Search - Elfen Lied Vol 1 on DVD

Disturbing and exploitive - but......

T. Avallone | St Charles IL | 05/28/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those animes you pick up because of all the "shockingly violent" hype that this series is being labeled as. Make no mistake about it: It does not shy away from nudity or gore at any expense. Although this might be a turn off to some viewers, there is an absorbing story that goes along with "Elfen Lied". It will easily get you hooked.

A couple of main problems that nobody else seems to have noted:

It seems to be an original piece of work - but its quite a no brainer that it borrowed *heavily* from the lighthearted fan favorite anime "Chobits". Any hardcore anime fan will see that.

Also - heavily sexual inuendos are present throughout, be it when the main male character takes hold of a female's breast - and she gets orgasmic pleasure out of it, showing a naked female draped in blood while chained to a wall, and female urination on a hardwood floor...not to mention showing 2 women bathing together. Some of these scenes might have something to do with the storyline - but I have a feeling most of them are just for exploitive purposes.

What is most shocking is the "TVMA" rating this was given. First off - this is something that would never be shown on television without severe editing. I would give this nothing less than a 17+ rating.

If it sounds like I'm bashing "Elfen Lied", I'm really not. The story will grab your attention and tug at your emotional strings at any given moment - and the character development is a definate plus. I'm just hoping the story continues at a level where it will outshine some of the shlock that is present on the screen.

To sum up the first volume of "Elfen Lied": So far, so good...but beware of the TVMA rating."

Can you handle Elfen

Keith A. Jones | Philadelphia PA | 10/06/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The first thing noticed about Elfen lied is the incredibly beautiful theme song, which is played in the previews. If you read the subtitles for the song the words are quite calming and peaceful but as soon as it goes off and the first episode starts here comes the blood. This series will most likely remind you of geo-breeders or chobits but with a lot more violence to me it even exceeds gantz.

The story is simple humans becoming mutants but unlike ninja turtles these mutants are cute. On the first episode you might be confused into thinking that the mutants are telekinetic but will find out differently in the second episode. A company which had a bit of control on one of the mutants also known as lucy or nyu lost total control and this sparks a complete massacre of security and inoocent workers. During lucy's breakout she looses all memory due to a shot to the head and develops a good side bad side.

The bad side is when lucy remembers who she is and basically becomes evil and wants to destroy all humans. With these types of series it's common for the lunatic killer amnesia crazed character to find some innocent people to live with and lucy finds two teenage cousins. Elfen lied to me is done with beautiful animation and storyline. There is a big caution I very much understand that this series is a little overboard with nudity and gore and will get to some people, and I wouldn't get the import if I were this easily sickened. This dvd is well edited and has better quality."

Elfen Lied - A Hidden Jem

Mori Lupa | UK | 08/10/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I watched Elfen Lied the other day and was pleasantly surprised. Numerous people have bashed the anime because there is an awful lot of violence and, often unnecessary, nudity. However, unlike many animations which are simply created for the gore/sexual content, Elfen Lied has a gripping storyline.
At first, many are incredibly embarrassed about watching an anime with such labelling, but after watching the first episode you've been drawn it - hook, line and sinker. The opening theme tune is undeniably beautiful and as the thirteen (fourteen including an addition episode which, or so I am told, is included in one of the four DVDs?) episodes go on, you find that Elfen Lied has a very emotional story line in places. Firstly, without spoiling, is the case of Number Seven or Nana and her relationship with `Papa'. Her undying loyalty is both touching and heartbreaking, as is the misunderstanding between herself and Nyuu.
For people who can overlook the violence and nudity, you'll enjoy this anime. HOWEVER, as with most things, there is a negative side to the anime. While watching E.L, I noticed that Nyuu-chan is awfully like Chii-chan from Chobits - and I'm not the only one to realise.
Never-the-less, this is a cracking anime - neither overly drawn out nor a surplus of characters. We have Yuka and Kouta (two cousins who act like the parental figures in the house) with the homeless runaway Mayu and her dog Wanta and the two diclonius, Nana and Nyuu (split personality, aka. Lucy)
Aside from dealing with parent/child bonds, fights between split personalities and bullying, the flashbacks are surprisingly believable as they are genuinely reflective of how children are. This anime also raises a question which is often overlooked by viewers. Diclinous are not treated as proper people, two ear-like horns protrude from their heads, making them victims of bullying and outcasts of society. They also have the use of vectors, invisible arms, which makes means they are hazardous to the population and must be contained. As they aren't seen as humans, they're lab rats at the hands of humans and even their own kind.
Overall, (I have to end this mini essay!) this is well worth buying, but only if you can handle the mature content. I wouldn't recommend it under 16s, unless they're responsible enough. It pales in comparison to others of the same nature, mainly because of the strong story line and character developments. The ending of the series is also excellently done.. All in all, this is an animation to be proud of owning.

Fans of this anime may also enjoy Haibane Renmei, from the creator of Serial Experiments: Lain and Texhnolyze."

A great anime with a great future

Nick k. | Tokyo, Japan | 06/15/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"To begin i would like to say that the person who reviewed this item last, has most likely not watched or at least paid attention to the story and plot of elfen lied. It is true that elfen lied has several cliche' based themes such as the "harem" which consists of :a distant cousin, an amnesiac, and a young homeless girl(although a homeless grade schooler doesn't exactly count as harem material in my book but hey maybe i'm not a sicko,who knows...),the amnesia struck helpless girl with evil dual personality, and weak male lead are occurrent in this anime they do not hinder its artistic quality. The plot is actually very deep and while i will not give any spoilers, i will say that the story greatly evolves in plot content and story as it progresses.
Now that my angy ranting is over i will discuss the wondrous anime that elfen lied is. The animation is beautiful and crisp. There is a definite difference in the styles of lucy and nyu who share the same body, and in the younger characters and the older ones. Some may say that this is a bad thing but i personally thought it was a great idea. The thicker lines in the younger characters(and nyu) and the thinner lines of adults(and lucy)was a splendid idea. The music which consists of several uppity tunes and many dark ones is very deep and equally stunning. The opening is very artistic and the theme played during it is absolutely beautiful. several renditions of it are played throughout the anime in very appropriate places. The ending has a nice tune though i am not exactly fond of the backround image used. The story as i have said is very entrancing and you will be hooked. It has an underlying them of the evils of humanity. Very interesting.
Now lets talk about the cons of this masterpiece. First off the brutal violence wasn't as bad as i thought it would be, but i warn you it is not for the one with a weak stomach! The gore is definitely beyond puddles and it is not held back. At times it may seem excessive but mostly its right on cue. And of course theres the nudity. In the opening there are some images that show nyu/lucy nude but it is in a very artistic way, not perverted. In the actual anime the nudity can be gratuitous in some episodes i would not consider any of it hentai or perverted. it is done in a very realistic way to convey the childish helplessness of nyu.
All in all i must say this anime is a great work of animated art and makes up for every flaw with a tremendous story ,musical score, and quality visuals. Now off to bed i go for tommorrow i pre order elfen lied: vector two! must rest for the joyous occasion! for any questions about elfen lied that are more in depth, ask your local search engine "elfen lied"!"