Riz: Beastars' Most Psychologically Deep Character

[@SrRuuska]

Beastars isn't about presenting the unequality in our society Beastars is about showing how crazy Theater kids are

[@wandanemer2630]

I can believe that.

[@foreveruseless1292]

Lmao

[@dudefrombelgium]

who are the carnivores in society then? who will you stigmatize?

[@Ven-zg3fj]

this is the best interpretation I've seen

[@bassssaasuuuup]

💀

[@Walkingonthetrack]

Mans killed his homie and went to school the next day as if nothing happened.

[@1Wolfnerd]

Just like an evil psycho to do.

[@maxbearington7565]

@@1Wolfnerd i cri

[@spiderdude2099]

The dudes brain literally distorted reality to convince him his friend was totally ok with dying. He went to school the next day not just ACTING like nothing was wrong, he truly believed nothing was wrong.

[@golmoshy]

Only way he could cope.

[@wolfstormwizard424]

Yea if I killed someone by accident I would face the situation now rather to worsen it later

[@somebody3150]

Pat: talking about Pina and Riz being friends The whole chat: _Pina and Riz sitting in a tree, kissing_

[@maxbearington7565]

Kithe

[@LadyB_20]

I ship them. Kinda hard not to...

[@alyssabullock6421]

@@LadyB_20 agreed

[@lizzy4437]

@@LadyB_20 me rizxtem also me after reading chapter 182 welp puts my cap down with tem x riz and puts my pinaxriz cap 😳

[@fourearwolf3315]

@@lizzy4437 Imma wear both of my Riz x Tem and Pina x Riz caps, lol

[@ShadowSaberBaroxio]

I feel like Riz's character is deeper than even you give him credit for. For one, it's unknown how much control Riz had over his actions during the Tem incident. This isn't something directly stated in relation to Riz, but it's actually mentioned a bit in the tail end of the Melon arc - running away from a carnivore sets off their animal instinct to give chase. This immediately gives a lot context to a lot of past scenes, particularly Legoshi and Haru's first meeting, Louis and Ibuki's final meeting (Louis was essentially "fleeing" the Shishigumi), and yes, even the infamous opening murder between Riz and Tem. In fact, Tem actually states in Chapter 1 that his captor has gone feral. This scene takes place immediately after Tem runs away from a Riz who is already in a heightened hormonal state due to his lack of pills. We know for a fact that Riz lost control during the exact moment wherein he mauled and killed Tem. When he wakes up, he notices a bloody scene as well as Tem's remains, which are mostly intact, though Tem himself is dead. It is at this point that he makes the conscious decision to eat Tem, and becoming one with him. He then goes through stages wherein he commits self-harm, giving himself scars over the ordeal, before he creates the coping mechanism of hallucinations. I think it's also important to note that Riz, after this moment wherein he's completely lost control, becomes the very model of self-control. He takes his pills almost religiously, and never laments them again. He never has a violent outburst again, until Legoshi provokes him with his quest to find Tem's killer. At that moment, his delusions, and his self-control, noticeably waver. As a result, he confronts Legoshi while Legoshi's nose isn't working and beats him up. But here's where we have to ask ourselves a question...why didn't Riz kill Legoshi, right then and there? Legoshi is alone, unable to fight and completely unaware as to who he is. Yet Riz lets him live, eventually allowing Legoshi to figure out that he's the killer. This isn't the only time we have to ask this question, either. Right before the final battle, Riz kidnaps Pina, and gives him a small cut on his arm to trick Legoshi into thinking that he's killed Pina. But then this begs the question...why DIDN'T he kill and eat Pina? He already knows at this point that killing and consuming herbivores is a literal powerup - he says as much to Legoshi during their fight, after Legoshi had eaten Moth-san (we'll get back to Moth-san). So, despite knowing of the benefits of killing and eating herbivores - and all but planning to do so later anyway - he refuses to take that final step and kill either Legoshi or Pina when he has the clear opportunity. Even during the final fight itself, when Legoshi's body has begun to go limp, he stops for a second and asks Legoshi how he's doing. I think what this shows us is that, ultimately, Riz is scared of killing. Moreover, perhaps he's scared of fully buying into the idea that carnivores are nothing but monsters. Deep down, he WANTS Legoshi to succeed, and to prove him wrong. He WANTS to know if there was a better way for him and Tem - so when he sees a genuine carnivore and herbivore bond between Legoshi and Louis, he gives up. I think Riz is ultimately the perfect foil for Legoshi. A mirror of how Legoshi could have very easily ended up, with struggles and goals that are surprisingly similar when given deeper introspection. Speaking of which, anybody find it interesting that Legoshi ingests Moth-san specifically to get on Riz's level and understand what it means to take a life...and in doing so, he hallucinates a talk with Moth-san, where Moth-san endorses Legoshi's eating of him. So...whose to say that what Riz experienced with Tem wasn't a similar hallucination? Just an interesting tidbit I didn't see much discussion on. Oh, and more on the entire "running from carnivores sets off their murderous hunting instincts thing," I think that's why Pina's declaration to "never run away" from Riz played a HUGE role in why they're friends (or more) after the timeskip.

[@sofirealmond]

this is an EXCELLENT taste oh my god i think i fully understand riz now

[@courtlandbrugger6770]

Excellent analysis. I thought something similar but you made it sound way better than I ever could.👍

[@postingrandom4320]

Godzilla had a stroke reading this and fucking died

[@shelbyknife6914]

what chapter does it say he self harms?

[@ShadowSaberBaroxio]

@@shelbyknife6914 Chapter 84, the first fight between him and Legoshi, in the bathroom showers. Riz takes off his shirt and talks about his scars, which he notes that he received from self-harm over his guilt.

[@AzelleTown]

one small fact i thought was cool to know about riz is that while (irl of course) a brown bear wont always be charging you with harmful intent, if you were to start running away from said brown bear their instinct would force them to see you as their prey which would then make their intentions subconciously harmful. im not a professional or anything it's just something i think i saw online that made me think of riz and what it was that could've actually caused tem's death, riz's brown bear instincts triggering after seeing tem run away from him. (not the best theory but it's what i got)

[@courtlandbrugger6770]

That's exactly what I thought. Legosi also did this to Haru because she ran away. It was all instinct. It was just unfortunate that there was no one to snap Riz out of it before it was too late. Riz is such a sad troubled character that just wanted a friend and lost control. He mentioned how his heart was broken for the last year and how he felt he could almost cry about not being able to remember Tem as a person, just his smell and flavor.😢 Man, what an awesome 3 dimensional character. Very rarely do I see any villain written in a way that makes me want to give them a hug because they're so deeply alone and troubled.

[@maxbearington7565]

@@courtlandbrugger6770 Melon needs a hug, but Riz deserves one.

[@richogarden]

I love Riz, he is the best antagonist in Beastars

[@smartgamer8667]

No melon is lol

[@AnonDudeBro]

I actually like Riz > Melon

[@TheUnoriginalDrCorgi]

Heresy True, but heresy

[@billybobjenkins3031]

I believe he made legosi go through the most change. Melon just basically showed legoshi that he got lucky with his hybrid background.

[@AnonDudeBro]

@@billybobjenkins3031 I think Melon is better as a antagonist in changing Legosi, but I think Riz in terms of character complexity and depth is what draws me to him as a character more. Don’t get me wrong, Melon has great characterization and personality that comes with a nice charm, but I feel Riz makes for a more unique Villain in the beastars world that feels overall more iconic than Melon, who is definitely a close second. I see how people could also like melon more.

[@FirithPanda]

Melon had motivation, but he really had no goal beyond "we live in a society". It didn't help all his driving conflict and character "development" came so damn late into the overly drawn out Melon arc.

[@damiester1]

I think long arcs aren't bad because of the duration, but rather how the events are linked. For example, Riz's murder mystery started from chapter/episode 1 and in itself also spanned like 40 chapters or so after the snake showed up. The reason Riz's arc was great is simply because the events were plentiful and complexly woven. We had more of Louis dealing with his side of things, Pina's amazing interjections and the romance backdrops. There was just more happening at the same time that artistically build up to a single moment. Melon's arc on the other hand felt scattered due to the the training arcs, Legosi's repeated screw ups (happened once already in Riz's arc) and terrible battles. The mini stories in between the main action actually had more interests.

[@spiderdude2099]

The length doesn’t outright condemn an arc to fail, but yeah the longer things go, the more you have to craft a satisfying ending. Just imagine if the ending arc of beastars was just one of the ones in the middle. People wouldn’t mind it as much. But yeah....you gotta nail the ending. And....like....I feel like she tried her best. A lot of lose ends....we’re TECHNICALLY addressed, but with only a single sentence of text in a non satisfying way. That is in my opinion better than some endings I’ve seen (*cough* Bleach *cough*) but yeah, definitely disappointing. The whole end also felt like damage control and so many tied up plot threads still had a palpable feeling that she wanted to develop them further but just ran out of time so they collapsed in on themselves and ended in a super lame fashion rather than what she would have done given the right time and resources.

[@Canineblood05]

he just had his joker arc, nothing else

[@toolatetothestory]

Ngl I like Pina's attitude. Even if he is extremely nervous, he still tries to keep it together. Like... a defense mechanism. If your "enemy" maybe thinks you are an equal, with just enough confidence, maybe he won't risk attacking you.

[@wandanemer2630]

I can only respect and praise the balls of that sheep. And his brains, in a world full of impulsive dumbasses.

[@RyugaruSenbi]

It's also the best thing he can do. The more he visibly panics or worse, if he runs away, the more likely he is to trigger Riz's predatory instinct.

[@tresavage1887]

I Guess Riz favorite song is you got a friend in me

[@KamuiMiracle]

Hahaha

[@maxbearington7565]

_Riz: I've got a friend in me._

[@themightytrainthurnax6613]

I feel bad for laughing as hard as I did at this...

[@kwilliams2179]

😂😂😂

[@StinkymanXD]

This comment is fucking beautiful

[@ReccaWolf]

It’s nice that Riz got a second chance. Yes, he accidentally killed Tem without the use of his drugs to show his real self, but there was a deeper meaning behind it all in his twisted mind Legoshi, Louis, and Pina knew after the final fight. Not only of Legoshi and Louis’ friendship, but those around him were his friends too, carnivore and herbivore alike.

[@maxbearington7565]

I mean, if Legoshi ate Haru... it would be about the same. Maybe Zoe saved their lives, because Lego would have turned himself in or went total bonkers.

[@ReccaWolf]

@Leotis Bennett It’s more like predators will have “kill” instincts that are somewhat uncontrollable, but try to improve it overtime. It is illegal to murder, so predators try to keep it in check. In schools, it’s more likely they’re learning more about themselves and prey.

[@bluedragon8762]

@Leotis Bennett they have the minds of people in this series honey it'd belike "omg Ted bundy is just doing what he felt was natural"

[@bluedragon8762]

@Leotis Bennett in this world they really aren't. Remember this is a FANTASY WORLD. where these animals have human intelligence and reasoning.

[@bluedragon8762]

@Leotis Bennett also those trained animals dont have human intelligence so again your argument is invalid

[@EvilOfDarkness1]

Riz story is sad. I feel sorry for him being forced to take pills that reduce muscle mass and cause headaches everyday. Tem and Riz relationship ended in tragedy but there's still hope he may live a happy life since Pina is the only one in school who visits him in Juvenile Prison. Maybe after he is rehabilitated and serves his time he is released and starts a new life with Pina.

[@inichan8786]

@Leotis Bennett The thought process here is a little bit further. Since we have the example of Legosi showing that will can overtrump instinct or desire: IF one truelly puts the work into it. This is something that I personally think is the ability of actual intelligence and "conciousness". Being aware of yourself, your bodys and minds needs and wants AND the instincts within you and what they are for. Only then one can truelly change their behaviour if that is needed. Accepting who and what you are and change the habbits that no longer serve you well or are even harmful to you and/or others in a way that it endangers the survival of everyone within your socialgroup. In fact it portrays a humans nature quite well by making them into animals. This Riz isn't just a bear and even a wild animal isn't just that nessecarily. Simply because a wild animal doesn't have your luxury of having not constantly to fear for your life and hunger doesn't make it any less of an intelligent being. Even within a Zoo a bear might simply feel unsure about those strange people around them, loud and roaming while they are confined and unable to change that. Riz isn't anything like a wild animal or zoo animal however. He is part of that society, he is born into it, has interactions ect. he has means to change things as well. Just like a teenager/young adult with a not fully developed mind yet and getting into a situation that causes him trauma he has no way to deal with (while murdering someone, I am not sugarcoating that, but we have seen that in part those things can be accidents and with all his fears ect in place I doubt his mind was strong at all: In fact it was extremly brittle and weak, so he could not hold himself back when he was in a situation were he either let Tem go and accept that he scared and hurt him or fall into the delusion of Tem accepting his strength by being willfully eaten. When that just was a way to "not be rejected" in his warped mind.) Riz is closer to the Kid that has a very warped sense of love due to a lack of it during their upbringing. That lack can come from family or the surrounding people you interact with and be instilled by both in your youngen years. If he were this warped idea of a wild animal: He wouldn't have been able to live peacefully after his murder. If wild animals were like that utterly: Once having tasted blood he be like the crazys we see who just fell into consuming flesh over and over with no restrains or care. (Literall junkies, who had choices but kept digging themselfs deeper) And I know: Humans like to disregard wild animals personality and identity to make it easier to kill for food gain or sports. Which however in of itself is simply a copingmechanism to not have to deal with sadness over ending a life to live another day. I rather it was a quick death in that case and honor the live taken by making sure it fully get's used, being greatful for a meal provided this way might be the better if you are in a "need to eat" scenario. Which again: Riz has other options, all carnivores do: There are reasons why it is a blackmarket. I mean: People aren't supposed to get drugs, yet find ways to get the heavy shit still. You tried to make something simple, that simply is more complicated by taking an example which is simplified to not have to deal with guilt over ending a life. Isn't that kinda funny?

[@mray4784]

He is a psycho, Pina shouldn't be near him.

[@bluedragon8762]

@Leotis Bennett you could say that about pesos murderers and more but it's still wrong and still a crime

[@plschokeme]

@Leotis Bennett yeah the world building on beastars is bad lmfao, predators trynna suppress their nature by taking dumb pills and small creatures like mouse going to school with the rest of the big creatures risking themselves to get stepped on by other bigger creatures on a normal day lololol

[@alchemysaga3745]

@@plschokeme Predators don't suppress their instincts with pills. The pills are specific to large predators, primarily bears, to reduce their strength so they don't accidentally hurt prey creatures, specially because the blood can trigger the predatory instincts that otherwise would likely never be an issue. The problem is that Riz subconsciously resents the pills, so when he thinks that Tem encouraged him to quit them, he jumps at it. Which leads to the accident, and Riz's psychotic break mixing with his predatory instinct. And yes, there's probably some repressed sexual aspects inherent to it. But most 'functional' predators have a protective bent towards prey animals that they know. It isn't perfect, but the whole point of Legosi's training isn't to ignore his predatory instincts but to acknowledge that they are there, that it would be wrong to act on them, and so not act on them. Riz doesn't really acknowledge why he shouldn't act on them, so he develops the inclination to act on them without even considering other options once he can't hide behind his delusion.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

Riz: Wants to live a quiet, conflict-free life. Also Riz: Viciously attacks Legosi soon as he feels he might expose him. Funny thing is, had Riz done nothing, Legosi likely would never have caught him.

[@JUNJYR]

Nah, Legosi would've caught him sooner or later, Riz's actions just made it so it was on the "sooner" spectrum. One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

@@JUNJYR I'm not sure how he could have narrowed it down to Riz without Riz attacking him. All he had to go on was it was PROBABLY one of the Carnivores in the Drama Club. Maybe he would have eventually figured it out but I don't know how he could be sure with no evidence.

[@Kadukunahaluu]

If Riz had done nothing, Tem wouldn't have been dead altogether

[@zahirecoates]

Most underrated villain in the series

[@yourfriendlycynic]

watching this again in 2024 and "rizz" has ruined riz's name

[@espio329]

One thing you missed is how riz is heavily implied to be gay. How he talks about tem in his flash back it definitely goes beyond the scope of friendship and hit the realm of romantic interest though it was mostly one sided from riz's perspective. In the manga when riz confronts Legosi the first time and legosi kisses him he doesn't pull back but full on embraces it. He even comments on how good legosi's body looks.

[@sofirealmond]

YES i thought the same thing and also the panels shown in this vid where pina was like "should i keep my hair long" and riz was like "yea you look good like that" and the whole "first male friend" thing like... there is no heterosexual explanation for that lmao. ALSO while pina could be bi, how insanely superficial his relationships with girls tend to be kinda suggests to me that he might have a compulsory heterosexuality thing going on. as in, he's in denial that he's gay and burns through girls like gasoline bc none of those relationships felt remotely fulfilling to him and he doesn't know what's "wrong" with him so he just embraces his teen heartthrob prettyboy persona

[@diesirae8954]

@@sofirealmond Nah Riz is just Homiesexual.

[@alllittlethingzz]

@@diesirae8954 ah yes homisexual

[@0iqgremlin414]

A gay bear How surprising lol

[@Mariesimpbonelicker]

@@0iqgremlin414 i just remembered something i didn't wanted to

[@sofiabenitez9709]

one of the things i didn't like about riz in the anime was his color, he looked more like a polar bear than a grizzly, that really bothered me throughout the second season

[@1Wolfnerd]

Yeah, i thought they could've made him more brown.

[@maxbearington7565]

Yes, it is annoying.

[@alchemysaga3745]

Maybe Anime!Riz is a grolar bear and it was just one more thing that made him unstable during the height of adolescence.

[@accapellaenthusiast5016]

@@alchemysaga3745 are you saying he is a cross between a polar bear and a grizzly? Source?

[@BishounenLuvr]

Yeah, same here

[@nadillasakinah950]

Riz is someone you don’t want to piss off! I can’t imagine if he were a polar bear instead of a brown bear

[@maxbearington7565]

He would be a bipolar bear.

[@nadillasakinah950]

@@maxbearington7565 😂😂 That’s great!

[@alyssabullock6421]

Pina honestly has the best bodyguard now

[@ZanathKariashi]

IRL Brown Bears actually are currently massacring Polar Bears and driving them further and further north to more inhospitable areas, since while Polar Bears are generally bulkier (due to extra layers of fat to insulate them against the cold), the Brown Bears are actually stronger and can and will kill them in fights over territory (even to the point of running Polar Bears out of their burrows and slaughtering their young to drive them away). (the Browns themselves have been gradually pushed further and further north due to human settlement expansions).

[@nadillasakinah950]

@@ZanathKariashi Wow! That’s really interesting 😱

[@QwertyRulz2]

With that "first male friend" thing is funny and *infuriating* because the original Japanese phrase is a context thing of "boy friend or boyfriend" as well. And even with everything that Pina has done, it's STILL ambiguous with the context because he could just be comfortably straight and be able to get in men's faces like with the "you can eat me" scene. But then...he also connected that same moment with how he'd make a move on a girl in the dark, so he has romantic connotations with it... Then there's his bravado we all know of and the "so that you don't eat me" bit could just be him joking around. Then there's respecting a GUY'S opinion on how he looks better with long hair over saying something involving girls in any form. Then there's how he really wants to hang out with him, which is heinous in its ambiguity as well. I wish someone would ask the guy about them. Of course, I ship them because they have a lot of "Beau et la Bête" vibes and tropes going on, too. And the whole "Pina is a fuckin G because he risks himself constantly with Riz and Legoshi fighting" combined with Riz genuinely wanting to be better. He needs someone with Pina's cojones to put him in his place and keep him on his redemption path. --

[@kittylitty01]

Same I agree with everything your saying

[@SpecialProjectY]

Pina: Hey Rin!♡ Riz: It's "R-i-z". Pina: Oh hush. I'm going in dry tonight.

[@Kadukunahaluu]

Also, when Pina was rehearsing in the Adler play after being threatened by Riz, he recites his lines and directed it to him. So in this case, Riz would be the "Adler" and Pina is the soul to be reaped by him. The Adler in the play is supposed to take the soul of a woman but ends up falling in love with her. And as far as we've seen, it's pretty much happened; Riz was out to kill Pina (also Legoshi), but after being arrested and Pina starts visiting him, he starts falling for him and maybe even vice versa

[@alanacarmo4079]

Legosi and Haru: I like you you’re nice Riz and Tem I like you your ni-RAAAHHH(Riz) AAAAAAHHhHhHhHh(Tem)

[@PlanetZoidstar]

I think Haru should have taken Louis' role in this arc, it fits her far better since the Riz/Tem dynamic is a dark mirror of the Legosi/Haru dynamic. Riz is what Legosi could have become if he actually ate Haru in the second episode. Louis is only connected through Tem, but Haru is connected through the core conflict - yet she plays no part in this conflict. Missed opportunity if you ask me.

[@nathanbentley1939]

@@PlanetZoidstar I heard a rumor that Paru Itagaki came to think that Legoshi and Louis' dynamic was more interesting than Legoshi and Haru's, and wanted to switch love interests because of that, but her editors and the publishers said "no". If that's true, then it would definitely explain this, and probably some other oddities regarding how the first two arcs and the later three arcs gel with each other.

[@PlanetZoidstar]

@@nathanbentley1939 I could easily believe that, given Paru spends more time developing the bond between Legosi and Louis than she does Legosi and Haru. Paru doing all she could to focus on the former without her editors getting on her case. Haru becomes such a non-entity after those first two arcs I would not be surprised if Paru just got bored of her, and kept her around out of obligation.

[@alanacarmo4079]

That would be interesting, but then how would Louis move forward in this ark?

[@PlanetZoidstar]

@@alanacarmo4079 Perhaps have him stay with the Shishigumi and come to more of an understanding with Ibuki and the other Lions. I feel Paru kind of threw that all away by having Louis decide he's going to leave to be there for Legosi. When the whole point of his arc was throwing off his old bonds, like throwing away his phone when Haru calls. Maybe have him present when Melon shows up and have a power struggle between them. Some of the lions may favour Melon since not everyone was on board with Louis. Just ask Free.

[@ZanathKariashi]

Riz would've killed again, Legoshi and Pina merely caused him to collapse sooner than he would have. We already seen the signs from his perspective before Rokume puts Legoshi on the case, and while he probably wouldn't have exploded this year, he definitely would killed again within the next year or two. He has the worst form of predation complex, where he has begun to associate predation and relationships as being one and the same as part of his coping mechanism for his guilt, which will spiral out of control eventually and lead to more deaths once that mind-set has had more time to fester. Gouhi called it the worst because every act of predation becomes not only a justified act but encouraged as the mechanism becomes more entrenched.

[@hineraable]

I don't think you're necessarily correct, Riz deep down knew that what he did was a "one-sided murder", he was just lying to himself to ease his guilt.

[@wheresthecamera0]

riz the rizzler rizzed up tem in a rizzly manner

[@yogosapphirey]

Great breakdown of the Riz character. I really love the way this arc was more "character" than "plot" driven. I'm not too familiar with the Beastars story after this part though (anime only viewer). Excited for what's to come!

[@arthursemeghinigallo3336]

I mean the ending of second season was rushed,but the season was good overall,not as good as the first but still good and I'm happy you liked beside that.😁

[@maxbearington7565]

@@arthursemeghinigallo3336 My Riz bias is too strong, but yeah.

[@thisisspeledwrong193]

Melon didn't have an OVERARCHING goal instead he was jus living life day by day like everyone else

[@falfiscuk6787]

Finally seeing Riz getting the attention that a real good deep complex antagonist deverses after hearing everyone talking how Melon is just the most accomplished villain of Beastars😖 thank youuu

[@maxbearington7565]

I love Melon and all, but he is overrated.

[@aaunyea4799]

I love Melon but he is a weak antagonist.

[@mcmorky9704]

Riz's mental state was unstable, he would have killed again with or without legosi.

[@ericlammers3492]

Yea ur right. Especially Without his pills 💊, he’d put the Beast in Beastars

[@yellow_jacket3260]

Riz is Raskolnikov from Crime and Punishment mixed with Winnie the Pooh, and it is awesome

[@shinatermin6782]

This was absolutely amazing! Just everything about this video was brilliant I especially love the animation in the panel sections. It brings so much life to the manga and the video!

[@KamuiMiracle]

Thank you!!!

[@shinatermin6782]

After a few months thinking about this, Riz's strength reduction pills are literally the beastars version of the normal pill

[@KamuiMiracle]

@@shinatermin6782 That’s so among true

[@inplane9970]

Tem calling Riz an awful creature, fully knowing carnivores are despised in their society, probably pushed Riz over the edge mentally. The one friend who finally understood him and makes him come out of his shell, only to insult him and use his insecurities against him in a time of emotional vulnerability. Not to justify what Riz did, but it's saddening to see how feeling of affection doesn't always lead to a favourable outcome. Riz showed his genuine feelings for someone, only to be hated being born a certain way.

[@rad6286]

No shit dude he was about to die

[@awesomeirlable]

I mean..:he was about to be eaten. Did you expect him to be cordial?

[@Otaku_Loaf]

Mangaka use tools called screentones to give pages certain effects and the screentone used in that panel (the panel where Tem says that Riz doesn't have to hide anything from him) seems to give off a dreamy/illusion effect so I think that’s when the delusions started happening I think what actually happened was that Tem said “You carnivores are nothing but monsters” and then started to struggle and trying to escape but Riz pulled him in (in his mind Riz was hugging Tem) and then the bite of ‘87 happened and the rest is history and while yeah Tem is open minded about carnivores he still wouldn’t risk his life for a hug and when in season 2 of the anime Riz says Tem “consented” to being eaten and that line also clued me in on the fact that it was an illusion after all this could have given Riz PTSD and it’s not uncommon to fake or even doctor your own memories to ease the burden or trauma

[@unfortunate_spacema.n7802]

bite of '87 😭😭 but I agree 10/10. iirc, there were curtains in the background of that scene. I've seen a theory about how when the curtains closed, that's where reality ends and Riz's false memory begins.

[@nightdog4183]

WAS THAT THE BITE OF 87 ?!?!?

[@Zandersaurus]

Riz reminds me of Loki tv series where Loki as the antagonist had to admit his sufferings, pain, cries and loneliness that caused him to go villain to friendship with Owen Willson’s character. I do feel bad about Riz and hope that he’ll get freedom of juvenile and starts a new life by becoming friends with Pina and everyone else

[@pearvoz]

So excited to watch this finally! Been wanting this video for nearly a year now!

[@kashthecrafter]

The Persona references will always be one of my favorite things about this channel, but even without them I’d watch

[@Aspoonz]

This is a very good passive villain it's like he really panics when he realized what he's done.

[@memebershipdenied2144]

Dude, I felt so bad for Riz after found out that he killed Tem. I just... really wish that they had ended up as super close buds... instead of Tem getting devoured.

[@ericlammers3492]

We’ll… in his defense he made a misguided attempt to get more closer by killing him.

[@matheusgabriel-ct7rz]

Lov your videos. Riz is the best antagonist in my opinion, the way they build up him i have never see in any other anime. And yeah , at 20:54, i really think It was in a romantic way, or at least, is my head thinking what she wants 😖🐻💞🐏. But anyway, this is the best Ark in my opinion and i am really Glad they "bring him back" at the finally, Hope he show in beast complex.

[@danielcantiego9374]

7:00 ,,Cocaine. Calms my heart down."

[@shadou1234567]

what i really wanted from beastars was that Legosi or Louis became a Beastar and created somehow a future where what happened to Riz(acidental murder) could not happen again, so when the manga ended and basically nothing was done to this point i was especially disapointed.

[@andresousa101]

Hey Patrick, I have a manga recomendation for you, its called Doubutsu no Kuni aka Animal Land/Animal Country. The incosistent designs might bother some people, like some animals are anthropomorfic, some others are just stylized and some others are realistic for no reason at all, if it doesn't bother you or you get past that, its a pretty awesome manga... with a lot of violent fights, mysteries about the world and a lot of talk about survival of the fittest and canivores and herbivores living together of course and Monoko is the best mom, that's just a fact. This manga was released in 2009 and its already finished.

[@KamuiMiracle]

I’ll check it out then!

[@andresousa101]

@@KamuiMiracle Nice

[@emopeterparker7]

so weird thing to overshare but it's relevant-i was never confused with what was real and what was just riz' coping mechanism and so i found it kinda weird that people were confused. then while watching this video i realized, oh yeah, i've been a very. very close witness to murder before so i know what it's like to be in the moment. we're not exactly alike, i mean i wasn't the one doing the killing nor was i the victim but i was still very much there so i understand. and that point of realization made me understand and appreciate riz better because things about him started to fall into place for me.

[@gojirawilson3611]

Honestly I would actually compare Riz to Bertholdt Hoover.

[@KamuiMiracle]

Yeah I agree

[@alaskanreaper129]

When I was watching the show, I suspected it was Riz because of his body shape and the fact that he was the only one who matched the silhouette of the mysterious figure who beat up Lugosi at night. I don’t read the manga so I didn’t know his name at first but it started clicking immediately when I kept looking at Riz.

[@Otaku_Loaf]

11:29 Those who were at the stream pls rise up

[@rythianblack]

2:15 that was the most intense scene in the season 2 anime. Not knowing wether Riz bit off Pina's finger and waiting for the reveal.

[@joaoguilhermeassim]

People in 2023: "haha his name is Rizz, so funny frfr"

[@ChucurMarten]

thank you so much for this video!!!! Riz is my favorite character and i'm glad he's finally getting some recognition as one of the best things the manga has to offer 😭😭😭 What you said about Riz being a passive antagonist was really one of the best ways to explain his character because looking back.... he actually didn't hurt any herbivores too much, despite all he said. Unlike Legosi who he happily wiped the floor with at every provocation, he didn't actually do much to Pina (I always think about how before the fight, not only he didn't go through eating Pina but he also bandaged him after slashing his arm, at least in the manga that is). I think it kinda goes with the fact that despite the way he tried to justify his actions, in the back of his head the trauma of the whole experience had still been lingering, so deep, very deep down he never wanted to repeat it. I'm really glad that we were able to see him again, his friendship with Pina was probably the best way to give him closure. (by the way I can't be the only one who thinks Pina and Tem were really similar right? after all they are both wooly animals who always spoke their mind..... Riz definitely has a type)

[@courtlandbrugger6770]

I thought it was cool that Pina and Riz became friends. It was like Riz was getting a second chance at the kind of friendship he once had with Tem which I thought was nice. I doubt he'll make the same mistake again.

[@sofirealmond]

i think you're right on the type thing, riz must have felt a whirlwind of conflicting emotions whenever he interacted with pina oh my god??

[@Scarletazure]

Literally a murderer but ok

[@thehumbleknight9298]

Omf, I've been waiting for this. He's my favorite character EDIT: He always reminded me of Reiner from AOT but looking closer at his character, he's more like Bertholdt. Quiet, reserved, only interacts with people when he feels the need to. No wonder they're two of my favorite characters. Love this analysis on my favorite character💜

[@averytubestudios]

Comparing Riz to Adachi was a genius move.

[@ejc823]

I.. LOVE.. RIZ!! I SO hope Beastars continues and keeps RIZ in the stories and not stop him at being incarcerated. He is soo Amazing to me!

[@morgenwalsh594]

We totally need a side story of Pina and Riz. I have questions and I need answers. Great video! I'll subscribe!

[@purpirek]

There is ! It’s a side story in the manga pina visits riz in juvenile hall yes cause he’s a minor 😮

[@alexwisz9527]

I am so salty that the anime didn't adapt chapter 73 (where Legoshi sends money to Gosha and talks to him on the phone). There is so much backstory and foreshadowing in that chapter.

[@KeeKage37]

It’s hard to say weather the drugs Riz was forced to take were really helping him or not. Yes they were supposed to keep his strength in check, but the headaches and side effects were a pretty big problem that he was just forced to put up with.

[@diesirae8954]

Arizona...

[@bustertherobotdog]

I love this channel because its amazing that i'm not the only one making theorys about beastars because it changed my life and i love beastars so much. Thank you for making these its amazing ♥♥

[@karolinakuc4783]

I think Melon's goal was to cure his soul by awakening senses and to be predator while he was dealing with identity issues all time

[@warwulf1889]

I think Melon's goal was to destroy the vision of society. To destroy the idea that the world as it was, was perfect. That the world was in fact completely corrupt and everyone was turning a blind eye to it because it seemed so much easier than to try and fix the broken system. I believe that Melon's arcana is "The World".

[@legendgamer676]

Idk why but the dramatic *swoosh* at 3:04 really got me 😂 Awesome essay as always mate I always enjoy watching your character analyses!

[@sharlizarina1895]

I love your videos. I think it's one of the reasons I'm addicted to Beastars. My first impression of it was the Haru x Legosi scene from season 1 and I avoided it ever since. But I love it now due to how the story, world and characters are. And these videos really help sell the appeal. Also, I have a game in mind for you to try! SPOILERS So the other day I was with my friend and ranting about Beastars and it's characters. Mainly how batshit crazy some of them are. I made it into a game. Basically, you pick a character and see how insane they are. The sanest being side characters like Sebun, and the insane one is Legosi. Why Legosi instead of Melon? Because in my opinion, Legosi has no reason to he as insane as he is. At least Melon has the trauma of being a hybrid, abused by everyone around him and his inability to feel empathy. He was a sociopath. Legosi? He had no reason to do half the things he does. Pull out his teeth to prove a point? Fight a murderer to prove a point? Seek out a serial killer to prove a point?? Not to mention the little things like stopping a fight by posing "draw me like one of your French girls" style, crossdress (I can excuse the first one because he was trying to find Louis, but the second time with the fight between the fox gang, yeah I dont know where that thought came from), not to mention other little things. I also included Louis because 1) He dropped out of school to join the lion mafia 2) He told Legosi to EAT HIS FOOT 3) He donated his blood to Legosi TWICE, since he spilled the first gallon over his head. Louis is just as crazy as Legosi. Even the other characters are not as sane as I first believed. Yafya is Yafya. Gosha would do anything for Legosi. The Shishigumi- though I can rank them low cause the mafia lifestyle is different than normal people. Even Juno! My friend pointed out she told everyone on live tv, impulsively, that she loved a deer. Not as crazy as Legosi but certainly not what Sebun would do. So I'm curious on your thoughts about it. I want to know where you rank the characters based on their actions, motivations and other factors like upbringing and previous trauma.

[@litepaw7]

I'm watching the anime and so far he seems like a sexually frustrated gay kid who's in love with someone who didn't love him back

[@cameronbyrd7671]

I've been watching the English and original Japanese dubs, and I believe I have a conclusion. I believe Tem was more interested in forming a friendship while Riz was having a potential first time crush. After we hear Tem say Riz is pretty scary and mentions how big Riz is, you can see Riz blushing. In Riz's defense, he did say it was the first time anyone ever said that to him, but why did he smile at the revelation from Tem specifically when interactions from other animals throughout his teenlife should had been enough ? Then of course Riz backs up towards the lockers when Tem inquires what Riz thinks about which is very funny considering the size difference. Then Riz lowers himself eye level to Tem like Legoshi and Bill did to Haru and Els, which are the only other times we saw carnivores lower their heights for a hervibore at Cherryton when a hervibore was not injured. Coincidence?? The qoutes " His words were sweeter than honey." " I want to get closer to him." also kinda hints that maybe Riz was hiding some feelings from Tem to keep their friendship alive for some time. When Tem says Riz's body looks swollen, Riz almost enthusiastically says "You noticed?" Lol like how couldn't Tem notice Riz was about to bust through his uniform. And when Tem chastises the bear for not taking his pills, Riz says "I don't need them anymore! Look at me." Sounds like he really wanted Tem to notice him as motivation for skipping his pills that night. Then of course when Tem is about to run away, Riz does what Shelia and Legoshi had done when a hervibore wanted to leave or seemed nervous: he grabbed the hervibore at the intention to talk, or tried to assert his dominance over the situation. Tem got injured and ran away, Riz's instincts took over and in a instant, his mind fooled him into believing Tem had accepted him, only to find his 'friend' half eaten. Even though Riz still committed a crime by continuing to eat Tem, we did see those tears, realizing his chance at happiness, his friend/potential love interest was gone. I could go on, but I rest my case. This is just my opinion on the matter.

[@lucasfraczek4320]

Anyone else just instinctively laugh their ass off when the SMT4 Tokyo Battle Theme starts blaring during a serious panel? Genius timing Kamui lmao.

[@KamuiMiracle]

Yup! SMT IV is what inspired me to do KZbin and it heavily influences my style, so yeah, I have a thing where I have to include Battle A2 at least once in every video haha

[@dominikpeterek8160]

Amazing video man. The way you voiced Riz was cool and all the other voice actors were cool too

[@cavinggameing6991]

Foxy: Patrick dude this video is awesome you gotten so far as a content creator and with how busy you it's inspiring to see keep it up

[@crabypattytwice]

This is perfect Beastars content I'm subscribing

[@electricstonier4258]

oh boy it’s been a long wait for Ris cant wait

[@VultureOnMyShoulder5]

Do you see a video covering the short stories of Beast Complex in the future? I’d be interested to hear your thoughts on comparing some of the characters and insights of those snippets. This video on Riz definitely made me think about the story on the wolf and camel’s experience!

[@KamuiMiracle]

Yes, I am planning on that!

[@VultureOnMyShoulder5]

@@KamuiMiracle awesome!!! Can’t wait to check it out soon! Looking forward to it!

[@marixiepadua8660]

This video was well worth the wait, may the force be with you on your final semester in April good luck.

[@mcstabbins4501]

This lad was honestly pretty damn menacing, like jeez bro, I still love melon but the power Riz had was much more scary

[@mincraftbro4000]

You know what he need to have a rizz the z

[@brinst_ar]

Yes, Riz is a great character. I'm looking forward to what the show has next as a Animation only fan.

[@doobiesmoke15]

7:20 Some one needs to make a t-shirt with that panel on it, they would sell like crazy in the gay bear sub-culture

[@hineraable]

Apparently, the "my first male friend" thing, could be translated as "my first boyfriend" Which in my opinion makes more sense because the first one sounds so awkward, like a google translation. Then again, if the latter turns out to be more acurrate, i'm freaking creeped out.

[@michaeljenner2325]

Great video. Yeah Riz is a brilliant and very tragic character. Really surprised that so many people hate him and think that’s he’s evil. He’s not evil he’s mental and in terrible pain due to his pills. Pills that he has been forced to take because what...society thinks he’s a menace simply for being a strong bear? That’s a really f***ed up thing to teach a teenager. Also how can people say he didn’t feel bad about what he did when we literally see him in tears and self harming? Now that being said I REALLY wish people would stop making bears bad guys and enforcing a mindset that they are vicious monsters. 😞

[@cameronbyrd7671]

Totally agree with everything you said. Riz was just a broken soul due to the societal stigma of being a bear. Its unfortunate that most of his life, he probably was told countless times he was dangerous, only to meet a herbivore who he thought could show him how wrong those teachings were, and then ran away because Riz accidentally injured him; furthering the trauma that Riz was exactly what society and Tem called him: a monster. That's a very hard grapple for a teenager to deal with. I wish the story would have shown a more explicit redemption arc for Riz with Gouhin's help; a least that way, Riz would had some closure. Also agree with the harmful trend of labeling bears as villains sets a harmful perception that they are evil. Bears are mostly peaceful, and prefer solitude. Most of the time, they're more afraid of us then the other way around.

[@michaeljenner2325]

@@cameronbyrd7671 If only Riz could have talked (or at least felt like he could) to someone. Louie himself said that he should have seen how things were with Riz. Imagine how different things might have been if after the incident with Tem, Riz felt like he could turn to someone. Kind of like how if Legosi had killed his girlfriend he would probably still be able to tell Jack about it.

[@cameronbyrd7671]

@@michaeljenner2325 Agreed. I'm pretty surprised Cherryton did not have a guidance counselor for students. Even a therapist on-site for students would have been at least an extra level of support along with Louie or Tem.

[@feilkate5892]

Ben Bigger from ZZZ is a big step in that direction

[@acegreenstara2366]

Another video well done Patrick the wait was worth it keep up the good work

[@JoshPlayer]

Fun fact: Did you know Legosi killed Haru at the end? Another fun Fact: It's actually a joke, don't attack me

[@happywiz1833]

At the start of a "Murder solution" arc, I had no idea, that I'll like Riz as a person. I genuenly despised him. Now, I just can't. Damn, this manga is good!

[@PlanetZoidstar]

Same here. Right up till the climax of their fight I absolutely hated Riz... ...But my heart hurts to see Riz finally come to his senses. All his coping, justifications and beliefs just fell away. Unable to delude himself any longer. He killed his only friend and he'll never be able to have the bond with Tem that Legosi and Louis has. In the end Riz is a poor kid whose life got ruined because of one small mistake. He stopped taking his pills. All he wanted was for Tem to see him as he truly was...And he lost control. He only regained his senses AFTER he had killed Tem. We don't see the real Riz again until he sees Louis alive and missing his leg. Poor Riz. He wasn't fully in control of himself from the moment he stopped taking his pills. Not till he had his delusions shattered. It's depressingly sad stuff.

[@grey8064]

Wonderful video!! I’m so exited to see season three next year, can’t wait

[@np9946]

Considering the anime, honestly I was a bit underwhelmed. The extra scene with Riz and Pina was great but they removed/tweaked quite a lot of stuff so I felt a bit disappointed. It was a great season don't get me wrong, I just thought it could be better.

[@theshockinglyeloquentdog9945]

same. i loved most of this season but so many things felt incomplete and done way too quickly

[@np9946]

@@theshockinglyeloquentdog9945 yeah. They even removed the scene where jack and Legosi first met.

[@lokiex_x]

I'm excited about this one especially lol

[@maxxreis3787]

kamui thank you so much for talking about riz i get sad and angry when people misunderstand him ur video maked me really happy i have seen your videos for over a year now and finally got my fav character to appear

[@rogercronin]

aaaa the editing gets better with every single video

[@axyyourboi4195]

Patrick did it again! Amazing work with the editing,the video is great!

[@tzachslav3394]

Rizz

[@oreotaku4017]

The best character video yet.

[@thecinematicmind]

Artemin would say Riz and Tem is Honey on Toast.

[@patrickblanchette4337]

9:42 Now that's one heck of a coincidence!

[@Caseydilla2076]

thank you for another wonderful video

[@jesusdadiel9668]

I'm so excited time to talk about my favorite character and villain in beastars

[@versace969]

My name is riz and i want to live a quiet life

[@EminenceAlpaca]

AI and Heart was the perfect theme for this video. I already feel nostalgic about strikers lmao.

[@RyugaruSenbi]

To be fair, melon not really having a defined goal is pretty in character. He seems to be a more "on a whim" type villain based on what I remember.

[@KeeKage37]

Riz and Pina are good parallels. Pina May act deep with a willful ignorant attitude that puts people off. But it’s all just skin deed and he’s pretty shallow. And once he thinks Riz would actually eat his finger he goes white as a sheet. Riz on the other hand despite having the look and disposition of a big old teddy bear. Especially with his eyes. But that only hides how deep, dark and dangerous Riz really is.

[@MsUnamusedNerd]

I’m kinda interested in seeing a video done on Pina

[@thecinematicmind]

Excellent content

[@nataliecrayon6720]

Kamui Miracle, I am always fascinated by the way you bring different mangas to life through voice acting and editing. I am voice acting and editing for a manga called Tokyo Ghoul and I would really like to know which programs you use to give the panels fluidity and motion and the audio from the voice acting to the video? But as always, keep your imagination running wild...

[@HL-vn9kf]

YEES. I Waiting for this so Long. Riz is so cool

[@jaydenlu6508]

He thought he had rizz, but he is just riz,

[@kyrohowe3156]

9:37 - Really?! Haven't noticed but thanks for the meme!

[@alanacarmo4079]

Ima love this is been waiting for the past 3 weeks and shit about to get crazy lol

[@waynejohnson1521]

There's no justifying what Riz did. He was someone who was too dangerous to be left roaming free (or even be left alive) I'm glad he was finally caught. Legoshi truly is the hero for bringing that stupid delusion bear to justice. Hopefully Riz will get intense therapy while he's rotting away in juvie

[@courtlandbrugger6770]

😂 It's obvious the story Paru Itagaki was telling went way over your head.

[@0iqgremlin414]

He was dealing with poorly treated mental illnesses, whether it was created by the pills or if he had something that was only amplified by the pills That kind of thinking is what leads to more isolation and potential murders for people with mental illnesses. Demonizing and brushing mental illness under a rug in order to keep the magic/peace is what turns people into the dark side, like for example mothers who deal with severe PPD eventually would have it turn into PPP if left untreated, and due to how society tends to ignore or mistreat PPD to keep the magic of motherhood going for unexpecting parents it ends up having tragic consequences where either the mom, child, or both end up getting killed.

[@michaeljenner2325]

You completely missed the point didn’t you.

[@Otaku_Loaf]

I'm a time traveler who came here early

[@JeSsE10mCcOy11]

Man, I read it all but still this hit me hard

[@Scilk_607]

I think of riz as a more intimidating version of Reiner