Wearing its Neon Genesis Evangelion influences on both of its sleeves, Infinite Ryvius multiplies the number of kids, removes most of the giant robots and keeps the teenage angst simmering at about the same temperature.
Our nominal hero Kouji is a deadringer for Evangelion’s Shinji Ikari right down to the haircut and white short sleeve shirt. Unlike Shinji’s paternal issues, Kouji’s emotional problems come in the form of his younger brother, the rakishly handsome but moody Yuuki, who harbours a deep-seated resentment toward his older sibling that, on occasion, explodes into full on violence.
Ryvius also shares similar exotic iconography and terminology set dressing to Evangelion but rather than court controversy with Christian symbolism prefers the benign safety of German vocabulary: geduld means patience, lieb means dear and zwei means er… two.
This is not to say Infinite Ryvius doesn’t have anything to offer. Volume One plunges the viewer into the centre of a crisis with the Lieb Delta’s course set for the crushing gravity of the Sea of Geduld. Subplots fly thick and fast as the story shifts between the introduction of the large cast, the chaos aboard the space station, hints of sabotage and a mysterious girl sporting a pink & orange costume straight out of Cirque de Soleil who spouts enigmatic catchphrases then disappears. The loss of all the adult instructors leaves the vessel in the hands of the students creating a situation that is a cross between De Grassi High and Lord of the Flies.
It is this final set up that is the core of Infinite Ryvius. Without any adults, two traditional school cliques start to assert themselves: the Zwei (the academic nerds) who are the only ones with the skills to pilot the ship, and the rebels led by Ers Blue who aren’t afraid cross friend or foe. Somewhere in the middle is Kouji’s group who not only stumble into the thick of the action but also must deal with the simmering sibling tension between Kouji and his brother but also with a potential love triangle involving Kouji, his childhood friend Aoi and a girl he rescues. Be warned though, Kouji’s shrill distress may come in a few decibels lower than Evangelion’s Shinji Ikari but it still gets tired very quickly.
Infinite Ryvius has a great balance of action and character drama. The first five episodes are effectively frenzied, introducing the huge cast of characters while keeping the tension levels rising. And with plenty of interpersonal tensions, mysteries and conspiracies to go on with, Infinite Ryvius looks like it’s ready to go where no teenager has gone before.