Serial Experiments Lain TV Series Review By Rashad Moore
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	Audience:	16+
	Genre:	Sci-Fi
	Contains:	brief graphic violence, disturbing imagery, drug use
	Rating:	A-

"what is lain?"

Serial Experiments Lain has to be one of the most visually (and auricularly) effective animes to come out in a long time. Not to mention it's also one of the trippiest and strangest aniamtion to grace the screen. (Forget Pikachu's Summer Vacation) Containing one of the most bold, complex themes that even dwarf the mind-bending Akira, Serial Experiments Lain is even far more so. It will put your brain through the wash and spin dry all at once. The anime discusses the lost of identity in an ever-growing world of technology and how our world is becoming consumed by it. A mind-bending experience to coin the phrase.

It all begins when a schoolgirl named Chisa mysteriously commits suicide by jumping off the side of a building one night.(In a sequence that is almost similar to Marje's death scene on Macross Plus) A couple of days later, a shy young girl named Lain Iwakura and her classmates receive a strange e-mail claiming to be from Chisa herself! Chisa explains to Lain that she abandoned her body in order to live in an alternate world called "the wired" a world that probably originated from the internet. Lain becomes intriged and decides for herself to inhabit the wired, from then on she discovers her alternate personality and a possibility that her reality and life is not her own, a weird prophecy that may affect the real world and the wired, and a strange conspiracy involving Lain and a group of mysterious hackers named the "knights." To get into Lain completely would take up this entire review.

The title of the first episode of the series explains Serial Experiments Lain in a nut shell, "weird." Serial Experiments Lain is such an intriging and utterly confounding series that the most intellegent viewer will feel as if their mind has been squashed and twisted. If viewers want to check their brain at the door, this show is the worst place to start. First off, this show is extremely, EXTREMELY metaphysical. If you thought the TV ending to the Evangelion was confusing, Lain is even more so. It's a real challenge for the viewer to fully comprhend. Lain presents a world like our own in some ways, and in other ways it's not. The anime is utterly unpredictable in it's presentation and feels as distant as Lain's family,(in a plot twist I will NOT reveal this time around :) ) Lain is one bold experiment in itself. It's storyline questions the nature of technology with human relationships and how we eventually lose ourselves to it. The atmosphere feels effectively unstable, as if the wired really is influencing the real world in more ways than one. Visuals and sound are an important element to the series, it's constant use of symbolism and sound, such as the occasional, disturbing psychedelic screens that pop up with subtitles to say either cryptic gibberish, or what a certain character is feeling or saying. Another example is the constant shots of phone lines and loud voices that ring out truly prove that the wired does exist.

The characters also add a touch of realism to the series, each character stands out with characteristics that frightningly mirror our own and are very believable. From Lain's gossipy friends, to her computer fanatic father and her cold and distant mother, no character ever falls under a cliche like most anime. Lain herself goes through some extreme development as her personality changes as she delves deeper into the wired, the results are both rewarding and confusing. Later on, Lain deals even more confusing plot twists that it will possibly take a few viewings to understand. From then on they get so numerous to count or keep up with, Lain is certainly an anime that needs to be seen more than once. This is not for younger viewers though, but not because there is any sex, violence, or language, but the complex plot and imagery will confuse them to the point whether they just won''t care at all, or end up needing head surgery. It's best not to take the anime too fast.

The animation is pure surrealism, while the character designs are rather simple, they are very fluid in movement to good effect. The show also uses heavy amounts of CG effects, but for a show such as this, it is very fitting and justifiable. The colors are dark and also used to good effect adding to an overall dream-like feel to it's dark and surreal atmosphere. The music is another plus, the first thing that deserves noticing is the flawless sound editing, it is just as important to the show as what happens visually and just add to the overall effect and feel. The gimmicky MTV-style opening theme, score, and ending songs are also noteworthy and worth seeking out the soundtrack for. What's even better is they play exactly when they need to and is never intrusive and never detracts from the overall experience.

In the end, Serial Experiments Lain is all about communication and how technology keeps us together and apart at the same time. While it's not for every one, Lain is a quality series that is not to be missed. One more thing that was also noteworthy were the strange episode previews, they are filmed in live-action and tell nothing about the upcoming episode at all!(Or does it?) Lain is one mind-boggling experience that really hits home in today's changing world of vast technology. Highly recommended, but is as easy to figure out as an escher painting.

Pioneer Entertainment. Image shown is not created by atek studios. Review by Rashad Moore. August 2000.