Anime/Manga Review: Elfen Lied

Creator: Lynn Okamoto

Despite it’s controversial material, ELFEN LIED manages to stand strong through it’s psychologically complex drama and characters…

Ranking: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(WARNING: The following review discusses mature subject matter that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised!)

Those who have followed my reviews may have noticed that I have a tendency to defend stories that are prone to negative criticism or are controversial in some form. I think this is because unlike some reviewers, I prefer to look at each story I come across with an open mind and sense of optimism. Whenever I hear about a book, movie, or TV show that has largely mixed or negative reception, I become legitimately curious as to whether these criticisms are warranted, or if there are good elements to the work that people overlook because of these criticisms. More often than not, I usually find myself enjoying these works despite their flaws, as I am able to discover good things about them that I find to be worthwhile, and feel that the negative reception towards the story as a whole overshadows them. As a critic, I have reviewed countless stories that I feel have received large amounts of unfair negative attention and provided my own unique perspective on them, whether they be comics like SPIDER-MAN: THE CLONE SAGA, SPIDER-MAN: MAXIMUM CARNAGE, and BATMAN R.I.P., movies like the STAR WARS prequel trilogy, and even video games like FINAL FANTASY VIII. However, if there’s one genre of media that is more susceptible to dividing both audiences and critics than any other, it would have to be Japanese animation, or anime. Anime creates heated arguments between individuals like no other genre of fictional media that I’ve ever come across. With almost every anime that I’ve watched, people seem to either look at them with blind love, or mindless hate. This results in unfair bias towards these shows in my opinion, as the lack of middle ground with anime causes people to be instantly turned on or off by them without fully judging and analyzing it for themselves. Such is the case with ELFEN LIED, a highly controversial anime that has been both simultaneously universally praised and critically derided.

For those who are unaware, ELFEN LIED is a thirteen-episode miniseries that is notorious for it’s high levels of graphic violence and sexual content. I had first heard about this show while watching a countdown list about the top ten most controversial anime ever made, and ELFEN LIED made the number nine spot. After watching the video and doing further research, I discovered that despite it’s controversial material, this anime has a massive fanbase that praises it for it’s deep themes about humanity and psychological drama. Despite ELFEN LIED’s cult following, several critics I’ve come across (including the creator of that particular countdown list) have stated that there is no actual depth to this anime, and that it does nothing but portray over-the-top violence and sexual content that serves no purpose other than to shock and disturb. Similar to comics like IDENTITY CRISIS, this was a show that I was legitimately curious as to whether its criticisms were warranted, or if the fans were right about the anime’s supposed depth. Having watched the entire series, I can safely say that I really enjoyed ELFEN LIED. While I can understand where some of the criticisms are coming from, I feel that many of them are unfair, as this series has a lot to offer in both its themes, and especially it’s psychologically complex characters.

The first episode of the series begins in an underground containment cell located on an island research facility, where an armed guard is suddenly mutilated and decapitated by an unknown force. The source of the guard’s death is quickly revealed to be a mysterious young woman named Lucy, who is being monitored and caged within the facility. Lucy is a member of a race of mutated humans known as Diclonius, who are distinguished by their red eyes, pink hair, and horns resembling cat ears protruding from their skulls. But the most terrifying aspect about Diclonius is their ability to summon “vectors,” invisible hands known that are capable of ripping normal human beings to shreds. Bloodthirsty and driven by her hatred of mankind, Lucy breaks free of her confinement and begins slaughtering the guards and staff as she escapes the facility. As she reaches the island’s shores however, she is hit in the head with a sniper bullet. Although the helmet she was wearing prevented her from being killed, the impact causes Lucy severe head trauma and amnesia. The next day, Lucy is discovered on the beach of a small Japanese town by a young man named Kouta and his cousin Yuka. Taking the amnesiac Lucy back to their home, the two soon discover that Lucy has been reduced to the mental state of a toddler, and is capable of only saying a single word, “Nyu.” Using this word as a name for her, Kouta attempts to take care of the seemingly innocent “Nyu.” This proves difficult however, as Lucy’s amnesia quickly evolves into multiple personality disorder, as she frequently switches between her childlike “Nyu” persona, and her usual murderous self. To further complicate matters, it appears that Lucy had previously known Kouta before he discovered her on the beach. As the series progresses, the lives of Lucy/Nyu, Kouta, and Yuka will be changed forever as Lucy’s former captors continuously send agents to capture her, including other Diclonius, more individuals become intertwined in Kouta’s life, and the dark and tragic secrets behind Lucy and Kouta’s mysterious past are finally revealed!

While I don’t deny that this is undoubtedly one of the most violent shows I’ve ever seen, I found ELFEN LIED to be an intriguing series that utilizes its dark subject matter in order to develop compelling themes about mankind’s conflicting capabilities for cruelty and kindness, which are effectively conveyed through the show’s psychologically complex characters. However, before I discuss the elements that I enjoyed in ELFEN LIED, I feel that I should provide my own opinions towards the criticisms and controversies surrounding the show. The most obvious criticisms are concentrated on the show’s violence and sexual content. This is particularly evident when concerning the first seven minutes of the very first episode, as they alone seem to determine whether or not people will love or hate this anime. Within a short amount of time, the viewer is immediately presented with both nudity and extremely graphic violence, as a naked Lucy mutilates and decapitates several armed guards with her vectors, and the scene is complete with ridiculously large amounts of blood and gore. While I can definitely understand this scene turning people off, I feel that it works within the context of the show. The scene perfectly establishes the characterization and personality of the main protagonist before she loses her memories, as well as the show’s overall dark tone. The over-the top violence also serves to create suspense and intrigue for the rest of the series, particularly with Lucy's amnesia and split personality disorder. While she is acts innocently naive and childlike in her “Nyu” persona, the viewers are aware that her true personality is sadistic and murderous. Therefore, the viewers are drawn in by are desire to know whether or not her true personality will reemerge, and how it could possibly affect the lives of the other characters.

Aside from ELFEN LIED’s graphic violence, the other major area of criticism that I feel is largely biased is the anime’s portrayal of dark themes like discrimination and child abuse. While fans of ELFEN LIED have praised these themes for providing commentary on the savage nature of mankind, several critics have labeled the show’s depiction of these issues as pseudo-philisophical. Essentially, they’re saying that while the show is under the impression that it’s saying something deep and profound through it’s dark subject matter, its over-the-top portrayal causes it to become disconnected from reality, therefore preventing it from effectively depicting the themes it wants to convey. One scene where this criticism is particularly noteworthy is in a flashback to Lucy’s childhood, where while growing up in an orphanage, Lucy was repeatedly harassed and discriminated by the other children for her horns and introverted demeanor. When the bullies discover a stray dog that she secretly befriended, they end up brutally beating it to death right before Lucy’s eyes. People have criticized this scene for being highly unrealistic, as they feel that the idea of kids beating a dog to death is highly unrealistic, and that the scene only serves to exploit animal cruelty.

While I do understand where these criticisms are coming from, I respectfully disagree as I feel that the scene works on both a thematic and narrative level. Although the scenario is definitely extreme, it’s not entirely implausible, as bullies in real-life have been known to resort to extremely cruel tactics in order to torment their victims, which is further supported by the bullies in the show being motivated by prejudice. Another factor that provides further plausibility to this scene is both the bullies’ status as orphans and the shows’ setting in Japan. Japan has one of the lowest rates of unadopted orphans, as children who are not adopted by an immediate relative are often legally barred from being taken in by other families. This is primarily because the child will often be asked to take on the name of their adoptive family, which many Japanese citizens view as dishonor towards ones’ own kin. As such, it is reasonable to believe that the bullies in ELFEN LIED fall into this category, and are tormenting Lucy as a means of “finding someone even more miserable than themselves.” I also feel that this scene works on a narrative level, as it effectively progresses Lucy’s character development. Before this scene, Lucy had not yet developed her hatred of humanity, and sought to coexist with other humans, which was conveyed when she showed her dog to another girl. The girl ended up betraying her trust however when she revealed the dog to the bullies, resulting in them killing it in front of Lucy. The combination of witnessing the dog's death and having her trust betrayed causes Lucy to deem the bullies as inhuman monsters, and they're the first people to be killed by her vectors. I feel that this scene effectively establishes a good foundation for Lucy’s hatred of humanity, as because she was still a child, it was easy for her to associate these bullies’ acts of cruelty with mankind as a whole, especially since she had not been exposed to life outside her orphanage. On the whole, while I freely admit that ELFEN LIED’s attempts to portray society’s corruption are over-the-top, I still feel that the criticisms about the anime lacking depth are unfair, as it does manage to effectively utilize its dark material from both a thematic and narrative perspective.

The area in which ELFEN LIED was a truly shines in my eyes however, is in it’s psychologically complex and tragic characters. As I’ve admitted throughout my reviews, one thing that will instantly draw me into a story is characters with in-depth psychologies and complex backstories. I enjoy analyzing characters from a psychological perspective, as I feel that it allows me to fully understand who these characters are, and what makes them do the things that they do. This is further enhanced through knowledge of the character’s backstory and past, as it allows the viewer to understand exactly what factors molded the character’s personalities and motivations into what they are today. ELFEN LIED definitely excels in this regard, as several characters are provided fleshed-out backstories and three-dimensional characterizations that make them highly engaging and intriguing. The two characters that I feel receive the greatest amount of psychological development are the two main characters, Lucy and Kouta. As I stated previously, Lucy is portrayed to be a relentless serial killer with an inherent hatred of mankind and desire to eliminate all human beings. This born largely out of her being both discriminated and bullied as a child due to her horns, as well as her Diclonius DNA giving her an evolutionary instinct to kill in order to repopulate the planet with her own species. Despite Lucy's savage nature, she is also provided layers of humanity that not only allow viewers to understand and connect with her, but also provide the character a three-dimensional struggle. It is later shown in the series that Lucy befriended and fell in love with Kouta back when they were both children, and he was the only person in her life to show her true kindness. This friendship creates an internal dilemma for Lucy, as she is now torn between her hatred of humanity, and her love for Kouta. Her struggle is further escalated when a misunderstanding causes her to be responsible for a great tragedy in Kouta’s life. This ultimately results in Lucy feeling guilty for driving away the one person that genuinely accepted her for who she was, which carries on into the present day when she returns into Kouta’s life as the amnesiac “Nyu.”

I found Lucy’s internal struggle to be both highly compelling and psychologically complex. Although she is a relentless killer, she seeks redemption in the form of making up for the pain she caused for the one person who truly accepted her. Because of the kindess that Kouta showed her when they were children, Lucy genuinely loves Kouta and wants to be by his side, but she feels that the tragedy she was responsible for will prevent her from obtaining that bond. This effectively correlates with Lucy's amnesia at the start of the series, as it reflects her desire to be with Kouta. While amnesia has become an overused cliché in anime, I felt that ELFEN LIED provided a unique interpretation of the formula by having Lucy's amnesia quickly evolve into multiple personality disorder. Because of Nyu's childlike ignorance and innocence, Lucy subconsciously allows this personality to dominate her mind as she feels it allows her to forget about the pain that she previously caused Kouta. Not only did this provide a unique twist on the usual amnesia cliché found in anime, but it also made Lucy a psychologically complex and sympathetic character. Essentially, while she is portrayed as a sadistic serial killer with little regard for human life, she ultimately seeks redemption through rectifying the sins that affected the one person who accepted her in her entire life. I felt this made Lucy a character viewers could connect and sympathize with, as while we may not approve of the murders she commits, the circumstances that caused her to commit these actions are provided depth and believability, and her desire to redeem past sins is admirable and allows the audience to want and see her achieve said redemption. Overall, while Lucy is portrayed as a sadistic murderer who hates humans, she is provided complex psychology and three-dimensional depth that made her a highly compelling and sympathetic anti-heroine in my eyes.

The other character that I felt possessed three-dimensional psychology and depth was the object of Lucy’s desire, Kouta. Unlike most of the human characters in ELFEN LIED, who are portrayed as inherently cruel and savage, Kouta serves as an effective foil to humanity’s capacity for darkness by representing the kindness that humans are also capable of. Throughout the series Kouta is portrayed as compassionate and kindhearted individual who is willing to put the needs of others before himself, no matter what obstacles may befall him. Not only is this evident when he decides to take care of the amnesiac Lucy/Nyu after randomly discovering her at the start of the series, but also when he adopts two other girls who were previously victimized and abandoned by society. Kouta's capacity to do things simply out of the kindness of his heart not only fleshed the character's nobility in my eyes, but it also effectively allowed him to serve as a lighthearted foil to the anime’s otherwise dark tone. This was primarily portrayed through his childhood friendship with Lucy, as while most kids bullied Lucy for her horns, Kouta was one of the few people to not be turned-off by her appearance, even stating that he found her horns to be “awesome.” I felt that Kouta’s friendship and kindhearted treatment towards Lucy was especially important to the plot, as it both served as the foundation for Lucy’s character arc and motivations in the present day, and as a counterbalance to the mistreatment she had previously experienced. While the bullies from Lucy’s past and the scientists who held her captive served as archetypes for mankind’s corruption, Kouta acted as a counterbalance by representing the compassion that man was also capable of. Kouta’s capacity for near unlimited kindness not only made him an extremely likable character in my eyes, but also allowed him to serve as a great foil to the anime’s themes about mankind’s corruption and cruelty.

Although ELFEN LIED is notorious among the anime community for it’s graphic violence and controversial material, this was a series that I found to be extremely engaging and compelling! While the violence is often over-the-top, the show still greatly excels at utilizing its dark subject matter to create in-depth themes and parallels towards humanity’s darkness through it’s two psychologically complex main characters, Lucy and Kouta. While I can definitely understand why some people would be turned-off by this anime due to it’s levels of graphic violence and nudity, I feel that several of the criticisms its received are unfair, as they have created biased opinions about the show lacking any depth. This is definitely a shame in my opinion, as I felt that the show possessed great depth with its psychologically complex characters, whose fleshed out backstories and parallels allow them to help drive ELFEN LIED’s themes about humanity’s conflicting corruption and kindness out of the ball park! If I did have any legitimate criticisms, it would be that some plot points are left unresolved (primarily due to adaptation differences from the manga it’s based on), and that some of the nudity felt very forced and unnecessary. Despite those problems, I found the anime as a whole to be an incredibly entertaining and satisfying watch. While I would definitely advise caution, I feel that ELFEN LIED is an anime that people should look at with an unbiased and open mind as it’s good elements are definitely worthwhile!

“Controversy is part of the nature of art and creativity."

-Yoko Ono