Erufen rîto

Elfen Lied is notorious, at least among fans of anime, for its graphic violence and frequent nudity. However, these aspects are merely part of what is in fact an excellent series. More than just an unsettling mix of cute little girls and intense gore, Elfen Lied is a series about nature vs. nurture, love vs. hate, the future of humanity, and similar themes. Yes, the show is quite violent, but this violence underscores these themes well and as we later learn, is not merely just a product of instinctual brutality. With only thirteen episodes in total, Elfen Lied is short but sweet and well worth watching. Just remember, you'll never look at cat-girls the same way again.

This anime is near perfect. Despite having only 13 (add 1 more if you include the OVA) episodes in the series as of now, Elfen Lied surpasses all expectations in all aspects. The art animation is beautiful and a pleasure to look at. The story itself is brilliant. A very violent and emotional story about a girl, Lucy, and her life and place in a big conspiracy about human evolution. Honestly, I'm not into violent movies as they usually ruin a movie (because there is just too much blood/gore), but this series is an exception. The violence accurately depicts the mood and tension of the series. Elfen Lied's storyline is rather deep and gripping. Probably on par, if not better, than Square's FF7 plot line. And I love FF7. Elfen Lied is just that good. The music also "clicked" perfectly with everything. The OP "Lilium" is a beautiful piece that I find myself thinking about a lot, along with the characters and the story. Highly recommended watch to everyone, anime fans or not. Take note however, that this anime is brutally violent but still manages a perfect blend of everything else.

One more thing... I haven't seen the English voice overs. I have only seen the Japanese version with English subtitles. Well I hope that doesn't ruin the series... well it's kinda hard to with this series being so great and all...

First of all, I don't presume myself to be an Otaku or some sort of Anime/Manga Highlord, however this is THE single best anime I have ever seen and I have seen quite a few. If you are like me and enjoy animes that are not as long (Only 13 episodes plus a 25 min OVA!) and can stand some violence and can look at female nudity without going all childish and horny about it this anime is for you. It has a very deep story, along with the best anime song I have ever heard... after watching the anime I got into reading the manga and all, it is a very rich story and it is very beautifully directed. Also if you got nothing to do one day you can easily watch it in its entirety, fall in love, laugh, and cry with the characters. If you enjoyed Evangelion you will most certainly enjoy this, and it is better than Evangelion.

I must say that I have never enjoyed anime or even watched it. However, after watching this series, I must say that it is the most beautiful thing I have ever witnessed. This anime plays to about every human emotion. It will make you hate, love, wonder, and most importantly, it will break your heart. This was totally unexpected and the impact this anime has made is still with me today. The characters and the story are beautifully fleshed out and touch upon many subjects that fall close to home. The only criticism I can offer is a kind that is more compliment that critical; this anime is too short. I was desperate for more. I wish I could do this anime more justice. If you ever have the opportunity to watch this series, do so.

I just watched the whole series (1-13 episodes + the OVA) today, the anime from episode one hooks you until the very end, I wasn't expecting the storyline to be as compelling or as emotional as it was but this wasn't the first anime that surprised me this way and i'm sure it wont be the last.

Lucy is a Diclonius (two - horned human with telekinetic arms called vectors) hell bent on destroying man-kind to create the next race. Nyu is Lucy's alter-ego / personality whatever you wish to call it, if anyone has seen Chobits just picture Chii and you'll pretty much have a perfect match to Nyu.

Without going into too much detail and spoiling the anime for you, I will offer a little warning this anime isn't for the faint of heart / stomach or children under 16.

There is a lot of nudity, blood, guts and violence, and should be watched at your own risk don't say I didn't warn you.

I hope you enjoy Elfen Lied as much as I did and I hope you find this summary helpful.