The Anime That Inspired Stranger Things – and Why It’s Still Worth Watching Today 2023
An vast global fanbase of the sci-fi/horror TV hit Stranger Things is anxiously anticipating the premiere of the fifth and final season. It’s an intriguing programme whose plot was somewhat influenced by an old anime, and it’s the ideal one to watch while you wait for Stranger Things’ explosive ending to arrive on Netflix.
The Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer discussed the influences on their hit show in a 2016 interview with the Daily Beast. Elfen Lied, which was based on Akira, was mentioned as having been watched by Matt Duffer. “There were a lot of aspects in [Elfen Lied] that I really enjoyed and that found their way into the show,” he continues, “especially linked to the character of Eleven.”
Elfen Lied’s Lucy Bears a Striking Resemblance to Eleven
Elfen Lied was first published as a manga in Weekly Young Jump and was written by Lynn Okamoto. A few years later, Mamoru Kanbe served as the anime’s director and Arms was in charge of the animation. In Elfen Lied, Lucy, a Diclonius (a humanoid species with horn-like extensions on their heads), is the main character. She is also capable of controlling Vectors, which are telekinetic invisible weapons that the Diclonius may use to influence their environment in ways that humans cannot.
Eleven in Stranger Things was clearly influenced by Elfen Lied since Lucy was also imprisoned in a top-secret government facility because of her extraordinary abilities. Inhumane tests and experiments were performed on Lucy while she was being held captive. Lucy goes on a rampage, kills her guards, and escapes from the prison, just as Eleven did. However, Lucy is hurt during the escape and acquires a second personality. This personality is innocent and childlike, has poor communication abilities, and has no memory of her previous selves.
Finding the girl and giving her the name Nyu, two classmates named Kouta and Yuka decide to take care of her and attempt to treat her. However, when other organisations attempt to capture Lucy, this unwittingly places them at the epicentre of a vast government scheme. Kouta and Yuka must juggle life and romance while avoiding government agents, much as the main characters in Stranger Things attempt to reconcile daily issues with a growing existential danger.
Elfen Lied is Much More Adult Than Stranger Things
Similar themes may be found in both Elfen Lied and Stranger Things, however Elfen Lied is darker, more violent, and more ready to be incredibly harsh to its characters. This results in a number of scenes that will make the viewer sick to their stomach and remain in their mind long after the programme has ended. The idea of the human-like Diclonius and the often perplexing nature of the group are handled nicely, and the narrative adds an interesting spin on a number of outsider themes. It also poses the question of what it means to be human, both biologically and philosophically. Elfen Lied employs the anime format to spectacular use, generating some moments that would be hard to reproduce in live-action, making the shows visually quite distinct.
It’s interesting to observe how Elfen Lied influenced other works of fiction, like Stranger Things. Despite the fact that they both deal with the same subjects, they do it in very distinct ways, both artistically and philosophically. This makes Elfen Lied, a terrific and compelling show in of of itself, well worth watching. Those who start watching Stranger Things right away will develop a whole new respect for the series and a better understanding of why Matt and Ross Duffer treated Eleven the way they did.
The Anime That Inspired Stranger Things – and Why It’s Still Worth Watching Today 2023
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