It was 2016 when Stranger Things first aired, gripping our attention tightly. This was the first time we were introduced to Hawkins, the long experiment, and the ultra-powerful Eleven. Meanwhile, the Duffer Brothers had a very nostalgic theme in mind that brought the world of Stranger Things to life.
In an old interview with The Daily Beast, Ross and Matt Duffer shed light on an anime that has a heavy influence on the storyline of Netflix’s sci-fi series. “Akira was obviously a big one,” Ross stated. However, Matt added,
But then weirdly it’s like, I haven’t seen it for a long time. 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.
In case you don’t know, Eleven, who is portrayed by Millie Bobby Brown, has utter similarities with the lead character of Elfen Lied.
How Does Elfen Lied’s Storyline Match the Duffer’s Brainchild, Stranger Things?
Lucy in Elfen Lied | Credits: Arms
Elfen Lied is a manga and anime series widening its roots in genres including dark fantasy, science fiction, as well as having elements of horror and even psychological drama. The anime that the Duffer Brothers referred to was released in 2004.
What makes the outing interesting is its similarity with the character of Eleven. In Elfen Lied, the story revolves around a mutant species called Diclonius. Stunningly, the lead of this anime, Lucy, is one of these mutants, possessing telekinetic powers. She escapes the research facility and loses her memory, and is then adopted by two teenagers, Kohta and Yuka.
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Does that ring a bell? In the first season, we saw Enola Holmes’ actress’s condition very similar to that of Lucy from Elfen Lied. With time, we were shown how Eleven possessed supernatural powers, which were later revealed to stem from an experiment. Her character was supported by David Harbour’s Jim Hopper, who took her in. However, it is to be noted that Dr. Martin Brenner is the one Eleven once referred to as “papa” and looked at him as a father figure.
Guillermo Del Toro Had a Great Influence on the Duffer Brothers
It should be noted that the Duffer Brothers are big fans of science fiction and fantasy outings. While Elfen Lied played a crucial role in Eleven’s character development, Vecna was inspired by characters of Guillermo Del Toro.
Talking to the outlet, Ross Duffer mentioned,
We’re big fans of Guillermo. In the company Special Motion that built our monster, the dudes who designed it were the ones who do a lot of Guillermo’s stuff.
In case you don’t know, del Toro is the legendary director of movies, Hellboy, Pan’s Labyrinth, Pacific Rim, and others. He recently came forth with Frankenstein, starring Oscar Issac, Mia Goth, and Jacob Elordi, and a movie available to stream on Netflix.
Let us know what you think of Stranger Things Season 5, Volume 1 in the comments below.
Stranger Things Season 5 Volume 1 is available to stream on Netflix.
