Fanfic / A Little Bit Of Light

A Little Bit of Light is an Alternate Universe Slice of Life fanfic of the Beastars manga, written by Oliono. The story centers around Legoshi and Louis meeting as children and becoming Childhood Friends, and seeing how they tackle the prejudicial tension of society that is constantly bubbling under the surface.

Spoilers are unmarked!!!

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A Little Bit of Light contains examples of the following tropes:

• Adaptation Expansion: A lot of characters from the canon manga get more of their character fleshed out in the fic, with many supporting characters getting their own POV in a chapter.
• Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
  • Both Louis and Legoshi started off as acquaintances before developing as a Fire-Forged Friend with another in the manga, although the cover page of chapter 95 suggests they knew each other as children. Here, the two of them were close friends since childhood and have become Heterosexual Life-Partners in the present time.
  • In the manga, there was never a hint that Gosha and Oguma knew each other. Here, they had a history together and are on friendly terms.
  • Unlike in the canon manga's ending, Louis won't be marrying Azuki. Instead, he'll eventually get together with Juno.
• Adaptational Angst Upgrade:
  • Both Louis and Legoshi already had their own trauma and mental baggage in canon; the former grew up in the Black-Market Alley as livestock for carnivores before being adopted by Oguma and the latter's mother committed suicide when he was only 12. In both instances, the two of them felt guilt over these events in their respective lives. Here, in addition to still reeling from those events, the two of them get roped into numerous life-and-death events that would challenge their friendship and outlook in life. It's also played with as the two of them are much more emotionally adjusted due to their close bond, and interpersonal relations to others.
  • Gosha had suffered quite a lot in the manga. Being discriminated by society for being born as a poisonous Komodo Dragon, losing his significant other from his own poison, and his daughter committing suicide due to her Uneven Hybrid nature, and even before that, he abandons his best friend to raise his family. Here, he learns that his grandson had nearly gotten murder by Alessandra and had his own home firebomb by suspected loyalists of the swan.
  • Oguma himself gets this treatment, as he confides in Gosha that he doesn't really know how to be a good father due to his own upbringing, and also dealing with the fact that his son is being potentially targeted by assassins hired by those who're against him and his company.
• Adaptational Early Appearance: Due to the story first taking place in Louis and Legoshi's childhood, pretty much every character from the canon manga gets this treatment.
• Adaptational Personality Change:
  • At the start of the manga, Louis started off as a rather arrogant, but affable star student with loads of mental baggage and a disdain for carnivores. Here, he's notably much more adjusted thanks to his friendship with Legoshi and is capable of befriending other carnivores such as Jack and The 701 Canines.
  • Legoshi is a bit more outspoken and somewhat of a Deadpan Snarker at times whereas being The Quiet One with much self-loathing in the manga.
  • Oguma gets this treatment with the fic expanding more of his character. In the manga, he's basically a Satellite Character to Louis, with an incredibly stoic and logical personality, who calculates the values of his relationships with others in how they'll benefit the Horns Conglomerate (with the exception of Louis, as he could never really calculate it in numbers). Here, he has shown a more emotional and insecure side to his personality due to his emotionally distant upbringing, his friendship with Gosha, and his complicated relationship with his ex-wife.
• Ascended Extra: Any of the characters that only serve supporting or minor roles in canon, is given more of the spotlight in the fic.
• Call-Forward: In chapter 22, Legoshi's advice to Riz essentially boils down to "share everything" if he wants to befriend a Herbivore. Guess what happens to Tem when the brown bear did just that in the canon manga?
• Cool Kid-and-Loser Friendship: Played with. On the surface, Louis and Legoshi have this sort of dynamic due to their backgrounds, personalities, and species. But deep down, the two of them see one another as a close friend and family member.
• Heterosexual Life-Partners: Both Louis and Legoshi are quite close to the point of co-dependency, with the other admitting that they can't seem to envision their life without the other. Word of God has explicitly stated that the two care for each other in the "romantic friendship" sense. This is even discussed between the two in chapter 22; Louis doesn't have a problem with everyone teasing about the two being an "item" and Legoshi does admit he finds Louis to be handsome, but it's nothing more than simple platonic affection between them.
  • Humorously, Oguma had this dynamic with Rhys, Lucille's deceased son, when he was younger.
• Interspecies Romance:It's entirely subverted with the main duo, as Word of God states that their relationship is strictly platonic. It is played straight, however, in that both Louis and Legoshi will eventually get together with Juno and Haru respectively.
• My Little Panzer: Jack dons a kaiju costume reminiscent of King Ghidora for Halloween, complete with fire breathing hand puppets for the extra heads.
• Parental Substitute: Alessandra serves as a motherly figure to both Louis and Legoshi early on in the story. The fact that she turns out to be the dreaded strix-killer and that she tries to kill them as a final test will continue to haunt the two throughout the story.
• Predator-Prey Friendship: Like the canon manga, this is a frequent reoccurring event with the two distinct groups consisting of carnivore and herbivore.
• Refusal of the Call: Discussed repeatedly. Louis and Legoshi are well on their way to being nominated as beastars, but seeing how the position embittered Yafya and broke Alessandra has left them with doubts about accepting. The general consensus seems to be that while they have every right to refuse it, their friendship gives them a much better chance of withstanding the title and using it for good.
• Troubling Unchildlike Behaviour: Jack shows signs of this, from setting a woman on fire (in self-defense) without much remorse to outlining a 30-year plan to overthrow the government. To his credit, he’s disturbed by this too and tries to use it for good.