Anime-Myth.com v. With You

Lilac to Lotis

Lilac
The Little Mermaid
Little Red Riding Hood
Lotis

Lamia

The Lamia was a vampire to the ancient Greeks who was usually female and described as snake-like but with a woman's head and breasts. The Lamia appear in the first Vampire Hunter D film as the three long-haired women who turn into snakes and try to kill D.

Language of Flowers

Used by the Victorians as a code of communication. Types of flowers, colors of flowers these were symbols they used. Much of the information given in this section of the site comes down to us today from what the Victorians established. The meanings of the colors of roses is a good example. The magical girl series Hana no Ko Lunlun uses motifs from the Language of Flowers. Each episode concentrates on the meaning of a specific flower or hints at it by the end, and plays a role in the story for that episode.

Laputa

The floating island in the film Castle in the Sky is of course named from the one found in Gulliver's Travels written by Jonathan Swift. This was the island of scholars who kept to themselves above the clouds. Miyazaki's Laputa is a floating fortress abandoned 700 years ago. Once a great power, both in military power and intellectual (being far advanced than those on the earth), they most likely followed a classic Atlantis example and doomed their own culture. [In fact, the set-up here is very paralleled to the Atlantis myth]. In the present only a garden remains, a quiet paradise floating safe from humans with only the plants and small animals tended by a lone gardener robot. The roots have long grown into the fortress and by the movie's end only the semblance of garden and tree remain, and the fortress crumbles away.

Larva

Larva (Larvae pl) were souls of the dead in Roman myth who couldn't rest either because they had died violently or because of their own guilt. They wandered as spectres or demons, and might bring madness to the living. They terrified those they encountered in the night, usually they were invisible. From Ian Miller, Larva means either ghost or mask in English. In the Miyu OAV, Larva is the masked companion to Miyu.

L.C.L. in Neon Genesis Evangelion

The L.C.L. fluid is what the pilots breathe in while inside the Entry Plug while they pilot the Evas. This liquid seems to take on a quality of the womb as given above, and also of the primordial. In ep. 20, after Shinji is absorbed in the Eva, Ritsuko says that the fluid alters into something similar to sea water of primitive Earth.

Lemon

"Lemons, in Japanese culture, are associated with vitality and exuberance. Fashion models may sometimes hold lemons to suggest liveliness. The Lemon People adult manga magazine and its spin-off anime use the word "Lemon" to suggest a "genki" spirit. The classic Cream Lemon adult anime series combines the implications of "cream" with the Japanese implications of "lemon" to suggest sensuality and eroticism".*

From Dave Endresak: "Lemon has long been a symbol of sexual awakening and adolescent sexuality. In anime, Cream Lemon began the adult bishoujo genre, to all intents and purposes. Cream is symbolic of something smooth and sweet, as well as being a dairy dessert that is actually fairly rare in Japan. Cream is also a monicker for female sexual emissions, of course. Lemon is a nice-looking, sweet-smelling fruit; however, once it is bitten into, it's bitter taste quickly tells you that its outward appearance is quite deceiving. Likewise, being sexually active is something that is extremely alluring during adolescence, but the actual fact of sexual experience is often far more bitter than the fantasy ideal imagined prior to the actual act. This is also explained in the Erotic Anime Movie Guide - it's a good book you should definitely have, although there are some mistakes and omissions. You also see a lemon in Sakura Tsuushin - and many other titles, of course."

This explains that episode title for episode 28 of Rose of Versailles: Andre, The Green Lemon. Very emotionally charged episode (and sexually charged at the end), and the first where Oscar becomes aware that Andre is in love with her. So a green lemon would make sense as it's the beginning of that, not quite ripe or fully awakened yet. A lemon is also seen in the opening credits of Kakyuusei. Note too fanfic writers will label their stories as "lemons" if they have sexually explicit material in them.

*Jan. 26, 2004 Ask John article at AnimeNation.com: What's the Significance of Fruits in Japanese Culture?

Lemures

Lemures is Latin for ghosts or phantoms. They were similar to the Larvae. The Lemuria, celebrated on May 9th, 11th, and 13th, was begun by Romulus to atone for his brother's murder, after Remus appeared to Acca Larentia and Faustulus demanding reparation for his own death. The Remuria became known as the Lemuria by the first letter's corruption. Lemures is both the name for the monsters of the day from season 4 of Sailor Moon, and the name for the shinma Miyu encounters in ep. 3 of the OAV.

Lethe

Lethe (the river of oblivion) is located at the edge of the Elysian fields, causing those who drank from it to forget their past. The souls around this river included not only departed, but also those not yet born. Those who would be reincarnated forget their woes by drinking from this river. Plato said, "They were all required to drink a measure of the water, and those who were not saved by their good sense, drank more than the measure, and each one as he drank forgot all things." In the Sailor Moon manga, Sailor Lethe is the guardian of the River of Oblivion, she also acts as the ferryman. It was after crossing Lethe's river that everyone began to forget their mission to stop Galaxia.

Licca

Based on the popular Licca doll in Japan (Barbie might be the equivalent in the United States, popular doll line that's spawned film, etc from it. Lady Lovelylocks would be another). Takara first created the doll in 1967. Licca starred in a group of OVAs and a TV series Super Doll Licca-chan.

Lilith

In some texts she is the first woman, and wife to Adam before Eve. She would not submit to Adam, and flew away to the Red Sea, thus another wife was given to Adam, the more gentle Eve. After leaving Adam it was said she bore children to demons, and refused to return with the angels sent to fetch her back to God. Amulets were made after to protect children against her coming.

Lilith is the name of one of the goddesses of light in the Megami Paradise OAV. In Evangelion she is kept underneath NERV headquarters. In the Miyu TV series this is the name of one of the Western shinma who travel with Garline to Japan seeking Larva.

Lily

The lily represents purity of the heart. The white lily symbolizes innocence. The day lily, in China, can stand for motherhood. If one dreams of the lily in the springtime, this foretells marriage and happiness. In marriage ceremonies of the Romans and Greeks, lilies were placed on the bride's crown for innocence and purity.

The lily of the valley can represent the return of happiness. In the Japanese Language of Flowers it is a flower of engagements, and can mean the promise of happiness.

Yuri from Wedding Peach is named from the lily, and in Utena, lilies may be the flower that stands on the desks during Kanae's duel.

A last note on lily: Yuri is also the word used for female-female relationships in anime and manga, sometimes carrying a sexual connotation.

Bride of Deimos
From volume one, a blood red flower that only grows in the demon world. But does bloom every twenty years on Ghost Fire Island in Kyuusyuu. After Minako touches a special cement, a mole in the shape of the flower appears on her skin. To ged rid of it she must go to the island and learn the cause. The spirit of a dead man lived in the cement, and the markings appeared on people who came in contact with it until his father's use of it ceased and people learned how toxic it was and that he murdered his own son to keep the truth silent.

Kakyuusei
From OVA 3. In one scene Ai (a virgin) goes up to Tooru's room and undresses, but the time isn't right. A vase of lilies falls to the floor and the flowers are scattered. This reflects Ai's innocence, in particular her sexual innocence. She needs to wait and isn't really ready to make love to him and Tooru knows this.

Lion

King of the Beasts. The lion has been identified as a solar emblem, of light, courage, pride, wisdom, and as a guardian. Sometimes the lion was identified with a goddess, maybe as the "masculine" counterpart to the feminine. This animal in heraldry is associated with the colors red and gold.

In Japan and China, the lion was made a temple guardian since it was believed to keep away demons. Egyptians, Babylonians, and others did the same. In Egypt, lions were used to symbolize the setting and rising of the sun, their backs facing each other. Leo, Latin for lion, is a sign of the zodiac, ruled by the sun. It also is associated with the element fire, and the traits of leadership and bravery, and the metal gold.

Both Hikaru's guardian beast in Rayearth and Sakura's guardian, Kero, in Cardcaptor Sakura are lions. Both have powers based around light and fire, Kero's in particular is based from the Sun.

Lizard

From Joanna: Akazuki Chacha. In the school for witchcraft, Urara Gauken, Chacha, Riiya, Naruto and others attend, they live with the master sorcerer Seravi (who's father is a were-lizard who found Seravi under a tree) and sorceress Dorothy.

Lotus (Water Lily)

Countries such as India and Egypt have stories where the lotus is involved with resurrection, or with the birth of a deity from the blossoms. It is an important symbol to Taoists and Buddhists, symbolizing high forms of knowledge. It can also be a symbol of light or purity. As a type of water-lily, it also has associations in various myths with water or creation. In Ayashi no Ceres, the lotus is the symbol of the hagoromo before turning into the robe when Ceres again adorns it. It holds associations of light and creation, even creating Toya after it was cast into the sea.

Of the Mu'Onna in volume 2 of Inu-Yasha. She creates the lily between her hands and it glows and bursts sending herself and Inu-Yasha into an illusion. They find themselves beside a pond covered with waterlilies, and she holds Inu-Yasha at her breast, in herself at one point; and the image is of Inu-Yasha beneath the pond's surface. She is within his soul and in a manner within her own. As she's a demon born of the emotions of mothers, taking Inu-Yasha, who she sees as a child within herself is an image of taking him within her womb. And the water here and the lilies by extension are also of the womb and the soul asleep in the unconscious.

In Sailor Moon, when the Ginzuishou becomes a flower, if one sees the flower as a lotus, this can be symbolic. "In cultures shaped primarily by religions at the matriarchal level, it is the womb and breast that are prominent. In India where the lotus as the symbol of the womb is the source of all life, the ascetic sitting on the lotus throne also becomes the symbol of salvation or awakening" (Ross, 44). Though this quote applies specifically to India, the concepts fit here. Both the Silver Millenium and Crystal Tokyo are ruled under a matriarchy, and Usagi has many times been a symbol or figure of salvation, even awakening. Also, the lotus was the flower of the maiden aspect of the triple goddess.

Luna

Latin name for the goddess of the Moon, sometimes coupled with Sol, the sun. Many times the Moon was the creatress, or she might represent fire and water, along with Sol. Luna is the name for the guardian cat to Sailor Moon.

Luo Pan

A compass used in Feng Shui. Meifa in ep. 21 of Cowboy Bebop uses one.

The four elements are represented by the four colors in the corners: red-fire, green-air/wind, blue-water, and yellow-earth. The four phases of the moon are depicted in corners, with the sun in the middle. In the center of the board is a yin-yang, the Chinese mandala. Li's Lasin Board may be influenced by the lo-p'an ("compass"). A Taoist divining compass can detect spirits or be used for Feng-Shui. Note that Li's board seems to have the eight trigrams inscribed on it (found in the I Ching for example): wind, fire, water, thunder, earth, sky, mountain, and lake. From the CCS series.

From Jbonhoeffer: I have seen lasin Boards that have other elements than those of Li's from CCS. They are Fire, Air, Water, Earth, Life, Death, Order, and Chaos. Each had a coresponding crystal and direction. However it was missing the trigrams.

Lust Spirits

One of the first spirits Shii senses in the Karura Mau movie. When she arrives in class a boy who can't keep his eyes off her has a lust spirit on him she senses.