“The ones that aren’t human…are you!”

It all began to form into one horrific disaster.  Precautions were taken, guards were posted, and not one movement was  made within the research facility that wasn’t monitored. But on this day, a creature with the potential to destroy human kind has broken through the barriers of her confinement.   Guards and armed sentry’s throw themselves in her way, but doing so guarantees nothing but their own death.  Blockades do not stop her. Bullets do not touch her. As she finally exits the facility only the blood and dismembered bodies remain to tell tale of her escape.

If the opening episode of Elfen Lied is any indication to what may come, prepare to become immersed in a very violent and bloody spectacle. However, despite the numerous action and fight sequences, the emotional level strewn throughout the 13 episode series will make you laugh, cry, grimace, smile, and scowl.  It is not a show everyone will want to watch, and some probably should not watch it, period. At the same time though I would still highly recommend this title – just don’t go expecting that bubbly happily-ever-after feeling. While some scenes are adorably funny, most of the content plays on the darker side of human nature. A side where no remorse is considered, where children are cruel beyond all regard, where tragedy prevails, and where lives are torn apart before they can ever really be considered living.

It is a story of two ordinary teenagers, Kohta and Yuka, whose lives drastically change upon finding a young girl with pink hair and two cat-ear like horns coming out of her head. Upon getting her out of the rain she is completely oblivious to everything considered “normal” such as wearing clothes, talking, and even acting human.  Unable to get her to speak anything except the words “nyu”, they decide to call her just that.  They have no idea of what she truly is; that this adorable and innocent girl is the very same escaped killer from the laboratory. Even as people hunt her down, Kohta and Yuka remain clueless of the dire situation and only try their hardest to protect her from any and all harm.

The truth is that she is a mutant race called a Diclonius, recognized easily by the two horns coming out of their heads. A less noticable feature is their invisible vectors, basically invisible arms and hands that can range from 2 to 26 in number and have a range of at least 5ft out. Vectors are a Diclonius’ weapon of choice – a weapon causing painful, malicious, and near instant death to anyone who falls within range of them.  Even being momentarily touched by a vector implants the Diclonius gene within the subject, essentially passing on the trait to any offspring the subject may one day have.

Split personalities, child hood memories lost, and additional characters whose intentions may or may not change flow throughout each episode of the series.  There are moments when you wish you could look away and others where you can’t keep from smiling.  But this is a story without any heroes. Every character has their own reasons and their own story – who is really to decide if they are right in their decisions or not? In the end, all anyone ever wants is to protect the ones they love…no matter what the cost.

Opening theme: Lilium (also music box version)

Ending theme: Be Your Girl ~ Chieko Kawabe

~*~ Interesting fact: Elfen Lied is German for “Elf Song” and is also the name of a poem written by Eduard Morike~*~