Elfen Lied, is, at its core, a story of a need for redemption, for forgiveness from one who could never give it. But in this instance, this description applies not to Lucy, but to the very one she seeks this impossible forgiveness from, Kouta. In fact, while his posthumous forgiveness for Lucy may one day be possible in theory, the one Kouta tries to get expiation from can never grant it in this life. At the heart of the trauma that robbed Kouta of his childhood memories is not merely Lucy's savagery, but his guilt at his treatment of his little sister, Kanae, right before her murder. While to his credit, his method of dealing with his burden is far gentler and more productive, it still reaches the level of a compulsion he can no more permanently put aside than Lucy can her struggle. This