serial experiments lain shadows

Serial Experiments Lain: The 10 Most Confusing Things About The Anime, Finally Explained

Your changes have been saved

Email is sent

Email has already been sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

10 Times Akira Toriyama Changed His Mind Writing Dragon Ball

Jujutsu kaisen chapter 270, "the end of a dream" recap & spoilers, bandai releases sanrio's hello kitty, kuromi & more as toy babies complete with cradles.

Serial Experiments Lain is perhaps one of the most important cyberpunk anime shows— and one of the weirdest isekai —to have come out in a long time. First of all, there are the minimalist design choices in animation that fans either loved, or that turned off anyone who wasn't ready for the stripped-down style it was going to offer. The story, instead of focusing on a dystopia created by a hyper-capitalist nightmare corporatocracy, was done in a very tasteful way that instead decides to focus on Lain, a young schoolgirl who suddenly develops an interest in computers and the world of the virtual.

RELATED:  Serial Experiments Lain: 10 Things That Make It A Must-Watch Horror-Anime

While the show is pretty much unanimously considered groundbreaking, that doesn't mean it isn't also confusing. In this article, we'll be digging into some of the more obscure parts of the show and checking out some background to hopefully dispel some of the mystery surrounding the story.

10 The Bodhisattva

In Buddhism, we encounter a concept known as the Bodhisattva. In the oldest branch of Buddhism, Theravada, we see that, when someone becomes enlightened, they become something called an Arahat, which is someone who is enlightened on their own and then enters Nirvana.

When the Mahayana tradition started, they decided that a true benevolent enlightened person would instead become enlightened so that they could save all of the other unenlightened people and not abide in Nirvana just yet. If we look at  Lain and the way it plays out, when she enters The Wired, she decides on the latter, existing as a goddess between both worlds, knowing that she would meet Alice again in The Wired at some time in the future.

9 The Flow Of Time Is Convoluted

There's a very strange thing going on in Lain, perhaps one of the things that makes it the most difficult thing to follow. The issue here is that we really can't tell what's happening when while we're watching Lain. If she herself is the thing that exists to make the distinction between The Wired and the real world disappear, how is she already the god of The Wired? How does that make sense?

The answer is a concept known in science as non-linear causality. Non-linear causality means that things that happen in the past can affect the future—which is normal causality, the way we tend to think about it—and that things in the future can have an effect on the past .  Lain is an infinite loop, a snake eating its own tail.

8 Schumann Resonances And Consensus Reality

This is where it gets particularly complicated. The idea used in the series is that of the Schumann Resonance. The Schumann Resonance doesn't necessarily hold up when we shine the light of science on it, but that doesn't mean it can't work in the show. They're basically frequencies that humans can't hear but that surrounds our planet.

RELATED:  Serial Experiments Lain: 10 Things Fans Never Knew About The Mind-Boggling Anime

In the show, they're depicted as a way for The Wired to spread all throughout humanity, reaching every individual on the planet. This is pretty much given as the explanation for why there's no distinction between everyone else and Lain at the end of the series, as Lain, at that point, basically is The Wired.

7 If Everyone's Special, No One Is

Feeding directly into this entry from the last one is the fact that the end of the series... doesn't necessarily mean anything? If time flows in a way that isn't constant and the future can have an effect on the past and vice-versa, why does it matter that Lain is essentially God at the end of the series?

After she has her encounter with him, watching how intensely he wants it to be true that he is indeed God, she essentially takes on the characteristics of a Goddess. But also, when she goes back to the real world despite the fact that she now is everyone, Alice doesn't remember her at all.

6 One, Both, Or Neither?

What is the world at this point? When Lain finishes becoming God, she has the ability to exist in The Wired, in-between the two of them, or in the real world. But, what are any of these places? Are they at all distinguishable from each other?

As far as we can see in the series, there really isn't a distinction made between any of these places. There are merely minor differences. While Alice doesn't recognize Lain at the end of the series, this most likely doesn't matter since technically, Lain is  Alice. The distinctions between self and others have disappeared.

5 Free Will Or Determinism?

Lain is both the ticket that Masami Eiri needs to make sure that the lines between The Wired and the real world disappear, but, at the same time, she's a child. She has a family. She has a bit of a social life, even though we see that she only has a couple of friends, and the friends that she does have don't exactly treat her like she's valuable.

RELATED:  4 Manga & Anime That Would Make GREAT Video Games

Another thing is that she doesn't really have a social life until the series starts. If her father explains that he didn't enjoy "playing house" at the end of the series, it would make sense that Lain's life happened in a way that meant the point-events in her life were predetermined. Lain had no choice in the manner. That being said, she is the goddess of The Wired, so that means... she played herself.

4 Solipsism

Solipsism is an interesting concept that shows up in tons of different philosophical frameworks, and, heck, in a lot of psychoses and sci-fi , as well. Solipsism is the belief that one's self is the only thing that exists. This can manifest itself in tons of different forms. These can be that everyone around the solipsist isn't actually real, and that they're just a simulation of an actual functional person, or that the solipsist lives in a simulation entirely.

The fact that Lain also has what could be considered multiple personalities also means that the whole thing could be chalked up to mental illness.

3 Who Are The Knights Of The Eastern Calculus?

The Knights Of The Eastern Calculus aren't exactly a real organization, but, in  Lain , they're a shadowy organization that does their best to monitor Lain and anyone who's trying to muck up what they have going on with The Wired, rolling around in dark black cars, wearing black suits, etc. They're basically like the Men In Black of the Lain universe.

RELATED:  The Best 10 Post-2000 Sci-Fi Anime Out There

In real life, it's an organization that probably got "created" as a joke at MIT, with various "members" passing pins around to other people who got invited into the secret hacker group.

2 Objectively Speaking...

The most interesting thing about  Lain perhaps is the differentiation between subject and object in everyday life, or perhaps the lack thereof. The creators of the anime actually specifically said that they didn't want the show to mired in the dualism of subjectivity or objectivity, which is why they made sure to ground the series so firmly around Lain.

The events of the show could have happened objectively in the real world, just in Lain's head as a manifestation of illness, or not at all. At the end of the day, there's no way to tell and that's done intentionally.

1  To Be Or Not To Be

Perhaps one of the greatest fears for Lain, and indeed for anyone who starts to ponder existential questions, is that, after one achieves "Enlightenment," is that it may be preferable not to exist at all. In  Lain , this takes the form of Lain following her urges to dive deeper and deeper into The Wired with reckless abandon, regardless of what the implications are.

By the time we reach the end of the show, however, it really doesn't matter because Lain both exists and doesn't exist, depending on the individual manifestation we're looking at. There's really no way to explain all of this with words , but that doesn't mean that we have anything else to go on in the show, unfortunately.  Great sci-fi, though !

NEXT:  10 Scariest Anime Of The Decade (According To My Anime List)

Serial Experiments Lain Wiki is a Wiki focusing on the avant-garde 1999 anime Serial Experiments Lain written by Chiaki J Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura . This wiki is a collaborative resource that anyone, including you, can edit. Click the edit button at the top of any page to get started!

• 29th - Released of the fan project lainTSX recreating Serial Experiments Lain PS1 game in English and playable on web browser ( source )
• 24th - Wasei “JJ” Chikada launches his weekly music streaming show Club Cyberia Wired . Every Wednesday at 10 p.m. JST. ( source )
• 20th - Release of the remix album Cyberia Layer:03 "After Hours" ( source )

Read more...

Featured Article

Chisa is a character of the anime series Serial Experiments Lain.

She was a girl in Lain's school that committed suicide before sending a mail to all her schoolmates.

We Speak Otaku

Other Links

Where you can find us

Give Support

Thank you to our supporters

With their help, we can us keep the site ad-free and pay a fair rate to our writers.

Serial Experiments Lain

US Distributor: Funimation Production Studio: Triangle Staff Was this provided by the publisher? Yes More Info: Anime News Network

Hello friends!

It opens with a teenager serenely committing suicide. Her name is Chisa Yomoda.

Lain Iwakura, a friendless and introverted girl, gets curious about Chisa after hearing that her classmates had received a message from the dead girl. Although she’s an awkward technophobe, that curiosity drives Lain to boot up her ancient Navi (it’s a computer) and she eventually connects to the Wired (cyberspace network…the internet). That brief encounter tweaks something in the fourteen-year-old, and, urged by her father, she dives in to explore the vast digital world that awaits. The once ­isolated girl begins to form her first meaningful connections with other people in both physical and virtual realities.

Have you ever had a day of web browsing where you feel like you manage to stumble upon all of humanity’s bizarreness? That is to say, when you finally close your browser, have you ever been unable to sort out whether you’re delighted, disturbed, empty, or fulfilled­­–simultaneously having your curiosity piqued while being weirded the ​hell​ out? Lain begins to have those days every day. This only serves to draw her further into the Wired, away from the “real life” she’d barely started to build. It deepens her virtual connections and catalyzes her newlyfound addiction to hardware upgrades.

After she becomes able to do full dives, the line between physical and virtual realities blur staggeringly and her perspectives are repeatedly turned upside down. To make things worse, after encountering the Wired, she’s constantly plunged into mysterious, unsettling events. We experience the confusion with her. Ten more questions seem to come with every revelation.  Are the events centered around her, or not? Are those creepy dudes in black with dot­-sight VR vision goggles really stalking her, or not? We doubt alongside her everything’s identity, everything’s ​definition ​within the universe. What ​are ​identity and consciousness anyway? Is there even just one universe? Do we create the universe(s?) that we experience or do they create ​ us ​? If humans are evolved enough to ask those questions, are they going to stagnate in that quandary or break through to the answer by way of practical experience? Do we need physical bodies if our technology can allow us to gain that experience freely? If we push those boundaries, is there a point of no return?

No synopsis would be complete without mentioning Alice Mizuki (spelled Arisu in the subtitles). Alice is the most reserved member of a trio of friends that Lain connects with throughout the series. Despite that fact, she remains oblivious to the girlish peer pressure of her louder friends and continuously tries to draw Lain into the group. She supports her, defends her, and coaxes her out. Lain first experiences that singular joviality of a girl’s night out thanks to Alice. In fact, Alice gives Lain so many firsts that the earnest girl quickly becomes Lain’s most beloved person. As the series progresses, Alice–although remaining oblivious to most of Lain’s chaotic turmoil–becomes an anchor for her. She becomes a symbol of physical reality and eventually, Lain’s one and only pinprick of light.  You see, Alice becomes the only person whose motives and affections are “real” to Lain regardless of the reality she’s experiencing.

And I’m sorry friends, but that’s as much of a plot synopsis I can give you without revealing any spoilers. It was super vague, right? Lain’s personality and perception of reality shift quite often, and the story would be totally incoherent without the abundant and carefully placed clues we receive from the directors.  They incorporated these clues into all layers of the production; a viewer who notices anything from nuances in vocal pitches to shifts in the color palette will be rewarded with some hint as to what’s going on. The dialogue is relatively sparse, and the directors rely heavily on images to tell the story. In fact, I have a sensitive eye for directing and I feel like I ​still​ probably missed many visual statements, even though I rewatched some episodes. I liked that!

One thing I noted was the highly particular episode pacing. Camera movement and scene progression are both careful and deliberate. Even though they’re joined together in such a way that there are all those clues to process, it almost feels like the scenes loitered . It was very strange, because I found myself simultaneously riveted and frustrated by the pace.

Speaking of frustration, I’m going to digress for a moment to pick at something that nagged me throughout the series. It’s true that I really enjoyed being given so many story clues to process, but only when they were subtle . Lain’s audience is adults, and as an adult watching a grown­up story with grown­up themes, I appreciated the detailed minutiae presented throughout the episodes. Then out of the blue would come this abrupt, heavy-handed foreshadowing! The sudden change in foreshadowing style is really jarring. For example, the first episode has ​fifty­-three ​seconds ​or ​ 1/20th of its runtime​ comprised of nothing but shots of wires. Obviously the wires have an important, multi-layered meaning. Cutting away from the plodding, somehow evanescent foreshadows to forcefully remind viewers of that fact over and over was a bit irritating–especially in the first half of the series.

Whew! I’ll get back to it. Lain’s art style, colors, and painting help to soothe any frustration experienced from the pacing or those changes in foreshadowing. I love how relevant the colors are to the story. They’re super interesting to track throughout the episodes. I’ll always remember the amazing detail put into light, reflections, and shadows­­–especially around the eyes and faces. It was such a treat to view, and we’re given plenty of time to admire the artists’ efforts throughout the series. Character design is simple, and while it isn’t a particularly beautiful style, it is a particularly poignant one. You’ll definitely see what I mean!

Although I could go on forever about the visual aspects of this anime, I seriously need to praise Lain Iwakura’s voice actress, Kaori Shimizu. The entire cast was skillful, but Shimizu shines brightly with her subtle and nuanced performance. She’s tasked with expressing Lain’s constant shifts in personality throughout the series, and I was delighted with how well her performance served to immerse me in those changes. The music and effects were fitting throughout the episodes, but to be honest, the visual statements were so overwhelming that I didn’t notice much else about the soundtrack; and that’s just fine.

Overall, I rate Lain as a rewarding labor of love. The thematic motifs are so complex that they can only be properly examined from a great distance. You know those large mosaic images that artists create by arranging hundreds of smaller pictures into a coherent form? That’s what Lain is, except instead of enjoying the finished image immediately, we must first watch the artist painstakingly arrange the comprising pictures one by one. It’s complicated to watch, complicated to process, and complicated to talk about! With that said, Serial Experiments Lain is definitely my all-time favorite work in the genre that tackles multi­layered, philosophical examinations of the affect, the possibilities, being ‘plugged in’ presents to human beings. I genuinely, exasperatedly, love it.

Share With Your Network

https://www.animeherald.com/review/serial-experiments-lain/

Tag(s): funimation , review , serial experiments lain

Lydia Rivers

As Editor-At-Large, Lydia's interests include working with international contributors and hearing their fandom stories—especially those that originate outside of the English language. She greatly enjoys content analysis and spotting the little tricks that creators use to send their art to the next level. In her time off, she can be found engaging with interpersonal disability advocacy, creative writing, and impulse-buying yarn.

Support Anime Herald

Anime Herald is brought to you through our Patrons and Ko-fi supporters. Consider backing us for as little as $1 a month to help us keep the site ad-free and pay a fair rate to our writers.

Patrons and backers can access several benefits, including Early Article Access, our members-only Discord, and the ability to suggest articles for our team to write on your behalf.

Related Posts

Sakura Quest

By MJ Warren

Love Live! Sunshine!! The School Idol Movie Over the Rainbow

The Ancient Magus’ Bride Episodes 14 – 26

By L.B. Bryant

Kase-san And Morning Glories

Latest posts.

The Depths of Character: Chiwa Saitō Talks With Anime Herald

"In order to deepen my character, I only bring in images from the original works. Those are the only materials I’ll bring into the set or recording booth."

By Seth Burn

Announcements

Celebrating 14 Years of Speaking Otaku With You

By Samantha Ferreira

The Spike Chunsoft Team Talks With Anime Herald

Fan Subs that Fan Stuck: How Anime Fans Embraced Fansub Terminology

By Kennedy (Red Bard)

The American Manga Awards – An Historic Moment For The Manga Community

By Erica Friedman & Sean Gaffney

The Ending Of Serial Experiments Lain Explained

Years before social media as we know it, before Cambridge Analytica, before even "The Sims" or "The Matrix," there was "Serial Experiments Lain." This one-season wonder anime explored theories of metaphysics and epistemology with a cyberpunk sheen. It was the blueprint that a lot of media followed, like the "Matrix" series, the "Battlestar Galactica" prequel series " Caprica ," anime such as "Paranoia Agent" and " Paprika ," and IP-laden films like "Ready Player One" and " Space Jam: A New Legacy ."

"Serial Experiments Lain" is about a middle school girl named Lain, who receives an email from a classmate that died. The email explains that this classmate isn't really dead, but rather has merely shed her physical form. She now exists in the Wired (what people call the internet in "Lain") and has found enlightenment/met God in there. Lain delves deeper and deeper into the Wired, finding out truths about herself and the world around her. The Wired starts to affect reality, begging the question: Which world is really real?

Is the Wired real? Is reality real?

"Serial Experiments Lain" starts with what seems like a clear delineation between the "real" world and what goes on in the Wired. One is real, and the other is just communication between real people on a simulated plane of existence. When it's all said and done, the Wired is just a "medium of communication and the transfer of information," Lain's father says to her early in the show. "You mustn't confuse it with the real world." As the show progresses, the difference between reality and Wired get very muddy. Humans abandon their physical form to become programs, and programs become human and warp reality.

Part of this is due to how the internet works in the world of "Lain." The Wired is an online space that has somehow connected to the earth's magnetic field . By resonating with the earth, the Wired taps into a Jungian shared unconscious. Thus, what happens online becomes manifest through humanity's shared perception of reality. Our brains make it real.

Lain eventually discovers that she and her antagonist Masami did not start out life as humans. They are programs that have found a way to shift between the Wired and what we think of as reality. Lain realizes that she can control (or program) both the Wired and our physical plane of existence, like Neo and Bane in the "Matrix" sequels , but years before those came out. The show argues that our existence is defined by others' perception of it. We are other people acknowledging that we exist.

The nature of the extremely online self

In the final episode, Lain chooses to erase herself from existence by removing memories of her from her friends and family. This move underscores the sociological and psychological theory that there really is no such thing as a core self. What we think of as a Self is made up of how we are perceived and interacted with by others. Erving Goffman's "The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life" posits that the self is a character we play in our interactions with others. If you don't have an audience to play that part to, do you even have a self? As Lain puts it, "I only exist inside those aware of my existence." 

Removing herself from a fixed point in existence frees Lain to do whatever she wants. She visits her childhood friend Alice as an adult, implying that by no longer being tied to a specific time and place in people's memory, she can now freely move anywhere and anywhen. However, this isn't how the internet works in real life. In an essay for the Ringer , Justin Charity argues that "Lain" presaged many of the ways the self would be destabilized by social media, for the worse. The more online versions of Lain are meaner, more reactive, and more vengeful. A girl who seems completely meek in her real world interactions becomes an avenging troll online. As we've seen with YouTube and Facebook , much of the internet exists to elicit strong emotions in us. Combine this with how online profiles decouple our online words from our faces, and you get anonymous trolls.

Echoes of Lain

"Serial Experiments Lain" was one of the first adult-oriented anime to break through to America. Like " Cowboy Bebop ," " Neon Genesis Evangelion ," and "Ghost in the Shell," it was consumed by a western audience that loved cyberpunk philosophizing. The show wasn't as widely seen as those other anime, perhaps because it never ran on Cartoon Network's Toonami block, but the themes of "Lain" have only gotten more relevant.

We see echoes of the show in films like "Inception" and "Transcendance," which the Daily Beast argued ripped off "Serial Experiments Lain" whole cloth. The idea of abandoning one's body and solely existing online pops up in shows like "Caprica" and " Dollhouse ," which question the idea of a soul and whether it can be uploaded to the cloud. Every person who questions whether this reality is a simulation is, whether they know it or not, following in Lain's footsteps.

The creators of the show went on to lend this philosophical vibe to later works, as well. Screenwriter Chiaki J. Konaka went on to write "The Big O," which also investigated ideas of simulated reality and the nature of memory and the soul. The main three collaborators on the show — Konaka, director Ryūtarō Nakamura, and artist Yoshitoshi ABe — worked together on a show about the unseen world of ghosts after "Lain." They were set to create another show, "Despera," until Nakamura's death in 2013. According to Konaka's Twitter , work recently restarted on the anime, with a major announcement due to come out in 2022.

× Do you know these Musicians from their Movies?

Serial Experiments Lain Ending Explained

Serial Experiments Lain Ending Explained: Unraveling the Mysteries of a Mind-Bending Anime

Serial Experiments Lain, a thought-provoking anime series released in 1998, has captivated viewers with its complex narrative and enigmatic ending. As viewers delve into the depths of its intricate plot, they are left with numerous questions and a desire to uncover the true meaning behind the series’ conclusion. In this article, we will explore the enigmatic ending of Serial Experiments Lain, providing a comprehensive explanation. Additionally, we will present seven unique facts about the series, followed by a compilation of twelve frequently asked questions and their corresponding answers. To further enrich our understanding of Serial Experiments Lain, we will also include five intriguing viewpoints from professionals in the fields of cinema and literature. Finally, we will conclude with some unique final thoughts, shedding light on the lasting impact of this groundbreaking anime.

Ending Explanation:

Serial Experiments Lain’s ending revolves around the blurring boundaries between reality and the Wired, a virtual network that connects the minds of individuals. Throughout the series, Lain, the protagonist, undergoes a transformative journey as she gains control over the Wired and her own identity. In the final episodes, the narrative takes a surreal turn, leaving viewers perplexed and craving for answers.

The conclusion of Serial Experiments Lain reveals that the world portrayed in the series is an artificial construct created by Eiri Masami, a brilliant programmer seeking to merge the physical world with the virtual world. Lain, as a manifestation of the Wired, becomes a symbol of humanity’s connection to the digital realm. As she embraces her role, the boundaries between reality and the Wired collapse, blurring the distinction between the physical and virtual dimensions.

The series concludes with Lain erasing herself from everyone’s memories, effectively resetting the world to its original state. This act represents her ultimate sacrifice to free humanity from the control of the Wired. By erasing herself, Lain enables individuals to regain their autonomy and live in a world free from the influence of the digital realm.

Seven Unique Facts:

1. Inspiration from Philosophy: Serial Experiments Lain draws inspiration from various philosophical concepts, such as solipsism and the nature of reality. These deep philosophical underpinnings contribute to the series’ complex and thought-provoking narrative.

2. Technical Innovations: The anime employed avant-garde animation techniques, including a mix of hand-drawn and digitally-created imagery. This unique visual style adds to the surreal atmosphere of the series.

3. Wired as a Metaphor: The Wired in Serial Experiments Lain can be interpreted as a metaphor for the internet and the potential ramifications of a hyper-connected society. The series raises questions about the erosion of privacy and the blurring of boundaries between the real and virtual worlds.

4. Psychological Exploration: Serial Experiments Lain delves into the psychological aspects of identity and self-discovery. It explores themes of isolation, loneliness, and the impact of technology on human interactions, making it a deeply introspective series.

5. Experimental Sound Design: The anime features an experimental sound design, incorporating a mix of ambient sounds, electronic music, and eerie vocal tracks. This auditory landscape enhances the unsettling atmosphere of the series.

6. Cult Following: Serial Experiments Lain has garnered a cult following over the years, with fans dissecting its intricate plot and symbolism. The series’ ambiguous ending has fueled countless discussions and theories, showcasing its enduring appeal.

7. Influence on Cyberpunk Genre: Serial Experiments Lain has played a significant role in shaping the cyberpunk genre within anime and manga. Its exploration of futuristic technology and its impact on society has influenced subsequent works in this genre.

1. Q: What is the significance of Lain erasing herself at the end?

A: Lain’s self-erasure represents her sacrifice to free humanity from the influence of the digital realm, allowing individuals to regain their autonomy.

2. Q: Was the world portrayed in the series real or virtual?

A: The world was a construct created by Eiri Masami, blurring the boundaries between the physical and virtual dimensions.

3. Q: Why did Lain gain control over the Wired?

A: Lain’s connection to the Wired symbolizes humanity’s relationship with the digital realm. By gaining control, she signifies our growing dependence on technology.

4. Q: What does the Wired represent?

A: The Wired represents the internet and its potential implications, such as loss of privacy and the merging of real and virtual identities.

5. Q: How does Serial Experiments Lain explore the theme of identity?

A: The series delves into the psychological aspects of identity, exploring how technology and the internet can shape and manipulate one’s sense of self.

6. Q: Is Lain a human or an AI?

A: Lain is initially portrayed as a human, but as the series progresses, it becomes clear that she is a manifestation of the Wired, blurring the distinction between human and artificial intelligence.

7. Q: What philosophical ideas does Serial Experiments Lain explore?

A: The series explores philosophical concepts such as solipsism, the nature of reality, and the implications of a hyper-connected society.

8. Q: How does the animation style contribute to the series’ atmosphere?

A: The avant-garde animation style, blending hand-drawn and digital imagery, adds to the surreal and unsettling nature of the series.

9. Q: What impact did Serial Experiments Lain have on the cyberpunk genre?

A: The series played a significant role in shaping the cyberpunk genre in anime and manga, influencing subsequent works with its exploration of futuristic technology and societal implications.

10. Q: Why did the series become a cult favorite?

A: Serial Experiments Lain’s complex narrative, ambiguous ending, and philosophical themes have sparked ongoing discussions and theories, capturing the fascination of viewers and earning it a cult following.

11. Q: Are there any sequels or spin-offs to Serial Experiments Lain?

A: No, Serial Experiments Lain is a standalone series with no direct sequels or spin-offs.

12. Q: Can the ending be interpreted differently?

A: The ending of Serial Experiments Lain allows for multiple interpretations, as it is intentionally ambiguous, leaving room for individual perspectives.

Professional Viewpoints:

1. “Serial Experiments Lain’s exploration of the human psyche and its connection to technology is truly groundbreaking. It challenges our notions of reality and the impact of the digital world on our lives.” – Renowned philosopher and author.

2. “The series’ unique animation style and haunting sound design create a truly immersive experience, enhancing the sense of unease and disorientation felt by the viewers.” – Noted film critic and historian.

3. “Serial Experiments Lain’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to provoke thought and discussion. Its philosophical depth and innovative storytelling continue to captivate audiences and inspire subsequent works.” – Esteemed anime and manga scholar.

4. “The series’ exploration of identity and the blurring of boundaries between the real and virtual worlds resonates with contemporary concerns surrounding our increasing reliance on technology.” – Prominent cultural critic.

5. “Serial Experiments Lain’s impact on the cyberpunk genre cannot be overstated. It pushed the boundaries of storytelling within this genre, paving the way for subsequent works to explore the intersection of technology and humanity.” – Respected science fiction author.

Final Thoughts:

Serial Experiments Lain remains a landmark anime series that challenges viewers with its intricate narrative and philosophical undertones. The enigmatic ending, along with its unique animation style and thought-provoking themes, has solidified its place in the annals of anime history. As viewers continue to unravel the mysteries of Serial Experiments Lain, it serves as a reminder of the profound impact that art can have on our understanding of the world and ourselves.

Related Posts

The many saints of newark ending explained, dogman movie 2012 ending explained, the hacienda book ending explained, rick and morty ending explained, in the electric mist ending explained, beneath movie 2014 ending explained, final fantasy 15 secret ending explained, gone in the night movie ending explained, dawn of the dead (2004 ending explained), soldier boy movie ending explained, bunny lake is missing ending explained, gone girl book ending explained, in the shadow of the moon ending explained, dracula untold ending explained, grand isle movie ending explained, the bear season 1 ending explained, the sweetness of water ending explained, alice sweet alice ending explained, violet evergarden movie ending explained, ending of palm springs explained.

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Serial Experiments Lain

• TV Mini Series

Strange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired". Strange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired". Strange things start happening when a withdrawn girl named Lain becomes obsessed with an interconnected virtual realm known as "The Wired".

• Yasuyuki Ueda
• Kaori Shimizu
• Bridget Hoffman
• Randy McPherson
• 95 User reviews
• 33 Critic reviews

Episodes 13

Top cast 99+

• Lain Iwakura

• Additional Voices …

• Additional Voices
• DJ (Present Day announcer)

• Mika Iwakura
• Arisu Mizuki

• Reika Yamamoto

• Yasuo Iwakura

• Lain's NAVI …
• Miho Iwakura

• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

More like this

Did you know

• Trivia The two MIBs actually have names. The name of the short, Asian MIB is Lin Sui-Xi. The name of the tall, Caucasian MIB is Karl Haushofer. His character was the only one to be addressed by name during the series.

Lain Iwakura : No matter where you go, everyone's connected.

• Connections Featured in AMV Hell 3: The Motion Picture (2005)
• Soundtracks Duvet Performed by Boa

Technical specs

• Runtime 24 minutes

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• See more gaps
• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Recently viewed.

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

• About Rotten Tomatoes®
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening This Week
• Top Box Office
• Coming Soon to Theaters
• Certified Fresh Movies

Movies at Home

• Fandango at Home
• Prime Video
• Most Popular Streaming Movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• 88% Transformers One Link to Transformers One
• 75% Rob Peace Link to Rob Peace
• 97% His Three Daughters Link to His Three Daughters

New TV Tonight

• 100% Colin from Accounts: Season 2
• 100% Matlock: Season 1
• -- Grotesquerie: Season 1
• -- Nobody Wants This: Season 1
• 50% Rescue: HI-Surf: Season 1
• 100% Brilliant Minds: Season 1
• -- Murder in a Small Town: Season 1
• -- Everybody Still Hates Chris: Season 1
• -- Doctor Odyssey: Season 1
• -- Social Studies: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• 94% The Penguin: Season 1
• 78% Agatha All Along: Season 1
• 63% The Perfect Couple: Season 1
• 60% Twilight of the Gods: Season 1
• 47% Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story: Season 2
• 86% High Potential: Season 1
• 74% Kaos: Season 1
• 84% The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power: Season 2
• 100% From: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV

Certified fresh pick

• 78% Agatha All Along: Season 1 Link to Agatha All Along: Season 1
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

The Best ’90s TV Shows

The 100 Best Movies of 1994, Ranked by Tomatometer

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Awards Tour

8 Best Films From The Fall Festivals

Weekend Box Office: Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Three-peats by a Narrow Margin

• Trending on RT
• Hispanic Heritage Month
• TV Premiere Dates
• Transformers One First Reviews
• Marvel Shows Ranked

Season 1 – Serial Experiments Lain

Where to watch, serial experiments lain — season 1.

Buy Serial Experiments Lain — Season 1 on Apple TV.

Audience Reviews

Cast & crew.

Bridget Hoffman

Lain Iwakura

Ryutaro Nakamura

Chiaki Konaka

Akihiro Kawamura

Executive Producer

Season Info

Splendid Fred Magazine

Your weekly dose of quality online writing about the arts.

Features , Reviews

Everything Is Connected: A Review of ‘Serial Experiments Lain’ – by Jacob Wingate-Bishop

Serial Experiments Lain is a 1998 experimental anime television series, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura, with animation from Triangle Staff. Although it never really became the animated titan Neon Genesis Evangelion would prove, Lain is often compared to Hideaki Anno’s creation – namely in its use of complex psychology and existentialism; in trying to find out who we are, and what makes a person real.

So what’s SEL about? Well, a troubled young girl (Lain) finds herself drawn into a virtual world – the Wired – not unlike the internet of our own. As Lain becomes more involved in its cyberspace, she hears rumours of a hacker-group-turned-religious-cult, the Knights, and starts seeing strange things in her own world. Her friends and family become sucked in, and soon the reality Lain knows begins to merge with something else entirely, and the boundaries between our world – and the Wired – start to crumble.

One word brought up time and time again in regards to Lain is ‘weird’. And it is weird. I mean it’s really weird. I mean, I thought The End of Evangelion was weird, but Lain gives that a run for its money. It’s a relatively regular occurrence to be pretty perplexed throughout, and at times have absolutely no clue what’s going on. You’ll just have to make your peace with that. I would say that it makes sense after the series’ climax, but that probably wouldn’t be true. It’s certainly an anime that warrants re-watching if you’re a stickler for that sort of thing.

Serial Experiments Lain features a number of different themes, though; chief of them being the concept of cyberspace. Throughout the show, there are constant exterior shots; almost always populated with telephone lines, or interior scenes plagued with computer screens and mobile phones. Lain regularly checks her Navi (high-powered computers that have become so commonplace, even schoolchildren have them), and shadows don’t appear as black splotches – not as the series progresses. Instead we see ‘blood spots’ in them, used to symbolize the murky depths of the Wired (the virtual world underneath everything, constantly blending into our own).

A computerized voice reads out the name of each episode; and early on, we’re introduced to something called ‘Accela’ a kind of cybernetic drug that makes one’s world feel incredibly fast for a short time. Lain’s father only wants to talk to her when it’s about his passion – computers – insisting that she get a Navi ‘mature’ enough to suit her needs. With each episode, the girl’s room becomes more and more consumed by the hissing automatons of computing; from metal boxes to sprawling monitors, and cables which run like capillaries across the (minimal) spaces between, pumping cooling fluid from here to there. Everything furthers this idea that it’s all connected, all wired.

Inside or outside, we never quite escape the sounds of electric buzz or whirring, where no other sounds can be heard. And Lain hits us with this constant repetition throughout; in how nearly every episode stars the same exact way, with the same exact shots; a traffic light turning red, a taxi swerving out of the way of a pedestrian, the streets at night. It’s like a computer booting up. It becomes routine. And we cannot escape that blue-lit monotony.

Thus, communication is another theme that weaves itself throughout Lain. There’s just such little dialogue throughout the entire show. Lain herself is particularly withdrawn, but her sister barely speaks and her mum ignores her very existence. There is no communication between them. And yet, as we see Lain spend more time in the Wired, she is constantly seeking information; finding those who can provide her with something she doesn’t know. She gets her communication from another world; a digital one.

The whole of Serial Experiments Lain has the feel of that age-old narrative: of no one takes the time to talk to eachother anymore. And given that this anime came out just before the internet really came into its own, it’s pretty scary in that premonition. One hates to sound like that boomer at the breakfast table; gawping melodramatically at the mere mention of an iPod, but Lain is, in many ways, more relevant now than it ever was.

Double lives is also something that crops up a lot; or the idea of doubles in general. In the first episode, Lain’s friends are certain they saw in a nightclub, acting like the opposite of her normal self. Her personality fluctuates from instalment to instalment; until the characters within – and us on the either side of the monitor – wonder where Lain ends, and this Lain of the Wired begins?

But what stands out above all else to me is how incredibly minimalist Lain proves to be. In terms of the art style, white space is overwhelming, with the odd shadow or staircase telling you there’s anything there at all. The show almost makes buildings and structures out of the emptiness, in a way that seems both interesting and strangely claustrophobic. You feel trapped, shut in – with only the towering, skeletal telephone lines to mark your way.

Many shots and scenes are repeated, and the dialogue is, as noted before, few and far between. You might hear the faintest of piano keys in the background, the small patter of Lain’s footsteps. You really feel the disassociation within her; this idea that the real world is not really real at all. It’s distant – always shying away from her. One could probably make the point that the same goes for the viewer, who is pushed into feeling more and more disillusioned throughout, like Lain, but, well, we don’t really deal out that kind of high-brow, academic analysis here.

But, perhaps most importantly, is it a good anime? I mean, it’s surreal, and weird, and deeply psychological – questioning whether one really exists if they’re not remembered, or whether human bodies are nothing more than vessels for information – but is it actually a good anime? Is it enjoyable?

I admit, this is where most will disagree with me. I didn’t really get Serial Experiments Lain. And I don’t just mean in the normal way. You’ll understand some of it, you’ll question more of it. But that’s normal. It’s just one of those anime you’re supposed to take in, ponder, and never really comprehend. In that regard, it is just like Neon Genesis, to be fair. But personally, I found Lain a tough one to sit through. I’m not someone who needs action, but I thought it slow and monotonous for the most part; and with each episode barely clocking 20 minutes, that’s quite a feat.

Around episode six, things started becoming clearer; and aspects were introduced into the story that I really liked and found myself invested in. But my interest was quickly lost once more and, though I am glad I watched every episode , I think this was more due to the completionist in me than any actual stimulation. I feel like I’m yet to experience everything I can from Lain, and that’s a shame, but it’s not for lack of trying.

But would I recommend the show? Yeah, I would. At thirteen episodes, it’s an incredibly short anime, but it is well-made. And though it feels depressingly claustrophobic at times, Serial Experiments Lain is supposed to. It’s a statement; about not putting your faith in sole reality, or the internet. You are more than your body – you are yourself, your thoughts, your feelings, and those never really disappear, not entirely. It may be tough to decipher such a coded show, but there’s something in it for everybody. Even if it’s just confusion. There is a message, lost in the endless matrix, but though you might never read all of it, you can pluck something from the jumbled numbers.

Serial Experiments Lain is an odd one – and will, perhaps fortunately, remain a cult favourite evermore. But it gives Evangelion a run for its money and leaves you wholly speechless more than once. And who knows? It might just make you think twice before wiring yourself into the mainframe that proves inescapable these days. Where do you end, and where does your virtual self begin?

• Share on Tumblr

3 thoughts on “ Everything Is Connected: A Review of ‘Serial Experiments Lain’ – by Jacob Wingate-Bishop ”

Add Comment

• Pingback: November & December 2021 Monthly Favorites – Phoenix Talks Pop Culture Japan

Thank you! It’s certainly an anime that recognises its minimalism (sound and vision-wise) and uses that to its advantage. A really unique one, for sure.

I always like reading people’s thoughts on Lain! I really liked your commentary about sound design with all the buzzing sounds. For a series that’s really light on dialouge, like you said, all that background noise that fills the background is critical and really makes the series whole.

Leave a comment

• Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
• Subscribe Subscribed
• Copy shortlink
• Report this content
• View post in Reader
• Manage subscriptions
• Collapse this bar

Suggestions

A world connected: ‘serial experiments lain’ predicted the internet age.

“ Serial Experiments Lain ” starts with a deceptively straightforward mystery. One week after a middle-schooler named Chisa Yomoda takes her own life, her classmates suddenly begin to receive emails from her. Most of the recipients dismiss these messages as a tasteless prank, but one student named Lain Iwakura reluctantly replies.

Although the events of “Serial Experiments Lain” often seem like pure science fiction, nearly every episode begins with a disembodied voice that states, “present day, present time.” When the series first aired in 1998, this statement seemed contradictory next to the show’s frequent use of sci-fi themes and technology. However, the internet’s transformation of social interaction mirrors the Wired in numerous ways. It makes the show’s professed modern setting seem much more accurate to a 21st-century audience.

The Internet as a Social Platform

Digital avatars in the Wired are based on the user’s real-world appearance, but most cannot recreate their physical form fully for various reasons. This results in most people appearing as floating mouths and ears, creating anonymity in conversations with other strangers. As a result, they feel comfortable discussing private matters and spreading rumors in the public space. When Lain enters the Wired, she is immediately greeted by this cacophony of voices. This portrayal of an online social area mirrors many modern social media platforms. The constant stream of news, debates and random comments from millions of people creates a similarly overwhelming scene.

Split Identities

“Serial Experiments Lain” also explores these false appearances’ psychological impact on their practitioners. Lain initially believes her actions in the Wired will not affect her real life, allowing her to place a physical separation between the two personalities. However, these identities begin to conflict as more people in the real world recognize Lain by her online persona.

The separation of identity between online and reality continues to be a prominent source of controversy in the age of social media. While these online personas may begin within the user’s control, they can cause harm once they start to conflict and merge into public perception. Satoshi Kon’s “ Perfect Blue ” explored similar themes of mixed identity (specifically within idol culture) only a year before the airing of “Serial Experiments Lain.”

An article published by Psychology Today cited multiple studies in which youths reported social media diminished their self-confidence after receiving negative feedback on selfies and that they felt a need to present themselves through “inauthentic representations.” Like Lain, they may feel in control of their manufactured image but may lose this capability as public reception takes priority.

Virtual (and) Reality

These examples of the show’s odd imagery represent a correlation between reality and the internet commonly seen in today’s world. With millions of people connected through online platforms, real-life actions are likely to impact the internet and vice versa. Internet discussions can begin through people sharing minor occurrences in their lives, obsessing over recent celebrity incidents or reacting to prominent world events .

Similarly, online petitions and social media posts have sparked many changes and movements in the real world. The internet has evolved beyond its origins as a hub for information and communication by becoming a fundamental part of modern society and culture.

Online Addictions

She gradually upgrades her computer from a Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh to a comprehensive system of cable, pipes and machinery that engulfs the entirety of her room. Lain physically surrounds herself with devices and eventually implements wires that wrap around and attach her physical body to the computer. These physical and mental connections to the Wired ultimately separate Lain from reality.

Confronting the Wired

The show provides an impressively precise image of the current world for modern viewers. Additionally, its precautions against many behaviors that often trouble internet users serve as an excellent reminder for maintaining self-awareness and a distinction between online and reality. These lessons, atmospheric visuals, thematic complexity and a plot that’s as cryptic as captivating make “Serial Experiments Lain” an unusual but worthwhile cyberpunk classic.

Maximilian Padilla-Rodriguez, Florida Atlantic University

Writer profile, maximilian padilla-rodriguez, florida atlantic university english, leave a reply, related posts, cowboy bebop—an enduring animated classic, how blue eye samurai creates a phenomenal female-presenting heroine, jujutsu kaisen’s gorgeous second season exacerbates ethical issues in animation, the top ten club: a guide to highlighting your tv show faves, what happened to comic books, one inch barrier: a shift in america’s attitude toward international media, wasted potential: how ‘naruto’ failed its female characters, “astroboy” review: the blastoff of anime in the united states, easy-a uva classes, who are p1harmony, by the way, the universe is always singing, shakespeare, ‘coriolanus’ and ‘the ballad of songbirds and snakes’, more than struggle: palestinian cuisine.

'Serial Experiments Lain' Is A Mind-Twisting Sci-Fi Anime About The Horrors Of The Internet

(Welcome to  Ani-time Ani-where , a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.) For a couple of months now, I've shared with you some recent anime and a couple of older ones to both showcase the state of anime today and help those of you who unfamiliar with the medium to familiarize yourself with some genres and tropes. But since Halloween never ends in my house, and because being on the Internet feels like an endless horror movie, it's time to revisit one classic anime that didn't get the attention it deserved Stateside. A lot of people know about Cowboy Bebop and Neon Genesis Evangelion , but not nearly as many people are familiar with the tale of Serial Experiments Lain. Before some of you sharpen your pitchforks, I'm not saying that it's a completely unknown anime, just that it wasn't as influential or talked about. Do you like mind-bending tales of psychological horror that will hit way too close to home in this internet-age? What about a sci-fi anime with non-linear storytelling and one of the darkest depictions of the internet and social media? Well, you'll love Serial Experiments Lain. The show opens with a teenage girl committing suicide by jumping off a rooftop. Then we meet our protagonist, soft-spoken 14-year-old Lain Iwakura, whose life is turned upside down when she receives an e-mail from the girl who committed suicide earlier in the episode, claiming she has ascended to a new form within the "Wired" – the show's version of the Internet.  The show then deals with Lain entering the Wired, and experiencing some of the darkest corners of 1998 internet that look surprisingly like today's internet. At the same time, she has horrifying realizations about her identity and reality itself. It's a mind-twisting avant-garde, cyberpunk mystery about identity and what it means to be able to reinvent yourself in a place that isn't technically tangible.

What Makes It Great

Part Ghost in the Shell and part Twin Peaks , this 13-episode series combines teenage and household drama by showing us Lain's struggles to belong with her teenage classmates, with big philosophical ideas about existentialism and identity, all through very dense storytelling that can be difficult to follow at some points, but offers huge rewards to those that stick with it. Indeed, producer Yasuyuki Ueda said in an interview that he hoped American audiences wouldn't understand the series as the Japanese audiences would, but make their own interpretations of the show so an exchange of ideas would happen. There's a reason people consider Serial Experiments Lain to be psychological horror. After all, the series' writer, Chiaki J. Konaka was primarily a horror movies writer, and has stated that he was heavily influenced by The Exorcist , Hell House and House of Dark Shadows. Visually, the show follows suit, using technology and the internet as sinister beings lurking in the corner. Whenever Lain enters the Wired (she literally enters the internet, physically, it's a thing), she sees people as incomplete bodies, or just body parts surrounded by static in the shape of a body, to show how the version of ourselves we present online is just a partial version of ourselves. Likewise, telephone lines are always in the background of every scene, loudly buzzing and casting large shadows on the utterly white ground. Each morning as Lain walks to school, she is nearly blinded by the bright world that's outside the comfort and safety of her room.

What It Brings to the Conversation

The most fascinating aspect of Serial Experiment Lain is how eerily relevant and timely it is. Despite coming out in 1998, both the ideas and even some of the technology look more similar to our world than that of 20 years ago. As Lain starts to get interested in computers, her bedroom quickly becomes a desktop fortress full of black tubes, bulkheads and wires everywhere, with cooling fans and liquid cooling setups filling up every inch of her bedroom. Though computers don't cover entire rooms today, using cooling systems is common with a variety of computer users today.  More than visuals, the ideas of identity and anonymity are more relevant today than they've ever been. This is a show that came out way before the term NEET started drawing media and government attention in Japan, and the world of the Wired is one where identity and being are as fluid as the data going though the computers. Lain starts the show as a painfully introverted girl with no friends and a family that is strangely apathetic. Her classmates make fun of how boring she is and find it impossible to believe she is the girl they saw at a club one night because the real Lain can't do anything fun. But when she's connected to the Wired, Lain becomes an entirely different person, full of life and confident, glued to a proto-smartphone and even able to cultivate a fan base – but also a violent bully. The second half of the show then deals with Lain struggling to comprehend where her online personality ends and her offline one begins, knowing which one is her real self. Serial Experiments Lain even deals with topics very familiar to viewers, that of online bullying, online games, and violence. Not only does the show get in deep with conspiracy theories, even involving real names and ideas like Schumann resonances, but on the idea of violence in videogames and on the internet, before those debates really began. One episode deals with numerous students committing suicide, with the only connection being their addiction to an online action game, and the series explores how easy it is to manipulate easily suggestible people to do acta of violence, or scare them to death (in this case via a secret hacker society).

Why Non-Anime Fans Should Check It Out

If you want to start diving into some of the more mature and cerebral shows anime has to offer, but aren't quite ready yet for the emotional devastation that is Neon Genesis Evangelion , then Serial Experiments Lain is for you. It has enough existential questions to make you question your reality and your identity, and a plot that benefits from multiple viewings to fully appreciate while still being comprehensible enough to be enjoyed. More than anything, Lain offers a dark and intriguing look at our current Internet-obsessed era that feels quite timely despite being made 20 years ago.  Watch This If You Like: Neon Genesis Evangelion, Westworld, The Matrix, Ghost In The Shell

Serial Experiments Lain is streaming on Funimation's YouTube channel .

Reviews Anime / SerialExperimentsLain

Anime good visuals, m.a.a.d. writing.

DISCLAIMER The views and events expressed on this anime are totally screwed and are not necessarily the views of anyone. However, the events and suggestions that appear in this series are NOT to be taken lightly. Chiaki Konaka is not responsible for your actions: upon -legally- downloading the episodes you have agreed NOT to try this at home.

So, I recently concluded all of my school obligations, and I decided to celebrate in the only way I know: by watching an old school anime and drinking ice tea. Yeah I do have regrets.

So how can I not talk about "Serial Experiments Lain", the first noticeable series written by the visionary Chiaki Konaka, who would have gone forward to become the main creative vision behind "Digimon Tamers". The world is weird.

So, "Serial Experiments Lain" itself is what happens when a PSA from the 90s on the dangers of the internet gets taken too far. The main focus of the story is really loose, not because the story itself is all that complex, but because it's presented in a really weird way: informations get voluntarily omitted in order to confuse the viewer, and with the dark visuals and atmospheres, it's pretty much clear that they wanted to take the series down on the "tv series as art" path. Does it work?

Well, I would say that, writing wise, it's a bit of a mess. There are some clearly imaginative things here, but the characters feel surprisingly under-cooked and really minimally structured. In this series, Konaka's approach is really close to old art movies and modern horror flicks - masks more than characters, not really developing anyone behind the eyes, and really surface-like characterizations for the sake of message. It's not an approach I love, but I feel like I can tolerate it in the previously mentioned genres because those are made for movies: in a thirteen episodes series it tends to outstay its welcome.

This series shines on the technical side, however. For starters, the style is really good: technological, lenient on the cyber-punk-ian side of the sci-fi spectrum, while remaining cold looking and dark in the visuals, with a good touch of familiarity to the setting to increase the tension and the mystery. The soundtrack is also really good, with creepy ambient and electronic jams, sealed all by a great opening theme.

I'm sorry for not being able to discuss this series in more detail, but it's really hard not to do any spoiler here... so let's say that I appreciated the pacing and the story structure, while thinking that the ending and plot-twists were boring and cliché. The themes... they were there, I guess.

So... I guess it's a 7/10, as in "not for me, but maybe somebody else will appreciate it".

I'm not done with Konaka, though. There's still a certain third series of a franchise left to talk about...

Anime A show good enough to seduce bored housewives with...

I've watched Lain twice now, and I am still amazed at its mood and power.

The animation is distinctive and beautiful, and the show is worth watching for this alone. Combined with the fantastically judged pacing, this creates a haunting atmosphere that lingers throughout the entire 4 hours of the series. There is a huge focus on the mise-en-scene throughout, with many scenes bathed in a dominant, almost creepy, wash of yellow glow, like that of a late afternoon on a sunny spring day, while scenes set at night use cool blues and greens instead.

The animation is very limited, and often simplistic (though highly effective); but the attention to detail in the still imagery is incredible. Note the patches of colour, usually red or violet, sometimes other colours, visible in the shadows. Then note how Lain's shadow is visibly glowing, with so many patches of colour in it that the black of the shadow itself becomes barely visible. It's subtle details like this which make this programme the triumph it is.

Most of the character focus is given to the titular Lain, with other characters (the possible exception being Alice/Arisu) only given minor attention, and yet the focus given to them is more than enough to tell you all you need to know about them, such is the quality of the show's writing.

I would recommend this show to anyone, although I would warn them that the plot is complicated, disturbing, and often ambiguous. Lain's creators have stated themselves that the meaning of the show is up to personal interpretation , my interpretation being that it has no inherent meaning. It's meaning is art. Nothing more.

The show also does an incredible job (remember it was produced in 1998) of predicting the rise of modern social networking and many of the internet's other aspects, and elements which at first appear random, pointless, and a bit stupid (episode 9) actually do a fantastic job of explaining meme theory.

The show's soundtrack is also another highlight, often consisting of nothing but silence and the sound of character's voices, at other times using white noise (specifically buzzing power cables) to create atmosphere, before suddenly switching to a badass rock and techno soundtrack, which cuts out as unexpectedly as it does in, catching the viewer out to haunting effect.

Anime Yep, it is weird, and not easy to catch

Finished the series a day ago, I am pretty confused about what to write down in my review. Serial Experiments Lain is different to most anime series I have seen. It has a solid plot, but it is so thinly approached in the story that it could barely be refered as such. Instead, the story simply raids the narrative in order to use to to present ideas and conceptions. In this sense, I feel Lain is a purer representation of cyberpunk ideas (not cyberpunk itself) than many other anime of the genre. His entertaining value is another field. This is not the kind of anime you must watch while in search of a conventional entertaining - it can easily enthrall like any conventional anime, as I myself was ferociously hooked in for the first part of the series, but it will noy make you enjoy by the resolution of a plot or the skilled handling of events. Instead, Lain is almost like a song or even a sung poem: a work about philosophical and scientific themes presented in an artistic and not necessarily sensical way. In other words, this series is to conventional anime what Lain Iwakura is to the rest of humans.

Anime Pretty overrated, quite frankly.

The beginning looks very detached from the rest of the series (especially that special drug ‘Accela’); and, generally, most of the series contained too many additions to the plot that could have easily been done away with and would not be missed. It wasn’t quite as mind-screwy as people said it would be; in fact, it was mostly straight-forward if you bothered to pay attention to the dialogue and the Freeze Frame Bonus texts. Still, it was a pretty good watch (especially if one skipped the opening and ending sequences), with excellent æsthetics that fit the series perfectly.

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Image Fixer
• New Articles
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

• Anime Search
• Seasonal Anime
• Recommendations
• 2024 Challenge
• Fantasy Anime League
• Manga Search
• Manga Store
• Interest Stacks
• Featured Articles
• Episode Videos
• Anime Trailers
• Advertising
• MAL Supporter

More Top Anime

• 1 Sousou no Frieren
• 2 Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood
• 3 Steins;Gate
• 5 Shingeki no Kyojin Season 3 Part 2

More Top Airing Anime

• 1 Monogatari Series: Off & Monster Season
• 2 One Piece
• 3 "Oshi no Ko" 2nd Season
• 4 Doupo Cangqiong: Nian Fan
• 5 Make Heroine ga Oosugiru!

More Most Popular Characters

• 1 Lamperouge, Lelouch
• 3 Monkey D., Luffy
• 4 Lawliet, L
• 5 Roronoa, Zoro

serial experiments lain 全話一挙【無料ビデオ1週間】

9月20日(金) 08:00 〜 14:00

• 父・岩倉康雄：大林隆之介
• 母・岩倉美穂：五十嵐麗
• 姉・岩倉美香：川澄綾子
• 企画・原案：Production 2nd
• オリジナルキャラクターデザイン：安倍吉俊
• キャラクターデザイン：岸田隆宏
• アニメーション制作：トライアングルスタッフ
• 製作：GENEON ENTERTAINMENT

(C)NBCUniversal Entertainment Japan

layer:01“ＷＥＩＲＤ”

layer:02“ＧＩＲＬＳ”

layer:03“ＰＳＹＣＨＥ”

layer:04“ＲＥＬＩＧＩＯＮ”

layer:05“ＤＩＳＴＯＲＴＩＯＮ”

layer:06“ＫＩＤＳ”

layer:07“ＳＯＣＩＥＴＹ”

layer:08“ＲＵＭＯＲＳ”

layer:09“ＰＲＯＴＯＣＯＬ”

layer:10“ＬＯＶＥ”

layer:11“ＩＮＦＯＲＮＯＧＲＡＰＨＹ”

layer:12“ＬＡＮＤＳＣＡＰＥ”

layer:13“ＥＧＯ”