Clevatess

Episode 6

The gears in Clevatess are slowly turning towards the next major conflict for our party of zombies, demonic Good Boys, and adorable baby elf-puppy-things. Until we get to that tense climax, though, most of “Insect Controlling Mage” is not about said horrifying insects controlled by said wicked mages at all; rather, we simply spend some more time with our heroes and live in their world for a bit, which is fine by me. Beyond its crunchy dark-fantasy aesthetic or its propensity for heavy-metal gore spectacle, my favorite thing about Clevatess so far has been its ability to quietly but confidently develop its compelling cast of characters. This is the true secret ingredient for any television show that hopes to make a genuine lasting impression. This episode's slower pace and emphasis on character interactions are great choices.

The opening sequence sees everyone debriefing at their camp and figuring out their next moves. The story feels less burdened by exposition than the previous episode was. We still get plenty of time devoted to learning more about the evil general Drell and seeing Clevatess coming to terms with his need to protect the kingdom he just razed to further his ambitions for Luna, but the episode thrives the most in the smaller and simpler moments. I live for scenes like the gang experiencing coffee for the first time thanks to Nelluru, or the shockingly gentle (for an eldritch demon beast) exchange where Klen gives Alicia a little bit of hope and dignity back after she insists she's merely the undead killer working for an evil beast. “I don't think I've ever told you to stop being a hero,” Klen grumbles after pointing out that Nelluru, at least, has been saved by Alicia's blade. You'd almost wonder if the guy is getting attached to his undead slaves.

After Klen turns back into Clevatess to investigate the Boelate army and their supposedly powerful wizards, Alicia and Nelluru are left to make their way into town and care for Luna themselves, which offers another great opportunity for the show to make the setting of Clevatess feel more lived-in and real. The world is in a dark place, unsurprisingly, with citizens having to protect themselves from bandits like the Ravens while they trade stories of how corrupt and useless the old king and his “heroes” must have been to let things get so dire. Not only does it bring us closer to Alicia's desires to live up to the heroic ideals she fears have become unreachable after Clevatess defeated her, but it also helps to simply give this adventure that much more texture. The gruff innkeeper and her doofus sons reminded me a bit of Dola's gang from Castle in the Sky, and any anime that is giving me classic Miyazaki vibes must be doing something right.

Of course, the episode can't be all quiet conversations and subtle internal conflict, though. Last week, the mad mage Meynard promised us viewers some kind of terrible reckoning, and he sure as hell delivers on his promise when he engulfs the entire village in a storm of flesh-rending insect monsters. It's terrible news for our heroes, but I couldn't be happier. Like I said before, the great character writing is quickly becoming my favorite element of Clevatess' story, but that doesn't mean I'm not excited to see Alicia do battle with a horde of ugly bugs and their smug, magical ringmaster.

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Clevatess is currently streaming on Crunchyroll. James is a writer with many thoughts and feelings about anime and other pop-culture, which can also be found on BlueSky, his blog, and his podcast.