Crunchyroll’s Dark Fantasy Masterpiece Is The Perfect Anime To Watch While You Wait For Jujutsu Kaisen
An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com.
His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023.
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Action shonen anime have evolved significantly over the past decade, particularly with touchstones like the debut of Demon Slayer and the emergent dominance of MAPPA's Jujutsu Kaisen. The series continued to proliferate the dark fantasy angle in shonen anime after the runaway success of earlier hits using the formula like Fullmetal Alchemist, as well as Brotherhood, and the soaring popularity of Attack on Titan. But ever since its 2025 debut on Crunchyroll, another dark fantasy series has been part of a recent wave pushing the medieval aesthetic, from Sentenced to Be a Hero to 2027's upcoming Blade & Bastard. But one other series appears to be leading the charge.
Introduced as part of Summer 2025's anime slate for Crunchyroll viewers, Clevatess was Lay-duce's adaptation of the eponymous LINE Manga series by Yūji Iwahara, now having unleashed two full seasons for fans to enjoy. It does not match the urban dark fantasy aspect of Jujutsu Kaisen, but is arguably even more uncompromising with its brutal narrative, with glorious sound design adding to breathtaking action to which JJK fans will surely be drawn. Given the next likely substantial update about Jujutsu Kaisen season 4 is set for Jump Festa 2027 in December, that leaves just under two months for fans who haven't checked out Clevatess to find a new obsession.
Jujutsu Kaisen Fans Will Love 2025's 2-Season Dark Fantasy Anime
Set on the bleak continent of Edthea, the dark fantasy world of Clevatess features various humanoid races whose existences hinge on the whims of four extremely powerful Lords of Dark Beasts, to which the eponymous Clevatess belongs. After a failed attempt to slay Clevatess by a group of twelve would-be heroes wielding magical weapons known as Regalia, Clevatess slaughters them all, and turns his wrath against the Kingdom of Hiden, whose ruler ordered his killing, laying waste to everything but leaving a small infant he can't bring himself to kill. Naming him Luna, Clevatess decides to help raise the child, as a test to see whether the various humanoid races of Edthea deserve another chance instead of being wiped out.
What ensues is a fascinating experiment by a being of practically cosmic proportions, as Clevatess then resurrects one of the heroes he killed, Alicia, initially with the intent of having her as a wet-nurse for Luna. When that inevitably fails, due to Clevatess' misunderstanding of human physiology, he allows her to protect Luna, while growing his troupe and assuming a human-like form, encountering adversaries from bandits, to spellcasters, to corrupt human generals, and fellow Dark Beasts. It's a visceral journey through a fragmented continent where plenty of horrible occurrences happen within human borders before stepping foot into Dark Beast territory, but Clevatess manages to find the small slivers of light in between.
Cursed Energy Assessment · Grade Evaluation
Jujutsu Kaisen
Trivia Challenge
“Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one.”
👻CursesKing of Curses
✨SorcerersSpecial Grade
🌈DomainsExpand!
⚡TechniquesInfinity…
📘LoreGolden Age
01
The series begins when Yuji Itadori swallows a cursed object — the finger of a legendary curse known as the King of Curses, the most powerful cursed spirit in history. Who is this ancient being?
✓ Correct! Ryomen Sukuna is the King of Curses — an ancient, immensely powerful sorcerer from over a thousand years ago whose cursed essence was split into twenty indestructible fingers. When Yuji swallows one, Sukuna is reborn inside him, setting the entire story in motion.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Ryomen Sukuna. Mahito is a cursed spirit who manipulates souls, Jogo is a volcano-type curse, and Rika is the Queen of Curses from Jujutsu Kaisen 0. Only Sukuna holds the title of King of Curses.
02
The strongest jujutsu sorcerer alive is a blindfolded teacher at Tokyo Jujutsu High who possesses the legendary Six Eyes and the Limitless cursed technique. His birth alone shifted the balance of the jujutsu world. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Satoru Gojo is the strongest sorcerer in the modern era, wielding the Six Eyes and Limitless technique that grants him Infinity — an ability that makes him virtually untouchable. His confident declaration “Throughout Heaven and Earth, I alone am the honored one” became iconic.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Satoru Gojo. Suguru Geto is his former best friend turned enemy, Yuta Okkotsu is a Special Grade sorcerer from JJK 0, and Kento Nanami is a Grade 1 sorcerer and former salaryman. Only Gojo holds the title of the strongest.
03
The pinnacle of jujutsu sorcery is a technique that creates a separate space with a guaranteed hit against anyone trapped inside. This ultimate ability is declared by name before activation. What is it called?
✓ Correct! Domain Expansion is the supreme technique in jujutsu — a sorcerer manifests their innate domain as a physical space where their attacks cannot miss. Gojo’s Unlimited Void, Sukuna’s Malevolent Shrine, and Mahito’s Self-Embodiment of Perfection are among the most devastating.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Domain Expansion. A Binding Vow is a contract that trades conditions for power, Reverse Cursed Technique converts cursed energy into healing, and Black Flash is a critical hit that applies cursed energy within 0.000001 seconds of a physical hit.
04
Early in the series, Yuji Itadori develops an unintentional fighting style where his cursed energy arrives a moment after his physical punch, creating a devastating double impact. What is this technique called?
✓ Correct! Divergent Fist occurs because Yuji’s cursed energy is delayed behind his physical blow, creating two impacts in quick succession. While initially seen as a unique technique, it’s actually a sign of Yuji’s inexperience with cursed energy flow — he eventually learns to unify them properly.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Divergent Fist. Black Flash is a separate technique where cursed energy is applied within a fraction of a second of impact, creating a spatial distortion. Divergent Fist is Yuji’s signature early-series move caused by his lagging cursed energy.
05
A second-year student at Tokyo Jujutsu High possesses a hereditary cursed speech technique that imbues his words with cursed energy, forcing anyone who hears them to obey. To avoid accidentally cursing people, he only speaks using rice ball ingredients. Who is he?
✓ Correct! Toge Inumaki is the Inumaki clan descendant who wields Cursed Speech — his words become commands that others are forced to obey. He limits his vocabulary to onigiri ingredients like “salmon,” “tuna mayo,” and “kelp” to prevent accidentally harming people with his power.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Toge Inumaki. Maki Zenin has incredible physical prowess but limited cursed energy, Panda is a cursed corpse created by Principal Yaga, and Noritoshi Kamo uses Blood Manipulation. Only Inumaki speaks in rice ball ingredients to control his Cursed Speech.
06
Yuji, Megumi, and Nobara are first-year students at a school that trains jujutsu sorcerers to fight cursed spirits. This institution, where Gojo serves as a teacher, is located in Tokyo. What is it called?
✓ Correct! Tokyo Jujutsu High (Tokyo Metropolitan Curse Technical College) is where sorcerers train to exorcise cursed spirits. It’s one of two jujutsu schools in Japan — the other being Kyoto Jujutsu High, led by Principal Gakuganji. Their annual Exchange Event is a major arc in the series.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Tokyo Jujutsu High. The Zenin clan is one of the three great sorcerer families but not a school. Tokyo Jujutsu High is the institution hidden behind a barrier where Gojo, Nanami, and other sorcerers guide the next generation.
07
Sukuna’s Domain Expansion is unique — instead of creating an enclosed barrier, it manifests as an open shrine with a guaranteed hit range of up to 200 meters. This makes it one of the most powerful domains ever seen. What is it called?
✓ Correct! Malevolent Shrine is Sukuna’s Domain Expansion — a Buddhist shrine adorned with skulls that delivers relentless slashing attacks. Unlike other domains, it has no barrier, which is considered a Binding Vow that massively increases its effective range and power.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Malevolent Shrine. Unlimited Void is Gojo’s domain that overwhelms targets with infinite information, Chimera Shadow Garden is Megumi’s domain, and Coffin of the Iron Mountain is Jogo’s volcanic domain. Sukuna’s barrierless Malevolent Shrine is considered the pinnacle.
08
Jujutsu Kaisen became one of the best-selling manga series in history and a massive anime hit animated by Studio MAPPA. The manga was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump. Who is the mangaka (creator) behind Jujutsu Kaisen?
✓ Correct! Gege Akutami is the creator of Jujutsu Kaisen, which began serialization in Weekly Shonen Jump in 2018. Akutami’s dark, complex storytelling and intricate power system have made JJK one of the defining manga and anime of its generation.
✗ Cursed failure! The answer is Gege Akutami. Tatsuki Fujimoto created Chainsaw Man, Koyoharu Gotouge created Demon Slayer, and Yuji Kaku created Hell’s Paradise. Only Gege Akutami is the mind behind the world of cursed energy, Sukuna, and Jujutsu Kaisen.
Assessment Complete Your Sorcerer Grade
/ 8
Are you Special Grade — or just a cursed spirit waiting to be exorcised?
Clevatess is packed with incredible action and phenomenal sound design, making the bone-crunching blows and harrowing regeneration of Alicia's pulverized body feel upsettingly real, something even Jujutsu Kaisen can't match despite its unparalleled visual excellence. But beyond common elements like Yuichi Nakamura voicing both Clevatess and Satoru Gojo, similarly impactful and bloody action, body horror elements, and even the magical Solsein Academy in Clevatess season 2 checking the box of "Jujutsu High-like" institutions, one of the coolest parallels exists in each anime's mismatched duos.
Clevatess' Alicia & Klen Are The Perfect Inversion Of Yuji & Sukuna
Ryomen Sukuna being bound initially to Yuji Itadori's body in Jujutsu Kaisen is a major plot point, with Yuji at one point even having his life depend on Sukuna's whims after his heart is ripped out. Sukuna consistently angled for control until later developments rendered that unnecessary, finding another host elsewhere, while being persistent in his efforts to break Yuji's spirits, massacre his friends, in a parasitic spiritual bond built upon pure malice. Clevatess largely existed as a wrathful godlike being, never purely living inside Alicia, but bringing her back to life with his bloodlike Dark Ichor, binding her to him as essentially an immortal servant, while able to revoke that status by taking it all away anytime.
Thus, the parallels begin to move in opposite directions, with Alicia and Clevatess, whose humanoid form is henceforth known as Klen to the general public, forming a tacit mentor-mentee bond. Alicia sees Klen's capacity for mercy developing, despite plenty of humanity's worst elements making a depressing counterargument, while Klen grows to respect Alicia for her tenacity and dedication to creating a better future. As the story develops, with the power balance shifting between Dark Beasts and humanity, broader lore on Toah and the human fixation on heroes, Magic Crests, and a time-skip cliffhanger setup to cap it off, Clevatess season 2 ends on a similarly tantalizing note to virtually any Jujutsu Kaisen season.
None of this is ever intended to say Clevatess is meant to replace Jujutsu Kaisen now or in the future. They still comfortably occupy different enough subgenres to coexist beyond fascinating storytelling parallels, and given no substantial news yet for Clevatess season 3, fans could be left waiting similarly long between installments. But beyond spoiling any major plot details or antagonists, Jujutsu Kaisen fans owe it to themselves to enjoy another excellent dark fantasy anime in the months leading up to more updates on their favorite series. Maybe they'll even add a new favorite to the collection in the process.
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- Created by
- Gege Akutami
- First Film
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0
- Latest Film
- Jujutsu Kaisen 0
- First TV Show
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Latest TV Show
- Jujutsu Kaisen
- Upcoming TV Shows
- Jujutsu Kaisen
Jujutsu Kaisen is a Japanese anime and manga series created by Gege Akutami. The story is set in a world where Cursed Spirits, born from negative human emotions, prey on humanity. It follows high school student Yuji Itadori as he becomes entangled in the world of Jujutsu Sorcery after swallowing a cursed talisman—Ryomen Sukuna's finger—and becomes the host for one of the most powerful curses. Yuji joins the Tokyo Metropolitan Magic Technical College to learn how to combat curses while searching for the remaining fingers of Sukuna to exorcise him permanently.
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Clevatess
- Release Date
- July 2, 2025
- Network
- AT-X
Cast
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Shigeru Chiba
Broco (voice)
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Mutsumi Tamura
Clen (voice)
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Shimba Tsuchiya
Minark (voice)
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Haruka Shiraishi
Alicia (voice)
A Lord of Dark Beasts' rule is disrupted when he resurrects a slain hero and adopts an orphaned humanoid infant, forming an unexpected alliance as they confront impending doom.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.