Serial Experiments Lain

Edit
What would you like to edit?
 

Alternative Titles

Japanese: シリアルエクスペリメンツレイン
English: Serial Experiments Lain
More titles

Information

Type: TV
Episodes: 13
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 6, 1998 to Sep 28, 1998
Premiered: Summer 1998
Broadcast: Tuesdays at 01:15 (JST)
Producers: Genco, Pioneer LDC
Licensors: Funimation
Studios: Triangle Staff
Source: Original
Genres: Avant GardeAvant Garde, Award WinningAward Winning, DramaDrama, MysteryMystery, Sci-FiSci-Fi, SupernaturalSupernatural, SuspenseSuspense
Theme: PsychologicalPsychological
Duration: 23 min. per ep.
Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 8.091 (scored by 304806304,806 users)
1 indicates a weighted score.
Ranked: #5152
2 based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.
Popularity: #246
Members: 777,425
Favorites: 28,391

Available At


Resources


Streaming Platforms

8.09
Ranked #515Popularity #246Members 777,425
Add to My List
Episodes: /13

Synopsis

Lain Iwakura, an awkward and introverted fourteen-year-old, is one of the many girls from her school to receive a disturbing email from her classmate Chisa Yomoda—the very same Chisa who recently committed suicide. Lain has neither the desire nor the experience to handle even basic technology; yet, when the technophobe opens the email, it leads her straight into the Wired, a virtual world of communication networks similar to what we know as the internet. Lain's life is turned upside down as she begins to encounter cryptic mysteries one after another. Strange men called the Men in Black begin to appear wherever she goes, asking her questions and somehow knowing more about her than even she herself knows. With the boundaries between reality and cyberspace rapidly blurring, Lain is plunged into more surreal and bizarre events where identity, consciousness, and perception are concepts that take on new meanings.

Written by Chiaki J. Konaka, whose other works include Texhnolyze, Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological avant-garde mystery series that follows Lain as she makes crucial choices that will affect both the real world and the Wired. In closing one world and opening another, only Lain will realize the significance of their presence.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Background

Serial Experiments Lain won the Excellence Prize in the 1998 Japan Media Arts Festival. It has been subject to commentary in the literary and academic worlds such as the Asian Horror Encyclopedia and The Problem of Existence in Japanese Animation by the American Philosophical Society.

Episode Videos


Related Anime


Characters & Voice Actors

Iwakura, Mika

Supporting
Kawasumi, Ayako
Japanese

Haushofer, Karl

Supporting
Nakata, Jouji
Japanese

Taro

Supporting
Takimoto, Keito
Japanese

J.J

Supporting
Chikada, Wasei
Japanese

Sui-Xi, Lin

Supporting
Yamazaki, Takumi
Japanese

Staff

Cook, Justin
Producer
Ueda, Yasuyuki
Producer, Planning, Original Creator


Edit

Opening Theme

Preview
Spotify
Apple Music
Amazon Music
Youtube Music
"Duvet" by Bôa
Edit

Ending Theme

"Tooi Sakebi (遠い叫び)" by Reichi Nakaido




Reviews

May 5, 2024
Serial Experiments Lain is a good, if not great, anime. Its amazing opening and thought-provoking themes on identity, reality, technology, and loneliness are major highlights of the show. The anime's artwork, outside of its real-life imagery is also exceptional.

However, the show is inaccessible to a general audience due to its weirdness. The show starts talking about UFO conspiracy theories as if the viewer has foreknowledge of the subject. Then, it also questions the viewer with several confusing topics without answering them, such as "What is real and what is perceived?"

Additionally, much of the symbolism in Serial Experiments Lain is difficult to understand in real time. ...
Mar 1, 2024
Mixed Feelings
The art, atmosphere, symbolism, and concepts presented are great. But then there's everything else...

The characters were the most shallow out of any anime that I've seen, having no depth in most cases. It feels like the story was written and the characters were sprinkled in at the end, instead of them having their own lives and ideas and personalities. Other than a character's appearance, you can't really get more attached or involved, since there's almost nothing else to them.

The story was by far its weakest point, and here is where the mixed feelings come into play.
This story taking place within the context of a ...
Mar 29, 2024
Serial Experiments Lain is a story that would be infinitely better told as a few dozen-page short story or a feature-length film, NOT a 13-episode TV series.

The only reason I give it a 6 is because of reading a few think pieces about the ending that made me appreciate it a bit more. I like the *idea* of the story, but hell, I have plenty of *ideas* for stories I'd like to write someday so that's not really impressive. The thing that impresses me about storytelling is the ability of a writer to take an idea and *show* it to an audience. This show is, ...

Interest Stacks

39 Entries · 534 Restacks
50 Entries · 35 Restacks

Recommendations


Recent News

North American Anime & Manga Releases for May

North American Anime & Manga Releases for May

North American Anime & Manga releases for May 2014 Week 1: April 29th - May 5th Anime Releases Amazing Nuts! Cat Planet Cuties Complete Collection (S.A.V.E. Edit...read more


Recent Forum Discussion

How do you feel about Serial Experiments Lain?
Je-suis-lui - May 1
7 repliesby 14see12 »»
May 1, 12:44 PM
Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 1 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )
StabbyPWNS - Oct 11, 2008
292 repliesby JosefStalinium »»
Apr 20, 4:28 AM
Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )
nini - Dec 30, 2008
372 repliesby mrnmbl »»
Apr 16, 5:06 PM
Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )
cureroyale - Jan 27, 2009
123 repliesby mrnmbl »»
Apr 16, 3:43 PM
Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )
aero - Mar 16, 2009
139 repliesby Gf2002 »»
Mar 20, 1:43 AM

Recent Featured Articles

12 Complex Psychological Anime to Wrap Your Head Around

12 Complex Psychological Anime to Wrap Your Head Around

In a genre with anime of various types ranging from action to sports, these are the psychological anime that will actually challenge you and the way you think.

by MAL_Articles

253,192 views

Top 25 Best Anime Opening Songs of All Time

Top 25 Best Anime Opening Songs of All Time

Everyone has their own favorite anime opening, but is the one you cherish featured on this best of list? Let's take a look at 25 of the best and most famous anime openings in anime history!