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Elfen Lied #1
Elfen Lied, tomo 1
The Japanese original comic book of "Elfen Lied vol.1".
192 pages, Paperback
First published October 18, 2002
37 people are currently reading
1559 people want to read
About the author
Lynn Okamoto
99 books80 followersLynn Okamoto (岡本倫 Okamoto Rin) is a Japanese manga artist and a former employee of Bandai. His most famous work is the series Elfen Lied, which was adapted into a 13-episode anime series by the studio Arms. He lives in Tokyo, Japan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
November 29, 2008
Despite the cover, Elfen Lied is an extremely serious manga. The main character, Lucy, is not a regular human...she's a Diclonius, human-like in every way except for two cat-ear shaped horns and transparent/invisible arms called "vectors" in addition to the two normal human ones. The story maintains many plots and sub-plots, and contains many sad and tragic elements combined with graphic-violence and nudity, but interspersed with comedy, the start of what could be romance in later chapters, and ultra-cuteness. Over all, it is a very interesting and addictive manga (something some series need more of *cough*Naruto*cough*).
More to come...
More to come...
December 6, 2011
This used to be the series most recommended to newcomers as means to show them a amanga which was not some silly cartoony characters with spiky hair. There were already many violent manga around but this seemed to be the most broadly advertised and most didn’t know the rest so it’s like it was the only one. It also mixed lots of favorable elements such as nude and gore, along with interesting story ideas.
It also starts with a bang since in the first chapter we see a massacre of the highest possible gore and splatter you could ever dream of witnessing back then, backed up by a scary naked woman wearing a demonic metal mask and horns. You even see a person who acts all silly assuming to be the main comic relief character throughout the series to be eventually brutally murdered in seconds. WOW, HOLLY SMOKES, WHAT IS THIS??? Instant hook! And here starts the rave of the series. Sex and violence always sell and EL happened to have an extremely amount of both.
That was so political incorrect that drew people in by the thousands; especially after the anime version came along. Because after all, the more political incorrect something is, the more attractive it appears to young people. Everyone was either crazy or evil; there were no clear good guys and bad guys. No sir, here the humans are sadistic little bastards who like tormenting little girls and are being slaughtered like pigs as revenge. Even children and women were not spared! When was the last time they showed even women and children being killed? Heck, even kicking puppies was quite cruel and rare back then.
Now let me make it clear that in the following years all the elements of EL were copied in following series. Mainstream manga nowadays are far more sexual and violent, something that EL helped visualizing thanks to its gargantuan fandom. People wanted sex and violence and that is what they got. Open any recent manga and there is little to no chance to not see nude, splatter, lolis and all the sick stuff successful series like EL helped to establish.
So far so good, sounds like the best manga in existence, right? … Not by a longshot really. It does feel shocking and different and special if you are a newbie in the field without any previous exposure to this sort of manga but otherwise it feels quite ridiculous by itself if you are already a veteran reader. I was already exposed to far more sinister stuff way before EL and guess what, it didn’t seem worth not even half of what everyone was raving about. Because the shock value was low. And here is where this series most aims at in order to impress. Shock value. The more it shocks you, the better it appears to be. Because without it, it feels as silly as watching Goku eating a mountain of food without gaining a single pound.
Let’s get now to more conventional analysis, starting with the artwork. It starts off with very crude visuals, stiff motions, simplistic caricatures, and silly splatter. Along the way it improves a lot and after midway it looks like a well drawn harem show of multicolored hair bimbos doing silly stuff all over the place. The characters remain cute, with huge eyes and silly clothes, which I guess contributes to the shock of seeing them taking part in gore. It helps to hook you by the extreme amounts of fan service it has. There are panty shots and boobs almost every 5 minutes, while underage girls are most of the time shown being tortured. Yeah, great eye catcher stuff for sadists.
The story is essentially about humans being sick bastards who like tormenting little girls in an attempt to not be exterminated by a new race of horny (literally) red haired lolis which are genetically created and programmed to kill everything that moves. So, the story gets more complicated when the female ringleader of those lolis has convenient memory loses and turns from a heartless killer to a playful pussycat every time the scriptwriter wants to prevent the story from ending. Also, the characters keep behaving in the most ludicrous way possible as means to not end the whole mess in 10 seconds by implementing common sense. And if you don’t believe me, think of this:
“Hey, mister police officer, I found a naked girl on the beach. Better take care of her because I am a male teenager living alone and can’t just take her home where anything can happen.”
There, see, he just took her home and didn’t do anything to her, despite being defenseless and amnesiac, all excused by the fact that he was very pure in heart … and missing a dick. Then follows a long line of enemy waves who want to capture Lucy, the ringleader. But are all so damn stupid, they can’t even breathe without chocking to death. Imagine sending in a sadistic military dude to capture Lucy. He will be talking for half an hour about what a bastard he is instead of just capturing her, until Lucy conveniently gains back her memory, cuts him to pieces and then conveniently forgets everything again. Then imagine a girl who was being molested by her father and another horny girl who was almost killed by Lucy, to be accepted in Kouta, the dickless boy, in his house. Supposed, they are safer in the house where Lucy kills someone every now and then than just going to the police. Or the police themselves being so autistic they never do anything about the dozens of people who are being found in pieces right outside of that house. Wait, that could be because they are in league with the villains, right? … Sure, and that is the only reason the dickless boy and his harem of lolis don’t leave that house despite being targeted by manslaghtering sadists every two days.
Add to this the way they throw in incest and even more amnesia for other characters just as extra shock value that has nothing to do with the story, how everyone meets (or meats lol) someone, remembers and forgets, finds and loses, in the most far-fetched ways possible and always in the most convenient times and… well… the story is written with the mentality of a 5 year old. But as I said it is all about shock value rather that realism. The plot is quite fast for its duration and shocking every 5 minutes, while there are many social messages to leave you something to think about. Still, as I said, it only works if you are a newbie in the field who never thought of such things up to that moment. The logic of the drama is paper thin to fall apart while the ending is basically not any different that a silly date sim, proving that it was essentially made to please otakus and not other people. Yes, it was a series by otakus, for otakus after all.
In all, if it got to shock you the first time, it is bound to become your fav for many years and even open a portal to you, leading to the darker regions of the otaku realm. It has done so a million times already. All I can say is that it is much harder for someone to be impressed today by it because most modern manga are far more violent and sexual. Heck, even cartoons are. In fact I know many who admit that they have no idea why they liked that series so much. Simple, the shock value faded away and left behind only ashes and bones. So while I give it a high Value for its very important contribution in mainstreaming anime (for good or bad; I kinda hate the way most modern anime are all full of fan service) I must still give it a very low mark in Enjoyment because it doesn’t work if you are not a newbie and in no chance in hell it feels good if you are a veteran reader. I got the same messages the series has in Akira, the same type of gore in Choujin Locke and those felt far more realistic and credible, without fan service and ridiculous behaviors fooling you to consider “idiotic” as “brilliant”.
It also starts with a bang since in the first chapter we see a massacre of the highest possible gore and splatter you could ever dream of witnessing back then, backed up by a scary naked woman wearing a demonic metal mask and horns. You even see a person who acts all silly assuming to be the main comic relief character throughout the series to be eventually brutally murdered in seconds. WOW, HOLLY SMOKES, WHAT IS THIS??? Instant hook! And here starts the rave of the series. Sex and violence always sell and EL happened to have an extremely amount of both.
That was so political incorrect that drew people in by the thousands; especially after the anime version came along. Because after all, the more political incorrect something is, the more attractive it appears to young people. Everyone was either crazy or evil; there were no clear good guys and bad guys. No sir, here the humans are sadistic little bastards who like tormenting little girls and are being slaughtered like pigs as revenge. Even children and women were not spared! When was the last time they showed even women and children being killed? Heck, even kicking puppies was quite cruel and rare back then.
Now let me make it clear that in the following years all the elements of EL were copied in following series. Mainstream manga nowadays are far more sexual and violent, something that EL helped visualizing thanks to its gargantuan fandom. People wanted sex and violence and that is what they got. Open any recent manga and there is little to no chance to not see nude, splatter, lolis and all the sick stuff successful series like EL helped to establish.
So far so good, sounds like the best manga in existence, right? … Not by a longshot really. It does feel shocking and different and special if you are a newbie in the field without any previous exposure to this sort of manga but otherwise it feels quite ridiculous by itself if you are already a veteran reader. I was already exposed to far more sinister stuff way before EL and guess what, it didn’t seem worth not even half of what everyone was raving about. Because the shock value was low. And here is where this series most aims at in order to impress. Shock value. The more it shocks you, the better it appears to be. Because without it, it feels as silly as watching Goku eating a mountain of food without gaining a single pound.
Let’s get now to more conventional analysis, starting with the artwork. It starts off with very crude visuals, stiff motions, simplistic caricatures, and silly splatter. Along the way it improves a lot and after midway it looks like a well drawn harem show of multicolored hair bimbos doing silly stuff all over the place. The characters remain cute, with huge eyes and silly clothes, which I guess contributes to the shock of seeing them taking part in gore. It helps to hook you by the extreme amounts of fan service it has. There are panty shots and boobs almost every 5 minutes, while underage girls are most of the time shown being tortured. Yeah, great eye catcher stuff for sadists.
The story is essentially about humans being sick bastards who like tormenting little girls in an attempt to not be exterminated by a new race of horny (literally) red haired lolis which are genetically created and programmed to kill everything that moves. So, the story gets more complicated when the female ringleader of those lolis has convenient memory loses and turns from a heartless killer to a playful pussycat every time the scriptwriter wants to prevent the story from ending. Also, the characters keep behaving in the most ludicrous way possible as means to not end the whole mess in 10 seconds by implementing common sense. And if you don’t believe me, think of this:
“Hey, mister police officer, I found a naked girl on the beach. Better take care of her because I am a male teenager living alone and can’t just take her home where anything can happen.”
There, see, he just took her home and didn’t do anything to her, despite being defenseless and amnesiac, all excused by the fact that he was very pure in heart … and missing a dick. Then follows a long line of enemy waves who want to capture Lucy, the ringleader. But are all so damn stupid, they can’t even breathe without chocking to death. Imagine sending in a sadistic military dude to capture Lucy. He will be talking for half an hour about what a bastard he is instead of just capturing her, until Lucy conveniently gains back her memory, cuts him to pieces and then conveniently forgets everything again. Then imagine a girl who was being molested by her father and another horny girl who was almost killed by Lucy, to be accepted in Kouta, the dickless boy, in his house. Supposed, they are safer in the house where Lucy kills someone every now and then than just going to the police. Or the police themselves being so autistic they never do anything about the dozens of people who are being found in pieces right outside of that house. Wait, that could be because they are in league with the villains, right? … Sure, and that is the only reason the dickless boy and his harem of lolis don’t leave that house despite being targeted by manslaghtering sadists every two days.
Add to this the way they throw in incest and even more amnesia for other characters just as extra shock value that has nothing to do with the story, how everyone meets (or meats lol) someone, remembers and forgets, finds and loses, in the most far-fetched ways possible and always in the most convenient times and… well… the story is written with the mentality of a 5 year old. But as I said it is all about shock value rather that realism. The plot is quite fast for its duration and shocking every 5 minutes, while there are many social messages to leave you something to think about. Still, as I said, it only works if you are a newbie in the field who never thought of such things up to that moment. The logic of the drama is paper thin to fall apart while the ending is basically not any different that a silly date sim, proving that it was essentially made to please otakus and not other people. Yes, it was a series by otakus, for otakus after all.
In all, if it got to shock you the first time, it is bound to become your fav for many years and even open a portal to you, leading to the darker regions of the otaku realm. It has done so a million times already. All I can say is that it is much harder for someone to be impressed today by it because most modern manga are far more violent and sexual. Heck, even cartoons are. In fact I know many who admit that they have no idea why they liked that series so much. Simple, the shock value faded away and left behind only ashes and bones. So while I give it a high Value for its very important contribution in mainstreaming anime (for good or bad; I kinda hate the way most modern anime are all full of fan service) I must still give it a very low mark in Enjoyment because it doesn’t work if you are not a newbie and in no chance in hell it feels good if you are a veteran reader. I got the same messages the series has in Akira, the same type of gore in Choujin Locke and those felt far more realistic and credible, without fan service and ridiculous behaviors fooling you to consider “idiotic” as “brilliant”.
July 17, 2019
This was really ...weeby. The good parts of this were the woman lead character, Lucy, killing rapists and overall being a freaky horror killer, primarily targeting creepy men. The bad parts of this; honestly, over weighed the good parts though. Lucy (Nyu) is frequently put into situations where, having one killer side and one nearly mute "hot girl" side, she is unable to speak or understand situations, and she blindly follows a dweeb dude and repeatedly tries to have sex with him. The man character, Kouta, is a traditional guy who just happens to have all these beautiful women in love with him and constantly undressing around him, and he is just confused and trying to do his best not to hurt everyone's feelings while he does his normal dude stuff (like figure out which hot babe to stare at next). It's so horribly straight, and fetish-y in a way I'm not into. It would be amazing if it were more horror manga and less titties for the male gaze.
October 27, 2021
Ay querida Lucy, que bueno volver a encontrarnos. Miré el anime hace mucho, cuando lo pasaban por Animax. La verdad es que no recuerdo MUCHO pero si la base de la historia, cosas del medio y como termina.
Con motivo al #MangaWeek (que comienza el 1ero de noviembre pero me quería adelantar y ya ponerme a tono) lo comencé a leer.
La verdad es que historia me super atrapa, es muy gore (algo que no me suele gustar) peeeero tiene escenas demasiado "ecchi" y escenas donde vemos a Lucy y al protagonista en momentos... incomodo? sin mucha explicación. Lo sentí un poco como Blood +, sexualizar a la protagonista.
Entiendo el año en que se hizo la historia y todo, pero no me deja disfrutar al completo la hisstoria porque siento que no encajan en absoluto.
Veremos como sigue!
Con motivo al #MangaWeek (que comienza el 1ero de noviembre pero me quería adelantar y ya ponerme a tono) lo comencé a leer.
La verdad es que historia me super atrapa, es muy gore (algo que no me suele gustar) peeeero tiene escenas demasiado "ecchi" y escenas donde vemos a Lucy y al protagonista en momentos... incomodo? sin mucha explicación. Lo sentí un poco como Blood +, sexualizar a la protagonista.
Entiendo el año en que se hizo la historia y todo, pero no me deja disfrutar al completo la hisstoria porque siento que no encajan en absoluto.
Veremos como sigue!
October 17, 2022
İnsanoğlunun evrimsel sürecindeki bir sonraki aşama olduğu düşünülen bir mutant yerin yirmi metre altındaki hücresinden kaçmıştır. Bu kaçış sırasında oldukça acımasızca muhafızların işini bitiren Lucy son anda başından yaralanmış ve denize düşmüştür. Uyandığında aldığı yaradan ötürü bambaşka biri olan Lucy, kıyıya vurmuştur. İki genç tarafından bulunmuş ve evlerine alınmıştır. Tabi bu kaçıştan tam olarak yırtamamıştır. Artık peşinde özel bir harekat timi vardır. Artık küçük bir bebek gibi davranan ve tek kelimeden fazlasını söyleyemeyen Lucy'nin geçmişinden habersiz bu iki gencin hayatı neler beklemektedir?
Birçok kişi için manga ve anime türüne giriş zamanlarında tercih edilen bu seri şiddet sahneleri ve Japon mizahıyla öne çıkıyor. Mizah yönünü dışarıda bırakacak olursak o kadar da Japon bir hikaye yok elimizde. Sanıyorum bu yüzden tercih ediliyor çünkü okuyucu daha az garipsiyor. Şiddet sahnelerine gelirsek biraz fazla basit bulduğumu hatta çabuk sıkıcı hale geldiğini düşünüyorum. Ne yeterince şok edici ne de yeterince sert değil bana kalırsa. Belki en başta etkileyici olabilse de benzer sahneleri tekrar tekrar görmek hem de beklediğimiz anlarda görmek çabuk bayatlıyor sanırım. Kurgu da güçlü değil ne yazık ki. Pek merak uyandıramadı okurken. Çizimleri de pek güçlü sayılmaz. Yer yer anlaması zor paneller mevcut.
Bu kitap itibariyle karakterler hakkında da pek bir şey bilmiyoruz. Gördüğümüz kadarıyla kendilerini sevmemiz için pek bir sebep vermiyorlar. Belki iki psikopat ve bir asistana üzülebilirsiniz kendinizi zorlarsanız.
Birçok kişi için manga ve anime türüne giriş zamanlarında tercih edilen bu seri şiddet sahneleri ve Japon mizahıyla öne çıkıyor. Mizah yönünü dışarıda bırakacak olursak o kadar da Japon bir hikaye yok elimizde. Sanıyorum bu yüzden tercih ediliyor çünkü okuyucu daha az garipsiyor. Şiddet sahnelerine gelirsek biraz fazla basit bulduğumu hatta çabuk sıkıcı hale geldiğini düşünüyorum. Ne yeterince şok edici ne de yeterince sert değil bana kalırsa. Belki en başta etkileyici olabilse de benzer sahneleri tekrar tekrar görmek hem de beklediğimiz anlarda görmek çabuk bayatlıyor sanırım. Kurgu da güçlü değil ne yazık ki. Pek merak uyandıramadı okurken. Çizimleri de pek güçlü sayılmaz. Yer yer anlaması zor paneller mevcut.
Bu kitap itibariyle karakterler hakkında da pek bir şey bilmiyoruz. Gördüğümüz kadarıyla kendilerini sevmemiz için pek bir sebep vermiyorlar. Belki iki psikopat ve bir asistana üzülebilirsiniz kendinizi zorlarsanız.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2017
First review
The beginning was bloody.
So there are two personalities of that inhuman girl: Lucy -the murderer and Nyuu-the child. I wonder how these new species were created...
The artwork was plain and boring in my opinion.
Reiew of whole manga
3.33 ☆
It finally ended. This manga was good in some aspects but also terrible in others. Let's review the pros and cons, will we?
Good sides of manga:
1. The idea itself. I picked up this one for its interesting idea: new human race, more developed and evolved than homo-sapiens, Diclonius race. Having the ability of telekinesis, with having extra unseen arms and having horns. It was so promising.
2. I liked Lucy. Black and white personalities, she was great representative of diclonii race. She was the queen, Eve of new species. She was tormented and lonely. She was the heroine of this story.
3. The ending was satisfying. In the end we got some character development for Kouta too. Even though . The ending has some bittersweet tone.
Bad sides of manga:
1. Firstly, fanservice. Lot and lots of fanservice and nudity! Irrelevant and out of nowhere! In every freaking chapter!
2. Bland characters. Kouta was supposedly a second important character but he was so one dimensional that I even didn't feel him his presence ntill the last chapters. The forced romance between Kouta and Yuka was not believable. Actually Kouta never loved her, he liked Lucy/Kaede/Nyuu.
Other side characters were not enjoyable to read about. I didn't care about any of them. Except Mayu and a bit Nana, just because they (a) have some emotion (b) have ideals and goals (c) are nice to people around them (d) helpful.
3. Artwork was terribly simple and boring.
I didn't cry at the end. I felt free. Free of this manga
The beginning was bloody.
So there are two personalities of that inhuman girl: Lucy -the murderer and Nyuu-the child. I wonder how these new species were created...
The artwork was plain and boring in my opinion.
Reiew of whole manga
3.33 ☆
It finally ended. This manga was good in some aspects but also terrible in others. Let's review the pros and cons, will we?
Good sides of manga:
1. The idea itself. I picked up this one for its interesting idea: new human race, more developed and evolved than homo-sapiens, Diclonius race. Having the ability of telekinesis, with having extra unseen arms and having horns. It was so promising.
2. I liked Lucy. Black and white personalities, she was great representative of diclonii race. She was the queen, Eve of new species. She was tormented and lonely. She was the heroine of this story.
3. The ending was satisfying. In the end we got some character development for Kouta too. Even though . The ending has some bittersweet tone.
Bad sides of manga:
1. Firstly, fanservice. Lot and lots of fanservice and nudity! Irrelevant and out of nowhere! In every freaking chapter!
2. Bland characters. Kouta was supposedly a second important character but he was so one dimensional that I even didn't feel him his presence ntill the last chapters. The forced romance between Kouta and Yuka was not believable. Actually Kouta never loved her, he liked Lucy/Kaede/Nyuu.
Other side characters were not enjoyable to read about. I didn't care about any of them. Except Mayu and a bit Nana, just because they (a) have some emotion (b) have ideals and goals (c) are nice to people around them (d) helpful.
3. Artwork was terribly simple and boring.
I didn't cry at the end. I felt free. Free of this manga
July 2, 2015
Elfen Lied es una historia que no llega a desarrollarse bien. Me gusto el mensaje que trataban de dar sobre la defensa pero aun así es algo muy gastado, es una historia que en todos sus aspectos, no podría describirlos todos, es bastante ignorante y cliché.
Al menos a mi en particular, no sentí que tuviera efecto, aunque no es de esas que no pude terminar, si tiene su enganche. Pero la recomiendo mas a gente que se este iniciando en el manga o en la lectura misma.
Genero terror psicológico... es un genero super bizarro que amo, pero sin duda esta historia no es un buen representante.
Niu es el único personaje al que le prestaron atención en el desarrollo pero aun así, no me llego a agradar, es como un alterego de picachu o como se escriba.
¿El mundo se ha quedado sin originalidad?
Cada vez se me hace mas difícil encontrar lecturas que estén en un nivel mas elevado, es deprimente.
Al menos a mi en particular, no sentí que tuviera efecto, aunque no es de esas que no pude terminar, si tiene su enganche. Pero la recomiendo mas a gente que se este iniciando en el manga o en la lectura misma.
Genero terror psicológico... es un genero super bizarro que amo, pero sin duda esta historia no es un buen representante.
Niu es el único personaje al que le prestaron atención en el desarrollo pero aun así, no me llego a agradar, es como un alterego de picachu o como se escriba.
¿El mundo se ha quedado sin originalidad?
Cada vez se me hace mas difícil encontrar lecturas que estén en un nivel mas elevado, es deprimente.
May 16, 2016
5* може и да са множко, но тази манга ме пренесе десетилетие назад във времето, когато бях келеш и гледах анимето. Дотук двете се препокриват на 100%, което ме зарадва адски. Възхитих се и колко много помня от епизодите (т.е. абсолютно всичко). В главата ми непрестанно звучеше Lilium.
June 30, 2025
RELECTURA 2025: Sigo pensando que la historia es muy interesante, pero el autor se pasaba con todos los elementos extra muy cuestionables. Pero quiero terminar ya esta serie que tengo pendiente de hace años 😭 el primer tomo está bien.
January 16, 2020
When I saw all the guts and gore clips compiled from Elfen Lied I was hooked immediately, however, I was not expecting it to be a borderline harem manga. I've sat down for a while thinking about whether or not the constant nudity is just fan service or is it in service of a deeper message like in V for Vendetta? Why the nudity made it hard for me to read in public, the writing and art remained engaging throughout. When that shadow passes over Nyu's face and she speaks an immense sense of dread overcomes you. It's pretty much impossible to not read Nyu in two different voices and this is to the credit of Lynn Okamoto. I wouldn't recommend this for those new to manga and I certainly wouldn't recommend reading it in public but it's definitely worth the read.
February 14, 2022
Elfen Lied might be a trashfire, but it's *my* trashfire <3
I've already watched the anime of Elfen Lied, and I highly suggest consuming it that way if you wish to consume Elfen Lied at all. Wether that be for experiencing an important part of history of especially anime fans in the west, or just to say haha I've watched Elfen Lied. The anime definitely smooths over a lot of the bigger problems that the manga has. And the animation and coloring of the anime is nice. Especially the coloring.
Anyway I find elfen lied very fun
I've already watched the anime of Elfen Lied, and I highly suggest consuming it that way if you wish to consume Elfen Lied at all. Wether that be for experiencing an important part of history of especially anime fans in the west, or just to say haha I've watched Elfen Lied. The anime definitely smooths over a lot of the bigger problems that the manga has. And the animation and coloring of the anime is nice. Especially the coloring.
Anyway I find elfen lied very fun
May 11, 2022
Great first volume, introduction to characters is solid. The manga has a horror/thriller vibe - with some slice of life elements. I think the story is good, and worth reading, there are some nude scenes ... which are kind of awkward but other than that i like it. Also keep in mind that the manga is for adults and is quite gory.
August 3, 2022
So this is why I ended up the way I am, huh
January 14, 2021
This review is for the entire series.
Synopsis: Lucy is a special breed of human referred to as Diclonius, born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands that lands her as a victim of inhumane scientific experimentation by the government. However, once circumstances present her an opportunity to escape, Lucy, corrupted by the confinement and torture, unleashes a torrent of bloodshed as she escapes her captors. During her breakout, she receives a crippling head injury that leaves her with a split personality: someone with the mentality of a harmless child possessing limited speech capacity. In this state of instability, she stumbles upon two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who unknowingly take an injured fugitive into their care, unaware of her murderous tendencies. This act of kindness will change their lives, as they soon find themselves dragged into the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy.
Review: A horrifically violent, gruesomely sexualized, shocking and depressing series that's further intensified by the horrific acts done to a group of young girls. The things we are forced to watch happen to them is sickening, which makes their bloody vengeance and murderous rampages almost justified, if it wasn't for the ridiculously high body count of innocent civilians and bystanders.
Everyone in this series is an extreme sadist, the type of people that would beat a puppy to death with a glass vase just to spite another person. I admit, the shock value can get tiresome and pointless in certain instances, but from the standpoint of a horror flick, it can be entertaining to see just how much you are able to endure. Reminiscent of old-school slasher movies with excessive splatter and gore. Shock value for the sake of shock value. It can get redundant, but it can also be entertaining if you're looking for simpler entertainment.
There are plenty of flaws in the series as well as very awkward and misplaced moments that drag down the overall serious tone, but it's something I feel happy having experienced. It's a great example of exploring the minds of very tragic and emotionally broken characters. These instances of incredibly sad, memorable and heart-wrenching moments are the saving grace of the series.
***
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Synopsis: Lucy is a special breed of human referred to as Diclonius, born with a short pair of horns and invisible telekinetic hands that lands her as a victim of inhumane scientific experimentation by the government. However, once circumstances present her an opportunity to escape, Lucy, corrupted by the confinement and torture, unleashes a torrent of bloodshed as she escapes her captors. During her breakout, she receives a crippling head injury that leaves her with a split personality: someone with the mentality of a harmless child possessing limited speech capacity. In this state of instability, she stumbles upon two college students, Kouta and his cousin Yuka, who unknowingly take an injured fugitive into their care, unaware of her murderous tendencies. This act of kindness will change their lives, as they soon find themselves dragged into the shadowy world of government secrecy and conspiracy.
Review: A horrifically violent, gruesomely sexualized, shocking and depressing series that's further intensified by the horrific acts done to a group of young girls. The things we are forced to watch happen to them is sickening, which makes their bloody vengeance and murderous rampages almost justified, if it wasn't for the ridiculously high body count of innocent civilians and bystanders.
Everyone in this series is an extreme sadist, the type of people that would beat a puppy to death with a glass vase just to spite another person. I admit, the shock value can get tiresome and pointless in certain instances, but from the standpoint of a horror flick, it can be entertaining to see just how much you are able to endure. Reminiscent of old-school slasher movies with excessive splatter and gore. Shock value for the sake of shock value. It can get redundant, but it can also be entertaining if you're looking for simpler entertainment.
There are plenty of flaws in the series as well as very awkward and misplaced moments that drag down the overall serious tone, but it's something I feel happy having experienced. It's a great example of exploring the minds of very tragic and emotionally broken characters. These instances of incredibly sad, memorable and heart-wrenching moments are the saving grace of the series.
***
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April 4, 2022
Tarzım olmayacağını bilerek okudum o yüzden mangayı günah keçisi yapmak istemem ama eleştirilerimi de yazmak istiyorum. Çok nadir bir şeylere düşük puan veriyorum. Gore kan ve psikoloji temalarından hoşlanmadığımdan değil de bunun işleniş şeklinden hoşlanmadığımdan beni içine çekmedi sanırım. Zaten yandere kızları da hiç sevmem. Bu hanım kızımız yandere mi değil mi bilmiyorum ama o vibe beni sinir etti. Bir de, normalde çizime de hiç takmam ama bunun çizimleri cidden kötüydü ya. Çok taktığım bir konu olmamasına rağmen ilk defa bu konuya takıldım. Yine de berbat değildi kesinlikle şans verilip beğeneninin okuyacağı değişik bir hikayesi var. Devamını okumam sanırım ama siz ön yargıyla yaklaşmayın bu yorumu okursanız, herkesin zevki farklı sonuçta.
February 18, 2017
Elfen Lied is one of my favorite anime series, but I never thought to check to see if it was a manga before now. I do have to warn those unfamiliar with the show or manga that this isn’t as adorable and cute as the cover would have you believe. It’s violent (in some cases overly so) and has nudity.
I remember the opening episode of Elfen Lied and how my mouth was just hanging open for the first 10 mins. This manga is no exception to that. Even though I know the story reading it again it still has that same feel. It’s shocking, disturbing, and at times oddly endearing. Lucy and Nyu are two halves of a whole. Lucy being the one who does what she deems is needed to survive, and that usually involves killing the person causing the problem. Nyu is innocent and confused, she doesn’t understand language and has to have help with most things. Both have trouble connecting to the people around them on some level, but she handles it differently in each case. The relationship between
I’ve heard there are not any major differences between this series and the show, and so far that proves true for this volume. It’s pretty on par with the scenes and progression, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from reading it if you enjoyed the show quite a bit. As for the content…well, that’s on par as well. It is extremely violent in areas, so if you can’t really enjoy things like that I’d warn you away. There is also the relationship between two of the main characters who are cousins, which is something that is still somewhat on the normal side in Japan so it pops up in anime and manga a lot.
The art was a bit disappointing, however. There is something about it that just doesn’t work…I’m not sure if it’s the thinness of the line work or lack of details in areas but the art looks fragile almost. Like something is just missing from it.
I’m definitely grabbing the next volumes of this one, and maybe (if I get extremely lucky) find a physical copy to own.
I remember the opening episode of Elfen Lied and how my mouth was just hanging open for the first 10 mins. This manga is no exception to that. Even though I know the story reading it again it still has that same feel. It’s shocking, disturbing, and at times oddly endearing. Lucy and Nyu are two halves of a whole. Lucy being the one who does what she deems is needed to survive, and that usually involves killing the person causing the problem. Nyu is innocent and confused, she doesn’t understand language and has to have help with most things. Both have trouble connecting to the people around them on some level, but she handles it differently in each case. The relationship between
I’ve heard there are not any major differences between this series and the show, and so far that proves true for this volume. It’s pretty on par with the scenes and progression, but I wouldn’t let that stop you from reading it if you enjoyed the show quite a bit. As for the content…well, that’s on par as well. It is extremely violent in areas, so if you can’t really enjoy things like that I’d warn you away. There is also the relationship between two of the main characters who are cousins, which is something that is still somewhat on the normal side in Japan so it pops up in anime and manga a lot.
The art was a bit disappointing, however. There is something about it that just doesn’t work…I’m not sure if it’s the thinness of the line work or lack of details in areas but the art looks fragile almost. Like something is just missing from it.
I’m definitely grabbing the next volumes of this one, and maybe (if I get extremely lucky) find a physical copy to own.
February 16, 2013
Not my cup of tea. As a whole, I didn't much care for the art. I thought the story was kinda odd, graphic gratuitous violence and childlike characters and secondary themes. It felt to clash-y to me and the writing wasn't nearly smooth enough to pull off such a dichotomous concept. I don't have a problem with the violence or the nudity or anything.
I guess my main problem was that the whole thing just struck me as childish. Which I found to be odd, in combination with the level of graphic violence in the book. One second people are being torn apart, the next, a woman (with little horns that look like cat ears) is acting like a child and a random guy is freaking out because he has to change her clothes for some silly reason. Taking the apparently deranged girl to the hospital never occurred to anyone, which I found very odd.
Also, why in the world would you shoot a person in the head if that was the only part of their body that was armored. She is naked for crying out loud. Center of the back with a .50 caliber round will kill a person just as dead as a head shot.
How are they studying her anyways? They can't even get close to her and her magical bed, which some how contains her with a simple key turned lock. Why would they even let her be conscious or alive for that matter if they are just studying her DNA?
Anyways, I just couldn't get into the story. I think it might be more of a cultural gap that I can't seem to relate to or maybe something is lost in the translation because a lot of the manga I have read is like this. Just not my cup of tea.
I guess my main problem was that the whole thing just struck me as childish. Which I found to be odd, in combination with the level of graphic violence in the book. One second people are being torn apart, the next, a woman (with little horns that look like cat ears) is acting like a child and a random guy is freaking out because he has to change her clothes for some silly reason. Taking the apparently deranged girl to the hospital never occurred to anyone, which I found very odd.
Also, why in the world would you shoot a person in the head if that was the only part of their body that was armored. She is naked for crying out loud. Center of the back with a .50 caliber round will kill a person just as dead as a head shot.
How are they studying her anyways? They can't even get close to her and her magical bed, which some how contains her with a simple key turned lock. Why would they even let her be conscious or alive for that matter if they are just studying her DNA?
Anyways, I just couldn't get into the story. I think it might be more of a cultural gap that I can't seem to relate to or maybe something is lost in the translation because a lot of the manga I have read is like this. Just not my cup of tea.
March 30, 2014
This is a review for the whole series.
I have no problem with the bloody and gore scenes. I don't have problem with harem sub-genre in manga/anime. And in Elfen Lied, I like the idea to mix between the light harem theme with dark horror theme.
I don't like the slow pace of the story and the story is too long.
And the epilogue is a happy ending without good explanations. Even with the fictitious technology, I still demand some explanation .
I have no problem with the bloody and gore scenes. I don't have problem with harem sub-genre in manga/anime. And in Elfen Lied, I like the idea to mix between the light harem theme with dark horror theme.
I don't like the slow pace of the story and the story is too long.
And the epilogue is a happy ending without good explanations. Even with the fictitious technology, I still demand some explanation .
Read
December 31, 2012I've read only first volume but I've seen all anime episodes. The manga starts the same as the anime but then goes in a completely different direction. (Just like Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 1 )
The story is brutal and heartbreaking, full of violence and innocence.
The anime has very beautiful song Lilium. Here is my favourite version of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_SChD...
The story is brutal and heartbreaking, full of violence and innocence.
The anime has very beautiful song Lilium. Here is my favourite version of it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_SChD...
July 18, 2017
This is a review of the whole series not just Vol.1
I read the first five books in one sitting because I had empty time to fill, but enjoyed it actually because the art, the plot and characters were good. this has endured till say the 8th or 9th book when suddenly it took a downturn as if there was a push to wrap up the story yet there was too much to tell, thankfully the story corrected itself by book 12 with a nice closure.
MiM
I read the first five books in one sitting because I had empty time to fill, but enjoyed it actually because the art, the plot and characters were good. this has endured till say the 8th or 9th book when suddenly it took a downturn as if there was a push to wrap up the story yet there was too much to tell, thankfully the story corrected itself by book 12 with a nice closure.
MiM
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 11, 2020
Violent story about a girl with destructive powers. The government believes that she belongs to a new race that will naturally replace the homo sapiens so everything is done to keep her secure. As you can already guess this doesn't last long...
There is a good dose of gore in the manga and also some nudity. So far the plot is very interesting and I am curious how it will continue.
There is a good dose of gore in the manga and also some nudity. So far the plot is very interesting and I am curious how it will continue.
December 19, 2016
I am reviewing this as a whole. Elfen Lied is not for children. It is for adults. And it's not even for all adults. It is for adults who think they know what sadness feels like and end up submerged into a world of utter depression and helplessness. If this series doesn't make you hate life, I don't know what will.
November 26, 2020
It's a cult classic for a reason and definitely not for everyone but it makes me hate human nature, which is clearly the intended vision to some degree. The Diclonius are sympathetic even though they kill people.
October 26, 2021
(3 stars = average, in my ratings)
Watched the anime back in middle or high school, so I decided to pick up the manga for nostalgia's sake. It's MUCH edgier then I remember, and trigger warnings galore for sexual violence, gore, and violence.
Watched the anime back in middle or high school, so I decided to pick up the manga for nostalgia's sake. It's MUCH edgier then I remember, and trigger warnings galore for sexual violence, gore, and violence.
July 17, 2014
One of the most depressing manga/anime I have ever read/watched.
August 2, 2025
didn’t expect it to be so brutal
May 30, 2023
I couldn’t help but feel a sense of nostalgia while reading the first volume of Elfen Lied. First and foremost, the artstyle feels of an era, that era being the early 00s, the exact period when I first started getting into anime. Elfen Lied is one of the first anime I consciously consumed knowing that I was anime. All I retain from it was the gory violence committed by these humanoid creatures with childlike, innocent faces. Reading the first volume didn’t do much in the way of changing my first association with this manga.
Elfien Lied deals with a young girl, who is an evolutionary step beyond human, Lucy. A mutant who has been kept under lock and key for most of her life, in a top-secret government facility, where they run countless experiments on her and those similar to her, finally escapes. It is an escape of immeasurable violence, where all her latent and potent mutant abilities come to the forefront. Using her telekinetic powers, especially her vectors (hand like telekinetic projections) she decimates everyone and everything on her bloody path. The escape feels like an eruption, and at the same time like an retributive balancing act, paying her captors back for everything they have done to her body and psyche. But he doesn’t escape unharmed. A stray bullet, a single stray bullet from the avalanche of thousands upon thousands of bullets that her captors unleash upon her fragile looking body, but powerful and revenge hungry mind, hits her. This causes her to fall in the ocean, and splitting her personality, between the revenge eager and bloodthirsty Lucy and the childlike, scared Nyu.
She is found by a young man named Kota, who just moved back to the town where he spent most of his childhood. Both him and his cousin are about to start their college lives. Kouta seems like a cheerful person, kind and caring. There are references to his dead sister. It is probably her resemblance to Lucy/Nyu which makes Kouta spring to action and care for Nyu as soon as they encounter her.
Both the art style and humor seem so out of place. The art is simplistic. There isn’t much in terms of character design. There are scenes where it is hard to tell which face belongs to which girl. Interiors are rarely drawn, while the exterior scenes cover the bare minimum. The few exceptions are the panels where Lucy is held captive in the facilities. The humor boils down to shy kid awkwardly falls, and not much else.
Elfien Lied deals with a young girl, who is an evolutionary step beyond human, Lucy. A mutant who has been kept under lock and key for most of her life, in a top-secret government facility, where they run countless experiments on her and those similar to her, finally escapes. It is an escape of immeasurable violence, where all her latent and potent mutant abilities come to the forefront. Using her telekinetic powers, especially her vectors (hand like telekinetic projections) she decimates everyone and everything on her bloody path. The escape feels like an eruption, and at the same time like an retributive balancing act, paying her captors back for everything they have done to her body and psyche. But he doesn’t escape unharmed. A stray bullet, a single stray bullet from the avalanche of thousands upon thousands of bullets that her captors unleash upon her fragile looking body, but powerful and revenge hungry mind, hits her. This causes her to fall in the ocean, and splitting her personality, between the revenge eager and bloodthirsty Lucy and the childlike, scared Nyu.
She is found by a young man named Kota, who just moved back to the town where he spent most of his childhood. Both him and his cousin are about to start their college lives. Kouta seems like a cheerful person, kind and caring. There are references to his dead sister. It is probably her resemblance to Lucy/Nyu which makes Kouta spring to action and care for Nyu as soon as they encounter her.
Both the art style and humor seem so out of place. The art is simplistic. There isn’t much in terms of character design. There are scenes where it is hard to tell which face belongs to which girl. Interiors are rarely drawn, while the exterior scenes cover the bare minimum. The few exceptions are the panels where Lucy is held captive in the facilities. The humor boils down to shy kid awkwardly falls, and not much else.
March 20, 2024
The first volume of Elfen Lied starts off with a blood-spattered bang, where the storytelling pulled me into a rollercoaster of emotions right from the start. We're immediately introduced to Lucy, a Diclonius - a mysterious, mutated subspecies of human with telekinetic abilities. She's been held captive in some off-site facility and treated like a lab rat, but when she manages to break free, all hell breaks loose and she leaves a trail of gore in her wake as she fights for freedom.
Elfen Lied's storytelling is as visceral as it is poignant, delving deep into themes of identity, prejudice, and the inherent cruelty of mankind. Through Lucy's eyes, readers confront the consequences of unchecked power and the cost of isolation. The volume's pacing occasionally feels rushed, sacrificing depth for action. Some characters also lack development, leaving them feeling underutilized and flat. Despite its flaws, I was suckered into the mysterious lore and haunting imagery, and left eager to find out more about this world, the Diclonii, and about Lucy herself.
For those looking for a more fleshed-out experience, I'd definitely recommend checking out the anime adaptation, which helps address some of the manga's pacing and character development issues. Whether you're a manga purist or anime enthusiast, Elfen Lied is a wild ride that's definitely worth taking.
As for content warnings, I'm sure the graphic violence is obvious, but just as a heads up there is also a fair bit of nudity and sexual situations in later volumes, as well as scenes involving SA further in. While it's not in this first volume, I figured that's still worth mentioning for anyone interested.
Elfen Lied's storytelling is as visceral as it is poignant, delving deep into themes of identity, prejudice, and the inherent cruelty of mankind. Through Lucy's eyes, readers confront the consequences of unchecked power and the cost of isolation. The volume's pacing occasionally feels rushed, sacrificing depth for action. Some characters also lack development, leaving them feeling underutilized and flat. Despite its flaws, I was suckered into the mysterious lore and haunting imagery, and left eager to find out more about this world, the Diclonii, and about Lucy herself.
For those looking for a more fleshed-out experience, I'd definitely recommend checking out the anime adaptation, which helps address some of the manga's pacing and character development issues. Whether you're a manga purist or anime enthusiast, Elfen Lied is a wild ride that's definitely worth taking.
As for content warnings, I'm sure the graphic violence is obvious, but just as a heads up there is also a fair bit of nudity and sexual situations in later volumes, as well as scenes involving SA further in. While it's not in this first volume, I figured that's still worth mentioning for anyone interested.
April 25, 2023
Hacía mil que no leía un manga y tenía este pendiente desde que me enamoré del anime. A día de hoy, me sigue poniendo los pelos de punta y haberme puesto con el manga me ha encantado. El anime, por lo que recuerdo, es bastante fiel, por lo menos en este primero tomo. Tiene unos dibujos espectaculares y una trama que engancha. He de decir que no es para todo el mundo, porque es muy explícito, pero os aseguro que no os arrepentiréis si lo leéis. Mi personaje favorito es Nyu, nuestra protagonista, que acaba de empezar su historia y ya lo está pasando realmente mal. Veremos como sigue. Yo voy a ponerme con el tomo 2 que tengo muchas ganas.
Otra cosa que destacar es que, al final, hay un pequeño relato que no tiene nada que ver con el tomo y ha sido maravilloso, demasiado triste, pero me ha encantado. ¿Habrá más en los siguientes? Espero que sí.
Otra cosa que destacar es que, al final, hay un pequeño relato que no tiene nada que ver con el tomo y ha sido maravilloso, demasiado triste, pero me ha encantado. ¿Habrá más en los siguientes? Espero que sí.
March 5, 2024
It's smut. As with The Boys, it seems to get a pass because 1) people like smut and 2) for pandering manga, it's dark. Girls/women exist only in the context of men; they are there to be desired, or feared, or killed, or maimed, or sacrificed, but never as a separate self. The art is barely passable, the writing is terrible, none of the character beats are remotely interesting. The only real enjoyment I got out of reading this was the discovery that Stranger Things was non-trivially inspired by this terrible, terrible manga. That and the dog. The dog is precious, mostly because he's too simple to be complicit.
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