Elfen Lied...
I've just seen the first volume of Elfen Lied and I was very impressed with it. There's a great deal of blood and gore...
But, most striking about Elfen Lied is its visual style. I remember a scene in the making of Doctor Zhivago where the director commented that he wanted the scenes of murder and violence to be shot in beautiful surroundings with gorgeous lighting - the same setup one would use for a love scene. He wanted the contrast between the visuals and what was actually happening. Elfen Lied seems to capture the same contrast. It's a strange mix of classic "harem" shows like Tenchi Muyo and the random violence one associates with weapons run amok as seen in shows like Genocyber.
I won't spoil it for you, but, the first few minutes of the first episode gave me the impression that anything bad could happen at any time and you just couldn't guess when a major character was going to die. It was very unsettling, but, also quite refreshing.
Recently someone needed a little bloodshed and gore in their life. So, I went out and got a whole extra set of Elfen Lied. It was well appreciated.
My favorite part is early on in the series when Lucy escapes. Then, a bit later in the series we meet "35". Throughout, there are some really sick, maladjusted people wandering around free, with weapons. In short, I was very pleased with the series. But, I have to admit that it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart. I gave Elfen Lied a 5 out of 5.
Vector 1
Imprisoned under tight military security, Lucy, a genetically-altered human known as a Diclonius, escapes her confines in a wave of bloody violence and brutality. Now lost, alone, and stricken with amnesia, she wanders into a kindly family that takes her under their care, oblivious to the latent destructive power that this innocent-looking girl harbors!
Vector 2
Lucy is a Diclonius, a beautiful female mutant destined to destroy mankind. With deadly psychic powers, she can kill with merely a thought. Fearing for the safety of the world, the government has locked Lucy away for observation and study. However, Lucy escapes, leaving a trail of carnage in her wake. Renamed Nyu by the young man who finds her, she must fight the evil alter-ego that resides inside her mind.
Vector 3
Does time heal all wounds? Or are some cuts so profound that the passing of the years only makes them deeper? No one knows better than Lucy, the horn-headed outcast forced to kill by genetics and circumstance, and Nana, dismembered by Lucy and left to die, who's made a long journey on artificial limbs to exact her revenge.
But although Lucy/Nyu's dark past doesn't excuse her staggering body count, it does explain it. The pieces of her mysterious puzzle begin to fall into place and shed light on her murderous ways, and opening a narrow window into the memories Kohta has so carefully blocked.
Vector 4
The mysterious organization protecting humanity from the deadly power of the Diclonius is faced with the devil's bargain. Will they unleash #35, the deadliest mutant yet, to hunt Lucy down? Or will they risk letting the notorious killer slip through the cracks? Things have never been easy for the young misfits at the heart of this battle, but they've never had it harder than this.
As Kohta learns how Nyu's past is inextricably tied to his life's greatest tragedy, he may find that protecting her means destroying himself. Even those who have already lost pieces of themselves to this brutal fight have more to lose. As Nana goes from hunter to hunted, and Bandoh from lawman to outlaw, the shadow of death creeps closer. And what of the man who the diclonius call Papa? How far will Kurama go?
ADV Films said the series was one of their best selling and "most notorious" releases of 2005.
Excerpt from Wikipedia.
But, most striking about Elfen Lied is its visual style. I remember a scene in the making of Doctor Zhivago where the director commented that he wanted the scenes of murder and violence to be shot in beautiful surroundings with gorgeous lighting - the same setup one would use for a love scene. He wanted the contrast between the visuals and what was actually happening. Elfen Lied seems to capture the same contrast. It's a strange mix of classic "harem" shows like Tenchi Muyo and the random violence one associates with weapons run amok as seen in shows like Genocyber.I won't spoil it for you, but, the first few minutes of the first episode gave me the impression that anything bad could happen at any time and you just couldn't guess when a major character was going to die. It was very unsettling, but, also quite refreshing.
Update
I have all four volumes and the art box. A bit later on in the series, after Lucy has settled in and a new guest arrives with a dog, there was always the impression that sooner or later something bad was going to happen to that dog.Recently someone needed a little bloodshed and gore in their life. So, I went out and got a whole extra set of Elfen Lied. It was well appreciated.
My favorite part is early on in the series when Lucy escapes. Then, a bit later in the series we meet "35". Throughout, there are some really sick, maladjusted people wandering around free, with weapons. In short, I was very pleased with the series. But, I have to admit that it's not for the squeamish or faint of heart. I gave Elfen Lied a 5 out of 5.
