Anime Recommendation Thread

I think you're misunderstanding Elfen Lied. While it does have gore and nudity, it is appropriate (for mature viewers) because it builds drama and pain. Because if you build drama from plot alone topped off with mediocre/poor animation, you get something like sola: half-in, half-out, half-assed drama. The puppy scene is strange for American viewers because it's a good sign we have a future psychopath in the making. However for Asian countries especially in more crowded and marketing areas, animals do killed and prepared on the street for sales so the children gets exposed to that sort treatment. So while the puppy scene was a bit extreme and slightly pushing the lines of believable, it was the tool to drive Lucy to psychopathic behavior. As for the stepfather, pedophilia surfaces from time to time on the news and afternoon talk shows, so that's quite realistic (and a handy tool for drama). The nude laboratory test subjects were treated inhumanly and the nudity was emphasizing that. Diclonius are outcasts, hated upon and looked down upon. It's not strange for human to treat those who are different like dirt (see District 9). Overall, Elfen Lied is a mature anime, not just in the visual violence but in its underlying themes as well. Have you considered the dimensions of character development? Brando, the dick driven by revenge, ironically was driven to do good by cleaning the beach (though it wasn't his intention). He's also a man of his word. Nana, the supposed antagonist became the victim in "the girl who cried diclonius". But compared to Higurashi, I felt the gore in Elfen Lied was bearable. I had to adjust for Higurashi.

Its not so much that there is gore or nudity, its the over use of it (the gore at least, the nudity was fine, just awkward at times). I really feel they could have scaled back the kind of gore they went with (do we seriously need to see fountains of blood when a head is pulled off?) and it could have come out just as good if not better. I can see how this is a dark portrait of the world in ways, all the indications and such I get. Just parts here and there in some ways get drowned out by the actions and gore that is used.

It could just be me though. Im not one to watch movies like Saw and such, but even then, I watched some pretty bloody stuff before. Anyhow, Id still have to say that I both recommend and dont not recommend it.

Next stop, Im seconding Kanokon, for recommending. But I have a few complaints (but one or two may be settled in the second season im now reading about having been announced). The first, is that Kouta is a little peach The second is that they allude to Kouta being a fox spirit aswell or something else, but take it no further than half an episode. Aside from those, it was an nice jaunt through an anime, the gags coudhave been funnier in some places, but it wasnt pushing for it to be overly funny.

fun parts;

 TL;DR Indeed

 CAKE!!!!