The Beastars universe takes place in a modern, civilized world inhabited exclusively by anthropomorphic animals, where society is rigidly divided between carnivores and herbivores.
This world operates under a delicate and tense social balance governed by the following basic rules:
- The Meat Ban: Consuming vertebrate meat is illegal and considered the gravest of crimes. Carnivores feed on vegetables, dairy, eggs, and soy products that mimic the taste of meat.
- The Black Market: Despite the laws, an enormous clandestine market exists where real meat is sold illegally, a place tolerated by the government so carnivores can release stress and avoid massacres in public areas.
- Biological Repression: The educational and social system forces carnivores to repress their physical strength and hunting instincts from childhood so that herbivores (who often hold high political and economic power due to their status as "victims") can feel safe.
- The Beastar System: To maintain peace, society chooses a "Beastar," an exemplary leader with great strength and empathy who acts as a mediator between both factions and oversees justice.
Is there any specific character or aspect of this world that catches your attention? In the Beastars universe, soccer players would either be divided by species leagues or have hyper-specialized roles based on biological capacities due to the abysmal physical differences between carnivores and herbivores. Although the original work does not delve into professional soccer, the laws and biology of its world allow us to theoretically deduce how it would function:
- Positions by Species: An ideal team would leverage genetic advantages. Cheetahs or leopards would be ideal wingers due to their speed; large herbivores like rhinoceroses, hippos, or bulls would be impenetrable central defenders; and a large feline (like a lion or a tiger) would have the perfect reflexes to be a goalkeeper.
- Segregated or Regulated Leagues: Playing in a mixed league without strict rules would be unfeasible. Most likely, there would be exclusive leagues for carnivores (where the game would be extremely physical and fast) and leagues for herbivores. If they were mixed, there would be rigorous anti-doping control and mandatory muzzles or guards to prevent accidents due to frustration or instinct.
- The Physical Strength Dilemma: A large carnivore (like a bear or a wolf) could severely injure a medium-sized herbivore (like a deer or a gazelle) with a simple regulatory shoulder charge. Therefore, the refereeing regulations would have very severe cards and punishments for the excessive use of force by predators.
- Balls and Adapted Equipment: The ball would have to be much more resistant to avoid popping under the force of a large animal's kick, and uniforms and even cleats would have to be adapted for claws, hooves, and different paw anatomies.
All characters react to the actions of others with words or deeds.