Review provided by Andrew and Katie
Title: Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection
Director: Kenichi Yatagai
Studio: Gonzo
Author: Yasunori Ide
U.S. Distributor: Sentai Filmworks / Section 23
U.S. Release Date: June 10, 2014
Format and Length: Blu-Ray / 13 Episodes / 325 Minutes
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Comedy
Industry Age Rating: 14 and up
Overall Personal Rating: C
Similar Series or Titles to Check Out: The entire .hack series and Magic Knight Rayearth
Synopsis:
Aquafall is a paradise, where water was abundant, lands are covered in green, and everyone lived in peace and harmony, unless you’re the owner of the Key Tail Tavern. But then meteors began to fall from the sky, each impact bringing new hideous creatures. It soon became clear that they were there to take the entire green world for themselves. An invader that would not stop until all opposition had been destroyed. Fortunately, the fairy Syrup was on guard and knew exactly what to do. Working quickly, she began to recruit potential warriors to become the base of the Aquafall Defense Force. On her list are the incredibly strong, but absent minded Jormungandr, the spoiled, extravagant Bahamut, and the stoic, and timid Leviathan. Can these three really turn the tide of an alien invasion? They can when each of the ladies in question is also a member of a Dragon Clan, and when it comes to fighting tooth, nail and claw, the invaders have just met their match!
Commentary:
Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection is an anime series being released virtually concurrently with the mobile game it was based on. Many of us have seen anime series that prequel video games. They usually are a base introduction to the characters, scenes, locations and a basic beginning story. And they tend to have no closure, and leave any possible ending out, so you will have to play the game to find out. Those anime series are usually just promotional, a long commercial if you will, that lead to what will probably be an awesome climax and conclusion, just to cut you off before it happens, and ends it to get you to play the game. Sadly since I am not a gamer anymore, these animes tend to irk me to no end. Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection is one of those, but with a few exceptions that have kept me from pulling my hair out. It’s a simple start to introduce you to who, what, where, and why. It’s not a bad story, at least the story that you get, as the fairy Syrup gathers her team. There is character development, and you get to know them on a decent level. And there is a reasonable conclusion to the story, or maybe at least what I guess could be called a chapter of the story. So I will say that this one did not make me curse the day I picked it up like some that have come before.
Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection was a cute, light-hearted adventure, reminiscent of some classic titles. It doesn’t require excessive amounts of thought to understand, and has no strong philosophical meanings. It has a decent amount of comedy, most a bit cliché and nothing really new, but just because the jokes have been done before does not mean they fall flat. It has its moments where all is serious, but it never reaches the doom and gloom, end of the world like one would expect. It had the feel of a role playing game, as side quests are completed, allies made, and items acquired. To summon your allies, you needed an item of course, so it definitely felt like that I was watching someone play an rpg at times, just no sprites and stat bars. Overall Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection was enjoyable. It had enough story in it to overcome any feelings of incompletion, and the characters are decently developed that by the end, you kinda know what their reactions will be to certain situations. I suppose the single thing that annoyed me the most was the mixing of CG animation with normal animation all around it and flashing in and out of it for certain creatures. But truth be told that has bothered me in most occasions it has been done. I guess the other thing I noticed is if they would have cut down on the dirty jokes and suggestive themes that appear randomly throughout, this series could be suitable for children, and I think they would have enjoyed the simple enough to follow story.
Extras:
Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection includes clean opening and closing animations and Sentai Filmworks trailers. This release is available only in Japanese Language with English Subtitles.
Overall Grade: C
Leviathan-The Last Defense: The Complete Collection is a decent anime that is enjoyable even with all its flaws. Each episode is only 22 minutes including the opening and closing animations so it also does not take very long to watch a few then come back to it at a later time.
