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Elfen Lied Omnibus #1-3
Elfen Lied, Omnibus 3-in-1, Volume 1
Lynn Okamoto's beloved series is now available in English for the very first time, presented here in a special omnibus collecting three volumes in one!
Captured and isolated against their will, the Diclonius species are a threat waiting to break free. When a young Diclonius girl, Nyu, escapes from the research facility she was being held in, she manages finds solace in two allies, until danger finds her again, putting everyone at risk. However, her enemies soon realize they're in over their heads as an attempt to subdue Nyu results in unspeakable tragedy.
Cited as an inspiration for Stranger Things by the show's creators:
"I had seen an anime called Elfen Lied that is clearly inspired by Akira. And that was really influential. When I watched it I though it felt like an ultraviolent E.T. There were a lot of things in there that I really liked and that made their way into the show, particularly related to the character of Eleven."--Matt Duffer, Co-Creator of Stranger Things
The first of four omnibuses containing all twelve of the original volumes published in Japan!
Captured and isolated against their will, the Diclonius species are a threat waiting to break free. When a young Diclonius girl, Nyu, escapes from the research facility she was being held in, she manages finds solace in two allies, until danger finds her again, putting everyone at risk. However, her enemies soon realize they're in over their heads as an attempt to subdue Nyu results in unspeakable tragedy.
Cited as an inspiration for Stranger Things by the show's creators:
"I had seen an anime called Elfen Lied that is clearly inspired by Akira. And that was really influential. When I watched it I though it felt like an ultraviolent E.T. There were a lot of things in there that I really liked and that made their way into the show, particularly related to the character of Eleven."--Matt Duffer, Co-Creator of Stranger Things
The first of four omnibuses containing all twelve of the original volumes published in Japan!
656 pages, Paperback
First published June 4, 2019
49 people are currently reading
336 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 67 reviews
July 25, 2022
I really don't understand why I liked this so much in middle school/ high school. Like I've probably watched the anime maybe 20 times. Like even now I'm not giving it lower than 3 stars cause I still feel kind of nostalgic towards Elfen Lied.
This series is so unnecessarily sexual especially towards young girls. The main character doesn't seem like a bad guy, but he's a college aged dude and thinks like "maybe I should ask this 12 year old girl to scrub by back in the bath.” He has a girl that "doesn't look more than 15" take a bath with him and rub up against him and he only half heartedly rejects it. He's just like oh wow this is craaaazyyy. Also this girl is mentally a toddler. She got smacked in the head and developed a split personality and the personality Kouta is familiar with is the side that doesn't know how to speak and peed herself because she just had to go. Idk. The story could be well improved with less of the sexual bullshit. Plus there's fucking Yuka, who’ve I’ve always disliked even when I loved the show lol. She's his fucking cousin and she gets so upset because he doesn't like her back. She literally bases her entire existence on him. ("I won't join a club if you're not going to!") She also gets mad when Kouta is sexual with these girls, but not because they're underage. Nope! It's cause she's jealous.
The plot itself is kind of interesting with this new species and the vectors and Lucy just being a badass chopping people's heads off, but it's ruined by nasty men.
Also the like little one shot stories at the end were so fucking weird and sexist and confusing. I didn't like those at all.
I don't know. I don't recommend this series to anyone tbh. Like I liked it when I was younger and I'll probably still collect and read the next omnibus, but beyond the nostalgia is not a good series. Could've been, but it's not. Also the art is kind of ugly lol.
This series is so unnecessarily sexual especially towards young girls. The main character doesn't seem like a bad guy, but he's a college aged dude and thinks like "maybe I should ask this 12 year old girl to scrub by back in the bath.” He has a girl that "doesn't look more than 15" take a bath with him and rub up against him and he only half heartedly rejects it. He's just like oh wow this is craaaazyyy. Also this girl is mentally a toddler. She got smacked in the head and developed a split personality and the personality Kouta is familiar with is the side that doesn't know how to speak and peed herself because she just had to go. Idk. The story could be well improved with less of the sexual bullshit. Plus there's fucking Yuka, who’ve I’ve always disliked even when I loved the show lol. She's his fucking cousin and she gets so upset because he doesn't like her back. She literally bases her entire existence on him. ("I won't join a club if you're not going to!") She also gets mad when Kouta is sexual with these girls, but not because they're underage. Nope! It's cause she's jealous.
The plot itself is kind of interesting with this new species and the vectors and Lucy just being a badass chopping people's heads off, but it's ruined by nasty men.
Also the like little one shot stories at the end were so fucking weird and sexist and confusing. I didn't like those at all.
I don't know. I don't recommend this series to anyone tbh. Like I liked it when I was younger and I'll probably still collect and read the next omnibus, but beyond the nostalgia is not a good series. Could've been, but it's not. Also the art is kind of ugly lol.
May 4, 2019
I never read Elfen Lied when it was first made popular, so I thought now would be a great chance to finally pick up the series. Sadly, I was immediately turned off from the story by how ridiculously over-sexualized certain characters are: specifically, a girl who's described as looking like she can't possibly be over 15 years old, and another girl who says she's 12. It was just all a little too cringe-inducing for me, and on top of that, almost all of the characters were tremendously unlikable and the plot was hard to follow.
It seemed like the author kept introducing more random details to the mutants' natures that made no sense and came totally out of left field, just to keep the drama up. I pushed through the rest of the omnibus to see if it ever got any better, but it honestly felt like the entire story consistently went further downhill as it went on.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
It seemed like the author kept introducing more random details to the mutants' natures that made no sense and came totally out of left field, just to keep the drama up. I pushed through the rest of the omnibus to see if it ever got any better, but it honestly felt like the entire story consistently went further downhill as it went on.
Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!
March 3, 2020
4,5/5 stars!
The only problem I have is the excessive nudity for no real purpose. But I knew it going in. I watched the anime many years ago and I was very excited to find this omnibus on the shelf of the bookstore.
The story is captivating and very intriguing. I love the concept of Lucy and Nyu. However it’s sad that it represent multiple personality disorder like evil and good. It’s more complex then that. And the characters of Nana and Mayu; poor little things...
The only problem I have is the excessive nudity for no real purpose. But I knew it going in. I watched the anime many years ago and I was very excited to find this omnibus on the shelf of the bookstore.
The story is captivating and very intriguing. I love the concept of Lucy and Nyu. However it’s sad that it represent multiple personality disorder like evil and good. It’s more complex then that. And the characters of Nana and Mayu; poor little things...
May 20, 2021
So much better then the anime😳
November 16, 2020
Introduction:
I really loved the beginning of this volume, especially the telepathic battle that ensued in the first few pages. When the main character appeared the more harem like aspects of the manga started. Their where three bonus chapters at the end. Which where three different stories. I liked the bloody battles, but they where spaced pretty far apart. Which make the manga feel slugish.
Summery:
The story is a about a mutant telepathic girl named Lucy who espaces from a lab. Who encounters a human boy named Kouta. Lucy is a member of a new species call Diclonii, who have telepathic abilities. The government is trying to recapure her and employ bonty hunters and other Diclonii to recapure her.
Bloody telepathic battles:
The battles are what I liked most about this manga. Lucy battle abilies are only active when her slip personality is in command. When the main personality was in control I felt somewhat disinterested in the story. The three main battles make the manga. Plus the kidnapping arc at the end was brutal and awesome.
Harem aspects:
The main protagonists Kouta is taking care of a relatives house for them. Quickly he is sharing the house with three different girls. One of whom is his cousin Yuka,who is in love with him. Which is pretty strange.
Plus lucky's innocence results in a sever lack of bounties which leads to alot of odd situations. Such as getting in the bath tub naked with him. This situations make the cousin Yuka increasingly jealous of Lucy.
There was a third girl who I felt really bad for, she was very sweet. But she did not add anything to the story. Maybe that will change in later volumes.
Three story stories:
Thier where three chapters at the end of the manga. One was a the story of a little girl who escaped from a lab, the next a female bomb defuser, and a 18 year old girl awaking from a 12 year coma.
Conclusion:
Overall the liked the manga. The only complains I had was the lulls that followed the epic battles and the harem theme. I really loved the battles and the mythology of the mutants the Diclonii. I will probably read the next volume in the Seires.
I really loved the beginning of this volume, especially the telepathic battle that ensued in the first few pages. When the main character appeared the more harem like aspects of the manga started. Their where three bonus chapters at the end. Which where three different stories. I liked the bloody battles, but they where spaced pretty far apart. Which make the manga feel slugish.
Summery:
The story is a about a mutant telepathic girl named Lucy who espaces from a lab. Who encounters a human boy named Kouta. Lucy is a member of a new species call Diclonii, who have telepathic abilities. The government is trying to recapure her and employ bonty hunters and other Diclonii to recapure her.
Bloody telepathic battles:
The battles are what I liked most about this manga. Lucy battle abilies are only active when her slip personality is in command. When the main personality was in control I felt somewhat disinterested in the story. The three main battles make the manga. Plus the kidnapping arc at the end was brutal and awesome.
Harem aspects:
The main protagonists Kouta is taking care of a relatives house for them. Quickly he is sharing the house with three different girls. One of whom is his cousin Yuka,who is in love with him. Which is pretty strange.
Plus lucky's innocence results in a sever lack of bounties which leads to alot of odd situations. Such as getting in the bath tub naked with him. This situations make the cousin Yuka increasingly jealous of Lucy.
There was a third girl who I felt really bad for, she was very sweet. But she did not add anything to the story. Maybe that will change in later volumes.
Three story stories:
Thier where three chapters at the end of the manga. One was a the story of a little girl who escaped from a lab, the next a female bomb defuser, and a 18 year old girl awaking from a 12 year coma.
Conclusion:
Overall the liked the manga. The only complains I had was the lulls that followed the epic battles and the harem theme. I really loved the battles and the mythology of the mutants the Diclonii. I will probably read the next volume in the Seires.
January 4, 2020
There will be spoilers so read at your own risk.
Elfen Lied was recommended a lot to me but I prefer reading so when I heard there would be an omnibus with the first three volumes translated for the first time into English I had to get it.
I was not expecting it to be like this...
So here's what I expected:
- a violent manga: I'm all for violence in mangas, not in real life though
- the diclonii killing everything in their path and getting ride of humanity for good
- gore: I have a thing for gory mangas
What I got:
- oversexualized female characters: so much nakedness, so much boobs showing, no, just no.
- cousincest: so there's this character who's in love with her cousin and she's upset because he doesn't like her back. WTF?
- violence towards woman: on the first pages, a guy punches a woman because she stood behind him. And he calls her dumb b*tch while punching her. Classy.
- rape of a child: NOPE
I only finished because one of my resolutions this year is to finish all the books I start but this was sh*t. Complete and utter sh*t.
Elfen Lied was recommended a lot to me but I prefer reading so when I heard there would be an omnibus with the first three volumes translated for the first time into English I had to get it.
I was not expecting it to be like this...
So here's what I expected:
- a violent manga: I'm all for violence in mangas, not in real life though
- the diclonii killing everything in their path and getting ride of humanity for good
- gore: I have a thing for gory mangas
What I got:
- oversexualized female characters: so much nakedness, so much boobs showing, no, just no.
- cousincest: so there's this character who's in love with her cousin and she's upset because he doesn't like her back. WTF?
- violence towards woman: on the first pages, a guy punches a woman because she stood behind him. And he calls her dumb b*tch while punching her. Classy.
- rape of a child: NOPE
I only finished because one of my resolutions this year is to finish all the books I start but this was sh*t. Complete and utter sh*t.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 6, 2019
Loved the anime, so I was so excited that they released the manga in English. There were some small things I was genially surprised about. Overall, i loved it and cant wait for the sequels!
January 2, 2020
I thought about saying this was 4.5 stars, but thought about it and decided no it was 5 stars because I read each volume in this omnibus in one sitting each. I had to know what happened next. It has the right amount of mystery, romantic teasing (a will this be the romantic angle or will it be these two, and oh yes lots of female nude scenes with some definite porno poses thrown in...but some of it answered questions like the body anatomy of the different species, and it was usually brief (just a handful of scenes in the whole 3 volume omnibus, and the scenes only being on 1 or 2 pages max for the most part...there was way more pages n pages of violent mass kills in it which to me was the main catalyst of the narration of this new species versus humans versus terrible experimentation done by government or shadow government entities and effects of escape), violence, tender scenes that pulled on your heart strings (like the homeless girl using a stray dog like her own to collect the crusts from a sandwich shop daily like it was for dog treats, but it was so both could live, then harsh reality of sandwich shop closing and dog's owner finding and claiming him), plus throw in college student away from home for the first time life and adventures or misadventures, and along with soft teases about everything being connected to a time in the past when a different violent day happened and changed the lives of most of the main characters. So this book has a ton of different plots/mysteries working through it and total shocks both violent n sexual that aren't too much when this is all in black n white pen drawn images, but are enough to keep you hooked wanting to know what happens next and how some of it even works to have happened....like new species can kill without physical body touching the victim...it does show a bit of how eventually so don't worry you don't have to wait to very end of series for some major revelations. And that's why it gets a 5 star from me, it has so much happening in it that it can give major revelations here n there even in this first omnibus and still you have questions or new questions to keep you interested and wanting to see what happens next. I haven't read the next omnibus yet, plan to as soon as I get it. So I can't tell you with this review if the whole series is worth reading after all the reveals, but I can tell you that this omnibus was definitely worth reading for me. Once I got the hang of reading the comic panels and even speech in a right to left format, I read this omnibus so fast and it got me out of a long time reading slump; so it was definitely worth my time. The omnibus has 3 extra, short stories not related to the 3 volumes of Elfen Lied in it; they are just 3 separate bonus stories that appeared with the original volumes or in between the original volumes...a they are pretty good short stories as well. So yes I read everything in this book and it was worth my money of buying it since I enjoyed reading it and can see reading it again sometime in the future (which most books don't make it into my rereadable list). If my overall opinion of whether whole series is worth trying (right now it is after this first omnibus) changes with reading more of series then I will update this review.
June 26, 2019
Wow. This is something I have wanted to read since it was announced and it did not disappoint. The dark storyline and gore are intriguing as well as character elements and world building. Also liked the bonus stories included as well. If you have been waiting for this manga, get it once you are able to.
November 17, 2020
Ah, teenage years revisited. Love Elfen Lied and I am so pleased to be able to collect and enjoy them officially, legally and beautifully.
March 28, 2023
A whole nyu world!
This Omnibus presents the manga in English for the first time and collects three volumes in one. I was extremly excited to hear the manga will be in English for the first time as I had thoroughly enjoyed the anime. At the time I bought the German edition, forcing myself to learn an entire nyu language for the ability to be able to devour this. I listened to German music, Rammstein, E-Nomine and Alligatoah to increase my German vernacular, but all that amounted to was the edition to whisper, "Du, du hast, du hast mich, du hast mich, du hast mich auf dem Bücherregal sitzen und Staub sammeln"... *sigh*
Enough of a backstory, let's get into what you came here for.
The Diclonius are a mutant species believed to be the next step in human evolution and a threat against humanity. The Diclonius have been captured and isolated against their will in a secret research facility that’s purpose is to study and limit the procreation of them in order to protect humankind from their utter extinction. The Diclonius appear to be very motivated to exterminate humans to make way for their species to rise to the top of the evolution food chain. The main differences between the Diclonius and humans are two very distinct horns that appear atop their heads, and vectors that appear to be invisible arms that they use to control objects around them, for some very exciting results.
Elfen Lied tells a Jekyll and Hyde story of Lucy, a young female Diclonius, who escapes the research facility she was held captive in for years. During her escape, she single-handedly leaves a trail of destruction and carnage but also suffers head trauma that gives her a large dose of memory loss and the inability to fully communicate. The head injury seems to have removed the murderous intent from her personality and leaves her with a more meek and gentle one, Nyu. After escaping, she meets Kouta and Yuka, who provide her with shelter and safety. However, that puts them all in great danger as Lucy’s enemies are nearby and try to recapture her by any means necessary.
Overall, I was a little disappointed by Okamoto’s drawing style as the manga has a more simplistic and blunt manner. Backgrounds... (inhales a deep breathe... holds out both arms at the same time with finger tips fully extended), WHAT ARE THOSE! However, Elfen Lied‘s story easily held my attention the most as it progresses throughout the volumes. When the story begins, it seems Elfen Lied is it heavily focused on nudity and violence for shock value, however, as it progresses we see how these and other themes are used to add more depth to the series.
For example, the manga leans heavily on female nudity throughout the volume; it is not all done in the name of fanservice and contributes to the story. Throughout the series, there are multiple times when Lucy is nude, but I feel the context of the scenes add depth to the story, such as in situations where she is held captive or experimented on and stripped of her clothing. It isn’t meant to be in a sexually alluring way but rather to show how the Diclonious, especially the females, are dehumanized and treated like animal test subjects.
However, in another situation, Nyu suddenly jumps into the bathtub with Kouta, after he accidentally touched her breast earlier. She urges him to touch her breasts again, this time in a more sexual manner. I had mixed feelings about this exchange. On one hand, Nyu is discovering what sexual pleasure is and wants to explore them more with Kouta. Having been isolated from human touch for years, it is understandable that she doesn’t completely understand what these urges and feelings mean.
On the other hand, due to her head injury, Lucy has been left in a state that has essentially infantilized her. Yes, she has the appearance of a grown young woman, and her actions seem to be consenting, but in the end, she also doesn’t know what they mean. Even Kouta, whose hand is held place by Nyu to keep groping, does not feel comfortable with the situation because on some level, even with her verbal consent, it takes advantage of her condition.
Additionally, I especially like how this series explores the theme of nature versus nurture. When the reader meets Lucy, they assume that she is just a bloodthirsty monster that seeks to wreak havoc and that she must behave this way because of her natural Diclonius instincts. However, as the story goes on, we see another side to her when she lives with Kouta and Yuka. Making the reader wonder if her behavior is a result of the lack of nurturing she received, isolation, and abuse she received while being detained in the research facility.
As Always...
4.5 Stars
This Omnibus presents the manga in English for the first time and collects three volumes in one. I was extremly excited to hear the manga will be in English for the first time as I had thoroughly enjoyed the anime. At the time I bought the German edition, forcing myself to learn an entire nyu language for the ability to be able to devour this. I listened to German music, Rammstein, E-Nomine and Alligatoah to increase my German vernacular, but all that amounted to was the edition to whisper, "Du, du hast, du hast mich, du hast mich, du hast mich auf dem Bücherregal sitzen und Staub sammeln"... *sigh*
Enough of a backstory, let's get into what you came here for.
The Diclonius are a mutant species believed to be the next step in human evolution and a threat against humanity. The Diclonius have been captured and isolated against their will in a secret research facility that’s purpose is to study and limit the procreation of them in order to protect humankind from their utter extinction. The Diclonius appear to be very motivated to exterminate humans to make way for their species to rise to the top of the evolution food chain. The main differences between the Diclonius and humans are two very distinct horns that appear atop their heads, and vectors that appear to be invisible arms that they use to control objects around them, for some very exciting results.
Elfen Lied tells a Jekyll and Hyde story of Lucy, a young female Diclonius, who escapes the research facility she was held captive in for years. During her escape, she single-handedly leaves a trail of destruction and carnage but also suffers head trauma that gives her a large dose of memory loss and the inability to fully communicate. The head injury seems to have removed the murderous intent from her personality and leaves her with a more meek and gentle one, Nyu. After escaping, she meets Kouta and Yuka, who provide her with shelter and safety. However, that puts them all in great danger as Lucy’s enemies are nearby and try to recapture her by any means necessary.
Overall, I was a little disappointed by Okamoto’s drawing style as the manga has a more simplistic and blunt manner. Backgrounds... (inhales a deep breathe... holds out both arms at the same time with finger tips fully extended), WHAT ARE THOSE! However, Elfen Lied‘s story easily held my attention the most as it progresses throughout the volumes. When the story begins, it seems Elfen Lied is it heavily focused on nudity and violence for shock value, however, as it progresses we see how these and other themes are used to add more depth to the series.
For example, the manga leans heavily on female nudity throughout the volume; it is not all done in the name of fanservice and contributes to the story. Throughout the series, there are multiple times when Lucy is nude, but I feel the context of the scenes add depth to the story, such as in situations where she is held captive or experimented on and stripped of her clothing. It isn’t meant to be in a sexually alluring way but rather to show how the Diclonious, especially the females, are dehumanized and treated like animal test subjects.
However, in another situation, Nyu suddenly jumps into the bathtub with Kouta, after he accidentally touched her breast earlier. She urges him to touch her breasts again, this time in a more sexual manner. I had mixed feelings about this exchange. On one hand, Nyu is discovering what sexual pleasure is and wants to explore them more with Kouta. Having been isolated from human touch for years, it is understandable that she doesn’t completely understand what these urges and feelings mean.
On the other hand, due to her head injury, Lucy has been left in a state that has essentially infantilized her. Yes, she has the appearance of a grown young woman, and her actions seem to be consenting, but in the end, she also doesn’t know what they mean. Even Kouta, whose hand is held place by Nyu to keep groping, does not feel comfortable with the situation because on some level, even with her verbal consent, it takes advantage of her condition.
Additionally, I especially like how this series explores the theme of nature versus nurture. When the reader meets Lucy, they assume that she is just a bloodthirsty monster that seeks to wreak havoc and that she must behave this way because of her natural Diclonius instincts. However, as the story goes on, we see another side to her when she lives with Kouta and Yuka. Making the reader wonder if her behavior is a result of the lack of nurturing she received, isolation, and abuse she received while being detained in the research facility.
As Always...
4.5 Stars
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.
***
My Social Media
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
My Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/michael_sor...
My Wattpad Account: https://www.wattpad.com/user/Michael-...\
April 8, 2022
Not sure how to feel about this...
I mean I watched Elfen Lied when I was 15 as a teenage in 2004. Then again about 8 years ago with the wife. I enjoyed it watching both times. As a even bigger manga fan than anime, I was excited to try the source material = the manga. However, this feels a lot more....trashy? Than the anime. Maybe it's been awhile since I watched it but this felt a lot more ecchi/hentai-ish than the anime.
So this starts very similar. Lucy (or Nyu when she loses her mind) breaks out of her imprisonment and goes on a rampage, killing anyone who's in her way. As she's escaping she is shot in the head, but her metal mask covers the brunt of it, but as she falls into the water and awakens she can't remember who she is and acts like a kid. She then meets Kouta and Yuka, cousins who are living together now and take her in.
So from there it starts off brutal and goes into much more comedy route. Nyu/Lucy keeps messing with Kouta, having him grab her breast, get her naked, you know. Normal stuff you do to strangers you rescue. Yuka is jealous of her COUSIN, and wonders if he would touch HER breast...COUSINS...yo what the fuck?
Anyway...Soon the people who lost Lucy send people after her. Including a insane person who likes to murder people. This guy is hilarious, over the top, and curses more than me. See Brando is a moron but he's funny as hell, and him yelling "Yo this some exorcist shit" when Lucy goes after him is perfection.
Anyway, the rest of the chapters speed through the anime. Trying to deal with serious situations like child abuse but don't mind displaying panty shots of that said character prior...and after...what? WHAT?
Yeah there's some huge problems in this manga. And the dialogue can be extremely laughable.
Doctor: I need you to spread your seed.
Brando: Doc...are you fucking dumb you fucking idiot?
LOL Good times. For the absurdity I have to read on. A 2.5 out of 5.
I mean I watched Elfen Lied when I was 15 as a teenage in 2004. Then again about 8 years ago with the wife. I enjoyed it watching both times. As a even bigger manga fan than anime, I was excited to try the source material = the manga. However, this feels a lot more....trashy? Than the anime. Maybe it's been awhile since I watched it but this felt a lot more ecchi/hentai-ish than the anime.
So this starts very similar. Lucy (or Nyu when she loses her mind) breaks out of her imprisonment and goes on a rampage, killing anyone who's in her way. As she's escaping she is shot in the head, but her metal mask covers the brunt of it, but as she falls into the water and awakens she can't remember who she is and acts like a kid. She then meets Kouta and Yuka, cousins who are living together now and take her in.
So from there it starts off brutal and goes into much more comedy route. Nyu/Lucy keeps messing with Kouta, having him grab her breast, get her naked, you know. Normal stuff you do to strangers you rescue. Yuka is jealous of her COUSIN, and wonders if he would touch HER breast...COUSINS...yo what the fuck?
Anyway...Soon the people who lost Lucy send people after her. Including a insane person who likes to murder people. This guy is hilarious, over the top, and curses more than me. See Brando is a moron but he's funny as hell, and him yelling "Yo this some exorcist shit" when Lucy goes after him is perfection.
Anyway, the rest of the chapters speed through the anime. Trying to deal with serious situations like child abuse but don't mind displaying panty shots of that said character prior...and after...what? WHAT?
Yeah there's some huge problems in this manga. And the dialogue can be extremely laughable.
Doctor: I need you to spread your seed.
Brando: Doc...are you fucking dumb you fucking idiot?
LOL Good times. For the absurdity I have to read on. A 2.5 out of 5.
April 18, 2021
Um...
This was something. I've never heard of this series, it just popped up on Amazon based on my reading tastes, and I thought the artwork was cute so here we are. Apparently this Manga/anime inspired Stranger Things.
A new human species escapes an experimental facility and heads are rolling... literally. She is found and taken in and cared for, and now has amnesia where she cannot speak or function like her norm.
So yeah, very awkwardly sexualized... for a horror Manga. Just horrible characters overall, questionable "cousin" love, and a plot that is all over the place.
But you know what... I'm interested. I'm still reading, and I'm not skimming, so that says something. Not sure what it is saying, but I'm continuing on.
The one shots at the end, I actually liked? I skimmed one, but the other two - the one with the Barbie sized girl and the one where a life sized doll turned into a real girl... I liked those! 😅
And I hate to say this... but this Manga KIND OF reminds me of Girls by the Luna Brothers... a comic series that I hate. It has that same... weird sexual overtone with the nudity and main character dude being purvy all the time. Naked women killing people, trying to reproduce... yeah same vibes. Le sigh.
This was something. I've never heard of this series, it just popped up on Amazon based on my reading tastes, and I thought the artwork was cute so here we are. Apparently this Manga/anime inspired Stranger Things.
A new human species escapes an experimental facility and heads are rolling... literally. She is found and taken in and cared for, and now has amnesia where she cannot speak or function like her norm.
So yeah, very awkwardly sexualized... for a horror Manga. Just horrible characters overall, questionable "cousin" love, and a plot that is all over the place.
But you know what... I'm interested. I'm still reading, and I'm not skimming, so that says something. Not sure what it is saying, but I'm continuing on.
The one shots at the end, I actually liked? I skimmed one, but the other two - the one with the Barbie sized girl and the one where a life sized doll turned into a real girl... I liked those! 😅
And I hate to say this... but this Manga KIND OF reminds me of Girls by the Luna Brothers... a comic series that I hate. It has that same... weird sexual overtone with the nudity and main character dude being purvy all the time. Naked women killing people, trying to reproduce... yeah same vibes. Le sigh.
April 3, 2023
I’m not entirely sure how I feel about this one. It was a lot darker and violent than I was expecting, but that isn’t what bothers me. I am only rating this manga so highly because of how badass Lucy is. She is an unstoppable force that doesn’t take crap from anyone. But she’s not entirely a heartless monster, either. She doesn’t kill without being provoked.
However, while I love Lucy, I hate Nyu. I understand there’s some trauma in her past that has reduced her to the form she’s currently in, but I find her unbearably annoying. She constantly crosses boundaries and causes issues for the other characters around her. I really don’t like the way she is written. I also would have preferred far less unnecessary nudity. It added nothing to the story and made reading it incredibly uncomfortable.
However, while I love Lucy, I hate Nyu. I understand there’s some trauma in her past that has reduced her to the form she’s currently in, but I find her unbearably annoying. She constantly crosses boundaries and causes issues for the other characters around her. I really don’t like the way she is written. I also would have preferred far less unnecessary nudity. It added nothing to the story and made reading it incredibly uncomfortable.
November 12, 2024
Fun concept. Creepy art.
February 18, 2021
I was in high school when I first watched the Elfen Lied anime, and I remember thinking, even back then, that it was a good, dark sci-fi story buried under a bunch of fan servicey bullshit, and having read this first omnibus, I think this still holds true for the story.
Elfen Lied follows the story of Lucy, aka Nyu, a creature known as a Diclonius. What this means is that she has invisible, seemingly indestructible arms growing out of her back. Raised in captivity and traumatized by her time in there, she reacts violently to those around her, with the opening being her strutting out of her captivity completely naked, ripping people apart with her arms. She then washes up on the shore of a beach and meets Kouta, the series actual protagonist/ audience stand in, and she becomes Nyu, a childish personality with little in the way of communication skills. He spends his time at his aunt's former restaurant with Nyu, his cousin Yuka, and a few other wayward souls. It isn't long before the people that kept Lucy/ Nyu in captivity come looking for her.
Japanese media is notorious for having clashing tones, with video game series like Yakuza actually making opposing genres coexist pretty nicely with one another. It's likely a cultural thing, and often times doesn't translate as well as it could to the West, and that's very much the case here. The opening is pretty damn brutal, showing Lucy as an unstoppable force, with loads of gore turning her into an imposing threat. Then when she meets Kouta and Yuka, there's a whacky scene of Kouta "accidentally" grabbing one of her breasts as she behaves like a baby. This is followed by a scene of a mercenary going on a rant about how much he wants to legally murder someone, and he also gets his arm cut off and eyes gouged out by Lucy at some point.
Point being, this is all over the place in terms of tone. It tries to be a whacky slice of life comedy/harem story, and it's all in detriment to the main plot. The central theme of exploring broken people is intriguing, and there are some genuinely disturbing and powerful moments throughout, but any tension is totally undone by the (extremely creepy) fan service. Nudity, just like anything else, can be used effectively as a storytelling device, but here, it's ecchi shenanigans in the middle of a dark tale. Imagine if Hereditary was interrupted by a 90s softcore porno and you get the idea, although *nudge nudge* Kouta doesn't have sex with anyone and he TOTALLY is put in these compromising positions on accident, and ABSOLUTELY has no interest in banging any of the (young) girls that throw themselves at him because he's... I don't know, a nice guy?
To be honest, he's pretty goddamn bland, and the situations he finds himself in with Nyu and her childishness do nothing to move the story forward, apart from conveying the fact that Nyu is a personality that results from Lucy's past trauma. Meanwhile, Yuka, his cousin, wants to jump his bones from the first page because... reasons? It isn't made clear, but her sole purpose is to be sexually frustrated by Kouta's lack of reciprocation. Then there's another little girl who starts living with them who comes with a pretty dark back story that is involved in the shenanigans. It's emblematic of the bizarrely Japanese trope of the main male character who women (although in this case, girls) can't help but throw themselves at, but he never reciprocates their advances because he's just too cool or oblivious.
Point being, this is a series horribly at odds with itself. Buried underneath the horribly out of place comedy and quite frankly creepy fan service is the potential for a pretty solid, if extremely dark, science fiction story about just how traumatic and evil a place the world can be. It's readable, but you have to wade through so much bad to get to the good. It feels like the first draft to something written by an above- averagely talented 14 year old boy that needs a second pass from a more mature, more experienced hand. If I'd read this when I was a teenager, I'm sure I would have loved it, but as an adult, I kind of need to scrub myself with steel wool after reading this, and not in a good, "God this was so disturbing" kind of way. More of a "please don't put me on a watch list, FBI" kind of way.
There are also three separate short stories in the end that vary wildly. The first, about a misogynistic teenager finding love in the form of a pint sized female clone, is a total dud (he grew up around a bunch of sisters and hates human females now-his words, not mine). The second is the best of the bunch, about a bomb disposal expert who suffers from guilt over the fact that her parents saved her life at their own expense when she was younger. It's easily the most mature part of the omnibus, and mercifully free of the creepier elements of the main story. The final one is about a sex doll come to life, and the protagonist falls in love with it. Surprisingly decent if, again, you can look past the fan service.
Elfen Lied follows the story of Lucy, aka Nyu, a creature known as a Diclonius. What this means is that she has invisible, seemingly indestructible arms growing out of her back. Raised in captivity and traumatized by her time in there, she reacts violently to those around her, with the opening being her strutting out of her captivity completely naked, ripping people apart with her arms. She then washes up on the shore of a beach and meets Kouta, the series actual protagonist/ audience stand in, and she becomes Nyu, a childish personality with little in the way of communication skills. He spends his time at his aunt's former restaurant with Nyu, his cousin Yuka, and a few other wayward souls. It isn't long before the people that kept Lucy/ Nyu in captivity come looking for her.
Japanese media is notorious for having clashing tones, with video game series like Yakuza actually making opposing genres coexist pretty nicely with one another. It's likely a cultural thing, and often times doesn't translate as well as it could to the West, and that's very much the case here. The opening is pretty damn brutal, showing Lucy as an unstoppable force, with loads of gore turning her into an imposing threat. Then when she meets Kouta and Yuka, there's a whacky scene of Kouta "accidentally" grabbing one of her breasts as she behaves like a baby. This is followed by a scene of a mercenary going on a rant about how much he wants to legally murder someone, and he also gets his arm cut off and eyes gouged out by Lucy at some point.
Point being, this is all over the place in terms of tone. It tries to be a whacky slice of life comedy/harem story, and it's all in detriment to the main plot. The central theme of exploring broken people is intriguing, and there are some genuinely disturbing and powerful moments throughout, but any tension is totally undone by the (extremely creepy) fan service. Nudity, just like anything else, can be used effectively as a storytelling device, but here, it's ecchi shenanigans in the middle of a dark tale. Imagine if Hereditary was interrupted by a 90s softcore porno and you get the idea, although *nudge nudge* Kouta doesn't have sex with anyone and he TOTALLY is put in these compromising positions on accident, and ABSOLUTELY has no interest in banging any of the (young) girls that throw themselves at him because he's... I don't know, a nice guy?
To be honest, he's pretty goddamn bland, and the situations he finds himself in with Nyu and her childishness do nothing to move the story forward, apart from conveying the fact that Nyu is a personality that results from Lucy's past trauma. Meanwhile, Yuka, his cousin, wants to jump his bones from the first page because... reasons? It isn't made clear, but her sole purpose is to be sexually frustrated by Kouta's lack of reciprocation. Then there's another little girl who starts living with them who comes with a pretty dark back story that is involved in the shenanigans. It's emblematic of the bizarrely Japanese trope of the main male character who women (although in this case, girls) can't help but throw themselves at, but he never reciprocates their advances because he's just too cool or oblivious.
Point being, this is a series horribly at odds with itself. Buried underneath the horribly out of place comedy and quite frankly creepy fan service is the potential for a pretty solid, if extremely dark, science fiction story about just how traumatic and evil a place the world can be. It's readable, but you have to wade through so much bad to get to the good. It feels like the first draft to something written by an above- averagely talented 14 year old boy that needs a second pass from a more mature, more experienced hand. If I'd read this when I was a teenager, I'm sure I would have loved it, but as an adult, I kind of need to scrub myself with steel wool after reading this, and not in a good, "God this was so disturbing" kind of way. More of a "please don't put me on a watch list, FBI" kind of way.
There are also three separate short stories in the end that vary wildly. The first, about a misogynistic teenager finding love in the form of a pint sized female clone, is a total dud (he grew up around a bunch of sisters and hates human females now-his words, not mine). The second is the best of the bunch, about a bomb disposal expert who suffers from guilt over the fact that her parents saved her life at their own expense when she was younger. It's easily the most mature part of the omnibus, and mercifully free of the creepier elements of the main story. The final one is about a sex doll come to life, and the protagonist falls in love with it. Surprisingly decent if, again, you can look past the fan service.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 14, 2025
Qué lectura tan complicada
August 21, 2023
The way Elfen Lied had a chokehold on me in middle school... Nostalgia is a powerful thing. Reading this I wonder if the anime was much better? Here the drama of the diclonius storyline is constantly interrupted by fanservice and questionable "romantic" elements I wouldn't have batted an eye at 18 years ago, but read muuuuch differently as an adult. 😬 Underage girls, and one character who's waited her ENTIRE life to get together with her cousin and is shocked when he's not interested???
It's too bad because Lucy is badass, and the diclonius are such an interesting scifi/horror story.
It's too bad because Lucy is badass, and the diclonius are such an interesting scifi/horror story.
June 30, 2019
This is an effed-up series, and I do not recommend it for the light-hearted. I disliked so much about this, but I didn’t think the manga deserved one star simply because the mystery at the core of the story is quite compelling. Otherwise, though, I don’t think I will be continuing since the violence against women, the unnecessary gore, and the cousincest really bothered me. Oh well. Just not my thing.
October 23, 2019
I first read this series in high school, never made it all the way through for some reason, but it's definitely got an interesting premise. Since this is the first official English release, it was dope to go back and start it from the beginning.
Elfen Lied isn't phenomenal by any means, but it's got some great ideas. Conceptually, I love the ideas of the "Diclonius" and their vectors, along with the grand "scheme" that the antagonist has plans for. The main character "Nyu" is also interesting and I enjoy the dichotomy surrounding her character.
Since this was released in the early 2000's, it has a lot of the same troupes of manga/anime at the time which seem to bring it down a bit for me. Specifically there's a major focus on gore and nudity. The gore can be used to highlight the gruesomeness of the "Diclonius", but then the nudity is used both in serious segments, as well as comedic ones, and it leaves the series tonally jarring.
I think if Okamoto had taken the characters a bit more serious, instead of using troupes for comedic effect, we would have a series that could be almost as good as another early 2000's classic - Death Note. Instead, those comedic moments take me out of the story, especially when pages before, we were dealing with much--much darker themes.
I'm gonna finish the series when the next omnibus comes out, because I don't think it's awful, I just wished it could live up to the potential.
Elfen Lied isn't phenomenal by any means, but it's got some great ideas. Conceptually, I love the ideas of the "Diclonius" and their vectors, along with the grand "scheme" that the antagonist has plans for. The main character "Nyu" is also interesting and I enjoy the dichotomy surrounding her character.
Since this was released in the early 2000's, it has a lot of the same troupes of manga/anime at the time which seem to bring it down a bit for me. Specifically there's a major focus on gore and nudity. The gore can be used to highlight the gruesomeness of the "Diclonius", but then the nudity is used both in serious segments, as well as comedic ones, and it leaves the series tonally jarring.
I think if Okamoto had taken the characters a bit more serious, instead of using troupes for comedic effect, we would have a series that could be almost as good as another early 2000's classic - Death Note. Instead, those comedic moments take me out of the story, especially when pages before, we were dealing with much--much darker themes.
I'm gonna finish the series when the next omnibus comes out, because I don't think it's awful, I just wished it could live up to the potential.
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.
November 16, 2020
This was really good. I liked the concept of the story and the plot played out well. It was well-paced. I liked all the characters. It was definitely dark in parts, but also partly funny and innocent, or at least Nyu seemed quite innocent in many ways. I also liked the illustrations.
There were three "special" stories at the end of the omnibus, and none of them were related to the story at all. They were all pretty good though.
I am looking forward to the next omnibus.
There were three "special" stories at the end of the omnibus, and none of them were related to the story at all. They were all pretty good though.
I am looking forward to the next omnibus.
May 12, 2024
I’ve been waiting so long for the chance to read this manga omnibus.
Elfen Lied has always been one of my favourite stories since I first found it as an anime and then read the fan made web translation online.
However this was ten times better as it’s been so long since I’ve revisited the story and reading it somehow gives more depth and vibrancy to the characters.
Though I know where this ends just reliving the journey through this first collected volume is such a thrill.
Elfen Lied has always been one of my favourite stories since I first found it as an anime and then read the fan made web translation online.
However this was ten times better as it’s been so long since I’ve revisited the story and reading it somehow gives more depth and vibrancy to the characters.
Though I know where this ends just reliving the journey through this first collected volume is such a thrill.
June 16, 2019
Hey violence and gore. I'm on a roll w/ these types of books. Strong three but nothing amazing yet.
October 26, 2019
I read this to decide whether to buy volume 2. I will -- it is a compelling story. There are three short stories at the end that display the author's imagination.
June 7, 2021
over-sexualized for no reason. insanely good tho. best anime i’ve ever seen and manga i’ve ever read.
April 3, 2024
Awkward perviness and I would definitely skip all the black pages in this one personally. I'm just here for the dicloni story.
March 31, 2021
Elfen Lied was my gateway into anime and Japanese culture when I was younger (I actually credit Elfen Lied and Death Note pretty equally for influencing my mroe cynical lifeview, and being honest I may well have been too young for them at the time). This isn't the first time I've read it, that would've been back around 2010, when Viz and Tokyopop were basically the only publishers in the game that were bringing manga stateside, and this didn't fit with either of them. But it's now available for the first time with an official English translation, and I wanted to show my support. Without this manga my interest in Japanese comics probably would've never gone deeper than Shonen Jump, and as I remember some of the duller times of the magazine, may be completely gone now. I've got some nostalgia for this series, is what I'm saying.
All that out of the way, I still have to try and be somewhat objective. The art is never great, and seldom even good. There's a nightmarish amount of sexism in the series and at times it can be difficult to tell if it's an intentional theme being explored or just product of the time (it's 18 years old now). And the juxtaposition of the scifi horror and slice-of-life aspects sometime come off less as related contrasting pieces and more like separate entities. It presents some of the foundational tropes of manga that may have been somewhat original at the time, childhood friends being the primary one, and I'm not a manga historian, so I can't tell you if they were original, or if they simply weren't tired and overused yet.
What I found to be the best aspect of the manga was the exploration of trauma in a somewhat nuanced way. Somewhat. I'm not saying it's accurate, but it does come off very earnest, and that counts for something. The amnesia of Khota, the Stockholm Syndrome of Nana, and the inferiority complex of Mayu all play off pretty well, and it's the most unifying theme of the series. It's not *about* Lucy/Nyu escaping from the facility and trying to live a free life, that's the plot. The thing it's *about* is how trauma affects us. And I think it handles that well. It's the aspect that has me interested in still reading the series, even though I've mostly been forced to admit the anime is better, though the manga has been improving slowly but fairly consistently. Overall, I give it a 3.75.
All that out of the way, I still have to try and be somewhat objective. The art is never great, and seldom even good. There's a nightmarish amount of sexism in the series and at times it can be difficult to tell if it's an intentional theme being explored or just product of the time (it's 18 years old now). And the juxtaposition of the scifi horror and slice-of-life aspects sometime come off less as related contrasting pieces and more like separate entities. It presents some of the foundational tropes of manga that may have been somewhat original at the time, childhood friends being the primary one, and I'm not a manga historian, so I can't tell you if they were original, or if they simply weren't tired and overused yet.
What I found to be the best aspect of the manga was the exploration of trauma in a somewhat nuanced way. Somewhat. I'm not saying it's accurate, but it does come off very earnest, and that counts for something. The amnesia of Khota, the Stockholm Syndrome of Nana, and the inferiority complex of Mayu all play off pretty well, and it's the most unifying theme of the series. It's not *about* Lucy/Nyu escaping from the facility and trying to live a free life, that's the plot. The thing it's *about* is how trauma affects us. And I think it handles that well. It's the aspect that has me interested in still reading the series, even though I've mostly been forced to admit the anime is better, though the manga has been improving slowly but fairly consistently. Overall, I give it a 3.75.
June 17, 2025
This is a really frustrating read, because it's got an interesting plot and an engaging premise, but the story is completely overshadowed by the ridiculous oversexualisation of the female characters (most of whom are minors), the bizarre cousin-love jealousy subplot, and the stupidity of the main male character who only seems to exist to see up the female characters' skirts, touch their boobs, or otherwise be found in compromising situations that he does little or nothing to avoid. One or two incidents, and you could roll your eyes and move on, but these distressing sexual overtones are relentless. It's impossible to just ignore them and focus on the actual story, which is what I usually do in circumstances like these.
However, if it were possible to ignore it all, and maybe some readers can, the rest of the story is very cool. It's easy to see how this story inspired the creators of Stranger Things - the parallels are very obvious. There's a brutality to the violence that makes it feel very visceral and realistic. There is a covert war going on to control the Diclonius species and their superpowers and all the potential they imply. The different Diclonius we encounter have distinct and interesting characters, and the interactions between them are really interesting - they're not all on the same side simply because they're the same species. Lucy and Nana are particularly interesting characters with complex emotions and motivations.
Sadly, I don't think I can stomach the inherent incel-vibes, so I'll never read on to discover how this all plays out. Who wins the war, where the Diclonius came from, whether Lucy will resolve her split personalities, what the different research doctors are hoping to accomplish etc. etc. There's plenty going on, and plenty to be invested in. Even after finishing this omnibus, I've still got more questions than answers (which was definitely an annoyance while reading. The pacing could stand to be a bit less mysterious).
Overall, a hard pass from me. It's a miracle I finished the volume as is. What a shame that the story had to get dragged down by all the male gaze baggage.
However, if it were possible to ignore it all, and maybe some readers can, the rest of the story is very cool. It's easy to see how this story inspired the creators of Stranger Things - the parallels are very obvious. There's a brutality to the violence that makes it feel very visceral and realistic. There is a covert war going on to control the Diclonius species and their superpowers and all the potential they imply. The different Diclonius we encounter have distinct and interesting characters, and the interactions between them are really interesting - they're not all on the same side simply because they're the same species. Lucy and Nana are particularly interesting characters with complex emotions and motivations.
Sadly, I don't think I can stomach the inherent incel-vibes, so I'll never read on to discover how this all plays out. Who wins the war, where the Diclonius came from, whether Lucy will resolve her split personalities, what the different research doctors are hoping to accomplish etc. etc. There's plenty going on, and plenty to be invested in. Even after finishing this omnibus, I've still got more questions than answers (which was definitely an annoyance while reading. The pacing could stand to be a bit less mysterious).
Overall, a hard pass from me. It's a miracle I finished the volume as is. What a shame that the story had to get dragged down by all the male gaze baggage.
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