Beastars landed on Netflix two months ago, enjoying great success despite a premise not exactly mainstream. In particular, many fans appreciated the use of the 3DCGI animation technique and, given the growing success of the anime, the American colleagues of ANN they decided to discuss it with the director Shinichi Matsumi.
Studio Orange director started talking about the animations: "I discovered CGI in 1998 by looking Steamboy. I've always wanted to try to work with such tools, but in the past the cost of these machines was very high, we are talking about 5 or 6 million yen (editor's note between 40 and 50,000 euros). Today we can finally count on many 3D software and we have the opportunity to experiment with different solutions. With Beastars we even tried to use 2D at the beginning, but scrolling through the various drawing styles we never managed to find one that could convince us. I am happy with the result we have achieved. In the market there is nothing like Beastars, from style to colors, everything is different".
Matsumi went on to talk about the manga and the comparisons with the Disney movie zootopia: "Initially I thought it was an escape story, only by reading the manga did I begin to discover its true nature, that is, that of a drama in all respects. In Beastars a herbivore can profess his love for a carnivore, but it will always be two distinct realities. A herbivore cannot become carnivorous. If it were a shonen this rule could be questioned, but here not, in this manga it is a clear division, an insurmountable wall. I can't wait to find out how the story will end. As for Zootropolis I am aware of the comparisons, and before working on the anime I was worried. I didn't want to do something like this. In the end I think there is some similarity, in both there is a relationship between a herbivore and a carnivore, but Beastars evolves in a completely different way. The style and tone of Itagaki's work is unique, so the worry quickly vanished".
Finally, the director hinted at Beastars' second season to be released in 2021: "The story is going on, so expect news related to the nature of the "accidents" seen in the first season. The way Legoshi and the others will deal with the problem is something that deserves your attention. Among other news you will also discover details about the world outside the school, you will see new characters and many interesting insights on some well-known faces. I hope you will continue to follow us".
And what do you think of it? Are you waiting for the second season? Let us know by leaving a comment in the box below!
