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Plot Synopsis

The Diclonius, a mutated homo sapien that is said to be selected by God and will eventually become the destruction of mankind, possesses two horns in their heads, and has a "sixth sense" which gives it telekinetic abilities. Due to this dangerous power, they have been captured and isolated in laboratories by the government. Lucy, a young and psychotic Diclonius, manages to break free of her confines and brutally murder most of the guards in the laboratory, only to get shot in the head as she makes her escape. She survives and manages to drift along to a beach, where two teenagers named Kouta and Yuka discovers her. Having lost her memories, she was named after the only thing that she can now say, "Nyuu," and the two allow her to stay at Kouta's home. However, it appears that the evil "Lucy" is not dead just yet...

Story & Characters

Torment. torture and dismemberment are what meets you headlong in the beginning of this ecchi piece of work. Blood, guts and nudity. The story is very familiar but extremely well balanced. The very moment you are sick of the characters arms and legs getting sliced off you will be rewarded with a cutesy scene with harem possibilities. When you are sick of that it will transition into scenes quite naturally from a characters childhood emotional trauma.
This is at it's base, a Government experiment gone horribly wrong with many casualties causing immediate retaliation. Lots of spewing red stuff where there used to be people standing causes moments of "Ugh...what am I watching?". Then you will be treated to moments you have never truly experianced in any anime. Not suprise moments, but suprise things that occur when you least expect them too. It's a very fine line.
I can recommend Elfen Lied to just about anyone who likes their anime "TO THE MAX". This is one crazy ride.
Just like the rest of the story it's sews itself up with torture and outlandish emotional outbursts. Tearjerker? Possibly...but not to the degree of Saikano or Kimi Ga.

Rating

7 (above average)

Art

This is a fairly new project and the art did offer up one thing I hadn't scene before: a more extreme way to show anguish and the moment of death. You can almost literally feel the flesh being sheared from the bone or a limb being ripped from the socket.
Other than that there really isn't to much else to be impressed with as far as the art is concerned. They did a very satisfactory job in conveying everything concisely, it's just that I felt like they paid such close attention to some things then lacked real motovation on others that could have been just as prominant.

Rating

6 (average)

Sound

Not disapointed, but not really to impressed either. This is another area where I would have enjoyed the anime even more if the creators had payed a little closer attention to the music. Certain scenes...flawless! Others are seriously lacking. In fact some scenes are so driven by sound effects that the musical mood of the situation just gets lost.
This is a dark anime and I got the feeling of it all, however I don't feel as if I was dragged in by the entirety of Elfen Lied the way I have by similar types of projects.
I could've been coerced further if the moods perfectly matched, they come close, but not close enough for total immersion into the story.
Well, maybe a little disapointed.

Rating

6 (average)

Presentation

This has moments of being funny, frightening, cute, lovelorn and devastating. The way the most of the relationships come about are about as probable as Tenchi Muyo!
Then again I don't know one person who watches anime soley for it's realistic properties.
The love story is wishy-washy at best. Most will be more distracted by the half naked chick floating around disemboweling the entire military. The fight scenes are incredibly impressive, except for the ones versus the humans. People are mere targets for these experiments gone rouge. The cuteness wavers in and out then out and in (based on a dual-personality). Most will be waiting for destruction to begin again. There are perverted moments throughout the show, but I get the feeling there are more than they originally wanted to show. I mean, this show could've been wonderful and inspiring and that I guess is what makes it a little bit of a let down.
Elfen Lied is definitely worth watching...if you're not doing anything else right now.

Rating

6 (average)

Final Verdict

6.33 (average)

Reviewed by DarkDub, 3y 1wk ago