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?

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.

What really scares us? Death or the oblivion? Of course, the oblivion. It is not dying itself that frightens us the most, but rather knowing that we will lose everything we loved and cared for. All of the memories we've treasured, the choices we've made and the people we've touched; everything will cease from existence. So why do we treasure our past so much? Is that just a collection of memories the nostalgia bounds us to, or is it the part of who we are?

Serial Experiments Lain is not your average show, and definitely not something you run into every day. It is a unique ... piece of entertainment that completely transcends its genre, and presents itself as a work of art. An avant-garde show, not restraining itself to the boundaries of traditional storytelling and plot building, creating a completely unique and revolutionary piece of media.

This anime series is NOT for everyone. One of the reasons this show is popular even now, two decades after its initial release, is because its plot is still not completely figured out. The story is told in a rather convoluted fashion, which makes the already complex plot even harder to interpret.
Lain is one of those shows that require the viewer to pay full attention to every detail, and challenging them to put all the pieces together to grasp the content of the story. The theme portrayal in this series only becomes more relevant even now, that the use of technology and internet is becoming larger. A nearly prophetic story of what will happen if the lines of reality and virtual world start to blur.
Not only does the show do an excellent job at connecting its elements with its heavy commentary on psychology, sociology and technology, but it also has a very striking approach to the themes of human connection and loneliness, and overall an exploration the existential self in relation to the world. it raises a series of very thought provoking and intellectual questions about identity, existentialism, and religion. The show is also very famous for its mind-bending thoughts about reality, evolution and the existence of God.

Lain's narrative is rather cryptic, meaning that nothing is told to the viewer directly, but rather gives them the undertone hints and pieces that, combined, make the story. The story is devoided of any dialogue or character's inner monologue, not allowing the viewer to know more than they should, giving them a strange sensation of being lost, and forcing them to search for answers. Due to the absence of dialogues, the show relies heavily on its visual presentation. It tells its story through massive, yet subtle use of symbolism and visual keys. The series is rich of surreal and expressive imagery, with commonly metaphorical content.

In terms of characters, there are just the two worth mentioning, with one being far more relevant than the other: Lain and her best friend, Alice. They represent the two sides of the same coin, or, in this particular show, a physical world, and the virtual one. Lain is a lonely, shy, and seemingly depressed middle-school girl, who also suffers from a split personality disorder. She is used to portray most of the show's themes, one of them being a demonstration of the internet's ability to split ones personality, creating a whole different person online. Alice, on the other hand, is much more down-to-Earth, realistic and communicative. Her character is used to resemble reality, and common sense in general, but she is also the key trigger in Lain's development.
Also, even though other characters have an important role in the story, and are used as a symbolical representation of a certain element the show portrays, they aren't as significant as the two aforementioned are.
What i think is the strongest point of SEL's characters is the manner in which their characterization is done. As a fairly good compensation to show's lack of dialogue, Lain's characters aren't defined through cheesy lines or forced exposition conversations, but rather through their very actions. The show can clearly depict the character with little to no dialogue, only through visual presentation of characters reactions, movement and behavior. In an essence, 'show' is of a far greater value than 'tell' in visual media, and SEL follows that rule in a nearly flawless manner.

From the technical sides, even tho the show lacks budget and doesn't have as much production value as most of the shows nowadays do, it still managed to use this in its advantage.
The character designs are much more realistic and humanoid than most of the series. They are devoided of any abstract, but very commonly seen elements, such as weird and unique hair styles, unnatural hair colors, huge eyes and so on. This is due to the fact that the show wanted to make itself closer to the viewer and make them project themselves to the characters easier, but also to set a certain border of reality. In a show where so many surrealistic things happen there must be a certain sense of realism so the viewer can actually see what the paranormal happening is.
Also, due to the lack of budget, the backgrounds in the scene have minimal amounts of details, and a somewhat inconsistent animation. This allows the author to literally point out elements the viewer should pay attention to.
The show also uses lots of repetitive sequences, like the cityscape scene from the beginning of each episode. This is also used quite well, combined with new monologue each episode that really help a lot in the theme exploration. The show uses a very murky color pallet, with two different sets of colors: the deep blue tone, and a thick yellow and nearly sepia tone. This is not only used to locate the time of the happening, which is usually at night or twilight, but also used to switch tones and suggest a certain mood change in a scene.

It is very noticeable that the show lacks music, probably due to the lack of budget. In this certain show, this is by no means a flaw.
For a such a cryptic and mysterious show such as SEL, the absence of music creates a very unique atmosphere. The over-present silence and sometimes a quiet, but sharp techno sound absorbs the viewer in a world shrouded in absolute mystery, creating an atmosphere that perfectly complements the viewer's feel of being lost.
But also, surprisingly enough, such lack of music and creating an absorbing ambient can be use very well when invoking drama. For example, a sudden hard techno bass after a long period of silence can help in creating a sense of tension, and also signifying to the viewer that he should pay attention to the plot point. This can also work the other way around, when the omnipresent background musing is rashly interrupted by silence, creating a very clear tone contrast.

Serial Experiments Lain is one of the greatest anime shows ever made, and a personal favorite of mine. It takes an absolute focus on singularity, developing its themes beyond the limits, and pulls the maximum out of its platform for storytelling. It has some of the most aggressive and infinitely deep theme explorations ever put in any sort of media. Its story is complex, intriguing, and somewhat immersive, with thousands of plot-twist, fascinating narrative style, and unparalleled and grounded thematic side. A thoughtful and unique 13-episode experience that can only be described as an onslaught of brutal mindfucks, digging deep into the core of your brain. A perspective-changing brain-basher introducing a completely new look onto this so called "reality".
Close the world
Open the next

"Pretentious", according to google dictionary is: "attempting to impress by affecting greater importance, talent, culture, etc., than is actually possessed." honestly that definition very simply describes the anime serial experiments lain.

serial experiments lain's story can honestlty be described as a random collection of 'deep' ideas like human concsiousness and existentialistism and its relation to the web, full of forced 2deep4u moments and random exposition supposed to be 'clues' to figure out the needlessly confusing storyline, wich is only made worse with long periods with no dialog and only the sound of a computer humming, which makes for a very boring and uninteresting watch.

the characters aren't ... good. lain has no emotion and we never know what she is thinking, and can't relate to her at all, she's basically an alien. there are few side-characters that come up, and they are all not looked at at all, very uninteresting.

overall serial experiments lain is a good anime to watch if you want to look smart, but not much else.

Now let me start of by saying THIS IS NOT AN ANIME FOR EVERYONE! *minor spoilers included*

The story of Serial Experiments Lain is an interesting complex one to say the least. It starts of by a student commiting suicide saying she does not need to exist in this world anymore. The following day the students receive an email from the dead student and at first they think it is spam mail but that turns out not to be the case. Pretty much the whole show revolves around The Wired (or their version of a more advanced Internet) and how humans use it as a form ... of communication.

The main colour pallete for Serial Experiments Lain uses a lot of blacks, purples, reds and yellows. The shadows pretty much consist of most of the colours listed above. For its time, the art style overall was great.

Serial Experiments Lain doesn't rely heavily on orchestral elements and it doesn't have to. The atmosphere already sets the mood for you. There are subtle ominous sounds every now and then.

Lain is an interesting character to say the least and as much as I want to give away spoilers I won't. Lain starts of as an anti-social girl if you will, she is a very shy and doesn't really show any emotion. If you do watch episode 3, that's when things start to really pick up. I was left like :O and you will see why. There are more characters, like Lain's so called friends....well really she only has 1 friend out of that 3 girl group, Lain's family, the Men in Black and a secret organization called 'Knights of The Eastern Calculus'.

This anime is influenced by philosophical subjects such as reality, identity and communication. Those things are key to what make Serial Experiments Lain such an excellent anime. With Serial Experiments Lain being such an in-depth, confusing anime, sometimes you do feel lost and have to try and regain composure, regain your thoughts if you prefer to look at it like that. Some things may not make sense at the beginning, but then an episode or so later things will start to make sense or you will pick up something from a previous episode and slowly put together the pieces. As a whole I really enjoyed Serial Experiments Lain.

So overall just to reiterate, Serial Experiments Lain is not an anime for everyone, you feel lost most of the time, this anime is a thinker (meaning you have to be using your brain to comprehend all of it), many adult themes (not including any of that naughty stuff ;), interesting characters....and in some ways very mysterious, has an odd aura surrounding them.

I'll end with this: Close the world. txen eht nepO

Serial Experiments Lain is a psychological horror, sci-fi, cyberpunk drama anime written by Konaka Chiaki and developed by Triangle Staff. On one hand, I've seen enough things claim to be psychological with virtually no psychological content that I'm a bit skeptical. However, I've also seen plenty of anime with legitimate psychological horror elements foremost among them being the absolutely stellar Perfect Blue. This will be the only anime produced by Triangle Staff that I've seen so I can't provide an educated hypothesis based on that. I will say that I've seen some other anime that Konaka Chiaki was involved with, though not the head writer ... for most of them, and he does have a promising track record.

Story:

Our tale opens with a young girl jumping off of a tall building. Naturally, she does not survive. Things get strange when other students at her school start receiving e-mail from her. Our protagonist, Lain receives such an e-mail. That's when she starts noticing other strange things around her and starts becoming obsessed with technology. Even though she barely knew how to work a computer before.

Now, I will give the series credit on several counts. First off, it's very good at keeping the viewer's attention. It continually gives you hints about what exactly is going on but it keeps them really vague. When it outright reveals the answer, you'll probably have a good idea of what some elements of that are going to be and be surprised by others. The series is also good at mixing its surreal elements with the more realistic elements, giving the narrative a feel that's unique in a way that works.

Now, let's look at where the series falls short. The ending is the big one. I don't want to give any details away, but it's a deus ex ending. There are also some elements that are introduced, but never handled in a meaningful or sensical way. The biggest example is that there's a teacher, having an affair with an 8th grade student. In spite of the student body knowing what he's up to and rumours running rampant, he is allowed to keep his job and, somehow, doesn't get arrested or even investigated as far as you see. Yeah, I'm almost certain that would never happen. The worst part is that this nasty little sub-plot, along with being very poorly handled, ultimately has very little impact on the actual narrative. It could have been easily cut and another story device could have served the same purpose without any problems. You might wonder why I'm talking about it so much if it's pretty meaningless. Well, when I see a “psychological” series set in the “present day, present time” I expect to have that psychology grounded in reality, even if the series itself does feature surreal and sci-fi elements. A story element like this just brings you out of the story and makes you notice that this does not happen. The horror elements are another issue. They're largely just kind of weird, but not frightening or scary in any way.

Characters:

The characters in this do have complexity and depth, for the most part. There are exceptions like the teachers, both their classroom teacher and the one fooling around with a student, who are basically non-entities. They, mostly, react realistically to the strange things happening around them. Except for a few notable cases where they react in reality-defiant ways that make no sense. They also have some interesting interactions and their relationships change in ways that make sense. That being said, there is one very significant issue with the characters. There are conversations where a character will make a statement and contradict it in the very next sentence. The person they're talking to will not respond to this sudden shift at all or will respond by contradicting the last thing they said in order to still be disagreeing with the person they were talking to. Which makes no sense.

Art:

The background art in this is really good. It's got a lot of nice details and the surreal elements do look very nice. There are a couple issues with it, however. The first is that some of the surreal elements, though impressive looking, don't actually tie into the narrative. To give an example, there's a scene where they show a faceless androgynous figure dancing in fishnets. It's a strange image, but you could replace it with anything else and the scene would work just as well and the imagery really should be reflective of the narrative in some way. The second issue is the way they draw the actual characters. They're kind of generic and the default facial expression for them is dull surprise. Regardless of what emotion the actor is actually conveying.

Sound:

The actors are decent in this. You get some strong performances, but also some weaker ones. Shimizu Kaori delivers a very strong performance as our young heroine. Asada Yoko also gives a good performance. Igarashi Rei plays one of those characters without much complexity or depth and it does show in a rather mediocre performance. Hayami Show plays an antagonist who is really too over the top for a series that's trying to employ subtle psychological elements. The music is good. It doesn't really stand out much, but it's primarily used as a part of the atmosphere and it works in that capacity.

Ho-yay:

The ho-yay factor is a 3/10. There are some moments between Lain and Arisu that strongly indicate that Lain has feelings for her.

Final Thoughts:

Serial Experiments Lain definitely has some things to recommend it. The setup is good. The narrative is compelling. The major characters are complex. The backgrounds look great. Unfortunately, it's held back by several significant problems. The deus ex ending. The story elements where the execution just renders them nonsensical. The scenes where characters contradict themselves and consequently come across as being poorly characterised. The surreal images with no relevance that are just thrown in for the sake of looking surreal. In the end, I would say that the positive factors do outweigh the negative ones, but not by a whole lot. My final rating is going to be a 6/10. It's a decent series, but not quite good. Next week, Rainbow: Nisha Rokubo no Shichinin.

I've watched this show 2,769 times and still can't make any real sense of it. And I for God's sake like philosophy and science fiction very much.

Its metaphysics are somewhat contradictory, and some things are never explained in any way, and any theory I'm able to form about all this show presents leaves something out.

Its important characters are all shallow and don't show any kind of appropriate/understandable emotional reactions. This is by no means the number one show I'd recommend if you wanted to think about the effects modern technology has on people's lives.

I figure this is after all its ultimate goal: to illustrate ... how, because of the complexicity and rapid advancement of technology, many questions previously safely put on hold about the world, society, reality, humanity, identity etc. must be asked again, and there's not really time to think them beforehand, only when it's too late to do anything if needed. Ultimately, the average person, in here the viewer, can't really know for sure what's happening in the world around them. They can only consider sources more or less reliable. Such case is the source for all conspiracy theories, which Lain's plot ultimately is about.

However, seeing how this is illustrated in the media of animated mini-series is barely worth using 13*25 minutes of your life.

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 )

Usually, one can divide good anime into two groups. There's the ones that entertain you through your emotions; scooping you up in the adrenaline-rushing fights, riveting your feelings with heart-breaking drama or simply tingling your adventurous sides. And then there's the ones that makes you sit down and think. Ponder about deeper, philosophical dilemmas and questions such as those of existence, origin, connection. Serial Experiments Lain is among the few to fall into the latter category.

It is a fact that everyone in this world is connected. In our world, we have cell phones, the Internet; there's no limit to how we can connect with our ... fellow humans. Lain, the protagonist, gets drawn deeper into such a world, The Wired, realizing that this is indeed true, but on a much deeper level. Because everyone is connected with one another, not electronically nor physically, but on a deeper, unconscious level. Yes, who are really "you"? Or "I"? What is the truth abouth our existence as humans?

Oh, yes, what is indeed real in this world, and what is fiction? What can be defined as reality, and what is just an illusion of our mind? Or is everything merely a hallucination brought forth by our brain - or our brains as a whole? And in whichever way existence functions, who, or what, holds a responsibility for it? For our world, a fictional world, a dream world?

If you think the review has turned into a philosophical thought process straying afar from the show itself, I tell you this: It does not. Serial Experiments Lain deals with all these questions and problems, if not directly and bluntly, then it does so in a way that may bring you to think. And sometimes, it's good if we are brought to think about these kinds of things.

Amongst all the philosophical elements; the seeping, minimalistic cyberpunk aspects that bring about more perplexion than understanding, a plot eventually shines through; though in ways it serves merely as a vessel to bring forth these questions. Conspiracy theory, computer science dawdling, intricate hide-and-seek of the mature kind, blackmail, Serial Experiments Lain doesn't skimp back on the plot workings, and to sort out the complex web of events, question sand meanings brought forth by watching this show is quite the ordeal.

Amongst this mess of nothing and everything is quite a special cast. Some, well, some of them are seemingly normal people. Lain's cold mother, non-caring sister and her computer-obsessed father. They are all people you could see existing in the real world. Even the timid and shy Lain is someone you can find in your neighborhood. However there exists a limit to how much you can believe when you watch this. How everyone acts. How they really are. Are they the same? There is something about everyone; that distinct cyberpunk feel which gives you the feeling that everyone goes around carrying a veneer. But, maybe they are. Or maybe they aren't after all. Make a guess.

The artwork of Lain is quite peculiar. Though extremely simplistic; minimalistic nearly, it works. The almost-empty rooms. The simple faces and costumes. The barbones backgrounds, or the bright, monochrome backdrop that serves in lieu of it at times. It all works very well. It works because of the type of show this is. It shows us what we need to see, when we need to see it, no more, no less. Thus it serves as an advocate to let your thoughts be placed elsewhere. There's nothing to obstruct your mind from swirling into deeper and deeper meanings and questions.

And likewise is the background music. Or lack thereof; because there is extremely little music playing while you watch. While not directly praiseworthy, it has its effect on the overall feel of the show, in a positive direction, too. The only tune stuck within me is the opening theme, which is a mystery in and of itself. Enthralling lyrics and a soundscape that is quite enjoyable to listen to.

On its own, none of what you see in Serial Experiments Lain really has it in itself to make up a good anime. Butwhen melded together, the impression you're left with is quite unique and not something you're likely to encounter anywhere else in the vast world of anime. It is an experience that makes you sit down and think about certain things in life, and it's definitely worth your time to watch through it. But savour it in the right tempo; too quickly and you'll be left to ask yourself what was realyl going on, and too slow results in a product where maximum yield won't find its way uinless you sit down and re-watch the earlier layers.

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

Oh yes...it's time! I have been meaning to go back and re-review this anime for about 5 years now. My original review was very flippant, poorly written, and quite dismissive towards Lain. I gave it a 6 and the whole review was basically "Lol, can you believe this shit?! What a weird anime!"

Firstly, I want to go into a little background explaining my own experience with this anime and how my views have changed over time. I first saw Lain in 2005 and the best way to watch Lain in the United States at that point unless you had the money to buy the DVDs ... volume by volume was to rent it from Netflix. This was back when Netflix was purely a DVD delivery service. So you watch 4 episodes of Lain, then send your disk back and wait about 2 weeks to watch the next 4 episodes. I was watching Lain via Netflix at the same time as I was watching another gem of early 2000s anime called Elfen Lied. I really enjoyed Elfen Lied and had no problem keeping up with that story in 4 episode chunks. This was not really the case with Lain. I ended up mostly just feeling VERY confused. My little brother loved Lain and some of my offline buddies did, but I didn't really see the appeal at the time. I thought it was just kind of odd and maybe even that dreaded word "pretentious".

So flashforward to 2014. I've just started reviewing stuff on MAL and decided to write a shitty review of Lain, despite having not seen it in a decade and having very little memory of it besides "it's that weird show with the bear suit girl and the humming power lines". At the time, I actually wanted to connect with my fellow boomers on MAL and basically say, "Yo, remember this shit?!" You see, Lain was REALLY popular in the early 2000s. Japan thought it was so deep that Japanese philosophers started discussing it and they got the American Philosophical Society to hold a Lain conference in 2003. Time Magazine controversially picked Watchmen as one of the top 100 novels of the 20th century, but not even Watchmen was considered highbrow and academic enough to be featured in a conference by the APS! Lain in 2003-2005 was SO god damn hyped and elite that as far as animation and graphic novels were concerned it was a category onto itself. It certainly helped Lain in America that Pioneer's dub was both faithful to the source material and high quality unlike ADV's Eva dub. By 2014 when I wrote my review, Lain was near its all time low in popularity. It was still getting praise by folks like Thatanimesnob, but with casual audiences it was never less popular. Then we reach 2016 Youtube and the birth of the "video essay" era and HOLY SHIT did Lain come roaring back to life! Digibro's Lain essay had like 3 million views at one point. If you had a moderate interest in animation, your side bar was blowing up with video essays about why this anime called Lain was actually a masterpiece.

So around 2016-2017, I start watching these video essays. Now I'm thinking, "Woah...was Lain actually good this whole time? It actually had relevant messages and predicted modern internet culture?! I just remember it not making much sense!" So around 2018, I buy the Lain DVD set for like 10 dollars at a used media store. I watch the first 2 episodes with my offline buddies and they're really not feeling it, so I switch to another series and get distracted. Somehow, I didn't actually re-watch Lain until this last week when my girlfriend came to visit. After 16 years, I have FINALLY re-watched Lain...and it turns out Lain is fucking awesome!

In my old review, I was still following the plot, characters, sound, etc. format. I'm not really going to do that this time. If you're reading this review, you probably have at least a vague idea about what happens in Lain. It's about a genius hacker girl and her investigation into a mysterious hacker guild called the Knights. The Knights all serve a figure known as the "God of the Wired" and are somehow connected to a series of teen suicides in which the deceased teens are somehow able to continue sending emails and surviving online despite their physical bodies being dead. While Lain is labeled as cyberpunk, I would say this is only partially accurate. In the Western definition of cyberpunk, the genre is usually tied to what's called "hard science fiction". That means no impossible technology. No psychic powers. No magic. No supernatural phenomena that are beyond understanding. Lain is NOT a hard science fiction. Psychics actually do exist in Lain. The universal unconscious that Carl Jung theorized is real. The villain is able to use the brain waves produced by the mind of the planet Earth itself to break the barrier between the internet and reality so that we're all online all the time. As the God of the internet, Lain is able to rewrite all of time and space like an omnipotent being once the internet becomes reality. Lain's writer, Chiaki Konaka, has actually read a lot more HP Lovecraft than he has Philip K Dick and Robert Heinlein. Lain is about the internet, but it's actually just as much of a cosmic horror story as it is a cyberpunk.

The character of Lain is amazingly complex given the series short run time. Lain offline is a withdrawn, lonely girl with very little control over her environment and only 1 friend. Once she gets near a computer, her posture changes, her expressions change, and she suddenly becomes far more confident and assertive. This reaches a point where there's a complete split between offline Lain and internet Lain like something out of Dostoevsky's novella The Double. When Lain was written in 1998, it was not a well known phenomenon that people act completely differently offline vs. online. Lain was way ahead of its time in this regard and many others as I'll discuss later.

While Lain's plot is a tad imperfect in my personal opinion, the message of Lain is not only profound but positively prophetic. At the core of everything, the central point of Lain in my interpretation is that the internet is a false messiah. The internet in the 1990s promised to connect humans everywhere, but led to ever increasing loneliness and feelings of isolation instead. The internet was supposed to allow people from all races, classes, and religions to talk together and empathize with each other like never before, but instead it has largely desensitized us to human suffering and made it seem like nothing feels real. In the 2nd episode of Lain, the girls witness a mass shooting event at a club and they're laughing it off at school the next day. "Woah! Wasn't that some crazy shit! Let's go back to the club tonight!" No other piece of media from 1998 that I can think of so perfectly predicted how America and much of the world would learn to deal with frequent mass shootings and acts of terrorism. In Lain, the government is completely helpless to stop harmful information from being spread by rogue actors like "The Knights" who are an online guild of anonymous people that appear totally ordinary in their offline lives. They're teaching kids to commit suicide and spreading dangerous drugs and nobody can stop them. The novel 1984 predicted that the government would soon completely control the flow of information and 99.9 percent of people would have the same values and believe the exact same things. We live in a world where over 20 percent of adult voters believe in Qanon and despite the best efforts of the US government to stop conspiracy theories from spreading, they're losing the war against random assholes posting bullshit on anime image boards for people with autism! Lain was right and 1984 was completely wrong! Lain teaches us that the important things in life are offline. Lain learns from Alice that the human body IS important and forging relationships can only truly be done heart to heart and face to face.

Lain's OST and sound mixing are absolutely incredible. I feel that so much has been said about this topic that I don't even need to bother. What isn't said as often is that Lain's actual animation is kind of janky. If you pay close attention anytime a character is walking or moving in general, you can tell that Lain was made on a bit of a budget. However, Nakamura's genius visual directing and imagery are SO good that most people never even notice!

Despite all the praise I've given it, Lain isn't actually perfect in the end. It's only 13 episodes but episode 11 is almost entirely flashbacks that add nothing to the series and just take up time. Then there's the episode that goes on a complete tangent to talk about Roswell and Ufology shit for seemingly no reason. Lain does get a wee bit self indulgent at this point.

While I can't quite give it a 10/10 and Lain actually still isn't in my top 10 favorites of all time, I can say that I REALLY loved watching this one again. It's a wonderful feeling to go back and find out that something you once judged harshly was far better than you remember in every aspect! Lain is an incredible anime that everyone deserves to see. If you've only seen it once and that was 5+ years ago, I absolutely recommend paying it another visit. You won't regret it!

This anime sucks so much. I was watching based on positive reviews. I was bored after the first 2 episodes but I pressed on. I thought it would get better but it doesn't. It's not even the entertaining kind of bad but it's the boring and annoying kind of bad. The ultimate payoff at the end was even worse than I could have imagined.

The plot is some junk without any rhyme or reason. Just a bunch of crap some 12 year old would find deep. Random Illuminati bullshit strung together with some girl as the MC. God damn it like has all this bullshit ... put together but none of it matters or makes sense. It's like a mentally challenged person read basic philosophy and technology and then came up with some mary sue self insert of their retarded self into a story like that.

The whole thing is just unbearably pointless. I get it was partially going for that but it also made things over dramatic for no reason. And the fact that none of it matters in the end. If you have even a cursory understanding of anything touched on in the show, you'd get nothing except oh cool it's trying to include that one thing. Never really digging deeper than just mentioning it because it's trying to be deep.

The constant power line vibration sound is insanely annoying and happens every couple of minutes. Idk cause the show is obsessed with electricity lines? If it wasn't for this shit, the sound would be fine but this completely ruins it.

This show also is old now so the visuals which may have once been good as now dated and not really a positive any more. The art isn't at fault but just because how old it is, it is barely watchable give how bad everything else is. The atmosphere is supposed to feel empty but still, without much of a gradient in the show, the whole thing feels dull.

Overall, this anime is so bad I can't believe I wasted 4.5 hours watching it. I wish I did myself a favor and dropped it after 2 episodes like I wanted but I put too much faith in humanity and their collective score on this site that I watched the whole thing hoping it would all reveal something great at the end and came out angry at how crap it all turned out.

Serial Experiments Lain is a difficult anime to grade on a scale. While the philosophical ideas that the series focuses on- instrumentality, cybernetic integration, loss of identity through prolonged interaction with the digital world- are thoroughly thought provoking and interesting, the execution of these ideas are inconsistent. This is a case of a series being a bit too ambitious for it's own good. The concepts to make the series work are all in place but it lacks a solid foundation to give it that push into the realm of excellence. It is a series that seems to constantly present fascinating ideas only to have their ... potential squandered by poor storytelling, downright ugly artwork and and a lack of all but a couple interesting characters.
Serial Experiments Lain has gained a distinct following and reputation for being a true mind-screw and an underrated prophetic gem of 90's anime. If there is one thing that everyone seems to agree on, it is that Lain is "weird". It is extremely difficult to understand and follow on the first view- almost impossible in fact. This is due mostly to the fact that nothing is ever really clearly explained. The dialogue that moves the story along is extremely limited and what is said seems to constantly dodge the questions that the viewer is desperately seeking the answers to. I realize that this style of storytelling can be very effective. Some of my favorite stories work the same way. However, in these stories there is something else driving the story and keeping me interested while the questions keep me guessing. Lain has no such other drawing force to speak of. Aside from untangling the convoluted plot, there is no real aspect of the series to get any enjoyment of fulfillment from.
Despite being a relatively short series (13 eps), it crawls along at a snails pace and seems to take forever to get through. This would not be so bad if by the time the end had come, you didn't feel like the same story could have been told just as effectively in half the time. There is just so much empty space in the story. Large sections which seems to be dedicated to creating a specific atmosphere and subtly describing the character of Lain are drawn out too long with no real payoff at the end. The best parts of the series come when the speed of things picks up and we get to see some truly bizarre spectacles. Specifically, the more horror-oriented scenes are really great and will make you chuckle at the freakiness of it all. However, when the story slows back down, you'll end up scratching your head at the stilted and uninformative dialogue waiting for the next bit of surreal immersion.
Aside from the awkward delivery of the story and poor pacing, the biggest problem with Lain is the art. Technically speaking, this is probably some of the worst animation I have ever seen. In fact, there were times when I struggled to even classify it as animation at all. There is very little actual character movement to speak of. When characters are in motion, their motions are extremely limited and stiff. There is absolutely no style or flare to the animation and it just comes off as either lazy or budget/time-restricted. The actual art style has a bit more style than the animation and there are certainly some moments of brilliance when the muted palette and recurring theme of droning electronic equipment create a sense of self-inflicted isolation. Once again, the idea is solid and interesting. Yet due to uneven follow through, the whole thing becomes a mess. The character designs are not appealing and do not have a very distinct look aside from Lain herself. It is very difficult to enjoy an anime series when you are almost constantly wishing that things were not so damn ugly. Music is sparse and minimalistic. It is usually not even noticeable although it does work very well for a few specific scenes near the end.
I really have no problem with the plot of Lain, when all is said and done. There are some fascinating and valid ideas being presented and the overarching plot has plenty of relevance to the modern world and science-fiction validity. If executed more masterfully, this series could have been great. It really seems unfinished in a lot of ways. There was plenty of room to flesh out concepts that were just hinted and develop actual characters that have purpose. What Lain fails to do is follow through with it's seemingly vast possibilities and intentions. A lot of times a series will set out to accomplish something simple and succeed admirably by not putting too much on it's plate. Lain is the opposite of this, where is series is so desperate to get across a myriad of themes, ideas and concepts that it misses the mark by a long shot and ends up the territory of incoherent curiosity.

For my first anime review on this site, I'll be doing a series that I can confidently say is both one of my favorite works of fiction that anime has to offer that I've ever seen as well as possibly one where I can never ultimately decide how much I genuinely love it or just absolutely appreciate it even if I won't obsess over it.

Now with that out of the way, I guess I'll get into the review.

Serial Experiments Lain is NOT your average anime. At first glance, it might look a little bit like the Matrix movies or Ghost in the Shell ... (regrettably, both are things I've yet to watch). For more seasoned anime fans, it might even look like the genre of 'cyberpunk' series like Bubblegum Crisis and Appleseed and some aspects of Cowboy Bebop lovingly ripped off from movies such as Blade Runner and Terminator. That should not be surprising if you know the name Chiaki J. Konaka, a screenwriter who is best known for Armitage III, The Big O, Digimon Tamers, Tetsuwan Birdy, the original Hellsing, the 2003 version of Astro Boy, RaXephon, Ghost Hound, Texhnolyze and even some episodes of Princess Tutu and Eureka Seven. This man is very versatile, but his forte seems to be horror and cyberpunk. I haven't seen all of his works, but I'd be willing to check them out one of these days.

Story:

Lain's story has...a lot of...layers. In fact, each episode even starts out called "Layer...*episode number*". The series is complicated, and definitely not one you can just watch blindly. If you're wondering if this is a trippy, complex, genre-bending and thought provoking mindfuck anime like Neon Genesis Evangelion (shonen and mecha), Revolutionary Girl Utena (shoujo and fantasy) or Puella Magi Madoka Magica (magical girls)...yes it is. But in some ways, that's not intentional. Nor is it better or worse than a lot of those shows. While I personally LOVE these shows, I'll acknowledge that you're not going to get much out of it if you don't like plots which aren't in your face and hold things back from you only to allude to them subtly. This is a series where sometimes the characters actually see more than the audience. And the narrative is definitely unorthodox, not just for anime but any science fiction. You'll probably want to rewatch it once or twice in order to fully get it, like I did. But even then, it won't appeal to everyone. I even wrote an episode by episode journal summary and analysis for one of my English classes recently, and that was after my second rewatch which I found to be much more enjoyable than the first.

A young, antisocial middle school girl named Lain Iwakura becomes interested in the futuristic technology surrounding them to enter a whole new world they call “The Wired” (read: the Internet) after her classmate Chisa Yomoda commits suicide. Lain only met the girl once, but she reaches out to her from the other side telling her to come to the Wired. As Lain's interest in the medium becomes more intense, she is led down a path in which all of the truths behind reality, identity and how we communicate with one another are revealed to her. All of which causes her to question her own humanity. Ethical conflicts and metaphysical hijinks represented by loads and loads of different literary/cultural allusions, philosophical constructs, metaphysics, symbolism, the psychological makeup of the characters and much more occur and the real motives of The Wired’s creators and benefactors become apparent. The border between The Wired and the real world isn’t all that clear. The basic foundation of the storyline is ‘science-fact’ yet the dramatic presentation of the events which unfold will take you into a world of pure science fiction where the conventions of reality are defied completely and repeatedly. Yeah, it's THAT kind of show. Very love it or hate it, and also one that can appeal to casual viewers and non-anime fans as well. Also, definitely something computer and technology geeks would love.

Rating- 8/10

Animation/Art:

Lain's art style is on a whole nother level. It's insane and gorgeous to look at and you WILL get the trippiness induced from looking at a single frame of it. The animation and designs of the characters are by no other than Yoshitoshi ABe, also known most recently for his work on Texhnolyze and Ergo Proxy. Everything is really detailed. The colors are quite basic. Everyone has normal hair and bodies, in fact, there's barely any standard 'anime hair and anime face and anime eyes and boobs and other physical features' in this show at all. It's more realistic because these characters ACTUALLY look Japanese. And that's something I really find unique and FASCINATING. It makes you wonder how this series could possibly be from 1998 since it looks so ahead of its time.

It's some of the most unique artwork I've ever seen, and that's talking about both the 'real world' and 'Wired' visuals. Not to mention how the plethora of symbolism is not only appropriately used and serves a purpose but also blends in yet still pops out of the background for everyone to take note of it. Some people might have issues with the art since it does get a little wacky and I could see how people who are seizure-prone might not be able to handle it, but otherwise, I really have no complaints about it. Other than the fact that the opening sequence, which has the best animation in the show, sometimes looks off model but since its a closeup of certain character's faces while they're thinking and seeing certain things this may have been intentional. I'm not sure how else to describe it, but I personally loved all of it and you can decide for yourself if you feel the same.

Rating- 10/10

Sound:

There isn't much I can say about this. All of the voice actors sound great and in keeping with the themes of (sur)realism of the narrative and its overall appearance, also sound very 'un-anime' ish. Kaori Shimizu voices the meek yet stubborn and insightful Lain, and her voice is really nice and fitting for that character. Ayako Kawasumi also gives a very satisfying performance as her older sister Mika, who manages to stand out as well despite her only getting real focus for 5 or 6 episodes. I can't say much about the English dub because I haven't watched it, but if you like old school dubs with amateur but still effort-filled voice acting and cheesy, localized script writing...knock yourself out. Although you might want to wait on the dub until after you've finished the Japanese subtitled version for a show like this, if that's the case.

The music in this series is also really great, and there's a nice blend of jazz, techno, alternative rock, soft metal and electro type tunes and tracks in here. A lot of guitar solos too, some of which are very refreshing and fit nicely. The music definitely fits all of the scenes and events of what's happening in the series, rest assured. The opening theme "Duvet" by Boa is also really nice, it's one of the few anime themes that's in English. It's a very relaxing song to listen to and it tells Lain's story quite well with the lyrics, although when you first hear it you're probably going to think its just a wee bit emo and stereotypically teenage angst bullshit but who knows. It's not the best soundtrack for an anime I've ever listened to but its definitely a treat for the ears.

Rating- 8/10

Characters:

*sigh* This is a HUGE weak spot for this series. Now, I am someone who absolutely loves a character-focused storyline, even if that hampers some of the plot and other technical elements. Lain's not about that. This is basically one part Lain realizing her true identity and reality, the other part finding out what it does to people she cares about including her sister and best friend Alice/Arisu when they find out the truth and finally, what happens to the world when she is ultimately the cause of the 'border between the Wired and the real world not being clear'. The other characters, other than Mika Iwakura, Arisu, her Wired-obsessed friend Carl and the all-important posthumous characters Masami Eiri and Chisa Yomoda, just aren't really 'there'.

But that's forgivable for a show like this, especially since the characters who ARE the most important in the narrative DO get their justice and are very well-developed at that. Lain is perhaps one of the most complex, empowering, morally ambiguous, empathic and also, plain adorable without being moe characters in anime history. She really is quite something. Masami might remind you of Gendo Ikari/Keel Lorenz from NGE, Dios/Akio Ohtori from Utena and Kyubey from Madoka Magica just in the way that he looms over the narrative and ultimately decides what humanity and the character's fate will be. He also is VERY ambiguous in how he thinks and deals with things. A very engaging antagonist indeed. But if you don't like a show to have more characters for which you can't really feel or give a second thought about, then Lain might not be your cup of tea.

Rating- 7/10

Enjoyment:

Overall, I absolutely love Serial Experiments Lain and would definitely recommend it to someone into the types of anime and stories. If you loved shows like NGE and Madoka, you should definitely check out Lain. But keep in mind, it's definitely not for everyone. Some things about the show are definitely objectively better than others. Some might find it too confusing or too difficult to get through. A lot of things are up to interpretation and never fully explained, and the amount of symbolism in this series is comparable to Madoka's and Utena's in how dense and well-versed the narrative and its writers are. And you definitely will be caused to think and feel a number of ways about the show while watching it/analyzing it before, during and after.

Perhaps the most fascinating aspect of Lain is that it could lead the viewer to question whether the series is science fiction or a prediction of what will be ‘science-fact’ in the near future. After all, everyone is connected and we must “Close this World, Open the NeXt.”

So give it a try. Even if you don't seem to understand, it's (not) a shame you seemed an honest man...

Rating- 9/10

Present day... Present time! hahaHAHAHAha

"What isn't remembered never happened. Memory is merely a record...You just need to rewrite that record."

Preface:

The term "existentialism" gets tossed around a lot when talking about psychological narratives. Perhaps it's that existentialism is a theme common to many stories that not only makes them more interesting, but encourages the viewer to ask questions about themselves, and be more introspective. Perhaps it's that existentialism is a concept central to the being of psychological intrigue, and one that also lends itself to storytelling. However, Lain is existentialism in its most pure form.

Story: 9

Serial Experiments Lain is extraordinary, and not in the most ... ubiquitous sense of the word. It's very much outside of the ordinary, and unique in its own right. Lain deals with the connectivity of life, in terms of both our collective unconscious, our memory, and that of the physical around us.

In a time when the Internet was new (in SEL, referred to as "the Wired"), it was a nebulous, abstract concept that people had trouble initially latching onto. The concept was so radical for the time... that you could send and receive information from anywhere in the world, not just text or images, but disparate thoughts and ideas. Something that, by mail, could take days, weeks, or maybe a month to change continents suddenly took mere seconds. The idea that everything that went on the web was recorded somewhere, creating this vast store of knowledge also profoundly changed the way that we functioned as a person, group, and society. Suddenly, there was an entire library of virtual encyclopediae on practically any and every subject.

This connectivity is the underlying theme of Serial Experiments Lain. In episode 9, it changes gears, and goes into explicit detail of several of the formative forces that shaped the advent of the internet and computing- namely, Vannevar Bush's memex theory and Ted Nelson's HTML protocol. It also likens the collective human neural network to that of Schumann resonance (ultra low frequency "hum") that surrounds the world, and every small event on earth creates a tiny ripple in the network.

Lain, who at the beginning acquires a "Navi" (universe term for computer), begins to explore the universe of the net. Slowly, she descends into what's seemingly an inescapable addiction of being connected to the Wired at all times- constantly learning, constantly talking with others, constantly manipulating. Her ever-deeper descent into the net is marked visually by the vastly increasing amount of technology in her bedroom. What starts as a simple single monitor, single tower setup transforms into a grotesque dungeon of monitors, servers, chips, boards, and displays of all kinds. A veritable jungle of wires, coolant lines, and cords form a claustrophobic technological nightmare. Red, yellow, and orange display lights flicker like some carnivorous
animal in the dark, waiting to strike. Outside, dark shadows cast along the ground are covered in blood red spots, signifying the underlying presence of the wired beneath the surface of reality. The hum grows louder.

Within this lair, Lain seeks the truth about the Wired and the real world. Who are the Knights of the Eastern Calculus? Who, or what is the God of the Wired? Is the "real world" merely a construct of the Wired? Outside, we see her in the mundane trenches of life as a student; school, hanging out with friends, surfing the web. We also witness her more introspective ventures: who is Lain, truly?

The idea that everyone is connected without the use of a proxy device is central to the plot, and creates an unforgettable narrative that's at once eye opening and horrifying. What do we become when the lines between the virtual and the real blur to the point of being unable to extricate one from the other?


Characters: 9

"People exist in the substance of others' minds. That's why there were all kinds of me's."

Lain Iwakura is a strange middle school-aged girl. Distant, absentminded, and borderline catatonic, Lain is a very difficult character to get a feel for, even though one can read her traits off like a laundry list.

"Is Lain on drugs?" "Does Lain have some form of Schizophrenia?" "Is she affected by some kind of intense dissociative identity disorder?" Lain acts and reacts in many ways like she 'is' on drugs, or she 'does' have a medical condition, though it's none of the above. Lain starts out as a meek, repressed girl who's just along for the ride with her friends, and pushed around by her family. She seemingly transitions from a timid, shy person into an aggressive, self assured, and a touch petulant in an instant, lending credit to the multiple personalities theory. However, her life is more and more regularly interrupted with these changes, until it comes to a point where there seem to be two Lains, one assertive and manipulative, one shy and meek. Is one an imposter? Is Lain truly herself? Who or what is the real Lain?


Artwork and Animation: 8

This show will have aired 17 years ago this summer, and it looks it. While the animation is overall not the best, it also has a distinct charm about the minimalist style it's rendered in. The overall design is a little rough around the edges, and has a slightly 'unfinished' feel to it, like that of a hazy memory. Lain also makes excellent use of psychadelic colors and has an extremely surreal, tripping feel to it. Other times, it uses blacks, grays, blues and purples to create a dark and foreboding atmosphere. Much of the computer technology looks extremely dated at this point, but for the time, and looking back, the artwork and subject thereof is very indicative of that specific point in time; the mid-late 90s when the internet became universal and computing was something everyone was beginning to get into. Looking at it from when it was a present day representation, it fits in well with how it was then.


Sound and Voice Acting: 8

I watched this in both sub and dub (because, idiotically, the dub didn't have the Japanese text that shows up frequently subtitled). I have to say that, annoyances in the on-screen text aside, Bridget Hoffman (Irisviel in Fate/Zero, Nia in Gurren Lagann) did better job portraying the listless, empty character of Lain than her Japanese counterpart. The other voices are rather generic, but they're of little importance in this series.

Of equal or more importance than the speaking here is the background. The hum of electricity... the quiet tap of footsteps, faint car horns, barely audible traffic noises. The feeling of eyes is nearly audible in this. I've never seen such effective use of oppressive silence in a show. It sets the tone greatly, and gives it a very surreal feel of being locked inside someone's quiet, distant head.


Enjoyment: 9

Serial Experiments Lain is a show that can lead one to different conclusions with every successive viewing. I don't like to throw out nebulous terms like "deep", but SEL fits the definition to the utmost. Layers upon layers, intricately woven, heavy, intense. It's excellently thought provoking, and though it's confusing at times and not every question has an answer, that's part of the allure; that it's up to the viewer to decide what happens.


Overall: 9

SEL could be construed as a warning to society of the dangers of our increasing connectivity and detachment from reality. With how immersive online games, social media, and networking have become, it's easy to construct a persona that may differ strongly from the person away from the net, and in that, create a dissociative, escapist phenomenon that allow us to live multiple, separate, yet very real lives (in the sense that it's present day, present time). At what point do we become the thing that we've created, and cease being what we were before?


tl;dr

+ Excellent unreliable narrator + dissociative identity nonlinear storytelling
+ Unexpected, original story
+ Increasingly claustrophobic, nightmarish tense feel

+\- Dated art (part of the camp, honestly)
+\- Difficult to follow

- One early subplot not addressed later
- Annoying supporting characters


Recommend?

Definitely. Serial Experiments Lain is a well deserved classic. A unique tale of raisons d'être and how one girl's discovery of self leads to some extraordinary results.

Serial Experiments Lain. Such an eerie piece of astonishment. And such a psychological thriller that is so full of philosophical ideas integrated in technology around us. This anime is one of those I have watched that required more time thinking or researching than watching (and making it hard to write this as my first review) - but it was definitely worth it. Apparently the 1998 cyberpunk anime was not made for the majority market, thus if you would prefer more actions than philosophy and thinking all over the series, there is a chance you will find this anime dull and boring.

Story - This is an ... utterly difficult part to comprehend. The storyline is not even linear. Instead, there are seemingly ambiguous clues and fragments all over the episodes. If you have not paid enough attention, or if you have not prepared yourself well for a thinky show like this, you will be lost quickly and get extremely confused first time watching it, because yes, it is hard to follow. Once you have good understanding of the plot and solve the puzzle, you will wonder how possible was the story be even written back in time. Not just with intensive philosophical and psychological elements that audience needs to deal with, but everything the story itself is beyond time as a 90s series.

Art - Despite it is a 90s experimental show, I still liked the art. The art is quite different from the "mainstream" productions, even compared to most popular anime shows back 15 or 20 years ago. We all know though, Lain is pretty hard to be put alongside with mainstream for benchmark. At times, high-contrast colours of different saturation grades were used for emphasizing certain circumstances and moods. Weird-looking reflection-like intricate shadows were used to express the Wired world concept . All these brilliantly worked for creating amazing atmospheres and is a plus for me.

Sound - I cannot say this is a bad part, because, as to fit the atmosphere, not much OSTs were used. There are not many conversations between characters as well. If I am to say, I would say silence was more used than anything in this aspect. A lot of words were substituted by facial expressions, reactions and certain forms of symbolism. The opening theme (Duvet by Bôa) was awesome on the other hand.

Character - Story centered around our protagonist Lain - and Lain had huge character development and psychological impact along the storyline. Also you may pay attention to the relationship between Lain and her best, if not the only friend, Alice. As you keep watching, you will wonder who, or what, some characters actually are, like the "Wired Lain", "Wired God", Lain's parents, or you would even wonder if Lain is God, or if Lain and "Wired Lain" are the same person. All these confusions within the understanding of the characters are so mind-blowing and would take a while until you figure it out all.

Enjoyment - I like philosophy. I like science fictions - even if the story is pseudo-science only. And of course I like cyberpunk and its story backgrounds. (Did not pay much attention to genres though, just realized lately this is called "cyberpunk") What is not to like? Bravo I say.

Summary - This is such a beyond-time anime in so many ways. The way the technology gets integrated in our daily life is shown in the elements like the Siri-like desktop computer system, texting friends in class, holographic display in Lain's room etc, coming from a 1998 anime (where mobile web service was not even popularized until later in 2000s), is way beyond time for me. Also philosophical integration with technological devices is very idea-provoking. The philosophical definition of existence and a shared/collective unconsciousness are also giving blue screen of deaths in our brains.

Bad thing about this anime? Maybe the theories in this anime are too advanced for some people and such made their heads exploded before anything significant can be processed in their brains, making its market small. It is also a matter of taste indeed - I personally loved it and I give my full recommendations to anyone who likes thinking. Definitely worth watching, and perhaps rewatching.

So, Serial Experiments Lain or like I like to call it; Serious Experiences of Mindfucking.

It's an anime you get when you put 2001: A Space Odyssey, Inception, The Sixth Sense, Threads of Time, Air, TRC, Nisio Isin, Guy Richie and couple hundred other things in a big bucket. The you give that bucket to Chuck Norris who shakes the ingredients and squeezes the bucket to smaller size. But it's not over yet. Chuck gives the bucket-like thing to Andy Dick. Andy comes near your head and starts to push the bucket inside your head through your ear. He isn't doing it in gentle way. Your ... ear whole is tight and it hurts like hell. After a while you can't handle with the pain and you lose consciousness. You gain it back about 13 episodes later, you don't know where you are but your brains feel silly. That's pretty much what I felt like when watching Serious Experiences of Mindfucking.

Story;

Everything is connected, there is life and eternity, some teddy bears, few crows and word God mentioned several times. Lain is psychological mystery with bit of dementia side on it so it really doens't need anything else to make it work. Whole story is pretty much just about the plot and there really is lot about that side. There ain't any useless seconds of screen time in Lain. Story is so wide that even if there is plot holes no-one is gonna notice those since the quantity of information which cames to your head while watching Lain is pretty much limitless.

Art & Sound;

Well, year 1998. Very unique art style and brilliant ideas made to success. Fits with the genres and makes it even more mysterious. Nothing to complain about. Pretty much the same thing with sounds. They are a hit with Lain but wouldn't work so good in any other anime. Story, art and sounds are working so good that I had chills more often than I blinked my eyes. And it's not bad thing at all.

Characters;

Another full hit for Lain. Saying them as a character is just downplay. Deep and real, that's how they are. Protagonist is pretty much the deepest character I have seen in any anime. I think she is pretty much like compination of Misaki from Welcome to the NHK and Nausicaä from Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind.

Enjoyment;

It's quite impossible for not to enjoy anime where everything on it equals with the word perfect. Many animes are ruined cause of crappy pacing, there that problem on Lain. It's quite rare for me to find anime which I can't stop watching, Lain is one of those fews. I love unique ideas and when they are as much success as they are in Lain, then enjoyment is on the top.

Other;

Lain is series which you shouldn't watch when you aren't on your best condition. If you are tired you ain't gonna get shit. I don't have any tens on my list but I seriously considered giving it to Lain.

This is my first anime review, I made this like in 20 minutes and I don't speak english to good so me is apologising crappy grammar and misspelled woords.

Note: I ain't no english speaker

Everyone is connected

I recently finished one of the most iconic and groundbreaking anime in history. Honestly is very difficult to write a review as my brain is trying to recover from the mind-melting experience of watching Serial Experiments Lain, but I am going to do my best.

SEL is all about making you think. While other anime want to simply amuse you, SEL tries to connect with you and tries to create some kind of "bond" between you and your conscious, pretty much what NGE and GhitS do (or try to). SEL uses (and abuses) your intelligence and your darkest feelings ... in order to get you into the plot. I'll simply put it this way: you can't watch SEL "just for fun", it requires your full atention and sometimes you will have to stop and re-think what you just watched.

I am not going to breakdown the story for you. All I am going to say is that is amazing. The story presents some of the major teenage issues of modern Japan (suicide, technology addiction, careless parenting) and connects them with a sci-fi plot. In this context SEL's plot is essentialy a psychological thriller driven by different situations that at first seem like random events with philosophical deepness but that in the end are connected with Lain's nature and her interpretation of the world. There is an interesting theory that Lain is a personification of Jesus and that the whole serie is an interpretation of Christ's life. That's probably the most beautiful thing about SEL: everyone perceives it different and has an unique interpretation of it, and there are not rights or wrongs.

SEL's art and animation are fine. It seems like a low budget production that some genius turned into a masterpiece (like Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs), but it is not really an issue and the characters expressions are really good. The soundtrack is great and the intro song is one of my favourites.

SEL is not "worth a shot", it is much better and much more reccomendable than most anime out there. Then again remember that it is not an action-packed shonen that you can marathon. You must take a time after each episode to interpretate what you just watched. In the end though it will be worth your time and you will feel the satisfaction of have watched an anime classic that helped you to open your mind.

I don’t get it. Maybe this is just a relic from a time before we talked about the Singularity and before the internet.

The anime clearly strives for something. It has a lot of philosophical quotes. Characters say things like “what isn’t remembered never happened”. There is typography on the screen, references to Roswell and Jung and the theme of ‘identity’ (Why do I always roll eyes when I see this?).

Now, it’s not just a collection of anime-style drawings stuck together in a pretentious and unbearable form. Lain doesn’t just copy the form of ‘intelligent’ storytelling. There is always a drive behind it. It feels more ... like the writers have a lot to ask and to say. They’re so excited by it that they will use all these techniques with hope of transmitting it to the viewer.

Too bad it never really gels. It asks questions about identity, but how? How is having different versions of Lain automatically question the theme of ‘identity’? Couldn’t they think of a less predictable and perhaps more meaningful way to do it?

It’s almost as if the themes are expressed and name-dropped, but not actually demonstrated. Having people mention God and omniscience doesn’t mean you explore the theme of theology. You need to show how it affects characters’ lives and perception of reality. You need to show what effects such a God would have if it existed.

It’s not enough to just have characters with multiple identities. You need this to blend into the story. You need this to be a meaningful story element first of all. Themes shouldn’t just be talked about. You need moments that demonstrate the effect of these ideas. Only complete morons think philosophy is solely for discussions. We constantly act on our philosophies.

This attitude towards philosophy is perhaps what fuels the anime, and what ruins it. It’s a shame because there’s more drive than pretense, more desire to explore than to look smart. Lain never feels like more than an armchair exercise, a ‘what if?’ thought experiment that has profound words but lacking conclusions.

Often, there are moments that point to a brilliant anime. The anime isn’t a monochrome grimdark piece of crap. Even if the mood is generally gloomy, it’s not afraid of showing the sun or the occasional smile. Its setting is believable enough psychologically. It also has a clear aesthetics and knows how to express it. Still shots of wires appear often, but ever enough to become distracting. They add some atmosphere and go away. Artificial light also gets a lot of focus, but never too much. Plenty of times, it’s just another element in the show. Unlike its little brother Texhnolyze, the anime’s scenes always have more than one purpose.

Its sense of style saves what could’ve been hilariously bad scenes. There are almost whole episodes dedicated to info dumps about certain topics. They’re entertaining though. The combination of imagery with the electronic soundtrack fits the mood. Since exchanging information is a big theme, this technique of info dumps actually fits themetically too.

This sort of ‘experimental narrative’ isn’t too original if you watched a film like Pi or Eraserhead, but the creators know it’s not enough. You need to do more than just rip off the conventional story structure. So by replacing it with odd imagery that’s always loaded, the anime is amusing enough. It never just tells you how it intelligent it is. It tries to make you involved in the imagery, in its meaning and emotional implication.

All this effort is wasted, though. In the end, the story is too divorced from reality. It gets lost in its experimental narrative and weird imagery. It’s as if I was too busy figuring out what’s going on, what it expresses. It was too distant. It was too experimental, as if I’m busy figuring out the anime rather than thinking about the themes. I’m not interested in pounding my head to understand a cryptic philosophical quote. I want a statement so profound I could connect it logically to a hundred subjects. Crypticness isn’t profound. A wide-eyed approach is.

I can imagine this story working if only the creators scaled back a bit. Have a little more dialogue. Have a little more exposition. Tone down the weird imagery a little. Focus on asking whether the ideas are clear, and less on weirding the audience out. Think, first of all, why theology and identity and communication matters. Only then set out to explore them. If you can’t convince me the theme is important in the first place, I’m not interested in thinking about it.

Of course, I’m not writing it off as just a bunch of pretentious dudes patting themselves on the back. It’s a, well, failed experiment. It kept me curious enough that I enjoyed it even while being utterly confused. It does have a conclusion that ties it together. It has a purpose, but I wasn’t sure what it is. Hopefully someday I’ll know.

It’s better than Texhnolyze, at least.

Post-Script: This review has been written a long time ago and I’ve been wary of publishing it. The anime isn’t confusing in the traditional, ‘I don’t know what’s happening so it’s good!’ way. It’s too stylish for me to write it off as pretentious doodle, but it’s too abstract to explore its themes in a satisfying manner.

I’m reminded of abstract stories like Paranoia Agent and Pi. These stories relied more on meaningful scenes than coherent storytelling, but exploring their ideas was their primary focus. They never get unnecessarily weird. It’s easy to follow the abstract parts because the themes are established and followed. Lain dives headfirst into the surrealism with so much conviction, it’s as if the excitement over being experimental overtakes the desire to explore ideas.

I consider this my most inconclusive review so far. I’ll need to watch this again soon to determine whether it’s just pretentious doohicky or if it really went over my head.

3 boxes of cereal out of 5

Lain is a prime example of a show that tries too hard to be avant-garde and artistically profound, but ends up feeling nonsensical, emotionally manipulative and disturbing to watch with its use of vivid imagery and weird sounds. It strives to be "le different" from mainstream anime, but in doing so, it becomes a frustratingly disjointed and nonsensical mess that's incoherent at times and not enjoyable to watch.

The plot is told in a confusing manner, lacking sufficient explanation. Instead of offering clear storytelling, the anime tries to tell a story by relying on intense, dramatic or artistic scenes that are deliberately vague and open to ... interpretation, with eerie music playing in the background to create a pretense of importance and significance, and to manipulate the viewer's emotions.

This type of storytelling is typical for pretentious writers who try to create "deep" stories by focusing on artistic flair and ambiguity over substance. Furthermore, the characters' pasts, motives and actions are left intentionally ambiguous or unexplained in order to appeal to watchers who love to inject their own delusions and headcanon into the story. This anime is a pointless drivel. In its pursuit of avant-garde status, it sacrifices coherence and entertainment value, and may leave the viewers frustrated and detached from its convoluted narrative.

Lain is the perfect example of how prioritizing style over substance leads to a disappointing viewing experience.