ANIME         MARK

One of the more unique anime I have watched it isn't best suited for children either.  Not for the nudity, but for the overly excessive display of graphic violence and gore and a showcase of the crueller side of human nature. That aside, I think the show has a rather solid story for only 13 episodes. I'll admit the artwork is what initially drew me to watch Elfen Lied and a short preview on YouTube too.

 

So basically we have a story that begins with an escaped test subject, known as a Diclonius, that carves a path to her freedom through a mixture of decapitating and slicing limbs off. She does this through the use of the Diclonius' power know as vectors.  Through her escape route of blood and guts, she falls into the ocean where she, of course, washes up ashore only to be discovered by a couple of cousins. They notice that there are horns on her head but they take her home to care for her regardless. The only word she speaks is 'Nyu' and thus her name is born.... sort of like a Pokémon, that's all she says.

Nyu conveys the same intelligence of a two year old initially, and the cousins, Kouta and Yuka, find themselves babysitting essentially. This doesn't last long once they discover an organisation is after Nyu and Nyu actually has a split personality. Although the characters are cute in appearance, Nyu, especially, is anything but.  I'd say if you watched the first episode and didn't like it...stop there, because not much will change throughout the series. It does however delve into the more callous traits of humans and their wantedness to control everything  irrespective of the ethics that are questioned. This is where I think the series derives its power but it basically peaks here.

 

Conclusion

The show turns for the worst and is driven into an abyss of  creepyness and depressing scenes.... does this add to its effectiveness or not? I'm not sure, I'll let you decide. The art is good and the characters decent also. It gets points for creativity and a few authentically engaging moments, but I think these were dwarfed by over-extremes that took away from its potential.

 

Pro's

- Interesting supernatural powers, vectors

- Unique idea

 

Con's

- Unnecessary, unsavoury moments at every turn

 

Final Rating: 5.8/10