I’d known this anime existed, and is good, for over a year already. However, I could never bring myself to watch it, until now. The main reason is because there’s an excess of violence in this show (though a little exaggerated by fans). This show is 18+ for a reason.

After you get over the “shock and awe” of the first 5 min or so of the anime, you will know why there are so many fans and why this anime is so well recieved. The anime manages to tackle a huge variety of topics, ranging from jealousy, revenge, cruelty, etc, in a mature manner. The plot of the story is also amazingly thick, with many twists near the end. Considering that there’s only 13 episodes, it’s amazingly well crafted.
The romantic tragedy has been known to move many brave men to tears (but not me).

My fav, besides the story, is the opening song “Lilium“. And the super-artistic impressionistic OP video. Very classy. Perfect match for the sad romantic love story. The song never fails to move me everytime I hear it.

The only problem I’ve had is with the main character “Kouta”. His super f-ed up reaction to “killing” is so super f-ed up, I find him a serious irritation. Maybe that’s why Lucy likes him… I read on wikipedia that he reacts more “normally” when witnessing murders.

Verdict: Elfen Lied is an EXCELLENT anime. But only if you can get over the violence. For the weak hearted, prepare a pail – for your puke. 8.5/10!

Download it for free here.