Should Levius emphasize more than metal boxing? | Netflix

The best part about the 12-episode anime was the metal boxing concept. Levius is about a character who has dealt with loss. His mother is critically injured during an attack on their village by an evil corporation and he watches two children get kidnapped by a machine. He finds solace in metal boxing after he is sent to live with his grandmother and uncle.

You would think the back story would make Levius likable in some way, but if I’m honest, he seems to lack emotion toward metal boxing despite that being his main activity through the show. The narrative would have you believe that he inspires those around him, but he lacks charisma and admits on several occasions that he doesn’t know what he’s fighting for.

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It’s not until he runs into the girl he watched get abducted when he was young that he begins to show any emotion at all. In hindsight, he saw he the day he moved in with his uncle as well, but couldn’t catch up to her. That leads to him seeing his first metal boxing match and taking up the hobby. So maybe she is his motivation from the beginning. There is just no clear indication of that.

He runs into her again while watching one of his pending opponent’s fight. She turns out to be a metal boxer as well who is under some sort of mind control. He vows to save her or become a slave of the same company that holds her hostage.

Levius is on an unprecedented winning streak during this anime, so you never truly believe he’s going to lose, but the choreography is so well done that you will not care.

The boxing matches are awesome. But a lot of rules are broken during the matches which will leave you a bit perplexed because the boxing organization stresses strict policies. So when the blatant cheating is overlooked, it undoes a lot of the immersion.

Overall if you enjoy fighting animes, this is for you. But you will have to force urself to ignore the flat line motivations of Levius until the last 3 or 4 episodes. As a bonus, the original soundtrack for this anime is great. You won’t want to skip the opening credits.