Diclonius.
A fictional mutation of the human species. Diclonius are known for being born
with horns and possessing a sixth sense. This sixth sense gives them the
ability to use telepathic hands known as vectors. The Diclonius are feared by
the human race for their insatiable tendency to kill human beings. What causes
a human to be born as a Diclonius is not yet known and neither are the ways to
prevent the birth of a Diclonius.
Diclonius
are a creation from within the mind of Lynn Okamoto, the creator of a popular
anime series known as Elfen Lied. Elfen Lied is a series about a young man
named Kouta who returns to a town that he visited in his childhood, but recalls
no past memory of his visit. As he was walking down the beach with his cousin,
Yuka, they stumble upon a young girl around their age with horns on her head
who finds herself lost. They do their best to help her by asking her where she
was from and how she ended up at the beach, but the only word the girl could
answer with was "nyu". Not knowing what to do, Kouta and Yuka decided
to take the young girl in at their home in town and care for her for the time
being. As time passed they grew close to the girl and agreed on calling her
Nyu, for that was the only word she could speak. What Kouta and Yuka did not
know was that Nyu in reality was a Diclonius named Lucy, who had escaped from a
government lab the night before and has now changed personality because of the
event that transpired. As Lucy lives among Kouta and Yuka as the innocent girl
named Nyu, she fights against the government soldiers who are hunting her down
behind the backs of Kouta and Yuka.
When
watching a series like Elfen Lied, there are four separate contributions to
take in consideration that complete an anime; music, art, plot, and characters.
The music allows for the audience to be able to feel the event transpiring
within the anime. It adds an edge to what is occurring within the story. The
art is meant to attract the audience to the anime. If the artwork is too sloppy
or common, it may not catch as much of the audience's attention. Plot is one of
the most important contributions, after all, a good anime has to start with a
good story. The story is what truly gives the anime the flavor which leaves the
audience satisfied by the end. Characters are what speak to the audience. An
audience enjoys making connections with the characters, they like to develop
feelings for the characters. A well processed character development allows the
audience to make those connections and be able to love the characters.
Allow
me to start with the music of Elfen Lied. Elfen Lied's classical piece, Lilium,
is the most commonly used piece of music within the series and was without a
doubt one of its best soundtracks. It gives the audience a sense of depression
and horror, which allowed it to be used in scenes of horrible deaths and
personal confession. Other soundtracks within the series allowed for a more
dark and creepy approach for scenes of dreadful realization within Lucy and the
many of the other characters. Being such a grim and dark anime series, the
music fits very well within the various scenes of the anime. Although it is not
as captivating as other pieces of music from other series, it does allow the
audience to resonate with the feelings being portrayed in the series. I would
give the music a rating of nine out of ten, for it is effective at delivering
the sense of emotion and the soundtracks are very beautiful, but it is not as
amazing and jaw dropping as it could be.
The
music isn't what most people look for in an anime though. What many audiences
pay attention to is the artwork within an anime. The artwork in Elfen Lied is
not as unique as in other anime's though. Do not get me wrong, the series does
contain beautiful artwork, but like the music, it is not very captivating. The
artwork seems to be of average status, there aren't many factors to set it
apart from other animes. I would give the artwork a seven out of ten rating.
What
really sets this anime apart from the others is the story plot. The idea of a
mutated species among humanity with the mindset to kill humanity is very
intriguing and captivating. The entire series has good pacing, without it
seeming too rushed or too slow. The series does not take any cheesy turns,
leaving the audience well entertained throughout the entire series. The plot
would receive a ten out of ten for its amazing story.
The
plot contains many great things as well as the characters. Every character
within the series was unique in their own way, each having their own tail to
tell. The character development within the series was great. As the series
progressed, more and more is revealed about Lucy and the other Diclonius in the
series. One is able to learn the way they think and connect with them and
understand them as actual human beings. The character development of the series
would receive a nine out of ten; even though it was good for most of the
characters, there were a few who weren't really elaborated on.
Overall, the series would receive a nine out of ten star
rating. It kept an interesting story with a decent story and great characters.
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