Elfen Lied

I'll keep this short.

Most of what others have said is true. This is a very well done anime. It has an exremely emotional and graphic story. It is as sad or emotional as "Grave of the fireflies" and as bloody as "Berserk" (I would say its worse).

Although it is fantasy because of the special powers the girls have you should not think it would diminish it. It is about not knowing who or what is good and bad, about tragedy and loss, it is about forgiveness.

Just be ready for this is not for the weak of heart.

I would definitely recommend this anime, its one of the best made anime I have ever seen.

I watched this series over 2 days which isn't really fair because it's probably about as long as any of the Lord of the Rings movies and I watched that in one sitting. Anyways, this series of anime is my favorite story of any book I've read, game I've played, movie or show I've watched. Even though this series is 13 episodes long, it is really just astounding how powerfully moving it is.

I'm not going to give a description of what it is about because you can find that elsewhere. What I can tell you is that it is the saddest but perhaps greatest love story I know. If you haven't seen it yet, even if you hate anime, see this movie. I can barely even describe the wonders that are packed into this short series.

-thank you

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.

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...

I saw the first episode of Elfen Lied and thought it looked pretty cool, so I went and bought the rest of the series. It was even better than I thought it would be, much better. Even with only 13 episodes, This series is awesome. Elfen Lied is sad, moving, violent, has some great characters, emotion, and it is completely enjoyable. The first episodes aren't brilliant, but this is a series that gets better and better as it progresses, and the last two DVDs are a joy to behold. If you don't puke at the sight of blood, this is a series you should most certainly see, and you'll know why once you've watched it to the end. A must have for anime fans!