5 hours of FSK-18 carnage new on Amazon Prime Video: this bloodthirsty cult anime was the model for “Stranger Things”!

A young girl trapped in a mysterious research facility uses telekinetic powers to find her way to freedom. This certainly brings back memories of the Netflix mega-hit ‘Stranger Things’ and Eleven – also known as ‘Elfi’ – played by Millie Bobby Brown. But the series this article is about is different – even if the story and the creature at its center bring back strong memories of the mysterious events surrounding the town of Hawkins. And not without reason…

Of “Elven SongOne of the ultimate anime hits of the early 2000s dropped a few days ago on Amazon Prime Video. All 13 episodes of the FSK-18 cult are now available on the streaming platform. A great and, above all, cheap and convenient opportunity to attend the bloodthirsty slaughter without having to spend 50 euros on it DVD* or 60 euros for that Bluray* to spend.

Last but not least, fans of “Stranger Things” and similar material should definitely put the 13-part film on their watchlist. Because the creators of the mega-popular Netflix series, Matt and Ross Duffer, revealed years ago: ‘Elfen Lied’ was the inspiration for ‘Stranger Things’ – and main character Lucy was the model for Eleven.

“Elfen Lied”: Bloodthirsty, tragic and absolute cult

“Elfen Lied” is based on the manga of the same name by Lynn Okamoto, but moves further and further away from the original as the plot progresses – and was (not) concluded with an open ending that has always caused mixed feelings among fans.

In the center is Lucy, a Diclonii/mutant with telekinetic powers. Locked in a laboratory, the girl – in the manga she is 18, in the anime she is only 15 years old – is subjected to cruel government experiments that one day (namely in the first episode of the series) she no longer wants to endure.

She manages to free herself using her powers, kills everyone who stands in her way during her escape without exception – and is eventually picked up by Kouta and Yuka, seriously injured and without any memories. The two take the supposedly disturbed and vulnerable creature into their home and eventually name Lucy ‘Nyu’ – after the only sound they can get out of her. But a special unit is already on Lucy/Nyu’s heels and awakens the monster within her again…

‘Elfen Lied’ is the perfect mix of entertaining (and incredibly bloody) spectacle and depressing drama. Thanks to their crisp length of just under 25 minutes, the individual episodes are easy to watch and score points with a visual power between picturesque anime aesthetics and uncompromising orgy of violence. Yes, the opening scene in episode 1 already makes it more than clear what awaits you here: an atmospheric, intense and quite exaggerated saga in terms of violence – but ultimately delivers more than just carnage.

Because Lucy’s story is also one of abuse, suffering and pain – a story that provides food for thought about the value of humanity, about exclusion and discrimination, prejudice and identity. So the contrasts in ‘Elfen Lied’ can be quite challenging, the cute and the murderous, the depressing and the funny. But ultimately, they are also what make the series so complex, so unique and so special – even twenty years later.

Also new on Amazon Prime Video: “Red Rocket”

With ‘Red Rocket’ you can now also stream an absolute insider tip with your Prime Video subscription, which was released in cinemas in 2022:

In the mix of drama and comedy from the successful studio A24 (“Hereditary”, “Everything Everywhere All At Once”), ex-porn star Mikey Saber (Simon Rex) returns to his home in Texas after a few busy years in Los Angeles. is back with his estranged wife and her mother moves in with him.

In the FILMSTARTS review, the ‘wonderfully, unobtrusively relevant film’, with which ‘The Florida Project’ maker Sean Baker once again sketches a portrait of marginal society, received a solid 4 out of 5 possible stars.