Elfen Lied

Ah, what a beautiful series.

A bit of background info:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

Elfen Lied (エルフェンリート, Erufen Rīto?) is the title of a fictional Japanese series originally created by Japanese author Lynn Okamoto centering around a mysterious and deadly breed of humans with two horns on top of their heads and the havoc they inflict upon humanity.

Elfen Lied first began as a manga series first serialized in the manga magazine Weekly Young Jump and published in Japan by Shueisha, ending at the completion of the twelfth volume. Later, an anime was adapted from the then-unfinished manga (causing the anime plot to differ in several respects) that first aired in Japan on July 25, 2004. A bonus OVA episode was released on April 21, 2005 to give some more information on the back-story. So far, only the original anime series spanning 13 episodes and the OVA episode have been licensed in the United States by ADV Films.

My thoughs:

Spoiler:

I usually prefer animes that have 26~52 episodes, because they can connect one with the characters more effectively. Being only 14 episodes, I thought that I didn’t feel all that connected to Kouta or many others. If they had spent more time building my relationships with the characters, I would feel for them on a whole new degree. Actually, that aspect wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be when I began the series. On the other hand, I really connected with Lucy on a certain level, and I’ve yet to discover how and why. There was something about her… Her brutal violence coupled with her sincere love somehow made me feel… well, just “feel”. That moment when she was standing on the steps with Kouda in episode 13 was really amazing. The line she says (“You were a happy dream in a world that’s been nothing but a hellish nightmare”) really struck a chord with me. That metaphor is simply one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. That leads to another thing I loved about this anime; the ironic fact that I found such beauty in something so gory and gruesome.

The violence and nudity were also a definite plus. Now don’t get me wrong; if I wanted lolicon/hentai I could just use Google. When an anime (or anything for that matter) shows nudity instead of hiding it with tricky camera angles and/or objects, it makes it seem much more real. I want to experience the story as if I was actually there, and if that calls for nudity, then so be it. (Also Lucy is hot why even lie.) The violence also made this anime excel. It is so much more effective than simply portraying anger contained in a mere facial expression, or words. When Tomo was bashing Lucy’s puppy with the vase, it made me feel sadness and anger like I have never felt before, and I can only image the hell (not only of that moment, but of her life) that Lucy was experiencing. Amazing “sceneography”.

I found the ending to be very bittersweet. I was happy that Lucy got the opportunity to apologize to Kouta, and that most of the main characters were able to go back to their daily life. At the same time though, I felt sadness, much akin to the feeling I had when Nicholas D. Wolfwood (Trigun) died. It also left me yearning for more (‘sup Fullmetal Alchemist). Some questions I had after the last episode were “What happens to Chief Kakuzawa and the Research Center? Is Lucy really dead? What about Nyu, does she still “exist”? I know there is more of the manga that goes on after the anime, so please don’t spoil. In a nutshell, I found the conclusion to be excellent, but not to the level of, say, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, or Planetes. But when I think back to Neon Genesis Evangelion… well, I don’t need to say any more.

Check out some more of my thoughts here.

What did you guys think?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

Well, this anime was very good, but the ending was uncalled for...

Spoiler:

I mean, why the hell did they show that horned guy plotting world domination, when the anime was supposed to end in that same episode!?

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Well, as far as I can remember...

Spoiler:

...the same thing happened to almost every Diclonius. The feelings of sadness and lonelyness basically activated/awakened their abilities and hate towards humans. While Nyuu has no such memories, therefore she is peaceful.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I have actually not seen anyone, you doesn't like this anime. Maybe people like this kind of direct, unhidden, brutal stuff, which is quite unique, especially in contrast with the soft coloring and tranquil air.

When I watched it I was always very excited, "ahh, calm, peaceful scenery" *suddenly "flatsch" and limbs flying around*. My mind could never rest. I was thinking whether they did this to directly relate to Lucy's state of mind.

After finishing it, for a week or so I dragged a gloomy, depressing aura with me. So I think they did a pretty good job inserting the feelings of the characters in-anime into one's mind.

My favourite part in this anime is when they showed Lucy being a child. The ambiguous love-hate psychology was very interesting to see and was also quite convincing. In any case, it made the story more credible, why a killer like Lucy would have only such an innocent reason to exist.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?