Elfen Lied

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: Elfen Song, Elfic Song, Elf Song
Japanese: エルフェンリート
English: Elfen Lied
More titles

Information

Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 25, 2004 to Oct 17, 2004
Premiered: Summer 2004
Broadcast: Sundays at 22:30 (JST)
Producers: VAP, Genco
Licensors: ADV Films
Studios: Arms
Source: Manga
Genres: ActionAction, DramaDrama, HorrorHorror, RomanceRomance, SupernaturalSupernatural, SuspenseSuspense
Themes: GoreGore, PsychologicalPsychological
Demographic: SeinenSeinen
Duration: 25 min. per ep.
Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity

Statistics

Score: 7.471 (scored by 876057876,057 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #20352
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #75
Members: 1,513,476
Favorites: 24,164

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Recommendations

Horror, Supernatural & a lot of bloodshed (neither recommended to be watched past midnight) *shiver* 
report Recommended by Puvi2Groovy
Both series will have you cheering on morally ambiguous or even psychopathic protagonists in violent confrontations. There's a bit of (usually dark) humour and exploring relationships between characters, including romantic subplots. Also, pink hair. 
report Recommended by iscaela
Bloodshed, gore, can shock an average viewer, and both of them pretend to be something they are not - EL does it way better though, since many people think it's actually deep, while DW's stupidity is obvious to most. 
report Recommended by Lustreless
-They are both written by Lynn Okamoto -They are both about girls and powers -They are both violent and gory -There is a male lead with several girls with that power -The girls are being hunted down by the labs that created them -Involves graphic violence and emotion themes such as: social alienation, identity, prejudice, revenge, abuse, jealousy, regret and the value of humanity *off wikipedia  
report Recommended by sophiipotato
Both are entertaining if you want to switch your brains off and enjoy some fair amount of gore paired with ridiculous writing and character development. 
report Recommended by Diaspora
These anime are very similar in ther blood content. Each are rich with blood and body parts. Also have relatively sad stories.  
report Recommended by kittenz73
Both are about finding a girl with no memory but both have hidden powers that awaken sporaticly in the story. Both girls could only say their names in the begining and have cute ears/horns. Both have ecchi. :D Only difference is Chobits is more of a romace and Elfen Led is full of violence and gore. 
report Recommended by DarkRoseOtaku
Elfen Lied and Gantz revolve around shock value and how it can be turned into a narrative devise. Both push the envelope in terms of graphic violence and excessive gore with plenty of nudity to boot. EL has peaceful interludes that keep it from becoming utterly without hope while Gantz hardly ever slackens its pace of bloody action. These series manage to horrify and move the viewer, in EL the cute character design makes the massacres all the more poignant while Gantz's mostly realistic design adds an air of verisimilitude to the insanity.  
report Recommended by Nocturnal
VERY similar to Elfen Lied. In fact, one of the only animes I've found to be comparable to the quality of Elfen Lied. Both have very deep psychological roots, both can be dark, and both may take more that one watch to completely understand. 
report Recommended by MaxTehNoob
In both series you may find a lot of blood, beautiful womens with supernatural powers and both are pretty scary (at least in beggining). 
report Recommended by loku1993
Blood+ and Elfen Lied deal with the definition of what it means to be human and humane. In both cases, a super-evolved species represented by an apparently frail female lead, presents a menace to mankind. Yet humanity is to be blamed for much of the violence that follows. While EL is occasionally borderline ecchi and Blood+ maintains a very serious tone through and through, both series are emotionally-moving exercises that allow emotional bonds to be forged, despite the deeply violent world-scape they present.  
report Recommended by Nocturnal
When you watch this you will instantly make the connections to Elfen Lied and also the differences as it moves along in the story and shows its own path on a somewhat similar idea. 
report Recommended by Xan09
They both employ similar tactics of trying to play on emotions to cover up how shallow the characters actually are. This of course is just how I feel about them. If you enjoyed one you may enjoy the other. 
report Recommended by Vexys7
They both develop a similar theme: how forsaken creatures are seen by others. They also seem to criticise the narrow mentality of human beings and to show the darkest part of them. I think the original idea come from Mary Shelly's famous novel. While Elfen Lied fails to be a good show and falls into a gore anime full of fanservice, Shiki remains thought-provoking and atmospheric, and, of course, surpasses the first one. Also, the amount of gore is high in both, and the music is simply beautiful. 
report Recommended by zBliss
These two series feature quite a lot of violence and bloodshed. That is quite obvious from the first few episodes of each. However, the main similarity has to do with character. The main female character in both series has two sides. The first being easygoing/happy/cute, and the other being a murderer/assailant highly skilled in combat. There are more differences between the two character "sides" in Elfen Lied, as they are more extreme. However, both are highly similar. The tone in both series can be connected as well, although Blood C isn't immediately similar to Elfen Lied. The two contain militaristic themes, and the overarching plot delves into  read more 
report Recommended by Valkyrie_Wings
Blood and carnage galore. While the themes and motifs aren't alike, the unadulterated blood, gore, and violence is. The main difference in the overall flavor would be that while Hellsing Ultimate is very dark interspersed with Hirano's trademark quirky humor scenes, Elfen Lied has a lot more "cutesy" scenes and harem-esque motifs to fill in the gaps between carnage... 
report Recommended by melitza03
Lucy and children from "Akira" are similar. Secret labs, crazy professors, experiments etc. 
report Recommended by crigon
When it comes to blood only thing comes in mind is Tokyo ghoul and Elfen lied both have kind of similar setting Both have awesome amount of blood spill and Slicing of people Both anime contains battle between superpower user and some organization which are trying to kill them to make a better society or use them for bad use Both anime will make you think is killing people right or wrong ? I am still Scratching my head  
report Recommended by Smill
Lots of death and dark storylines, characters that arent who they appear to be to other characters in the series, great music. 
report Recommended by bose25
While the tone of these two series is not very similar they both feature extremely violent situations in which apparently fragile female characters are revealed to have a potential for being highly destructive. Little girls as weapons form the main premise of these series, although it is carried out differently; EL opts for a more graphic approach that maximizes the use of colour, while Saikano is more subdued, using a mostly grey palette to convey a feeling of hopelessness. In both cases romance blooms and is put to a ferocious test. These two series may differ in a lot of aspects - the ecchi factor  read more 
report Recommended by Nocturnal
The main protagonist in both anime is a young girl with psychic abilities that can kill people with gruesome attacks and are driven to insanity after being tested upon in laboratories from an evil organization. Both anime contains a lot of blood, gore, and nudity. They also have a similar dark and gritty tone. If you liked one, you'd like the other.  
report Recommended by Hellspawn28
Super powers and creepy gore scenes with girls as the main source of these two elements. These titles both bare these features. Also, I heard that these anime share creators (not sure and can't check, but the atmosphere sure seems alike in those) 
report Recommended by Smoku
Very similar characters with them both having a mysterious past yet their put into a state of uncontiousness where they have been forced to live as if nothing has happened. 
report Recommended by Lithobilic
Gore. Gore. Gore. :D Elfin Lied has a pretty originl storyline, too - and like Hellsing, there's a load of blood, horror and psychotic stuff going on. XD 
report Recommended by monochrome1994
both have female lead personality duplicitously. while Moka 2nd personality magically Result Result Nyu and Lucy as more mental. I personally find Inner Moka and Lucy as the best anime girls EVER !!!!!!! 
report Recommended by InnerMokaLover
Both are focused around a somewhat kawaii protagonist which both aquire the power to kill "anything" yet still manage to find worthy opponents Both protagonists have some sort of emotional/mental flaws Both protagonists "slice" limbs off their opponents Both are supernatural and dark, full of gore with awesome music Both protagonists have a male counter part Both anime are focused around murder or deaths of lots of people 
report Recommended by -FlameHaze-
Both centre around human-like monsters that are going to exterminate humans. Even though elfen lied is more tragic, they have a similar atmosphere and equally entertaining fight scenes 
report Recommended by ayamedream
Just by watching the very first episode of Elfen Lied and Ga - Rei - Zero you will see why I said these seem similar. The graphic violence, female leads, ecchi scenes, supernatural powers, and special force teams. They share the same feel and seem to have good twists. Elfen Lied was a masterpiece so I expect a lot from this one. 
report Recommended by tigerz
Both very deep and sad animes. Great if you like serious stuff 
report Recommended by riraito
Angela Beats is the more shounen friendly version of Elfen lied. WHY!? there are no similarities! Yes there is. Both AB and EL have the same core when it comes to the characters. Both have Characters that either had or are having a SHITTY life. a life of pain and suffering, and those charathers are fighting for just one little bit of happines.  
report Recommended by Typhor
Shingeki no Kyojin and Elfen Lied is kinda similiar in my opinion. It's about 'creature' which a big threat to human kind. It have the same gore (Elfen Lied is more gore though), the same tear-jerking, heart-touching story about mankind and the 'creature'. It's very worth to watch :) 
report Recommended by Unyan
the girls falls in love with the main guy protagonist in both anime, pink hair in both it has lots of action, and scene that are very violent 
report Recommended by pakin
Looking for gratuitous violence that doesn't always take itself seriously, dark humor, and interesting takes on characterization? These shows have it all. 
report Recommended by Pontifus
Same feel. Lots of gore, powerful music, lolis, and a complicated but not fully explored plot. 
report Recommended by NotARandomName
Both shows center on the somewhat tragic love story of a voilent, pink haired girl with horns and a kind black haired guy. In both she is the product of experimentation, and this is a serious cause of her voilence. Also, as we go on we find out they are more connected than we realise, and in both shows memory loss is a significant factor in their respective journeys. Very similar shows indeed once you get into it.  
report Recommended by AnimeCAC
Both are strange mixtures of blood and nudity. Both have a lot of violence. Women are the ones fighting in both. Both also have dark flashbacks/back-stories in them. 
report Recommended by Pirate207
* Both series shows supernatural beings ( Diclonius & Ajins ) being hunted by humans... * Both shows are dark and dramatic... * Both MC's ( Lucy & Kei ) becomes cold hearted killers ( mostly for self defense ) * Both Lucy & Kei has helpful people around them... * Both are intense as hell... * Both has 13 episodes in total ( Ajin has movies ) 
report Recommended by Konte
Girl with special powers escapes from research facility in which she was experimented upon and finds safe haven in our MC. The main difference is that Alice to Zouroku is more light-hearted while Elfen Lied is quite violent. 
report Recommended by Piromysl
In both the main character is a girl with two personalities: one is strong and aggressive, and the other is innocent and childish. 
report Recommended by SuperCherry
Both shows may look cute and innocent from a first glance at the characters and some posters but in fact they are hiding really dark concepts behind their cute-seeming facade in different ways and also have many other things in common. An amazing story, sick and unexpected plot twists, lots of character development, cute girls kicking some ass, (hence) a good amount of gore, the frequent use of firearms and somewhat like a hidden past are merely a few out of the several similarities that both anime share. Elfen Lied, however, includes a little more gore and also makes occasional use of fan service, whereas Madoka provides  read more 
report Recommended by Kottbullar
Similar plotline - cousin love with an unhuman rival + flashback filler episodes. 
report Recommended by Welshy
Extremely gory and mature anime (Elfen Lied has more nudity while Corpse Party has more gore). They have some supernatural elements as well as many psychological elements where characters go insane due to fear, anger, etc. They both have dangerous, murderous little girls. 
report Recommended by Asfaria
Both of these shows had me thinking "How did they air that on TV?", so if you're in to shock value, you'll like both shows. 
report Recommended by robfoster
Both anime have over the top gore and powerful characters, and both explore the meaning of being human and monsters fitting in among people. In my opinion, Devilman Crybaby does it a lot better than Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by ApexReactions
both a very action pack and both the main charaters are almost if not all the time not wareing very much.both are also a tragedy but have very good endings 
report Recommended by AKAMATSU18
These anime are both focused on a race of women (with unusual hair colors) who are superior than normal humans. In both you'll find experiments, females with super powers, gore, split personalities, memory loss, science, one handsome megane man, love triangles, romance, incest, and drama. Also, in both anime there's a seashell who has a quite important role. 
report Recommended by RenaPsychoKiller
both have a good amount of gore. and great story lines to back them up 
report Recommended by soul4soul
TOKKO I have previously started to watch. In comparison with Elfen Lied they both have pink haired kick ass chicks that seem to be good at blood shed for one reason or another. And both have a race of demons or new species (diclonius) trying to eliminate mankind. Both seem to follow a good story and have nice art and characters. 
report Recommended by -FlameHaze-
The overall mood in each of these anime is dissimilar, but they share lead female characters that go from dangerous, and even evil, to sweet and completely innocent in a heartbeat. Both series are violent, Elfen Lied being much more so. Both anime develop a romantic relationship involving an ordinary boy and an extraordinary girl. 3x3 Eyes has a supernatural element that is absent in Elfen Lied's more realistic setting. The split personality of the main characters, and the problems they cause is the main reason to justify this recommendation. 
report Recommended by Nocturnal
Both have sci-fi, violence, horror, and a random girl who gets beheaded more or less 1 minute after her appearance. 
report Recommended by RenaPsychoKiller
Both have: - excellent action scenes with violence and cruelty - harems with backstory and fanservice - explore the big grey area between good and evil with various characters There aren't too many direct similarities between Akame ga Kill! and Elfen Lied since they take place in very different settings, but generally speaking I think if you like one you'll enjoy the other. 
report Recommended by AnimeBear422
tons of violence, blood, despair, and a tortured main character who only likes one person 
report Recommended by sleepingpowder
Both series are technically solid, though plot and character-wise, they are sub-par. Both series have one purpose: To prey on your emotion and to make you cry.  
report Recommended by pollx
They're both dark Animes... they have really lovable villains... and in DTB the main character kinda has split personalities too... Elfen Lied's the bloodier of the two.. but if you like one of them... the other is worth checking out ^^ 
report Recommended by StabbyPWNS
Both are seinen anime with very dark backgrounds. You get totally into it, and that's what is really interesting. 
report Recommended by ManteR
Just like Chaos; Head, Elfen Lied is gory...extremely gory... the girls are involved too. Not to be watched by the weak of heart. 
report Recommended by Shigeyama
Both of these take a serious premise, like zombies or mutants, and then throw in an incredibly unnecessary level of fanservice. 
report Recommended by robfoster
Both includes similar characters. In Kara no Kyoukai movie we can also meet girl killing people with invisible weapons or something. They haircolor is also similar. 
report Recommended by SotN
Both are a deep dark horror/thriller animes with a unique blend of characters. Both certainly have their share of fan service and disturbing horror. 
report Recommended by ShadowBlazer3000
They both have girls used as weapons, the main caracters are girl that escaped the research facilities and are trying to survive. Otherwise the stories and actual enjoyment of the anime are completely different.  
report Recommended by poljaff
guro and violence at school 
report Recommended by Natsumi_Tsuji
These two shows kinda just have the same vibe to them. They both have somewhat gorry and unsettling imagery and have a dark story. I thought both of these shows were just fine but I imagine someone else would enjoy them more.  
report Recommended by yernco
Blassreiter and Elfen Lied both have very sharp similarities and invoke intimate drama. These animes include mass murder and apocalyptic views which should intrigue the cynical soul. However, Elfen Lied is more inclined to female killing machines while Blassreiter offers humanity itself becoming these machines.  
report Recommended by SkiesOfBlue
The show contains an unstoppable female main, who is cold-blooded and would murder anyone put in front of them. Which show am I talking about? Well... prepare for a road stained with blood. 
report Recommended by The_Destroyer
Blood, gore, mysterious killing (unknown to the public)... both are quite similar in these aspects 
report Recommended by KaminaKai
Both series have incredible (psychologically unstable) characters immersed in a dark storyline. The main characters in either are seeking redemption, while fighting to stay alive. In both series you find yourself questioning the decisions of the main characters. A warning though, Elfin Lied has much more gore and some nudity. The nudity usually has a purpose other than fan service or ecchi, but not always. 
report Recommended by Alahue
Short and interesting romance/sci-fi/drama stories.. 
report Recommended by Chicken008
both contains female as main characters who kill people's. Both have someone they love since childhood. Her childhood friend does not have any memories of childhood. But when they remember its too late. And they both gats memories at last or second last episode. Both are strong characters, Have deep plot, Little romance, They both ends leaving the story hanging on hook. The graphics are almost similar with massive blood. They both did not let their childhood friend die no matter what. 
report Recommended by future_dose
Both have two characters that are in love but have to deal with a tragic past in order to move on. Both deal with a female protagonist and show an extremely sad... but amazing... love stories 
report Recommended by covercast
Both have a separate species of humans who are hated/feared by everyone else.  
report Recommended by HolotheCat
bloodlust/enemies of humanity/chaos 
report Recommended by a_cloud
Both have emotionally gripping stories and have death as a focal point. 
report Recommended by NileAurion
They both pretty gruesome in the blood department. And although Pupa is only 4 minute episodes, they are in no way lacking any drama, excitement and pure brutality. 
report Recommended by a--iko
Basically both works are mimicking theatre of absurd with mixed success. 
report Recommended by Cersil
Both made by the same director, Mamoru Kanbe. Both are deep psychological shows with dark themes. Both involve perceived threats to humanity. Although EL has gore and TPN does not. Both show the same horrors. Although the storylines are different, there are similarities in tone and feel. If you like one you will like the other. 
report Recommended by Kong38
Both have a very dark atmosphere, and one of the main characters is an innocent murderer to say in a sense. The plots are very serious, and life is something that can be easily lost in these anime. 
report Recommended by iHitokage
This anime is also gory and touching than Mirai Nikki. The story line is not at all the same. Besides, I do not recommend this for busy people who love sweet animated and happy stories (because the name does not leave at all presage the future!). 
report Recommended by AlucardReal
blood and gore in both but no fanservice in re-zero , on other hand more fighting from hero villain Betelgeuse also has a power similar to vectors. 
report Recommended by styens
Same mix of cuteness, erotic moments and bloody violence with only one male lead and plenty of different girls, from little ones to young adults. 
report Recommended by kitsune0
Both go into the nature of good and evil and have characters who are almost Sociopaths. Both lucy from Elfen Lied and Lelouch kill many people and feel little or no remorse for most of them. 
report Recommended by Trev_lite
both elfen lied and charlotte have a multi personality girl though one is a main character while the other is a side character but never the less the same deal as far as personality switching between cute and badass......both the main character in EL and the main character in Charlotte deal with amnesia...many characters in this have a dark and/or traumatic pass....these people like Lucy have supernatural abilities and are always terrorized by a lab that wants to treat them like lab rats and are trying to avoid being captured. both main characters tragically lose a family  read more 
report Recommended by Josiah-Joestar
Both these anime are very messed up. Narutaru isnt as violent as Elfen Lied but its more disturbing. They both share some similar themes too. 
report Recommended by little_robot
Similar in their depths of exploring darker human emotions in social situations, destructive mental states, and the seeking bonds with others. In contrast Shigofumi is lighter in tone than that of Elfen Lied. If you wish to expand upon themes, you might be interested in Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by meji
It has a great storyline and is full of gore and blood! 
report Recommended by Ollipops
Both animes are very action packed.Furthermore they have plenty of mystery and one male lead surrounded by many girls.Finally there are many supernatural elements that you should get used to them to watch the anime. 
report Recommended by phgmalion
I felt the same dark atmosphere in Elfen Lied, but it's still different from Ergo Proxy. Nevertheless if you liked Ergo Proxy, I'm sure you'll love Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by CommanderSnake
Yeah... in terms of the Bloody Scenes if you enjoy kite you will adore elfen lied... 
report Recommended by shanaia
Both Elfen Lied and Kurau include female main characters that were subject to cruel laboratory work. Both of these animes include science fiction elements and are very dramatic. Elfen Lied is much more graphic than Kurau, but both do include action scenes. Also, they both contain romantic undertones. 
report Recommended by spineslayer
In both animes, girls are raised to be killers. In both animes theres violence and drama while the main characters try desperately to live a normal life and regain the feelings that they lost when they became assassins. Also, in both animes, the main guys lost their memories of the past.  
report Recommended by Orulyon
I can't believe no one has made this recommendation! Both anime are focused on killing, mystery, and psychological thrills. Also, both are very bloody and full of twisted killings. If you like Boogiepop, you'll love Elfen Lied, and vice versa! 
report Recommended by BadLuckTuck
Both anime have the common theme of memory loss with dark undertones when the true nature of this amnesia comes to light. Both are powerful stories which leave one with a sense of wonder. 
report Recommended by MarshallM
It is both about a person that escapes from a place There is a virus in both Want to be togeher with someone that loves Them for who They are Can loose control Hate some people that are evil Human experiment 
report Recommended by Mingus2712
These stories are similar in that the protagonists - Sana and Kouta - begin the story with a return to their respective hometowns after years of absence. They rekindle old relationships. Discover that a lot of stuff changed, while a lot remained the same. Both protagonists have traumatic and violent pasts that haunt them throughout the stories, and they are entangled with troublesome heroines that have a past that is related to murder and bloodshed. In my eyes, Myself; Yourself was clearly influenced by Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by Alex796
The hatred and rage one bares within them is not to be underestimated, all is known too well for the characters Lucy and Thorfinn. Both Vinland Saga and Elfen Lied give a story of someone whose life when they were younger tell them the horrible truth of the world and how it takes away from you or gives you the worst. The two grow up to become killing machines in their respective anime, sometimes being exploited when they are at an intense state of destruction. Both are good action stories of fighting what the world has given, with Vinland Saga being historical, Elfen Lied being psychological and  read more 
report Recommended by NextUniverse
both deal with female love and loss and are written very well 
report Recommended by momochi22
Elfen Lied and Kanon?... really?... is probably what your thinking but I'll say from my experience with anime, Kanon is the closest thing I've found to Elfen Lied. Both stories investigate the past as a character returns to a memorable town of their childhood and they begin to live with their cousin. From there both stories explore the concept of memory loss as forgotten/repressed memories begin to resurface. Lastly both anime contain romance and supernatural elements. Elfen Lied differs being a psychological horror with some action, nudity and gore. While Kanon is more focused on drama, slice of life and tragedy. So, if your a  read more 
report Recommended by Akoram
Banana Fish and Elfen Lied are dark, sad anime about horrendously abused children trying to escape from the patterns and lifestyles they were brought up in. Unfortunately, as the characters fall in love and try to better themselves they also find themselves falling deeper into darkness. These stories can be very disturbing at times but remain poignant. They both come to a close with somewhat controversial endings, but I think each show does a really interesting—albeit very different—job of exploring if someone can truly be doomed from birth. 
report Recommended by survivor_girl
Natural behaviour. Elfen Lied and Death Parade are surprisingly similar more so in how one perceives the behaviour of other people. Elfen Lied does this through multiple diclonii and how they are treated in the world dominated by humans. Death Parade does this through dead people playing games that bring out the worst (or best) of humans. Both series use their characters to judge what they have experienced to mould their personality together. Both are good psychological anime, with Elfen Lied being a lot older and horrific than the eccentric gloom Death Parade brings with games.  
report Recommended by NextUniverse
May come across as a stretch, but Elfen Lied and Violet Evergarden are both of leaves from the same tree. Without going into too much detail, both MCs Lucy and Violet have a similar past of suffering, experiencing moments no child ever should. With Elfen Lied bringing the worst side of this past, VE brings a more neutral outcome. Both Lucy and Violet also have that sense of learning, via Lucy's Nyuu side and Violet's stern cold attitude. Both are good anime with Elfen Lied being much more brutal and horrific compared to the drama s.o.l that is Violet Evergarden. Only two young ladies not asking for  read more 
report Recommended by NextUniverse
Both plots and events slowly descend into this blob of tragedy and loss. Both are bound to give the viewer a sense of confusion and discomfort, as it feels like so many knots have been left untied. Because the characters from both animes lose and suffer so much it feels impossible that anything will ever turn around for the better. Elfen Lied and Tokyo Ghoul mercilessly beats down on the characters to the point of no return, and don't even bother to resolve the problems and finish with a neat little bow on top. And in my humble opinion it's anime like those that really  read more 
report Recommended by byounny
Eureka Seven is like a more happier lighthearted version of Elfen Lied this is the list of the similarities that makes Eureka Seven and Elfen Lied compare: -EL and E7 both feature a male lead who meets a strange girl who's humanoid yet not 100% human who he falls in love with..Renton x Eureka the Corallion... Kouta x Lucy the Diclonius -both eureka and lucy are special humanoid beings with a dark murderous past. both of them killed many people in their past including someone's family .  read more 
report Recommended by Josiah-Joestar
Both anime centre around a young depressed protagonist who hates the world. Both share themes such as family violence and school bullying, except that .hack//Sign only implies these themes, while Elfen Lied shows them; Elfen Lied depicts gore and nudity which might be considered offensive, while .hack//Sign is family-friendly and doesn't even has a slight nudity or fanservice. 
report Recommended by Deago
- both psychological af - childhood connections with the male characters - sexy ass females - lots of killing differences: - grisaia no kajitsu is more school themed and characters are more fucked in the head - elfen lied is supernatural and brutal - graphics are completely different but thats what you would expect from such a gap in age  
report Recommended by clair3_jan3
For those who like anime with lots of blood, surely could not stop watching, however Corpse Party takes the horror genre a bit more serious with extraordinary scenes. 
report Recommended by AnHMenma
Okay to be short I'm not explaining long... So, the Elfen Lied is an underrated anime that it just blowed-up in recent years & the same with the movie Hello World. The thing is the story lines are far different from one another but, they have the similar point of sense in them. I find the both stories portrays a bond between two individuals fighting for each other & in their won discovered ways. These two animes might feel uncomfortable & unenojoyable at the start but they become much exciting as you watch so, I recommend to try them & watch with patience. 
report Recommended by Nayan_Sarkar
characters who deal with social alienation, traumatic events, prejudice, characters with sad pasts, brooding themes of regret, revenge, betrayal and loneliness. similar emotional themes, loss of loved ones, similar sad themes. people who are/were test subjects in someone's lab..people who have escaped a lab orochimaru's hideout/kakuzawa's institution. there are many many moments and conversations that grabs your heartstrings both shows are tear jerker mania. moral ambiguity in characters misunderstood characters and there's a girl with pink hair 
report Recommended by Josiah-Joestar
Edgy. The entire content of the two anime virtually revolves around edgy behaviour. Though Elfen Lied and Healer aren't exactly bad because of this, whilst to some extent the two can be somewhat polarising, more so Healer, both do nail a basic understanding of how to make quite a damning story, one you probably won't forget in the long run. Stories revolving around bloodshed left and right, sexual references without a second thought, there is quite a bit the two share really. Nothing held back. Both are good edgy anime I would recommend you go in with a somewhat open mindset. If nothing else, they are  read more 
report Recommended by NextUniverse
Reset. Elfen Lied and Listeners are strangely similar to opening up their stories. Both give a story where an individual from some distant place ends up with their respective partner. Elfen Lied has Lucy with her split personalities to bring to Kouta. Listeners have amnesiac Mu pair up with Echo, hoping to get her memories back. Both are good action anime with Listeners featuring mecha, Elfen Lied having a more psychological atmosphere to it.  
report Recommended by NextUniverse
-Same studio -Very similar art style -both have nudity and gore although hotaruko is full on hentai -both are horror anime 
report Recommended by meronti
Two races (agressive humans and victims of their genocide - female "humans" with destructive abilies) who are in fight with each other. Gore, blood, lots of deaths, revenge, and calm opening songs in contrast of the anime events. 
report Recommended by kataneer
Chaos. Dorohedoro and Elfen Lied share a similar need to bring chaos into their story. Dorohedoro does this in a crude fashion, with people dying and all kinds of hell going down. Elfen Lied does this in a slightly subtle fashion, with Lucy annihilating anyone in her way with ease. Both are good anime with Dorohedoro being much more comedic than the serious tone Elfen Lied has with its psychological themes. Both also have a thing for showing blood and gore.  
report Recommended by NextUniverse
They are both about kemonomimi girls who feel oppressed and decide that the only logical solution is to defeat the entire human race with the help of their tentacles. They are then taken in by a group of friendly humans and forget about what they were trying to accomplish. 
report Recommended by zombie_pegasus
You like lots of Gore? You will probably like this. Does not have the setting of a creepy ambience in a village like Higurashi, but a lot of Action and also things that might you make thinking or even cry and feel hatred. If you are not good with a lot of Violence and you are bad at controlling your emotions, you definetly should not touch it. Pro: - Gory Scenes - Psychological Contra: - Includes Sci-Fi - More Action than Creepy 
report Recommended by kotonii42
dark thriller anime with a female protagonist that goes through a lot, that along with weird and messed up moments, nudity, gore and all that good stuff too 
report Recommended by May_chan567
Come on, just look the main girls 
report Recommended by error-404-
The MCs of both shows are "homicidal monsters", created by their respective dark pasts. This is further developed in the manga of Elfen Lied. The endings suggest that monstrosities created by the ugliness of human nature and society, while love and forgiveness dissipate them. 
report Recommended by Manganatic
The two are similar in some respects that just watch the show to understand better. Elfen Lied is more violent, while Angel Core has more sexual violence. 
report Recommended by ProxyLain
It's also got some horror vibes with a bit of romance and action too, although I'd recommend ya watching at least one of the other Fate series in order to better understand the context of Heaven's Feel. 
report Recommended by rawruwu
Both anime has quite similar to it. Contractors and dicloniuses are ruthless cold machines for killing with supernatural abilities and the shows overall are wrapped in phantom, you just constantly filingl that there will be no real happy ending. 
report Recommended by Colfair
Both are exactly about a non-human girl that enters the life of a male mc while they try to help them out from whatever problem they are in (i.e., if they are being chased by evil organization or runaway, etc.) Non-human girls may at times appear to lack common sense/ have special powers. 
report Recommended by RedPlaty
Both shows have homicidal and psychotic main characters that kill people without a second thought in very brutal ways. They both have very similar powers. (Invisible hands for lucy and invisible bullets for shishigami). Both characters have a very similar personality and both are sympathetic and likable if you look past their psychotic nature. Both shows have a lot of one person vs army battles Both shows are violent and gory  
report Recommended by Spoonmaster12
boogiepop and other and Elfen lied share a lot of commonalities genre-wise. Both are mystery thrillers with violence and sexual content. Both have a similar eerie tone where the leave viewers and the protagonists mostly confused to slowly reveal dark truths about their society. Both shows are about how individuals obtain power/control by withholding information and altering people's memories. Both are highly thought-provoking and at times hard to grasp. In my opinion, one (elfen lied) executes its overall story better. One (boogiepop and other).  
report Recommended by Zonecommander26
The main characters in both have memory loss and have the ability to extend their arm. There's innocent nudity in both, cuteness, bloody stuff and there's innocent children that being exploited by cruel experiments. 
report Recommended by Pyotr-Sama
The female lead of both series are horrible villains, yet are also very sympathetic and likeable. Through their background stories we're made to question how culpable are they truly for their grotesque deeds. Also, both series contrast mundane slice of life moments with sheer terror so the viewer is never comfortable watching, since something bad could happen at any moment. 
report Recommended by NoviSun
Now and Then, Here and There, and Elfen Lied are incredibly similar series. I saw Elfen Lied first, and when watching Now and Then, Here and There, I was constantly reminded of it. Both series are absolutely brutal, and they don't hold back on violence and serious themes. Elfen Lied is more bloody and forward with the violence in, while the violence in Now and Then, Here and There is more implied. All of the horrible things that happen in both series occur to very cute characters, which creates an interesting contrast. The villians in both series also feel like an intimidating and unstoppable  read more 
report Recommended by Wicker_Senpai93
both are gore-y mystery anime who aren't necessarily action but not not-action? also traumatic experience in the childhood as well as similar abilities with both anime involving "invisible" superhuman powers 
report Recommended by Sayaznk
They're both very "balls to the wall" in-your-face animes that are dark, gritty, and include gore.  
report Recommended by SirLemuel5
sekirei is the light version of elfen lied. if you want to overcome the sadness after watching elfien lied, you're gonna need something to watch to enjoy yourself and I recommend "sekirei". I promise you will enjoy the show :D 
report Recommended by Luuji222
If you are watching the ADV dub, expect some ridiculous cringey dialog thrown in. Infamously, Ghost Stories is far more original and adventurous with its dialog. But I can't help but feel that a lot of Elfen Lied was "enhanced" as well. 
report Recommended by Khashishi
Both series deal with a minority group different from the rest of the society. In Elfen Lied, it is "diclonius" - a group of girls with special powers. And in Cross Ange, it is "norma" - again a bunch of girls but this time their difference lies in their lack of magical power that the rest of the society has. But in both cases, these girls are considered unequal to the rest and treated as less than humans. Both are considered a threat to the safery and well-being of the existing society, In Elfen Lied, Lucy has a split personality. Aside from her dangerous  read more 
report Recommended by karineyn
both shows deal with social alienation, prejudice, characters with sad/traumatic pasts, brooding anti heroes, regret, revenge, betrayal, loneliness, similar emotional themes, loss of loved ones, similar sad themes, moments and conversations that grabs your heartstrings i havent BUT I'm sure so many have cried over both elfen lied and naruto at some point or another on so many occasions. one of the main villains orochimaru/kakuzawa subjects people to cruel experiments. sasuke and naruto in some ways or others are both like male renditions of lucy gaara is another one like lucy  read more 
report Recommended by Josiah-Joestar
Revenge. Elfen Lied and Terror in Resonance both follow these beings that wish for revenge against the people that did them, or at least their pasts, in a horrible way. Elfen Lied is Lucy's killing streak against the people that held her captive whilst hiding away with Kouta with a dual personality. ZnT is Sphinx and their serial bombing to cause distress in Japan for a dark past that dwells within them. Both are good dark anime, with Elfen Lied not being afraid to show blood and gore, ZnT has a more mental approach with Sphinx giving Shibazaki multiple riddles. 
report Recommended by NextUniverse
Both have explosive moments of random energy, both deal with human main characters that have to deal with offbeat and mentally unstable inhumanly humanoid roommates that turn up missing a lot. Both have their fair share of surrealistic scenes and imagery, and both have a mishmash of fast and slow paced sequences that make up for very odd pacing. Both have enigmatic worldbuilding, and both are compiled of almost all female characters. Plus, both series deal with college kids subtly searching for a purpose in life and have underlying sci-fi elements that make for a nice but similar aesthetics. 
report Recommended by Enivlens
Dragon Fist and Elfen Lied are about a horned species of human that is widely descriminated against because of who they are. There are enemies in both shows that want to kill the main characters, not to mention lots of action. 
report Recommended by Third-Impact
1 similar way of killing / dying in a horrible manner ( Gory and blood ) 2 Cute girls are murderers 3 both s are psychological horrors / supernatural 4 recalling the events of the past (when they were children) 5 characters go mad at the end 6 have a lot of intense' mooments 7 both s have teenage characters . / Both s are great. enjoy /  
report Recommended by Uros_Uros
Gore and boobs to further stain the soul of the avid degenerate anime fan. Both animes animated by Arms, they share the same kind of dark ambience worsened by lots of blood and mutilations, and somewhat lightened by a rather ludicrous amount of ecchi scenes. 
report Recommended by ImNotAnOtaku1
Both are very similar in that fall in to the category of pure exploitation. The only difference being Violence Jack is a steaming pile of an anime where Elfen Lied is simply great. 
report Recommended by Nito-San
Both contain masive blood and killing. Killing and nudity are both extremly frequent in these animes, and, escpecially for Shigurui, not for the faint stomached. The only huge difference from Elfen Lied to Shigurui is that Shigurui actually contain some "hidden" sex scenes. 
report Recommended by Moonstream360
A girl endowed with a deadly superpower escapes from a protected facility... Can't tell which version of this scene - from EL or from VA - is more impressive. 
report Recommended by Forion
Both full of murders and gore. ^^ 
report Recommended by Ollipops
This two are similar because both: 1. are bloody 2. have may cute girls 3. great fights 4. and some spoilers are similar too But there are also many differences I prefer Basilisk, but both are great :D 
report Recommended by DanielS
LOL!!! how come nobody has made this recommendation. Both are the blodiest animes I've ever seen. And the fight just doesn't stop. The blood goes on and on (Elfen Lied have some "sentimental" episodes as for Kurozuka) but god since the first episode of both of them I couldn't think about other thing than the gore and all the bloody stuff that happens since the first sequence of each of this masterpieces. 
report Recommended by vault2049
The vectors are very similar to the borgu's attack. As the Azumanga-esque art style would suggest, Alien 9 is not quite as dark as Elfen Lied, but it can still be fairly bloody. 
report Recommended by DrHouse
Despite the fact that Spice and Wolf is mostly oriented on romance, it has very similar main female characters. Definitely, Holo will remind a bit of both Lucy and Nyuu. 
report Recommended by Winndara
Dark and Violent Anime. There's fighting scenes and a LOT of blood. Kenshin and Lucy resemble each other in many ways. They're both assassins that aren't affected by the amount of people that they kill. -Technically they're professional killers, although Kenshin was trained and Lucy wasn't. They both have sad pasts when they were little that effected the reason they became who they are in the future. -Along the way there's a bit of romance. Just a bit :] 
report Recommended by LenDrizzle
Kamisama Dolls and Elfen Lied share a similar dark, mysterious atmosphere. Both include blood and gore - the amount of which is unknown for Kamisama Dolls (at the moment). It also seems as if Kamisama Dolls's plot progression will mimic Elfen Lied's, as both involve murder as a result of an event in the past. 
report Recommended by PikaJew
Blood-thirsty lolis. Over the top moe alternated with extreme violence. 
report Recommended by JuicyBuddha
Ridiculous amounts of sadness and love define both series, so though they are worlds apart, they are actually pretty similiar 
report Recommended by slax
Both story's move right along; not one of those types where the publishers double or triple the number of episodes in the series to make more money. In both cases, replay value helps you pick up details you may have written off as plot holes the first time. Great opening and ending themes, both. 
report Recommended by ElanMorin
Both of these animes involve a man coming to terms with his love for a woman. 
report Recommended by Galsco
Both feature really cute girls in extremely goretastic situations. Except Dokuro-chan has little to no seriousness or plot to speak of. 
report Recommended by Keirik
Both have a fair amount of violence and deal with the ugly side of human nature, consequences, horrible backstories, social outcasts/unwanted people, somewhat naive male protagonists, and female protagonists with specific vendettas (Lucy hates and mistrusts humans, Himiko hates and mistrusts men). 
report Recommended by Numi
These two anime are very similar because both are about a female having unknown powers (in the beginning) who happens to grab a male into the mess. 
report Recommended by Em_Leingod
Both of these series revolve around a race of "evolved humans" (in Elfen Lied's case, the diclonius girls, and in Toward the Terra's case, the Mu) being considered a threat to the original human race. Granted, Toward the Terra is more of a space drama and shows the Mu in a very sympathetic light whereas Elfen Lied is a traumatic romance with plenty of gore wherein the diclonius kind have a genetic predisposition for showing hostile and homicidal tendencies toward humans... but both deal with the issues surrounding how humans may treat those who are different from them. If you're a fan of one, it's  read more 
report Recommended by Numi
They both are a little tragic and might be considered horror ^^ 
report Recommended by Tii__
Both have the same animation director. meaning, they both prominantly feature horror, incredibly detailed backrounds, and great animation. both are also rather dark, with a bit of gore thrown in as well. 
report Recommended by Megadedhed
Both are famous for their nudity and gore. 
report Recommended by Shugocharalover
In both anime the male protagonist has a traumatic past (related to the violent death of one or more family members), and also has a childhood friend who's in love with him. You'll also find a dog owned by a young girl in both anime. Both X and EL are about people who have supernatural powers, and both are bloody and violent, even though EL obviously has a way more exaggerated gore, and X is not ecchi. Both anyway are depressing, dramatic, and sad. Be prepared to see lots of deaths. 
report Recommended by RenaPsychoKiller
Blood, drama, female protagonists. Nice fight scenes too. Polemic with a good story. 
report Recommended by PyroDN
When I was watching it, the killing style reminded me of Elfen Lied. I think if you watch one, you'll love the other. 
report Recommended by BadLuckTuck
Both have a girls as the main character, and are violent. 
report Recommended by Sick_Bastard
Both are pretty violent, and have genetically modified people who gained super powers and special abilities. 
report Recommended by RenaPsychoKiller
These anime are so similar it's scary. Firstly, both are about laboratory experiments and genetically altered/manipulated people (Diclonius/Euphoria) who have mortal super powers. They both also have action, drama, mystery, and a rather unique storyline with plenty of twists. But, above all, both involve a tragic relationship between a brother and his little sister, and carillons have a crucial, important meaning in both anime. Both anime are indeed extreme, as they have have lots of violence, gore, and nudity, several gross, disturbing scenes, and are considered trashy and vulgar by many people, which is why they're not for everyone; if you can pass over these things, both anime, despite  read more 
report Recommended by RenaPsychoKiller
Both are very dark series. They are about supernatural people who can kill people (diclonius and vampires). Still though, Vampire Knight is more romance like. Elfen Lief is more about killing people. Both series have flashbacks to the past. Plus, they contain a LOT of drama. They are both very enjoyable! 
report Recommended by Nerdo
Both have a supernatural girl as main role, which walks around nude often. Also, Lucy in Elfen Lied her ear/horns will get straight when she uses her powers, and Mina's ribbon's will. 
report Recommended by Asakura_Mao
automatons// human robots master and controller romance similar plot style society uneasy about accepting robots as real humans military usage of robotics robot dolls both unsure of realistic female behaviours. mild fight scenes in elfen lied// more in unbreakable machine doll much darker than unbreakable machine doll, with more of a mysterious feel 
report Recommended by Rayner-Joy
Both include a very strong, very mysterious, female lead. Elements of storyline are discovered throughout the film, or in Elfen Lieds' case, show. The epic-ness and action packed scenes really pull you into them both. Both are very dark, and strong elements of gore in both add to the awesomeness. 
report Recommended by ceridvven
Both female protagonist has a split personality and both female only wants to be a normal girl and to be love and protect by the male protagonist The difference between these two anime is that elfen lied is a gore anime with lots of blood in it while RDG is about ghost spirits and deity  
report Recommended by bloody_Venus55
Bloody,Twisted and main girls are killers 
report Recommended by OceanOfRain
The type of drama that deals with alienation of those who are considered different and the hostility and rules devised against each other. Elfen Lied basically deals with the race of Diclonius being tormented for their appearance, which is a cause in their violence and psychopathic attitude towards humans. Nagi no Asukara deals with sea people who detest the idea of being with the land people, and vice versa. Though, the former show is more horror oriented than the latter. 
report Recommended by Allice84
Both are tales of innocent creatures of abnormal birth having their hearts darkened by mistreatment. However, while Mewtwo Strikes Back is a kid-friendly tale with a happy ending, Elfen Lied is a gorefest that may not be safe for some ADULTS. 
report Recommended by Mama_Mega
They both have an evolution of the human race with special characteristics 
report Recommended by Extrieve
If you liked elfen lied then you might want to watch amagami ss since it's an enjoyable shoujo with a lot of love. Elfen lied has also a lot of twist like amagami ss, but unlike amagami ss the show don't restart every 5 episodes with a new female protagonist. 
report Recommended by BOCALISS
Hunter X Hunter and Elfen Lied have whats in common: Both have innocent looking artwork that seems safe but when you take a close look behind it, it really isn't at all. Hunter X Hunter and Elfen Lied have amounts of gore and emotional moments that makes the show have one of the best aspects. Hunter X Hunter gets the same feeling and vibes with Elfen Lied when it reaches to the Chimera Ant Arc and the antagonist of that arc is like Lucy in terms of personality and character even though he takes action to a DBZ scale.  
report Recommended by SlaughterDagger
Both are action anime where an evil organization hold capture some sort of superhumans, where one of them escapes and is fighting against said organization. Both are extremly violent, even gory, but also shows some bonds between characters. While Baoh Raihousha is more shounen, Elfen Lied is more psychological. 
report Recommended by abystoma2
More and more people accumulate in a nearly-family-like group. Both could do with less ecchi, though. 
report Recommended by LoidNerdy101
MC's both are a result of human experimentation. Both have great powers than can go out of control. Either due to a lack of emotional control or a split personality. Both are action/fantasy. 
report Recommended by Limi
Both series have a very cynical outlook of human nature. 
report Recommended by Valkqt
Main female characters trying to live normal accepted lives but are judged for being different and "monsters" but are helped and fall in love with male main character. 
report Recommended by Heta-rashi1
Nanaka 6/17 and elfen lied, the main characters, Lucy and Nanaka both have split personalities. one personality happy go lucky, and the second one is very deep and mature and totally opposite of their other side of themselves. Both do involve romance. Nanaka is happy go lucky kind of feeling anime, and elfin lied is dark and deep though 
report Recommended by iNinjeek
Well,both Lucy and Afro have their past,very sad and disturbing.Level of violence,gore,blood,and sex/nudity is about the same (maybe "Afro Samurai" has a bit less gore but surely more nudity than "Elfen Lied").Both Lucy and Afro are merciless and brutal against their enemies.Some say that "Afro Samurai" is based on fight,and "Elfen Lied" on relationship.Trust me,Afro had relationship problem.Though he has more action than "Elfen Lied". 
report Recommended by Shok
Both anime are fairly central around a lead male who becomes friends with several girls - each of whom have their own dark sides to deal with. Whereas for the most part Air seems to be quite a lighthearted anime in comparison to Elfen Lied, there's a particularly dark underlying story that becomes more prominant as the story goes on. If you like anime that make you cry then I highly recommend them both!! 
report Recommended by risemboolranger
Different in many ways, but similar themes with being experiment subjects and both with interesting plot twists 
report Recommended by honkykong13
The similarity is in the blood, gore, and nudity. Yet different in that Elfen Lied's characters are cute yet deadly. 
report Recommended by Lucifera
Opening theme contains paintings by Gustav Klimt. The main character - Ray, like Lucy, suffers from multiple personality disorder, does not know anything about themselves and their parents. Ray - a wonderful surgeon, thanks to his extraordinary abilities. Lucy could also be an excellent surgeon, as vectors can do extraordinary things. In the anime, there is a man who tortures people for their own experiments, as the benefits, like Director Kakuzawa in the Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by -Lucy
superpowers and telekinetic mutilation, science fiction in a present day setting, conspiracy and secret research facilities 
report Recommended by colonelpanic
Both shows have intermingled relationships. Though there's less blood in BRS, the story of wanting to save someone or tell them the truth is still there. 
report Recommended by al12gamer
Has main characters that are disliked for being different. Deals with the "demon/ oni" reference. 
report Recommended by Heta-rashi1
Both have some pretty incestuous scenes in them. Brother-Sister in Akane-iro and Cousin-Cousin in Elfen Lied. I'd think that the cousin-cousin one is your best shot if you've seen Arrested Development. 
report Recommended by Spankdatmonkey
Gankutsuou: The Count of Monte Cristo, like Elfen Lied, engages the viewer with both heartful and complicated character relations, but gradually twists into a dark tale and reveals the horrific, heartbreaking, and psychologically thrilling truth about everything. Both aesthetically and thematically, Gankutsuou bears a very similar chaos and insanity of a complex love story gone unfathomably dark. Not to mention, the artistic, textural design within Gankutsuou's animation very much resembles Gustav Klimt's painting, "The Kiss," as symbolized in Elfen Lied. 
report Recommended by the-end-is-Near
(This recommendation includes Mission-E as part of Code-E.) In both Code-E and Elfen Lied, secret organizations collect girls with special powers and perform brutal experiments (more implicit in Code-E). Some people in both fear a new kind of human and the resulting possibility of extinction, which lets both shows examine human relationships through the lens of differing humanity. They also examine human character and flaws, though Code-E's outlook on humanity is considerably less grim than Elfen Lied's.  
report Recommended by colonelpanic
Both series have a foreboding, dark vibe to them. Though placed in very different worlds, the theme shared between them is a disturbing mystery shrouded from common knowledge. Elfen Lied is more bloody, but both provide action and intensity with an enticing story. 
report Recommended by SlaughterDagger