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If
you're simple minded, have a weak stomach, or are emotionally
disturbed then.find yourself another anime. Elfen Lied is
nothing short of a blood soaked emotional triad with nudity
abound. It's also absolutely amazing.
Our main character,
Lucy, is a mutant known as a Diclonius with inherent psychic
powers. All Diclonius have "Vectors," which are
basically very powerful, long reaching, invisible hands
that can be used as a shield, cut through flesh, or aid
in movement. The arms are limited in reach and quantity
depending on the individuals’ power level.
Kohta, a typical
college student, happens upon Lucy after she escapes and
washes up on shore. Suffering from amnesia and only being
able to make a meow-like sound, she’s given the name
“Nyu” by Kohta, who takes her into his household
along with his cousin Yuka (who just happens to have a crush
on Kohta).
Two sub characters,
Mayu and Nana, are introduced late in the first volume.
Mayu is a little girl who ran away from home due to very
abusive and uncaring parents. Nana, a Diclonius like Lucy,
enters the scene with the objective to capture and return
Lucy. They both eventually become a part of Kohta's "family".
Every character
in this series is very well developed and each plays a large
role in the full atmosphere of the show. In the past, Lucy
was an exiled child because of her horns (a sign of every
Diclonian). She was tortured and ridiculed by her peers
until she went overboard. Kohta's father and sister were
both brutally murdered right in front of him leading him
to fall into a mental comatose state for nearly a year....and
forgetting most of what actually happened that day. Mayu's
plight with her parents is just plain shocking, and Nana
was beaten to a bloody pulp daily by the same people who
held Lucy. Hope you're not looking for a fun pick-me-up
type of anime.
Over the course
of the series Lucy is confronted and attacked by renegade
soldiers and other Diclonians. The battles are always grotesque
and bloody as all hell—this series has no problem
killing off anyone at any time. Early in the series "Nyu"
gets attacked multiple times, but due to her mental state
she doesn't know why. Until, that is, she suffers from a
personality switch. When Lucy shows up limbs go flying,
eyes get ripped out, and even someone’s.....crotch.....gets
a "wack job" in the unpleasant sense.
Lots of violence,
blood, and death are just a part of the anime and not an
extreme (although they do it in an extreme fashion). And,
hey, there's nudity to go with it! But here's the kicker:
it isn’t bogged down with the feeling of "fan-service".
There is a lot of character development which will draw
you in emotionally and the nudity isn't always just for
the eyes but actually helps set the tone and atmosphere
of the scene. It’s gratuitous and yet very suited
and well timed to coincide with the environment. Not other
anime this reviewer has seen thus far has ever used nudity
in such a fashion.
The end of this
series...shocking....bloody....severely emotional...and
pure genius. The director of Elfen Lied had a goal and that
was to make the audience cry by the end of the series. He
did a fine job of just that. This anime will tug your emotions
every which way and they'll pull hard. Most all the issues
brought fourth during the series come to a dramatic conclusion
or close to it. It will leave you emotionally drained, hopeful,
and demanding for a season two.
As
long as you’re mentally stable and mature enough to
handle some flesh and gore, Elfen Lied is an anime that
can't be missed. |
