Level E
Level E is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi, originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from October 2, 1995, to January 10, 1997, spanning 16 chapters collected into three tankōbon volumes by Shueisha.[1] The story is an episodic science fiction comedy that centers on the interactions between extraterrestrial beings and humans on Earth, beginning with high school freshman Yukitaka Tsutsui discovering an amnesiac alien in his new apartment, leading to a series of chaotic and humorous escapades involving alien pranks, deceptions, and mind games.[1] The manga explores themes of alien mischief and human resilience through standalone arcs, such as the alien prince Baka Ki El Dogra's sadistic schemes and encounters with Earth's inhabitants, blending slapstick humor with sci-fi elements.[2] Published during Togashi's career following the success of his major hit YuYu Hakusho but preceding Hunter × Hunter, Level E showcases his versatile art style and narrative experimentation, with chapters like "An Alien on the Planet" and "Here Come Color Ranger!!" highlighting absurd scenarios and genre shifts.[1] In 2011, Level E was adapted into a 13-episode anime television series, directed by Toshiyuki Kato with series composition by Jukki Hanada, co-produced by Studio Pierrot and David Production, and broadcast on TV Tokyo from January 13 to April 5.[3] The anime retains the manga's comedic tone while expanding on the episodic structure, featuring voice acting by talents such as Yoshimasa Hosoya as Yukitaka Tsutsui and Satomi Akesaka as Miho Edogawa, and has been licensed internationally for distribution.[3] Despite its cult following, the series remains one of Togashi's lesser-known works compared to his more action-oriented titles.[2]Synopsis
Premise
Level E is set in a science fiction universe where hundreds of extraterrestrial species coexist secretly on Earth, with human governments concealing their presence from the general population to maintain order. These aliens vary in intent, ranging from peaceful observers and researchers to aggressive invaders seeking domination, creating a hidden layer of interspecies dynamics beneath everyday human society.[4] The story introduces this world through the lens of absurd and satirical encounters between humans and aliens, highlighting the chaos that ensues when extraterrestrial whims intersect with ordinary life. The narrative is episodic, consisting of standalone stories that blend slapstick humor, sci-fi elements, and occasional darker tones.[1] The narrative centers on Yukitaka Tsutsui, a typical Japanese high school freshman who moves to a new town to pursue his dream of becoming a star baseball player, only to have his routine shattered by the sudden arrival of an amnesiac alien. This extraterrestrial, who reveals himself as Baka Ki El Dogra—the crown prince of the distant planet Dogra—forces his way into Yukitaka's apartment, using his lingering superhuman abilities to impose his presence and disrupt the teen's independence. Baka is a mischievous and unpredictable figure whose antics lead to a series of chaotic and humorous escapades involving other aliens and human society.[4][1]Plot Summary
Level E unfolds in a world where hundreds of extraterrestrial species secretly inhabit Earth, ranging from peaceful observers to aggressive invaders, all concealed from ordinary humans. The narrative begins with Yukitaka Tsutsui, a high school freshman and aspiring baseball star who has just moved into his own apartment, discovering an amnesiac alien named Baka Ki El Dogra already residing there. Baka, the crown prince of the distant planet Dogra, has crash-landed on Earth due to a spaceship malfunction and uses his immense psychic powers to impose himself on Tsutsui's life, turning the student's routine into a series of chaotic pranks and manipulations at school. This initial setup introduces the hidden extraterrestrial society and Tsutsui's entanglement with Baka, whose carefree antics attract other aliens, leading to humorous and tense encounters, such as with a princess from a rival species seeking a human mate.[5][3] The series continues with standalone episodic stories exploring various alien-human interactions. Key examples include infiltrations and conflicts where aliens disguise themselves to prey on humans, such as a monstrous entity targeting students at the high school, prompting investigations and confrontations using improvised tactics and psychic abilities. Another notable arc involves Baka recruiting a group of elementary school boys, transforming them into "Color Rangers" in a simulated world for a comedic sentai parody battle against their teacher, highlighting absurd alien games without broader implications. These sequences feature chases, mind control, and shape-shifting, but remain self-contained without escalating to a unified narrative.[6][3] The stories resolve individually, often with the aliens' schemes thwarted or concluded through human resilience and chance, emphasizing themes of alien mischief and unexpected alliances. Baka's presence fades across episodes as new tales emerge, with no overarching climax or departure arc, leaving Tsutsui to navigate the lingering effects of these interstellar disruptions on his everyday life.[3][5]Characters
Protagonists
Yukitaka Tsutsui is the primary human protagonist of Level E, depicted as a typical high school freshman from Tokyo who relocates to Yamagata Prefecture to attend Kisaragi High School on a baseball scholarship. Passionate about baseball and aspiring to join the school's team as a left fielder, Tsutsui embodies an ordinary teenager seeking independence by moving into his own apartment, only to have his routine disrupted by the arrival of an alien intruder. His personality combines intelligence and resourcefulness with a clumsy, reluctant demeanor; he is level-headed in crises but often overwhelmed by absurd situations, preferring a normal life over heroic exploits. In the anime adaptation, he is voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya in Japanese and Micah Solusod in English.[7] Prince Baka, whose full name is Baka Ki El Dogra, serves as the central alien protagonist and a foil to Tsutsui's normalcy. As the prince of the planet Dogra, he crash-lands on Earth due to a spaceship malfunction, suffering temporary amnesia and taking up residence in Tsutsui's apartment under the guise of a mysterious young man with long blonde hair and blue eyes. Over 4,000 years old, Baka possesses an exceptionally high IQ and uses it for elaborate pranks and torments. His personality is marked by arrogance and egotism, tempered by comedic sadism. In the anime, he is voiced by Daisuke Namikawa in Japanese and Vic Mignogna in English.[8] The dynamic between Tsutsui and Baka forms the core alliance driving the protagonists' interactions, beginning with Tsutsui's shock at discovering the alien in his home and evolving into a begrudging partnership.Antagonists and Supporting Cast
The antagonists in Level E consist primarily of extraterrestrial beings from various species who pose threats to Earth or the main characters through conquest, infiltration, or exploitation, often featured in the series' episodic structure. These villains drive the conflicts by leveraging advanced alien technologies and abilities, such as shape-shifting to impersonate humans or specialized weaponry for domination. Jinpachi Sakamoto serves as the leader of the Disckonians, a conquest-oriented alien group. He is voiced by Shinpachi Tsuji in Japanese and Bill Flynn in English.[3] Supporting cast members from the Dogra planet's Royal Guard provide both aid and complication to the central events, functioning as reluctant allies with their own subplots tied to duty and retrieval missions. Captain Kraft, the squad leader, is the squad's protocol-bound commander who coordinates defenses against external threats. He is voiced by Takehito Koyasu in Japanese and Jason Douglas in English.[3] Subordinates Sado and Colin, lower-ranking guards, support Kraft in subplots involving surveillance and intervention on Earth. Sado is voiced by Hiroshi Kamiya in Japanese and Jarrod Greene in English, while Colin is voiced by KENN in Japanese and Ian Sinclair in English.[3] Mohan Ki El Dogra, the prince's younger brother and a key figure from the Dogra royal family, emerges as a complex supporting character in later arcs, motivated by familial rivalry. He is voiced by Satoshi Hino in Japanese and Eric Vale in English.[9] Human supporting characters, such as Yukitaka's school friends, neighbors, and teachers, add layers to subplots by unwittingly complicating or assisting against alien threats. Miho Edogawa, Tsutsui's next-door neighbor, often gets involved in the chaos and provides emotional support. She is voiced by Satomi Akesaka in Japanese and Colleen Clinkenbeard in English. For example, Tachibana-sensei, a teacher entangled in school-related invasions, uses her observational skills to expose infiltrators, while figures like Mayo Mayuzumi provide comic relief through oblivious involvement in espionage arcs. These roles underscore the blend of everyday life with interstellar intrigue.Production
Manga Development
Level E was written and illustrated by Yoshihiro Togashi as his follow-up project after completing Yu Yu Hakusho in 1994. The series marked a departure from the supernatural action of his prior work, embracing a science fiction comedy format centered on episodic misadventures involving extraterrestrials on Earth. Togashi handled both the story and artwork, with editing support from Hisashi Sasaki during the initial serialization period from 1995 to 1996.[1][10] The manga was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump, beginning in issue No. 42 on October 16, 1995, and concluding in the combined issue No. 3+4 on January 20, 1997. Over this span, Togashi produced 16 chapters, which were later compiled into three tankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint: the first released on March 4, 1996, the second on October 3, 1996, and the third on May 1, 1997.[1][11][12] The relatively short run allowed Togashi to experiment with self-contained stories.[1][11] Togashi's artwork in Level E showcased an evolution toward more dynamic and humorous expressions, incorporating frequent art shifts and exaggerated, whimsical designs for the alien characters to emphasize the comedic and absurd elements of the narrative. These designs highlighted bizarre extraterrestrial forms and facial contortions, contrasting with the grounded human settings and underscoring the series' blend of sci-fi horror and gag humor. No major production challenges, such as serialization hiatuses, were reported during its run, unlike Togashi's later works.[1][13]Anime Adaptation
The anime adaptation of Level E was produced by David Production in co-operation with Studio Pierrot.[3] Directed by Toshiyuki Kato, the series features series composition by Jukki Hanada, who also scripted episodes 1-4 and 12-13, with additional scripts by Kazuyuki Fudeyasu for episodes 5-7 and 10, and Masashi Suzuki for episodes 8-9 and 11.[3] The 13-episode television series aired on TV Tokyo from January 10, 2011, to April 4, 2011.[3] The adaptation closely follows the manga's episodic structure, covering all 16 chapters while adjusting pacing for the television format through expanded comedic timing and visual gags.[14] No original filler arcs were added, preserving the source material's absurd sci-fi humor and alien intrigue, though some dialogue and action beats were enhanced for animated flow.[14] The soundtrack was composed by Yang Bang-ean, supporting the series' tonal shifts between lighthearted comedy and intense action.[15] The opening theme, "Cold Finger Girl" (コールドフィンガーガール), was performed by Chiaki Kuriyama, while the ending theme, "YumeMedia Adaptations
Manga
Level E was serialized in Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine from issue 42 of 1995 to issues 3 and 4 of 1997, comprising 16 chapters that were collected into three tankōbon volumes under the Jump Comics imprint.[1] The first volume was published on March 4, 1996, the second on October 3, 1996, and the third on May 1, 1997.[16] The series was later re-released in two volumes as part of Shueisha's Jump Remix line from 2009 to 2010. Serialization concluded in 1997 with no further chapters released.[1] The manga is primarily available in Japanese tankōbon editions, with digital versions also available through various e-book platforms in Japan. Internationally, it has been licensed for publication in Spanish by Editorial Ivrea, with the first volume released on February 2, 2023.[17] No English-language edition has been officially released.[18] Each volume features cover art by Yoshihiro Togashi depicting key characters against thematic backgrounds, such as extraterrestrial motifs, and includes standard extras like author afterwords providing insights into the creative process.[19]Anime
The anime adaptation of Level E is a 13-episode television series produced by Studio Pierrot and David Production, which aired on TV Tokyo from January 11, 2011, to April 5, 2011.[3] Each episode has a runtime of approximately 24 minutes, featuring an episodic format that loosely follows the manga's short stories while incorporating expansions for comedic and action sequences.[20] The opening theme, "Cold Finger Girl," is performed by Chiaki Kuriyama, and the ending theme, "Yume: Mugen no Kanata," is by ViViD.[3] The episode list is as follows, with key non-spoiler highlights:| Episode | Title | Air Date | Highlight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An Alien on the Planet | Jan 11, 2011 | Introduces the premise of an alien crashing into the life of high school student Yukitaka Tsutsui.[21] |
| 2 | Run After the Man | Jan 18, 2011 | Explores initial conflicts involving the alien's pursuers on Earth.[21] |
| 3 | Risky Game | Jan 25, 2011 | Shifts to a school mystery involving strange occurrences among students.[21] |
| 4 | From the DARKNESS | Feb 1, 2011 | Delves into a darker confrontation with extraterrestrial forces.[21] |
| 5 | Come Here, Color Ranger! | Feb 8, 2011 | Introduces a parody of superhero tropes with transformed characters.[6] |
| 6 | Dancing in the Trap | Feb 15, 2011 | Features an RPG-inspired adventure with strategic challenges.[6] |
| 7 | The Demon's Strategy | Feb 22, 2011 | Centers on a villainous scheme disrupting the protagonists' world.[6] |
| 8 | The Princess Appears | Mar 1, 2011 | Brings in royal intrigue from the alien's home planet.[6] |
| 9 | The Beautiful Lady Hunter | Mar 8, 2011 | Examines romantic deceptions and hidden motives.[6] |
| 10 | The Twin-Tail Mermaid | Mar 15, 2011 | Involves a rescue mission tied to mythical elements.[6] |
| 11 | Field of Dreams | Mar 22, 2011 | Focuses on Yukitaka's baseball aspirations in an alternate setting.[20] |
| 12 | Half Moon... | Mar 29, 2011 | Builds toward a lunar-related alien crisis.[20] |
| 13 | Full Moon! | Apr 5, 2011 | Concludes the series with revelations about the alien prince's identity.[20] |