Elfen Lied

   Elfen Lied is something else. Just watching the first 10 minutes of the first episode and one can understand that this is not your typical anime. A series modeled, in many ways, after the tragedies of Shakespeare and Ancient Greece, Elfen Lied is not something that you want to enjoy a sunny day with. The seemingly grotuetist violence and nudity may put some people off of this series, but I have to say that the story would not have the same impact without it.

• Story: 10

   - Elfen Lied boasts one of the most intense and intriguing plot lines that I have ever experienced in anime. It must be known that the central themes to Elfen Lied are hate, anger, and inhumanity. Every darkness of the human soul is represented in this 13 episode series.

• Animation: 8 

   - Not much to say here. The animation is very good, but nothing really stands out. I do really like the opening that shows a style adapted from the famous Austrian painter Gustav Klimt

• Sound: 10 

    - The music really sets the tone for the series. I love the opening song "Lilium" by Kumiko Noma.

• Character: 9 

    -  Elfen Lied has the best in depth characters i've seen since Neon Genesis Evangelion. The characters are real, with both light and darkness in their souls. Unlike most anime, the distinction between good and evil is not so clear. Can Lucy/Nyu be considered a good character when she has the capacity to harm so many?

• Enjoyment: 10 

     - This rating is the most subjective of all. I enjoyed the series, especially because I enjoy both dark and lighter anime series.

• Overall: 10

       - You just can't find many anime series that took the risk that Elfen Lied did. Sure you can watch Tenchi, Love Hina, or even Ranma 1/2 and get the same decently good anime over and over again. Elfen Lied, is something that just doesn't come around that often.