white snails

I'm watching a 14 episode anime series, an adaptation of a manga series called Elfen Lied. The series focuses on the interactions between humans and a mutant species similar to humans. The Diclonius are built in the same way as humans except for two differences: tiny horns on their heads, and transparent telekinetically controlled arms that can manipulate and cut objects within a 2-4m range. Ok, nothing too bizarre, the world of anime has certainly seen worse. The story blends romances and the horror quite well.  

What I find interesting about this series is the range of subject matter that the series tackles: social alienation, identity, revenge, child abuse, jealousy, regret, and the value of humanity. Along with this the series contains graphic nudity and violence, and I mean GRAPHIC! 

The story begins when a particular Diclonius teenage girl escapes from a private facility only to leave a trail of dead bodies behind her. 

I find it interesting the way graphic violence and nudity are utilized in this series. The series does not hesitate to show teenage girls from the age of 13-17 nude battling soldiers with weapons, slicing off their arms and ripping their torsos in half. Yet, in one particular episode a small puppy is brutally beaten to death by a group of children. That particular act of violence is not displayed, the camera angle shifts focus to the blunt object that is being used to beat the puppy. 

Somehow it is permissible in society to show a young girl/child at the age of 8 taking her clothes off for her paedophile and rapist father and yet the camera pans away from a puppy being beaten to death. 

If you are a fan of manga or anime, then this series is definitely worth seeking out. If you know me personally, I'll be happy to burn the series for you. 

The series has been criticised for being a bit on the nose when it comes to certain issues. I agree with this view, sometimes when the social commentary explores abuse or child neglect, it seems a bit obvious and over-done. The viewer knows when tears are being pulled: cue piano music, zoom in on adolescent girl with tears in her eyes. Still, despite this the series as a whole is entertaining and stimulates intelligent dialogue. 

Update on Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 10:36AM by G

Finished the series and the ending is pretty disappointing. Still, there is enough going on in the rest of the series to keep you entertained and talking about some very interesting social politics.