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Netflix boasts a library of thousands of critically and commercially acclaimed shows, but there are some that are sensational in the true sense of the word.Stranger Thingsis undoubtedly one such series, and anime enthusiasts would be elated to find out that it was influenced by anime. However, the glee would be short-lived as the anime that inspiredStranger Thingsis easily one of the most gory and disturbing anime out there titled ‘Elfen Lied’.
First released in 2004,Elfen Liedcaught the attention of audiences with its shocking and explicit handling of mature themes.Elfen Liedwasn’t the only anime that inspired the show, but the anime’s influence is quite evident in the earlier parts of it, as Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer shared during an interview.
Elfen Liedis the disturbingly gory anime that inspiredStranger Things
The first season ofStranger Thingswas released in 2016, and it quickly garnered massive attention from fans. The show begins with a young girl with superpowers named Eleven, escaping from a laboratory. Similarly inElfen Lied, Lucy escapes the experimentation facility and is found by Kouta and Yuka.
Fans who were familiar with both shows found some common themes between them, which were later confirmed by showrunners Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer, more famously known as the Duffer brothers.
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Duringan interview with Daily Beast, Ross Duffer revealed thatAkirawas a huge inspiration behind the show.Matt Dufferadded that he hadn’t watchedAkirain a long time, but another anime that he recently watched influencedStranger Things. It wasElfen Lied, which was in turn inspired byAkira. Matt Duffer said:
More recently I had seen an anime called Elfen Lied that is clearly inspired by Akira. And that was really influential. When I watched it I thought it felt like an ultraviolent E.T. There were a lot of things in there that I really liked and that made their way into the show, particularly related to the character of Eleven.
The beginnings of Eleven and Lucy’s respective character arcs undoubtedly share some similarities, from escaping and being hunted by evil scientists to their superpowers. However, the resemblance extends beyond the main characters.
Similarities betweenElfen LiedandStranger Things
Matt Duffer’s revelation about theinspiration behind Eleven instantly made fans think of Lucy. However, many fans also correctly pointed out that the progression of Eleven’s character arc is closer to Nana fromElfen Lied. They both have questionable ‘father figures’ with similar conclusions.
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As we go through both the series, even more similarities start to surface. So, as Duffer said, there were many things from the anime that made their way into the show. UnlikeElfen Lied,Stranger Thingsis much more palatable, although it has its fair share of dark and emotionally scarring moments.
Stranger Thingsis available to stream on Netflix, whereasElfen Liedis available on Amazon Prime Video.
Laveena Joshi
Anime Writer
Articles Published :926
Laveena is an anime content writer at FandomWire. Having written more than 800 articles, she’s an expert in mainstream shonen series, ranging from the bizarre world of JoJo’s to the expansive worldbuilding of One Piece.With her formal education in Journalism and Mass Communication, she explores entertainment journalism through the lens of anime and manga, from mainstream and classic titles to niche and obscure ones.
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Duffer BrothersStranger Things
