All Rise...

Judge Mitchell Hattaway once dated a psychotically murderous mutant amnesiac. She dumped him for being too weird.

The Charge

Does time heal all wounds?

The Case

The episodes on this third volume of Elfen Lied waste no time in getting to the good stuff, so neither will we. Rather than rehashing what has come before, let's just dive right in.

As was the case with Volume 2, three episodes are included here:

• Episode 8: "The Beginning"
Following a brief fight between Nana and Nyu, extensive flashbacks reveal some of the events in Nyu's past. We see her as she first begins showing signs of the Lucy half of her personality, as well as the first time she kills a human (it's actually four humans, but three of them really had it coming). We also witness her first encounter with Kohta, who at the time was the one human she actually trusted (although this would change). Meanwhile, back in the present, Nana warns Mayu of Nyu's true nature; Mayu has a hard time believing Nyu and Lucy are one and the same. Back at the facility from which Nyu escaped, Director Kakazawa is visited by his son's former lab assistant; the assistant brings Kakazawa his son's severed head. Kakazawa tells the young woman he will kill her if she does not assist him in continuing his late son's work. Dr. Kurama later learns Kakazawa is not looking to create a vaccine for the Diclonius mutation, but instead wants to isolate the virus in hopes of using it for his own nefarious purposes.

• Episode 9: "Reminiscence"
The flashbacks to Nyu's youth continue. Her friendship with the young Kohta (who is staying in the area while spending time with relatives) continues to grow, eventually evolving into a full-blown crush. Kohta is unaware that his friend is actually the murderer the local police are hunting (Nyu is slaughtering random families, taking over their homes, and then moving on once she has emptied the homes of food). Nyu is upset when she learns Kohta will soon be leaving; the night before her friend is scheduled to return home, Nyu sees Kohta hugging a young girl. Nyu snaps, Lucy takes over, and several people lose their lives.

• Episode 10: "Infant"
Back in the present, Nana and Nyu (now controlled by Lucy) begin fighting; Mayu steps in and tries to stop them. Lucy recedes, leaving Nyu in control. Nana, seeing how innocent and loving Nyu is, apologizes for attacking the other Diclonius. The flashbacks in this episode reveal how Chief Kurama first became involved in his research on the Diclonius virus (he and the younger Kakazawa met in med school). We see his wife give birth to a Diclonius child (wait, you mean he is the real father of you-know-who?) and come to understand exactly why Kurama is under the thumb of Director Kakazawa. This episode ends in the present, with Shirukawa (Kurama's assistant) and another researcher standing outside the vault in which #35, the world's most powerful Diclonius, is being held.

Unless I'm mistaken, this is the penultimate volume in this series. I cannot speak for anyone else, but I'll definitely be sorry to see it end. ?Not to sound like a broken record, but this series simply keeps getting better and better. From the characters and their relationships, to the various ploy threads, to the humor, right on down to the rampant bloodshed, everything about Elfen Lied works.

The technical aspects are once again stellar. The anamorphic transfer is flawless. Both soundtracks are spacious and immersive; the voice acting in the English dub still leaves much to be desired, but to each his own. The extras also fall in line with those found on the previous volumes: You get the expected clean opening and closing sequences, a couple of art galleries, as well as previews for other ADV releases (including one for the fourth volume in this series, in which it appears the you-know-what will really hit the fan).

I love it, I love it, I love it! Without a doubt this is my favorite anime series on the market today, and quite possibly one of my favorites of all time. Elfen Lied once again earns a wholehearted recommendation.

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