Nozomi
ノゾミ
Biological Information
Age:	Between 15 and 18
Species:	Human
Gender:	Female
Occupation:	High school student
Character Information
First seen:	Manga: Chapter 43
Last seen:	Manga: Chapter 107

Nozomi is a recurring key character of the Elfen Lied manga series, a young woman of high school age. She is manga-only character. She is gifted with a beautiful singing voice, but because of her father's fears, she can't practice singing at home. She is aided and encouraged to pursue her dream by her senpai Yuka, and all the residents of Maple House, where she eventually moves in.

Biography

Nozomi is a friend of Yuka's, who met her in high school where Yuka served as Senpai to the nervous Nozomi's Kohai. While possessing a beautiful singing voice, she is forbidden from using it to pursue a career by her family, most especially her father, whose efforts even reach abusive extremes, due to him knowing that she, like her late mother who committed suicide after learning about it, has a throat defect called "Soprano Dramatico" (a fictional affliction) that won't let her use it without eventually losing her voice entirely, even for speaking. One corrective punishment was humiliating and painful in the extreme.

The childhood trauma from her father abusing her lead to her wetting herself whenever she becomes too nervous, and therefore wearing a diaper for her overactive bladder, even up to the time she is invited by a now college-age Yuka to practice at Maple House. This in turn leads to several awkward encounters with Kouta, whom she develops a secret crush on, and Nyu, who gropes and nearly sexually assaults her (along with everyone else she gropes). Kouta discourages her from thinking herself a coward, and the 'family' of Maple House delights in her singing, bringing her joy as well, and slowly increasing her confidence.

Liking the people and atmosphere of Maple House, Nozomi often chose to stay there instead of at her father's home. Presumably, it is the knowledge that Nozomi is staying with her responsible Senpai that allows her controlling father to permit this. It is Nozomi who teaches Nyu how to sing the song Elfenlied. Sometime after the events involving Mariko, Nozomi moved in to Maple House on a full-time basis, at last having reconciled her father to the dream she refused to give up.

The End

When Maple House is assaulted by forces seeking to recapture Nyu, Nozomi is among those injured when a soldier forcefully seizes her by the throat. The rest of the series makes unclear whether or not this permanently affected her singing voice. During the climactic events of the series, she openly defies her father's wishes to remain in her sick bed and instead rushes to be by the side of Kouta, Yuka and their friends as Nyu is dying. It is possible that this new strength of character is more important than fully regaining her voice, but since it is never stated that her ability to sing was destroyed, it is not unreasonable to speculate that she regained this as well. In fact, in the final chapter, she was able to talk with Yuka, showing that at least her speaking voice had indeed returned to her. Given her closeness to Yuka and the others, it can be speculated that she was close to any children that her friends later had. Nozomi is a manga-only character.

Trivia

• Nozomi is also a fair seamstress, at least once repairing Nana's tattered clothes.
• Nozomi's family life, including standing up to her father, is the subject of a special manga chapter at the end of Volume Eight.
• Nozomi was excluded from the anime. This was a point of contention between Director Mamoru Kanbe and series creator Lynn Okamoto, though the details differ as to who asked for what in this circumstance. Her role, as teacher of the song that so touches Lucy's hardened heart, ( Elfenlied in the manga, Lilium in the anime ) is said by some to have been taken over by the music box that Kouta purchases as a boy.
• Nozomi appears by herself on six manga chapter covers.

Gallery

A grateful Nozomi takes a Yuka-blow meant for Kouta

Nozomi during the attack on Maple House

Nozomi at last stands up to her father.

A voice to even touch Lucy's heart.

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