Reviews

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.

At the end of the day, Lain is a cautionary example of how prioritizing style over substance leads to a disappointing viewing experience.