Serial Experiments Lain

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]

Iwakura, Lain Main

Shimizu, Kaori Japanese

Mizuki, Arisu Supporting

Asada, Youko Japanese

Eiri, Masami Supporting

Hayami, Show Japanese

Iwakura, Yasuo Supporting

Oobayashi, Ryuusuke Japanese

Iwakura, Mika Supporting

Kawasumi, Ayako Japanese

Yomoda, Chisa Supporting

Mutou, Sumi 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

Cook, Justin Producer

Ueda, Yasuyuki Producer, Planning, Original Creator

Maseba, Yutaka Producer

Abe, Shoujirou Producer

Reviews

Jul 25, 2024

weirdsong

Recommended

Warning: If you believe the Internet is a safe and predictable place, stop right here. "Serial Experiments Lain" is a series that will drag you down a digital rabbit hole from which there is no return. This anime is a disturbing and enigmatic journey into the human mind and the soul of the network, where the boundaries between reality and virtuality blur until they disappear.


Story: 9/10
"Serial Experiments Lain" introduces us to Lain Iwakura, a seemingly ordinary girl who becomes entangled in a web of mysteries after receiving an email from a classmate who committed suicide. From here, the plot unfolds in a spiral ... of events that defy logic and perception. The narrative is dense, often confusing, but masterfully designed so that each piece of the puzzle falls into place by the end. The series is a deep exploration of identity, technology, and human connection, with philosophical undertones that will leave you pondering long after the final credits roll.

Art: 8/10
The visual style of "Serial Experiments Lain" is minimalist but effective. The animation may seem simple at first glance, but it is loaded with symbolism and details that enrich the story. The dark backgrounds and shadowy scenes contribute to the oppressive and surreal atmosphere. Every frame is carefully designed to enhance the feeling of unease and disorientation.

Sound: 10/10
The soundtrack of this series is absolutely haunting. From the opening melody "Duvet" by Boa to the ambient sounds that make you feel like you're navigating a digital nightmare, the music and sound design are impeccable. The sound effects and the characters' voices add an extra layer of depth to the already complex fabric of the plot.

Characters: 9/10
Lain Iwakura is one of the most intriguing and complex characters seen in anime. Her evolution from a shy and introverted girl to an almost omnipotent being is both fascinating and chilling. The secondary characters, though sometimes feeling like pieces of a larger puzzle, also carry their own weight and significantly contribute to the plot's development.

Enjoyment: 9/10
"Serial Experiments Lain" is not an anime for everyone. Its slow pace and nonlinear narrative may discourage some, but for those willing to immerse themselves in its complexity, the reward is immense. It is a series that is not just watched, but experienced, leaving an indelible mark on the viewer's mind.

Conclusion:
In conclusion, "Serial Experiments Lain" is a masterpiece of Japanese animation that deserves to be watched and studied. It is a disturbing and fascinating journey that challenges the conventions of anime and forces us to reflect on the nature of our own existence in the digital age. Dross approves with a solid 9/10. Dare to enter the network and uncover the secrets it hides.

Written by: weirdsong
Date: July 25, 2024 at 19:35 PM.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 11, 2024

Casualfanofanime

Mixed Feelings

I don't understand what I'm supposed to take away from this show. I feel like art is supposed to tell us something about our world, and give us something applicable to our lives. I find none of that in Serial Experiments Lain.

I feel the show is very convoluted, and for no reason. The show could have been half as long, and the same message would have been present. A lot of the episodes felt like fodder. I know that they were supposed to increase tension and have a slow build up to the (many) plot twists, but I feel like it was just too ... boring. There was just way too many plot points. This could have been a 3 hour movie, and it would have been more enjoyable.

Most of the philosophic aspects aren't developed properly. For example, I felt like they were trying to reference Plato, with his theory of forms and the allegory of the cave, but it was hard to grasp. I don't understand what Lains' arc means. The ending is strange, and doesn't make a lot of sense. I won't describe it, but I don't know what I'm supposed to take away from it. Lains interactions with the God of the Wired were interesting. I feel the show could have done a better job communicating what it was trying to say about the world or the internet, but I digress.

Overall, I did enjoy the show, but it's bogged down by a convoluted plot and pretentiousness. The art is alright, and I liked the grunge atmosphere. I know the show wants to say something, it just can't speak. I'll give it a 7/10. Maybe I'm the dumb one, and I'll rewatch it a year from now. Who knows.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Mar 29, 2024

BlueKojiro

Not Recommended

Funny

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, ... in a word, self-indulgent.

75% of what you see on screen is just for mood and vibe and communicates zero information. There's a movie-length story cut up and shuffled into someone's schizophrenic episode. Maybe that's the point! Too bad, don't care! It's not enjoyable to watch, and what is the point of spending my free time watching something that's not enjoyable? That's what *work* is for, i.e. something unenjoyable that yet offers some benefit (whether this is working for an employer so they pay you, or working out your body so that you retain your health, etc). I have consumed stories that are both enjoyable and thought-provoking at the same time, so let's please dispense with this idea that we *owe* any writer our attention just because they've got a really cool idea they want to communicate. If you're going to make me work for it, I'm passing.

This is a story that is only understandable through reading someone else's synopsis, and those people are only able to understand it by watching it multiple times and filling in all the gaps with their headcanon. I don't know when it became acceptable to call stories like this "good." Lain is not even remotely the most complex story I've come across, so why is it so inscrutable? Just because it's hard to understand does not mean it's complex and it certainly doesn't mean it's good. One of the most fundamental aspects of writing *anything* is learning how to communicate efficiently. This goes for fiction and non-fiction equally. Just as you don't want to drown your boss in unnecessary details about the specific procedures you applied to get them your data set, you also don't want to bore your reader with an unnecessarily drawn out scene, too much dialogue, too much exposition, etc. Lain is filled with too much noise that does not communicate any meaning. You could replace most of this show with a windows screensaver slideshow and come away with roughly the same experience.

Ultimately this show is a reflection of one of my least favorite aspects of the process of classicification (in my usage here I refer to the process by which a particular story becomes canonized as a "classic" in its specific genre or medium). Sometimes a story is just really poorly executed, and there is a class of people that believe the consumption of art should be work and thus the process of parsing through a poorly executed story is somehow part of the process of bettering one's mind and spirit. I think this is frankly bullshit. Anyone can write a terrible story based on a cool idea. This does not make it a good story. If we really thought this was a legitimate enterprise, then there is no such thing as a bad story, and by necessity there is then no such thing as a good story, because execution does not matter. All that matters is stringing together a story in your own imagination, in which case the entire enterprise of writing and scripting itself is meaningless. Let's all just write down plot summaries and let each other write the story in our minds and then we can all tell eachother what we were actually trying to say.

This show does not deserve to be a classic. It's trash.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) MasterJ633 - Oct 28, 2008	178 replies	by 0samudaza1 »» 1 hour ago
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