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, Original Creator, Planning

Maseba, Yutaka Producer

Abe, Shoujirou Producer

Reviews

Nov 27, 2024

JK234

Recommended

English

Serial experiment Lain is a brilliant and timeless anime. Being an anime that tells us so much about our current society even though it was released in 1998, this work is almost prophetic, it manages to bring to light part of the impacts that the internet has on our current society.

Lain is an anime with a slow pace (which may make you sleepy at times) and which some people may find tedious, but I would say that even in this the anime says something. We are currently so used to consuming hyper-stimulating works that keep us hooked, that we stop seeing other more ... significant works because we find them boring.

The internet, being a field that encompasses so many people and information, becomes almost an "other world", a world full of frustrated, anxious and isolated people. We are so used to always being on social media that sometimes we question whether that "me" on social media is our true "self". And Lain brings this, and more, shows us how, because we feel frustrated and dissatisfied with our reality, we use the internet as an escapism, an escape so as not to feel useless. People even leave their own bodies aside, because they feel that this life is no longer something that is so meaningful, because the internet makes them feel more important and relevant. We end up leaving aside what matters most, our real life.

Português

Serial experiment Lain é um anime genial e atemporal. Sendo um anime que nos fala tanto sobre nossa sociedade atual mesmo tendo sido lançada em 1998, essa obra é quase que profética, ela consegue nos trazer a tona parte dos impactos que a internet faz na nossa sociedade atual.

Lain é um anime com um ritmo lento, (que talvez te dê sono em alguns momentos) e que algumas pessoas podem achar tedioso, mas diria que até nisso o anime fala algo. Nós atualmente estamos tão acostumados a consumir obras hiper estimulantes que nos mantém vidrados, que deixamos de ver outras obras mais significativas por acharmos tediosas.

A internet, sendo ela um campo que abrange tantas pessoas e informações se torna quase que um "outro mundo", um mundo cheio de pessoas frustradas, ansiosas e isoladas. Estamos tão habituados a sempre estarmos nas redes sociais que as vezes nos questionamos se aquele "eu" das redes sociais é o nosso verdadeiro "eu". E Lain traz isso, e mais, nos mostra como nós por nos sentirmos frustrados e insatisfeitos com a nossa realidade, usamos a internet como um escapismo uma fuga para não nos sentirmos inúteis. Pessoas chegam a deixar de lado seus próprios corpos, por sentirem que essa vida não é mais algo tão significativo, porque a internet os faz se sentirem mais importantes e relevantes. Acaba que nós deixamos de lado oque mais importa, a nossa vida real.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by JK234 (1)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Nov 20, 2024

AmineBee

Mixed Feelings

This show is really weird and kind of difficult to watch because it's so abstract to a point where it feels like a nonsensical mess sometimes. That being said it's the kind of media that sticks with you long after you finish watching it, and it'll make you remember it, leaving a surprising impact as you take a moment to step back and look at the internet from the outside.

Most shows are designed to be entertaining but this is more focused on it's message. I could go on about it all but a lot of it has already been said by countless reviews and ... video essays.

My main take away is the importance of the human body. It is part of who we are and protects us against evil. We must not confuse the digital with that of the real world as making that separation puts us in danger of losing ourselves.

It's kind of all over the place sometimes but I'll give credit where it's due. It sure is interesting. If you're looking for an anime unlike anything else, this is definitely that.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by AmineBee (7)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Mar 29, 2024

BlueKojiro

Not Recommended

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

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by BlueKojiro (6)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Enneagram 5 Characters

by porcelain_wings

24 Entries · 6 Restacks

Animes for INTP

by Ruhan

45 Entries · 253 Restacks

Essential & Elite Anime

by ManicPixieTerror

50 Entries · 832 Restacks

North American Anime & Manga Releases for May

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

Apr 29, 2014 1:00 PM by Snow | Discuss (24 comments)

	Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) aero - Mar 16, 2009	147 replies	by Tacitus_1 »» Yesterday, 3:30 AM
	Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) MasterJ633 - Oct 28, 2008	187 replies	by pegasystem »» Dec 2, 1:57 PM
	Present day, Present time The_Bad_Shah - Nov 10, 2022	27 replies	by StyxParadise »» Nov 30, 5:35 AM
	I saw a YouTube that explained lain mydaddy - Nov 15	19 replies	by tsukor »» Nov 29, 11:05 PM
	Poll: Serial Experiments Lain Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) nini - Dec 30, 2008	396 replies	by altdelkk »» Nov 25, 3:51 PM

12 Complex Psychological Anime to Wrap Your Head Around

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

by MAL_Articles

265,416 views

Top 25 Best Anime Opening Songs of All Time

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

by FreeNightFalls

1,238,390 views

RecommendationCollectionMusicVideo