Before the rise of popular and accessible streaming services like Crunchyroll, newly released anime spread by word of mouth over the internet, and fans often watched whatever they could get their hands on. It was during this time that Elfen Lied rose to popularity in the West, and coming across the series would eventually become something of a rite of age for fans of the medium. Many of them, myself included, used Elfen Lied as a gateway into other more obscure anime.

For that reason, the show was largely beloved by the anime watching community, building the reputation of a must-see series during any newer fan's anime-watching journey. As the years ed, however, and anime and manga became more easily accessible to fans outside of Japan, public perception of Elfen Lied shifted. These days, the series is widely viewed as a poorly aged product of its time that was edgy for the sake of being edgy, attracting itself to the unrefined palates of our younger selves.

That wasn't the Elfen Lied that I ed, though, so I decided to sit and rewatch the anime in hopes that the taste of my younger self would be vindicated. Upon finishing, I understood the criticism. The series is absolutely overly edgy at times, a bit self-indulgent, and the story itself often steps on its own toes. But those aren't all necessarily bad qualities. Walking away from the story once again, all this time later, I'm sure that Elfen Lied is good, and I'm tired of pretending it isn't.

Elfen Lied May Be Overly Edgy, But That's Not a Bad Thing

The Series' Lack of Restraint Gives It Charm

Sci-fi anime saw a huge boom in popularity in the late 1990s, thanks to shows like Neon Genesis Evangelion and Serial Experiments Lain. Both series, along with others of the era, were just as complex and weird as they were popular. What followed were countless series trying to capture that similar, elusive artistic vision, many of which now come off as somewhat pretentious. From the generation that gave us Light Yagami and his eventual countless imitators, anime like Chobits and School Days, alongside manga like Mirai Nikki seemed just as concerned with being cool as they were with being good.

Elfen Lied falls into that very specific, edgy category, and that isn't really a bad thing. While its plot is a relatively simple one touching on themes of social inequality and discrimination, the series presents itself as a very complex, serious story. Combining that with its over-the-top displays of violence, fan service, and cruelty, Elfen Lied manages to be so edgy at times that it circles back around to being legitimately cool. Even though I vaguely ed the events of the anime, when something overly dramatic happened and the iconic "Lilium" opened the next episode, I was glued to the screen.

Like the other series of its time, Elfen Lied works because of the confidence that it has in itself. A show can be as edgy or full of itself as it likes, so long as it's entertaining. After all, we wouldn't many of the anime series of the era if they weren't entertaining enough to leave an impression, and they wouldn't have been so influential if they didn't offer anything of quality. To me, Elfien Lied ranks among the anime of the 2000s that have actually aged well.

Elfen Lied's Balance Between Action and Drama is Impressive

The Anime's Character Writing Does Some Heavy Lifting

Although so much of Elfen Lied's attraction lies in how cheesy or over-the-top it can be, it doesn't mean that the series is void of anything unique or substantial. It's difficult for a series to keep its audience engaged and interested, and Elfen Lied is able to do so without slowing down much over its concise 13-episode run. A large part of its success in this area is due to the drama which is woven into the action.

The series' action is fantastic as well, showcasing gory violence that is brimming with style. And underneath those action sequences lies budding romance, sympathetic characters, and set-ups that are legitimately interesting, even if their eventual resolutions leave a little something to be desired. In some ways, Elfen Lied manages its balance of action and drama similarly to the legendary Berserk, allowing the relationships between characters to be the driving force in all its violence.

It's common within the genre that a series' altercations and battles take center stage, while whatever elements of romance that exist between characters are thrown in as an afterthought. Elfen Lied, however, like Berserk before it, is influenced by shojo manga in the way it uses its romance and character relationships as the foundation for its conflict. That way, the audience first becomes attached to the series' characters, and is then forced to care about whatever issues might be endangering them. It isn't a revolutionary writing technique, but one that is largely effective and often underutilized in the medium.

The Rawness of Elfen Lied Works to Its Advantage

Elfen Lied Is Rough Around the Edges And Better For It

Elfen Lied was the first major work of manga author Lynn Okamoto, and it shows at times throughout the series. It's rough around the edges, puts a little too much on its plate, and can sometimes get lost in its own jargon, at least in the case of the manga's version of events. But after my recent rewatch of its 2004 anime, I believe that Elfen Lied benefits from its creator's inexperience more than it's harmed by it.

While it's undoubtedly flawed, the series has a sort of honesty and belief in what it's doing that comes off as genuinely endearing. It stumbles over itself before delivering a harrowing and emotional line of dialogue, and then proceeds to execute a most underwhelming cliché, all the while looking undeniably cool. Elfen Lied just has a charm that so many other 'edgy' works of the time are missing.

After revisiting the anime all these years later, I can confidently say that it deserves the criticism that it gets. However, I can just as confidently say that Elfen Lied is a good series filled with good ideas, raw ion, and unwavering confidence in itself. It isn't a masterpiece by any means, but it's deserving of a watch from newer anime fans who wish to experience a staple of the 2000s.