Elfen Lied

Elfen Lied... Going to make a very short review.

With such a promising start, it seems to only go downhill from there.

Story - Had immense potential but ultimately squandered it. The final chapter didn't feel rewarding at all; it made me feel like I wasted my time rooting for Lucy and Kouta.

Art - Nothing extraordinary. Sometimes the characters look amazing, other times they just seem mediocre. Can't complain much because I loved Lucy's and Kouta's character designs. Nana and Mayu both look compelling most of the time. However, I wasn't fond of Nyu's design, but that's just personal taste. The art was well-drawn overall, yet it often felt empty. That's why I gave it a 6.

Characters - The main characters were well-developed and believable, where Elfen Lied truly shines. Side characters, on the other hand, are forgettable. I don't remember many of their names (except Anna and Wanda), not even Kouta's cousin's name. By the way, did anyone else notice they started calling him Kohta towards the end of the manga? His name was Kouta for over 80 chapters, then suddenly Kohta? Translators, what's up with that?

Enjoyment - It was okay. Maybe nostalgia is making me give it a 6, otherwise, it would be lower. [spoiler] I felt like I was reading it to see Lucy and Kouta end up together. When that didn't happen, it left me feeling sick. Part of me hates that I wasted my time, but another part is glad I finally read it. [/spoiler]

Overall - I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I was told the ending was bittersweet, but no, it's just plain sad. It makes you want to forget you ever read it. [spoiler] All we wanted was for Kouta to somehow forgive Lucy and end up with her, but we got nothing close to that. [/spoiler]

I wouldn't recommend this to anyone due to how appalling the ending was to me. Did the writer think that's what we wanted? What we deserved? Man... I wish it could have been different. If I had to describe it, I'd say very bitter, hardly sweet.

I honestly don't care if anyone finds this helpful. I just needed to get that off my chest.

Elfen Lied is categorized within its genre as a tragedy, and in my opinion, it stands as the most beautiful tragedy ever created. This beauty does not stem from the content being ideal for reality but rather from its capacity to evoke profound emotions of sadness and horror through its artistic narrative.

It's unfortunate that many dismiss Elfen Lied solely as gore and nudity, thereby overlooking its intricate plot. While the initial scenes do showcase both elements, they serve a deeper purpose beyond mere shock value.

The nudity is evident when Lucy is bound during her confinement in chapter one. There's no reason to clothe someone viewed as a monster, not a human. The absence of clothing underscores their dehumanization of her.

The gore is also significant. Lucy's disregard for human life leads to her violent actions in chapter one, understandable from her perspective.

As the series progresses, there are instances of typical ecchi content and bloodshed, aligning with its seinen classification. It's unfair to label Elfen Lied as "disgusting" based on nudity and death scenes alone, especially considering these elements are common in other genres.

The perceived "disgusting" aspect might arise from these scenes involving "little girls." However, this highlights the tragedy—an innocent child thrust into a horrific world, evoking stronger emotional responses than an adult character might. Girls are often seen as more emotionally expressive, further enhancing the tragic narrative.

I haven't completed watching the anime due to what I've heard about its ending. For those who have only watched the anime or haven't read the manga, I recommend doing so. From my understanding, the manga offers a richer, fuller story compared to the anime.

Elfen Lied has achieved the impossible when it comes to manga and me – it grabbed my heart and forced me to cry. Anime can do this easily, but until I read this gem of a manga, I never shed real tears over printed media.

Art (5/10) - I understand that this was (and most certainly is) supposed to be a bloody, gory, nudity fest that usually appeals to fans of guro. I wouldn't say I'm not a fan of guro, but I would say I'm not a fan of pointless guro, which the first few volumes of the series seemed to be. The artist draws characters very awkwardly during the first 6 or so volumes, but when the art does improve, it's great because the story kicks it up a notch as well.

Characters (8/10) - Some of the characters were really awkward in my opinion. Especially this one girl who has a habit of peeing when she gets nervous. Some of the other characters were a bit too one-sided for me to even remotely want to give them a fair chance at capturing my heart; there was one in particular that had a redeeming moment too late. Overall, the characters were well-rounded, even some side characters who were only part of the story for less than a volume were able to make me feel for them.

Story (10/10) - What Elfen Lied lacks in art, it makes up for tenfold in story. The anime felt like just a gore fest while the first half of the manga felt the same, then the plot really kicked in during the second half and started to make me shed real tears. Then that last volume. Ugh, how can an artist/writer DO THIS TO ME! I've never ever read a manga that made me cry real tears. It is so well written...

A truly remarkable work, to say the least – a heartfelt thanks to the creator, Lynn Okamoto! This manga brilliantly exposes the harsh realities of human society in a way that was previously unimaginable, while simultaneously stirring deep emotions with every drop of blood and tear. It leaves readers grappling with an internal conflict, making it nearly impossible to distinguish right from wrong. Were Lucy's actions ever justifiable given her relentless suffering?

The ending has been widely criticized; it wasn't nonsensical or outrageous, but simply deemed 'unpopular.' Personally, I can't envision any alternate ending that would satisfy the audience while preserving the plot's integrity. In my opinion, the original ending was far superior to what could have been.

I highly recommend this manga to anyone intrigued by the philosophical and moral dimensions of life or to those seeking to be emotionally moved by such works. It is unequivocally the finest piece of literature I've ever read. It continuously reminded me of times of happiness (and their preciousness), sadness, pain, love, loneliness, anger, fear, betrayal, confusion, bloodshed, and tears.

I've cherished every aspect of this manga. While there are a few elements I'd tweak for personal preference, it remains perfect as it stands!

By giving this series an overall rating of 6, I'm being quite generous. Elfen Lied feels like a series with immense potential. The concepts behind the narrative were profound (the extinction of humanity, the moral dilemma of what constitutes human compassion). However, their execution was poor.

Nearly every other page features someone crying dramatically; it becomes tedious quickly. For those who will eventually read Elfen Lied, be prepared for an excessive amount of emotional scenes. Although, the artist occasionally inserts comic relief, these moments often feel out of place and disrupt the story's flow.

The story eventually became predictable. Many chapters ended on cliffhangers—too many, in fact. These cliffhangers grew so absurd (a character dying too soon) that when I started the next chapter, I could almost predict the outcome exactly. My thought process became, "Nope, the artist doesn't have the courage to kill him/her off yet."

As mentioned earlier, the storytelling could have been better. One hundred seven chapters were unnecessary. I enjoyed the anime more than the manga series because it kept the main themes concise without dragging them out. Around chapter 80, I realized the artist was trying too hard to emphasize her themes.

In summary, Elfen Lied squandered its potential. With improved storytelling techniques and better character development, this could have been a great series.

The artwork at the start was pretty bad, but believe me, it improves as the story unfolds. This manga receives a lot of criticism and many seem to dislike it, yet I actually enjoy it. The worldbuilding stood out to me, along with Lucy as the protagonist, and the relationship between Bandou and Mayu, which felt underdeveloped in the anime. Overall, it wasn't nearly as terrible as some claim. True, several characters lack depth (Yuka was incredibly irritating), but the strength of the story and worldbuilding make it a worthwhile read. That's my take on it.

It's been a while, so I took the time to sit down and re-read the Elfen Lied manga since I had recently rewatched the anime and have been on a re-watch binge during the pandemic.

My reaction is simply "Wow, that was a beautiful mess." It’s a beautiful story with many elements that undermine its potential impact.

I completely understand why the anime does what it does. I already knew some reasons, but analyzing where things work and don't, you can see how Lynn Okamoto lost touch in maintaining a cohesive narrative.

You can read from Volume 1 to 7, skipping page 203, then skip to Volume 10, pages 76 to 138, to read about Lucy and Aiko, and finally skip to the last 5 pages of Volume 11.

All the skipped parts are utterly pointless and irrelevant. None of it matters for the storyline. It introduces and handles largely irrelevant characters, revives someone who seemed dead, and includes absurdities without reasonable foundation.

The one redeeming aspect of the Manga post-second half is Arakawa's backstory, the scientist girl assisting Prof. Kakuzawa. In the anime, she has a notable presence and plays a key role, but we don’t get much more than that.

The manga gives her more detail, personality, and purpose, but this ends up being undermined and pointless. Reading it helps you know the character better, but not much else.

The anime is better by many measures. The highlighted sections provide context to understand some details and "plot holes" in the anime. Changes serve the narrative and philosophical ideas better, especially concerning Kaede (Lucy), Nana, and Mariko. Nozomi's removal makes sense too.

From my perspective, Lucy (and Nyuu), Nana, Mariko, Kurama’s, and Kouta’s roles are more meaningful in the anime. Especially Mariko and Kurama’s endings—the anime's conclusion is profoundly powerful. In the manga, there’s less substance, making their lives feel wasted just to make Lucy seem more evil.

Even more so because the anime and manga end similarly, with minor differences.

The manga is cluttered, with many loose ends. The first half is good and well-inspired, providing a solid foundation for the setting and story.

However, the second half has meaningless narrative parts doing nothing. Much feels like Lynn got carried away.

The entire run is filled with pointless violence and fanservice-worthy panty shots, which the anime avoids. Many ecchi, violent, or explicit scenes harm the manga's quality and atmosphere. The toned-down approach in the anime uses these elements more effectively for effect and presence. Substance trumps quantity, and the manga didn’t utilize its themes as effectively as the anime did.

The biggest issue with the manga is its lack of emotional depth compared to the anime. The manga has good moments, but it doesn’t tug at your heartstrings like the anime does. The anime excels emotionally, while the manga focuses on violence and perversion.

As a first-time manga read, it’s surprisingly well-done, with recognizable value, serving as fantastic source material. But standing alone, it has issues detracting from an otherwise beautiful and powerful story.

This is, without a doubt, my all-time favorite manga. However, I must warn you that I have a preference for dark, twisted animes/mangas, and a bit of gore doesn't bother me at all, which might explain my deep affection for Elfen Lied.

*Possible spoilers ahead*

Story - A brief summary for those unfamiliar: Dicloniuses exist in this world, recognizable by the horns on their heads, and they tend to possess extremely murderous tendencies. They usually kill using invisible hands called "Vectors." I don't want to give too much away, but I loved the plotline immensely. I've never read anything quite like it that could make me simultaneously dislike and love Lucy.

Art - I really enjoyed the art style. There's not much more to say about it, except that Nyuu was very adorable.

Character - Lucy stands out as one of the most well-developed characters I've encountered in the mangas I've read so far. She's troubled, angry, and out for revenge against humanity! It's fascinating how she recognizes her other alter ego (Nyuu) and occasionally refers to her before reverting back. Nyuu's character contrasts sharply with Lucy's, yet it works incredibly well. Yuki was unbelievably annoying for me, but this is overshadowed by how awesome Lucy/Nyuu is.

Enjoyment - I thoroughly enjoyed this manga. I watched the anime first but was delighted to continue the story from where the anime left off. I think the second half of the plot is actually better, featuring some fantastic twists and what I consider a very fitting ending.

Overall - If you enjoy a bit of gore, deep characters, and a solid storyline, then this anime is definitely for you!

You're probably wondering why I'm writing a review about a manga that ran from 2002-2005 in 2019. With my patience for sitting down and watching anime waning, I've been trying to explore more manga and light novels. Elfen Lied was perhaps the first anime I ever watched, so it seemed natural to revisit its original manga. Boy, was this a mistake.

(Spoilers will be included in this review!)

The manga and anime don't significantly diverge until volume 5, chapter 43. This chapter introduces a character whose sole purpose is to add a diaper fetish and tie into the iconic song "Lilium," known here as "Elfenlied." Her role is so insignificant that she was easily replaced by a music box in the anime. This was when I realized I was in for a ride that would only go downhill.

Next comes convoluted "this character hasn't died yet" convenience one after another. Remember how Kurama comes to understand his sins and failure as a father to Mariko in the anime, embracing her before their deaths? Well, not quite. They embrace, and a giant non-explosive warhead comically crushes only Mariko despite them being embraced, then another crushes Kurama. They're dead, right? Nope! Mariko somehow saves them both, leaving Kurama in a "Nyu" like state. She dies later facing Lucy, but Kurama lives in comatose grief for two years until he gets a happy ending with Nana, which tries to bait us into thinking they're lovers now! Real sweet… maybe? These ridiculous encounters increase as the manga progresses, becoming predictably frustrating. Maybe avoid putting characters in situations where they shouldn't survive if you're not ready to kill them off?

The contrived conveniences aren't the end of my frustration. Let's address the characters who had some purpose:

- Kouta is Kouta; there's nothing much to say. He's bland, occasionally gets a backbone, but doesn't offer much beyond caring for his family.

- Yuka is… Yuka. She's obsessed with Kouta, can't express her feelings well, and tsundere-style punches or kicks him anytime something embarrassing happens. I tried to sympathize with her more than in previous watchings of Elfen Lied, but I just couldn't. She cares more about Kouta remembering her than coming to terms with his family's deaths, sobbing about it in every other scene.

- Mayu doesn't get much further development in the manga. She's one of the most stable characters next to Kouta. She's sweet, cares about her new family, and wants to keep them safe. She also ends up crushing on Bandou and kisses him shortly after he calls someone else a pedo for nearly raping her.

- Nana is one of the most frustrating characters for me. She's adorable, well-intentioned, and does her best despite her lack of knowledge. But once Kurama disappears after promising to return, she becomes borderline obsessed with him, ready to ditch her friends without a second thought. It consumes her thoughts and conversations.

- Lucy/Nyu is probably the strongest character, like in the anime. She's intricate, deeply scarred, and tragically complex. However, her complexity is robbed away, leading to our next topic.

The Diclonious virus ties this whole story together. In the anime, we're led to believe it's usually not the diclonius children themselves causing mass killing and destruction. They have a "killing instinct" embedded in their DNA, often awakened by cruel treatment or the message that they must be exterminated. Until it takes control like another personality and forces them to do harm. Isn't there supposed to be some moral gray area here? How does this voice become so prominent it completely controls the host, forcing them to be violent and destructive? Diclonii become exactly what the anime fights against: a race that could never coexist with humans, bringing ruin and facing genocide. Despite this manga trying to tie up every character's story neatly, this is the fate of the diclonii race.

I could rant for quite some time, so let's wrap this up. Elfen Lied is a story with potential wasted trying to prove how "mature" this series is. I can deal with ecchi, but this manga pushes it too far purely for the sake of it, down to our previously mentioned diaper fetish character. Any mature themes feel muddied down to "this guy good, this guy bad," and despite handling these themes, nearly every character ends up with a happy ending no matter how contrived the plot got to place them there. The diclonii are nearly extinct, humanity doesn't answer for mistreatment and experimentation against an entire race, and everyone's happy, yaaay! This manga left me with a bitter taste, and I wish the ugly art had steered me away in time.

If you're looking to experience nudity, blood, gore, and darker themes but don't mind them toned down, just watch the anime. It's better in practically every regard down to the resolution, and while many questions get left unanswered in the anime, it doesn't create nearly as many ridiculous ones as the manga does.

Story: The storyline isn't too bad, but the excessive amount of nudity feels unnecessary and out of place, making it seem forced and awkward. I also believe the story should have concluded much earlier, around chapter 65. It felt dragged out to me. I'm giving it a 3 for the story.
Art: There were moments of amazing artwork, but drawing faces is clearly challenging for the artist... 3.
Character: The side characters are predictable and just too plain for my taste. They lack depth. 3.
Enjoyment: The only truly great aspect of this manga is its pacing. The chapter writing is excellent in how it ends each chapter, creating a sense of urgency to read what happens next, even though the plot feels stretched out.

"Her name was Lucy. She was gifted with tremendous power, and cursed with it as well. She was a dangerous enemy, and a good friend."

Alright, so that quote isn't from Elfen Lied, and her name was Terra, not Lucy. But then again, Lucy's real name wasn't Lucy or Nyu either—I digress.

How do you sympathize with, let alone like, someone who does the things she often and casually does? I think it's because we not only see how she became that way but also understand that this isn't always an excuse. She can be utterly unpleasant in both her main personas. To be fair, her childhood method of avoiding anger was neither healthy nor practical. Humanity may have started young Lucy off on this path, but she followed through with some spectacular mistakes that mark her as all too human. She is so alienated from humanity she might as well be an alien, but as the possum said, "We Have Met The Enemy And He Is Us."

Only in the sheltered universe of a run-down former restaurant do we find humanity at its best—flawed, yet caring. The male lead is dense about feelings. The secondary female lead understands why he is dense and has a damned good reason for it, but she still criticizes him. The tortured innocent they take in spends a lot of time being wrongly suspicious of her new hosts while seeking the affections of the one man who may be as violent as Lucy herself. A girl with horns like Lucy longs for the makeshift father who allowed her to live as a lab rat. Another girl is crushed spiritually and made weak by her father’s efforts to save her from a danger he didn’t tell her about until she stood up to him—an act which enraged him years before, starting the whole cycle.

Then there is our anti-heroine. Before the first half of the series ends, we’ve seen her murder many with a song in her heart and a smile on her face, as Angelus told Buffy. Two of those murders permanently ensure that the one she loves will be out of reach. What she does to a complete innocent in the first chapter is wrong on so many levels, it can’t be counted.

Yet the dense one gave both the murderer and the tsundere their best childhood memories and is a genuinely nice guy who always tries his best. The tsundere gives all she has and treasures everyone living with her, even her bloody rival. The tortured innocent not only gets past her suspicions but successfully reaches the violent man’s better nature. The other horned girl redeems her fallen 'Papa' and is a joy to read. The crushed girl refuses to stay so despite more than one setback—including a squicky assault by the hero/villain’s good side.

Our hero/villain had the option to make better choices: she simply didn’t have many, and she lacked any social tools to make them with. One small betrayal—really done to protect her fragile feelings—reads the same as a much larger, more deliberately hurtful one, and suddenly, her hopes of easy redemption are lost to her own fury and instability. She becomes a monster because we told her to be one, but then she runs with the ball, this Lucy becoming her own Charlie Brown, making the same bad choices over and over again, despite knowing better.

So that is why I see Elfen Lied as a masterpiece, its not-so-hot art aside. It is a warts-and-all kind of story, and nobody has any business being perfect. The moral characters are flawed, the amoral ones are forced to care, and the master villains make logistically dicey choices that bite back hard on them. And as an aside for EL-Anime viewers: Almost every WTF? moment will be filled in if you read through. There are one or two dropped storylines at the very end, and not all characters are given true final fates. But then again, if Elfen Lied is a masterpiece, no masterpiece is ever truly perfect.

Elfen Lied stands as the quintessential manga tailored for men, encapsulating all the essential elements one would anticipate from a male-oriented narrative. It's replete with blood, nudity, sexual references and imagery, brutal violence, science fiction, and even cat girls. As a female reader, while I naturally gravitate towards themes typically favored by males, I must emphasize that this is not a manga for the faint-hearted. The story frequently induces cringes, especially when limbs are seen flying in every direction. Interestingly, it’s the brutality that perhaps serves as one of the manga’s most redeeming qualities; the portrayal of death and pain is at least intriguing.

This brings us to the science fiction aspect of the manga. If memory serves correctly, the story begins with an almost epilogue-like scene where Lucy escapes from a research facility, brutally murdering those around her while completely naked. This immediately signals the intended audience. Despite the smut and blood, upon closer inspection, the beginning proves to be well thought out. The manga swiftly establishes its three primary themes: science fiction, ecchi, and action/gore, while also introducing the main character and a major plot point.

I found Elfen Lied to be an intriguing manga and wholeheartedly recommend it. It offers a thrilling ride, albeit not overly intellectual, but it remains a wild and incredible journey nonetheless. Much like a roller coaster, it delivers more adrenaline than deep thought—something everyone enjoys experiencing.

Though brief, I hope this review convinces you to some extent to give Elfen Lied a try.