#Levius #Netflix #AnimeReview
Levius is a literal underdog, it doesn’t have the production of Megalo Box or the namesake of Hajime no Ippo, in fact it flies under the radar with barely any marketing, but when it lands its punches, it lands them hard. I have reasons to believe that it might have run out of budget or time, which is unfortunate, since with more care and few extra steps, Levius could’ve been a big hit.
One of the most glaring flaws from the anime is scene repetition. You might notice this on the fights scene, not every anime can have Demon Slayer level presentation and in boxing you might see similar exchange of punch, fair enough. But it also repeats the same flashback or dramatic moments so many times, you will see Levius relive his trauma over and over again.
Furthermore, the anime repeats the scenes from previous episodes, whether they are intense dialogue or conflict, even if they basically just happened yesterday or this morning before breakfast. Even worse, the anime opening is just highlights of those same dramatic scenes edited together with simple effect.
It actually rare to see anime not having custom opening. Most anime would put extra effort, using song that will fit the theme or make stylized version of a sequence. This one and half minute is important to convey what the anime is about, and get people excited about it. Sure, you can get by with just highlights or montage, it serves the purpose but it feels a bit underwhelming.
The ending fares better, I like the showcase of concept arts, I think this is a good direction if you don’t have the budget. Both songs for opening and ending are decent, they are the usual Japanese pop, a bit vanilla but still presentable.
There are a couple of other minor flaws, but these are the most likely to be intrusive, if you can look pass them. Levius has some good stuffs here. I absolutely adore the steampunk aesthetic, it’s light and colorful, reminds me a bit of old school Japanese RPG games. It has such beautiful scenery, the city streets, the mansion and rundown gym, they are delightfully immersive. It’s still repetitive sometimes but at least it looks nice.
The anime also has many layers of details, I like how the technology blends so well with the boxing, and 19th century Europe is the perfect setting for this. They introduce the technicality of boxing and a bit of sci-fi to develop more tension. This attention to details help in making audience invest on the fight, the odds are stacked against the protagonist and we see how they struggle through it.
However, Levius as main character is rather bland, he looks and acts like simple anime protagonist. Imagine if you’re playing an RPG and choose the safest dialogue option. For a hero whose name is literally the anime title, I honestly expect more vibrant personality.
Thankfully, the supporting cast is pretty likeable. I like Natalia, the rival turn friend and might be love interest later on, she’s the liveliest character here and she really helps the otherwise monotone vibe of the group. Bill is the engineer, he’s the typical smart guy with glasses, but he’s more than just exposition dump, imagine the quartermaster of pirate ship that keeps it afloat.
I find myself warming up to the rivals as well. Malcolm seems like the typical cheater, a bit cliché but he gradually shows more depth. Same thing with Hugo and Aj later on, but I prefer not to spoil it. This is the case when the sum is better than the parts. Not one character is strong enough to carry the series, but through interactions and relationship build up, this is a solid cast.
So, Levius has some pros and cons, the deciding factor is the fight scenes, and fortunately it delivers in this aspect. The punches are quick and brutal, when you see the steam burst from metal arm, the boxer wince in pain or the armor got shredded by a powerful blow, it’s satisfyingly fun. Every thing is designed to deliver as much impact as possible.
Each boxer has his or her own style and movement, depend on their body type or technique. One of the good thing about 3D anime is how it can portray weight and impact, the anime uses this to its fullest so the characters feel unique when they step into the ring.
Music used:
Various lofi hiphop no copyright
Rob Gesser – Supersonic
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