Details of 101 Films release of Elfen Lied

ConanThe3rd said:
I would have liked anything to have happened with the parents, really. Nothing happens with or to them, a big fat load of zip...

For, you see, they were not characters but Plot People. Concepts (In this case Extreme Child abuse and complete abandonment of parenting) that take human form only to become not emotionless alien replicants but unresolved plot threads that crumble into dust upon completion of their horrific task to take over and destroy the medium of storytelling.
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Wait, so unless every single character in a story is fully developed, explained and their story nicely tied up that's somehow "destroying storytelling"? Are there not, in almost every single story ever told, minor players and previous experiences in the lives of the characters who a story actually focuses on? Mayu's mother and step-father were part of her larger story, and though they may have had a major impact on her, they were still only minor characters in the story. They didn't really need or deserve any further screen time - There was nothing else we needed to know about them other than that they were terrible people (for reasons unknown and unimportant) who, at least during the time in which the story takes place, apparently got away with doing some terrible things. While that might not exactly be uplifting, nor can it be said to be unrealistic. Perhaps they were brought to justice, perhaps not. If it's storytelling you're interested in, is the conclusion of their story remotely important? I don't think it is. It's made pretty clear that Mayu won't have any further dealings with them nor they with her. From that point on what happens to them is entirely unimportant from her POV (since she holds neither any love for them nor any thoughts of revenge) and because she is the major character and they aren't, it shouldn't be important to the audience either.

The dub wasn't an issue for me as I watched it subbed (and it's been a little while so I can't recall any specific dialogue problems - but I won't deny that they may have been existent). What was your issue with the violence? I wouldn't have imagined it would bother someone so stridently anti censorship as yourself.
 
One moment I did love in Elfen Lied was when Lucy was at the orphanage and found that puppy. She shared that with one friend, who betrayed her and told the kids who loved to bully her...and they beat the dog to death in front of her. In a moment of despair, Lucy flipped and killed them all and you're left thinking "Wait, did they deserve it? They brutally murdered a dog, they were bastards...but wait, they were children too!".

I'll always remember that moment because well...I love dogs so I hated it..but the questions that scene raised...really thought provoking.
 
ayase said:
ConanThe3rd said:
I would have liked anything to have happened with the parents, really. Nothing happens with or to them, a big fat load of zip...

For, you see, they were not characters but Plot People. Concepts (In this case Extreme Child abuse and complete abandonment of parenting) that take human form only to become not emotionless alien replicants but unresolved plot threads that crumble into dust upon completion of their horrific task to take over and destroy the medium of storytelling.
Click to expand...
Wait, so unless every single character in a story is fully developed, explained and their story nicely tied up that's somehow "destroying storytelling"? Are there not, in almost every single story ever told, minor players and previous experiences in the lives of the characters who a story actually focuses on? Mayu's mother and step-father were part of her larger story, and though they may have had a major impact on her, they were still only minor characters in the story. They didn't really need or deserve any further screen time - There was nothing else we needed to know about them other than that they were terrible people (for reasons unknown and unimportant) who, at least during the time in which the story takes place, apparently got away with doing some terrible things. While that might not exactly be uplifting, nor can it be said to be unrealistic. Perhaps they were brought to justice, perhaps not. If it's storytelling you're interested in, is the conclusion of their story remotely important? I don't think it is. It's made pretty clear that Mayu won't have any further dealings with them nor they with her. From that point on what happens to them is entirely unimportant from her POV (since she holds neither any love for them nor any thoughts of revenge) and because she is the major character and they aren't, it shouldn't be important to the audience either.

The dub wasn't an issue for me as I watched it subbed (and it's been a little while so I can't recall any specific dialogue problems - but I won't deny that they may have been existent). What was your issue with the violence? I wouldn't have imagined it would bother someone so stridently anti censorship as yourself.
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No, I wanted THOSE characters to receive an end point to ether have to be confronted with finality or have that part of the story conclude in any manor whatsoever and given the show revolves around a bunch of mutants who have a tendency to murder things this could have easily happened.
I mean, for goodness sake, the pimply faced teen that got shot down by the third Angel got a freaking resolution. Albeit he crashed his helicopter but it was an ending. Otherwise my previous accusation stands and they remain mere gods in the machine, who only exist to push the character though the story and do no other function. If you had walloped the affected character with a bat marked "Sexual Abuse by a parent" and "Mother looses all parenting faculties" you'd achieve the same effect.

The violence is gratuitous. Violence, much like any other tool of story telling must be used in balance otherwise you can turn the entire production into a farce; As it has been (NSFW, A dood's head flies off).
Elfin Lied tries to have it's cake, eat it. And murder the entire bakery and it's customers.

And yes, I'm against censorship of a program when it makes no sense to do so or otherwise diminishes the work; this is why you will hear me complain from the rooftops about the Jetix Naruto disaster or the stupid censorship methods employed in the likes of Hayate the Combat Butler but if presented with the white blood, darkened scenes or, indeed the Toonami edit of Fist of the North Star, JoJo's Bizarre Adventure TV and Naruto respectively I will be fine with that as it still keeps all the plot points relevant.

It's the subtle difference between a canvas with a beautiful painting of a anatomically simplified naked woman and the same picture with all the details there and in accurate, sore ridden, detail.
 
ConanThe3rd said:
No, I wanted THOSE characters to receive an end point to ether have to be confronted with finality or have that part of the story conclude in any manor whatsoever
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That part of the story did conclude. Mayu left home, her mother gave up custody of her and she carried on with her life. What you actually seem to be saying is that it didn't conclude in the way you would have liked it to, which is a different thing.

ConanThe3rd said:
Otherwise my previous accusation stands and they remain mere gods in the machine, who only exist to push the character though the story and do no other function. If you had walloped the affected character with a bat marked "Sexual Abuse by a parent" and "Mother looses all parenting faculties" you'd achieve the same effect.
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And my opinion remains that they were minor characters who served a purpose but didn't require any further screen time. Yes, they were there to present a part of Mayu's backstory as a storytelling device to explain why she was in the position she was in and behaved in the way she did. Because the usual way to explain in a work of fiction that a character has been sexually abused and had terrible parents... is to describe that they have been sexually abused and had terrible parents (which is exactly what the flashback scene did) rather than hit them with a bat. Besides, every character in a work of fiction is a storytelling device to some degree, they don't all have to be developed and given motivations or a send off. I'm not sure why you think these two particular characters are any more deserving of exposition than say, a waitress who hands a character a drink which they accidentally choke to death on.

ConanThe3rd said:
It's the subtle difference between a canvas with a beautiful painting of a anatomically simplified naked woman and the same picture with all the details there and in accurate, sore ridden, detail.
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But shouldn't we be able to comfortably look at the latter and recognise it as a part of reality? If we can't bear to look horrific things (which is not a description I'm entirely convinced describes a photograph of a naked woman) in the face, then aren't we attempting to delude ourselves that life is nicer than it really is? It might be distressing, but I think it's also important. And while I haven't actually seen a man's head lopped off (perhaps I should) I don't imagine it's all that clean a job.
 
Well I guess my priories lie else where and Elfen Lied's message eludes me so shrouded as it is in it's blood soaked stupidity.

I suppose War in the Pocket would have been a million times better if we saw the beamsaber cooked remains of Bernard instead of being told that his remains resembled more hamburger than man...
 
I'm not saying everything should always be graphic in nature, but I am grateful that not all works of fiction are sanitised.
 
Any piece of work can be violent. If the violence to it's own is the point then fine, if it's to prove a point, that's fine too. What's not fine is where you try to prove a point only to scream out "LOOK AT THIS! ALL THE BLOOD AND GUTS, WHEEEEEE!" at any given opportunity.

It's like having a film where the message is war is hell only to match it to the visuals and world rules of GI JOE or something, it's ether confused or hypocritical.
 
And yet despite that, people are paying silly money for used R2UK copies of Elfen Lied on ebay. Whether there are enough potential buyers to make this re-release profitable at that price point is questionable, but there is some demand.
 
if people want to get this but are put off by the price, i've found two her for around £15
http://www.find-dvd.co.uk/dvd/Elfen-Lie ... 120184.htm
i've personally ordered mine off hive.co.uk, which is a big gamble as i can barely find out anything about their services and that price seems really low, but i got an email yesterday saying that my item was dispatched, so if by wednesday next week it is not here then i'll be worried, i'll post if/when it comes.
i have looked on youtube also and could only find one unboxing video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5QyejgjZyI
 
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