I'm so glad you got to this song. I used to shiver (in dread) just remembering the song. It's a story of a mutant girl who starts off ripping people apart while escaping from a research facility, to getting amnesia and slowly remembering the kind of monster she could be.
@@ThePCeristasmy high school economics class learned this the hard way when they made fun of me watching Shogo Chara just under 10years ago. Elfen Lied is a happy anime 😁
The anime itself is rather generic, outside of the shock value of those sequences. I loved the concept of the Diclonius, but it just didn't live up to this masterpiece of an opening song. Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was and is a flawed show, not done any favours by stilted dialogue. It has a demi-downer ending, and an ambiguous fate for the main lead(Lucy) are some redeeming features. It's a tragedy playing out for everyone involved, and many intertwined tragedies are playing in concert. It's a Greek tragedy where no one gets a happy ending; only some manage to eke out some semblance of reprieve from the torment. Elfen Lied was a flawed show, but that was the point. It reflects us, humanity, in all our flawed cruelty to others... but also in the few moments of kindness that glitter in that darkness like stars in the pitch black of night.
@@Talon1124 The manga is better (obviously) I just got the feeling the studio adapting this series wasn't too much into the story and only interested the action/evil in the story.
This is one of the rare anime that nudity wasnt sexual without distorting the female body. Any animator , artists and inbetween knows how hard to do it. The only show i have seen done the same was hinamatsuri.
Clicked so fast to this video! I'm on the side of "Never saw Elfen Lied, but I know Lilium for over 18 years and it has been an iconic piece ever since", it's just so beautiful and awesome!
I wud highly recommend watching it. Just make sure no kids, or just immature individuals r around. Don’t wanna torture and scar them for life. I grew up watching all kinds of violent shows. Watching crime shows w my dad as a lil kid. And some others later on. But at 16yo, I was simply not ready, just not mature enuf to handle elfen lied.
Elfen Lied was one of my first anime series as well - right before Higurashi, so yeah - that was a phase 😁 The music is beautiful, as well as opening animation, inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt. Back then, I loved that show - now unfortunately I can see all its flaws and to be honest it's not very good 😅 The plot is pretty simplistic and a bit shallow, there's lots of violence (gore, animal cruelty, child SA - we get it already, people are horrible...!), the characters are bland, the tropes and cliches make you cringe etc. Still, I get sentimental when I think about it - it has its moments, so to speak 🙂 But I wouldn't recommend it to a more refined audience - I get a feeling I was somewhat immature back when I watched it in college, and only because of that I was able to enjoy it 😅
@@Shinom4ever It's a bit of both. It has something unique and at the same time it has huge problems. Unlike so many animes, copied from another anime with slight variations in the story.
@@Shinom4ever anime did the manga dirty (as usual in advertisement adaptations back then) I finished reading the whole thing in second year of high school and it was the first time I cried in years
I have been waiting for this one. The anime has flaws but this song is not one of them. The pain, loss and longing this piece conceys even if you don't know the translation is so immense. I would go as far as to say that this song is why Elfen Lied is still remembered so well.
There are many vids of Orthodox choirs singing this song, you’re spot on. Unless people knew it was from an anime, they’d probably never thought that this was from an anime.
Yeah, no. Pretty sure things like Do you remember love from Macross or Zankoku na Tenshi no teeze from Evangelion are way, way waaaaaaaaaaay, more iconic.
@@PolytoxusRex Not even this. Ask anyone that likes anime and only people who watched it may or may not remember it. The ones I said are always remembered and people even heard of it without watching it.
Unfortunately to me it seemed like the only good thing to the show... Though maybe I just remember wrongly but it seemed really disappointing when I watched it forever ago.
Elfen Lied came out at a special time in history. It was the early 2000's, and people were sending shock content to each other. You'd pull up something horrific for your friends to look at in the school computer lab, and this anime was one of those things. It was the first time many of us saw an anime girl cut into pieces. It happens with some regularity in the show. It's a really a time capsule. A lot of 30y old weebs will have stories of seeing clips from it when they were very young.
I think there are two things you never forget after watching the anime, this song and the legendary opening few minutes. That opening scene is something else, and the song haunts your nightmares.
@davidhalstead402 That shit gave me trust issues. Every time an animal appears and seem to bring a bit of happiness to the character, I think it will die brutally.
This piece has stuck with me for decades. For the long time millennial weeb, this series was formative. For many of us this was our first taste of darker and tragic themes in anime. This is true a classic.
where you tricked by "Elfen Lied is a happy anime" joke that was popular when I was still in school or honestly chose to watch it like I did (though MY first dark anime would have to be either deadman wonderland or detective conan depending on your definition of "dark")
Nowadays these shows tend to embrace magical-girl tropes in an effort to copy the success of "Madoka Magica", but "cute characters with incredibly dark plot" was a whole subgenre back in the day. Feel free to check out "Key the Metal Idol", "NaruTaru - Shadow Star", "Bokura no", or "Alien Nine".
@@hooliganj391 Oh on god, it's gotten to the point where I'm actually tired of people trying to make stories dark, it almost never works nowadays without coming off as incredibly edgy.
Elfen Lied was extremely memorable/traumatizing. Glad I watched it but don't think I could bring myself to watch it again, it really is just s series of tragedies.
It has been a long time since I have watched it. Some things I remember are scenes of torture (adults, kids, and animals, although nothing is "scene", just heavily implied), extreme violence, and a lot of people being the worst examples of humans in existence. This anime has made it on numerous lists for top 10 saddest, violent, disturbing animes. I do agree, this is one anime that I don't or won't watch again.
Elfen Lied is from the early 2000s which many would consider the "darkest and edgiest" period for anime, it spawned classics that were extremely morbid and tragic in theming, Elfen Lied just being one of them but also works like Monster, Evangelion, Higurashi, Paranoia Agent, and Boogiepop Phantom. It was a time where there was a pretty pervasive presence of tragedy in themes in the anime space at the time, which stood out when you contrast it to times like the 2020s being the age of isekai or the mid-2010s being filled to bursting with sexy comedies.
5:01 this one seems to be an edited version. Right here it comes the male chorus, without any instruments. I Was waiting for your reaction specially there, but oh Well. Great analysis as always
Lilium is such a throwback, my god- I've always appreciated its close ties to classical music, and getting to hear a bit more about the lyrical context and delving a bit into what makes a Kyrie a Kyrie was a treat 🙌❤
Great reaction! I'm glad it holds up under the scrutiny of an opera singer! Elfen Lied is a series about blood, betrayal, forgiveness, love, and blood. And more blood.
Macro giving us a late Christmas present! I love Elfin Lied and I love Lilium even more so. I forgot the song existed for years until one day it came on auto-play and I froze and felt as if I reunited with an old friend or lover. A sense of happiness and longing pain for having not seen them in so long filled me for the full run time
I'm glad that you've reacted to this, there were quite a few gems in the 2000s that I feel don't get much attention nowadays. I would love to hear your take on Origa's vocals on the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, the song "Inner Universe" in particular.
Fun anecdote: mi music teacher once brought his choir to perform at my school, and they played this song, thanks to that I got a few classmates to watch the show 😂.
I have never clicked so fast. I'm so excited to hear you respond to this, and especially the entire version. The high note is just goosebump giving. Elfen Lied is a very hard anime to watch its so extremely heavy, violent and depression. I've loved this song since middle school.
I've never, ever, clicked a video so fast in my life. Elfen Lied was among one of the first anime I ever saw. Its quite heavy, tragic and has one of the most iconic openings of all time.
My late grandpa on my mom's side of the family passed away late January this year this song was in my head a lot during that time, he was a devout Catholic and spoke fluent Latin
Omg, such an emotional piece from my childhood.. Anyone else watched it when they were a bit too young? (age 12~13 for me) so in retrospect it was kinda traumatic, this definitely wasn't a show for kids.. but i still think its a beautiful show with very emotional music.
I heard many songs but I'm always drawned to the beauty of Lillium. I think it's probably the best piece I've ever heard. When it comes to vocal song, I mean. So pleasing to my ears ❤️
Yes, the lyrics of Lilium are entirely in Latin. It sets the tone and mood for Elfen Lied, which is a VERY dark manga/anime. I think you should watch it whenever you have the chance. It's one of the BEST 2000's manga/anime ever.
As a teenager, I loved this song so much. Now as a Catholic, I loved it even more. Here is the latin and the english translation, respectively: Os iusti Meditabitur sapientiam Et lingua eius Loquetur indicium Beatus vir qui Suffert tentationem Quoniquom cum Probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae Kyrie, fons bonitatis Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison O quam sancta Quam serena Quam benigna Quam amoena O castitas lilium Esse virgo creditur O quam sancta Quam serena Quam benigna Quam amoena O castitas lilium Kyrie, fons bonitatis Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison O quam sancta Quam serena Quam benigna Quam amoena O castitatis lilium The mouth of the Just shall meditate wisdom, And His tongue shall declare judgment. Blessed is he who endureth temptation, For once he hath been tested, he shall receive the crown of life. Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness, Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy. Oh how holy, how serene, How generous, how pleasant this Virgin who believeth. Oh how holy, how serene, How generous, how pleasant, Oh Pure Lily. Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness, Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy.
Yay, I'm glad one of my recommendations got picked, thanks Marco, I've been watching since you first started doing video game music, I'm glad you branched out into anime.
Was waiting for you to finally see/hear this one and have it blow your mind; it's one of the most recognizable pieces of anime music of all time for a reason. Not often you hear something in Anime that's Minor Key to this degree, and while Minor Key is generally meant to be sad or mournful, in this case there's something incredibly beautiful about it. This is one I always wished we'd have played in band in High School, even without the lyrics it sounds amazing.
I'm glad you checked out this anime. Elfen Lied is one of my favorite anime & opening songs. This anime is pretty tragic & dark. So the sadness of the song "Lilium" matches the tone of this anime perfectly.
A cartoon was made. The writers and producers got together and decided, " what our show needs is an operatic aria." Then they F'ing did it. In Latin. Truly unexpected beauty. Subscribed.
This was the first piece of music I ever heard that brought me to tears as a kid. That latter half at 5:00 gets me every time. An emotional response that wasn't topped until I experienced Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0's "Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara" and Lorna Shore;s Pain Remains Trilogy
omg marco, if you liked this, you might enjoy "Canta per me by Yuriko Kaida" from Noir! its another 'oldschool' anime, and that track is what introduced me to downloading anime soundtracks :)
Great taste! Supporting this suggestion. As a gentle "by the way" because I love her work so much, the song is performed by Yuriko Kaida but composed by Yuki Kajiura. Yuki loves to genre blend and she always makes it work. Great reaction material.
Yuki Kajiura did lots of Anime Scores, all of which are superb: Noir, Aquarian Age, Petit Cossette, Earth Girl Arjuna, .hack//SIGN, Sword Art Online, ... She is also behind the formation "Kalafina". (A friend of mine collects everything ...) She often uses an invented language on her pieces, called "Kajiurian", similar to what Karl Jenkins did in "Adiemus", for those who do remember.
WE ARE SO BACK I remember my teen times when i learned abt the anime and this song at first. Didn't have a clue what it was abt and i had no internet to search. It was only around 2016 or so , when i got my first pc, that i watched it. I... did NOT expect what would happen there. But nevertheless, one of my favorite anime, if not for the g/l-ore, then for this song.
Another song you might like that has opera elements is "Diva's song" from the anime Blood + I doubt you've got many recommendations of it, and I know you're busy, but it's always been a song that resonated with me. I always thought of it as hauntingly beautiful. Glad to see you covered this one though. Another favorite, even though I prefer the musical box version of it.
This song has survived on my melancholy songs list along with only two others from anime both of which I highly recommend. Those are 'Karma' Requiem for the Phantom opening theme (there are full versions of it) and 'Diva's Song' from Blood+. Diva's Song is much more classical in style and is performed by soprano Elin Carlson and she gets to show off her full range in that one, its really something!
I'm torn between recommending the first Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom~ OP (Koika, "Karma") or the first ED (Jigoku no Mon) or the second OP, both by ALI Project. ALI Project seems to take a lot of inspiration from the Classical/Romantic era. Spoiler guard... I dare people to listen to Jigoku no Mon, and tell me they can't hear Brahm's Hungarian Dance No. 5 in there
Still one of my favourite animes, its weird,sad,crazy and the music is memorable. "You were a happy dream in a life that’s been nothing but a hellish nightmare." Lucy - Elfen Lied
@@Nebula9696_If there's a moral for the show it's showing that humans can be more monstrous than literal monsters, so don't go in expecting anything happy ever. I'm glad I watched it, but man there's parts I will just never watch again because they're so brutal. The first 10 minutes of slaughtering a bunch of people -- with visible neck bones and such -- is easy mode compared to the later abuse.
This song always gives me the shivers. Another one of those songs is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni by Eiko Shimamiya. I watched both anime knowing nothing about them and got hit so hard.
Elfen Lied ist one of my all time favorit Anime and Lilium is amazing. It is nice to see a professional Perspektive of it. And your sinning is also stunning. Thank you for bring back some old Memorys of mine
Lithium and Oblivious are the most soul wrenching opera-like songs I've carried in my heart for like... Oh God fifteen-twenty years now almost? Would love to hear a take on that one too😊
I watched this anime before, still remember how traumatizing it made me feel but I somehow can't associate the scenes that I think I remember as traumatizing to the feeling that I remember. Perhaps this is the best way to cure from the trauma that is by disassociating the feelings from the scenes only seeing them in a 3rd person view
To me, is really crazy that a gory anime with an objectively weird narrative can have a part of it so artistically beautiful it is hardly found elsewhere. That's anime to me.
I haven't watched much anime, it's not really my thing, but I heard this the first time, and it drew me in so hard. It's so good and really drives the anticipation for what is happening and what will come.
8:11 No need to apologize, if anything it makes me sad that there is no Marco cover version of Lilium. The melody has been stuck in my brain for what must be two thirds of my life now. And I'm not complaining. Ah, but speaking of cover versions: the version by Nadia Carolina Castillo is also really nice. A very slightly different flavor of the piece, with only a piano to accompany the voice. With the strings stripped away, the piece becomes warmer.
Unironically Elfen lied is one of the classics in the Anime genre itself. From the time it came it was one of the darkest openings in anime I have ever seen which is not all that surprising nowadays but when it came out it was almost revolutionary at least for me. My child brain did not know that time that an anime can go this dark and gory.
I'm once again going to just drop a request for Marco to hopefully one day react to IronMouse singing "When I Look At You", or perhaps one of her other more operatic performances. Her life story is very touching, which IronMouse fans can 100% break down for Marco if he needs it. Also for another operatic anime moment, check out Diva's Song from Blood+
Ah yes, one of the most traumatizing memory of my childhood. I don't even remember what is anime about but hearing this instantly gives me chills and instills a sense of sadness and despair.
One of the first animes I watched in the 00's. My first anime was Evangelion. Second was Monster (recommend watching the OP and credits music as well). Then I saw Elfen Lied. Beautiful opening song, but it was rough to watch.
The rendition by Choir Dzvinochock Kyiv is excellent and worth a listen/reaction. First results if you search “2013 lilium elfen lied” has 1.7m views and was posted on Dec 2019.
I actually performed this song in high school as a solo piece for a choir festival! Or, at least, I /tried/ too... 🤔 Someone told me the wrong date to have our approval deadlines submitted by. But I still remember every word... It's such a beautiful piece.
Elfen Lied was ne of my first ever anime and it holds such a special place in my heart! As does Lilium. if you ever want to hear a very very good cover of Lilium with more accurate latin pronounciation there is one by Grissini Project Basically there is a recently emerged subspecies of human with horns and essentially telekinetic limbs, this is kept secret by scientists and there are studied on and kept in inhumane conditions. Our primary character Lucy escapes from this facility in an iconic and much remembered gory scene as she uses her telekinetic limbs to tear through any in her way to freedom. One she does get outside of the facility she is shot in the head by a sniper and falls into the ocean, only to wake up on the shore without any memories in front of a human boy. Much of the story follows their life together and the uncovering of just what she is, why so many people are hunting her and whether or not the subspecies has an innate propensity towards violence.
This was the first Anime opening i ever sat down for since it was the first anime i wanted to fully watch to become an otaku i guess, The anime is indeed very sad and has alot of old gruesome scenes that made me immune to alot of gore for anime, but the song has stuck with me for years ever since i heard it and i like to think of my first cat that passed away when i hear this song.
As someone fully on the anime side of things, it's always a pleasure when there's overlap with other interests, and seeing people who might not be that familiar with anime react to songs that I really like. This one is pretty old, but very nostalgic.
this particular.. song or piece or whatever anyone names it, living rent free in my head from day one, probably over 10 years now, that I watched this series along side the Elfen Lied manga and I cannot forget about it ever, just carrying all the sadness and pain I felt with it my whole life.
I'm surprised u actually got rev this. It's been nearly 2 decades since I 1st watched Elfen Lied & I always loved the op not only in the song but in the visuals as well. There's only 1 other anime that has somethin EXACTLY like this & it's directed by the same person lol. It generally has a completely diff tone tho lol. It was somethin I watched before I knew wut anime was(like I didn't have the knowledge to know y certain shows I watched were diff lol). Saw this too young but I still like it lol. Glad u saw it
I saw Lilium in title in the YT recommendations and I quickly clicked it!!! Watching this gives me hope for Marco reacting and commenting about the duality of the OSTs Seirei and Hanten Tohka from Date A Live. The anime is sure not a master piece and not for everyone, but the OST are godly ones. Specially I hope he react/comment about those two OSTs in a single video
Oh Wow! Thanks for reminding me this beautiful song from the anime Elfen Lied right before the New Year. This is one of the best anime ever made, even with the extreme gore and nudity, as they're essential for the plot.
I think the theme of "Innocence Lost" summarizes Elfen Lied well, both the narrative of the anime as well as the profound effect it had on people who watched it. I never looked up a translation to the lyrics of Lilium before, but it definitely sounds like irony to me. The grim narrative of Elfen Lied and the forlorn tone of the singer are definitely implying something deeper than the lyrics let on.
The anime, honestly, may very well not be worth it for many people, it's a very 00's product, but this one particular song has been a mainstay for me for so many years, it's usually the first thing I sing in the morning, it's so satisfying to just drift along on.
it's time!
Really was expecting this one 🔥
I was expecting this!!!!❤❤
Does that mean you will cover this? By the way Lilium has some AMAZING covers you should check out in private
so episodes are exclusive to patreon? not public overtime?
I'm so glad you got to this song. I used to shiver (in dread) just remembering the song. It's a story of a mutant girl who starts off ripping people apart while escaping from a research facility, to getting amnesia and slowly remembering the kind of monster she could be.
Marco: "There is a tragedy that is occurring here"
Everyone who watched this: "What do you mean with 'a' tragedy?"
The first 10 minutes of the show will never be forgotten xD
@@ThePCeristasmy high school economics class learned this the hard way when they made fun of me watching Shogo Chara just under 10years ago. Elfen Lied is a happy anime 😁
@@ThePCeristas the last 10 minute too
The anime itself is rather generic, outside of the shock value of those sequences.
I loved the concept of the Diclonius, but it just didn't live up to this masterpiece of an opening song.
Don't get me wrong, I liked it, but it was and is a flawed show, not done any favours by stilted dialogue. It has a demi-downer ending, and an ambiguous fate for the main lead(Lucy) are some redeeming features.
It's a tragedy playing out for everyone involved, and many intertwined tragedies are playing in concert. It's a Greek tragedy where no one gets a happy ending; only some manage to eke out some semblance of reprieve from the torment.
Elfen Lied was a flawed show, but that was the point. It reflects us, humanity, in all our flawed cruelty to others... but also in the few moments of kindness that glitter in that darkness like stars in the pitch black of night.
@@Talon1124 The manga is better (obviously) I just got the feeling the studio adapting this series wasn't too much into the story and only interested the action/evil in the story.
Me, 16 years old, "There nudity in this show, I'll watch it!".
Oh, what a fool I was. Took me a week to mend my broken heart.
I watched it when I was twelve and had nightmares for weeks
Me too. I dont even remember what happens in the show, but just mentioning Elfen Lied or hearing this OP fills me with an insane dread.
Oh god the dog scene killed me inside.
7 y o me: "oh, big sis is watching a cartoon, I wanna watch too"
This is one of the rare anime that nudity wasnt sexual without distorting the female body.
Any animator , artists and inbetween knows how hard to do it.
The only show i have seen done the same was hinamatsuri.
Clicked so fast to this video! I'm on the side of "Never saw Elfen Lied, but I know Lilium for over 18 years and it has been an iconic piece ever since", it's just so beautiful and awesome!
I wud highly recommend watching it. Just make sure no kids, or just immature individuals r around. Don’t wanna torture and scar them for life. I grew up watching all kinds of violent shows. Watching crime shows w my dad as a lil kid. And some others later on. But at 16yo, I was simply not ready, just not mature enuf to handle elfen lied.
Elfen lied was one of the first anime I ever watched from start to finish. It's been so many years... Gosh I loved it back then.
Same. It's too violent for me as a show, but the song is something I've enjoyed for years too
Elfen Lied was one of my first anime series as well - right before Higurashi, so yeah - that was a phase 😁
The music is beautiful, as well as opening animation, inspired by the works of Gustav Klimt.
Back then, I loved that show - now unfortunately I can see all its flaws and to be honest it's not very good 😅
The plot is pretty simplistic and a bit shallow, there's lots of violence (gore, animal cruelty, child SA - we get it already, people are horrible...!), the characters are bland, the tropes and cliches make you cringe etc.
Still, I get sentimental when I think about it - it has its moments, so to speak 🙂 But I wouldn't recommend it to a more refined audience - I get a feeling I was somewhat immature back when I watched it in college, and only because of that I was able to enjoy it 😅
@@baileydombroskie3046 I wasnt scared when I watched it at 13... I'm perfectly fine. For sure.
"i was not close"
Lyrically? No
The anime?
Oh no, you picked something up with regards to tone and theme.
In the anime, there is a version of this song played on a music box. Even without lyrics and traditional instruments, the melody is still haunting.
If theres any song i would love to hear you cover, its this one
Absolutely, YES! I would LOVE that. 😆
let me explore - probably on the main channel though!
@@Marcoweebball i look forward to it if you do, i've only seen one other male cover of Lilium.
Oh, elfenlied.. I haven't heard that name in years...🚬
Ikr? It's brilliant, yet underrated.
@@hieioni3354 I'm sorry but is not brilliant at all, at least the anime.
@@Shinom4ever It's a bit of both. It has something unique and at the same time it has huge problems. Unlike so many animes, copied from another anime with slight variations in the story.
Dunno why, it is becoming more popular this year(s? Maybe 2025 will too)
Still what an opening, what a piece of art
@@Shinom4ever anime did the manga dirty (as usual in advertisement adaptations back then) I finished reading the whole thing in second year of high school and it was the first time I cried in years
I have been waiting for this one. The anime has flaws but this song is not one of them. The pain, loss and longing this piece conceys even if you don't know the translation is so immense. I would go as far as to say that this song is why Elfen Lied is still remembered so well.
If they remade the anime without the fan service-y cringe (nudity is fine), I think it'd be a 10/10 masterpiece for me.
@@RuankuI don't even remember any fan service, the nudity came out from Lucy either not caring at all or Nyu being brain damaged.
There are many vids of Orthodox choirs singing this song, you’re spot on. Unless people knew it was from an anime, they’d probably never thought that this was from an anime.
This one has to be one of the most iconic music pieces of the whole anime medium
I've never forgotten this piece even once. It's so iconic. I love how beautiful and haunting it is and hate how it brought me nightmares. 😅
Yeah, no. Pretty sure things like Do you remember love from Macross or Zankoku na Tenshi no teeze from Evangelion are way, way waaaaaaaaaaay, more iconic.
@@theLikou1they said it's ONE of the most iconic, not THE most iconic ever, chill dude
It is unforgettable.
@@PolytoxusRex Not even this. Ask anyone that likes anime and only people who watched it may or may not remember it. The ones I said are always remembered and people even heard of it without watching it.
Lilium is one of my favorite openings from its time. It's full of so much emotions and really sets the tone for Elfen Lied.
and then you have the ending that was actually a banger, that shit was so damned catchy.
Unfortunately to me it seemed like the only good thing to the show... Though maybe I just remember wrongly but it seemed really disappointing when I watched it forever ago.
Elfen Lied came out at a special time in history. It was the early 2000's, and people were sending shock content to each other. You'd pull up something horrific for your friends to look at in the school computer lab, and this anime was one of those things. It was the first time many of us saw an anime girl cut into pieces. It happens with some regularity in the show. It's a really a time capsule. A lot of 30y old weebs will have stories of seeing clips from it when they were very young.
I think there are two things you never forget after watching the anime, this song and the legendary opening few minutes. That opening scene is something else, and the song haunts your nightmares.
Unfortunately I'll never forget the dog....
@@davidhalstead402 yeah, that was fucking sad man.
It shows how kids that are not well raised can become really cruel.
To me the ending is something i wont forget, the part where the horn is going through the air when Lucy ends it.
@davidhalstead402 That shit gave me trust issues. Every time an animal appears and seem to bring a bit of happiness to the character, I think it will die brutally.
This piece has stuck with me for decades.
For the long time millennial weeb, this series was formative. For many of us this was our first taste of darker and tragic themes in anime.
This is true a classic.
where you tricked by "Elfen Lied is a happy anime" joke that was popular when I was still in school or honestly chose to watch it like I did (though MY first dark anime would have to be either deadman wonderland or detective conan depending on your definition of "dark")
@chemislife nah lol knew most of what i was getting into
Nowadays these shows tend to embrace magical-girl tropes in an effort to copy the success of "Madoka Magica", but "cute characters with incredibly dark plot" was a whole subgenre back in the day. Feel free to check out "Key the Metal Idol", "NaruTaru - Shadow Star", "Bokura no", or "Alien Nine".
Wolf's Rain was the first anime I ever watched from start to end, Elfen Lied the second.
@@hooliganj391 Oh on god, it's gotten to the point where I'm actually tired of people trying to make stories dark, it almost never works nowadays without coming off as incredibly edgy.
Elfen Lied was extremely memorable/traumatizing. Glad I watched it but don't think I could bring myself to watch it again, it really is just s series of tragedies.
do you remember anything about it beyond opening and it being traumatizing?
@@solitudesf8111 Yes
@@solitudesf8111 I remember a puppy.
It has been a long time since I have watched it. Some things I remember are scenes of torture (adults, kids, and animals, although nothing is "scene", just heavily implied), extreme violence, and a lot of people being the worst examples of humans in existence. This anime has made it on numerous lists for top 10 saddest, violent, disturbing animes. I do agree, this is one anime that I don't or won't watch again.
Elfen Lied is from the early 2000s which many would consider the "darkest and edgiest" period for anime, it spawned classics that were extremely morbid and tragic in theming, Elfen Lied just being one of them but also works like Monster, Evangelion, Higurashi, Paranoia Agent, and Boogiepop Phantom. It was a time where there was a pretty pervasive presence of tragedy in themes in the anime space at the time, which stood out when you contrast it to times like the 2020s being the age of isekai or the mid-2010s being filled to bursting with sexy comedies.
Elfen Lied came out in 2004 and Higurashi in 2006. So mid 2000s is more accurate.
Evangelion came out in the mid-90's.
did you have an ai write this comment
@@Painocus Rebuild 1.0 was 07 so I'd consider it early to mid-2000s
Wasn't Blood-c in there somewhere?
5:01 this one seems to be an edited version. Right here it comes the male chorus, without any instruments. I Was waiting for your reaction specially there, but oh Well. Great analysis as always
There are multiple iterations of this piece in the soundtrack, pure female vocal, extended with male chorus, acapella, music box etc.
If you haven't seen the actual opening video, I recommend it! The Klimt-inspired artwork is gorgeous
Lilium is such a throwback, my god- I've always appreciated its close ties to classical music, and getting to hear a bit more about the lyrical context and delving a bit into what makes a Kyrie a Kyrie was a treat 🙌❤
Great reaction! I'm glad it holds up under the scrutiny of an opera singer! Elfen Lied is a series about blood, betrayal, forgiveness, love, and blood. And more blood.
Macro giving us a late Christmas present! I love Elfin Lied and I love Lilium even more so.
I forgot the song existed for years until one day it came on auto-play and I froze and felt as if I reunited with an old friend or lover. A sense of happiness and longing pain for having not seen them in so long filled me for the full run time
I'm glad that you've reacted to this, there were quite a few gems in the 2000s that I feel don't get much attention nowadays. I would love to hear your take on Origa's vocals on the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex series, the song "Inner Universe" in particular.
Yeah Inner Universe is one of my favorites
Fun anecdote: mi music teacher once brought his choir to perform at my school, and they played this song, thanks to that I got a few classmates to watch the show 😂.
Did your classmates got scared for life?
I have never clicked so fast. I'm so excited to hear you respond to this, and especially the entire version. The high note is just goosebump giving. Elfen Lied is a very hard anime to watch its so extremely heavy, violent and depression. I've loved this song since middle school.
I've never, ever, clicked a video so fast in my life. Elfen Lied was among one of the first anime I ever saw. Its quite heavy, tragic and has one of the most iconic openings of all time.
My late grandpa on my mom's side of the family passed away late January this year this song was in my head a lot during that time, he was a devout Catholic and spoke fluent Latin
Omg, such an emotional piece from my childhood.. Anyone else watched it when they were a bit too young? (age 12~13 for me) so in retrospect it was kinda traumatic, this definitely wasn't a show for kids.. but i still think its a beautiful show with very emotional music.
I heard many songs but I'm always drawned to the beauty of Lillium. I think it's probably the best piece I've ever heard. When it comes to vocal song, I mean. So pleasing to my ears ❤️
Holy, its been so long since i listened to lillium, the chills!
Thanks for the video!.
This is the #1 piece I wanted Marco to react to. This song hit me so hard when I first heard it years ago.
Yes, the lyrics of Lilium are entirely in Latin. It sets the tone and mood for Elfen Lied, which is a VERY dark manga/anime. I think you should watch it whenever you have the chance. It's one of the BEST 2000's manga/anime ever.
As a teenager, I loved this song so much.
Now as a Catholic, I loved it even more. Here is the latin and the english translation, respectively:
Os iusti
Meditabitur sapientiam
Et lingua eius
Loquetur indicium
Beatus vir qui
Suffert tentationem
Quoniquom cum
Probates fuerit accipient coronam vitae
Kyrie, fons bonitatis
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison
O quam sancta
Quam serena
Quam benigna
Quam amoena
O castitas lilium
Esse virgo creditur
O quam sancta
Quam serena
Quam benigna
Quam amoena
O castitas lilium
Kyrie, fons bonitatis
Kyrie, ignis divine, eleison
O quam sancta
Quam serena
Quam benigna
Quam amoena
O castitatis lilium
The mouth of the Just shall meditate wisdom,
And His tongue shall declare judgment.
Blessed is he who endureth temptation,
For once he hath been tested, he shall receive the crown of life.
Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness,
Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy.
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant this Virgin who believeth.
Oh how holy, how serene,
How generous, how pleasant,
Oh Pure Lily.
Oh Lord, Fountain of Holiness,
Oh Lord, Fire Divine, have mercy.
Yay, I'm glad one of my recommendations got picked, thanks Marco, I've been watching since you first started doing video game music, I'm glad you branched out into anime.
Was waiting for you to finally see/hear this one and have it blow your mind; it's one of the most recognizable pieces of anime music of all time for a reason. Not often you hear something in Anime that's Minor Key to this degree, and while Minor Key is generally meant to be sad or mournful, in this case there's something incredibly beautiful about it. This is one I always wished we'd have played in band in High School, even without the lyrics it sounds amazing.
I'm glad you checked out this anime. Elfen Lied is one of my favorite anime & opening songs. This anime is pretty tragic & dark. So the sadness of the song "Lilium" matches the tone of this anime perfectly.
You were spot on with your initial interpretation, not for the lyrics, but for the story of the anime. Amazing.
A cartoon was made. The writers and producers got together and decided, " what our show needs is an operatic aria."
Then they F'ing did it. In Latin.
Truly unexpected beauty.
Subscribed.
This was the first piece of music I ever heard that brought me to tears as a kid. That latter half at 5:00 gets me every time. An emotional response that wasn't topped until I experienced Rebuild of Evangelion 2.0's "Kyou no Hi wa Sayounara" and Lorna Shore;s Pain Remains Trilogy
omg marco, if you liked this, you might enjoy "Canta per me by Yuriko Kaida" from Noir! its another 'oldschool' anime, and that track is what introduced me to downloading anime soundtracks :)
Great taste! Supporting this suggestion. As a gentle "by the way" because I love her work so much, the song is performed by Yuriko Kaida but composed by Yuki Kajiura. Yuki loves to genre blend and she always makes it work. Great reaction material.
Yuki Kajiura did lots of Anime Scores, all of which are superb:
Noir, Aquarian Age, Petit Cossette, Earth Girl Arjuna, .hack//SIGN, Sword Art Online, ...
She is also behind the formation "Kalafina". (A friend of mine collects everything ...)
She often uses an invented language on her pieces, called "Kajiurian", similar to what Karl Jenkins did in "Adiemus", for those who do remember.
WE ARE SO BACK
I remember my teen times when i learned abt the anime and this song at first.
Didn't have a clue what it was abt and i had no internet to search. It was only around 2016 or so , when i got my first pc, that i watched it.
I... did NOT expect what would happen there.
But nevertheless, one of my favorite anime, if not for the g/l-ore, then for this song.
Another song you might like that has opera elements is "Diva's song" from the anime Blood + I doubt you've got many recommendations of it, and I know you're busy, but it's always been a song that resonated with me. I always thought of it as hauntingly beautiful.
Glad to see you covered this one though. Another favorite, even though I prefer the musical box version of it.
I've been wanting you to react to this since i first found you. Glad you finally got to it.
This song has survived on my melancholy songs list along with only two others from anime both of which I highly recommend. Those are 'Karma' Requiem for the Phantom opening theme (there are full versions of it) and 'Diva's Song' from Blood+. Diva's Song is much more classical in style and is performed by soprano Elin Carlson and she gets to show off her full range in that one, its really something!
I'm torn between recommending the first Phantom ~ Requiem for the Phantom~ OP (Koika, "Karma") or the first ED (Jigoku no Mon) or the second OP, both by ALI Project.
ALI Project seems to take a lot of inspiration from the Classical/Romantic era.
Spoiler guard...
I dare people to listen to Jigoku no Mon, and tell me they can't hear Brahm's Hungarian Dance No. 5 in there
Still one of my favourite animes, its weird,sad,crazy and the music is memorable.
"You were a happy dream in a life that’s been nothing but a hellish nightmare." Lucy - Elfen Lied
Those triplet arpeggios the piano plays behind the second "Kyrie" will always make me think of _that_ one moment in the final episode.
_"Papa!"_ 😭😭😭
Omg! Didn't know you never heard that one! What a treat it is to see your reaction to it
Genuinely one of my favorite songs to listen to casually. Should probably get around to watching Elfen Lied one day
The opening is incredible, but don't go into the anime expecting an actual masterpiece. It's edge at its most 2000s.
@chaospudding yeah, I've heard that it has some problems, but still curious about what it is
@@Nebula9696_If there's a moral for the show it's showing that humans can be more monstrous than literal monsters, so don't go in expecting anything happy ever.
I'm glad I watched it, but man there's parts I will just never watch again because they're so brutal. The first 10 minutes of slaughtering a bunch of people -- with visible neck bones and such -- is easy mode compared to the later abuse.
Holy moly, now this is a blast from the past o_O
Oh boy this brings me back, as a 12 year old Elfen Lied was one of my very first ever anime, the opening left a lifelong mark on my soul
This song always gives me the shivers. Another one of those songs is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni by Eiko Shimamiya. I watched both anime knowing nothing about them and got hit so hard.
It must be at least over 10 years the last time I have listened this. I lost my breathe, gave me crazy goosebumps.
Elfen Lied ist one of my all time favorit Anime and Lilium is amazing.
It is nice to see a professional Perspektive of it.
And your sinning is also stunning.
Thank you for bring back some old Memorys of mine
your description at the start is pretty accurate to the show. This anime is a greek tragedy
It's weird looking up an old anime I was reminded of randomly only to find new videos of people discussing it! Very cool.
Lithium and Oblivious are the most soul wrenching opera-like songs I've carried in my heart for like... Oh God fifteen-twenty years now almost?
Would love to hear a take on that one too😊
I watched this anime before, still remember how traumatizing it made me feel but I somehow can't associate the scenes that I think I remember as traumatizing to the feeling that I remember. Perhaps this is the best way to cure from the trauma that is by disassociating the feelings from the scenes only seeing them in a 3rd person view
Id legitimately adore this so much and your piece too
Id totally love a full cover of you singing this in your style lmao
Oh hell yeah, I've been waiting for this one for a while now! Thank you for listening to this
I watched this at quite the early teen years. What a show. Heart breaking
I still have PTSD from this anime 20 years later XD
To me, is really crazy that a gory anime with an objectively weird narrative can have a part of it so artistically beautiful it is hardly found elsewhere. That's anime to me.
2:50 A tragedy you say... you might be onto something lol 😅
Cries every time I hear this song 😂
I haven't watched much anime, it's not really my thing, but I heard this the first time, and it drew me in so hard. It's so good and really drives the anticipation for what is happening and what will come.
It'been a long time since I watched Elfen Lied. But hearing this makes me tear up immediately.
It's a beautiful piece indeed. Btw, your doggo was in the background. XD
Having just sang that for my lyrical class for christmas I really loved seeing what you feel about the song!
8:11 No need to apologize, if anything it makes me sad that there is no Marco cover version of Lilium.
The melody has been stuck in my brain for what must be two thirds of my life now. And I'm not complaining.
Ah, but speaking of cover versions: the version by Nadia Carolina Castillo is also really nice.
A very slightly different flavor of the piece, with only a piano to accompany the voice.
With the strings stripped away, the piece becomes warmer.
OMG YES I LOVE THIS SONG!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REACTING TO IT
Unironically Elfen lied is one of the classics in the Anime genre itself. From the time it came it was one of the darkest openings in anime I have ever seen which is not all that surprising nowadays but when it came out it was almost revolutionary at least for me. My child brain did not know that time that an anime can go this dark and gory.
the song and the art for the opening is so beautiful!
There is a cover on SoundCloud with a male voiced liturgical section and its really great
I'm once again going to just drop a request for Marco to hopefully one day react to IronMouse singing "When I Look At You", or perhaps one of her other more operatic performances.
Her life story is very touching, which IronMouse fans can 100% break down for Marco if he needs it.
Also for another operatic anime moment, check out Diva's Song from Blood+
Beautiful and haunting song to open a beautiful and haunting anime
This anime opening and the opening from Ergo Proxy (Kiri - MONORAL) hit hard for me. There is a tragedy and melancholy to this song.
Such a good song
I never get tired of listening to this song, it always gives me goosebumps
Ah yes, one of the most traumatizing memory of my childhood. I don't even remember what is anime about but hearing this instantly gives me chills and instills a sense of sadness and despair.
One of the first animes I watched in the 00's.
My first anime was Evangelion.
Second was Monster (recommend watching the OP and credits music as well).
Then I saw Elfen Lied.
Beautiful opening song, but it was rough to watch.
I would interested in a remake of the show
This OP blew me asay as a kid. Never skipped
you got everything thing right Elfen Lied is a very bittersweet anime and extremely dark and profound
The rendition by Choir Dzvinochock Kyiv is excellent and worth a listen/reaction. First results if you search “2013 lilium elfen lied” has 1.7m views and was posted on Dec 2019.
This melody is so haunting it's haunting the anime community still
I love Elfen Lied, it was the anime that made me get into anime. Not the first but had the most impact. This song is amazing
I actually performed this song in high school as a solo piece for a choir festival! Or, at least, I /tried/ too... 🤔 Someone told me the wrong date to have our approval deadlines submitted by. But I still remember every word... It's such a beautiful piece.
Elfen Lied was ne of my first ever anime and it holds such a special place in my heart! As does Lilium.
if you ever want to hear a very very good cover of Lilium with more accurate latin pronounciation there is one by Grissini Project
Basically there is a recently emerged subspecies of human with horns and essentially telekinetic limbs, this is kept secret by scientists and there are studied on and kept in inhumane conditions. Our primary character Lucy escapes from this facility in an iconic and much remembered gory scene as she uses her telekinetic limbs to tear through any in her way to freedom. One she does get outside of the facility she is shot in the head by a sniper and falls into the ocean, only to wake up on the shore without any memories in front of a human boy. Much of the story follows their life together and the uncovering of just what she is, why so many people are hunting her and whether or not the subspecies has an innate propensity towards violence.
Goosebump everytime
my childhood
Ye, those whole episodes uploaded to UA-cam were irresisteble, HOWEVER
Same here, this song brings back so many dear memories
I also love the use of Gustave Klimt’s art in the opening as well
This was the first Anime opening i ever sat down for since it was the first anime i wanted to fully watch to become an otaku i guess, The anime is indeed very sad and has alot of old gruesome scenes that made me immune to alot of gore for anime, but the song has stuck with me for years ever since i heard it and i like to think of my first cat that passed away when i hear this song.
As someone fully on the anime side of things, it's always a pleasure when there's overlap with other interests, and seeing people who might not be that familiar with anime react to songs that I really like. This one is pretty old, but very nostalgic.
this particular.. song or piece or whatever anyone names it, living rent free in my head from day one, probably over 10 years now, that I watched this series along side the Elfen Lied manga and I cannot forget about it ever, just carrying all the sadness and pain I felt with it my whole life.
so glad to see you react to this, Lilium imho doesn't get the attention it truly deserves. It's nice to see it being recognized more and more.
I'm surprised u actually got rev this. It's been nearly 2 decades since I 1st watched Elfen Lied & I always loved the op not only in the song but in the visuals as well. There's only 1 other anime that has somethin EXACTLY like this & it's directed by the same person lol. It generally has a completely diff tone tho lol. It was somethin I watched before I knew wut anime was(like I didn't have the knowledge to know y certain shows I watched were diff lol). Saw this too young but I still like it lol. Glad u saw it
I saw Lilium in title in the YT recommendations and I quickly clicked it!!! Watching this gives me hope for Marco reacting and commenting about the duality of the OSTs Seirei and Hanten Tohka from Date A Live. The anime is sure not a master piece and not for everyone, but the OST are godly ones. Specially I hope he react/comment about those two OSTs in a single video
Oh Wow! Thanks for reminding me this beautiful song from the anime Elfen Lied right before the New Year. This is one of the best anime ever made, even with the extreme gore and nudity, as they're essential for the plot.
We've been waiting for this iconic piece for a long time.
The moment he up this when i woke up never in my life click so fast for this master piece and i know he will go in a treat ❤❤❤❤❤
I think the theme of "Innocence Lost" summarizes Elfen Lied well, both the narrative of the anime as well as the profound effect it had on people who watched it.
I never looked up a translation to the lyrics of Lilium before, but it definitely sounds like irony to me. The grim narrative of Elfen Lied and the forlorn tone of the singer are definitely implying something deeper than the lyrics let on.
The anime, honestly, may very well not be worth it for many people, it's a very 00's product, but this one particular song has been a mainstay for me for so many years, it's usually the first thing I sing in the morning, it's so satisfying to just drift along on.