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Serial Experiments Lain in many ways is weird. It’s the type of anime where even if you watched a few seconds of it, the show would immediately question the sanity of both yours and itself. As someone who watched this around the years when I was in middle school, even a couple of years later as well as giving it a re-watch, I clearly have no idea what this was supposed to be. But in Lain’s case, that’s okay. You don’t even need to know what it is. Serial Experiments Lain is an anime that, yes, is borderline questionable when it comes to how it ... was constructed, but at the same time, it has a profound message that isn’t even directly shown or told, instead, you can follow the protagonist through her narrative role and listen to her philosophical monologues.

The story of SEL is about an introverted girl named Lain who explores the dark magic of technology around after receiving an email from a dead girl named Chisa, who recently committed suicide. At the start of Lain’s complicated, egregious journey, she has no idea how basic technology works; yet, when the hatred of technology opens the email, things start to lead her into the depths of absurd information and such. With this, Lain plans to show and tell everyone the connection between reality and symbolism by messing with everyone’s technical properties and their minds. So right off the bat, this is very confusing, even to those who have very high knowledge of understanding. There are so many things going on and I can’t even lay my finger on how it’s supposed to work. Trying to understand Lain is like trying to chew a chicken bone until you get to gulp it.

But again, that’s always fine. Lain doesn’t really need to be understood literally. Granted, I’m not saying that stories that are confusing so they could be confusing would be confusing. They undeniably don’t. However, SEL has this presentation that is shown and told indirectly. And when I say “indirectly”, what I’m saying is that it creates a symbolic perspective where we can see the connection between real-life scenarios and the unfathomable curse behind technology and how they interact with each other. To resonate with this, we follow Lain traveling around her hometown and listen to her monologues. When listened to properly, we, the viewers following Lain’s path, can feel that in a way, the world is corrupted and is used as a tool to tell people that their very own realities are barely a possibility and would live with what is actually true, whether they like it or not.

Looking back at the series, I think I’m seeing the pattern in this show. While I don’t understand the concept behind it, I’m actually able to understand what it has to offer. SEL is about questioning everything regarding human existence and our influence on social media. It tells us that not every human being isn’t really created even remotely equal but how some can act very sad, others can act very cruel, and so on. SEL does a fantastic job presenting that. We get to see Lain interact and/or encounter normal people and mindless goons alike and how she attempts to trap them into her special hell and show them the unfortunate reality of both how humans act (even as of now) and how the internet is used. This is a lot deeper and meaningful than one would like to say otherwise. Human beings aren’t really the brightest group of organisms to talk to or think about. Like I said, some act sad, some act very neutral, and some would act like douchebags.

Lain is an excellent protagonist. She’s the key heroine who is first portrayed as a shy junior high school student with few friends or interests but then unfolds the true colors of her very own appearance. While she has little knowledge of the basics of technology, she immediately explores more of what witchcraft would be on the internet. And as time goes on, she starts to develop more, bolder personalities, both with her own existence and every setting she would possess. With this, she becomes a goddess who would show and tell everyone what is happening to themselves and how they are living with what they own. The reason why she really stands out as both an MC and a character, in general, is how she manipulates the story structures involved. You see, she spends most of her time studying and understanding the twisted nature of verbal and IRL communication, and she does this because she realizes that every piece of cruel action and disgusting truth would be everywhere. She tells her very own monologues and claims to not only every character in the show but the viewers watching the show as well, even if it’s not direct. It’s complicated, I know, but think about it, Lain is a symbol that represents the reality of how you talk to people and how you browse through the internet.

Some of my favorite lines from her are:

- “No matter where you go, everyone’s connected.”

- “If you’re not remembered, then you never existed.”

- “People only have substance within the memories of other people. And that's why there were all kinds of mess. There weren't a lot of times per se, I was just inside all sorts of people, that's all.”

Such words are so complicated and untouching yet really represent how things aren’t what you would dream of and how you actually live with what’s surrounding you as well as how she would respond to those things. Lain really delivers those. For the record, I am not a social media expert by any means but she might be the scariest character in any industry and I mean that in ways of how she would approach her overall objective.

Alright, I don’t want to talk about the writing any further. It’s messing with my brain. But what I want to talk about next is both the art and the sound. The art style is very good. Not my utmost favorite per se but it’s well-colored, well-shaded, and looks realistic. The atmosphere in this show is incredibly detailed and dynamic. The computers in any room Lain would be in look amazing and also scary when you know what Lain’s special hell looks like. The OST is haunting and beautiful. The songs would give you a warning of how the show presents by not only sounding horrifying but also virtually crawling through your spines. The Japanese voice acting is great. I don’t have much experience with English voice acting but I’ve seen some clips with it and while it isn’t a lot, I might say that the English does as great, if not, a little better than the original.

‘phew’ What a damn ride. Serial Experiments Lain is perplexing and visceral in a lot of segments. It’s very well-written but I was frustrated just by watching every second of it. I can’t really understand the premise behind it and I felt like I’m watching something in the shadows of a basement. But funnily enough, my personal frustration is also my personal enjoyment. SEL takes away your sanity by showing what would be one of the most creative storytelling in any industry. It’s very interesting and engaging in so many ways. It doesn’t need a literal plot to present to you what it has to offer but by doing so, it creates a figurative perspective. Sure, I would not recommend this to especially casuals but all in all, it’s a series that has held my attention for a long and had me learning about the overall life without being serious. Without question a show that is truly ahead of its time.

[THIS REVIEW CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS AND DRAWS SOME COMPARISONS WITH GURREN LAGANN AND KILL LA KILL]

Gurren Lagann and Kill la Kill are some of Gainax’s and TRIGGER’s finest anime respectively. They have a beginning that feels endearing; as time goes on, they just get better. Each of them may have a goofy and wild cast, but their narrative hearts are placed on them alongside their respectable directions. They have charms that make them more than just dumb fun and if you trade most of that away, you get Promare, one of TRIGGER’s strongest works in terms of art and sound but also one of the ... weakest when we take story and characters into account. This was one of my most anticipated movies when it got announced and as excited as I was, especially since I liked TTGL and KlK, with the whole movie released, I was both shocked by the production but also disappointed by how it’s constructed.

STORY: 5/10

Promare is about an alien race named Burnish that suddenly appears and wreaks havoc ever since they invaded Earth. 30 years later, a group of firefighters, named Burning Rescue, would fight against a new group of aggressive pyromancers, the Mad Burnish. While fighting, the Mad Burnish appear to have a motive as to why they cause chaos. With this happening, who will take the gauntlet, and who will be proven right? Promare’s story is actually interesting, to say the least. A group of firefighters battling against alienesque pyromancers and questioning their goals behind them. This would feel like a refined plot because we get to see two groups battling each other in a court and let the judge decide who will be on the green and who will be on the red, especially when we get to know their motives.

That would be a shockingly good deal until the movie doesn’t bother adding nuance to its otherwise interesting plot at all. Promare’s storytelling in practice is embarrassingly lacking. Now don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great elements put on the table but as the movie goes on, they are almost left in the basement. From here, all we get is a bunch of mindless fun action alongside some boring interactions. I’m not saying that having a lot of action would negatively affect a story at all. My biggest gripe with the movie, however, is that it’s given little time to explore the main objective and the ideals involved whatsoever. Sure, some interesting things are admittedly present but they aren’t developed properly.

The big reveal isn’t great either. The one thing both TTGL and KlK excel at is a big plot twist. They aren’t groundbreaking with it but they do play with it well. By comparison, Promare’s twist is either cheap or handled poorly. The good society being evil the entire time is really good in theory but how it’s interpreted is lacking and thus, didn’t make any sense at all. The cherry on the top is how the surprise villain is written or developed. It seems to be that the villain felt like he was built as a doomsday device and nothing else. The tragic villains aren’t handled properly too. Yes, your motivations are interesting, but kindly explain more of those. Overall, Promare’s story isn’t bad but it’s mediocre nonetheless.

CHARACTERS: 5/10

And now, we move on to the characters. Starting with Galo, the recent member of Burning Rescue, and Lio, the leader of Mad Burnish.

Galo isn’t that endearing of a protagonist, let’s get that straight. He’s pretty much 75% Kamina and 25% Simon but with none of what makes those two good characters in the first place. Both Kamina and Simon not only have complete arcs (even though the former died early in their respective series) but they also have great and distinct dynamics with both each other and the rest of their friends. To compare this, Galo feels like a generic hero and barely has any chemistry outside of his relationship with Lio. And speaking of which, Lio is undeniably the best of the two by default. He has a solid arc, he contributes to the story nicely, and of course, he has an endearing chemistry with Galo. The problem with him though is he could explain his motives further. KlK’s Satsuki does that better since she explains more of her goals and adds nuance to her interactions with any of her series’ cast but regardless, Lio is still good and is the reason why this movie is even remotely engaging.

The side cast isn’t anything to talk about. They have their bit of moments but they just felt like fodders to motivate the 2 main leads. As for the hero turned villain, Kray, he’s probably the worst character in the movie. On paper, he’s a great antagonist considering his desire to erase all of Burnish from existence as well as helping his people. But unfortunately, that concept is thrown into the trash can. As I said earlier, the movie turned him into a morning Saturday maniac with barely any impression (outside of his scary face, of course). All that buildup just to make him a bland villain… I mean… Come on. Anti-Spiral and Ragyo actually get to shine nicely as surprise villains, how come Kray is portrayed as the lonely child in a playground in comparison? The cast has a lot of great things they COULD show but are left in the dust which is sad to think about, especially now that they don’t have much depth.

ART: 10/10

Promare arguably has the best art of any TRIGGER anime. The shading is very smooth and colorful, the anime is filled with a very nice flow, and the character designs are over-the-top yet refined at the same time. The fights are great, even though they wouldn’t add anything to the story at all, a logic that can also be said with any other series.

SOUND: 9/10

Galo’s theme may be intense but Lio’s is off the charts. Not only is it very dynamic but it truly matches the adrenaline of Lio himself. The voice acting is also really good, though, I’m personally not in the mood to explain further on it.

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 8/10

In my opinion, if Promare wants to make a good and complete story, it would have to either extend its length just a bit further or try to make a movie series out of itself. As of now, it ends up being yet another popcorn entertainment. But as mediocre as it is, I actually enjoyed the movie for how it played out despite the writing. The choreography is very satisfying to watch and seeing Kray’s downfall feels really good. Overall, Promare is an okay movie with a lot of surface-level fun, but once it’s finished, it’s depressingly nothing to write home about.

OVERALL: 5/10

Kara no Kyoukai is perhaps one of the most acquired tastes in anime, whether you're a TYPE-MOON fan or not. It has gotten a reputation for being a complicated mix bag, whether it's boring and/or pretentious, too hard to understand, or possibly a masterpiece. I've watched the entire movie series and while I barely understood what any of that means, at the same time, I've been amazed at how masterful its craft truly is. A series that yes, it's super complex, but doesn't take itself seriously while still being a serious work of art. All of this is thanks to the golden tickets that are ... Paradox Paradigm and Murder Speculation Part B. But... Those aren't what I'm talking about. What I want to talk about is Murder Speculation Part A, in my opinion, the most underrated installment of Kara no Kyoukai. My goal here isn't to talk about how the series works, it's more of me expressing my feelings with it and it resonates with me. With that being said, let's get started!

STORY: 9/10

Even though this is the second installation of the series, funnily enough, this is actually the beginning, especially if you watch the series in chronological order. It starts off with a boy named Mikiya walking through the snow and suddenly sees a mysterious girl named Shiki. Even since they briefly met, Mikiya begins to fall in love with her. That April, she started to attend the same school as he does. The Mifune City, on the other hand, is filled with unclear victims and the investigators have yet to find out who the culprit is. If I'm being honest, it's quite hard to understand. It has a lot of interesting ideas on the table but the story is heavily full of puzzles. I barely understood what it literally was supposed to be and at that point, I don't think I will.

That is... When it shouldn't be understood. Kara no Kyoukai doesn't have any literal meaning but is arguably more of emotional surrealism. This installation did a fantastic job of how Shiki is trapped in a virtual, non-linear prison. Shiki has a male personality gained from her family that is meant to show certain differences between her female one but is suddenly cursed to the extent that she's forced to commit a silent massacre. It's honestly scary personally. I still don't understand the whole situation but what I understand is that some of your human emotions may turn into a living nightmare. This series did an excellent job of how Mikiya encounters the complicated scenario. It gives more time for him to find hints on what went wrong with Shiki. Knowing TYPE-MOON, I would gladly watch the whole thing even if it means not knowing much.

CHARACTERS: 9/10

We have two main leads, one being Shiki, the maiden who has been invaded by her corrupted human emotions, and Mikiya, the clueless inspector. I really adore these 2 characters because of how much impact they brought to both their characterizations and the story. Shiki may be a mysterious figure herself but she really helped me explore the mystery surrounding the series. She may be quiet but she really shows a lot of expression in her writing. I find it very tragic how she's both the culprit and victim in one setting. Not to mention how she's nominated to gain her male personality in the first place.

As for Mikiya, yes, he may not fight back but what definitely makes up for that is how, again, explores certain hints regarding Shiki's murders. I really find it compelling how he investigates stuff on his own and encounters great danger, be it a mistake or on purpose. Even though he's inhuman for how he encounters said danger, at the same time, he's human for how he tries to act. Admittedly, I find it weird how even though he counters something threatening, he still forgives the culprit, even if they would be killed later on. But I really understand that. After all, he plays a major role in contrasting Shiki's grimdark emotions.

Both Shiki and Mikiya have amazing chemistry with one another. Even though Shiki has her own yin and yang, both portray separate elements incredibly well. Sure, it can be toxic at points but at the same time, they play well with each of their elements. The side characters are quite nothing to talk about but this is heavily protagonist-focused so it doesn't matter much.

ART: 9/10

Even though there isn't much action, the production is very fluid and doesn't have any of the slideshow nonsense. Shiki's fashion is very adequate. Cool jacket or not, her Kimonos are downright stylish and beautiful.

SOUND: 10/10

The music is haunting yet beautiful at the same time. The OST truly reflects both the atmosphere and the events very well. The voice acting is also superb, with my personal favorite being Maaya Sakamoto as Shiki for how portrays her stoic behavior very nicely.

PERSONAL ENJOYMENT: 9/10

Even though it's complicated when it comes to understanding what it literally is, I believe it to be one of the series' best chapters. It figuratively shows how corrupt your life can be and why you need to be aware of what's causing the world. I truly resonate with each of the 2 main leads for how they are constructed. Of course, not everyone is into complicated storytelling like Kara no Kyoukai and you know what? That's extremely fair. But if you're looking for a psychological series packed with beautiful action, this is the way to go. If you're watching the series in broadcast order, treat this as the second order. If you're watching (or preferably re-watching) chronologically, treat this as the first.

OVERALL: 9/10