Post by Eric T. Jones on Aug 29, 2008 1:19:26 GMT -5
Skywalker, from the impressions I got, attempted to view this anime but was ultimately turned off by its brutal violence.
I can consider this understandable, but at the same time, I find myself in the rare position of defending the show's creators for using it. The infamous opening sequence should tell you everything about if you're able to stomach it, since for seven straight minutes, without much clear context, you do see our heroine Lucy in a slow escape, completely naked except for a steel helmet, mutilating and tearing everyone apart with a certain invisible weapon of hers.
This would be the setup that leads to a completely different situation; Lucy is the anime archetype of the amnesiac girl, now named after the only word she utters, "Nyu". Nyu is nothing but a sweet little girl who manages to be almost as clueless as the person who grows to be her caretaker, Kohta; given her split personalities are already established, you're already in fear as to when (and how) she's going to snap, but it does open to a deeper meaning within the series:
Compassion, and how we practice it. "Elfen Lied" was meant to be a commentary on the human condition, and it's a very effective one. The violence serves as a thermometer to how exactly that's going, but also, as we delve into the location of the opening sequence-- a laboratory-- we see more sick experiments and the violence manages to be more psychological than physical. The man who appears to be the lead villain, Kuruma, is not without his sympathetic qualities, either (just as Nyu, when turned to Lucy, doesn't avoid being quite grotesque when she turns to her favorite method of incapacitating her enemy).
Thematics can be one thing, and for me, it was the primary factor in why I found it as great as it is. But in zipping through four episodes, the plotting is bred from excellence- the producers make sure to insert the best cliffhangers and unexpected twists to keep you watching [provided you're not completely nauseous, of course].
Aside from the shameful fanservice, which is cleverly disguised into some awkward in-character moments, the show thus far gets a full **** from me. With reservations, of course.
I can consider this understandable, but at the same time, I find myself in the rare position of defending the show's creators for using it. The infamous opening sequence should tell you everything about if you're able to stomach it, since for seven straight minutes, without much clear context, you do see our heroine Lucy in a slow escape, completely naked except for a steel helmet, mutilating and tearing everyone apart with a certain invisible weapon of hers.
This would be the setup that leads to a completely different situation; Lucy is the anime archetype of the amnesiac girl, now named after the only word she utters, "Nyu". Nyu is nothing but a sweet little girl who manages to be almost as clueless as the person who grows to be her caretaker, Kohta; given her split personalities are already established, you're already in fear as to when (and how) she's going to snap, but it does open to a deeper meaning within the series:
Compassion, and how we practice it. "Elfen Lied" was meant to be a commentary on the human condition, and it's a very effective one. The violence serves as a thermometer to how exactly that's going, but also, as we delve into the location of the opening sequence-- a laboratory-- we see more sick experiments and the violence manages to be more psychological than physical. The man who appears to be the lead villain, Kuruma, is not without his sympathetic qualities, either (just as Nyu, when turned to Lucy, doesn't avoid being quite grotesque when she turns to her favorite method of incapacitating her enemy).
Thematics can be one thing, and for me, it was the primary factor in why I found it as great as it is. But in zipping through four episodes, the plotting is bred from excellence- the producers make sure to insert the best cliffhangers and unexpected twists to keep you watching [provided you're not completely nauseous, of course].
Aside from the shameful fanservice, which is cleverly disguised into some awkward in-character moments, the show thus far gets a full **** from me. With reservations, of course.