Episode 17

Preview image 1 taken from the Beastars anime website.

**Call it Like it is** (白はモノクロの中でも白いまま, *Shiro wa monokuro no naka de mo shiroi mama*?) is the seventeenth episode of the *Beastars* anime and the fifth episode of Season 2.

## Synopsis

Juno visits Louis at the Black Market and attempts to convince him to go back to school, but Louis's determination is unshakable. Legoshi, who became Gohin's disciple, cuts off his fur to disguise himself so that the Shishigumi won't recognize him, and begins a harsh training where he remains in school during the day and in the Black Market during the night.

## Plot

Behind the walls outside the Black Market, Louis and Juno walk down the street, while Juno nervously wonders why Louis entered an organization as dangerous as the Shishigumi and attempts to convince him to return to Cherryton Academy. Louis asks him if Legoshi returned safely to school on the day of the Meteor Festival and if a certain rabbit was with him, to which Juno replies yes to both questions and Louis claims that he expected no less from him. Louis states that he is surprised Juno could trace him and this alleges that she deduced that he went to the Black Market because of what he said before the festival and when she heard that Legoshi faced the Shishigumi, she was convinced. Although he did not want to go to the Black Market, she managed to reach their base by asking for directions. Louis thanks her but Juno claims that she did not come for his thanks and asks why he did not return to school. Louis declares that no matter how much civilization develops, instincts and strength will always win in the end. His role was to hide that truth behind a veil and become a symbol of morality and justice, but he has renounced that and sadly alleges that being drenched in lies and weakness, he no longer has a place in the academy. Although Juno tries to deny it, Louis smiles and tells her that she has become lovelier than ever before, and asks if her heart was broken, which Juno half denies. Louis declares that he is glad that she got a good experience from it and Juno continues to deny that her heart was broken. Seeing Louis, Juno thinks that he looks more graceful than he was before and may not have fallen yet. Juno comments that an animal that has stepped into the dark could not smile like that and Louis jokes that she seems to be very grumpy. Louis alleges that he simply decided to accept society for what it is, he wants to be strong in the truest sense of the word, and he realized it when he saw the Shishigumi who are adults that are at odds with their feral instincts.

At the same time at the Shishigumi base, Ibuki finds Louis's hidden energy drinks while Free asks him if he really should have let Louis go and Ibuki claims that he knows that he is dealing and assures that he will be back. Free alleges that they won't need him anymore as soon as the Shishigumi returns to its former glory and asks how Ibuki wants Louis to be cooked in the end. Ibuki angrily slams him against the wall and orders him to refer to Louis as his boss, and threatens him saying that if he so much as tries to bite him, they will have him for dinner the next day.

Louis and Juno are rehearsing a dance routine and Juno claims that Louis is a rusty, to which he alleges that Juno has improved. Juno reveals that she is the ace of the drama club and they continue with the routine. Juno wonders if the time passing now is also one of those lies that he was talking about. She knows that he thinks those are empty words, but she knows that carnivores and herbivores can truly understand each other. Juno tells Louis that he is a fool and he is simply pretending to be satisfied, that he has stopped making decisions for himself. It is not society that decides how someone lives their life, it is up to the individual. Juno declares that she will continue making decisions for herself and leaves telling him that he is an idiot and he will regret it. When she becomes great and respected, he will realize how wrong he was. Juno runs off while Louis sees her smiling and claims that she can still cry like a child, but she is already very respectable.

The next morning, The boys in room 701 wonder where Legoshi might be while Jack, remembering how Legoshi left the night before, says that it is no use and does not believe Legoshi will be coming back and comments that he lives in a different world than theirs now. At that moment, Legoshi enters the room and everyone is surprised and shocked by his new appearance. Legoshi casually apologizes for not having returned last night and leaves to take a shower. Later at the drama club practice room, Legoshi leaves everyone completely stunned by the sudden change in his appearance. Legoshi explains the reason for his haircut and that he must go to take care of his grandfather every evening. He will do his best to attend the practices, but will have to leave the cleaning for now and apologizes for the inconvenience. Sanu claims that everyone understands and everyone else agrees. After hearing everything Gohin told him, Legoshi realized that he couldn't just stop going to the club, he needs to act as a deterrent; as long as he's there, he won't let anyone else die. Legoshi declares that as long as he can't help with the cleaning, he will give his best for the club and thanks for letting him stay. After the meeting, while the girls are in the locker room, they comment on Legoshi's new look, while Juno thinks that he looks very refreshing and handsome.

Three days later, at 3 in the morning Gohin is hanging out until he decides to see how Legoshi is, who is inside a cold room suffering from fighting his instincts for having a large slab of meat in front of him. He is about to give in until Gohin's call distracts him, and he tries to maintain his composure but the smell of meat enters his nose strongly and his saliva gushes out non-stop as if he is vomiting, as he tries to resist his instincts. Gohin tells him that he must completely conquer his desire for meat and his body needs to know how to become strong without meat. He chose this path on his own and no matter how much he fights it, in the end he is nothing more than a sinister and ferocious carnivore. To use his anger, hatred, fear and stress to get stronger, to gather more and more until it burns, Legoshi decides to face his instincts head-on, carry himself and reach the stage behind. After training, seeing Legoshi's haggard appearance, Gohin teases him by saying that he looks terrible and that school will surely be hell for him. He alleges that he chose this path and will attend school during the day, training until dawn and running back and forth without using the train, and asks him if he doesn't want to give up. Legoshi refuses and Gohin claims that a carnivore must eat meat to survive, meat is vital for someone who trains his body to fight, but Legoshi argues that if he wants to become strong to protect herbivores, eating herbivore meat would go against everything he tries to achieve. Gohin states that carnivore athletes and soldiers eat meat secretly, but Legoshi simply says that he cannot do it, he understands them but he will never do what they do. Gohin claims that he knew that he would say that and declares that the world is not so simple that he can become strong with simple idealism. Legoshi replies that he will do what he can that does not involve eating meat and declares that he will return the next day.

In the drama club warehouse, Pina tells Legoshi that he looks ugly and asks if something is wrong with him. Legoshi asks why he talks so classy and Pina comments that Sanu told him he should work on his etiquette and he asks again if he is okay, pointing out his cut fur and his weight loss. Pina asks him if he is dealing with a mental illness and Legoshi replies that he does not have to worry about him. He states that he is supposed to show him the drama club warehouse and hopes that he will at least take a little interest in the backstage work, but Pina denies that possibility. Legoshi continues to show him the warehouse until he detects a feminine scent coming from Pina who asks if he can go now. Legoshi He asks him why he has a bruise on his cheek and Pina says that a girl he was making out with slapped him when he accidentally called her by another girl's a name, a story to which Legoshi does not know how to respond. Pina asks him if he has a girlfriend, which Legoshi has (imagining Haru) and Pina asks him if he likes someone but Legoshi refuses to talk about it due to his attempt not to think about Haru so he can focus on his training, although he cannot avoid thinking about her. Pina stops him wishing to know about it and asks if he has his eyes on someone, claiming that it is very dog-like. Legoshi decides not to allow Pina, among all people, to find out about him, not someone as blatantly driven by his instincts as Pina, who asks if he would teach him the meaning of pure love. He asks why everyone gets mad if one isn't dedicated to just one lover and Legoshi replies that because it is insincere, but Pina argues that everyone has their way of being sincere and for him being sincere means enjoying life while being true to himself and asks what morals have done for them. Pina puts his hand on Legoshi's snout and teeth and affirms that if he were to eat him, he would not hate him for it. He turns off all the lights and gives as an example that if he were left alone in a small, dark room with someone and if that someone is a girl, he would have the urge to kiss her. He asks Legoshi if he feels the desire to eat him right now, stating that he has a sheep right in front of him that would allow him. An angry Legoshi, who in his 17 years of life as a male wolf now experiences for the first time in his life, a clear and intense hatred for an herbivore and containing all his fury. He shakes hands with Pina while smiling, claiming that he does not eat meat and has no girlfriend, he does not need anything and is a peaceful wolf. Pina replies that that is also fine and Legoshi leaves furious claiming that he is hungry and is going to the cafeteria to eat some vegetables, while stumbling on the way.

Louis is back in his home where in front of his father, Ogma, who asks him if 18 is not a little late for him to have a rebellious phase. Louis who gave him a document to leave Cherryton Academy, alleges that he is not being rebellious and hands him a pen claiming that the moment has finally come in which they both say goodbye to their false relationship of father and son. He already explained the circumstances and ask him to sign his Leave Form claiming that he could not turn it into a cogwheel to his business. Ogma declares that it has been 13 years since he bought him for 7 million yen and Louis comments that he regrets that it was a failed investment. Ogma asks Louis what has gone through his head that day and alleges that he is surprised at how clear he remembers it - it was early winter with a clear sky and remembers smiling to himself, thinking that he is glad that this is the day this child got to see the outside world. Louis, who hoped that his father would cut him off without even changing the expression on his face, thinks that someone who goes against his will, would be useless to him. Until now, they both would only see each other once a month for dinner, and could never tell what he was thinking, but still have always admired him. Louis repeats to his father that he is now the boss of the Shishigumi and pointing a gun at him, ordering him to sign the form immediately, so that he won't cause him any more trouble. Louis remains firm while his father does not even flinch before his threat.

## Anime/Manga Differences

* In the anime, Free takes the place of Agata as the lion who jokes about turning Louis into dinner and getting severely reprimanded by Ibuki as a result.
* In the anime, Juno does not cry in the middle of her dance with Louis, but she simply stops dancing.
* Pina's shirt is pale blue in the anime, while in the manga, it's black.
* In the manga, Gohin reads various canine ecology books while Legoshi trained. In the anime, he listens to the radio while writing in a notebook.
* In the anime, Pina turns off all the lights in the drama club warehouse to be in the dark with Legoshi, while in the manga, he only closes a few curtains near them.