Elfen Lied (Anime)
| Anime television series | |
|---|---|
| title | Elfen Lied |
| Original title | エ ル フ ェ ン リ ー ト |
| transcription | Call Rito |
 | |
| Country of production |
 Japan
|
| original language | Japanese |
| year | 2004 |
| Studio | Arms |
| length | 25 minutes |
| Episodes | 13 |
| genre | Drama , psychological thriller , his , splatter , etchi |
| Director | Mamoru Kambe |
| idea | Lynn Okamoto |
| music | Kayo Konishi , Yukio Kondō |
| First broadcast | July 25th - October 17th, 2004 on AT-X |
| German-language first broadcast |
May 3-21 , 2008 on Animax |
Elfen Lied ( Japanese エ ル フ ェ ン リ ー ト , Erufen Rīto ) is a 13-part anime television series based on the manga Elfen Lied written and drawn by Lynn Okamoto . However, only about the first 71 chapters of the manga were implemented, with the anime moving further and further away from its original with an advanced plot and ending the plot with an indicated open end. It can be classified into the genres of Dark Fantasy , Horror , Psychological Thriller , Etchi and his .
scenario
The series is based on the fictional scenario that a mutation of human genes creates a new humanoid species called Diclonius ( pl. Diclonii) ( デ ィ ク ロ ニ ウ ス , Dikuroniusu ). Outwardly, Diclonii differ from humans only by two small horns that grow on their heads. In addition, they have telekinetic powers that are displayed as additional, invisible arms (so-called "vectors"). Due to strong vibrations, these arms can easily cut through body parts or other materials and also use objects lying around as projectiles . The number, length and strength of these arms varies greatly from Diclonius to Diclonius.
Another characteristic of Diclonii is the limited ability to reproduce: A distinction is made here between Diclonii and Silpelites (a Silpelite is a Diclonius born by humans). The former have reproductive organs and can also reproduce naturally. However, silpelites are sterile because they lack the reproductive organs. Both types are able to infect a person with a virus by means of their vectors, which has the consequence that the next child conceived by the infected person also becomes a Silpelite. Few real Diclonii exist, of which Lucy is the oldest. The condition is comparable to allopolyploidy .
Both species - Diclonius and Silpelite - have an additional sense that allows them to track each other over a greater distance. In addition, even young Diclonii (around elementary school age) show the ability to use their arms, which over time, however, become longer and gain strength. They have very little sense of guilt. This sometimes leads to arbitrary murders of people around them. Even the relationship between Diclonius and his parents is affected, recognizing very clearly the difference between their own parents and a substitute for them. While some Diclonii show a deep affection for their parents and do not feel the urge to kill them, the anime reports cases in which a Diclonius does not shy away from killing his own parents. In this regard, the thesis is put forward that the virus is used for the constant destruction of humanity by the new race of Diclonii.
Both Diclonius and Silpelit also have multiple personality disorders. After a certain period of time, the “other self” awakens and commands them to create their own home without people. This voice appears in the form of herself in bandages for Lucy and in the form of her father for Nana.
action
At least three Diclonii, including Lucy, are held under strong security in a private research institution. This facility is funded by the government and has the task of killing all newborn Diclonius, as they can turn into "killer machines" even in childhood. The still living Diclonii are abused in the laboratory for cruel research to find out more about the properties of the Diclonius and to find a way to cure those affected by the virus. Lucy manages to escape from the high-security laboratory, which is located on a small island, thanks to the help of Professor Yu Kakuzawa, the son of the general director, not as a result of the carelessness of the staff, as initially suspected, but rather, as it turns out later. On the way out, she kills many people and finally falls into the sea, hit in the head by a security guards sniper rifle.
The next day, Lucy, who suffered a split personality from the hit, is found on the beach by Kohta and Yuka, two students, and taken home. The second side of Lucy is harmless and does not even have the gift of speaking, she always just says "Nyu", which is why the students call her Nyu (later she also learns other words such as "Kohta" or speaks simple sentences).
Since Lucy is dangerous in the opinion of the research laboratory, they send a special unit on her to bring her back or kill her. However, this fails completely because the soldiers were not fully informed about Lucy's abilities. In particular, the soldier Bando does not count on the abilities hidden in her when he treats Lucy while Nyu is conscious. Transformed back into Lucy through the pain, she kills his comrade and also gives him severe pain, before she, brought back by a memory, turns back into Nyu.
After the first attempt was a debacle, the obedient Diclonius Nana (or "number 7") gets the order from the subordinate director of the Kurama Research Station to take Lucy prisoner. When it comes to a fight, Nana initially has an advantage because her vectors have a greater range. However, in a moment of distraction caused by Mayu, Lucy gains the upper hand. She cuts off all four limbs from Nana and finally escapes when the informed soldiers and scientists arrive as reinforcements.
After this further failure, Nana should actually be killed, since she is no longer of any use, but Kurama, whom Nana takes to be her father, manages to get her artificial limbs and a lot of money for her, which she cannot handle to help them escape. Nana is later found by Mayu, who found refuge with Kohta and Yuka and later develops a close relationship with Nana, and after various initial problems she is integrated into the "family".
Since nothing helps, the researchers send Mariko as their ultimate weapon to finally destroy Lucy. Mariko, Kurama's real daughter, is a so-called “super silpelite” with 26 (instead of the usual 4) vectors that have a range of over 11 meters. In fact, Lucy succumbs and loses one of her horns. But before she can execute Lucy, Mariko is taken out of the fight by Kurama and both die at Kurama's request from explosive devices that were implanted in Mariko's body as a precaution.
Lucy then tells Kohta about her mission to replace humanity with the Diclonius and what it is all about. She also tells him that she killed his sister and father as a child and asks for forgiveness. Now Kohta's memory of his childhood also returns. Although he does not forgive her for the murder of his sister and father, he confesses his love for Nyu and the young Lucy. After a final kiss, Lucy steps in front of the remaining soldiers. The camera pans up and you can see two of its vectors shoot up. Standing under heavy fire, the viewer sees her second remaining horn flying through the air, bleeding and severed.
At the end of the anime, there is a scene that led to many suspicions about Lucy's true whereabouts. Everyday life in Yuka's house that has returned to normal is shown until someone rings the doorbell. At the same time, the wall clock, which Nyu tried in vain to get running again, starts to strike and the music box from Lucy's childhood can also be heard. What ultimately remains is a shadow in front of the door, which roughly corresponds to the figure of Lucy. This is exactly where Elfen Lied ends, leaving the question of who is really at the door and what has become of Lucy.
characters
The anime essentially draws on the same characters as in the manga. However, some of the figures that were left out to reduce complexity are missing. But characters that were only introduced later in the plot of the manga were ignored, as they did not play a major role in the scenes dealt with in the anime.
At the center of the events are the female Diclonius Lucy / Nyu and the ordinary student Kohta . In the prehistory they met through a chance encounter and became friends, as Kohta's kind and non-negative words cheered them up. So he didn't find her horns deterrent, but could even get excited about them, which caused Lucy to suppress her dark side. However, this not yet deeply rooted relationship was shaken by a white lie Kohta went to a party with Yuka despite promising Lucy that he would go with a male family member (his cousin). Shocked by this, Lucy's murderous nature gained the upper hand again and she first killed many visitors to the festival and then the father and sister of Kohta before his eyes. In shock, Kohta suppressed any memory of the incident.
Outside of this triangular relationship between Lucy / Nyu, Yuka and Kohta, which is always characterized by mutual envy and jealousy, the still young Diclonius Nana developed a very close relationship with the scientist Kurama . She convinced herself that he was her father and is obsessed with not wanting to disappoint him, even though she was previously ill-treated in the laboratories under his supervision. His real daughter, however, is Mariko , a very murderous Diclonius, who, unlike Nana, has no problem killing people and was kept safe accordingly. In general, the series is characterized by a lot of triangular relationships between the characters.
During the main plot, Kohta and Yuka find the homeless Mayu, who has been abused by her stepfather and beaten by her mother . She is adopted by the two of them and is involuntarily drawn into the events. You manage to build a good relationship with Nana. After Nana loses all limbs while trying to capture Lucy, it is ultimately thanks to Mayu that Lucy and Nana do not kill each other. Since then, Kurama has equipped Nana with prostheses, which she controls with the help of her vectors. Nana receives special attention in the later published OVA episode, which focuses particularly on her naive worldview and the sometimes clumsy use of her prostheses. Their pitiful situation was taken up, for example, in the sarcastic web comic strip Nana's Everyday Life drawn by Daniel Kim .
Origin and publications
The studio Arms anime consists of a 13 episode television series , which includes the plot of the first 6 issues (up to chapter 60) and some parts of the 7th issue of the manga. Bare skin, severed body parts and blood are not uncommon in the anime either. Nevertheless, the depiction of this brutality is a bit more reserved and dispenses with the psychological violence that is particularly prevalent in the manga. The anime was first shown on Japanese television in 2004.
The series was released on 7 DVDs between October 21, 2004 and April 21, 2005. On the last one there was an additional episode lasting 24 minutes. In terms of content, this lies within or between the 10th and 11th episode and mainly deals with Nana's problems to lead a normal life, but also shows a flashback of the capture of Lucy, which takes place before her breakout in the first episode.
The German-language first release of Elfen Lied appeared on ADV Films . The FSK of the first DVD is 18 years, so no youth approval according to § 14 JuSchG FSK . The other DVDs are rated as FSK 16. ADV-Films brought the series in 2008 in cinemas of the UCI cinema world in parts with four or five episodes. On April 24, 2015, KSM released a Blu-ray limited to 2000 copies.
art
In addition to the music, the drawings that appear in the opening and closing credits of the anime are noteworthy: As in director Kambe's later anime Sound of the Sky, these images are based on some of Gustav Klimt's most famous paintings , including Danaë and The Kiss from the year 1907 / 08 , as well as figures from the Beethoven frieze , which were implemented as an anime version.
music
The song in the opening credits called Lilium is based on various Latin passages from the Bible, the motet " Ave mundi spes Maria " (Eng. Greetings, Maria, you hope of the world), which was written by Jacob Clemens non Papa during the Renaissance , and some Greek words from the text of the Holy Mass. The piece begins with a verse from the Book of Psalms and is continued with an incomplete verse from the letter of James . Kohta owns a music box with this melody.
"Os justi meditabitur sapientiam, et lingua ejus loquetur judicium."
"The mouth of the righteous moves words of wisdom and his tongue speaks what is right."
"Beatus vir qui suffert tentationem: quoniam cum probatus fuerit, accipiet coronam vitæ (, quam repromisit Deus diligentibus se) ."
“Happy the man who stands up to temptation. For if he proves himself, he will receive the wreath of life (which is promised to those who love God) . "
“ Quonicum cum ” was erroneously sung instead of “ quoniam cum ” and it was also printed on the packaging of the DVD.
The next verse of the song "Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison" (translation: Lord, divine fire, have mercy) is an abbreviated quote from "Kyrie, fons bonitatis". This sentence is continued with some excerpts from “Ave mundi spes Maria”.
"O quam sancta, quam serena, quam benigna, quam amoena ( esse virgo creditur! )"
"O how holy, how cheerful, how kind, how lovely, ( if one believes that this virgin is! )"
“O castitatis lilium, ( tuum precare filium, qui salus est humilium:) ”
"O lily of purity, ( intercede with your son, who is the salvation of the unworthy / sinners. )"
This text compilation and the associated melody come from Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondō .
The credits for Be Your Girl were sung by Chieco Kawabe .
Voice actor
The names of all characters and their voice actors are given in western order (first name, family name).
| role | Japanese voice actors ( seiyū ) | German voice actors |
|---|---|---|
| Lucy / Nyu | Sanae Kobayashi | Samia Little Elk |
| Kohta | Chihiro Suzuki | Jesco Wirthgen |
| Yuka | Mamiko Noto | Julia Kaufmann |
| Mayu | Emiko Hagiwara | Kathrin Neusser |
| Nana | Yuki Matsuoka | Rubina Kuraoka |
| Bandou | Jouji Nakata | Gerald Paradise |
| Kurama | Osamu Hosoi | Erich Rauker |
| Professor Kakuzawa Yu | Hiroaki Hirata | Engelbert von Nordhausen |
| Mariko | Tomoko Kawakami | Jennifer White |
| Kanae | Maria Yamamoto | Julia Meynen |
Episodes
A special feature of the anime is that all episodes in Japan and other countries were titled in German.
| episode | German title | Japanese title |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | encounter | 邂逅 ( kaikō ) |
| 02 | destruction | 掃 討 ( sōtō ) |
| 03 | On the inside | 胸 裡 ( kyōri ) |
| 04 | Meeting | 触 撃 ( shokugeki ) |
| 05 | reception | 落 掌 ( rakushō ) |
| 06 | Warmth of heart | 衷情 ( chūjō ) |
| 07 | Random meeting | 際 会 ( saikai ) |
| 08 | Beginning | 嚆 矢 ( kōshi ) |
| 09 | Nice memory | 追憶 ( tsuioku ) |
| 10 | infant | 嬰 児 ( eiji ) |
| 10.5 (14) | rain shower | 通 り 雨 に て 或 い は 、 少女 は い か に し て そ の の 心情 に 至 っ た か? ( tōriame ni te arui wa, shōjo wa ikani shite sono shinjō ni itatta ka?, to dt .: rain showers, or how did the girl recognize her feelings? ) |
| 11 | mixing | 錯綜 ( sakusō ) |
| 12 | Tumbling | 泥濘 ( youri ) |
| 13 | Enlightenment | 不 還 ( fugue ) |
reception
According to ADV Films, Elfen Lied was one of the best-selling anime titles in 2005. The New York Times sees the brutality and sexual provocation emanating from the "little girls" as a particular incentive to buy and is able to recognize a new trend. At the American Anime Awards 2007, which was held for the first time, Elfen Lied was nominated for Best Short Series , but had to admit defeat to FLCL in the final .
Reviews
The anime was rated by many critics as an extreme, as the 7½-minute introduction is supposed to stand out for its nudity ( fan service ) and brutality. They often advised that the tenderly-tempered should avoid this anime, as even children are victims of extreme physical and psychological violence.
Despite the drastic differences between absolutely cute, humorous content and the constant pressure that comes from the brutality, in the physical as well as psychological sense, the producers managed to walk a good tightrope between these extremes. The theme of the series is the contrast between cute and cruel. Well-known series such as Chobits and Love Hina are quoted and their clichés are set in contrast to the cruelty of the plot. It is played with the expectations of the audience. The characters are complex and very differentiated, often because of their past.
In the reviews, the drawing style of the anime series, especially the quality of the atmospheric backgrounds, was felt to be very good and appropriate to the situation. The representation of the characters and the linguistic performance of the seiyū were often highlighted as very good or brilliant.
Critics also came to the conclusion that Elfen Lied was one of the few titles that was firmly anchored in the viewer's memories.
"Elfen Lied is an impact title, one of those rare anime which makes such a strong impression that it will, for better or worse, linger in your mind long after you've first seen it."
"Elfen Lied is a catchy title, one of those rare anime that, for better or worse, makes such a strong impression that it sticks in your mind long after you've seen it for the first time."
Individual evidence
- ↑ ダ ー ク フ ァ ン タ ジ ー ま と め . In: Akiba Sōken. Retrieved August 20, 2018 (Japanese).
- ^ Theron Martin: Elfen Lied DVD 4: Vector Four. In: Anime News Network. November 28, 2005, accessed August 20, 2018 .
- ↑ Nana's Everyday Life. In: Clone Manga. Retrieved September 5, 2009 .
- ^ ADV Films: "Elfen Lied" in the cinema. kino.de, February 29, 2008, accessed on September 22, 2019 (article on the theatrical release of the series).
- ^ Ave mundi spes Maria. Answer.com, accessed June 10, 2008 .
- ^ Charles Solomon : Mean Girls . July 17, 2005, accessed September 29, 2007 .
- ↑ American Anime Awards . americananimeawards.com , February 25, 2007, archived from the original on February 25, 2007 ; accessed on June 15, 2007 .
- ^ Theron Martin : Elfen Lied DVD 1 - Review . May 16, 2005, accessed September 30, 2007 .
- ↑ a b MangasZene No. 24, p. 19
- ↑ a b Stig Høgset : Elfen Lied . November 16, 2004, accessed September 30, 2007 .
- ^ Theron Martin : Elfen Lied DVD 2 - Review . July 22, 2005, accessed September 30, 2007 .
Web links
- Official Website (Japanese)
- Elfenlied in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Anime News Network about the anime and the OVA (English)