This is hugely surprising news for both anime and young adult novel fans as Studio Orange Leviathan anime was announced a couple of weeks ago! An anime adaptation of Scott Westerfeld’s ‘Leviathan’ trilogy is in the works! Indeed, it is accurate. The author has personally verified its authenticity and a teaser has been released by none other than the streaming powerhouse Netflix. The anime is scheduled for release in 2025.

Orange‘s 3DCG Trigun Stampede may be a surprise. Be that as it may, this same smoothness of motion is found within the Studio Orange Leviathan trailer, and that’s not the as it were the energizing draw for fans who might note the shades of Ghibli in this generation. It’s clear that anime adjustments of Western properties like Terminator Zero and, presently, Leviathan give luring impressions of Netflix’s future.

We are used to anime/animated series that are based on manga/books as we have acknowledged them as the primary source. However, there have been instances of some amazing anime derived from novels. If we are to name a few then Classroom of the Elite, Mufasa: The Lion King, Saiunkoku Monogatari and many more. Studio Orange Leviathan is set to join that illustrious list of timeless elites.

What is Leviathan?

The term Leviathan denotes something colossal or extraordinary. The novel penned by Scott Westerfeld, gained popularity upon its release in 2009. This young adult fiction is derived from a different scenario of World War 1. The Leviathan series was initially a trilogy, with the subsequent books ‘Behemoth’ and ‘Goliath’ respectively released in 2010 and 2011. The plot of all three books will serve as the basis for the anime series.

Leviathan’s story centers on a substitute history take on World War I. The story pits the Central Powers, who succeeded the Triple Collusion and are known as the Clankers who utilize dieselpunk war machines, against the Triple Understanding or “Darwinists” who convey biopunk traditions counting manufactured animals counting the eponymous Leviathan, a whale carrier.

At the center of Leviathan’s plot are Aleksandar, a sovereign of the Austro-Hungarian Domain, and Deryn Sharp, a commoner young lady, who wind up on a journey to reshape history in the midst of dangerous clashes of savage develops and machines. The Studio Orange Leviathan anime is supposed to accurately depict the novel without significant changes taking us on a spectacular visual journey.

Studio Orange Leviathan Plot & Storyline

The Leviathan trilogy depicts a different World War 1 scenario, with the Germans using steampunk war machines and the British creating genetically engineered living creatures to fight against each other in the battle. In 1914, a prince on the run encountered a girl who was disguised as a boy. The young woman is a skilled aviator serving in the British Air Force with a constant risk of her secret being revealed.

However, the prince who is next in line to the Austro-Hungarian throne was betrayed by his subjects. Having a title that was trumpery, the prince relied solely on a war machine and a loyal group of men by his side. However, when these two individuals with entirely different backgrounds come together aboard a bioengineered large aircraft ‘Leviathan’.  How will history be altered and how will their journeys unfold?

The First Great War has not been as investigated within the film industry as the second one, so it is great to find works that are set in it. And in this case, things get more curious, since it is almost a steampunk science fiction story in which there are monsters and mecha. That’sthe base preface of the Studio Orange Leviathan anime where both sides of the strife have huge mechanized vehicles and bioengineered monsters. 

Why Anticipate Studio Orange Leviathan?

Studio Orange, renowned for their work on the hit series ‘Beasters’, is currently developing an anime adaptation for the animated show ‘Leviathan’. In addition, composers from Studio Ghibli are set to contribute several songs by Joe Hisaishi for the anime. Keith Thompson’s work as the original illustrator of the Leviathan book is truly impressive. The author stated that Keith Thompson has made significant contributions to the artistic direction of the anime.

The writer also verified that the plot will closely track the books and he himself submitted the scripts for it. I’m struggling to wait for it to arrive in 2025 and dive into the world of historical sci-fi. Furthermore, the teaser has already given us the hint of a proper aesthetical visual representation of the war arriving in Europe. Let’s keep our fingers crossed as we wait for this well-known trilogy to receive its anime adaptation.