Elfen Lied: Spoiler Free Review

Going back into the darkest depths of Anime, I return to review one of my favorites.

Elfen Lied has one of my favorite introductions of any Anime.  With an opening that oozes with symbolism while biblical passages are sung in Latin creates a truly amazing and surreal atmosphere.  Then the anime begins.

Elfen Lied pulls no punches.  Within the first five minutes of the first episode, there is already a very large body count.  Courtesy of one of the main characters going on a rampage. Alongside Yuno Gesai in Future Diary, Lucy from this anime is one of the more notable Yanderes that I am aware of meaning that in general there is a lot of unstoppable rage and violence.

It is an understatement to say that Elfen Lied would be better called "Everyone Needs a Hug" as this psychological thriller reveals itself. While my greatest criticism of the Anime is that it stops halfway through, forcing one to read the Manga to get the full story,  for what is provided it is among the best.

An emotional roller coaster ride is Elfen Lied and its nonstop from beginning to end as this story explores what it means to be human and showcases the values of friendship, betrayal, hatred, and despair in equal measure.

Also there is a beach.  Attacking girls with unusual hair colors on said beach is ill advised.

I highly recommend this Anime, and recommend even more to read the Manga it is based off of.

Space Dandy: A Spoiler Free Review

Space Dandy Review is a Review Dandy in Space.  Taking a slight break from the media I typically consume, I stumbled upon a much more lighthearted Anime.  This one comes off as a parody of Cowboy Beebop which rarely takes itself seriously.  It is notable that at the time of writing this blog post, one of my roommates considers Space Dandy to be himself in Anime Form.

What happens in this Anime is really too bizarre to truly write down in review form without spoiling things, but one of the best parts of Space Dandy is watching the Anime all the way through and then watching the show a second time once you understand everything.  There is a reason I pointed out that it only "mostly" does not take itself seriously.

Space Dandy's protagonist is the character by the same name and the story follows the many adventures he partakes to find and document rare aliens that have yet to be found out in space.  Since Space is an Ocean is in full effect here, the party is hunted by an Imperialistic organization known as the Gogol Empire that have some nefarious purpose in mind. Space Dandy does not know that they have an interest in him.

Supported by his crew mates Q.T. and Meow (who is really just a leeching stowaway), the three go on adventures while taking breaks at the restaurant "Boobies" better known as "Space Hooters". Laughs are plenty and the action is better than I had originally expected.  Keep watching as you enjoy the comedy as there are some really powerful symbols played around with in the story.

All in all, Space Dandy was just the Anime I needed to recover from the procession of Dark Anime I had consumed leading up until it.  However, the break ended and so the next couple reviews will be of the sort of Anime you would expect of me.

Also, my review of P.F. Davids' Lesser Evil will be coming soon.  Stay tuned for that.