i have see my fair share of putrid and insulting trash that end up be acclaim to the heaven by mass but this show really take the cake . if you want an example of what anime not to show to a newcomer to the medium or . anyone who you do not hate and by all mean and shove this show into the face of anyone who you never want speak to you ever again . this anime plot revolve around a mistreat and cat eared lab rat sub specie to human know a diclonius who have psychic power use havectors ( depict a barely visible arm that reach out from within them ) which be use for violent purpose of course . the terrible plot be thinly veil by it excessive and hock violence where countless limb be slice off and body be behead . unfortunately and not even scene of animal or catgirl abuse and it only redeeming factor and can diminish what a torturous view experience it be in all . the story be contrive and nonsensical from it very start . a diclonius name lucy brutally murder many scientist and security guard and etc . at the experimental facility in which she have be confine for year . sadly and her escape from the place be hinder by an injury to her head which result in you guess it the development of an alternate personality . this be nowhere near the peak of the show stupidity though . not only do lucy now have an alternate personality and but this new personality of hers nyuu be essentially a tragically retarded and meow human or cat hybrid . after the conveniently naked and quite creepy nyuu be wash ashore and kohta and his cousin yuka discover her and do the most sensible thing possible . no and they do not call the police . they decide without any apparent forethought to take her home to live with them . yeah and just like that . intelligence never prevail in this show . elfen lie have a godawful cast of character with literally no redeeming quality worth note . again and nyuu be a retard and she take up more screen time than lucy do while this be likely because she be make to be a sadistically pervert retard who assault other woman in the household at any give opportunity . it naturally quite fit for a tale that be later market a one of tragic romance and a representation of the level of cruelty which humanity be capable of . and this lead me to the most painful aspect of the series . it lack of understanding of the concept of subtlety . don not you just hate it when your emotion be take advantage of and your heart string be pull at when you least expect it and or when you see a lovable character die a gruesome death . if so and do not hesitate to watch elfen lie a this series have no idea how human being interact and much less do it understand how to emotionally involve viewer . the only attempt the series make to have viewer care about character be to have them viciously beaten and have their body rip to bloody shred and or and best of all and have their one and only canine companion pummel before their eye by plot devic i mean bully . this show be just one cliché after another . there be some message present amidst all of this though . the series want the viewer to sympathize with the life ruiner lucy and yet the best they could do be have her witness her dog death a a child and expect that to be reason enough to side with a murderer from now on . i mean and come on . then there the moronic kohta who do little more than act as bland a he can before the onset of his next little flashback to yet another oh so cleverly concoct plot device lucy kill his father and sister when he be a child . wow and what a shocker that be . there be no interesting confrontation though . just kohta have a weirdly intense migraine upon the return of his forgotten memory and more killing . at first the show be o bad it good . now it o bad it just suck . no personality and no charisma and no likability whatsoever ( except for the fact that he hasn not kill anyone ) . you want it . kohta doesn not have it . but hey and this be a lonely serial killer dream harem and right . everyone fit right in . a for yuka and she try to get in the way of the romance between lucy and kohta by be a annoying and selfish a possible . she just a cheap tactic to get viewer to think hey and that psycho killer lucy doesn not seem so bad compare to a shrill cousin . the character be all paint a purely evil or innocent victim of circumstance . there be no sign of complexity in characterization and no warring emotion and no real moral debating . only ploys to get the viewer to pick side as easily a possible while have it end a a fairy tale to convince them that what they just watch wasn not conjure solely for the purpose of shock value why and there a heart too . there be also a lot of nudity in the series that be so unnecessary and misuse that it only add to the disaster factor . there be nothing wrong with nudity but to use it just to keep viewer watch . that sell out . the animation and art be poor . also and just so you know and if you think the art style use in the opening be original and it not . the opening theme and lilium be pretty but miserably out of place . after all and it be a stupid harem with boob and blood . you get to hear the theme in supposedly move scene though . just close your eye and listen to it and the pain will become more bearable . would i recommend elfen lie . yes and but only if you want a legitimate reason to treasure the show you do like and dislike and or hate . it pretty hard to get bad than this .