Elfen Lied

The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a "sixth sense" which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murder most of the guards in the laboratory, only to get shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives and manages to drift along to a beach, where two teenagers named Kouta and ... Yuka discovers her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, "Nyuu," and the two allow her to stay at Kouta's home. However, it appears that the evil "Lucy" is not dead just yet...

Story & Characters (10/10)
The beginning of 2004 was pretty boring for anime fan, with nothing much to watch, then came Elfen Lied. This is like one of best show this year. And what this show shine the most was at it plot and storyline. One warning, this show isn't for anyway. There is nudity plus tons of violent. Not recommended for the weak. The fanservice here dont feel force like some of the other show. Plenty of plot twist but it is predictable to see it coming since ep1. A brief synopsys is about this mutant girl (evolution of human) with a split personality that escaped from an experimental center and the authority that want to capture her back. It might sound familiar but its storyline originality and its interesting theme about us human fearing the unknown get this a 10/10. Dont mistake this show with other harem show like Love Hina or Ai Yori Aoshi eventhough it is one guy and many girls. This show is nothing like them. The show is dark and have plenty of adult theme that kids wouldnt understand. I recommend at least being 16 to be able to watch this show. By the way, I believe they changed the anime version ending as the manga was still ongoing.

Art (7/10)
I believe this is the weakest part of this show. The artwork is completely different from the manga counterpart and its kinda wash out. But the character design seems to be better in the anime. I might be bias as I watch the anime first before reading the manga. The first episode background was great, but the rest of the episode is nothing to shout about. The action scene is fluid and the violence scene was portrayed realistically with the right amount of CG. So the artwork is just about average, not great but it isn't bad either.

Sound (9/10)
The sound, background music and the OST are great. It is composed by Konishi Kayo & Kondoo Yukio. The opening lilium and ending be your girl sung by kawabe chieko are both excellent. The background music really help the show in getting the atmosphere and the mood. The music play an important part in the show as it symbolize their past. Even if you dont watch the show, the music is still worth listening. And the seiyuus are good too. Lucy was exceptional. You can sense the personality change just by listening to her voice.

Overall (9/10)
I really enjoyed watching this. This show is both thought provoking and original. With it dark and adult theme, this show isnt your typical shounen anime. It is highly recommended for people wanting to watch something other than the typical shounen anime out now like bleach, naruto or gundam. Sure you might think they just wanted to sell this series by using gore/nudity, but this show have much deeper storyline just your average violent flick. This show is serious and people looking for comedy wont find it here. The only complain I have for this show is length, only 13 episode. And since I think they branch out from the manga storyline since the manga was still ongoing, the ending might feel a bit rush. But the ending aren't too bad either, I just feel a bit sad that such a great anime ended. Even with some shortcoming, this show is great. Definitely one the better series of 2004. I can see why this show is licensed before even airing in Japan. It is just too good to pass this one up. Highly recommended.

Nyuu~nyuu!!! :3

Story-nyuu: Nyuu!

Art-nyuu: Nyuu!

Sound-nyuu: ♪♪♪Nyu nyu nyuu nyu nyu, nyu nyu nyuu nyu nyu nyu nyuuu, nyu nyu nyu nyuu♪♪♪

Character-nyuu: Kouta

An excellent story which clearly picturize the true human behaviour. Among the thounsands of spieces, humans are greedy in nature. They never allow anybody expect them to be on the top. They are even competeing with each other, How come, they allow other spieces to be on top? I wonder, How I missed a series like this for long time!

Lets come to the subject. First, the character design and animation done well. I always rate anime (Japanese animation) 70% more than other animation. Especially, Miss Lucy and her other personality Nyu, Miss Nana. The Characters such Kohta, Yuka too amazing. Everything fits well in their ... respective places expect nudity. They must have done something about the nudity.

Secondly, the background score, totally awesome. The composers Kumiko Noma, Kayo Konishi and Yukio Kondo did done well. Particularly, the opening Lilium version, Lilium saint version and Rasen tracks. I cannot resist, so downloaded the OST. The ending theme "I wanna be your girl" done by Chieko Kawabe also good to listen.

I think that the director achieved what he wanted to convey. The Elfen Lied series says that what'll happen, if someone keep on harassed, discriminated and suppressed for quite sometime because of their appearance and the strength they posses. Everyone longs for care and affection, if it's denied, the consequences will be hard to digest. Indeed, Elfen Lied, a must watch anime series packed with nice lessons.

Yo, the Anarchist here. Elfen Lied: Basically a masterpiece in Anime form. I wouldn't be surprised if somebody turned this into a best-selling American novel. Remember that old saying, "don't judge a book by its cover"? Well, I am changing it into "don't pussy off from an anime because of the 2 minutes of nudity and gore in it." The beginning song sent shivers down my spinal chord, Lucy's story made me cry (on the inside, since I'm a dude), Nyuu is super cute, and their powers made me wish I could evolve into a Diclonius. You will like this series if you're a boy ... who's into action, horror, and romance.You may be mildly disturbed by it, some people I know were "scarred for life" by this anime, but I'm sure that they're over-exaggerating. Final grade: A/95%. Word up.

Elfen lied is a masterpiece. people say that the managa is better and i agree, but yet the anime go's throw all the main parts of the manga, when it was not finished. the finished manga's ending is even sader. this show explains how the human race is usless but even monsters have hearts. very darck characters and story. it is also up lifting and funny. also the gore is one of the most amazing parts of the anime, riping a heart out of a human inside out and decapation. this is a masterpiece, many may say it is not but they are into the ... kid stuff like naruto. Elfen lied has one of the sadist endings and gratest theme song of all anime. i think it could give Evangelion a run for its money.

This is my first review on this website, so it may not be as great as some of the other reviews out there for Elfen Lied. First of all, SOME MAY CALL THIS A SPOILER but i dont really think so(just a forewarning), I have six words to describe this anime. An Anime Masterpiece. Worst Ending Ever(IMO). Story:9/10 One thing that bothered me, is that this anime(like many many before it)had SO much room for a longer series, and left so many questions unanswered by the end of the series. This anime is based tightly around very tragic, unfortunate, ... depressing(and usually incredibly gory), moments, that are often enough started because someone was looking for love, or because the foolish actions of the human being. While the story may be short and somewhat rushed throughout, it still has the main elements of a good, well held together anime. As in, there are few holes to poke at. It has unsuspected plot twists. Again, unfortunate, sad, depressing moments. Happy, everything's perfect moments. And even a few good humorous moments for the comedy relief to the gore and depression. Art7/10 The art wasnt bad, i personally didnt have but a few complaints, but i feel since i dont base anime on graphics i must be realistic. The graphics in Elfen Lied were nothing special, but they also werent low class or anything like that. They held together pretty well, seeing as they were taking a somewhat different approach with the events that would occur in Elfen Lied. Legs and arms flying off of body's, or slowly being ripped off for you to see. Body's falling in half, and/or internal organs flying out of bodys. You know, top notch gore shenanigans =). There were a few times were the art was obviously horrible for one reason or another, but other than a few moments like that, i had no complaints. Sound8/10 The opening theme was alright for a sad/mellow tune(im not really into slow foreign songs, only the fast ones). And the ending them was surprisingly upbeat for the type of anime it is. The background music was almost all the same thing throughout the entire series(different variants of the opening theme), which some would find unpleasant, but i didnt notice too much unless i tried. None of the sounds throughout the series like the voices, or the sound effects and such were really a bother to the ear. Some of there choice voices were actually appealing based on the character they were playing. Character7/10 As the series was relatively short, and rushed into the plot points relatively quickly, there wasnt as much room for character development as they could have had if they tried. But even though they didnt get as much as they could, they still got enough to justify the anime having increasingly interesting character development plot points, which would please most people, but it wasnt enough for me(hence the 7/10), solely because its obvious they had room to over achieve with this one. Enjoyment11/10? I genuinely enjoyed this anime from start to almost finish, except for the ending and a couple scenes that were a tad too graphic. The story was awesome, the gore was top notch, the supernatural side was pretty original, i liked all of the characters, the plot points were interesting. There's just not too much bad i can say about this anime. Except I am ashamed of humanity for its actions, and im even more ashamed that this would probably happen the same way in our world if the chance ever arose. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed it both times i watched it. Overall10/10 This anime takes gore to an interesting level, which was just grand for me, and anyone who can handle or likes that stuff is definitely in need of seeing this anime. I was very saddened multiple times throughout the series, and the ending was just unnaturally indecisive, but even so by the end of the series both times i didnt feel as torn apart by the bad end because of how awesome it was going through. Though i am obligated to warn you, this anime is insanely gory, very depressing, overly graphic with a few scenes to add to the horrifying mood. And finally, this anime is not generally considered to be of the ecchi genre, but it does have a small number of most definitely ecchi moments, and if you consider bare breast being shown in a non sexual way as ecchi then you have no idea how ecchi this really is xD. You see it at least once every episode, possibly more than once if you watch the opening theme every time(multiple pictures are shown). Ok im done with my rant, and i highly recommend you watch this or re-watch this if its been awhile. I hope this was of help, and any feedback would be appreciated, thanks =).

Elfen Lied is defiently not one of those same old happy harem types that make give you a giggles, and you move on with your day. For those who can not stand watching tremendous amounts of blood and gore then this anime may not be for you, but if you can look past that and watch it for what its worth it can defiently be very enjoyable. This anime is very dark and shows how cruelty can make anyone go insane and become cold to the world and do not fear ending others lifes and the consequences for that. If you want a psychological rollercoaster ... then this show will peek your interests.

It's difficult to give Elfen Lied a fair shake as far as a series goes. I found myself dissatisfied until episode 8/13 which is where the series became a nail biter for me. The first 7 episodes plunge you into a story that seems as though it should be better than it is. The quality suddenly jumps up in episode 8 which is ironically titled "The Beginning." From there it becomes obvious that this series becomes better once you've seen the whole thing once. It would have been a solid 9 or 10 had it been told in a more linear fashion I think, but ... I base that on how good it gets later on in flash backs. That being said, even though it had a late start in my opinion, it was pretty good and worth watching.

Let's start with the blood and gore that everyone talks about. I have honestly seen much more bloody anime. The blood and gore is there, but I have say that it's really not a game changer as far as this series goes. It really takes a backseat to the dark and depressing tone that this tragic story sets. It really is a tragedy, and the blood and gore are just a couple of the tools used to tell it.

The tone is tragic in Elfen Lied. It never once makes you think you're about to watch a happy fairy tale of a story. I watched and wondered when the next tragic even was about to occur. This is not a fault of the story, in fact it is one of the things done very right. Don't expect anything more than a morally dark and tragic story. It was done pretty well in these categories.

I mentioned that episode 8 is where it began for me (as far as being something I had to watch that is) but really there is a good reason for that. It starts off with a violent, messy escape for the main character. It leads her to be with the male lead of the story, and then it introduces all of the main characters. The problem with the first 7 episodes is that the events just sort of happen. Episode 8 is where the explanation begins. I had no emotional attachment until I found out more about the characters. That's why I say it's hard to give it a fair shake. Watching it a second time takes that feeling away because you know what you need to know. I have other complaints about the music not being engaging and other parts moving too slow and fast, but those really weren't low points in the anime. They were short lived and inconsistent. Overall, it could have been better done, and it probably should have been. Thankfully, the end result was a redeeming one and it turned out pretty good by the end.

The last thing I want to talk about are the characters. I liked the male lead, but a couple of the supporting female characters were a little annoying at times. I just have to say that Yuka bothered me all the way to the end. I almost wish she wasn't in the story, because she was a little too jealous throughout the entirety of the series. One other complaint is the psychopath that was out to get Lucy. It felt a little weird that he was able to get away with some of the things he did. Those are my only real complaints. Other than those 2 I felt they did a good job on characters.

All in all it was a pretty good series. I give it a low 8 overall but I think it should have been a 9 or 10 if it was done a little better. I should have read the manga first, but I will definitely add it to my list and see how good it was supposed to be. This is definitely worth watching if you're into tragic anime.

This is my first review ever not just on this site but on any kind of online website

Well i'll explain it to you how i've explained it to all my friends:

First off if you have a weak stomach, Don't Watch, it's blood and guts Galore with enough violence and gore to make hell feel like a nice picnic spot. I really don't think any anime can ever match up to this one in terms of violence, at least neither i or ANY of my friends (most of whom have watched a lot more anime than i have) have found an anime that rivals ... Elfen Lied.

side note that has nothing to do with the review---
IRON STOMACH CHALLENGE: my friend came up with this and so far he's the only one out of four to accomplish it, try to eat pasta , like spaghetti with chunky red sauce and some meat (if a vegatarian: provide a substitute)

Anyways, Second thing is if you don't like sad anime's, Don't Watch, Basically the point of this anime is to make you feel depressed as shit, and ashamed to be a human (you think Diclonus children chopping people up is sad, wait till you see the sick pieces of scum that torture them) this show brings out some of the darkest sides to human nature, including moral dilema of whether a child can be evil (beating a puppy to death with a vase for amusement T.T).

So if you've read everything above you're probably thinking WHO THE HELL WOULD WTCH THIS SHOW!!! well i would and i would rewatch it and recommend it to everybody who think they wouldn't puke during the show. This show is dark and gritty and if you even get the slightest bit emotionally attached to the characters you will cry. This anime has so many great beautiful things about it.

Story- I Loved the story, there is a lot of suspense and it keeps you wanting more at the end of each episode, to the point where it's 4 in the morning and you need to get up in 2 hours for school but your too busy glued to your screen that you don't care. There were times when the plot was a bit predictable but even then your praying that it doesn;t turn out how you know it will.

Art- i'll be breif, i can't judge this since art style doesn't matter much to me in anime, idc if it's genaric or original just as long as it looks crisp and Elfen Lied does that.

Sound- Beautiful, the Opening is one of the most memorable and beautiful songs i have ever heard, and the fact that they took some old scriptures and made the lyrics in latin just increases that jaw dropping wow factor. only downside is that it's the only song they really use, they have several variations of it, but still in the end they just used one song for the OP and all the background music. (Although on a personal note i didn't really mind it at all)

Characters- you come to really like the characters, at least most of them. The main guy, Kouta, is a likable enough guy and you really get attached when you learn about his past a bit more. Yuka is a believable girl, she's not one of those fanservice, 1 dimensional, shallow characters, she's got a realistic personality and deals with problems like a real person would. Lucy or Nyuu would be the most interesting character of them all, without giving too much away let's just say that you might feel a bit of sympathy for a serial killer once you learned the things people have done to them personally. This is what makes the characters good the fact that this show helps you see the viewpoint of a coldblooded killer and on a certain level agree with them. Nana just is poor girl who didn't deserve the cruel fate she was dealt but does her best to be happy. Mayu, i feel a bit of empathy but the show didn't really make me care for her as much as the other main cast.

Overall- An amazing anime that i recommend to anyone who isn't horrified after reading this review, actually even then at least give it a shot. I don't like sad horror shows but this show was just too amazing and i love it. You will cry for these characters that have to suffer so much, you will be astounded by an amazing plot and be hypnotized with it's beautiful Melody.

Now just watch it, if you took the time to read this then i ask that you just give it a shot, this anime may not be for everyone, but for those that it is, it will touch your heart ^_^

The moment you start watching and see the first scenes you realise there is more to this anime than gore and nudity. The story is quite compelling as well as emotional and the unique characters have lived the same life and view it from different perspectives. To really understand this anime you must grasp the concept of living a life similar to theirs. It proved very useful to me as I began enjoying it thoroughly and being anxious to see how the story evolves.

If you enjoy a gory story full of mysteries and some comedy scenes then Elfen Lied is the perfect anime for you.
However ... if you are not the sentimental type or if you think this is a typical story of love and war then you are looking for the wrong anime

Before I start, I must say that there are MANY triggering things in this anime. If gore, violence, mutilation, rape, child molestation, torture or animal abuse disturb you, think twice before starting this anime. That said, here's my review:

I'm writing this review having just finished the last episode, with the tears still in my eyes. Out of all the anime I've watched, this is the first that I felt so strongly about and felt the need to write a review for. With that said, let me tell you why I feel this way.

Story(10): One of the first things that had me falling in love with ... this is the story. The sequence of events flow so naturally and seamlessly. Each episode has a purpose, and there are really no fillers. There are no side missions like Darker Than Black, and there aren't any episodes that don't contribute to the end result of the show. The back stories of the characters are well thought out and work perfectly together to create an interesting and beautiful result.

Art(9): The art in this anime is not up to the par of shows we have had in the past few years, but that is to be expected from a show almost 10 years old. For what it is, the art is beautiful. The scenery is purposeful and memorable, and the characters are easily identified. There are many characters that look similar to each other, but the way that the art is done makes it easy to tell them apart. Plus, the opening and ending credits are gorgeous.

Sound(9): The opening theme is what really brings up the score for the sound. The way the song is tied into the story is beautiful, and by the end of the series hearing the theme gave me chills. Other than the music, the sound effects are very basic, stereotypical anime noises.

Character(10): Each character has a deep and interesting back story. You end up looking forward to learning more about them and their past, and it becomes very easy to get attached to them. They each have their own quarks and are lovable in their own way. By the end, it's hard not to want to jump into the story and hug some of them.

Enjoyment(10): I enjoyed the shit out of this anime. I couldn't click the 'Continue to next episode' button fast enough. I really couldn't get enough of this anime. Each episode left me wanting more and more, and it satisfied my want for a complex double-life type story. There honestly was never a boring moment for me.

Overall, Elfen Lied gets a 10 from me. Never have I cried so many different times in an anime, and felt such strong emotions. It was fabulous.

Elfen Lied is very different from the typical anime I watch. I found it very interesting and even scary at parts. Sure there are a few pieces here and there that could do with a little polish, but in this case, I find those moments giving Elfen Lied originality and character amongst similar anime.

Story (9)- The story is simply riveting. With plot twists that keep you on your toes as you watch, an interesting concept, and the strange diclonius species, Elfen Lied really provides a story that impacts you. Not only does it allow you as the viewer to perceive certain things differently then another ... person would, making it a terrific topic of conversation in Otaku groups, but it also gives you insight on discrimination and really impacts you.

Art (8)- The art is absolutely beautiful, in a sort of messed up way. The way that certain scenarios are shown with this art style really improves the tone that the show is trying to set.

Sound (9)- Lilium is an absolutely gorgeous work of music, and it fits this anime so perfectly as its opening theme. The way it seems to haunt you and sway through you mind is incredible, and after you watch the show, as you listen to the song, all of the emotions and thoughts that you experienced as you watched come rushing back in waves.

Character (10)- The characters are by far the best thing about Elfen Lied. There are always going to be flaws in the initial characters themselves, but most of the time those flaws provide characters with a personality that you as the viewer can relate to, or sometimes even despise. The whole point of a character is to move along the plot and make the viewers react. Elfen Lied's characters did precisely that. The way that the characters were fleshed out and developed really helped the overall plot and just made everything better. You'll also find the characters to be extremely loveable, yet at the same time you hate them.

Enjoyment (10)- I enjoy most anime, but this one really stuck with me. I couldn't seem to get it out of my mind, the intriguing characters and the original story really resonated as different amongst the crowd of your typical anime.

Overall (9)- This anime was a very enjoyable one, and one I think many would enjoy, but at the same time I wouldn't recommend this anime to everyone. Certain things about this anime wouldn't mix well certain people, not because those people are flawed or "don't know a good anime", but just because they won't enjoy the anime. So if you enjoy an action anime that shows aspects of horror and romance, then this is a great one to check out!

I'll admit that it was the unusual name that drew me towards this series, and the artwork that reeled me in. And Elfen Lied DOES, in fact, have quite beautiful art. The settings, while not all that much in the way of variation, paints quite the scenic picture. And the characters all look quite good. Or, in Nyu's case, quite cute.

Cute, however, is not quite the description I have in mind for the series itself.

You see, the first ten minutes of this film does, in its own way, give you clear warning about what to expect. Excessive, bloody, redshirt violence abounds. People being torn apart, ... limb from limb -- and literally at that -- or exploding in a red haze of blood in a showing unlike anything I have ever seen earlier in ANY title. It's a good indication of what to expect, but you better believe Elfen Lied doesn't stop there. Oh no.

In fact, much of the series itself is devoted to quite a few of the darker, more callous factors of human nature; Our need to control everything, or have everything under control if you will, whatever the price might be. Our willingness or lack of edicts regarding non-human life. How social disuse (or misuse) influences ones growth and maturity. The topic of pedophilia and abandonment is even covered through the inclusion of another character, a young runaway girl named Maya.

And that is what really made my stomach churn about this series. Not as much the excessive violence, but the way things are set up. Case in point; Nana. She's one of the aforementioned Diclonius, with an age of around 14-15, and when we're introduced to her, she's naked, partly covered in blood and chained to a wall. And then, we get to know she's being experimented on. Subsequently, she is sent out with orders to hunt down and kill the escaped Diclonius, which she refuses because she don't want to kill anyone. A compromise is made, and she finally sets out to track her down. When she does find the escapee, she makes the mistake of confronting her on her own, and gets both her arms and feet ripped off in the process. Being considered useless by her "owners", she is to be put to sleep.

So why, you might ask, am I watching this series? Well, that would be because, despite all that's wrong with it, it IS a good series in the end. And while Kouta and Yuka are your (perhaps too) typical cousins, it's the characters -- the GOOD characters -- that makes the show work despite its dark imagery. With Kouta being in the center of attention, he soon becomes the focal point for a lot of the characters in the show. He becomes the ward of Maya and later also houses Nana, the other runaway Diclonius, who was set free instead of being killed like she was originally ordered to be. And this is the moments that draw you back to the show, along with the desire to find out just what happened with Kouta and Nyu long ago, a recurring event that gets prompted by sudden flashbacks at key moments. In fact, the pacing of this series is near perfect, only hampered with reused footage later on, something that I felt stretched out certain scenes to unnecessary lenghts. This doesn't really reach the point of badness. You'll just notice it.

Another thing that sorta stuck out with me was the few times this series tried to insert some comedic moments, mainly through the antics of Nyu. And while I appreciated the chance to release some of the tension I felt from watching this, some of the scenes, like the one where Nyu sees fit to grab Yuka's breasts for seemingly no reason, felt a bit wrong. Given the happenings just moments before, it came across as more awkward rather than funny.

I guess I should mention that this series DOES contain a lot of nudity. Given the nature of the show, this really shouldn't be a big deal. Besides, none of the nudity is of any sexual nature, save for the one where Maya's pedophile stepdad forces her to strip for him. And given her general underageness, the scene came across as creepy as it was intended to be. In either case; yes, there are nudity, and no, this really shouldn't concern you more than the violence and other unsavory events happening in this series.

My last worry about this show, and this was one that drove me to download the raw of the last episode, was that the show itself was going to degenerate into a depressing cesspool of sorrow and grief by its end. Given the show's rather angsty-at-times nature, I didn't think it was completely unwarranted of me to feel that way. Now, I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but I AM going to say that my fears were completely unfounded, much to my relief. Is it a happy-go-lucky ending? Maybe.... or maybe not. But you can rest easy and hold the anti-depressant prescriptions, because you will, at least, not be needing those.

There are so much more I could have said about this show, but I really need to wrap things up soon. Besides, it's just a 13 episode show, and there are just so much I can say before I start giving away major plot points. The show is well written and paced, no question about it. There'll be some things that will surprise you and some that won't. Granted, this show will also take any remnants of innocense left in you and flay it to shreds, but there are some genuinely sweet moments to be had inbetween the extremes and enough enjoyment to justify the pain you have to go through to see this. That is, if you think you can deal with it.

I can't with good conscience give it a 10 rating, however much I'd like to do so. It's a very special show, good and bad parts taken into consideration, but it just isn't for everyone. Thats why i will give a 9

Elfen Lied, a rather popular anime that seems to be overlooked as a great story just because of it's reputation of being one of the bloodier and nudier anime. All I see are a plethora of reviews rating Elfen Lied a 2, 3, 4 and I don't even know what to say to that. Certainly this anime is not for anyone, especially kids and those who can't handle a lot of gore, and dark, menacing realities of human society. Nudity, gore, and violence is a constant throughout the series, shown at the first scene in the anime when Lucy ruthlessly and brutally murders a whole ... lot of guards. Having said that, this anime is also one of the deepest and most poignant anime ever. Elfen Lied is a tear-jerking psychological horror anime that has so many symbolic themes that some people just don't comprehend or want to comprehend. The only reason I see Elfen Lied to be controversial/rated lowly is if people don't understand the themes and only want to watch for fun enjoyment.

The basic knowledge you need to know before watching the anime is that the setting takes place in modern day society, but the premise is that there is essentially a divergent breed of humans, the "diclonius", or two-horned humans. The diclonius possess telekinetic "hands" known as "vectors" that possess incredible strength and has the edge to cut through almost anything, including human flesh. Although the diclonius may seem cruel at first, they have multiple personalities; one being the sadistic murderers, and the other being a mentally scarred innocent child. All the meanwhile, the government that's basically run by a large private company (corruption in society) studies research on the diclonius to determine the danger they pose, given their tendency towards mass homicide. Humans take the worst aspects of both halves if the diclonius, presenting conspiracy-level power and lack of accountability, while running without any oversight as long as they get results. Throughout the anime, the diclonius are treated abysmally, and are not even given the basic considerations due as rational beings.

Elfen Lied is a dark and tragic story about a girl named Lucy (aka Nyuu), her caretaker Kouta, and his cousin Yuka. We start off with Lucy, the main character of the series who was initially held in a facility built for experimentation, located off the coast of Kamakura, but she managed to escape and wreak havoc. During all that chaos though, Lucy got injured which caused Lucy to develop a secondary, childlike personality also known as Nyu (Nyu's innocent personality developed --> Lucy's violent personality forgotten). Kouta and his cousin Yuka find Lucy's body washed up on the beach shore at night, and decide to take her back to their home and help her out (this was one of the negligible things I had a problem with in the anime, because nobody that finds a stranger naked with blood stains and with horns will just take them to their house, without calling the police or something, this was really random). Fortunately for Kouta and Yuka, when Lucy awakens, it's in her clueless and innocent Nyu form. But the government is not willing to let Lucy go that easily, they'll try to catch her no matter what kind of repulsive, disgusting method they have to use.

There is a lot of death, betrayal, and murder off all ages that shows the disgusting nature of humans. This anime is exceptionally deep, delving into topics such as human nature, dehumanization, racism, child abuse, ostracism, bullying, inequity, redemption, forgiveness and love. It dances around these themes and interweaves them ingeniously, creating an anime that is both beautifully deep, and horribly poignant.

"What does it mean to be human? Is there ever equity in a society? Can we alter our character? Are we wise enough to know what changes to make?

There is the look at the nature of racism, and how it leads to individuals being singled out and ostracized, or even leading to outright abuse which causes a person's behavior to change (psychology). They say that person's behavior and attitude is affected by that person's surrounding environment, and in Lucy's case, it surely did. When Lucy was young, just because she had little horns on her head, everyone bullied her, ostracized her, and did inhumane things to her. What does it mean to be human? Just because you were born a human doesn't make you a human; you have to be humane to be a human. Why do humans think that we're greater beings than any other species? It's because we're the most arrogant, selfish, repulsive yet wondrous creatures alive. It's suggested throughout the anime that things would have turned out quite differently had Lucy simply been treated with the love due to a child.
As a counterpoint to Lucy, there is also the character Mayu, who is completely human yet she is present to support the theme. Mayu was the victim of neglect on the side of her mother, and sexual abuse the side of her father-in-law. She shows that abuse is not limited to the dicloni race, but is a problem even without racial overtones in human society.

As for the characters, all the main characters were wondrously developed with deep, dark, well explained pasts. Lucy is personally my favorite female character in all anime. Why? Because everything about Lucy was simply amazing, enjoyable, sinister, and she’s given great character development, a tragic backstory, and a personality with a surprising amount of depth. You'll have to watch it to understand but the anime does an amazing job turning a ruthless killer into the protagonist that you cry for and have no choice but to love. There are other diclonis but I would have to spoil part of the plot to reveal things about them, so I'll mention that they all play a symbolic role in the big picture scheme of the anime and are once again are very "organizedly" developed. Kouta and Mayu also are marvelously developed with short but detailed flashes of their past. Also sometimes Kouta and Mayu can be annoying, they're only human, they're bound to be scared, weak, and careless when having to deal with the ugly dark side of our society today. I must say, Kouta is really annoying.

Personally I enjoyed Elfen Lied so much, that I'd give the enjoyment aspect of it a 10/10. I personally love looking deep into psychological and philosophical matters, and that was there this anime shined. I was truly enthralled and captivated by all the universal concepts and themes that the plot had to throw at us. Of course if you don't care much for deep psychological/philosophical thinking, then you may disagree with me. The action scenes are short, but intense and heart-breaking. Nudity is an aspect that many people criticize Elfen Lied for, and of course there is nudity in it, but the actual sexual overtones are few and far between. For me, this struck the perfect balance, though for those who are more squeamish and can't think beyond just what's happening, this is definitely not an anime for you.

Elfen Lied is very creepy and gory, and the well done animation is part of the reason why it is pulled off so nicely. The nudity is NOT ever for fan-service which is good. The amount of blood can also get a bit excessive, but considering the level of dismemberment, it isn't hard to believe that there would be that much blood. The character designs are generally pretty distinct, and the lighting for a given scene is virtually always looking proper. There are also color imagery symbolism to look out for (absolutely genius). As for the sound of the anime, I'll start by saying that personally I believe that the dubbed version of Elfen Lied is utter shit, but the subbed version is a great. The voices match each character's personality and appearance. The opening of Elfen Lied, Lillium is one of the saddest, omniscient and profound openings/songs ever. The other soundtracks were also a tragedy to listen to, not in the sense that the music was bad, but in the sense that they were so beautiful. There so many soothing, yet dark soundtracks in Elfen Lied, and it fit in perfectly with the story. Unfortunately, they got too repetitive... The opening Lillium was played in every episode multiple times...

If you haven't already seen this anime, I'd recommend you watch it and instead of watching it for pure enjoyment, I hope you actually see beyond the screen into the big picture, because that's what Elfen Lied was made for. This anime is a tragic and deep story, although I wouldn't acclaim it a "masterpiece" for obvious flaws and lack of "entertainment". Honestly, if you're looking for entertainment, look elsewhere.

Oh wow she is cute, he is handsome. They both comply so well with one another. It looks like they are going to OH F*CK WHY IS MY SCREEN FULL OF BLOOD.
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Still dramatic...
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O.K. here is the actual review with my IADb rating system:
Story and Characters: Elfen Lied is a Psychological horror that is unique and mystifying in its own way. The core of this anime focuses on the relationships between humans and Diclonii.Dicolnii are similar to humans in build but are also distinguishable by two horns on their heads and "vectors", transparent telekinetically controlled arms that have the power to manipulate and cut objects ... within their reach. These objects include but are not limited too: arms, legs, heads, fingers, eyeballs, weapons, anything else that destroy a human. The two main characters are Lucy Kohta. Lucy, a Diclonii who escaped from research captivity and is ultimately trying to find her place in this world. However, her place in this world was marked a long time ago due to her violent past. This past is explained at various times in the anime at a very good paced. It doesn't seemed force fed and it doesn't take up too much screen time. It works. Kohta however, is your generic male character. The one good thing about him though is that there aren't many bad things about him . He isn't boring, he just doesn't stand out. He knows how to stand his ground. The anime features three more main characters: Yuka, Nana, and Mayu. Yuka, Kohta's cousin who is head over heals in love with him, serves to be the mother of the house. Too many extents she is generic and I found her to be rather annoying, especially in comparison to Mayu, a homeless girl who witnessed Lucy's rampage in an eartly episode, that serves to be a very enjoyable character. Nana proves to be very dynamic and I loved watching her on screen. Bando and Kurama, the anime's main villains, severed their roles perfectly and delivered great foil to each other. Every exchange of dialogue between the two was pure art.

Art: The setting design is beautiful. Backgrounds, powers, blood, gore; all animated perfectly. Character designs, still very good. Not perfect but they all feature ears, noses, and lips, which is more than some anime produced in 2014. Easily one of the most beautiful animes of 2004 to say the least.

Sound: The soundtrack for this anime is great... the first time you hear it. It will get a little tedious eventually. Could have used a couple more songs. The opening remains as one of the most memorable, and the ending theme was good. The voice actors sound their age though, which is always a key.

Enjoyment: This is always a very hard category to digest, as it varies by episode. Most episodes left me very satisfied, and I had the lust to watch the next episode due to a cliffhanger. While there was no specific episode that stood out, there were a few that made me say, "woahh. did that just happen?"

The IADb official scoring:

Plot, Sequence, Flow: 2.4/3 Points
Overall Characters: 1.5/2 Points
Visual Effects: 1.5/2 Points
Soundtrack: 0.5/1 Point
Enjoyment/ Lust to watch the next episode: 1.6/2 Point

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Final Rating: 7.5
Grading it NY Style: B-

an instant classic. many dark themes, irony, comedy, romance, mystery, and most of all... tragety.

story: 9/10
the show dives right in with a girl slaughtering 24+ people in a matter of minutes. she is shot in the head and falles into the sea. soon after she washes up on shore in a populated area and is taken in by a pair of college students. it becomes apparent that the girls personality is split into good and evil. with the good leaving smiles and the evil leaving buckets o' blood before switching back into good. a lovable cast is introduced one ... by one in strange and amusing ways, each leaving their mark on the viewer. the innocent murderer(nyu), the homeless girl(mayu), the pacifist weapon(nana), the clueless imbecile(kouta), the douche with a gun(bando), the sadistic loli(mariko) and the lovestruck cousin(yuka)... these characters have deep personalities and pasts that tie them deeply into the plot of the story, drawing the viewer deeper and deeper until the end. the plot delves into the past toward the end of the series and contains a lot of emotion in the final episodes.

Art: 10/10
one of the greatest draws of elfen lied is the quality of the animation. from the moment you watch the OP sequence you know youve found something special(opening credits are based off of paintings by gustav klimt. compare them and be amazed). the characters are drawn extremely well and the backgrounds and scenery are superb as well. there is a slight overabundance of blood in this series but it is pulled off really well, as shown in the first episode. screenshots are often high enough quality to use as desktop wallpaper if one so desires(yes it is that good).
allthough there is some nudity in the series there is no actual sexual activity so this can by no means be considered a hentai.

sound: 10/10
right of the bat i found the sound quality to be very high. the into theme is a masterpiece that perfectly reflects the mood of the show. throughout the series the sound effects(particularly when there is a splash of gore) are of very high quality and there is no delay between action and sound. the lip synching is perfect in the japanese version and almost perfect in the dubbed version which is amazingly good in itself. i watched the series on both english and japanese and i can tell you the sound quality is the same in each as is the sound effecs and timing.

character:10/10
all characters are fully explained throughout the story. they have full personalities and past experiences that the show draws upon to more fully explain certain events in the story. they all have their stongpoints and weaknesses and their emotions coupled with the musical score of the story can and probably will drive you to tears.

enjoyment:9/10
a truly entertaining and captivating story rife with tragety and happyness. much violence and carnage to be found for those who love this stuff. unfortunately the ending is a bit of a letdown and leaves you speculating on what reaklly happened.

overall its a great series that touches the heart and mind that is of high quality and enjoyment.

bottom line: 10/10

Elfen Lied begins with blood, violence and killing which is, in my opinion, the best way to capture people's attention. It is the tale of Lucy, an evolved human called a Diclonius, characterized with horns resembling a cat's ears. With their telekinetic arms- dubbed vectorss, the diclonius can do anything within their reach withoutl lifting finger- even kill. This is why the diclonius are viewed as a danger- they are relentless killing machines , thought to bring the destruction of humanity and for this they are killed.

Unless they are captured.

As with any secret government lab, the lab in Elfen Lied keeps ... a select few of diclonius females to study and find a cure for this virus. Among those captured is Lucy, a powerful diclonius. Lucy manages to escape capture, killing countless soliders with her vectors, all while in the nude. The only injury Lucy suffers is a shot to the head and falls a clift into the ocean. The head injury causes a mental split in Lucy's personality: there is the murderous killing machine Lucy, and the naiive child like Lucy named Nyu by two teens who spotted her on the beach.

OKay got that?! This is just a mere summary of the 14 episodes of Elfen Lied. For me to go into greater detail would completely reveal this tale, and you must watch this anime to find out.

You cant help but fall in love with Nyu, her child like eyes and actions are too cute, and you forget she is Lucy, a murderous killing machine. But towards the end of the anime, you learn about Lucy's past and learn the Diclonius are not murderers because it is in their nature, rather they turn because of humanity's inhumane actions towards them. A diclonius are human in their emotions, but what makes them different is- when they get pissed- they kill and continue to kill to protect themselves. IT is the basic nature vs. nurture arguement here, which in my opinion nuture wins hands down. Lucy grew up in a welfare care facility and was constantly treated as an outsider because of her horns, and when the one thing she cared about was taken away before her very eyes, she killed those responsible. Feeling the world would never accept her, Lucy killed and killed again until she was finally stopped.

To tell an entire story in 13 ( well 14 actually) episodes is very difficult, but Elfen Lied manages to do the job effortlessly, and manages to leave the audience with a question at the end-- who is at the door? Everyone in this anime had a problem, and at the end, the problems were pretty much resovled. Overall, I would say this anime is by far worth the time and effort to watch and I would really recommend watching it.

My first review, but what the heck.
Elfen Lied. I remember watching the first half of this episode around three years ago, when I first started "getting more into" anime. At the time, I haven't seen anything as gory as it, so (the wimp that I was) I stopped half way through the first episode, never to watch it again until recently. I have to say, I am GLAD I gave it a second try. At first, I was was afraid to watch it again, but the first episode is probably the most graphic compared to the rest. After watching Claymore, ... Higurashi...,Hellsing, and other various gory anime, it didn't seem as bad as I thought back then. If you can watch that, you're set for another 12 episodes of "ecchi, horror, comedy, drama, romance, action, science-fiction, and suspense" you name it.

The overall plot was great. What's better than a sadistic girl with split personalities who can mutilate and dismember people without lifting a finger? Well, without lifting an organic finger. But of course, Elfen Lied is much more than that. It really centers on the relationships of Diclonius (basically horned mutated humans with invisible arms that can cut people up) and humans, and revolves around the question: could they live peacefully together? As Lucy (a Diclonius who has had her fill of happy/sad/psychotic times with humans) struggles to find the answer as the story progresses, we are given a partial answer at the end of the anime, due to the somewhat cliffhanger as it veered off from the manga. Although I do recommend reading and finishing the manga (as it covers the pasts of characters and answers many questions the anime does not) I still found the anime ending pretty decent, and was content of the outcome.

The background art was pretty good imo. The animation isn't crappy and the style fits the anime, since it is both sad and gory but can be funny as well.

For sound, I really liked the opening song. When I went to watch the first episode for the second time, the opening song kinda gave me the creeps and almost made me change my mind, but it actually is a great song the really fits the series. I can't really say the same for the ending song; a little too happy imo.

For characters, I think they were great. However, off the top of my head, sometimes it seems that things that happen are immediately forgotten by the characters, until the need arises for the memory to pop up again as a flash back. (I think it was the Professor Kakuzawa situation that kinda annoyed me) but that was something very minor. They do have feelings, and some tragic pasts, so overall they were good. The relationships between them are also in depth as well. If you want to know more about the characters (and the ones left out) I, again, recommend reading the manga.

For enjoyment, well, I really enjoyed this anime. Each episode only left me wanting to watch more, and what's great about this anime is that it's already over! (meaning I was able to watch it in one go!) Even though the plot veered off from the manga, it was still a good ending imo, and this anime isn't one that could be forgotten easily. Again, I am really glad I gave this anime a second chance. If I hadn't, man I'd be missing out on one great anime that dared to mix horror with comedy, violence and gore with cuteness, and death, destruction, and despair with one badass, two-horned, almost-naked-half-the-time, teenage girl that can hug you like crazy are tear you apart.

Do you like tits?

Do you like guro?

Do you want to see women and men get brutally murdered?

(remember, tho, it's only guro if it's women)

Well, this is as close to a guro anime you'll get in the mainstream. Lucy/Nyu is a diclonius, which is a pink-haired human female with horns and invisible arms called "vectors" that slice and dice shit into bloody puddles of guts.

Lucy gets pissed off because she's a diclonius queen, is being experimented on, and escapes a research facility after massacring an army of security guards and a cute secretary who is in the wrong place at the wrong time (remember the ... rule of guro?). Did I mention that Lucy does this stark naked, save for a Hannibal Lecter mask? The security guards finally whip out an AT rifle and slightly harm her.

She then washes up nude on shore and is discovered by Kohta, a boy who has met this monster in the past but has erased the memory. He instead prefers to live by himself in a big house with his cousin, whom he wants to fuck brainless (because incest adds to the fun).

The cast of characters in this anime are mostly total fuckers, or really good people who have really bad shit happen to them (in this case it's being gutted by invisible hands).

One example is the sweet and kind Nana (whose dismemberment at first is gruesome, but then for some reason becomes humorous--this show is just twisted that way). Bando is a special forces killer who likes to beat women more than Sean Connery, and yet in the cast of self absorbed backstabbers and monsters comes across as genuine and likeable by the end. There's career woman Shirakawa who lets Professor Kakuzawa murder lolis because she's in love with head researcher Kurama (one of the few sympathetic characters in the anime, a man who damned humanity because of his own weakness and love for his child).

The plot is rather simple. Diclonius are a mutation of the human race; super beings that plan on replacing humanity by force and having a natural killer instinct. Some secret institution is unsure whether they want to research or kill them (loli murder).

Most of it is told through the two faces of Lucy--the murderous and hateful creature that she really is and the childlike state she reverts to under stress, Nyu which is innocent and almost comical.

There is a full spectrum of sadism and examples of human cruelty that make you really question if Lucy is in the right, but then she goes off and murders innocent people by the dozens, and we're left to watch. Usually there's a juxtaposition of innocence and brutality, and this is where the anime really gets its kicks, extracting brutality out of a sweet and harmless situation gone horribly wrong.

Kidneys and guts go flying. The anime has a sadistic flavor and it eventually gets tiresome in its convoluted message of showing the many faces of cruelty and how it breeds more pain and hatred.

It tries its best to be dark and uncomfortable and the loaded gun of the diclonius persona sets up a tension of who will live and die. Like Higurashi, it does this with very sweet appearing moe/ecchi characters, so that further adds to the spectacle.

Still, it tries to carry itself through violence and gore to make up for a simplistic story and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

Elfen Lied is the only show I've ever been able to give a ten in right mind. Most importantly, I would like to touch base on the common area of divergence in people's reception of Elfen Lied; that, of course, being the unbelievably mature content, and the sheer amount of it. Make no mistake, this is in no way a children's show. Not only in the visual manner of it's presentation, for Elfen Lied boasts one of the most disturbing and relatable storylines I have ever seen. This said, every single one of the aforementioned themes were absolutley nessecary. Not only that, I can assure ... you that every scene in Elfen Lied needed to be there to make the story as powerful as it was, minimal ecchi and pedophilia included.

Story; 10. The beautiful thing about this story is actually it's lacking of one. Because in reality, the overarching plot is pretty solidly explained from start to finish in the show's own synopsis; Lucy, a diclonius, is on the run and fighting for her life against the organization that captured her. From here, everything that can be summarized as a "story" is a brief and powerful look into the personal lived and psyches of the main cast of characters. The stories often do not even directly intertwine with this parent plot. However, the show manages to succeed despite what could become a crippling plot flaw, wrapping itself up successfully at episode thirteen's close. I cannot tell you how many thirteen episode series I have seen ending terribly, and these were very good, consistent shows too. Finally, and possibly most importantly, is the depths the writers took into various religions, beliefs and cultures to craft each character's universe. Lucy alone, past aside, is a tribute to the oldest humanoid fossil excavated, which shares this name. There are so many wonderfully subtle social commentaries like this, from social Darwinism to the classic battle of good and evil, and even into the art world, featuring many throwbacks to Gustav Klimt. It's truly a flawless and powerfully written piece of animation.

Art; 10. It's really shockingly every time I remember that Elfen Lied is actually almost four years old now; It is so very well animated. The color pallet is bright, character movements consistent and fluent, and small environmental details such as the cherry blossoms by the inn are animated so breathtakingly that they defy description. ARMS really did an incredible job with this, it's really a shame they almost exclusively animate hentai besides this. I'd love to see them do some more anime series, they are definitely a talented group capable of some truly stunning work.

Sound; 10. There is but one anime besides Elfen Lied that has an appropriate and tolerable soundtrack in my eyes. However, Elfen Lied managed to go a step above and achieve a soundtrack so harmonious and emotional that even separate from the show, the music alone creates a depressing, melancholy atmosphere lacking all the cheesy synth work of most anime series. Very nice.

Character; 10. Here is the heart of the story I mentioned before. Each character, somehow, in thirteen episodes, becomes so very real, and tragically so. Elfen Lied, in case it's possible to have not caught on by now, is no cakewalk. It's dark, introspective, disturbing, depressing, and shocking. To beauty, it's the car accident you see on the expressway but can't not look at once you've seen it. Mesmerizing horror. I wish I could really explain the depth and stunning, gritty truth and terror utilized in this series, but even if it were allowed, I can't do it. I've seen it three times now straight through, and each time I've noticed a new theme or idea I previously missed. The story is, in a way, alive. Depending on when you watch it, you will receive parts of it differently and they will impact you personally on varying degrees. I simply can't do Lynn Okamoto or his brilliant idea justice no matter how hard I try, so suffice to say that Elfen Lied is not a show you will ever be able to forget. In this way it is the most developed horror series available.

Enjoyment/Overall; 10. This is only arbitrarily a ten. There is absolutely nothing enjoyable about Elfen Lied. It is an absolutely crushing experience, one that betters you in no way whatsoever. It's unbelievable how well done this series is, because never before has any media silenced me for so long. I've wanted to review this series for years now, but never could quite nail how to possibly begin to explain it. Because at the end of the road, Elfen Lied strays far from being an anime series and instead becomes an estranging psychological and undeniably personal experience, which will vary from viewer to viewer. It's ambiguity is it's crowned gem, and I wholeheartedly recommend this series to anyone old enough to view it.