Quote Originally Posted by Ryllharu
I wouldn't really recommend it. The open ending in the anime is a lot better than the closed ending of the manga, the end of each plays out very differently. The art really isn't that bad (I've definitely seen worse), the problem is the plot itself.

There is gratuitous ecchi in the manga. I'm not just saying it like prudish people might for a large number of series, it is actually out of place. There is a character introduced that has no bearing whatsoever on the plot, merely to fulfill an obscure fetish only for the sake of being there. The plot and character development wouldn't change one iota without her.

So do yourself a favor, and just live happily with the anime. The manga was a pretty big letdown.
I couldn't resist and i read it, and i agree that the anime is better but overall it didn't ruin the image i already had of it in any way

There sure is, and to think that the character's only real contribution was to teach her that song ... It's even funnier if you notice that she didn't even show up in the last chapter, kinda like the mangaka forgot all about her since she was so useless.

And since we're on the subject the way they brought that character back to life out of the blue was pretty retarded... he everything from the waist down and his intestines were splattered on the floor ffs!!!

I'd still recommend fans to read it so they can have a better understanding of the story, and then i'd tell him to go watch the anime again so that was the image that stuck with them when they thought about elfen lied

Quote Originally Posted by Board of Command
The manga really tripped me out when I realized that there were two different characters who simply looked eerily similar. For the longest time I thought they were jumping back and forth in time because one character looked like a slightly older, slightly evil version of the other. Those of you who have read the manga can probably guess which two characters I'm referring to.

That completely changed everything. Unfortunately, this realization came near the end of the storyline.
Could you PM me with the names of the characters please? I'm curious since i have no idea who you're talking about