Hmmm, how do I put this... I went into Elfen Lied expecting a little more than I got throughout the beginning episodes (1-5), the story line was common, I saw a few unmistakable similarities to other anime that were superior which in my eyes made this anime unoriginal. I'll have to say that, now after completing the anime, for the second time in my days watching anime, I have finally found another equal to Anohana in the sole aspect that even for a short anime (13 episodes) NOT ONCE, did I feel that the ending was rushed in anyway, decreasing dramatic effect.
Another topic to discuss, I cannot see how this anime can be considered a primarily ecchi themed anime. I have seen reviews or comments referring it as somewhat famous for its nudity, but I find that downright wrong. IMO, yes there were many nude scenes and, what, 2 kissing scenes, 2 breasts gropings? That IMO is hardly enough to consider an ecchi themed anime. The amount of nudity was tied into the main conflict and if you are a guy out there that can get an erection and masturbate to a nude chick who martyrs people like they are going through a wood cutter and fountains of blood erupting with amounts seemingly impossible... Let me tell you that you have a problem. Anyways, back to topic. I would more classify this anime with the following tags, Drama, Horror, Psychological, Action, and Romance with a warning of R+ for extreme, violence, nudity, and language.
The Story:6: (Thanks for sticking around to read folks). I'll have to say, the main reason I rated the story line as "Good7" is because of the solidarity I have found with it and other anime. Other anime that have a similar plot line with Elfen Lied are, Kanon2006, and C3. Although I find Elfen Lied superior to C3, but inferior to Kanon2006, I wish that the story lines weren't so similar or based off a general idea. I'll have to restate what I said in the introduction because I can't get over it. For a short anime series of 13 episodes I have only seen one other anime that hasn't made me feel like it was being completely rushed to cram everything into the ending episodes like Anohana and Elfen Lied. That is one aspect I find in this anime to the highest respect. Aside from that, the plot development was very predictable, and outcomes could be seen a mile away. With barely any twists relating to action, I think the rating of 7 fits Elfen Lied's story aspect.
Art8 and Sound9: I can't really complain much about art and sound, these usually are the best aspects of anime out there. the only reason for me that Art rates as an 8 is because the animations for 2004 just seem so rudimentary and primitive to what I have seen recently. (Sorry but after watching Guilty Crown, what other anime can compare??). The sound was rated a 9 for me because the only memorable sound I found interesting was the music that Kohta's music box played, which was repeated a majority of the series.
Characters7: Well let's see. In terms of personality, which I base most of my character ratings on, I found that most of the characters in Elfen Lied had common personalities that can be found in many other anime series. I didn't like Kohta's cousin's personality at all to be honest until she admitted at her own selfishness near the end of the series. That was unexpected for me which also brings me to how fantastic each character's development was and how it was portrayed. Each character had its own dynamic changing aspects (as dynamic characters) and their changes affected the work as a whole. The Main similarities that I found between Kanon2006, and C3 are the characters. If you have watched those two series, I highly recommend Kanon2006 (made me cry like a baby), but I wouldn't worry too much about C3. Anyway, Kohta and Aizawa are VERY similar. Each lost their memory over a traumatizing event that happened in a place that they were visiting in their childhood, and they each return to find that they are the only ones that forgot, and through, various girls, they slowly recover what happened and there is a resolution at the end. Between C3, (BTW C3 is otherwise known as CursedxCubexCurious) are the characters Lucy/Nyu and Fear (in Cube). They each have a bloody past and each have their own set of split personalities that, well like a flip of a coin, determine you dead or not. Either way, the Characters in Elfen Lied IMO deserve a 7/10.
Enjoyment: I can't really say much here, since I said a lot throughout this review already. I don't think I've ever typed this much, and I can't really think of anything else to say other than that I enjoyed the ending very much. (The falling action & Resolution, episodes 9-13). They really made the series good for me. Thanks for reading all the way to the end if you did. Don't hesitate to constructively criticize me, or thank me =P, through messages or comments on my profile, as long as it isn't hate mail, I'll respond.
-Thanks, Nebarto
