An Arthouse Sci-Fi Anime with Philosophical themes that has rightfully earned itself as a Cult Classic in the fandom.
Serial Experiments Lain is a 13-episode anime that aired in Spring 1998. It has been animated by Triangle Staff and directed by Ryuutarou Nakamura (Kino’s Journey / Kino no Tabi: the Beautiful World).
This original anime features Drama, Mystery, Psychological, Sci-Fi, & Supernatural. What makes this anime unique is its interesting take on the internet and its philosophical questions surrounding it.
[Summary of: Background]
I have heard positive praise from very passionate anime fans over the years but I have kept neutral expectations with this classic anime before watching. Bluray copy, JP Audio, ENG Subtitles from Coalgirls.
[Summary of: Plot / Story / Characters]
A slow-paced episodic anime with a subtle overarching plot. The original story features a teenage girl named Lain and her adventures in Japan’s futuristic interpretation of the internet posing philosophical questions in its cyberpunk-esque setting. It has a linear timeline but it presents its story beats in an abstract arthouse manner that will require the audience’s time and attention to understand it. Lain is a memorable main character while the rest of the side characters are grounded and serve their roles.
[Summary of: Visuals / Animation]
The arthouse visuals for this show have aged well with stellar moments despite being a product of its time making it a very unique experience. For this show, the animation is serviceable and utilizes editing tricks as well as special effects which fits the show’s atmosphere and tone.
[Summary of: Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting]
The show’s audio has been done very well in establishing a futuristic atmosphere while also being grounded in reality. In terms of its soundtrack, the only standout is the opening song while the rest of the soundtrack was serviceable. As for the voice-acting, only Lain’s voice actor stood out while the rest of the cast was serviceable.
[Summary of: Overall]
I recommend this show for everyone, you can check out if you like this show based on being hooked or not after an episode or two. It helps to be a fan of arthouse, cyberpunk, psychological, and episodic shows but it is not necessary. This was a personal 10 for me but your experience may vary. Overall, a very satisfying experience and I really loved this show!
When I started getting into anime, I had always heard about this show talked a lot about among online anime circles when mentioning classic anime and sci-fi/cyberpunk-esque anime. Sometimes you see this anime mentioned among ‘elitists’ favorites list and it is played off as for real and/or for jokes. Regardless, my preconceived notions of this anime is that it is well-respected among very passionate anime fans. As a result, my expectation was pretty neutral but there was always some positive praise for the show making me always open-minded to it. PSA - it is very risky to have high expectations when consuming media work. Please be cautious and make sure it is neutral if you want to maximize your enjoyment.
Anyways, for many years, I have never gotten to it until my friend wanted to groupwatch it after we watched Perfect Blue and I figured I might as well.
This review will be based on my group-watch experience for this show with my friend who has already seen it and explained some interpretations which we have done on-off for two weeks.The show was watched in Bluray, JP Audio, and ENG subtitles from Coalgirls.
Now the review. I’ll be talking about the anime in the following categories:
1) Plot / Story / Characters
The plot structure for this show is episodic with a subtle overarching plot tying the story together in a linear manner (a story arc generally being finished in 1 episode).
Considering the subject matter of this show and its episodic structure, it makes it difficult to binge multiple episodes at once - at least for me. However, this is not a bad thing. If anything, the philosophical themes it presents are great to have some pause and reflection.
This original story takes place in Japan in real life and their version of the internet is called ‘The Wired’. We follow a teenage girl named Lain and her adventures surrounding this internet environment which also affects her real life. It is a science fiction story with some philosophical themes sprinkled through and the pacing can be seen as a bit slow but it’s trying to establish a specific atmosphere and I think that is perfectly fine.
The show does something very bold by saying “Present Day, Present Time” and while some of the technology is a little bit outdated (90s/2000s), the themes it presents are still relevant to today. Whenever we encounter a societal aspect of technology, it is very easy to imagine today’s version of that idea or device. I have found that history repeats itself but in different variations and this is a good example of that.
Growing up on the internet and after experiencing a pandemic as well as witnessing big technology mess with society’s cultural perceptions on a wide-scale utilizing algorithms, echo chambers, artificial intelligence, etc. It is very easy to point out the version of society in Lain as inaccurate from personal experiences, however the imaginative interpretation of our future from Lain was extremely commonplace many years ago and maybe to cyberpunk to an extent.
Accuracies aside, Lain’s interpretation of the internet, its future, and society is very interesting and entertaining. Its setting and the storylines within said setting bring great philosophical questions to ponder about regarding humanity and our existence. And among these questions, the story asks us about our own answers because outright believing everything at face-value is probably not helpful in a show like this where it messes with your perception of the show’s reality.
Personally, I have not found the show to be that complex. However it did require me to pause and reflect at times. For some viewers that aren’t engaged, they will miss aspects of the story that plays out, hence attention is required to enjoy the show, in my opinion.
Also, it is worth mentioning that the story is linear but it tells some ideas in an abstract manner as well as some show don’t tell methodology. To me, it is a great mix of standard storytelling with abstract presentations in an arthouse manner. It strikes a fine balance between both and I think this makes Serial Experiments Lain very unique as an anime among the medium. Personally, they just don’t make these types of shows anymore and I can understand why it has earned its cult classic status.
The characters starring in this show are grounded. Sometimes these grounded characters are not that entertaining but I think the story is more focused on Lain and her surroundings. Thus, most of the characterization is with Lain and her minor interactions with others.
Personally, I was more invested in Lain than the rest of the characters. Some of the side characters felt like a means for some plot points - for better or for worse. In a way, you could interpret this as a commentary on how Lain being connected to these characters in an online space does not mean being connected in a human emotional sense.
Regardless, the characters are serviceable and the only memorable character is Lain. in my opinion.
2) Visuals / Animation
The visual art for this show still holds up to today and I think it has aged well. It is not super detailed and pretty but for a show from 1998, I think it was pretty stellar seeing all of the art shown on-screen.
The character designs are also a reflection of that era of anime too, it has clearly evolved over the decades and so it is a nice throwback. There were some background shots and moments in the show that were jawdropping, so combine that with arthouse direction - it is pretty stellar. While they do reuse a lot of the same shots, environments, and all - it does not feel that unearned considering what they are trying to accomplish.
The animation is serviceable. Nothing stands out huge or any sakuga moments and I think they rely on more editing tricks as well as special effects to sell the animation but the visual art really does carry the show so I can forgive it.
For a slower-paced show like Serial Experiments Lain, I think it is perfectly fine to not have lots of huge animation moments anyways. So this is completely okay on my end.
3) Audio / Soundtrack / Voice Acting
The show utilizes a lot of sounds from its environment and the wire electric noises to really set its atmosphere of a futuristic type of space while also seeing a very familiar real life environment. Overall, I think the show really did a great job with its audio direction and it makes it very notable among its peers.
The Opening song and animation for this show is amazing. It’s catchy and fun to listen to while also setting the tone for the show. Nothing of note changes in the OP as the show progresses.
As for the Ending (ED) song and animation, I thought it was okay. It was not my personal jam and easily skippable. Nothing of note changes in the ED and there are no after-credit scenes.
Personally, I cannot recall any OST or Insert songs. However upon searching it up and listening, yes, there were some songs here and there. They were not that memorable personally but it did the job of establishing its environment.
Lain’s voice actor is a standout in this anime - Kaori Shimuzi. The rest of the cast are serviceable for me and fit their roles. Nothing else to note, they did their job well. It could be said that since the show revolves around Lain, that is why she shined.
4) Overall
This show is not for everyone, however, I still recommend trying it out regardless.
If you are looking for a philosophical show that explores its imaginative version of the internet in a slow-paced cerebral manner with arthouse direction. I highly recommend this show.
If you aren’t looking for that, I still recommend trying an episode or two if you’re open-minded. However, if it still does not hook you afterwards, then the show is not for you right now. Nothing changes or improves if you are not interested in the beginning.
Your anime rating scale and subjective experience with this show may vary from mine.
My rating is a 10 which on my rating scale means: “Chills, intense emotional catharsis, perfect, and/or possibly life-changing.”
Overall, it was a very entertaining watch for me personally and I never got bored. Still lives rent-free in my head and I’m a fan. We love lain!
A common mistake with looking at ratings is assuming all of our rating scales are the same, while realistically that is never the case.
People rate average anime differently, some rate it as 5, 6 or a 7 depending on their own personal criteria which is subjective in nature. This explains why we all have different tastes.
My Personal Rating Scale (Anime):
4 and below = Considered dropped but I finished it for some reason.
5 = Meh, no rewatch ever.
6 = Meh, would only rewatch if forced.
7 = Good entertainment! Enjoyed the ride.
8 = Great entertainment, not one of the best though.
9 = Loved the story!! Not life-changing but incredible!
10 = Chills, intense emotional catharsis, perfect, and/or possibly life-changing.
The last time I wrote a review was back in Sept 2021. It’s been a hiatus, however I still do watch from time to time. Generally, I make a review because I don’t see my own voice among the reviews and I’m motivated, this is one of those cases. I might make another one but no promises haha.
Hopefully, you learned something useful from the review. Thanks for reading. :)
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