Ranked #382

Serial Experiments Lain

Review for Serial Experiments Lain by John Kim

Introduction: I find myself typing this review thinking more about the conceptualization of existence, than the anime itself. Above all, there are two standards I hold true for anime. There are anime that simply entertain for the sake of enjoyment, and there are anime that stretches the boundary of human imagination. Serial Experiments Lain falls in the latter category and for this reason Serial Experiments Lain stands out as a true classic. Serial Experiments Lain pushes the envelope of what the perceived notion of what can be done with television as a medium. The show doesn’t just provide entertainment; it provides insight, and profound views and beliefs about technology and the role it plays in society. With that said it's time to get on with the review.

Story: Given that Lain’s story progression is very disjointed, if the execution were to be even off by the slightest, the show would have been ridden with plot holes. Lain however doesn’t need worry about plot and story in the same sense as other anime, but instead relies on the atmosphere and the characters to tell the story. What little plot Lain does have, the show works with it fabulously. Now some may argue that Lain is completely plot driven, but to each his own. Personally I believe that Lain strays as far as it can from bland episodic story telling, and in essence is similar to Citizen Kane in the aspect that the story has little to do with the show. Lain above all is a character study, and the plot only moves forward under the characters.

Art: Despite the art being off center in terms of traditional anime, it hardly deters from the overall enjoyment of the series. It is important to note that the series actually benefits from the unique art style presented in Lain. Art is not a big pulling factor for Lain, so if you are a fan of high quality art, you may be in for a rough ride.

Sound: The series relies on a minimalist approach to sound and music. Dialogue is sparse, but very profound. Sound effects are seldom used but with brevity, and has a lasting impact on the viewer. Once again, this lack of a quality that would normally be detrimental to an anime’s enjoyment, but becomes one of Lain’s strengths. The sound of the electricity running through power lines, the empty sound of Lain typing on her keyboard, and the scarce use of music. These are all memorable pieces of sound effects that adds to the overall impact of the show.

Character: Now this is where Lain shines brightest. In a vast wasteland of mundane same-old, Lain sticks out as an anime that takes its characters to a level that most anime can only dream of achieving. The character of Lain is perhaps the most deep and relevant characters in anime today. To explain upon this point, one would have to watch the series and comprehend the various themes and motif’s on one’s own. But in order to be brief, Lain’s character can be summarized as ascending from human status, to near God like power through the prowess of the internet. Ahem, I mean, “The Wired.” It’s a simple concept and seems like it has been done before, giving credit to the argument, and it probably has. But the beauty here is the cast of side characters that surround Lain. Her sister, her father, mother, and friends, are all extremely deep characters, that although don’t appear to be, are actually extremely poignant in their own right.

Enjoyment & Closing: If watched with an open mind, Lain will do more than simply entertain. It is truly revolutionary anime for its time, and the amount of depth in the show is utterly staggering. Never in my years of watching anime have I seen a show as thought provoking as Lain. If one were so inclined to contact me, we could talk for hours upon hours of the religious symbols, and religious references that run about the shows course. We could then change the subject to comparing Lain’s character to that of philosophy of the Jungian Shadow. We could converse and discover deeper and more universal meanings as time progressed. Lain is such a show that the viewer doesn’t just watch it. The viewer must be pushed to think, and who doesn’t want to do a bit a of thinking once in a while? read more

Title: Serial Experiments Lain

Anime: Serial Experiments Lain was produced by Triangle Staff, who also did the animation for Magic User's Club and Boogiepop Phantom, and directed by Ryutaro Nakamura, famous for directing Kino's Journey and the upcoming Ghost Hound. It ran on Japanese television from July 6th, 1998 to Setpember 28th, 1998. Pioneer (now Geneon, now soon to be defunct) has licensed it Stateside, and the fourth and final volume was released on January 9th, 2002.

Story: Serial Experiments Lain kicks off with a suicide in its first few minutes. Then it cuts to a week later, when all of her classmates are getting emails from her (which is really weird, as she's supposed to be dead and all). She starts contacting and talking to Lain Iwakura in particular, and weird things start happening in her life and in the lives of those around her from there.

I can't really tell you what happens, partially because it's spoilery, and partially because I'm not really sure what happened at some points in this series. I had to watch several scenes more than once just to be able to blog them semi-coherently. This is probably one of the most confusing, messed up anime you will ever see.

Not to mention the mindfuckery involved in this. At one point, I had to take a break because my head was hurting so bad from trying to understand everything. I wouldn't suggest watching more than two episodes a day of this, three tops, especially when you get past the half-way point. The mindfuckery involved gives the last few episodes of Evangelion a run for its money, and surpasses it at some points, believe it or not. Only watch this if you're willing to put the time in on the story.

And yet it manages to answer every question that it brings up, and resolve in a coherent matter.

WARNING: There is suicide, there is blood, there are weird mutant merges of machine and some hints of things related to sex. And, as I said before, mindfuckery. If you can't take any of this, don't touch this series with a ten-foot pole.

Art: Lain was animated back in 1998. So yes, it's going to be a bit dated. There's a lot of stock scenes, though, and the CG doesn't blend well. But it does use all of that to a very trippy effect at some points in the series. So, overall, average.

Music: Most of the background music is ambient noise, but the insert songs that they use are the smex. BoA does a good job with the OP, as does Nakaido "Chabo" Rei'ichi with the ED.

Seiyuu: Joji Nakata shows up as a recurring side role in this (YES!!), and Lain's sister was Saber in Fate/Stay Night (one of the few characters I could stand), so it was nice to see those. Otherwise, as usual, no problems with the seiyuu.

Length: Perfect. It manages to wrap up neatly in thirteen episodes, with no rush needed. Any shorter would've rushed it, and I wouldn't have been able to take one more episode of mindfuckery, really.

Dub: N/A, didn't watch it.

Overall: This is a confusing mindfuck of an anime. Know that if you're going into this. However, in the long run, it's rewarding, especially with the art, music, and seiyuu.

Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Seiyuu: 9/10
Length: 9/10]

Overall: 42/50; 84%; (B ) read more

Lain is a young teenage school girl of no extraordinary ability -- especially with computers, now all the rage among her friends. She appears to have many friends, and while not unsocial or rude, she doesn't like to hang out with people. Each day begins with Lain coming out of the front door of her sunwashed , minimalist house, and descending a small ramp of white stone stairs, identified as such only by slashes of deep black shadows on the risers.

Director Ryutaro Nakamura's SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN is rightfully considered one of the most revolutionary anime series of its time and well into the forseeable future. His use of color is nearly nonexistent, there is very little dialogue, and what few words areexchanged between Lain and her friends or her father do little to give the viewer a single clue about what -- if anything -- is going on.

And yet LAIN is impossible to stop watching. It is as close to art as anime gets, dazzling in its simplicity of line and shade to infer motion. Ryutaro-san uses stillness to cause unease, and the lack of a word or expression around a family breakfast table speaks volumes.

For all it sounds as though there is no real action, there is plenty, if subtle. (There certainly are no sword fights or ninja stunts, nor, thank goodness, any giant robots.) And if you haven't already been won over by the creepy buzzing of the eclectric lines outside Lain's house, the girl who stood on the ledge of a tale building, smiling and whispering as though talking to someone other than herself, who then leaps to her death, plus Lain's own brief but repeated hallucination that all of her schoolmates walking toward the school and are fading into mist -- if this hasn't convinced you that something very odd is going to break soon, then I promise your patience over the first three episodes will be well rewarded.

All high art and my own pretensions aside, LAIN is a very creepy and unsettling series. To say more would spoil all the rest. Believe me, I've watched anime's that dazzle the eyes and promise to chill the nerves while retaining a very high artistic and design aesthetic. I have no problem and encourage experimentation in the anime field. But one thing I can not forgive is boredom.

SERIAL EXPERIEMENTS LAIN hasn't a boring spot throughout all 13 episodes. Director Ryutaro Nakamura has not drawn a single hand, cup, empty window, doorknob or chair that is not in the scene for SOME reason. He is a true auteur in the same genius mold of iconoclast American filmmaker David Lynch. You can't take your eyes off the screen for a second, for fear of missing something vital.

LAIN will satisfy the most discriminating and jaded otaku. It sits on my top shelf of anime that I am proud to own. But like all great art, my only regret is not being able to experience it again as though for the FIRST TIME.

But you, reader, have that most enviable experience ahead of you. I'm jealous.

Ryutaro Nakamura is currently directing GHOST HOUND -- and while I've only see the first show, it was enough to give me nightmares last night. No blood, no gore -- but another lovely and innovative anime with breathtaking and never-before-seen uses of the camera in long tracking shots that would be impossible in real-life film. Further still, he uses sound -- of flies, wind, hair brushing past a face -- in a thoroughly pioneering use of 5.1 sound that sets the nerve on edge and even outdoes David Lynch whose recent INLAND EMPIRE I thought had implemented sound in the most disturbing and provacative manner possible -- but no.

Hat's off to Ryutaro Nakamura and SERIAL EXPERIMENTS LAIN. Pure genius.

-Dr Sleep read more

Story - 7

Serial Experiments Lain is easily one of the most mind-bending anime I have seen to date. Do not watch Serial Experiments Lain if you need everything to make sense. From episode one all the way to the end you feel as if you are wading through a fog alongside the main character searching for it's meaning. It does progress and hopefully you'll be able to pick out enough information from the events that take place to continually take the next step forward, as the completion of this anime is, though complicated, extremely rewarding to those with enough of an open mind. The amount of confusion versus the amount of story progression teetered on a delicate balance for the first couple episodes which brings the score down a fair amount, but I will reassure you that the story truly is a unique and worthwhile experience if you are willing to take a journey through murky fog to find the light at the other side.

Art - 7

The artwork in Serial Experiments Lain at first seemed simple (almost bad) using color schemes that were pale (like pastels) and garish (lots of one color and the focus being almost completely opposite). But after a while you'll realize that the color schemes in this anime are totally appropriate for the entire mood and vibe of the anime. Again, do not watch this anime if you don't have an open mind. The artwork is not nearly as shiny and fresh as most animes out there. So keeping in mind that the artwork is nothing exciting and almost drab, save for a few intense sequences, but does a marvelous job of conveying the vibe of the story I will give it a score of 7.

Sound - 8

Another well used tool of conveying a particular mood, the sounds in Serial Experiments Lain are just as mysterious and haunting as the rest of the anime. White noise type sounds are raised to a pitch that you definately notice, and convey a sense of connection to the world being shown to you. And the opening them fits perfectly and is a real good listen. Good enough in fact that a full version of the song is in my library and plays randomly. The noises can be somewhat distracting in their own way and take a little too much of your attention then they should so the sound score loses 2 points for a score of 8

Character - 6

It is kinda hard for me to come up with an accurate score of the characters which brings the score down a few points alone. The characters not being solid enough to get a clear feeling of is deserving of a few point penalty. Even though I was quite attached to Lain and Arisu almost all the other characters showed little to no development from their initial appearance. Score for the characters is only a 6.

Enjoyment - 9

Mysterious, thought provoking, and strangely fascinating, despite several flaws, makes this a very enjoyable assuming you are in the right mood. My thoughts were to give this anime a full 10 when i finished it but it takes a penalty just for having as many other penalties as it already does.

Overall - 8

I truly liked this anime a bit more then the score represents, but this anime takes a hit or two due to its extremely unique and confusing nature. But I do completely and totally recommend watching this anime to anyone with a tolerance for mind bending sequences.

read more

I recently finished this anime having been recommended it by a friend. Now I'll start off by saying it isn't your conventional Anime, there's almost a complete absense of romance, action and violence. The show delves into two worlds, The world we know and the "Wired" universe.

The anime itself was very philosophical, it shows our dependance on technology and how through the internet people can create their own persona, be the person they've always wanted to be. For an anime from the late 90s, it's perception of the world is pretty frightning; nowadays alot of people do spend alot of their days on computers, on games, entering a different universe where the problems of reality vanish and they can become someone else. The animation itself is excellent in parts, sometimes really mesmerizing. The sounds are eerie yet at some parts somewhat inadequate, not to say they weren't needed, just that you really don't notice it at times.

I'd reccomend this anime to people who are open minded and ready to sit down and experience something they probably haven't before. read more

Where to start where to start. Serial Experiments Lain is one of the most confusing animes I have ever watched with the only near comparison being Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni. Despite that it was still breath taking to watch I simply loved it. I'm not one to praise just anything but if there was one anime that deserved praise it would be this.

The story is confusing but clarity will come with time!

The art and animation are simply beautiful although I didn't like the first episode's quality I grew to love the direction that was taken.

Sound really brings this to life from the buzzing of the electricity to the excellent voice acting (I watched in Japanese) everything seemed to fit the world perfectly.

Enjoyment is an interesting issue; you might not enjoy every second of the starting episodes, but with clarity comes enjoyment.

There you have it watch it if you love an Anime that doesn't tell you how to think otherwise watch it anyway! read more

Here's the most important thing you need to know about Serial Experiments Lain: give the series 5 episodes before you drop it, otherwise you would have missed a truly unique anime experience.

I get scared very easily, and some parts of this anime freaked me out. If you're the kinda person that likes mildly creepy sequences and that weird stuff, replace that 5 for enjoyment and give it a 10. That's just from my perspective. I didn't enjoy watching the anime, but my was it cool.

Serial Experiments Lain delves into the question of reality, existence, time, and memory. The anime starts out crippling slow and is rather hard to follow. Though this would usually bore the viewer, here it intensifies the abnormal events that literally drown the series. Every episode will leave you hanging with questions, and the questions will get better and better. Let's get this straight here: Serial Experiments Lain is weird. Hence the name if its first episode. Certain plot elements and sequences are scary, unorthodox, and sometimes downright bizzare. Watch this anime with your thinking caps on, as there's tons to be learned from here.

The characters in Serial Experiments Lain are different from your usual anime characters. You basically have to watch for yourself to find out. Lain's character development is very pleasing and one of the features of this anime.

The sound is limited to the OP, ED, and ambient sound effects. Well done, but this anime isn't worth watching for the sound effects. OP is good and siuts the anime well.

The art consists of hard lines, but has a very dull feel. Several key scenes are repeatedly emphasized and visual motifs such as shadows literally jump out at you.

In conclusion, Serial Experiments Lain is an intriguing anime that everyone should at least try. The series ends well and leaves the viewer with many thoughts and questions in his/her head. read more

I'll just cut to the chase. I don't recommend this anime. I'll start out with the good things. The art is superb and very atmospheric. It's drawn in a unique style and it might be worth watching an episode or two for just this fact alone. If I were ever to direct an existentialist anime, I would definitely turn to this series for some major inspiration. The opening theme is well chosen and the sound effects are fairly good.

Now for the bad-- everything else. Serial Experiments Lain tries to tackle the problem of existence and identity but it completely fails. The parts that are supposed to be creepy are unconvincing and incoherent, and the attempt to create tension instead collapses into unbearably slow pacing in the storyline. Dialogue is much too short and yet drawn out. Entire scenes go by that neither attempt to interest the viewer nor advance the plot. Each episode except maybe the first one could have easily been cut in half without losing any content. The series could've been much better as a result.

The typical theme of weakening of identity as technology advances was handled very clumsily in the series, as if the writers thought that bringing up the issue alone was sufficient to be profound. It's not. The theme is nothing new in modern media.

Some reviews (not here) by mainstream critics claim that the series asks "deep" questions about contemporary life and the nature of reality, but this really is not true. The questions are old and the answers given are nonsensical and shallow. We are presented with several common plot devices in cyberpunk-- the near omnipotent digital entity that wants Lain (the protagonist) to abandon the flesh and become one with the cyber world, the use of dissociative identity disorder to symbolize Lain's mental fracture due to virtualization, the embodiment of humanity's collective unconscious made possible due to the new internet, etc. This stuff isn't new, which would be fine if at least SEL executed these things to perfection, but it doesn't. Instead the directors plod slowly onwards and resolve the philosophical dilemmas with absurd, silly conclusions about what Lain really is. It's just like they reduced everything down to magic.

Don't get me wrong, I really wanted to like this series. I enjoy cyberpunk and philosophy and wanted to look for a well done series that incorporated the two. I had heard many good things about this anime, but it just did not meet almost any of the most basic expectations I have for either anime or cyberpunk.

If you are interested in cyberpunk, Ghost in the Shell is very much the superior choice in all aspects, except possibly the art, though it's no sloucher there either. If you are interested in a coming of age story for children in a virtual world, Dennou Coil is better. For those just interested in really crazy, genuinely weird stuff-- that still makes actual sense-- try Paranoia Agent or Paprika.

That isn't to say you, the reader, might not like Serial Experiments Lain. If you have no prior exposure to cyberpunk or the philosophical issues raised within, or if you have very high tolerance to long scenes in which absolutely nothing advances the plot, or if enjoyment of the artistic merits of a series is sufficient for you, this just might do it. But it's not really enough for me. read more

I'm a man of few words, just like Serial Experiments Lain is an anime of few words, so don't expect a huge review covering everything about SEL. Now that we have that out of the way.

Just typing the name SEL in Google, will, without a doubt bring up the words: weird, confusing,.. As you might have guessed, yes it is true, out of all the anime you will ever see, this one, will probably be one of the most confusing series. And, it isn't a bad thing, not at all.

The story is confusing, but it is merely a medium to give you questions to think about. SEL doesn't try to tell a story, it's trying to make you think, or, reconsider what you thought of as your personal truth.

That being said, the story is rather enjoyable and unique. It will make you come back to see what's happening. That's not the Story's fault though, the protagonist, Lain, is also guilty of that. She has something, everyone can relate to and is portrayed very realisticly.

All in all, if you like pondering about philosophical questions wrapped in an intelligent story and realistic characters, SEL is something you have to watch. You owe it to yourself. read more

I've got to be honest. Were it not for one, massive, issue I have with this series, It would be my favourite anime by a landslide. Everything about it is just so...Incredible well done that its hard to critique it on anything but personal preference.
The Animation might look a bit plain, but its perfect for the series because it permits such a degree of variation throughout the series. The actual quality of the Art and Animation is very high, but it seemingly mundane enough that it doesn't distract attention from the true Core of the series:
The Plot.
Lain has, no questions asked, the best story I've ever seen in an Anime. Its more twisted than Evangelion, more confusing than Flcl, and more polished than...a very shiny table. It doesn't draw on vast numbers of, often obscure, references, its Acsessable to the average man. BUT, at the same time, its got depths to it that you can't plumb without a mile long cable of Solid Thinking.
But, even better, it does, slowly and somewhat obscurely, explain itself. Not completely, because no anime of its kind would ever give away all its secrets, but at least some of those mystery's DO get cleared up for you.
Oh, and I love the soundtrack. Especially that opening theme. Oh god how I love that Opening Theme.
Oh, and despite my previous statements, the animation is beautiful. Watch the opening sequence and marvel at the sheer brilliance of Lain's facial expressions. Wonder at the consistency in the little features, like the slashes of blood in the shadows or the little touches to Lains appearance that show her development through the series. If I were a girl, I would wear that hair clip.
Heck, I'd wear it now If I had one.

But, like all Animes, it has one, in this case Vast, flaw for me.
That ending.
GOD that ending.
HOW I HATE THAT ENDING
No spoilers now, but if anyone ever claims that was a proper "Happy and plot resolving" ending I will cut their lips off. (not really)

But still, If I could, this series would have an overall score of 12. Probably 13. read more