Drama Club (Arc)

## Drama Club

Legoshi and some other students on the cover of Chapter 1.

**Drama Club** (演劇部, *Engeki-bu*?) is the first story arc of the *Beastars* manga.

## Description

In a world where carnivores and herbivores live side by side, while eating meat is a serious crime, at the prestigious Cherryton Academy, a drama club student is murdered and eaten. The culprit was not found, and the students tremble with anxiety. Meanwhile, the drama club has a dispute over the replacement of their deceased member. The charismatic member of the drama club, Louis the red deer is candidate for the next Beastar. After being protected by Legoshi, a second-year gray wolf student of the lighting team, of being attacked by a carnivore club member, Louis had a great resentment. Contrary to his strong appearance with "great body" and "sharp claws", Legoshi is shy, mild-mannered and awkward. Louis forced Legoshi to stand watch at night while Zoe practices his line. That night in the backyard, Haru, a white dwarf rabbit, appeared in front of Legoshi, who was watching alone. The moment he smells her scent, Legoshi's instincts run through his body, and he attacked her. This encounter with Haru and his instincts will greatly change Legoshi's life, who ponders whether this feeling for her is love or appetite? Males and females, carnivores and herbivores. Legoshi's youth suffers as he faces the pain, strengths and weaknesses.

## Plot

### The death of Tem

One night, at the prestigious Cherryton Academy, the student Tem the alpaca, finds himself wounded and fleeing from an unknown carnivore who goes after him. Tem takes refuge in a lecture hall where he laments. He asks his attacker if he really is trying to eat one of his classmates. The attacker fiercely knocks on the door to open it. Tem firmly declares that his attacker belongs to an inferior species and are nothing but monsters, before being devoured.

The next day, a group of students witness the formation of the crime scene and are informed by other students of Tem's murder after they are commissioned to deliver a manual for a gray wolf named Legoshi, who watches the scene from afar. In the drama club, the members are gathered and divided. The herbivores accuse the carnivores of being suspected for the death of Tem, forming a great tension between carnivores and herbivores, which begin to argue until they are interrupted by a blackout caused by Legoshi. He turns the lights back on seconds later and talks about Tem's possible regrets until he asks Els directly if he feels sad about Tem's death. Later, in the female locker room, Els questions Legoshi's intentions with other club members and suspects that she may be his target. At the same time in the male locker room, Legoshi is checking Tem's locker who is discovered by other members of the club. As Legoshi leaves the room, he observes the full moon in the hall and prepares to finish Tem's business. In the schoolyard, Els is accompanied by a classmate who comforts her, and they separate. On the way to her room Els finds out that she forgot her wristwatch in the drama club and goes to look for it. In the club, Els searches her watch until it is illuminated by a spotlight by Legoshi who was waiting for her. The scared goat takes scissors from her bag in an attempt to defend herself. Legoshi approaches and removes the scissors with ease and takes her arms. A love letter from Tem falls from Legoshi's pocket which Els discovers shortly after. Legoshi gives her the letter and tells her about Tem's feelings towards her. Els thanks him and apologizes for the things that she said about him and promises him that she will retract with the other girls of the club. Legoshi refuses as he wants to keep their meeting a secret and leaves.

The next day, in front of the classroom where Tem was killed, Mark, an acquaintance of Tem, gives his condolences until he is found by Jack. Both talk until they reach the herbivore dormitories where Jack is not very well-received. When Mark opens his locker, both discover numerous letters that were sent by relatives. Mark tells him that it is something that all herbivores living at school get due to the recent murder. Before Jack leaves, Mark tells him that he shouldn't share a room with a hyena and a wolf, warning him to choose his friends more carefully. Later, Jack talks to Legoshi in their dorm room about the drama club play soon to be released, and Legoshi explains the plot of it until they are interrupted by their spotted hyena roommate, Miguno. Later in the drama club, a member of the acting team, Kai, is reading the script for the play, because due to Tem's death, he is assured that he would have his role in the play. When he got to the locker room, Kai discovers that he will not have the expected role. Confused, he goes to see Louis, the leader of the acting team, who was with Legoshi. Kai abruptly asks for an explanation of why he was not given Tem's role. Legoshi tries to leave, but Louis stops him and tells Kai that due to his poor performance as an actor he was removed from the actors pool, and from that moment he was part of the stage crew along with Legoshi. This infuriates Kai who tries to hit him but is stopped by Legoshi who tells him that the safety of the main actor is paramount, and tries to dissuade Kai by telling him that the stagehands are important too. Kai is intimidated by Legoshi and leaves angry. Louis is surprised and expresses interest in Legoshi because this achievement intimidates Kai and asks him for help with something.

### Legoshi's awakening

Because Zoe failed to memorize his lines for the next rehearsal, Louis sets out to secretly help him out at the academy gym after curfew, so he convinces Legoshi to watch out, so they won't be discovered. In the middle of the night, Legoshi nervously waits for Louis and Zoe to finish. After a while waiting, Legoshi detects the scent of a herbivore approaching the place and hides scared. Legoshi looks out but fails to distinguish the animal due to the intense mist. Legoshi wonders if he should catch the animal if it is discovered but the herbivore detects his presence and runs scared. In an instant, Legoshi impulsively jumps up and catches the animal in his arms, who turns out to be Haru, a white dwarf rabbit. While immobilized in Legoshi's arms, Haru, after suffering a terrible day, terrified that she was about to be eaten, only wishes to be devoured without a trace. Legoshi feeling overwhelmed by the feeling of having Haru in his arms, begins to manifest his predatory appetite, who encourages Legoshi to eat Haru. Although he tries to resist, Legoshi finally sits before his instincts and nails his claws in Haru's arm, but before he can devour her, Legoshi is interrupted by Zoe who opens the gym door and makes him react. Haru takes advantage and runs out of the place. Zoe without realizing what happened, asks Legoshi to accompany him to see Louis who had injured his leg from preventing Zoe from falling off the stage due to the lack of light. Legoshi helps Louis walk and they leave the gym together.

The next day, due to his recent incident with Haru, Legoshi is depressed, thoughtful and very distracted. Later, in the cafeteria, suddenly two carnivore students start arguing until one of them bites the other, which causes Legoshi to remember his incident with Haru and shout fiercely at them to stop. This makes the aggressor notice Legoshi and want to fight him, to the discontent of Legoshi who tries to think how to lose. Louis arrives to calm the situation and manages to make the aggressor leave. After the situation calms down, he rebukes Legoshi for restraining himself and leaves. Later, in the middle of one of the drama club's rehearsals, the drama club president, Sanu, orders a break. Louis tells one of the actors, Tao, not to hold back and attack him with all his might. After the rehearsals, Louis goes to rest. Exhausted, Louis shows the wound he had previously gotten, which, due to lack of attention, worsens. Even though in pain, Louis ignores the wound and continues with the performance. Behind the scenes, the team of stagehands is making the costumes for the play until Legoshi finds the costume that belonged to Tem, something that at times made the members of the team nervous, so they avoid the subject. Needing flowers for the stage decoration, Dom entrusts Legoshi and Kibi to go get flowers from the gardening club on the school rooftop. At the door Legoshi notices the familiar scent and when he opens the door, he finds Haru which leaves Legoshi in shock. Kibi, who knows about Haru's sexual adventures, suddenly mentions that he has stuff to do and leaves leaving Legoshi alone. Nervous Legoshi asks Haru for the flowers he needs for his club. Haru accepts but with the condition that Legoshi help her move the heavy plants. After helping her, Legoshi guiltily asks Haru how she injured her arm, but she declares not to remember it. After planting some seeds, they go the clubroom where Legoshi is thoughtful with guilt and wonders if he should tell Haru that it was he who hurt her. Haru misinterprets Legoshi's nerves and begins to undress. Haru removes her dress and Legoshi who was paralyzed for the moment without understand her intentions. Before Haru could lower his pants, Legoshi reacts and stops her. Haru does not understand why Legoshi stopped her, claiming that if not for "that", then what did he come for. Legoshi covers her with a blanket and runs away leaving her confused. Legoshi does not understand Haru's previous intentions and meets Kibi who tells him that Haru is popular with herbivores and that he has seduced many males. Kibi asks Legoshi if she tried something, to which Legoshi replies no and that she is a nice girl who loves her flowers and recommends not to use her flowers for club decoration. Later, Legoshi realizes that he has no experience with romance and tries to investigate it in the school library, without obtaining results. Legoshi, together with other students, is called to participate in the "territory day", which for wolves is a special room that simulates a full moon. In the room, Legoshi thinks about his most recent experience with Haru, and concludes that he is not a monster but a "male wolf". Legoshi leaves the room and realizes he wants to see Haru again.

### The school play

With the school play soon to perform, the students remain excited, looking forward to seeing Louis's performance. The drama club, headed by Louis, is presented to receive an honor award, by headmaster Gon himself. Louis takes the microphone and gives a few words to the public, declaring that he will show "coexistence and prosperity" in the performance of the play and invites the public to witness the work. Later, at the drama club, Kai shows his disgust at Louis's words to Legoshi, demonstrating that he continues to hold grudges for being removed from the actors pool. Although he quickly overcomes it, mentioning that being a stagehand is more fun than he thought. Noticing that Legoshi remains thoughtful, as they adjust a focus, Kai directly asks Legoshi questions trying to find out Legoshi's reason for not wanting to stand out. Legoshi staying neutral answers his questions and Kai asks him if he felt nervous when he was recruited, disclosing that all the other members of the club were also recruited for having some special or secret condition, which Legoshi did not know. Kai proceeds to count the conditions for which some members were recruited, including himself, and then ask Legoshi if has a secret. Legoshi proceeds to turn off the lights and asks "what could it be?", and then turns the lights back on. Suddenly Legoshi thinks that even Louis could have a secret. In the drama club officers room, Louis suffers from the constant pain of the injury to his leg and even begins to belittle himself psychologically. Suddenly Legoshi enters the room to ask him about the lighting. While Legoshi speaks, Louis only watches his claws, so he interrupts him saying that his body language is very "aggressive", for which Legoshi apologizes. Louis pins Legoshi against the wall and takes out his frustration asking him why he always hides his strength, and asks him to show him his fangs, to which Legoshi refuses. This further enrages Louis, and he puts his hands in Legoshi's mouth to see his fangs and asks him to bite him. Louis sees his reflection in Legoshi's fangs which surprises him. Legoshi removes Louis's hands from his mouth and tells Louis that for him strength is a responsibility while for Louis it is an advantage and that is why everyone wants to see him in the play. Legoshi leaves and Louis discouraged says he didn't want to hear that from Legoshi.

The day of the play has arrived and all the students are excited by this event. In his dressing room, Louis, who continues to suffer great pain from the injury to his leg, is preparing to go on stage. Before the play begins, Louis shares some false words of encouragement with the other members of the drama club. Legoshi seems to be unique in noticing Louis's poultice. Shortly after the play begins and Louis performs a very splendid performance that surprises the entire public, at the end of the play, Louis receives praise from the public. The curtain closes and Louis unravels drowned in the applause and cheers of the public and the members of the club are alarmed to see him collapse. Some time later, Louis wakes up in the infirmary and is received by the other members of the club. Louis asks if the public saw him pass out, and they answer no. Bill reveals that he has a fracture in his left foot, so he will not be able to participate in tomorrow's performance. Louis notices that the club members are feeling sorry for him and demands that they not treat him like a helpless animal, which makes other members nervous. Louis calms down and asks Bill to be his stand-in for tomorrow's show. In rehearsals, Bill happily performs well, while Legoshi, who must now fill Bill's old role, is very nervous about it. Bill assists him in rehearsals in a less than delicate way. Bill says strong animals should stand out, and he will give his all in tomorrow's performance. After the rehearsals Legoshi meets Els who accompanies him while they talk. Els gives him words of encouragement and to have Bill's back. Legoshi, after saying goodbye, is motivated to do his best tomorrow.

The next day, before the performance, Bill finds himself preparing for the performance and receives a visit from Louis, with whom he talks. Bill escorts Louis to a seat ad Louis exclaims that he would like Bill to teach Legoshi a lesson or two, to which Bill notices the attention Louis gives to Legoshi. Louis reveals that it is because Legoshi tries not to stand out, which he considers to be an insult. Upon meeting with the other members of the club, Bill notices surprised Legoshi who indiscreetly approaches him. Bill nervously asks for a break to go to the bathroom and Legoshi follows him. In the bathroom, Legoshi confronts Bill, and he reveals that he is carrying a vial of blood which Legoshi could smell. Bill reveals that it is rabbit blood, but that it does not belong to any student, but that he received it from another classmate. Angry Legoshi tries to attack him but Bill easily stops him. Bill says that it is a justified doping to relieve his tension and that he cannot be like him. Legoshi leaves and tells him that he will make him pay onstage. During the school play, Bill plays his role, but without managing to amaze a disappointed audience who expected to see Louis. This causes Bill to gradually succumb to the pressure. Furious Legoshi enters the scene prepared to punish Bill, while he continues to dictate his lines. Legoshi interrupts him giving him a strong blow, which leaves all the spectators in shock. While Bill remains motionless in surprise, Legoshi continues to beat him brutally and nobody from the club has the courage to trying to stop him. The overwhelmed public doesn't seem to distinguish the fight from a performance and after taking several hits, Bill stops Legoshi and holds him between his arms. Bill manages to deduce that Legoshi may have been engaged to a rabbit in the past. Bill cuts Legoshi's back with his claws and tells him to accept the relationship between them. Suffering pain from Bill's scratch, Legoshi remains motionless in an attempt to endure the pain. Bill tries to persuade Legoshi to accept his defeat and carry on with the performance. Not receiving an answer Bill drops Legoshi to then counterattack, but before being able to do it, Bill is stopped by Louis who carries a sword and retakes the role of Adler. The public is shocked by Louis's appearance, and continuing with his role reveals to know Bill's actions and challenges him to real combat. Bill, intimidated by the Louis's imposing figure, runs away from the scene and Louis helps Legoshi to get up while they both receive acclaim from the public. Later, the show turned out to be a success and nobody managed to discover the real situation. Behind the scenes, the other members of the club confront Legoshi and Bill for their fight. Legoshi admits being the one who started the fight, although he does not give his reasons. The other members choose to apologize to Louis who had left as soon as the play was over. Bill asks Legoshi for an explanation of why he did not give him up with the other members of the club, to which Legoshi respond that it is irrelevant. Both continue talking about what happened and end up arguing.

## Important Events

* At Cherryton Academy, Tem is murdered and devoured by a carnivore, setting a wave of unease and distrust between the herbivore and carnivore students.
* Legoshi develops feelings for Haru.

## Trivia

* The play that this arc revolves around seems to be a (very) loose adaptation of Terry Pratchett's *Discworld* novel *Mort*, in which the apprentice of the Grim Reaper falls in love with a girl he's supposed to carry to the afterlife, and spares her instead. In response, all reality tries to completely purge her from the timeline.
* The events of this arc run from mid-to late May.
* It is the shortest arc of the entire manga, with only 17 chapters.