A Levius Season 2 anime adaptation by Netflix has the chance to continue the story where season 1’s ending left off after the Mech foxing fight between Levius Cromwell and AJ Langdon.
There is already a Levius sequel called Levius/est that is ending in 2021, but how long will it be before the second season can be produced?
Anime boxing and fighting TV shows have been picking up in popularity in recent years on Netflix. So far, all of these anime have a good history of being renewed for a sequel. Baki Season 3 and Megalo Box Season 2: Nomad were both released, and Kengan Ashura Season 3 seems very likely with the way the anime left the story unfinished.
The first season of the Levius anime series was produced by animation studio Polygon Pictures, which is well known for creating Netflix exclusives like the Godzilla Trilogy and the recent Human Lost movie. Hiroyuki Seshita of Ajin, Blame! and Godzilla fame helmed the project as Chief Director, while Keisuke Ide was listed as director.
Attack on Titan: Lost Girls writer Hiroshi Seko wrote the series composition while Vinland Saga and Saga of Tanya The Evil writer Kenta Ihara helped write the scripts. Knights Of Sidonia character designer Yuki Moriyama worked with CG Supervisor Takeshi Iwata and Art Director Yuuki Hatakeyama.
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Updated April 20, 2021: Levius manga’s ending announced.
This article provides everything that is known about Levius Season 2 and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news, rumors, and analysis. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
Levius/est manga ending in 2021
The story for the anime is based on the Levius manga series by writer and illustrator Haruhisa Nakata. The manga creator has been involved in anime productions before, having drawn the character designs for the Fairy Gone anime series by P.A. Works.
The Levius manga initially launched in 2013, serialized in Monthly Ikki magazine. A year later, the magazine shut down after the manga reached Volume 3. In 2015, the Levius manga rebooted in Shueisha’s Ultra Jump magazine under the direct sequel title Levius/est.
A French version of both the original series and the Levius/est manga began serializing on the Kana website in 2015. Unlike the majority of Japanese manga series, the Levius/est manga reads from left-to-right rather than the traditional right-to-left format.
New Levius/est chapters release monthly. By the time the Levius anime released on Netflix in late November 2019, the Levius/est manga series was already up to Volume 6.
Perhaps because the Levius manga rebooted in a new magazine, the first two chapters of Levius/est rehashed Levius’ war-time struggles. They reintroduced AJ and their final match through a series of flashbacks. At the same time, the sequel expanded on the backstory and character relationships to set up the continuation.
In April 2021, Shueisha’s Ultra Jump magazine announced that the Levius/est manga’s ending would be contained in Volume 10, which releases in the spring of 2021.
VIZ Media is publishing the official English translation for North America. The first three volumes of the Levius manga released as a single-volume hardcover omnibus edition.
The Levius/est manga volumes have already started releasing in English and it’s up to Volume 7 as of December 15, 2020. Levius/est Volume 8 is scheduled to release on May 18, 2021, and Volume 9 on December 21, 2021. Presumably, the English Volume 10 will release the final chapter in 2022.
Levius manga’s ending compared to the anime: Where’s Ted the Grim Reaper?
For those who have already watched Netflix’s Levius anime, it’s probably evident by now that the first season adapted the first three volumes of the manga series. Therefore, Levius Season 2 will pick up the story with Levius/est Volume 1.
The only issue is the way that the Levius anime changed the manga’s story. In fact, the anime version is pretty much a retelling since the story was completely restructured with only certain episode scenes resembling its manga counterpart.
Manga purists may hate to hear it, but Polygon Pictures’ writers did a great job of changing the manga’s story so that it remains emotionally gripping while adding more depth. The anime original content expanded on characters, rewrote many scenes, and revised the order of events in such a way that each episode flowed into the other.
There were a variety of character changes, including how Levius’ opponents in the world of the Mechanical Boxing Association were introduced. Hugo Stratus originally showed up earlier in the story and was very violent, violating the Mech Boxing rules by beating on news journalists who dared question him. His role in the anime was expanded greatly in the anime, making him more of a sympathetic figure.
Similarly, Malcolm Eden showed up in manga Chapter 1, but he didn’t seem much of a threat. Instead, Malcolm was more of a sobering reminder of the violent world Levius had chosen. Having lived past the peak of his career, Malcolm sought an honorable death in the ring and Levius accepted and made Malcolm die with a smile on his face.
Polygon Pictures expanded on that premise by showing Malcolm struggling with his competing desires to please his daughter or continue his career. Of course, since Malcolm is no longer dead, it’s possible Levius Season 2 could have the aging boxer return in a supporting role.
Another significant change was the early introduction of Natalia Garnet, who initially did not debut in the manga series until Levius/est Chapter 4. In the anime, Natalia was given entire story arcs and a was a critical part of Levius’ emotional development. Natalia herself changed over time, transforming from a bratty rival boxer to a bratty little sister figure who came to see Levius, “Hairy Pig” aka Uncle Zach, engineer Bill, and Grandma as family.
Natalia’s role expanded to the point that the entire tone of the first season was changed from what it would have been if the anime had stayed more true to the manga. Until Natalia was introduced in the manga series, the overall tone was fairly bleak and depressing, and the anime would have been similar if it were not for the light-hearted beats and comedy provided by Natalia’s antics.
Whether this change in tone is better or worse is, of course, debatable. Still, it’ll be interesting to see how the second season resolves these timeline conflicts considering Natalia’s introduction played a significant part in the opening chapters of the Levius/est manga.
Warning: The following analysis contains spoilers that affect Levius Season 2 and the Kengan Ashura anime.
Still, the most significant difference that affects the potential sequel is how Levius’ ending played out. In both the Levius anime and Kengan Ashura Season 2, two fighters fought a brutal battle only to be shown recovering and readying for their future matches in the closing scenes. But that’s not how either manga’s story ended their respective corresponding chapters.
In Levius Chapter 18 of Volume 3, Levius defeated AJ, and she collapsed after her heart and brain stopped functioning. In both the anime and manga, Levius calls for medical assistance and is confronted by Dr. Clown. In the anime, Levius blows away Dr. Clown with steam, and the destroyed villain is revealed to be an automaton, but in the manga, Dr. Clown pulls a gun and shoots Levius in the leg.
Worse, Dr. Clown reveals that he has Amethyst soldiers stationed in the stadium ready to attack if Levius makes a move on Dr. Clown. That’s when Christopher “Ted” Elphinstone makes a grand entrance by destroying Dr. Clown’s 2,000-man army in under 11 seconds flat.
The difference in power levels is pretty much like if a Super Saiyan was abruptly dropped in at the end of a tournament arc from the original Dragon Ball. Now, the anime did tease that hypersteam could be used for more than simply powering machinery by showing Bill controlling the mist with his mind, but the first season reason never revealed that Grade 1 is a world of monsters where hypersteam users have special powers.
Using these hypersteam powers, Ted the Grim Reaper proceeds to dodge a hailstorm of bullets and wipe the floor with the Amethyst henchmen. Confronted with this Grade I fighter made unstoppable with special powers, Dr. Clown decides to blow himself up but not before claiming that AJ’s brother, Balthus J. Langdon, will destroy Levius.
The anime did have Dr. Clown claim he could replace AJ with another person, but it was only implied that it could be Balthus. In a way, the anime handled this aspect of the story in a more suspenseful and insidious manner.
Dr. Clown then blows up, but Christopher is so powerful he can contain the explosion, saving the stadium from destruction. While Levius was thankful for the help, he criticized Christopher for killing some surrendered Amethyst, who were fleeing. In response, Christopher challenges Levius to prove whose fighting philosophy is right in the MMA ring by fighting him in the future as a Grade I fighter. And with that cliffhanger ending, the first manga series ended.
So, yeah, not only is Levius’ ending in the manga completely different from the anime but so is what happened to Levius and AJ next. In the anime, both collapsed in the ring. However, after a brief time skip, they’re both recovered and ready to fight. Instead, just like with the Kengan Ashura manga, the main character ends up in a coma caused by severe injuries.
The positive aspect of Levius’ new ending in the anime is that it brings more closure by resolving the central conflict while finishing with a happy ending. Yes, the anime teases the possibility of Levius Season 2 by showing Dr. Clown working from the shadows, but the manga leaves everyone on an unsatisfying cliffhanger in comparison.
As it is, the Levius anime works best as a standalone product, but at the expense of a potential Levius/est anime sequel. If Levius Season 2 occurs, then the beginning will have to retcon the anime original ending of Episode 12, or the second season will need to devise a new way of introducing the Grand Thirteen. Considering how well Polygon Pictures has rewritten the story these changes might be an overall net gain.
For those who can’t wait to see what happens next, the good news is that the Levius/est manga series already has plenty of chapters available as source material for making Levius Season 2. Better yet, English-only manga readers wishing to read ahead of the anime can jump straight into Levius-est Volume 1.
Levius Season 2 release date predictions
As of the last update, Netflix, Polygon Pictures, or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the Levius Season 2 release date. Nor has the production of a Levius sequel, or a Levius/est anime, been announced.
Once the news is officially confirmed, this article will be updated with the relevant information. In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when, or if, the Levius Season 2 premiere date will occur.
Assuming that Levius Season 2 is greenlit for production, the biggest issue is the availability of Polygon Pictures. For 2020 they’re already planning Drifting Dragons, Transformer: War For Cybertron, and a Pacific Rim anime. Levius Chief Director Hiroyuki Seshita also confirmed plans for Knights Of Sidonia Season 3 way back in the summer of 2017, although that project is apparently on the backburner.
In general, Polygon Pictures does several projects per year, and it looks like 2020 is already pretty busy. Therefore, since the production of Levius Season 2 has not yet been confirmed, the second season could be planned for 2022 or beyond.
Levius/est anime spoilers (Plot summary/synopsis)
In the aftermath of the fight between Levius and AJ, our titular main character is promoted from Grade II, Rank 7 to Grade I, Rank 13. One little problem. Levius is severely wounded and in a coma.
Despite being gravely injured himself, Uncle Zack is determined to save Levius, and he turns to AJ Langdon for help. The problem is, AJ has forgotten what has transpired, so she needs to regain her memories. While waiting for Levius to recover, Zack and Bill Weinberg begin training AJ.
Once Levius finally is back on his feet after some world-building and flashbacks, it’s time for a love triangle. Yes, you read that right. AJ is understandably attached to Levius as her savior from Amethyst and her adopted “father” Dr. Clown, but as previously noted, this point in the story was when the manga originally introduced Natalia Garnet.
In Levius/est Chapter 5, it’s revealed that Levius and Natalia first met years ago. Since Natalia had grown up on the streets, she didn’t have a last name. Natalia was desperately in love with Levius, so when he proposed that she officially take his last name, she mistakenly thought he was proposing a marriage engagement and quickly began envisioning herself round and pregnant with his child.
Needless to say, she was horribly shocked when he said, “Then we’ll be like brother and sister.” Since that day, she’s worked hard to become stronger as a fighter so she could stand by Levius’ side as his wife. So, she’s more than a little upset when one day she runs into Levius and AJ hanging out together. Let the catfights commence!
Of course, none of that will happen in the anime. The scriptwriters for Levius Season 2 anime will have to dramatically overhaul Natalia’s part in the story to match up with previous character development. Natalia has already developed familial feelings for Levius, and it seemed like the first season teased that Natalia was jealous of Levius’ attachment to AJ, so it’s possible the next step will be for Natalia to realize she’s in love only for her advances to be rejected by Levius who now views her as a sister.
Still, there other aspects of the manga that could be incorporated into the anime’s retelling. During the first season, Natalia acted as a trainer and cornerman for the gym, and she repeatedly promised that she’d one day face Levius again in the ring, so it’ll be a natural progression for her to return to fighting matches.
Regardless of any goofy romantic subplots, the stakes are even higher this time around and so are the motivations for fighting. Based on his wartime memories as a child, Levius was fighting as a means to save his mother in his own mind. Then he was fighting to save AJ. But this time, he’s literally fighting for the fate of the world.
Tensions have been rising in the wake of Levius and AJ’s match, and Amethyst is preparing for war. The devastation caused by the last great war is still fresh in everyone’s minds, so it’s proposed that the outcomes of Mech Boxing matches serve as a substitute for real wars, with Grade I fighters representing the fate of entire nations.
The battles are even more intense with Grade I fighters. Levius’ first opponent is “The Emperor” Oliver E. Kingsley, who is currently undefeated. Levius will battle the Emperor during the title fight for an event called the Southern Slam. But Levius fears that the match could be rigged against him.
During the preliminary matches for the Southern Slam, AJ discovers that her younger brother, Balthus, is competing in MMA. If you recall, Dr. Clown foreshadowed Balthus’ emergence as a significant player by claiming AJ’s brother would destroy Levius.
While fighting his way up the ranks, Balthus’ strength is disturbing to the point that it’s a mystery what sort of augmentation he must have done to himself for the sake of competing. As it so happens, Natalia is also competing in the Grade III preliminary rounds…
Unfortunately, anime fans will have to wait until the Levius Season 2 release date to watch what happens next. Stay tuned!