Episode 15

Preview image 1 taken from the Beastars anime website.

**Changes** (そんな鉛を喉に詰まらせて, *Son'na namari wo nodo ni tsumarasete*?) is the fifteenth episode of the *Beastars* anime and the third episode of Season 2.

## Synopsis

Louis now works with the Shishigumi, and in order to assert his authority, he is forced to ingest meat. A young new member arrives at the drama club. Members' hearts are baffled by the presence of playboy Pina, a big-horned Dall sheep who is full of confidence from his looks, popularity, and a defeatist attitude. After his club friends comment about his relationship with Haru, Legoshi considers maintaining a distance from her.

## Plot

In the drama club's male dressing room, Legoshi changes his clothes and, remembering Rokume's words, sets out to find the murderer. Legoshi assumes that the murderer must be just like him, a student in the school; laughs, gets angry, a carnivore like any other. Legoshi, without any context, says the word "meat" out loud, drawing the attention of the carnivores in the room and immediately corrects himself by declaring that he has muscle pain, misleading the others. He later comments that he recently remembers that Tem was killed and that the only carnivores he dealt with were members of the drama club. This comment causes Bill to get angry and confront him for his insinuations, and asks him if he is blaming them for Tem's death after all this time. Legoshi denies it, stating that they simply must remember that incident. Bill asks him why and Legoshi replies that it is because Louis left. Bill does not take his answer seriously by saying that he cannot trust a pervert who fucks with rabbits, causing Legoshi to lose his composure as Bill continues to mock him. Legoshi demands that he drop the subject and claims that it is Bill who cannot be trusted, about to mention that he ate meat in the Black Market, but he stops himself and although Bill challenges him to say it, Legoshi does not allow himself to do so because there are herbivores listening. Bill and Legoshi exchange grunts and prepare to fight until they are interrupted by the intrusion of a new student who expresses himself eccentrically and pushes them away to claim his locker. After he finishes he spots the scratches on Legoshi's forearm claiming that they seem to be painful and asks him how many stitches they gave him. Legoshi replies about 35 winning the astonishment of this student who leaves saying that they can fight again. Everyone is left confused and due to his conceited attitude, the boy earns Bill's scorn.

In a flashback, after Louis assassinates the boss of the Shishigumi, he introduces himself to his subordinates as "No.4" and invites them to devour him and thus avenge their deceased boss. The Shishigumi pay little attention to Louis, and without knowing what to do now that their boss is dead, they wonder what actions to take. Louis catches their attention and without much thought they agree to eat him. They are stopped by Ibuki, who after investigating a little, remembers who Louis is and shows his comrades an article that describes him as the hope of society and a candidate for the title of Beastar. Ibuki offers him to lead the Shishigumi despite being an herbivore. He argues that if they make Louis the new face of the group, their public image will change. While the Shishigumi discuss the matter, Louis indignant decides to choose his own destiny and tries to commit suicide by shooting himself, preferring to die than to be used by carnivores, but Ibuki manages to stop him by knocking him out. The next morning, Louis wakes up among the lions and enters into frustration for still being alive. Ibuki informs him that while he was sleeping, they had a vote which ended in a technical tie and he only needs one vote to finalize the decision. Louis opposes such a stupid proposal and Ibiki declares that there was no point in making a spoken decision, saying that the solution will come to light by action. He proposes to Louis to share the pleasures of a carnivore and serves him a plate of buffalo meat. This greatly disgusts Louis who resists his urge to vomit and realizes that they are testing him. Louis analyzes his options - live and be used by the Shishigumi or die and end up on a plate. Louis tries to maintain his composure and make a decision. He reflects how he is being turned into a show and he didn't live this long just to die like this. Frustrated he decides he needs to live and eats the meat. Louis claims that it is delicious and asks for more.

In the drama club, the girls are amazed by how handsome the new member of the club is. Pina is a freshman who will be part of the acting team, and he introduces himself. Bill asks Sanu why they are getting a new member now and if he thinks of making him Louis's replacement. Sanu denies it and Pina alleges that Louis is no longer there and the club will have a hard time without someone considered handsome. He mentions that carnivores don't have beautiful facial features due to being consumed by their instincts, a comment the carnivores take as an insult. While they argue with Pina, Legoshi tries to stay on the sidelines and ignore the whole matter. However, Pina who approaches him claiming that one of the members was eaten, their star actor disappeared, and they have a wolf with battle scars. Although Legoshi tries to deny it and claim that he is just an ordinary animal, Pina asks him how someone so quiet could get scars like that, claiming that Legoshi is definitely dangerous. The carnivores defend Legoshi and pull him back to their side, which annoys Legoshi since this chaos only makes it difficult for him to find the murderer. Pina only yawns showing how little the carnivores faze him.

At sunset, the drama club carnivores attend a rooftop meeting, where Bill expresses his frustration and dislike for Pina. Bill declares that Legoshi is attending the meeting because he believes that one of them killed Tem. Legoshi reveals that the reason he attended the meeting is that he wanted to chat with them and says that he is also a suspect due to being a wolf. Legoshi nervously says that he has no evidence that any of them did not kill Tem, so that to rule out their guilt they should prioritize the protection of their fellow herbivores every day and speak no ill of Pina. Bill declares that Legoshi is an animal of action and not of words, reminding him that he "slept" with a rabbit and whispering they ask him if large breed carnivores can sleep with rabbits. Legoshi accidentally reveals that he did not sleep with Haru. Bill tells him that in some way he is a genuine pervert and Aoba asks if his feeling for Haru come from his feelings for herbivores in general. Legoshi leaves and texts Haru to meet him.

At nightfall, Legoshi and Haru and have a casual conversation. Legoshi notices that Haru has a bandage on one of her fingers and asks her what happened. Haru tells him that she cut herself while cooking. Legoshi thinks about how he used to hate the size difference he has with Haru, but now it makes him happy. Wanting to protect her, Legoshi tries to convince himself that he is in love with Haru and not only glorifies her. Legoshi approaches Haru and caresses her face. When he is about to kiss her, Legoshi interrupts himself and asks Haru if she is still in love with Louis. Haru is annoyed and tells Legoshi that he doesn't know anything about her and Louis, but Legoshi says that he knows based on the expression on her face. He apologizes for wanting her to belong to him and that he is happy as long as she is alive. Legoshi leaves telling her that from that moment he wants to protect her from afar. Outside the building, Legoshi realizes that Aoba was right, and realizes that is what he must do for his love for Haru, while a great anonymous figure stands behind him.

## Anime/Manga Differences

* In the manga, Ibuki recognized who Louis was, while in the anime, he had to look him up online on his phone.
* In Episode 11, the lions that saw Louis had guns. In this episode, they had no guns on them, just like in the manga.
* In the manga, on the rooftop where the club's carnivores meet, there are other carnivores as well. In the anime, the club members are the only ones there.
* In the anime, Dolph is replaced by Kai during the carnivore meeting.
* In the manga, Legoshi and Haru meet in a school hallway. In the anime, they meet on the same fire escape as in Episode 13.