Serial Experiments Lain

Full Title: Serial Experiments Lain
Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Science Fiction, Supernatural
Episodes: 13
Uploaded By: Mavrik
My Age Rating: PG-13 (Mild Language, Violence, Adult Situations)

Lain is an ordinary school girl. She's unassuming, doesn't have very many friends, and she has a strong ability to pick up on many things others don't. She accepts the world how it is and wishes for no more. That is until a classmate kills herself by throwing herself off a building, and then starts sending emails to everyone in the class seemingly from the grave. Intrigued by the act, Lain enters the WIRED (sort of an internet...) for the first time and is surprised when everyone recognizes her. As she gets more and more involved in the WIRED, her social life picks up, and everything starts to change. Now, Lain is being followed around on the WIRED and in real life. People start telling stories of a second Lain, a more brutal version of herself. But of all the abnormal things happening around her, the strangest thing of all is the change that is happening to Lain herself, and each step she takes as she searches for answers brings her closer and closer to a truth she doesn't want to face and into the presence of a "god"...The first episode of this series bears the title of "Weird," appropriate description for the entire show. Dark, disturbing in parts, and throughly bizarre, the tale of Lain is an ocean for anyone wanting to dive into the deeper parts of anime. Each action has a consequence, and in the end, everything is wrapped up. When you reach the end, however, you may not agree with me. I assure you, it makes sense. Understanding the tale just requires an amount of brainwork not required for the usual anime. This is not for first time anime viewers and definitely not for those seeking breezy entertainment.

As for my opinion, I throughly enjoyed my run through the episodes. I enjoyed it even more when, thinking back on the series after seeing all of it, I figured out what was actually going on in the anime. The art style exhibited during the show goes for a minimalistic approach in most places. No brightness or flashy animation here, some won't like it, but I find it refreshing. The voice acting is par, and the music, or lack thereof, is as strange as the show. The opening is interesting, and the ending sequence consists of a naked (don't worry, you can't see anything...) Lain curled up in electrical cords, odd to say the least. If you want a break from the normal run-of-the-mill anime, or you desire to immerse yourself in a deep and sophisticated story, than give Serial Experiments Lain a try, but it's not for everyone.

My Rating: 7.9/10 (Very Good)