Serial Experiments Lain is probably one of the most confusing and strange things I have ever had the pleasure of watching. I've noticed it seems as though many people believe it is the greatest show ever created, and others hate it. I sit kind of in the middle with this one, seeing both sides, though still thoroughly enjoying my time with it.
Story(8/10)
Certainly the strongest point of the anime, the story is really strange and pretty hard to understand. I ended up sleeping on it before writing this review, trying to figure out exactly what had happened. Basically, the concept was really profound and the story was very interesting with lots of mystery and horror elements mixed into the drama setting. Th main complaint I ave for this is that it is really really slow. I think if the anime was 3/4 the length, like 4 45 minute episodes, the show would have been a lot smoother and easier to watch. On top of that, the story can easily make no sense if you don't give it some though.
Art(5/10)
I know, I know, this show is old. or the time I can tell that this had the most breath taking animation to date, but it's aged. The style itself is quite good, but it could go for a nice remaster. There isn't too much to say about it.
Sound(8/10)
The sound design is better than average, for sure. The voice acting is really solid and the sound effects are decent. What is really fantastic here is the atmosphere. All the ambient sounds really create environments that live, breath, and hum.
Character(7/10)
I liked the characters for the most part. There were no characters that got on my nerves, and there was some good development...in one of them. The characters would have been a lot stronger if side characters also developed. The biggest issue is that besides three characters, they are all flat as a board. Even the other two are pretty flat, but more tolerably so.
Enjoyment(7/10)
I always enjoy something a little peculiar. I liked he philosophy and the story. Th issue here, as mentioned before, is that the anime is really really slow. I would have enjoyed it a little more if there weren't moments I considered quitting the anime because it was getting boring.
Overall(7/10)
Though it was a little hard to watch, and the story was told with somewhat poor fashion, Serial Experiments Lain was a good anime. It had a good theme, nice design, and was more or less enjoyable. I recommend this to anyone who likes philosophy or dialogue driven anime. If you are looking for something really entertaining, or action packed, avoid this anime like the plague. I don't think this anime is for everyone. With that, I on't recommend this to people who watch anime because it is fun, because this is not a fun show.
