The Duffer brothers have drawn inspiration from several classic series and films to create their horror series Stranger Things. However, one of these sources of inspiration is a well-known anime known for its brutality and other gore elements.
Which anime is it? In an interview with The Daily Beast, Matt and Ross Duffer discussed the sources of inspiration they had for Stranger Things. They mentioned several animes, including the classic film Akira.
But a particularly brutal anime has captivated Matt Duffer. He revealed that Elfen Lied was also inspired by Akira and that it had a significant impact on him. There were many elements in the series that the show creator liked very much. That’s why he incorporated them into Stranger Things.
An example of this is Eleven. She is one of the main characters in Stranger Things. She was trained in a laboratory to develop her mental abilities. As a result, she learns to develop telekinetic powers that can even kill people.
Here you can watch a trailer for Stranger Things:
Elfen Lied is one of the most disturbing animes
What kind of anime is it? Elfen Lied is an anime from 2004 with 13 episodes that makes clear from the first minutes what a high level of violence exists in the anime. The story revolves around the Diclonius, a humanoid species that possesses small horns and telekinetic powers.
The Diclonius can control invisible arms called vectors. They eliminate their opponents without them seeing the danger coming. This usually ends up with body parts and massive amounts of blood flying everywhere. The anime also does not shy away from showing naked characters.
The extreme brutality stands in contrast to the sweet characters. Protagonist Lucy is a Diclonius who develops a cute personality named Nyu due to trauma. Nyu only speaks a few words and acts like a toddler. She alternates between her sadistic and childish side, making her actions unpredictable.
If you want to watch Elfen Lied yourself, you should be prepared for what you’re getting into. Even children are subjected to physical and mental violence. However, if you feel capable of watching the anime, you can find all 13 episodes on Prime Video.
Alternatively, you can also check out the manga, which tells even more of the gruesome story than the anime. If you want to watch a completely different anime that also appears particularly cute at first glance, Made in Abyss might be the right alternative: A brutal highlight among animes that looks like it’s meant for toddlers
