Serial Experiments Lain Online

I feel like I have to say a few things about zetes's rant. For one, it's kind of depressing when people watch 4 episodes of a show and feel like they know everything about it. To put things in perspective, this is like watching the first 35 minutes of a movie and being convinced that it's worthless. But onto his points:

1. Yeah, a lot of effort does go into making the show more mysterious, but eventually it really does touch on themes that would appeal to those looking for something intellectual, especially functionalism, descriptive materialism, and the problems with a wholly materialistic interpretation of identity. Don't expect hardcore analytic philosophy, just a nice sprinkling of references and some interesting perspectives.

2. When you first start watching the series, it makes absolutely no sense, and every episode just seems to be adding to the complexity by introducing new aspects. But by the time you finish it, I guarantee that all of these things will make perfect sense (even why Lain's family seems so shallow and undeveloped). In this sense, the series creates perfect order out of total chaos, an aspect that I particularly liked.

3. I'm not going to pretend to be a film critic, but the directing seemed pretty effective at creating the kind of atmosphere that the series needed. And many of the episodes ended with great "what the hell just happened?" moments, that forced me to revise all my theories and definitely made me want watch more.

No offense to zetes, but you shouldn't watch this anime expecting to find character portraits or traditional "slice-of-life" drama. Just like any good existentialist movie ("Donnie Darko" comes to mind here) it won't make too much sense until you've watched the whole thing and maybe even thought about it a bit. So if you feel like you won't be satisfied unless you get your moral straight-up, then this series isn't for you. It'll make you think and will only provide you with more question, not answers.

This series not only opened my eyes…it literally changed my life. I've experienced the whole series many times, always letting it probe my mind to provoke thoughts I didn't know existed. This isn't a review, if you want to know what the series is like, watch it, or rather let it watch you. After studying the series for a while I became deeply interested in computers, computer science, philosophy, mind-expansion, and theory.

I related to Lain on such a personal level that the show almost seemed to transcend the subtext of it just being a work of fiction. But then again Serial Experiments Lain blurs the thin boundary that is reality and the virtual. The concepts and information shown at parts is very much worth looking into as well (E.I. Shuman resonance (commonly)7.83Hz). The integration into the story seems entirely possible in the future. The concept of the wired is in itself one of the most intriguing and glorious things i've ever heard of. Cyberpunk nirvana I suppose would be a way of looking at it. I could write for days on this work of art, but i'll limit myself here. If you do decide to watch it, you must commit to the whole series, or you'll probably be confused or misled. The series comes full circle like i've rarely seen any other do before.

On a side note, the series is also an incredible psychonaut tool.

• Don't pass this one up.

As most have already pointed out, `Serial Experiments: Lain' is a rather unique Japanese anime series. Watching `Lain' is not an easy trip to take, certainly, but one that is totally engaging nonetheless. Although exactly what the show is `about' is subjective and is open to interpretation to all who see it, I believe some people are completely missing some key points. Some have complained about the lack of character development during the series. But one must understand, that's the whole essence of the series: alienation. Look at the shots in Lain's classroom when the teacher is writing on the blackboard; all the other students except Lain are grayed-out. Look at the scene where Lain shows her father the Psyche processor and look how far she stands from him. Even look at the name of the club, Cyberia (as in Siberia: a cold, desolate place of exile). It's all done to emphasize how far, how detached, how alienated Lain is from everyone else. The direction in `Lain' is brilliant in depicting this. We, the audience, exist in the real world as we watch Lain, but we hardly ever get to know her. Yet we know she has a deeper personality because of what other characters say about her (`weren't you the girl at Cyberia?' Etc). These facets, which we only get a rare glimpse of, are her `online-self'. There have been studies that have shown a paradoxical relationship between time spent on the Internet and isolation and loneliness. Japan is one of the most `online' nations in the world, with almost 40% of the population having Internet access. At the same time, Japan also has one of the highest suicide rates amongst developed nations (which brings to mind a scene early in the series of the girl who commits suicide). Many are concerned with Japan's trouble youths and the increasing difficulty many have forming meaningful relationships with others. The only meaningful relationship we, the audience, see Lain have with another person is with Arisu. Other than some brief instant messaging via a palm pilot, Lain and Arisu's relationship exists entirely in the real world, not on the Wired. So, to me, the entire series is a metaphor for this increasing isolation of Japanese youth in an ever-expanding high tech world. For those having troubling getting into this series, I say focus on the directing, the atmosphere, the metaphors used throughout. Come to your own conclusions. I highly recommend this bittersweet, highly unique series to any who want to branch out from familiar territory.

"SE: Lain" is a great anime series. It's not godly perfect or anything, but it gets up there...way up there. From the killer opening title sequence (with a great opening song, by the way) to the strange "previews" (they only consist of a girl talking and her body parts - I'm not kidding) for the next show, "Lain" certainly has a fairly unique style. But it goes beyond style and gets into substance.

The story is simple at first and seems half-predictable in these post-"Matrix" times. After a classmate seemingly commits suicide, Lain gets e-mail from the dead girl. Apparently, her consciousness is still on the net...or is it? From then on, things get weird, complicated, and interesting.

Splicing in elements of Matrix-style cyberpunk, X-Files conspiracy, and the David Lynch-esque surreal, "Lain" is, like the Wired world it portrays, a synthesis of disparate ideas and personas, all thrown into a blender for the viewer to interpret. The interpretation's the thing, and those looking for action or comedy may come away slightly disappointed. After 13 episodes, there will probably be more questions than answers, but isn't real life like that, anyway?

Last night I finally received the last of 4 DVDs in this mind-blowing series. This series is to anime in general what films like American Beauty are to movies in general. Don't let the word anime turn you off, folks. Doing so would be like comparing Schindler's List to The Kentucky Fried Movie...

The story follows Lain, a shy, adolescent school girl. After receiving an email from a classmate who committed suicide a few days earlier, Lain begins to examine the world, society, god, self, technology, and how these concepts fit together. The fact that such an email could easily be faked is irrelevant, but instead we focus on how Lain's perspective changes as she learns to deal with life. This 13-part series, spanning 4 DVDs, is the best aspects of American Beauty, The Sixth Sense, 2001, and (to a lesser degree) The Matrix rolled into one subtle and beautiful story.

Note that this is NOT an action-packed story, nor does it lessen itself by trying to cater to the lowest common denominator. Nor does it ever come straight out and explain itself or what is going on. That's not the purpose of the story. The purpose is to make you think about your own place in life, and how you deal with it. The story is never judgemental, it simply gives you things to think about. It raises more questions than could possibly be answered given the limitations of language. The answers can only be understood, never explained.

In keeping true to the Zen Buddhist traditions of Japan, the animation style is often minimalistic, offset by the frenetic chaos of the computer animation added to it. This is an intentional counterpoint to the more natural looking animation, often consisting more of still paintings than movement, and the effect is stunning.

So if you are looking for a thought-provoking way to spend about five and a half hours of your time, I cannot recommend this more. If you understood what made American Beauty such an incredible movie, you'll love Serial Experiments: Lain.

You normally don't think of subtle and sci-fi anime in the same sentence, but that's what Serial Experiments Lain is. The atmosphere is slightly sinister all the way through, with beautiful animation. The story could be compared to the Matrix and the Sixth Sense, while the atmosphere and style is reminiscent of Twin Peaks, eXistenZ, and the end of Neon Genesis EVA.

The ending makes this clear that you won't be getting any easy answers.

Anime existentialism, generally speaking, is largely inaccessible to western audiences... and it's almost totally inaccessible to myself. I'm not ashamed to admit that I had to watch Akira three or four times before I fully understood it, and Ghost in the Shell had to live in my VCR for a couple weekends until I was satisfied I'd eked whatever shred of understanding out of it that I could. I grew very tired of essays on where mankind came from and where it was going. I decided, at that point, that I would never understand anime to a degree where I could be pleased with it, and abstained from watching it for a while (with the exception of the occasional Ranma1/2 episode, at the behest of my then-girlfriend).

Then, along came Lain.

I was very, very skeptical about watching Lain. Not only did it look like your typical "what is it all about" anime, but it was a thirteen-episode series, clocking in at well over five hours. I figured I'd watch the first four episodes and scrap the rest.

Lain sucked me in.

I can't stress how shocked I was when I swapped DVD #3 for DVD #4 and looked at my watch to realize I'd been sitting in one place for over four and a half hours. Serial Experiment Lain is simply incredible. There's enough mystery and enough seeds planted to keep the viewer watching from one episode to the next. The artwork is friggin' incredible... minimalist yet so rich that each shot breathes with its own life. Even the opening title sequence draws you in, with its careful attention to camera, style, and its mournful score.

Mournful, indeed. I don't make it a point to cry when I'm watching cartoons, but Lain beat the living hell out of my emotions. In very broad strokes, Serial Experiment Lain is about family, alienation, friendship and humanity. It analyzes the differences between obligation and true love, and comes down to the question of what is right and what will make you happy... and most importantly, what happens when we're forced to choose between the two?

Lain takes a lot of chances with style and presentation, and is a truly refreshing breath of fresh air from a medium that has grown far too comfortable with itself. The combination of cel animation with computer graphics and live action footage creates a world not unique to anime, but totally unique unto itself. Serial Experiment Lain rekindled my faith in anime, which is saying a lot. It is a great experience (I wouldn't be here telling you about it if it wasn't) and a great piece of film. If you've got a few hours to kill, step into Lain's world for a while, you won't be disappointed.

Lain is by far one of my favorite animes of all time. The story is deep, well thought out, and very entertaining throughout. The characters develop perfectly, the atmosphere is incredible, and the story is flawless. Some of the story is left slightly open ended, leaving the viewer to fill in his or her own conclusions.

Tech heads will relate to this story effortlessly. The Wired is easily a souped up version of our own Internet, and the history isn't outrageously far from our own and well explained. The parallels between our world and this fictional world really make things interesting. This series really hits a sweet spot for sci-fi technological dramas.

Every anime fan should see this series, but be prepared for a brain twister. I've watched it a good five times and I can honestly say I still find new tidbits of the story every time. You just can't sit back and put your brain on cruise control; You must make an effort to follow the story or it will leave you mercilessly lost and confused.

And remember folks, this is fiction. You have to be willing to suspend belief a few times and accept the universe of the work at hand. Those unwilling or unable to do this, need not apply. Think of it as a deep mystery novel. Even when following the concrete parts of the story with great attention, there's enough misdirection to leave you wondering what if... and that's half the fun.

If you simply can't accept that the story isn't handed to you neatly gift wrapped, and that you may have to fill in the details from your own imagination, then go watch a simpler anime. This isn't for you. If you like the confusing story of animes like Neon Genesis Evangelion, or Boogiepop Phantom then you'll love this. If you live and breath technology, you'll only love it that much more. All in all, this is a masterpiece of animation.

• Rirath_com

It's not an easy movie, no..it's neither a slow movie like some wish to call it. It's mere a non judgemental movie..taking many layers and angels in reality and fiction. In 12 episodes it's build a thing....to nullify it in the 13th ( last ). Leaving you with nothing in your hands..and many questions. You know you seen a thing..you saw it grow..you even began to understand it..then it nullified. Bringing you back to where you started..but not really back...just different. It doesn't leaves emptiness, but constructivness. And truly shows an art of movie making ... which doesn't needs allot of action as support. It uses a definit way of following, where the path is more important as the message, but on another level the message is more important. And again it's not important! Lain = Lain, Lain = Wired...it's all written over it... Some might not understood it, or sought a more moving action. This movie is... different... like Akira is dares to ask things ..and then.. dissolve things. A deep multi layered movie which is not easy to understand....yet such shouldn't stop a good watcher. If you want pure action there is enough out there, if you want a nice movie to enjoy with your girlfriend... this movie probably isn't the best choice. If though you have 4 hours time left and need to fill it up with some quality... this is your movie.

Generally speaking,Japanese anime products,as its by-product known as "otaku" culture, are full of contradictions. First of all, anime's "artistic" level has never been adequately estimated in its homeland(namely by audience, critics and mass medias) and usually "discovered" by foreigners(most sad example is "Inoccence--Ghost in the shell", Mamoru Oshii's best and probably last artistic film). Secondally, anime's highest level in dramaturgy had been achieved before it was "discovered" by world film festivals and foreign audiences(French people is said to have believed "Candy Candy"'s not a Japanese serial, because it was so sophisticated).

"Serial experiment Lain" is a accidental postmodern masterpiece,made after anime's classical achievements("accidental", because no one had intended to make a work of art). "Lain" uses plenty of postmodern devices: citation from purely historical materials,stylish eclecticism,"open" ending or circular structure and showing its own media's limitation(many scenes are openly "two dimensional" and look like rather abstract "picture").

Having been made in the time of imitation and citation of past anime "classical "serials of 80s and later 70s, "Lain" is superb in its originality and the sense of the contemporary.After seeing this serial, "Evangelion" seems to be boring and too long(experimental works must be not so long as ordinary "genre" works,it is the rule from the time of silent era).

I recommend to compare this serial with "Kairo" by Kiyoshi Kurosawa,the latter will seem to be some kind of a little out-dated remake of this serial.

I feel sorry for those who want to criticise this series as they will undoubtedly be placed in the category of not understanding it or not getting it. Although an old idea, not knowing what is reality and what isn't, it is told in a new way which at first kept me interested. Unfortunately this old idea is drawn out for the first 9 or so episodes which is much like watching someone struggle through a dream while the truth that it is merely a dream eludes them. 9 episodes of Neo running through the matrix not knowing that it is not the real world aaahhhh! So this leaves the last few episodes to give an explanation to the viewer and for Lain to uncover whatever truths there are about herself, the computer reality and the real world.

I'll admit it does raise some intelligent, philosophical questions but that does not make the series a masterpiece on it's own. I found the end to be dissapointing and not really as such following on from the previous explanation you receive, but the animation is nice, again that alone doesn't make a masterpiece and so I found the series to be rather pointless. A pointless first 9 episodes which could be cut down, an unsatisfactory ending its as if the creators aimed at making an intelligent series which raises questions which it does but leaves out the interesting plot and any character development. Sorry to compare it to evangelion but the difference is obvious it has what Lain has, questioning, intelligence but also fantastic characters and an interesting storyline which keeps you watching and wanting more. Not awful just not as fantastic as others rate so don't get your hopes up and you wont be dissapointed.

After finish watching all 13 episodes I am totally disappointed.

Good things: Incredible drawing and animation. Interesting story start point.

Bad things: An anime that begins with such an interest concept turn to complete madness because of mystery, slowness and repetition. Someone wrote down that mystery doesn't seem intelligence. I'm completely with him. I like mystery and intelligent animes and films, but this one is surrealist.

Someone also talked about the bad translation, I'm used to AWFUL translations to spanish. If translation to english was bad I can suppose how bad it's translation to spanish (surely from english). I don't understand japanese so there's points in the history very difficult to understand to me. In the other way I can see when a film is repetitive and slow until death.

About mystery. I don't expect scriptwriter to give solutions to each aspect of a film. But in Lain there's answer after answer, new concepts or incidents that break your brain, and later doesn't have relevance (the aliens?, knights?) and don't be explained at all. Too confusing and frustrating.

Another frustrating aspect of the story are the characters. Mainly Lain's sister and mother. (spoiler) The mother is in the house but nothing more. She disappears suddenly when father say goodbye to Lain. Same about sister. (spoiler) Lain and her sister talk one(?) time in all the series. At the end of series an strange and deep love there's between sisters. This fact doesn't match with the events in the series. (spoiler) Also, do fathers let Lain's sister abandoned in the house? Because when Alice come to Lain's house she is up in the stairs? Or it's another 'illusion'. As I say all it's very annoying.

I recognize the technical aspect in the series but I can't recommend this anime to someone that at least understand japanese.

The movie, Serial Experiments: Lain, represents for me an unbelievable coincidence.

You see, in June of 2002, the gifted writer Rodney O. Lain committed suicide. He had been a Christian preacher and a college professor but was best known for his highly controversial articles appearing in many Apple Macintosh Computer websites. After his death, I began to archive his online works including the emails he had posted on forums. The integrity and intensity of his words made it almost feel like I was communicating with someone from the grave.

Several months later, I was browsing a store's DVD section and spotted a collection titled LAIN. Understandably curious, I smirked, assuming it was just a happenstance. Imagine my shock when I read the summation on the cover jacket: an Anime story about a young girl named Lain (an English-Japanese transliteration) who, after her classmate commits suicide, begins receiving emails purportedly from the deceased! Predating Rodney's death by several years, and having no direct connection with him whatsoever, the parallels are beyond explanation.

Life has countless mysteries and this exalted tale touches on many of them. Combining elements of The Twilight Zone and One Step Beyond, you may find LAIN truly haunting.

I am honestly surprised that so many people gave this series such positive reviews. I have a great respect for the art of animated storytelling and I will say that the concept of Lain was conceived with good intentions. However, what was really achieved was a pretentious attempt at complexity. This series lacked in so many fields I can't in good conscience give it a glowing review. From the onset the horrendous character design and poor animation was extremely bothersome. The sloppy design did not seem to be a conscious artistic choice but rather a lazy or inexperienced lark. I will say that the backgrounds were interestingly minimal. For a short time the stylized backgrounds were enough to keep me interested. I somehow hoped they were a clue that the animation would become more refined. My hopes were not realized. I found the plot to be equally disappointing. The slow pace held no purpose and did not function as a suspense building tool. I found the plot predictable and fairly unoriginal. Coupling those factors with slow pace Lain became torturously boring. Had the concept been more competently handled and skillfully animated Lain could have been a masterpiece. To add to what was already an unpleasant experience the English voice work was some of the worst I've heard. My hopes were high. I expected a interesting and intelligent cyberpunk fantasy that explored ideas of humanity, psychology, and philosophy. The promise of an original, thought provoking and beautifully animated film was barely delivered. Practically every person involved with the production of this series is capable of extraordinarily better work. If you are truly interested in any of the genres Lain hoped to explore I suggest Paranoia Agent or any part of the Ghost in the Shell franchise. You'll find yourself far more satisfied.

''Serial Experiments: Lain" is so different, that I don't even know how to start writing about it. But one thing is sure: the fact that it is different is what makes it great! There are numerous references to Macintosh and Apple Computers and I love the voice that whispers in the beginning of every episode!(For people who loves technology like me, will be quite something to watch all the computers of this anime) Lain begins as a shy girl who doesn't care about computers and only have a kiddy navi, until became an expert with a gigantic computer that doesn't stop to grow in size and potency. There are many nice messages about this anime, like the power of alienation and how our lives are many times taken care by the digital world. In times like the ones we live, with so many technologies and the internet all set, this anime is very recommended! :)

I can safely say Serial Experiments Lain is one of my favorite shows. Completely original, this series can be described as Matrix blended with the Sixth Sense. SE Lain will leave you confused at first, kind of like Donnie Darko, but the ultimate message behind it leaves one in awe. Just be sure not to fall asleep during it; I've had some wacked out dreams after such a program!

This anime series has been getting a lot of attention on the internet lately from fanboys, film buffs, and lay people alike. Judging from the first four episodes in the series, its fantastic reputation is wholly undeserved.

But let me stress how utterly beautiful and magnificent the artistry is of the drawings before I get into ripping it to shreds. I LOVE the style, to be sure. I haven't seen anything else like it. The drawing is the series' one saving grace.

The direction is somewhat disappointing, though. First off, let me explain what direction is in animation, because that confuses a lot of people. Direction is the choice of things like camera angles, camera movement, use of slow motion, and mise-en-scene among other things. Of course, in animation, everything is drawn in order to emulate the cinematic devices used in live action film. Once in a while, the direction in Lain 1: Navi is impressive, but its devices are overused and end up growing repetitive. The internal rhythm of both the editing and story become extremely and annoyingly repetitive even in a single episode. To watch four back to back is nearing torture. Whoever at Pioneer decided to keep the opening and closing credits in all four episodes, instead of placing an opening credits sequence at the beginning of the DVD and a closing at the end, should have his or her head examined closely. They are long sequences in the first place, and when Pioneer claims that there is 96 or 100 or however many minutes on the DVD, make sure you realize that a good half hour of those are for these opening and closing sequences.

The writing is the aspect which really destroys this series, or these four episodes, anyway. It strives to be really mysterious, so much so that eventually I didn't care any more. Mystery does not automatically equal intelligence (or entertainment, for that matter). Nothing went into the characters. What can I say about Lain? She's shy. That's all. By the end of the fourth episode, she has changed. She's slightly less shy. I'm sure someone will point her "development" out when they argue with me about it, so I'd like to establish the pettiness of her development. Her father? He likes computers. Her mother? Nothing. Her sister? Even less. Her friends? Nope. Her teacher? Charlie Brown's teacher had more personality, and she was just a distorted trumpet. And people can say, "Wait until episode 8 and you'll know a lot more," all they want, because I'll just reply that any good animated series, or even a bad network sitcom, would have developed its characters much more thickly in one episode than does Lain in four.

Every ounce of the writer's/s' energy goes into making the film more mysterious. The series begins with a young girl killing herself, who then contacts her peers by email. A good concept; they should have stuck with it (well, they do stick with it, but they set it on the backburner for the rest of the series). Then there's a drug-like object that drives people insane. Then they start to hint that Lain and others are possessed. Then there're these guys with laser pointers over one of their eyeballs (stolen right from the French film City of Lost Children, although I don't personally condone stealing when it comes to filmmaking). Then there's a little girl who chases people around the city. All of this is direly mysterious stuff, but the authors didn't even seem to attempt to imbue a modicum of suspense into the film. There's even one clear reference to Hitchcock's The 39 Steps at the end of the fourth episode. Lain realizes that she's being watched in her room, which is on the upper floor of her family's house. The filmmakers here have learned not a thing from the Master of Suspense. Perhaps they saw the remake of The 39 Steps, since they, just as in the remake, cut from Lain in her room to a street-level shot of the laser-eye people. Hitchcock would have (and did) keep the point of view in Robert Donat's appartment. I'd also like to point out that Lain makes one of their eye-devices explode, which reminds everyone instantly of Akira. Boy, was I longing for the excitement and intelligence of Akira when I saw that!

I seriously doubt I'll end up watching any more of this series, no matter how good I've heard that it gets later on. I literally thanked God when it was over. Not because it was terrible, but because it was, simply put, terribly boring.

Juvenile self centered, Lain isn't for anyone looking for a thought provoking story line of well scripted dialog. Garishly low budget, the mostly still-pan nature of Lain makes it an anime with almost no animation; even this would be alright if the visuals had sufficient artistic integrity to be appreciated alone- which Lain, sadly, does not.

Add to this a shamelessly slow revelation of plot employing unapologetically the artifice of withholding content to engender an artificial sense of mystery that the creators seem otherwise incapable of creating with solid storytelling.

Lain is just lame.

I give it a 4 out of 10 just for the great animation and artwork and for the unique story and music..

Other than that I was not entertained throughout the series, sure the first couple episodes did grab me and hook me in but by around episode 4 I had trouble watching it and it was like that until the end.

It was very difficult to concentrate because I thought it was so boring after episode 3 or 4, but I continued to watch until the end because all the reviews said that you have to watch it until the end and everything will become clear, well I painfully watched all the episodes until the end and it must be just me but I did not really get why the series is so amazing to some people, I feel like I wasted my time really.

I have seen all 4 Lain DVDs and there's no way I can recommend it. It was too mysterious and uninteresting to entertain. I won't deny there is A LOT going on in Serial Experiments: Lain. It's easy to search the internet and find all the research and depth there is to the series. But although it was intellectually satisfying to an extent, I never felt like I got the whole picture.

I don't know Japanese, but I've learned enough words and phrases from watching Anime to know that the subs/dubs of Lain are NOT a direct translation. One thing I learned in my research is that the story of Lain is a metaphorical commentary on the influence of Western civilization on traditional Japanese culture. And an unflattering commentary at that. It is generally believed that Pioneer chose to play down the Anti-American sentiment in Lain and instead focus on other aspects of the story, which ends up an incoherent mess.

Since I don't feel I've seen the "true" Lain, I won't criticize it. But the version I've seen on DVD was thoroughly unenjoyable. I like stories that require me to put together a puzzle, but when you don't have all the pieces there's no way you can really see the final picture.

I picked this up because it looked like a very intelligent, surreal and kind of a creepy sci-fi series. I really could not get into it. I watched a few episodes but couldn't finish the series. The characters were completely flat and two dimensional. I wasn't sure who in the series there was to care about. The main character, Lain, seems very dull and soulless. It was certainly surreal, but more in a disconnected way than a deep- thinking and abstract way. I really wanted a brain-twisting anime and this wasn't it. The show played out more like a pretentious college student's film project. Bottom line is I think they tried too hard to be interesting. I gave this a real try and I really wanted to like it but it simply failed to connect.

This show is the peak of all film. Everything else will lack compared to this. This film is filled to the brim with complex questions about life presented in a audio-visually stunning way.

It does not bounce around "hard to talk about" subject and nor does it present them immaturely. The show deals with psychological and philosophical themes. Everything is the show has a meaning and none of it is filler.

Lain is a show where what you perceive it to be depending on your mood. or even state of mind can be totally different, Everyone takes their own subjective view on the show because it is filled to the brim with content that can only be viewed in a subjective manner.

>this is the best show of all time >don't pass it up

I didn't enjoy Lain, and here's why.

SEL seemed to have been praised by a lot of people, which now I'm sure were all (or majority) just anime fanatics willing to give any anime more credit than it deserves. I'm not one of those people -- I rarely watch anime and try to always pick something really worth the attention.

While watching SEL I had a strong suspicion that the questions posed by the writers (of which there are A LOT, mind you; it's very mysterious) will not be answered. It all seemed too mysterious for the writers to know themselves where they were going but I continued watching hoping that I'm going to be wrong.

I wasn't wrong. By the final 13th episode, most of the question are left unanswered. So aside from HUNDREDS of plot holes in this anime, there were also the same amount of questions that we will never get answers to and this is why it makes this anime SO BAD.

Anybody can come up with millions of "mysterious", "bizarre" and "weird" ideas, but the answers are making the product good. If there are no answers, you might as well keep those questions to yourself.

Some reviewers called this anime "weird", "very mystical", etc. It is, partially, that; but most of all, Serial Experiments: Lain is just a BAD ANIME with poor story, characters, script, directing, pacing and everything else.

Speaking as a true cinephil in love with cinema I say this: avoid it, or you will waist your time.

1/10

A solid series. The story was great and well laid out, the paseing of the series is good from begining to end, it was more tense than thaught provokeing, but it did have its points. Some think its slow and hard to follow, I for one didnt. Its the kind of series where action is left out and mood setting is important. I like that kind of series. You need to have some extent of computer jargon and interest if you want to get the most of the series. Average 9.2(10)

POSSIBLE SPOILERS:

There is a part of me that enjoyed moments from SE: LAIN. And there is also a part that wants to rename it: Serial Experiments: LAME.

The problem for me with this interesting series is that it lacks enough content, even for 13 episodes, which is one reason it is 13 episodes as opposed to a regular 26. For anyone who has seen .HACK / SIGN, if you were to boil down that entire LONG drawn out and almost meaningless series you would end up with the first 6 episodes of SE: LAIN. If you boil down the first 6 episodes of SE: LAIN you would end up with perhaps one and a half episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion. Episodes 7-13 of SE: LAIN have much more content and intrigue to them than 1-6, but even all of their content could be boiled down to about three episodes of Eva.

Now, this is not to say Eva is better than SE: LAIN, they are two entirely different genres and concepts even though they tackle the same human problem. What I am saying is that after watching the first six episodes, the series really begs the question of whether it is trying to be Art for Art's sake without regard for any other convention, or whether it really cares about the story it is trying to tell. Narrative, or rather the lack thereof, is a conscious decision on the part of the filmmaker and in the case of SE: LAIN I think it is what causes great consternation in a lot of viewers anxious for new or challenging content in a continued and consistent stream. The series simply doesn't have it, unless of course your idea of a continued and consistent stream is watching immature 13 year old school girls banter about LAIN.

It has great video and graphics effects, wonderful original art, and it has an interesting soundscape, (I wouldn't call it a soundtrack), plus it has many many creepy things all mixed around in strange ways. The last half of the series is where story and background and some interesting twisted and appropriated science and history and other jazz starts to get added in all of a sudden, however, in the end there simply isn't enough dough to fill the cupcake molds set out at the beginning.

That time was spent being arty and using repetition and digital effects all in super slow motion and that's fine, but I feel in trying to blend a narrative "story" and trying to build LAIN into something more than what she was while also trying to strengthen paper thing support characters, the show ultimately fails in all of these respects. The people that suggested this show to me as a MUST SEE really built it up and I was highly disappointed while I waited for hours on my sofa for something to HAPPEN or a decent and intriguing explanation to be given. What is given as an explanation is insignificant to the bigger picture and does not adequately tie in all of the other material and questions brought up at the beginning, (what happened to the whole KIDS thing anyone?). People are going to counter with, "Well Eva certainly doesn't explain everything IT brings up, but, actually it does, you just have to watch the show about three or four times. The only thing you are going to get after repeat viewings of SE: LAIN is a renewed sense of unrequited love and angst on the part of LAIN for Arisu. As a pre post-Apocalyptic lesbian serial drama / anthem, SE: LAIN has potential, but that is as deep as the characters are going to get.

The bottom line: Eva was written in the late 80's and early 90's and finally produced in anime form in 1994 whereas SE: LAIN was basically all done in 1998. Today, in 2003, almost 2004, Eva is still just as ground breaking, bizarre, and captivating as it was in 1994. SE: LAIN however has not dated very well at all, the proliferation, integration, and evolution of "the Wired" or the Internet as we call it has really made a lot of the "new" things discussed in SE: LAIN seem almost trite and borderline banal at times. As something "new" to the Japanese viewer in 1998 and needing explanation, I could understand the show's didactic tone at that time, but today for a more global viewer, it doesn't hold our attention, we already know about what's being discussed and the nostalgia is not present.

Seeing this show in 1998 would have been good, but I think as the years go by it will continue to loose intrigue and insight as it attempts to mold itself to the viewer as something set in "Present Day, Present Time" which makes it unfortunately very dated given the "edutainment" style and presentation of the material.