In a nutshell: A psychically
enhanced killer and an innocent child share the same body.
The Show:
Elfen Lied (pronounced Elf-in Leed) is a violent series with
a twist; there's actually a good story behind it. All too often the
violence is an end onto itself and the story is nothing more than an after
thought. That's not the case with this program. ADV's newest
series has a mystery filled plot that actually has me looking forward to
the next volume.
A secret military base is working on a special project: genetically
altered people who are the next step in evolution. Looking normal
from the outside with the exception of two horn like protrusions from the
skull, Lucy, a 'Diclonius,' has amazing psychic abilities and she's quite
deadly. Kept under lock and key because of her violent and unpredictable
temperament, society is safe from this killer. Until she decides
to escape that is.
Kohta is returning to the city where his childhood friend, Yuka lives.
Renting a vacant restaurant from Yuka's mother, his old friend helps him
move in. They take a break from unpacking and go for a walk on the
beach when a naked woman walks out of the surf. Only able to say
the word "Nyu" that quickly becomes her name. Nyu is innocent and
childlike, finding everything new and exciting. It is strange that
she doesn't know how to eat rice balls or how to change her clothes, but
she's always cheerful.
Having no where else to go, Nyu moves in with Kohta. Which causes
Yuka to get a bit jealous, so she decided to move in too. The group
find a homeless girl, Mayu, and her dog and they move in too.
Nyu isn't always an innocent child though. She's also Lucy, the
maniacal killer. The two personalities share the same
body, and the slightest thing can cause one to come out. The military
is looking for Lucy of course, and they have the police helping in the
search. Covert attack squads are willing to go to any lengths to
terminate this experiment gone awry, but Lucy can take care of them without
too many problems. Of course, Lucy wasn't the only experiment the
secret base was working on.
I usually don't care for violent blood soaked anime series.
They usually sacrifice plot and story for buckets for gore. This
series is an exception however. I really found myself being pulled
into the story, almost against my will. There are a few interesting
mysteries that make the show engrossing from the start: What happened to
Kohta's family? Why does Lucy seem to recognize the young man, and
how does Mayu fit into all of this?
The show has a very dramatic opening that grabs your attention from
the first frame and doesn't let go. In the opening scene, a beautiful
naked girl walks through steel corridors, her entire head encased in a
metal jacket. As the soundtrack provides the melodic sounds of men
chanting, the girl quietly and methodically rips the arms and heads off
the guards trying to stop her from leaving. The bullets that fly
towards her never seem to hit, and she walks through the battlefield without
a scratch or even the slightest concern. A great way to start a series.
While the story of the dual personality psychic killer and the mystery
of Kohta's past are well done and interesting, this isn't a show for the
faint hearted. The program does have a lot of blood and gore; people
missing limbs trying to crawl away from their attackers, heads being ripped
off and floating in the air, and eyes being gouged out are just some of
the things that happen in this show. It isn't all about blood though,
as so many violent anime series are. If you aren't bothered by the
action sequences this will be a good show to check out.
The DVD:
Audio:
This disc has the original Japanese track and an English dub, both in
5.1. I listened to both soundtracks, and they were equally good,
though I preferred the Japanese track. Both audio choices made very
good use to the whole soundstage. There were a good number of directional
effects, and the sounds and music sent to the rears really put the viewer
in the middle of action. An excellent sounding disc.
Video:
The widescreen anamorphic picture looked really good. The lines
were tight and the colors were bright. The contrast was also excellent,
making night scenes dark but not murky. The show used a wide color palate,
with bright colored clothes and dark dingy alleyways both seeming real.
Digital defects were practically nonexistent. A nice looking disc.
Extras:
This disc includes a clean opening and closing and two reels of artwork,
one devoted to the characters and the other for backgrounds and sets.
Final Thoughts:
At first I didn't think I'd like this show. I knew it was going
to show arms and legs being ripped off, and while I don't mind that, there
usually isn't much of a story associated with that type of anime.
This was different though, there was an interesting plot and several mysterious
events that really have me looking forward to the next volume. If
you aren't put off by the blood, this is a series worth checking out.
Highly recommended.
Buy: