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Levius #1-3
Levius
As society rises from the ashes of war, cybernetically augmented arena fighters battle for fame and fortune…or die trying.
It’s the 19th century, and the world has entered the Era of Rebirth, recovering from the devastating flames of war. The sport of mechanical martial arts has galvanized the nations. Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal fighting—and killing—machines.
Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, hell-bent on winning in order to simply survive.
It’s the 19th century, and the world has entered the Era of Rebirth, recovering from the devastating flames of war. The sport of mechanical martial arts has galvanized the nations. Cybernetically augmented fighters turn their blood into steam and their bodies into brutal fighting—and killing—machines.
Young Levius is one of those arena battlers, hell-bent on winning in order to simply survive.
680 pages, Hardcover
Published September 17, 2019
40 people are currently reading
551 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
December 26, 2019
The Premise
The art was so stellar just from the cover I knew I wanted to read this no matter what it was about. So when I learned Levius was about an MMA arena boxer who's been cybernetically augmented with a special arm I wasn't sure what to think. So I just dove right into the story... AND LOVED IT! In this case MMA means the sport of mechanical martial arts. It's set right after World World I in a sort of alternate history that developed advanced science and medicine. Levius is a war orphan who's been taken in by his uncle, with a mysterious past of his own. Together with Bill, a brilliant engineer who keeps Levius' augments working, they hit the MMA federation and get to the highest ranks... but not without opposition. All because the economics of war are too advantageous to certain organizations and they want to use the MMA to ignite the flames of a new war!
Note: Levius is the complete collection of the manga Levius which is comprised of 3 volumes. Levius/est vol 1-5 is the sequel to the original series.
The Buzz
There are several neat things going on in Levius. First we have Levius who has a dark background with a revolutionary father and a mother who has stuck by him through everything... and paid the price. His reasoning for getting into MMA fighting is fascinating and really is the stuff dreams are made of. Then we have his uncle Zack who is a MMA trainer. He seems reluctant but also supportive of the choices Levius makes to get into the sport. We eventually learn why and what he's been holding back on which makes for some exciting chapters. Finally we have engineer Bill who explains the tech involved through the series. It's fascinating and political and really fleshes out the world behind the intimate Cromwell family story.
The Feels
Levius also introduces us to a cast of stellar secondary characters. My favorite is tied between AJ, whose story about makes me sob in pain and anger and Hugo who is a real jerk who somehow redeems himself in a touching and beautiful way. Levius himself is a kid who feels keenly. We learn later why he took one of his fights as far as he did and it about breaks your heart! Sure Levius is brutal... MMA is already a brutal sport and then cybernetics and augments were added to it in this war torn world. But Haruhisa Nakata augments the brutality of sport and world with some incredibly real and powerful characters.
The Visuals
One of the stellar things about Levius is how the art really made the unusual mix of time periods work. It feels a little alien, a touch futuristic but also intimate. We know about WWI, it's a familiar war and time period to readers so we could emotionally connect to Levius' war experience. There is also a certain realism to the art that brings this lovely edge to the story. It helps details such as the extreme battles and the oddball characters come to life. I love how delicate the art feels for a grungy dystopian about boxing and a war that has the potential to restart at any time. Plus the techniques used to show dynamic movement with blurs and sharpness are super neat. I bet Levius is even more gorgeous in paper!
Levius turned out to be a magnificent mix of art, time periods, sports medicine and arena fighting. Levius, his uncle Zack and Bill form one of the best MMA teams the world has ever seen!! It's brutal, dark, and verges on horrific moments that highlight the burning power of passion, focus and making ones dream come true.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
The art was so stellar just from the cover I knew I wanted to read this no matter what it was about. So when I learned Levius was about an MMA arena boxer who's been cybernetically augmented with a special arm I wasn't sure what to think. So I just dove right into the story... AND LOVED IT! In this case MMA means the sport of mechanical martial arts. It's set right after World World I in a sort of alternate history that developed advanced science and medicine. Levius is a war orphan who's been taken in by his uncle, with a mysterious past of his own. Together with Bill, a brilliant engineer who keeps Levius' augments working, they hit the MMA federation and get to the highest ranks... but not without opposition. All because the economics of war are too advantageous to certain organizations and they want to use the MMA to ignite the flames of a new war!
Note: Levius is the complete collection of the manga Levius which is comprised of 3 volumes. Levius/est vol 1-5 is the sequel to the original series.
The Buzz
There are several neat things going on in Levius. First we have Levius who has a dark background with a revolutionary father and a mother who has stuck by him through everything... and paid the price. His reasoning for getting into MMA fighting is fascinating and really is the stuff dreams are made of. Then we have his uncle Zack who is a MMA trainer. He seems reluctant but also supportive of the choices Levius makes to get into the sport. We eventually learn why and what he's been holding back on which makes for some exciting chapters. Finally we have engineer Bill who explains the tech involved through the series. It's fascinating and political and really fleshes out the world behind the intimate Cromwell family story.
The Feels
Levius also introduces us to a cast of stellar secondary characters. My favorite is tied between AJ, whose story about makes me sob in pain and anger and Hugo who is a real jerk who somehow redeems himself in a touching and beautiful way. Levius himself is a kid who feels keenly. We learn later why he took one of his fights as far as he did and it about breaks your heart! Sure Levius is brutal... MMA is already a brutal sport and then cybernetics and augments were added to it in this war torn world. But Haruhisa Nakata augments the brutality of sport and world with some incredibly real and powerful characters.
The Visuals
One of the stellar things about Levius is how the art really made the unusual mix of time periods work. It feels a little alien, a touch futuristic but also intimate. We know about WWI, it's a familiar war and time period to readers so we could emotionally connect to Levius' war experience. There is also a certain realism to the art that brings this lovely edge to the story. It helps details such as the extreme battles and the oddball characters come to life. I love how delicate the art feels for a grungy dystopian about boxing and a war that has the potential to restart at any time. Plus the techniques used to show dynamic movement with blurs and sharpness are super neat. I bet Levius is even more gorgeous in paper!
Levius turned out to be a magnificent mix of art, time periods, sports medicine and arena fighting. Levius, his uncle Zack and Bill form one of the best MMA teams the world has ever seen!! It's brutal, dark, and verges on horrific moments that highlight the burning power of passion, focus and making ones dream come true.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Authenticity
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Tension
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Plot
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Art
Thanks to Edelweiss and VIZ Media for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review. It has not influenced my opinions.
______________________
Please like this review if you enjoyed it! *bow* *bow* It helps me out a ton!!
January 23, 2022
I'm not sure I can give this a fair review. There's just something in me that thinks this series could be so much more than it is. Let's get started.
I think what immediately set this apart was the artwork, both inside and outside. I own the hardcover three volume collection, and my God, is it gorgeous. The gray and black of the outside tell you what kind of story this is going to be immediately, bleak, gritty, dark. That's then confirmed when in the first few chapters, the main character Levius punches a hole through his opponents chest. A gruesome scene made almost beautiful by the wispy art. There's this weird feeling of weightlessness in the drawings. The characters come off as concrete but their fighting, their use of steam as a weapon makes it look just that much more incredible.
The setting and the premise also enticed me immediately. This series is set in a steampunk world that is beginning to heal little by little from a devastating war. Due to how heavily soldiers were augmented in the war, they began using their augmented bodies in the arena after the war and so "M.M.A. - Mechanical Martial Arts" rose to prominence. Levius was really young when the war destroyed his town, he lost his right arm and his parents in the destruction. His father died, his mother has been in a coma for years. Levius moves in with his uncle Zak, an engineer named Bill helps him get a new arm, and Levius starts bringing home the bacon through bloodsport. The story begins with Levius, now 17, fighting his way to a promotional match which will get him into Rank 1, the highest rank of fighters.
All of this led me to believe that I was reading something special. I mean, a young man with PTSD is now put into a position where he literally has to maim and kill to make money. Alas, this began showing off Shonen tropes not long after it set up its premise.
Most of the characters are useless until they're required by the story not to be. The big bad is a fucking clown. That's not a joke, the first villain of the series is an engineer named "Dr. Clown Jack Pudding" who works for an unempathetic completely evil organization named "Amethyst". While corporations are inherently evil, the one in this series is just shown as comically evil. There's no nuance, all black and white. Dr. Clown has an enslaved fighter named A.J. who is a teenage girl, Levius takes it upon himself to "save her" in their fight by offering himself up to serve Amethyst if he loses, and freeing A.j. if he wins. Eeeeyyyyeeee Rrrrooooooolllllllllllll. While most of the fight scenes look great, some of them look like a jumbled mess of lines. The dialogue is quite rough in some bits as well.
Don't get me wrong, this is far from "bad". I'm only giving it 2 stars because it has so much potential and I really HATE to see potential squandered. This series was rebranded as "Levius/est" when it was picked up by Viz, so I'll definitely be continuing this series, I just hope it punches through the clichés and lazy writing.
2/5. "M.M.A. - Mechanical Martial Arts" = Facepalm.
I think what immediately set this apart was the artwork, both inside and outside. I own the hardcover three volume collection, and my God, is it gorgeous. The gray and black of the outside tell you what kind of story this is going to be immediately, bleak, gritty, dark. That's then confirmed when in the first few chapters, the main character Levius punches a hole through his opponents chest. A gruesome scene made almost beautiful by the wispy art. There's this weird feeling of weightlessness in the drawings. The characters come off as concrete but their fighting, their use of steam as a weapon makes it look just that much more incredible.
The setting and the premise also enticed me immediately. This series is set in a steampunk world that is beginning to heal little by little from a devastating war. Due to how heavily soldiers were augmented in the war, they began using their augmented bodies in the arena after the war and so "M.M.A. - Mechanical Martial Arts" rose to prominence. Levius was really young when the war destroyed his town, he lost his right arm and his parents in the destruction. His father died, his mother has been in a coma for years. Levius moves in with his uncle Zak, an engineer named Bill helps him get a new arm, and Levius starts bringing home the bacon through bloodsport. The story begins with Levius, now 17, fighting his way to a promotional match which will get him into Rank 1, the highest rank of fighters.
All of this led me to believe that I was reading something special. I mean, a young man with PTSD is now put into a position where he literally has to maim and kill to make money. Alas, this began showing off Shonen tropes not long after it set up its premise.
Most of the characters are useless until they're required by the story not to be. The big bad is a fucking clown. That's not a joke, the first villain of the series is an engineer named "Dr. Clown Jack Pudding" who works for an unempathetic completely evil organization named "Amethyst". While corporations are inherently evil, the one in this series is just shown as comically evil. There's no nuance, all black and white. Dr. Clown has an enslaved fighter named A.J. who is a teenage girl, Levius takes it upon himself to "save her" in their fight by offering himself up to serve Amethyst if he loses, and freeing A.j. if he wins. Eeeeyyyyeeee Rrrrooooooolllllllllllll. While most of the fight scenes look great, some of them look like a jumbled mess of lines. The dialogue is quite rough in some bits as well.
Don't get me wrong, this is far from "bad". I'm only giving it 2 stars because it has so much potential and I really HATE to see potential squandered. This series was rebranded as "Levius/est" when it was picked up by Viz, so I'll definitely be continuing this series, I just hope it punches through the clichés and lazy writing.
2/5. "M.M.A. - Mechanical Martial Arts" = Facepalm.
August 10, 2021
A fantastic beautifully drawn science fiction manga
June 24, 2021
Dude…. I can’t tell you how much the art ABSOLUTELY SLAPS in this manga like my god, the fighting scenes with Levius beating up his opponents and the facial expressions were surreal. I can be talking about this whole mangas art all day seriously lol! I’m saying this as I was confused by the plot because so much has happened in this 20 chapter manga and to be frank, you get lost in a good way because the art sucks you in to the mecha fighting world!
There is a Netflix adaptation since 2019 but personally from looking at the trailer as well as some images, the exact detail on the characters designs are sorta lost so I 100% will go with the manga.
Guys just read this weird steampunk manga with amazing art or else Dr Clown Jack Pudding will come after you (jk)
There is a Netflix adaptation since 2019 but personally from looking at the trailer as well as some images, the exact detail on the characters designs are sorta lost so I 100% will go with the manga.
Guys just read this weird steampunk manga with amazing art or else Dr Clown Jack Pudding will come after you (jk)
Want to read
September 16, 2021( Walmart has this hardcover tomb for $25! EEK I can't wait to get my copy now. I think there's a Netflix series too... which makes me sad since I don't sub to Netflix right now but I have added this to my list of stuff to watch on Netflix when I do subscribe for a month.)
I got this recommendation from Hannah's author blog (HSJ Williams)... she did a post called Top Ten Heroes (visual edition) and it's lovely - see link below! Although I don't know a lot of these characters I love her list of why and it's a great opportunity for me to list down the manga/comic/anime stuff I need to get to know ^-^
https://www.hsjwilliams.com/post/top-...
I got this recommendation from Hannah's author blog (HSJ Williams)... she did a post called Top Ten Heroes (visual edition) and it's lovely - see link below! Although I don't know a lot of these characters I love her list of why and it's a great opportunity for me to list down the manga/comic/anime stuff I need to get to know ^-^
https://www.hsjwilliams.com/post/top-...
May 25, 2021
And I got emotional over a M.M.A book...I mean Levius goes through so much and the way this ends is bitter sweet, like he did what he came to do but at what cost.
May 4, 2021
Levius is a gorgeous manga that is also gripping and frenetic. It’s not Steampunk Rocky. It’s very much it’s own thing, taking inspiration from history, from things like Battle Angel Alita, from comics from beyond its borders. It really is a unique gem.
The plot starts off simple, with an underdog story of a young fighter named, well, Levius. The story spends chapters layering in its characters and world, making it feel lived in, and giving you a feel for its quirks and eccentricities. This makes it so when it finally does lay on the whammy, it’s instantly gripping and every page afterward is spent in anticipation of the next. It’s just that good. I don’t want to spoil it, but it really kicks into gear, past just boxing. Themes of war, imperialism, and the prevalence and dehumanizing effects of the military industrial complex permeate this work. It uses the technology to make those themes physical.
The presentation of this book is striking. It’s a manga that is presented to be read left to right. This is not a mistake or the publisher (who hasn’t done so in ages) flipping it. This was how it was originally presented when serialized. It was because the author Haruhisa Nakata was inspired by Franco-Belgian comics, and it shows. The art has shades of Moebius, with its intricate but expressive linework, and a world inspired by the late 1800s Europe. The art also has really interesting uses of depth of field to draw focus in ways I really haven’t seen used much in sequential art.
This is the work of an artist at the top of their craft, and it’s well worth checking out. It has my highest recommendation.
The plot starts off simple, with an underdog story of a young fighter named, well, Levius. The story spends chapters layering in its characters and world, making it feel lived in, and giving you a feel for its quirks and eccentricities. This makes it so when it finally does lay on the whammy, it’s instantly gripping and every page afterward is spent in anticipation of the next. It’s just that good. I don’t want to spoil it, but it really kicks into gear, past just boxing. Themes of war, imperialism, and the prevalence and dehumanizing effects of the military industrial complex permeate this work. It uses the technology to make those themes physical.
The presentation of this book is striking. It’s a manga that is presented to be read left to right. This is not a mistake or the publisher (who hasn’t done so in ages) flipping it. This was how it was originally presented when serialized. It was because the author Haruhisa Nakata was inspired by Franco-Belgian comics, and it shows. The art has shades of Moebius, with its intricate but expressive linework, and a world inspired by the late 1800s Europe. The art also has really interesting uses of depth of field to draw focus in ways I really haven’t seen used much in sequential art.
This is the work of an artist at the top of their craft, and it’s well worth checking out. It has my highest recommendation.
January 2, 2021
A divergent future of the industrial revolution where steam powered robotics and medical technology are far more advanced. War has torn the world apart and now society lives for the regulated violence of Mechanical Martial Arts. Fighters have their bodies augmented with cybernetic parts and fight for ranking through a very deadly form of boxing.
Levius, our protagonist, survived the war as a child, losing his arm in the process, and his mother is in a coma. He's drawn to the world of MMA by visions of his mother watching his fights. Together with his Uncle Zack and his engineer Bill, they've climbed up the ranks and have a shot at making Grade 1, even though Levius insists on using a medical grade arm (meaning he's going to feel every bit of the pain). But, the underworld military organization, Amethyst, is going to make it very hard for him.
The story is a gritty steampunk world with plenty of beat down action. The characters are interesting and the plot is very entertaining. The only downside to this series is that the art style makes it a little difficult to follow the action sometimes. Otherwise, very good.
This series has 3 volumes. All 3 are contained in this omnibus.
This series continues in the sequel Levius/est.
Levius, our protagonist, survived the war as a child, losing his arm in the process, and his mother is in a coma. He's drawn to the world of MMA by visions of his mother watching his fights. Together with his Uncle Zack and his engineer Bill, they've climbed up the ranks and have a shot at making Grade 1, even though Levius insists on using a medical grade arm (meaning he's going to feel every bit of the pain). But, the underworld military organization, Amethyst, is going to make it very hard for him.
The story is a gritty steampunk world with plenty of beat down action. The characters are interesting and the plot is very entertaining. The only downside to this series is that the art style makes it a little difficult to follow the action sometimes. Otherwise, very good.
This series has 3 volumes. All 3 are contained in this omnibus.
This series continues in the sequel Levius/est.
October 15, 2019
Una edicion donde los primeros tres tomos son recopilados.
Tapa dura, paginas a color y un arte poco frecuente para denominarlo "manga".
Nos encontramos en un mundo sacudido por la guerra, donde tras varios años la situacion se ha tranquilizado y nuestro protagonista pasa de ser un niño que lo ha perdido todo a un luchador de la M.A.A. algo parecido a una evolucion del boxeo, ya que los luchadores pueden estar potenciados por exoesqueletos de vapor.
Esta recopilacion nos situa en el combate del año donde Levius luchara por subir a la liga superior.
Me ha gustado bastante, un libro bastante completo, donde como es normal lo que llama la atencion es el arte del autor, ya que la gran mayoria de las hojas estan repletas de planos de caras o medios cuerpos. Con un estilo mas realista y unos fondos de estilo victoriano.
Lo que no me llega a convencer son los desenfoques que crea para que asi el interes del lector se centre en algo especifico, para mi gusto no es necesario ya que se pierde el trabajo realizado en las hojas. No hace falta decir que no es para todos los publicos, si no te gusta la sangre, o los combates duros no es para ti.
Tapa dura, paginas a color y un arte poco frecuente para denominarlo "manga".
Nos encontramos en un mundo sacudido por la guerra, donde tras varios años la situacion se ha tranquilizado y nuestro protagonista pasa de ser un niño que lo ha perdido todo a un luchador de la M.A.A. algo parecido a una evolucion del boxeo, ya que los luchadores pueden estar potenciados por exoesqueletos de vapor.
Esta recopilacion nos situa en el combate del año donde Levius luchara por subir a la liga superior.
Me ha gustado bastante, un libro bastante completo, donde como es normal lo que llama la atencion es el arte del autor, ya que la gran mayoria de las hojas estan repletas de planos de caras o medios cuerpos. Con un estilo mas realista y unos fondos de estilo victoriano.
Lo que no me llega a convencer son los desenfoques que crea para que asi el interes del lector se centre en algo especifico, para mi gusto no es necesario ya que se pierde el trabajo realizado en las hojas. No hace falta decir que no es para todos los publicos, si no te gusta la sangre, o los combates duros no es para ti.
April 11, 2021
I've just watched the anime.
Boxing movements were mesmerizing.
The story so well paced. Addictive.
Loved Zach, Bill and Levius is to die for. Fangirling at maximum level.
I loved it! Fans of Alita will love it and I will surely will watched it again because it felt so short!
Boxing movements were mesmerizing.
The story so well paced. Addictive.
Loved Zach, Bill and Levius is to die for. Fangirling at maximum level.
I loved it! Fans of Alita will love it and I will surely will watched it again because it felt so short!
January 3, 2020
Exactly the steampunk, ultraviolent, cyborg bonanza I signed up for, with a great art style as well.
May 5, 2020
3.5 stars.
December 12, 2020
Unbelievably beautiful, mesmerizing art. Tragic, violent, disturbing story. I will be picking up /EST at the earliest opportunity--frankly, I'm obsessed with this.
April 1, 2023
I like it when the robo-men fight.
January 22, 2023
I really liked the art style, but had especially in the second half of the book some difficulties following the story. Everything seemed to explore at the same time and that was confusing at best. I was also not a big fan of Mr. Jack Pudding, he was not a character I could take seriously.
I would probably have liked the book more if it was more focused on Levius himself instead of three battles that were absurdly long (felt like a game in Kuroko basketball).
Rating 3/5
I would probably have liked the book more if it was more focused on Levius himself instead of three battles that were absurdly long (felt like a game in Kuroko basketball).
Rating 3/5
April 28, 2024
Truth be said, I picked it up for the cover art. And the first few color pages stood out. But well - It’s MMA infused with a bit of cyborg engineering set in a near dystopian world . What could possibly go wrong ?
August 11, 2024
Art=wow. Characters are intriguing. Story is fairly archetypal than, and will therefore likely be enjoyable to anyone who appreciates this brand of storytelling (which includes myself).
April 9, 2021
Oh, what a disappointment this was. I've seen series degrade over time, but rarely in such a sudden and definitive fashion as in Levius. The time skip in Magical Girl Apocalypse is the closest thing that comes to mind, but at least that happened after eight or nine volumes. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
For about the first half of the series, Levius is a rushed, but intriguing story. It treats steampunk technology in the same way that cyberpunk treats its tech: that is, prosthetic limbs powered by steam, instead of electricity and computers. These steam-limbs are used for everything from medical purposes, to war, to bloodsports. The titular character, Levius, lost his hometown, most of his family, and his arm to just such a war, and through a convoluted series of events, enters himself into the steam-driven bloodsport, MMA (mechanical martial arts). Ostensibly, he's doing it to try and get closer to his mother (who was rendered comatose following the destruction of his hometown), because bits of her memorabilia hinted that she might've been involved in some way. Again, all of this development feels rushed and somewhat contrived as a result, but the world is interesting, the situation surrounding Levius' mother and his grief about what happened holds a lot of potential for emotional storytelling, and even though there are several very infodump-heavy segments, the story was engrossing. The fantastic art didn't hurt, either. Despite its shortcomings, this half of the story was solidly going to be a 4-star review...and then we get introduced to the Big Bad, and it's all downhill from there.
Almost immediately after this guy shows up, it becomes impossible to take the story seriously. The explanation for why is going to sound ridiculous, but I assure you, it's even worse when you're seeing it play out. In designing the villain, it's as if Nakata saw Kefka from Final Fantasy VI and thought, "Yeah, that's who I want...but let's make him a little extra!" Ready for me to stop beating around the bush? I really don't think you are, but here we go anyway:
Like Kefka, the Big Bad is a psychotic clown. He also happens to be the head of the most advanced steam-tech corporation on the planet--the same company that He seems to have literally no motivation outside of killing people. Oh, and his name is "Dr. Clown Jack Pudding." Seriously.
He may be the worst villain this side of 2016's Ghostbusters--a parody of a caricature of a cartoon.
Dr. Clown Jack Pudding would be bad enough in a vacuum, but his existence in this story ruins any sense of atmosphere that had been built up. Tonally, he's all wrong: the proverbial turd in the punch bowl. Nothing is right after he shows up.
He doesn't mark a crack in the story's armor: he's a brick through the window. Because even the rest of the storytelling falls apart, post-Pudding. The already-hurried narrative shifts into overdrive, with new abilities abruptly appearing whenever they're needed, even more telling vs. showing, plot holes you could fly a blimp through, and inconsistencies that don't even mask their lack of cohesion (the best 13 MMA fighters are apparently strong enough to single-handedly face entire armies...and we're expected to believe a kid like Levius is worthy of being in their midst?). It's as if Dr. Clown Jack Pudding--yes, I'm going to keep saying his name, to emphasize how stupid and absurd it/he is--was the load-bearing Jenga piece that sent the rest of the series crashing down once he came loose. And I really kind of hate that it came to this.
Half of Levius is like a steampunk-y version of Battle Angel Alita: visceral combat, great art, the potential for a meaningful, heartfelt story. And then on a dime, that all gets flushed down the drain. I've been disappointed by series before, but Levius is one of the few that's actually made me angry. Maybe its follow-up, Levius Est salvages things, but it's going to be a long time before I take it upon myself to find out.
For about the first half of the series, Levius is a rushed, but intriguing story. It treats steampunk technology in the same way that cyberpunk treats its tech: that is, prosthetic limbs powered by steam, instead of electricity and computers. These steam-limbs are used for everything from medical purposes, to war, to bloodsports. The titular character, Levius, lost his hometown, most of his family, and his arm to just such a war, and through a convoluted series of events, enters himself into the steam-driven bloodsport, MMA (mechanical martial arts). Ostensibly, he's doing it to try and get closer to his mother (who was rendered comatose following the destruction of his hometown), because bits of her memorabilia hinted that she might've been involved in some way. Again, all of this development feels rushed and somewhat contrived as a result, but the world is interesting, the situation surrounding Levius' mother and his grief about what happened holds a lot of potential for emotional storytelling, and even though there are several very infodump-heavy segments, the story was engrossing. The fantastic art didn't hurt, either. Despite its shortcomings, this half of the story was solidly going to be a 4-star review...and then we get introduced to the Big Bad, and it's all downhill from there.
Almost immediately after this guy shows up, it becomes impossible to take the story seriously. The explanation for why is going to sound ridiculous, but I assure you, it's even worse when you're seeing it play out. In designing the villain, it's as if Nakata saw Kefka from Final Fantasy VI and thought, "Yeah, that's who I want...but let's make him a little extra!" Ready for me to stop beating around the bush? I really don't think you are, but here we go anyway:
Like Kefka, the Big Bad is a psychotic clown. He also happens to be the head of the most advanced steam-tech corporation on the planet--the same company that He seems to have literally no motivation outside of killing people. Oh, and his name is "Dr. Clown Jack Pudding." Seriously.
He may be the worst villain this side of 2016's Ghostbusters--a parody of a caricature of a cartoon.
Dr. Clown Jack Pudding would be bad enough in a vacuum, but his existence in this story ruins any sense of atmosphere that had been built up. Tonally, he's all wrong: the proverbial turd in the punch bowl. Nothing is right after he shows up.
He doesn't mark a crack in the story's armor: he's a brick through the window. Because even the rest of the storytelling falls apart, post-Pudding. The already-hurried narrative shifts into overdrive, with new abilities abruptly appearing whenever they're needed, even more telling vs. showing, plot holes you could fly a blimp through, and inconsistencies that don't even mask their lack of cohesion (the best 13 MMA fighters are apparently strong enough to single-handedly face entire armies...and we're expected to believe a kid like Levius is worthy of being in their midst?). It's as if Dr. Clown Jack Pudding--yes, I'm going to keep saying his name, to emphasize how stupid and absurd it/he is--was the load-bearing Jenga piece that sent the rest of the series crashing down once he came loose. And I really kind of hate that it came to this.
Half of Levius is like a steampunk-y version of Battle Angel Alita: visceral combat, great art, the potential for a meaningful, heartfelt story. And then on a dime, that all gets flushed down the drain. I've been disappointed by series before, but Levius is one of the few that's actually made me angry. Maybe its follow-up, Levius Est salvages things, but it's going to be a long time before I take it upon myself to find out.
July 10, 2019
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
Levius takes place in an alternate history type of world in which World War 1 happened differently and the advent of developing steam technology affected the entire world. It is a thoughtful, almost meditative piece on the nature of war, chaos, humanity, and life - but one washed in brutality and violence. In many ways, we've seen these over-the-top pathological characters before and there isn't anything new here. But the pacing, writing, and illustration work are superb and make up for the lack of originality.Story: At the end of a devastating war decided by advanced steam cybernetics, young Levius was left without an arm and his mother in a coma. He had a dream about fighting in MMR matches (mechanical martial arts) and that it would be in those matches where he could connect with his mother again. But a big break brings him up against a terrifying MMR foe - one deeply connected to the tragedy that took his arm and his mother from him in the past.
This title has moments of brilliance that are often offset by plain silliness that strain credibility - e.g., an antagonist with no nuances whatsoever, just plain psychotic and named "Dr. Clown Jack Pudding". It is hard to believe any society could have become inured enough to take a name like that seriously or even respectfully. And yet, we have to suspend disbelief that a man in a clown mask with clear megalomaniac intentions was revered.
Levius is a young man with few words and the mangaka is quite adept at conveying pathos - it is a story you 'read' more with your images than the words. At times, it can be hard to follow and you'll have to go back and either guess or try hard to figure out the sequence (especially in the fight scenes). Admittedly, I tended to skip over the fight scenes as a result.
There are many trigger scenes meant to shock - casual and repeated brutality underscoring the depths of human depravity. In a society that can keep parts of you alive indefinitely, there are certainly many ways that a prisoner can be abused. It's meant to be ugly and having images to accompany the depravity is doubly horrifying. This is psychological and physical torture there that dips a bit too close to torture porn to be acceptable as an intrinsic part of the plot.
In all, I will likely pass on future volumes since I just am not a fan of this kind of inhumanity, violence, and horror. That isn't to say Levius isn't well written - just that the story does not appeal to me. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
May 24, 2021
Once the story picked up almost halfway through it was really good. The art style is really cool but I also found it a little distracting. The artist really liked their eye shots. Not sure I'll continue this series.
March 15, 2021
The art is astounding and the story concept was somewhat interesting but it’s had some flaws. The art style is what was drawn to me when I first picked up this manga at Barnes & Noble. I first discovered this series by watching the Netflix adaption which I wasn’t too fond of because of the 3D animation. I can tell from watching the Netflix adaption that the story was definitely cut short and their was the lack of character development. So I decided to buy the manga. That being said, the story concept was good but I felt that it lost track of its original concept as you go through the story.
There were some scenes when Levius would fight an opponent it would go back to the past of how the other character became what he/she came to be. It would’ve been a good fight if was executed properly. I had to really analyze the punching/fighting scenes because it looked really sloppy. Don’t get me wrong though. The art style is beautiful but I figured that if your reading a manga especially a sport related manga series you would want to understand the movements of the characters and you can really “read” the fighting scenes but if it was poorly drawn then how can you “read” it?
I’m given this review 3 stars. I’ll continue to read the manga but this time I will be reading it online instead buying the physical book.
There were some scenes when Levius would fight an opponent it would go back to the past of how the other character became what he/she came to be. It would’ve been a good fight if was executed properly. I had to really analyze the punching/fighting scenes because it looked really sloppy. Don’t get me wrong though. The art style is beautiful but I figured that if your reading a manga especially a sport related manga series you would want to understand the movements of the characters and you can really “read” the fighting scenes but if it was poorly drawn then how can you “read” it?
I’m given this review 3 stars. I’ll continue to read the manga but this time I will be reading it online instead buying the physical book.
March 18, 2020
Levius is a Steampunk arena fighter graphic novel, and if that sentence doesn’t include a bunch of the coolest words ever, I’m a pickled beet.
While the tone is somewhat dark and despairing, Levius, the protagonist, is the hope. At first, the reader is unsure how to take him. He’s traumatized, angry, and anti-social, but by the end of volume one, he’s building an army of people who care about him and defer to his compassion and drive to win an unwinnable fight.
The art in this is simply incredible. I can’t imagine the thousands of hours that went into the detail of ever frame. And the colored portions are beautiful enough to hang up in frames.
Definitely one of the COOLEST things I’ve ever read, and also, it’s got great potential for expanding the world and the boiling conflict of another technological war.
While the tone is somewhat dark and despairing, Levius, the protagonist, is the hope. At first, the reader is unsure how to take him. He’s traumatized, angry, and anti-social, but by the end of volume one, he’s building an army of people who care about him and defer to his compassion and drive to win an unwinnable fight.
The art in this is simply incredible. I can’t imagine the thousands of hours that went into the detail of ever frame. And the colored portions are beautiful enough to hang up in frames.
Definitely one of the COOLEST things I’ve ever read, and also, it’s got great potential for expanding the world and the boiling conflict of another technological war.
October 10, 2022
(2.5 Stars)
I have no words for this book. The first half where we learn about the characters and how M.M.A works, was amazing. I enjoyed the fight scenes and wow, when Hugo got punched right through the chest I thought that was so fucking cool!
Then we meet Dr. Clown Jack Pudding.
Yes, that's his name.
After that, I was so confused about the plot of it all. This is a steampunk world about a boy who lost his parents (dad died in war, mother in coma) and only has the M.M.A to bring him close to said mother. The fight scenes then got really messy and I found it hard to follow along, but overall I blame Dr. Clown Jack Pudding.
Also, didn't understand why we had to see a 16 year old naked. I don't know why it had to be added except to show how evil Dr. Clown Jack Pudding is
I have no words for this book. The first half where we learn about the characters and how M.M.A works, was amazing. I enjoyed the fight scenes and wow, when Hugo got punched right through the chest I thought that was so fucking cool!
Then we meet Dr. Clown Jack Pudding.
Yes, that's his name.
After that, I was so confused about the plot of it all. This is a steampunk world about a boy who lost his parents (dad died in war, mother in coma) and only has the M.M.A to bring him close to said mother. The fight scenes then got really messy and I found it hard to follow along, but overall I blame Dr. Clown Jack Pudding.
Also, didn't understand why we had to see a 16 year old naked. I don't know why it had to be added except to show how evil Dr. Clown Jack Pudding is
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 4, 2022
Although I loved the art style and found a lot of the back story stuff super interesting (not to mention the awesome fight scenes) the main female character was basically a booby damsel in distress, plus she was naked more than was necessary especially since it said she was a minor. That mixed with her complete lack of a personality made her feel like an object, she can’t even really speak and has little to no control over her actions so that whole mess just kinda recked the book for me.
June 12, 2020
This was so good. I had read LEVIUS EST VOL1 and decided to go back to the original trilogy of manga. I totally didn't regret this. It gives the characters so much back story and just fleshes them out super well. I enjoyed my time with this and can't wait to continue on with EST.
January 14, 2020
I'm not the biggest steampunk fan but this wasn't too bad. It was very slow going which was my main problem. The Japanese Joker thing was pretty creepy and odd.
February 1, 2020
With a unique art style and compelling story, I breezed through this book loving every bit of it. What's even better is that it continues after this collection.
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