Ask John: What’s John’s Opinion of Elfen Lied?

Question:
What are John’s thoughts about Elfen Lied, and if it was a good bet for ADV to license this title?

Answer:
It’s not without regret that I call the Elfen Lied anime television series good, or even very good, but not outstanding. It’s necessary that stress that my evaluation of the show is only my own, and my reactions to it unique to me. But elfen Lied doesn’t seem to have been a breakthrough success in Japan either, judging from the lack of coverage it received by the major Japanese anime magazines, which are probably a good representation of the tastes of the average Japanese fan. Although it may seem difficult to do, it’s vital to critique elfen Lied on an objective scale in order to come to a fair conclusion. This is a show that encourages immediate, visceral reactions, so I have to make a conscious effort to disregard those responses in order to objectively examine the series.

With the exception of the merely adequate animation quality of episode 10, the show does an admirable job of upholding a consistently attractive animation quality and art design throughout its 13 episodes. Far too easy to overlook, elfen Lied’s background art is especially impressive for a late night series with a limited audience. The music, especially the evocative opening song and its theme, used throughout the series, are effective and haunting, and frequently used very effectively to heighten the emotional tension of particular scenes. And therein lies the show’s biggest problem.

Unlike anime series such as Fushigi Yuugi and Berserk and SaiKano, which have amazingly powerful character development and pack a devastating emotional punch as the culmination of cultivated character growth and development, elfen Lied never seems as though it’s prepared to begin allowing immersive characterization until its final episode. The major characters all internalize their conflicts, and the story intentionally withholds exposition in order to create mystery. Both tactics are effective in creating a feeling of suspense and uncertainty, but at the same time both tactics prevent viewers from really empathizing with the characters. We see their struggles, but we never feel them ourselves. The show keeps its viewers at an arms’ distance away for no good reason. If the goal of the show had been to illustrate an existential atmosphere of loneliness and separation, its tone would have succeeded. But it’s admirable isolated focus on a single family within a much larger context is contrary to the use of an objective, aloof atmosphere. The distant feel of the show would also have been appropriate and effective if it had been used to illustrate the isolation felt by the Diclonius, but once again, since we’re never put into the minds of Lucy or Nana, this strategy doesn’t work either. Lucy and Nana tell us what they feel, but we never get to feel it for ourselves. We see emotion and character personalities through action and dialogue, but we never feel them or empathize with them as anything more than a distant, passive observer. It isn’t until the final episode that characters finally, honestly express their emotions without restraint, but by that time it’s too little too late to draw viewers into the show beyond a superficial level. And even during the show’s most intensely emotional scenes, the music cues and editing are a bit too obviously manipulative in their effort to create a sense of emotional depth that isn’t really there and hasn’t been earned by the preceding episodes’ character development. In simple terms, the show looks great, and frequently gets a shocked response out of the viewer, but our involvement in the show is passive and external, visual and intellectual, never immersive and emotionally overwhelming.

I’ve gotten a strong impression that there’s a fear within the American fan community that the show is too intense and too graphically violent to see American release unedited. I think these fears are totally without cause. The elfen Lied anime is unabashedly gory, bordering on gratuitously violent. The show is also refreshingly unashamed to depict nudity in a very naturalistic, and therefore off-putting way. Since we’ve become so accustomed to contemporary anime, I think it’s unexpected to see a current anime depict nudity so matter-of-factly, without the sly wink and nudge we’re used to from contemporary anime. But this very naturalism, free of the slightest hint of erotica, is why the nudity in the show shouldn’t cause any significant controversy. And as for the violence, America is already home to uncut DVD releases of anime titles like Kakugo no Susume and Ima Soku ni Iru Boku which have far more crudely revolting violence and more brutally physical and psychological violence respectively than does elfen Lied.

As a representative of a competing licensing company, I have to say with a bit of jealousy that AD Vision is a virtually ideal American distributor for the series. In fact, the show seems like it was virtually designed with AD Vision in mind considering that it’s a lush and beautifully violent show about killer women, intended for mature viewers. That definition also applies to the initial titles that AD Vision built their reputation on: Mamono Hunter Yohko, Gunnm, and Sol Bianca. I don’t see any reason to inflict edits on the show for American release, and I don’t think that the show itself demands any concessions. While I think that virtually any domestic distributor would be grateful to have such a strong title in its catalog, even inclusive of elfen Lied’s flaws, speaking now as an anime fan with the best interests of the show in mind, I think that AD Vision is an ideal distributor for the show because the backing of AD Vision’s name and influence will undoubtedly enhance the anticipation and word of mouth over the domestic release of the show, and ensure that it’s seen and appreciated by the widest possible domestic audience.