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Lucy, a Diclonius, is being held captive in a government facility. Lucy begins a horrific killing spree during her escape. A teenage boy named Kohta and a teenage girl named Yuka find Lucy on a beach after her escape. Finding Lucy begins a story of jealously, murder, and the resurfacing of lost memories.
Plot
Lucy is a mutant called a Diclonius which are females with pink hair, red eyes and horns that look like the ears of a cat. A Diclonius has invisible hands called vectors that are mainly used to kill. Lucy develops a split personality named Nyu after a bullet shatters part of her helmet during her escape. Just like Lucy and Nyu, the story has two intertwining stories. The one part of the story is the main objective of the government facility to recapture Lucy before she kills any more people. The another part of the story is seeing Nyu as an innocent, child like person being taken cared of by cousins Kohta and Yuka. This series shows how tragic events and repressed memories have an effect on people in different ways. The series ended on a bit of a cliffhanger and it would be interesting what happened if the story continued.
Characters
Lucy/Nyu
Lucy can be seen as the protagonist and the antagonist. Her backstory shows how she became a murderous person and why she had to be kept at a government facility. When she switched to Nyu, it was hard to imagine someone who innocent and naive could turn into a heartless killer. Her split personality could represent the best and worst in us.
Kouta
Kouta comes back to a summer home eight years later when he begins school in the area. His father and little sister have both passed away. This story digs deep into a tragedy that Kouta has buried deep into his mind until certain triggers bring those repressed memories rushing back.
Yuka
Yuka is Kouta’s cousin who she last saw eight years ago. She is Kouta’s link to the past he has forgotten about and realizes that Kouta doesn’t remember anything from the last time she saw him. Yuka becomes jealous of Nyu because she receives so much attention and concern from Kouta. Aside from being jealous, Yuka is also shows her caring side to anyone who is in need.
Mayu
Mayu is a runaway who saw Lucy dismember a man sent to kill her. She returned an umbrella to where Kouta and Yuka were living thus beginning her friendship with them. The reason why Mayu ran away was heartbreaking. Besides having a horrible home life, she is the only one who has seen both sides of Lucy.
Nana
Nana is known as Number 7 at the same government facility Lucy was being held. Since the Diclonius can sense each other’s presence, Nana was sent to find Lucy and bring her back to the facility. Because of their encounter with Lucy, Nana becomes close friends with Mayu.
Kurama
Kurama is the director of the government facility where the Diclonius are being held. His main objective in this series is to get Lucy back to the facility. Kurama is a father figure to Nana and she refers to him as Papa. From the moment he begins working at this facility, Kurama’s morality is questioned many times with which Diclonius to kill and which Diclonius is worth saving.
Art and Animation
This is a very graphic, uncensored anime. Lucy’s vectors will cut a head and limbs off so smoothly. It will get to the point where Lucy looks funny not having any blood on her or surrounding her. The visual of seeing the switch from Lucy and Nyu does catch your eye. Nyu is smiling and her eyes are big, bright and full of innocence. That innocence changes to darkness over her eyes and the eye that is exposed is full of evil. The theme song brought that eerie, uneasy feeling that will that anxiety of something is not right. This anime is not recommended for children due to extreme violence, excessive blood and nudity.
Verdict
Elfen Lied is a rare gem that I discovered several years ago. Having the opportunity to watch it again reminded me of how much I enjoyed it. The exploration of repressive memories and traumatic events was a constant theme throughout the series. Even the opening theme song prepares you for the dark place the viewer is about to enter. The cliffhanger left more questions so I would be interest to see if there will be another season to finish the story. I give Elfen Lied 7 out of 10. See you next time!!
Tags:
Anime/Manga
