ANIME REVIEW: DEADMAN WONDERLAND

I recently discovered an anime that I was previously unaware of called Deadman Wonderland.  When I started both the anime and manga, I immediately noticed similarities to The Shawshank Redemption, Death Race, and Elfen Lied.  It is similar to The Shawshank Redemption because it revolves around a person who was sent to prison for a crime they did not commit.  I could even hear the opening theme for The Shawshank Redemption playing in my head when the main character, Ganta Igarashi, first arrived at the prison.  I even considered the female lead Shiro to be Ganta’s personal Morgan Freeman.  The similarities of Death Race I noticed were that the prisoners of Deadman Wonderland had to play sick games that could potentially kill them.  As for Elfen Lied, one of the characters was similar to Lucy in Elfen Lied in that she suffers from multiple personality disorder with one personality that is innocent and pure while the other one is bloodthirsty and sadistic.  Overall, I enjoyed this anime despite its dark and graphic themes and would recommend it to anyone who is seeking a good prison story that possesses a twist you will not expect.