Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #67388 in DVD
• Released on: 2004-01-06
• Rating: Unrated
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Animated, Color, DVD-Video, Subtitled, THX, NTSC
• Original language: English, Japanese
• Subtitled in: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 101 minutes

Amazon.com
In serial experiments lain, things get very weird very quickly, and they stay that way. A schoolgirl commits suicide, but several days later her classmates receive e-mail from the dead girl. One--an introverted 13-year-old called Lain--replies, and her correspondent claims not to be dead, but to have passed into the "wired world." Eventually, Lain must join her. What follows is a story that combines virtual-reality, nanotechnology, a host of other science fiction concepts, and a healthy dose of postmodern paranoia. It would be unfair to reveal much more about the plot, but the phrase "nothing is what it seems" applies to just about everything in this compelling anime.

The beauty of serial experiments lain is the deliberate pace at which the story unfolds. Director Ryutaro Nakamura eschews the hyperkinetic style of many anime, allowing the plot to develop in slow motion and making every single image count. The first episode (a total of four are included) is a masterpiece of shifting moods and slowly building tension. Every detail--from the strange blotchy shadows to the ever-present hum of power lines to the slow tracking shots across the dazed face of Lain herself--helps create an atmosphere of unease, and as the truth is gradually revealed, that unease is amply justified. The art direction is superb, mixing computer graphics with traditional animation and making frequent use of high-contrast images that set deep shadows against a blinding white sky. The first four episodes of serial experiments lain combine the millennial dread of Neon Genesis Evangelion with the subtle menace of The X-Files to create a uniquely disturbing beginning to an imaginative and intelligent story. Stay tuned. --Simon Leake

Customer Reviews

One of the best anime series I have ever seen.
"Lain" is one of those anime series that surpasses your expectations, leaves you speechless, confused and completely engrossed in the storyline. Lain is a teenager who gets an e-mail from a classmate that committed suicide. She tells her that she is alive, that she left the flesh and lives at The Wired. This starts Lain's quest to find out the truth about The Wired, an enormous computer network, like the Internet, but it is actually a reality apart from the physical world.

Lain starts to find out the truth about The Wired and sees her life change in the process. This is an amazing series that deals with philosophy, identity, culture, reality, computers, and the ever-changing culture and way of life of people due to technology. It is truly one of the deepest and most amazing series I have ever seen. This is one to watch.

lain serial experiaments
One of the best animation ever, before watching the series remember what the cover says, "close the world, open the next." I won't explain the plot but you should do the following to fully enjoy this anime(turn down the lights). Watch the entire series before forming an opinion, be sure to watch the beginning and ending credits also since you will realize it is part of the plot of the series, never miss the subtitles info( if yours isn't english language version). You should have plenty of quesions popping in your head, now watch it again( it is better if you let it soak in your head a little while, since we need time to process the info) and realize what the story is trying to say verbally and through the background scenery.
This anime is for mature people, and so is the content( this is how life is like there(maybe here.....in the distant future?)) and graphics of this series(nothing really obscene though but keep in mind this is how the world really looks in the mind of the story teller), little kiddies shouldn't be watching this. If your happy you probably won't after watching this, sad maybe, since it is dark and ominous, but definately worth watching. Turn the lights back on but you might be scared to turn your computer now... wireless internet connection...yeh, that is a scary thought.

Wow
After watching anime for about four years now (I am not a kid) I can honestly say that Lain, so far, is a truly excellent anime series, if not just excellent sci-fi in general.
What I liked so much about this anime (just be warned, this is the same reason why some people absolutely hate the show)is how absolutely, wonderfully strange this all is. I of course, as you can see, consider the oddness of the show as a plus to its production and most certainly not a minus. I can't tell you how many times I've seen animes, or just plain shows for that matter, that are in fact very strange, but yet, theres no meaning behind it. Its just weird for the sake of being weird, which isn't what its there for. Lain isn't trying to be weird, its just the way the show is naturally, and thats what makes it so unique. It all has purpose, every image means something, the focus on the powerlines twisting throughout the street is just an example of that.
What I also liked about this show was actually Lain herself as a character. I liked her for how mellow she was, I can't stand how animes always have shreiking annoying school girls all over the place, it really grates on the nerves, but Lain herself is far more reserved, she's acts like a very real, quiet teenager.
I also really loved the animation, for 1998 it was really cutting edge, but even now, eight years later it still holds up really well. Its a very good looking show, exhibiting appropriate colors to establish the more quiet, subdued, hauting mood presented to us. I also really liked Lain's character design, its very memorable.

Overall I really like Lain alot, its a really cool series and I encourage all, serious anime fans to give it a shot. Everybody says its like the Matrix, but you don't need to be a Matrix fan to like this, I absolutely hate that movie, but for some reason I loved this, call me crazy. But anyway, if you like Kino's Journey, Noir, or Paranoia Agent, I would give this a shot. I know the plots in all three of those animes are highly different from Lain and for that matter from each other but as far as mood and style are concerned they all remind me alot of Lain. You'll either love it or hate it, but either way you can't argue its extraordinary.