as Legoshi knows the smell of her blood and finds nothing on him. As Legoshi prepares to bite the lion's neck, he internally declares that Haru is "my prey" and realizing this makes him pause in shock. This allows the lion to push him back and prepares to finally shoot him down, but he gets taken out when a bamboo arrow pierces his back. Gohin saves him in time but advises Legoshi to go for the killing blow of using his strong jaws to bite his neck. He pulls Legoshi up and agrees to help him change fate by rescuing the rabbit he loves even though he believes his love is from his natural instincts.

Gohin and Legoshi storm the building, where they overpower the lions guarding outside and take out the lions caught off guard inside. Legoshi rushes to make it all the way upstairs but Gohin is having difficulty fending off all the lions pursuing them. Legoshi goes back to defend him by taking a blow from a lion hitting Gohin. The lion throws him off and prepares to strangle him, but is confused by his face when Legoshi picks up Haru's scent trail from the lion's hands and confirms she still lives. The lion resumes beating him despite this but Haru's scent strengthens Legoshi enough to land a brutal headbutt to the lion's face. Having taken control, Gohin assures Legoshi he can take care of the remaining lions alone and that Legoshi resume looking for Haru.

Meanwhile, Haru imagines herself writing a farewell letter at a dark room illuminated by a spotlight. She begins her letter by reflecting her past life up to her impending devouring. Since being born the youngest from a dwarf rabbit family, Haru grew up to be the runt among her siblings due to being the smallest. She was always under her parents' protective care as she was told that her species is one of the weakest among herbivores and to live life precariously, or she could die easily. Haru gradually began to understand what that meant and even as she was maturing, whenever she meets other animals bigger than her, they would always smile at her, knowing it was out of pity and presuming she was helpless. But at her third year of middle school, a male rabbit confessed his feelings to her and Haru noticed he wasn't smiling. The two ended up in a sexual relationship that caused Haru to have an epiphany, where the only time she felt she was equal with other animals was during being in bed with them. She continued having sex with different animals to continue feeling being seen as herself even though it costed her social life and as an outcast for being promiscuous. She continues writing about her regrets of having never told her true feelings for Louis and never finding out her true purpose in life, but she stops writing when suddenly Legoshi appears to her and grabs her hand. Haru thinks about Legoshi's mysterious character but in all the time she spent with him, Legoshi never once shown pity and always regarded her as herself.

As she finishes her final thoughts, the Shishigumi boss continues to inspect her bare body and claims Haru's feelings of humiliation and shame enhances her flesh's flavor. In her last act of defiance, Haru kicks the lion's cane, allowing herself to stand and speaks confidently that she is feeling neither humiliated nor shamed and mocks him to dare eat her now before her flavor continues to go bad. The lion laughingly refuses to accept eating her as he intends instead to violate Haru further. Haru tries to flee but is quickly pinned down and the lion nears his jaws to her face as Haru declares her life finished. Luckily, Legoshi violently breaks the lion away from her. The two share a moment of seeing each other. Legoshi proceeds to take off his uniform shirt, but Haru tries to warn him that the lion has recovered and is about to attack him. Legoshi throws his shirt at Haru's face as he takes on the Shishigumi's leader and tells her to put his shirt on to cover her body. Haru cries out as to why Legoshi would risk his life coming here. Legoshi can only reply that he has a lot of reasons but can only tell her once he defeats the lion. Legoshi struggles all the while Haru sees his actions are stupid.

## Anime/Manga Differences

* In the manga, Haru writting her farewell letter in her head happens before Legoshi and Gohin get discovered. In the anime, this happens way after they are discovered and right before Legoshi finds Haru.
* In the manga, Legoshi and Gohin go to the hideout together and are discovered together, while in the anime, Legoshi goes alone and gets discovered first.
* In the anime, most of the fighting with the Shishigumi members happens in the building, while in the manga, it all happens outside.
* Gohin's bamboo machine gun is omitted from the anime.