firstly an intro - I have watched lots of anime, many whose titles I have forgotten, so they are not in my list. Some I saw as a kid in the 70's (60's anime) up to current series in 2012-13. What we should remember is that in almost all cases anime is based on fictional work. I'm not aware of any black ball aliens sending people to kill aliens or cube like torture machines arriving at anyone's home from a long absent father or feline oddities taking over anyones high-school crush.
Elfen Lied to me is an incredibly brutal representation of something from the darker side of someones imagination. It's not real, never has been and never will be. Some of the elements contained within are real, and such human cruelty does happen. I don't remember clothes falling off continuously.
However it's optional to view, and you switch it off any time you like.
Story (10). It does what it's supposed to. It shocks you. If you disregard the nudity it's a really nastly, scary story. It's about how people are obsessed with gaining that little bit more knowledge to further their corrupt quest for power. It seems, to me, a little bit like the darkest, crulest part of vivsection supposedly carried out to further human knowledge of the animal kingdom. The unnecessary torture of another species to satisfy an insatiable thirst. The abuse and neglest of children.
Art (8). Not really my forte:But looks ok to me. Some anime is prettier, some isn't. It's quite dark, and fits the story well.
Sound (8). I could hear it ok
Character (10). Clever development right to the end. Good backstories not bombarded at you, but not to slow to cause boredom. A lot is said about the split personality of the female lead, but thats one of the main elements of the story, so who cares. I liked the characters in this. It showed how people act without sometimes thinking. And lets face it, if the were like real life it would have been really boring, wouldn't it?
Enjoyment (10). Like Bakemonogatari, it is an affront to the visual senses, and I really wanted to know what happened at the end. But some of it was so sad, that it made it that bit more memorable.
Overall 10. It's a good series if you are able to get that it isn't and never will be real. The idea is that it's a story, it won't ever happen.
