Anime Review: Elfen Lied

Review Elfen LiedWritten by WarpshadowRating good/ very good

There is a fine line between drama and melodrama. If that is the case then Elfen Lied crossed that line long ago and is far into melodrama territory. This is not to say that it doesn’t have it’s audience but this isn’t a show for everyone.

In a laboratory a woman is held captive. It is for good reason for this as second the guards turn their back she is free and killing people with out mercy. Security is powerless to stop her although a shot from a sniper knocks her into the sea. Kohta and his cousin Yuka find a girl stranded on the beach. She can’t speak and for some reason has horns on her head but the two take her in anyway. Little do they know she is a dangerous mutant with telekinetic powers and a split personality.

The one thing I can say with certainty about Elfen Lied is that it will provoke a reaction from the viewer. Elfen lied sports a metric ton of violence and nudity meant to shock the viewer. Although there are some lighter moments in earlier episodes when it tries to be a shonen type romantic comedy Elfen Lied is a show that depends on heavy handed drama to get it’s point across. This is a difficult show to grade as some will utterly love the show, others may be creeped out and a third group will find it pretentious. This is really a judgment show call on the viewer’s part but Elfen Lied should be avoided by the squeamish or the cynical.