From the very beginning (after only 5 minutes) it was clearly that anime will be very predictable, and I was right! Story is total cliche - Humans are bad, utterly evil so let's kill them all! One day Lucy is discovering that Kouta lied to her so she decided to kill his familly, and we should sorry for her? Characters are shallow, especially the main - Lucy! She have some stupid powers - giant invisible hands (vectors) for massacre, but they have a limited range of a few meters, and Lucys doses only 2 meters. I don't see what is so special about it The only disturbing part in this anime for me was Lucys (dis)ability to talk! She was so irritating always when she opens her mouth and said - Nyu! It's not very scary anime, it have plenty of cheap shock effects. I really I don't see what is so deep and tragic in this anime that only shows some funny gore (flying limbs), fanservice and bad animation. Probably Elfen Lied is one of the most overrated anime, and calling it masterpiece is ridiculous! Maybe this anime is aimed for younger audience (elementery school children) and this anime is probably good only for them! (show less)

Firstly I must state that I have watched this anime completely, twice. The first time was quite a long time ago, and I remembered that it "scarred" me - the absolutely sick twists and turns that the story makes left me feeling both exhilarated and disgusted at the same time. The second time I watched it, which was rather recent, I decided to pay closer attention to detail, in case I may have missed some aspects here and there. Truth be told, watching it again was just as great (if not better) as the first time around. Even knowing what to expect. This anime is truly brilliant. One amongst a very select few anime that can really be considered a classic. "Legendary" is a term I prefer. It is THAT good.

Now, it is important to note that this anime is actually not a complete cover of the real story behind it - as the manga on which it is based continues much further. So I will attempt to review it based on that fact.

Story; What is covered in the anime, is very good. If you aren't aware of the manga scene, then this anime will be good enough for you, even though there are a few aspects and questions that are left unanswered. Without spoiling anything; major questions would be something like "what is the plan?" and "who was that??", which are, once you've watched it, quite important questions. Still, for the sake of the anime and what it covers and how it closes itself off, it does a very good job. So if you aren't a manga reader, then the story will be sufficient. The only reason I didn't score the story 5/5 is due to the fact that it is incomplete. I will touch on this subject later.

Dialogue; It's all easy to understand. (That is, English subtitles :P) Nothing is spoken in this anime that is difficult to understand. The story is told very well, at a very good pace. Nothing is said, whether it be for a lighter mood or in times of action or suspense, it all feels (and sounds) natural. That being said - the voice acting is well done as well.

Animation; The quality of the animation and sound effects used aren't excellent but it can be excused because the anime is somewhat old. Even so, for it's age, it is still good. I would love to get my hands on an up-scaled version (perhaps 720p) - then, it would be amazing.

Entertainment; Excellent. Gripping from start to finish. At no point is it boring. However, within this category lies some potential draw backs of the anime. Depending on you personal preference, this anime may lead you to some SERIOUS tears near the end. As it did for me. Not tears of joy, but rather, tears of disgust, and truly heart breaking situations. I say this because it made me feel nearly sickened. If you are a sensitive person this may end up depressing you. (lol)
Another factor would be the split personality of Lucy/Nyuu. "nyuu" "nyuu" "nyuu" ... You hear that a lot. It can become somewhat annoying at times.

To get back to the story. As I mentioned, it is not complete in the anime. The manga is complete, and it takes the story much further. However, be warned. If you like this anime, and do wish to continue reading the manga to see where the story really goes - be prepared. The manga and the anime are very different. You will understand what I mean if you search for the point in the manga where the anime ended.
I recommended reading the manga from the start, and skim through the parts what you are already familiar with.

Be warned: The manga is absolutely, soul-shatteringly , mindbogglingly, depressingly sad beyond words.
sad, but excellent. :) (show less)

i hate to break the perfect number of 70 reviews, especially when the review box isn't even up, but whatever... here goes.

pros
+ unique concept
+ mixes philosophy and emotions, plays on human nature
+ individual characters with good development and interesting backgrounds
cons
- incomplete story (manga goes much further)
- seiyuu fail!!!
- attempts at humour turn out twisted due to overall darkness and sadistic atmosphere

conclusion: (not playing on weird parallels to deadman wonderland) a very heavy, dark, and graphic story, and not for those under 18. could be a classic for its storyline, philosophy, examination of the human condition and nature (sadistic as well as other) and emotion, as well as for its damn content of gore. it's a good one to watch as long as you've got a strong stomach (aka no dislike of blood) and like the action/gore/supernatural genre, as well as some decent thought behind the whole thing, but this anime had more potential than it displays. personally, i definitely prefer the manga for the following reasons: -alot more extense and complete story with the same variety of emotion and the same amazing philosophy, -not as much red colour, -no disgusting sounds, -no failing seiyuu. the anime is okay for what it is, but to anybody interested, i would recommend the manga more.

peace. (show less)