The Raven wrote:

To me, this (though somewhat the exact opposite) reminds of Netflix's decision to make both Quickster and Netflix to separate online streaming from dvd rental. Thankfully Netflix reacted to customers desire to keep things simple on one site, and thus no changes were made.

Now you may find this example poor, but it does have a point: In my honest opinion, the exact opposite should be done with ELF. Yes, i understand there will be multiple sections on the site to cater to several more popular anime series and mangas, but this has always been an ELFEN LIED FANSITE. I feel it would be far better to make a separate site specifically for the purpose mentioned in this forum, while keeping this site the way it is.

What was it that led us all here in the first place? It wasn't Death Note, Hellsing, or any other anime, it was Elfen Lied. This site is the only place left on the internet where somebody can go and know 110% that they will find others who love the series just as much as they do. This place is a safe haven for all those who want a place to discuss EL as well as other animes/mangas to their hearts content, without the fear of being judged for what they enjoy. By making this a general site, you remove that safe haven many have sought and will continue to seek, and open the door to prejudice from all the EL nay-sayers out in the massive world of cyberspace.

I understand the logistics of a new site being successful are very far-fetched as well, but I have a feeling well over 90% of the current ACTIVE members on this site would have absolutely no qualms about joining the other site as well. If a new site was created, it could even have a link posted on ELF.

I know I'm not speaking only for myself when i say one of the main reasons i log on and spend hours on end on this site is because the close-knit community we have here. New members do not fade into a sea of other new members and are all welcomed with open arms by both administrators as well as general members. Yes, we really do not have any other options in terms of a website dedicated to Elfen Lied, but if the current community was not the way it was, that would matter little to me. I'd rather not join a site at all if the community were unpleasent or generally unwelcoming.

Also, I understand internet traffic is important and i can see how this has a chance at POSSIBLY aiding Elfen Lied, but I feel the only benefit that will become of this change is more internet traffic. This traffic would be nice for the ELF and maybe help to garner the attention of the right people, but by becoming a general anime site, this attention is lost. Instead of noticing a spike in Elfen Lied interest, people will just notice another anime forum has sprung up. Whether the forum does well or not is not the point, for I can almost guarantee most (especially members who come after these changes) will not pay any mind to Elfen Lied, and stick to what they know or enjoy. That, and we all have seen the vast amount of negative criticism EL has gathered on the internet over time, so all it takes is some new forum-goer to google and find such a glutenous amount of negative critique to shy away from even viewing the episodes and forums affiliated with EL.

When I first came to this site, I remember posting for the first time and seeing all the responses from like-minded individuals, which still to this day baffles me at how polite and welcoming everyone has been. When i came to this site, Elfen Lied had been the only anime i had watched and enjoyed so thoroughly, and due to conversation with the community, i have discovered several others that I enjoy as well (though, in my eyes, nothing will ever compare to EL). I literally turn on my computer strictly for the purpose of getting on this site, and cannot wait to get home form school to see what new posts, members, fan-fictions, recommendations, etc. await me when i log on. I even log onto this site more than I do my own Facebook account.

We all came to this site with Elfen Lied at the forefront of our mind, with hopes of second seasons, re-boots, manga serialization, and various other wishes. Though all the former seem unlikely, I myself know I can come here to fantasize about these things coming true, as well as hear others with the same love and wants for EL, all while reading various fan fictions to whet my appetite (I'm sure we all remember keithallen's infamous 'favor' series).

Like the beautiful anime we all came here for, the Elfen Lied Fansite itself is a work or art as it is, boasting things no other forum on the internet could ever hope to boast. We have a community that genuinely cares for and is familiar with one another, both new members and old. We have administrators that openly interact with general members and give honest inputs rather than hiding behind their title of "admin" or "super admin" and using them to declare authority. We have the ability to converse with one another about anything our hearts desire in the comfort and safety of our own cyber safe haven. Most importantly, we have assembled a group of people that truly and genuinely love Elfen Lied with a passion so intense it baffles the nay-sayers, and, in some way, have experienced a some form of change in ourselves as a result of watching and/or reading Elfen lied. Let's face it, if this was not the case, then who among us would still be here?

Elfen Lied is not just a show for me, it literally is my inspiration for so many things, from the music i write to the way i look at and treat others. While the characters and situations are fictional, the issues that are portrayed as well as the emotions exhibited throughout by both cast and viewer are as genuine as the medium you read or watch it on. Such emotion deserves to be preserved at the the forefront; such a community deserves to be kept in tact rather than being bloated to the point where it becomes a plethora of people who care for one another little.

This is the last remaining english Elfen Lied Fansite, ladies and gentlemen, and the only site of its kind. As a result, i do not wish to see it loose its focus on what brought the site into existence in the first place: Elfen Lied.

Thank you for reading,
I love you all,
Seth C. Silva
a.k.a The Raven

Pico wrote:I want ELF to transform into a website that will provide a community and home for EVERY anime that is not so big

1. Higurashi,
2. Clannad,
3. Hellsing,
4. Death Note.

Kiefer wrote:



Yeah those are certainly small anime titles...

Kira wrote:



They are small in the sense they are not commercial, we will not begin with big animes like e.g., Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, Gintama, et cetera.

Aurora wrote:

Though wouldn't Death Note be considered a commercial anime? It felt as though it was more advertised alongside animes like Naruto and Bleach. I heard and watched Death Note long before I discovered anime like Elfen Lied and Higurashi. Just wondering? Otherwise these are good choices to start with as they are popular with our current community.

CommiEmo wrote:
I suggest the names of:
AnimeWay
OtakuOption
NyuAnime xD

dalunk wrote:
New domain name: nyuanime.com