Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
HotDoggoneit
ANIME OF THE YEAR
How good is Clevetess? Let's preface this by saying this first: This is a High IQ Dark Fantasy anime show that many anime fans have been waiting for for many years. After YEARS and YEARS of enduring isekai of ecchi/harem slop over and over again and having every brain cell Hoover vacuumed out of our brain for watching to watch it every season we FINALLY get one anime for us. Many did not make it to this day.
For fans of early Season 1-3 AOT, Berserk 1997, Death Note, Monster, Claymore, etc. That's who this show is for. If you watch this show and do not fit into this demographic and then hate on the show then you've been warned. This is NOT a shounen. The show feels like it was plucked STRAIGHT out of the 2008 and teleported almost 20 years in the future. That's high p…
Read at the sourceNagaeKun
the writing of this is all over the place, i kept watching it for the sake of maybe it getting better, but nah, there is a fundamental flaw with the author that wrote this, maybe the studio could have done a better job, but this is exactly what i expect when i hear an amateur wrote a story, most of the time a scene rush to show you what happens, instead of taking its time to make you dive deep in it, characters are basically just npcs, i wouldnt care one bit if they are gone the next episode, that's how shallow things were to me while watching this show, nothing felt convincing enough, and that was a big problem for me, instead of relaxing and watching, i kept questioning the identity of this story.
Read at the source_yz
The animation is ok when it's present. There's some CGI and still shots but the picture won't be bothering you much. The OST is generic. The characters are generic, their development is inexistent. That's it for the positives.
The writing is offensively stupid. It's so bad Danmachi will feel like Lord of the Rings in comparison. The protag is facing off the bad guys? let's drop in a 6-minute long exposition dump mixed with detailed explanation of motives and life plans of the current villains. An evil guy surrounded by a swarm of insects crushes into MCs room and kills several people with bugs? I'd bet you didn't understand he's controlling the insects so here's a TED talk on his ability + some world history + some background of how he became a cringe ass bug kissing edge lord. I swear,…
Read at the sourceemberreviews
Clevatess has, for the most part, done a fairly ok job at filling the Ubel Blatt-shaped hole in my heart left by that story’s piss-poor anime adaptation. While my feelings on hyper-edgy dark fantasy anime are extremely mixed on the best of days, and this one certainly isn’t winning me over with its parade of cackling evil villains and brigands, the worldbuilding is certainly unique enough to at least grab my attention. Moreover, the fact that it’s competent at delivering information in a way that feels mostly natural and engaging rather than lore-dumping for minutes on end is one of its biggest strengths, which doesn’t sound like much, but it’s still much rarer than you would hope.
The cast is pretty solid, though few besides our titular demon lord stand out much, but the mainstays rarely…
Read at the sourceElara1321
Clevatess is a show about defeat and resilience. It is surprisingly confident, restrained, and honest about what kind of story it wants to tell.
One of the show’s strengths lies in how it treats strength and power. Competence is not assumed, and progress is shaped by limitation and consequence rather than convenience. Characters are allowed to struggle, adapt, and change at a believable pace.
At the same time, the story avoids clear moral labeling. Central forces are neither framed as heroes nor villains, remaining difficult to read and intentionally uncomfortable.
The world is not handed to the viewer through too much explanation but how it is experienced. Events often precede understanding, and meaning emerges through consequence. When explanation or flashback appears, it is either br…
Read at the sourceTenderthroats
Clevattes is a shounen anime wearing a seinen mask
But it does so very poorly, because the mask comes off the moment the expository dialogue goes far beyond treating you like a drooling moron. While it has confidence in driving its own plot forward, it does so with zero confidence in its viewership or own world building, that’s supposed to speak for itself.
The most blatant example I can give which is representative of many of the show’s issues, is its inability to have bandits in the show without having them stick their tongue out making crazy eyes at every chance. It’s painfully infantile because it’s a writing approach to drive forward a point: “This character is evil because he’s acting cuh-razey”. Every character, between every action, provides endless context for their actions base…
Read at the sourcemilky_crown
This anime really brought back the classic anime adventure feels! I liked that it wasn't super fast-paced, and it wasn't over-stimulating. It wasn't crazy good animation, but it was solid. I liked the fact that it wasn't overly saturated, giving it a more serious feel. Characters are likable, story is interesting! It's a really well-balanced adventure fantasy anime.
All the characters are not over-the-top, which is GREAT. They don't really follow an anime character trope, which I liked, cause then there aren't annoying misunderstanding tropes because someones too stubborn or a tsundere. They all actually make sense and have proper reasons for their actions, and they don't need to be annoying to make the story entertaining.
Story is pretty good too! There were some sincere moments where I…
Read at the sourceromzanalimohon
What an anime!! Definitely a hidden gem.
I couldn't even imagine that I would see this kinda nostalgic yet sharp animation in this age. It felt like everything was hand-drawn. The art feels 90's and yet so modern.
I don't know why this hasn't gained popularity like Freiren; rather, it should have. Well, let's dive into the plot of Clevatess.
Yuusha Alicia's father's dream was for his daughter to become a Yuusha[Hero] and slay Clevatess[Four Lords of Dark Beasts], and because of that, without seeking revenge for her father's murderer, she set out with other Heroes to slay Clevatess. The Heroes were exceptionally strong, but that strength couldn't even come close to Clevatess, and finally, all of them were brutally killed. Clevatess doesn't even know why these people are attacking him witho…
Read at the sourceC4bs
For as long as I can remember, I've been a fan of fantasy stories. It's definitely my favorite genre, and practically all of my favorite stories fit into it in some way. Even works that aren't very good overall but feature some interesting fantasy element end up finding their way to me. However, it's true that after reading so many fantasy stories, my critical sense of them has considerably improved, so these days I can't stand any of the generic crap that's released every anime season.
So, when I first heard about Clevatess, I was surprised by its positive critical reception, coming from people who didn't talk much about anime but recommended it to everyone. And recently, a major anime website declared the anime one of the best fantasy series released in recent years, which further incre…
Read at the sourceAeroGunz
“Clevatess” is what happens when an interesting idea is paired with absolute garbage world building and idiot characters… so yeah… nothing really new.
I’m not gonna sugar coat it. If You have experience in writing or You watched a lot of anime, You can predict a good 80% of what will happen in this show from episode 1. Plus, if You have the former You will be absolutely disgusted with the amount of bullshit that is presented in the plot. It is a shame because the story has a lot of potential. The problem is that the logic behind the catalyst of the story is total garbage (yes I am bitter and insult this show’s writing because I truly believe that given proper care and a skilled writer it could have been one of the greats).
Before we start I would like to explain something. I will be talk…
Read at the sourcekemptea
I just finished watching season 1, and truly, t's been a while since old-school dark fantasy fans have gotten fare this good. Clevatess gives us good art and character design, a dark, warring world, strange mysteries, magic that's rare and not well understood, and some well-animated and truly gory fights.
(Warning before you watch: There's some impressive gore, as well as adult themes and depicted abuse. If that's not your thing ...)
But what stands out for me the most are our main characters. Alicia, Clevatess/Klen, Nellaru all are great characters, with their own motivations and failings, and what's more, they're all very likeable. The show even gives the baby, Luna, reactions to the goings-on and (literal, baby milestones) development.
It's fun that Alicia can be driven, kind, and c…
Read at the sourcePanzerIV-J
Clevatess is an action-fantasy series that manages to be both engaging and disappointing at the same time. It’s not a bad anime by any means—in fact, it has several strong qualities—but its flaws keep it from being as memorable or impactful as it could have been. More than anything, it feels like a case of wasted potential.
The biggest issue is pacing. With only 12 episodes, the series tries to cover a story that really needed at least 16–24 to breathe. So much is crammed into too little time that major events often pass by without proper buildup or payoff. This becomes especially noticeable in the final four episodes, where the story feels rushed and explanations are either thin or absent altogether. What began with momentum and intrigue loses its energy, leaving the conclusion unsatisfy…
Read at the sourceLegionIscariot
Clevatess is a good anime that should have been great if it didn't drag its feet and waste time.
The story moves way too slow. And the world building isn't that great.
The villains are so boring.
Combat choreography is lame like most anime. Your typical anime combat that takes too long. With talking and flashbacks.
Although it is good it is still disappointing because it could have been better.
Would have been great if they expended on the lore.
There are 4 Lords of Beasts:
Laswell Beast King of the East. A sea monster.
Zaftier Beast King of the West. The only female. Seen as a goddess by the forest people.
Vordein Beast King of the North. Lord of all Dragons.
And of course Clevatess Beast King of the South. Who controls the shadows.
These Beasts are basically barriers that prevent…
Read at the sourceMarithebrokebish
Story- 8/10
The story is done well, there isn't any filler, and there is a consistent flow of story. The story it self is unique and unpredictable. The action scenes were perfect, and they stayed true to their dark themes.
Art- 10/10
The fight scenes were peak, the art was done nicely. Everything looked right, and even the lil gore was done perfectly. The art style really suited the story and themes of the anime.
Sound- 9/10
The voice actors were perfect fits. They all sounded right, and honestly there was a lot of skill that went behind it. The opening was good, it suited the anime well. The closing was also good, it was quite calming and it worked well for a closing.
Character- 10/10
Honestly I really loved the back stories and all. The characters had their flaws, and strengths. Yo…
Read at the sourcedont404
Clevatess is a breath of fresh air in the fantasy genre. It has a mysterious, engaging story that grabbed me from the very first episode and ended in a way that actually felt satisfying. The season does a lot of things right, though it isn’t without its flaws.
The early episodes are really solid. I loved the darker themes and stories that were portrayed and thought they were executed well. The season focuses on uncovering the mysteries this world has to offer, and by the finale, it delivers as good an ending as I expected. It is a very solid setup season for the upcoming arc.
On the production side, the show shines at times. The OP is fine, while the ED is easily one of the best of the season. The art style is not something I usually like, but it suits the dark, moody fantasy atmosphere…
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
I’ve become pretty good at picking out anime of the season from the first episode and Clevatess is the latest entry in my book. From the premiere, which is a masterclass in establishing a dark fantasy world and ticked every box I look for in a first episode, I knew this was going to be special. Three months later, I’m happy to say it not only stayed as my Anime of the season, but consistently improved as the show went on. I had so much fun watching this every week, the pacing was perfect, the characters are great, the combat/magical system is well thought out, the story gives you just enough every week while leaving you thirsting for more and it doesn’t shy away from brutality. I enjoyed the unpredictability of this story a lot and the only issue I have with this is that it’s not a two cou…
Read at the sourceUgapiku
Clevatess is a hidden gem that could easily be a top anime of 2025, despite its lower popularity. As an original story, it shines with a unique premise that feels fresh and unpredictable. I went in expecting to drop it after one episode, but its grounded take on real-life situations hooked me , making it my favorite anime this year so far—only Kingdom S6 might top it, but that’s a sequel, and this is an original (based on manga ofc).
The characters are well-rounded, each with clear strengths and flaws. They’re neither overly perfect nor inexplicably foolish—their decisions and reactions to events feel authentic, making their growth compelling. Naie Chiffonlits best girl (perfect VA choice).
Others might enjoy Clevatess for its originality and character-driven plot, even if they’re not in…
Read at the sourceTheXsaber
One of the best anime of summer 2025, starting from the first episode to episode 12, it creates its own interest and the unusual concept makes this anime unique and good.This anime story is unique and different from the others. Unique character art style and pretty good animation movements. This anime deserves more attention, because I think it's an unexpectedly good anime. Can't wait for season 2 of this anime! I haven't read the manga of this anime but I think it's good. The ending of season 1 was pretty good, but it was a bit slow to get into the next arc. Hopefully, season 2 will be produced soon.
Read at the sourceKANLen09
Clevatess — Modern fantasy, written the traditional way, reminiscent of the classical era of the 80s/90s, and it's a BANG.
I miss the days when anime WAS anime, not like the mainstream slop that is now seeing all of the divisiveness that comes out of the modern era, where hype is king, regardless of quality, that can even "sanitize" brainrot into the masses that see the medium being so hated as it is now. That said, when anime gets a time to represent itself by going back to its roots, there are works like that which give the medium its rightful name, and it doesn't need the hype to back it up, which one such person can prove to be true: mangaka Yuji Iwahara, with his latest series of Clevatess: The King of Magical Beasts, the Baby, and the Corpse Hero, coming forth as his third anime ser…
Read at the sourceZeroMajor12
Clevatess, in a nutshell, is an extremely ambitious show. Clevatess is like one of those stories that has some good ideas and initially starts out great, but it's drastically hindered by the format of the medium and the lack of structure in the show. It would have been better if the anime had learned to cut out some story elements in favor of more development in the main narrative, because it felt like the anime was trying to build too many things at once without proper planning.
The good is that the anime had a strong start and good production, thanks to the anime's first episode being a 45-minute foundation that built interesting narration and good characters to boot, with some nice dialogue. The production and direction helped cement the show as another sleeper hit of this Summer, whic…
Read at the source