Zettai Boei Leviatan

Summary: >

On the planet Aquafall trouble is stirring. A meteorite fell from the sky, from it emerging mysterious insects are killing everything. Most people are hardly aware of a problem so far away, including Leviathan - a young aspiring magic user awaiting the return of her brother. A fairy who is determined to form the "Aquafall Defense Force", tries to recruit Leviathan and two other magic using girls but none of them seem enthused about it. Could three young girls turn the tide against the invaders?

Thoughts: >

The setup looks promising. A fantasy world populated by dragons where three girls embark on a quest to save the planet. It kind of does this, but the problem is that it mostly does nothing. Disappointment aside, I don't think Zettai Boei Leviatan isn't a terrible watch, it's just a bit weak.

The show has a solid rich foundation, on which pretty much nothing is built. Each episode begins with a brief explanation of the lore of Aquafall. It's a fascinating peek at where it could go... but doesn't. Instead Zettai Boei Leviatan pads out time in ways which are very annoying. About 25% of the show involves the girls eating (not even exaggerating there). There's also transformation sequences which are surprisingly weak considering they're reused quite often. For that matter animation is pretty weak all around, with action sequences consisting of mostly stills combined with bugs that are destroyed by bursting into CG "dust".

In the beginning, I'd look forward to upcoming episodes, but not long after episode 3 I already felt my interest wane. It wasn't until episode 9 that it picked up again. It does at least end well, even if not conclusive.

Another saving grace of the show: Leviathan is an adorable character - mostly a combination of the right kind of personality with the right kind of voice actress. I found everyone else various degrees of annoying.

The boring uneventful middle section weighs heavily on a show which otherwise isn't too bad. Some parts in the beginning and end have a lot of charm to them. Yet, even with a stronger middle the anime would only be average. It's frustrating that the imaginative environment in the background is ignored, and the anime populated with so many bland characters to make such a mediocre showing. Zettai Boei Leviathan isn't too bad, but fails to live up to its potential (and then some).

Screen Caps: >