.:Serial Experiments Lain:.
Lain Iwakura appears to be an ordinary girl, with almost no experience with computers. Yet the sudden suicide of a schoolmate, and a number of strange occurrences, conspire to pull Lain into the world of the Wired, where she gradually learns that nothing is what it seems to be... not even Lain herself.
.:Series Info:.
Series: Serial Experiments Lain
Genre: Sci-Fi, Supernatural
Language: English
Total Episodes: 13
Publisher: Geneon Entertainment
Developer: production 2nd
Written by: Yoshitoshi ABe,Yasuyuki Ueda
Director: Johei Matsuura,Akihiko Nishiyama,Masahiko Murata,Ryutaro Nakamura,Shigeru Ueda
Character Design: Takahiro Kishida, Yasuyuki Ueda
Music: Reiichi Nakaido
Release Date in Japan: ???
Release Date in USA: 7/??/1999
Running Time: 23 min
.:Story:.
Taking place in ”present day, present time,” Serial Experiments Lain centers on the life of a shy and awkward girl named Iwakura Lain. After a fellow classmate, Yomoda Chisa, commits suicide several people start receiving strange emails from her. Lain, new to the computer world, gets an email from Chisa in which she says that she’s alive and has only abandoned her body in order to be free in the wired world. Chisa tells her that God exists in the wired and prompts her to join her there. From this point on Lain’s world shifts into the bizarre, the line between the wired and the real world starts to become distorted. Her friend Alice tries to include her in some social activities but being quiet and insecure she doesn’t fit in and only manages to draw Alice into her own confused life. Lain starts to become acquainted with the computer world and tries to uncover more about the secret society known as the Knights, who hold a lot of power in the wired. Lain’s world becomes more confused as she is observed by Men in black, questions her identity, and starts to talk to the god of the Wired. This anime covers many topics but is a lot mostly about religion, finding oneself, and communicating with others.
.:Dubbing:.
The dubbing for the anime is flawless. The dialogue is sparse but that which is there is deep and significant. The voices fit well with the characters they portray.
.:Voice Actors:.
The voice acting is very well done, they make the character believable and draw you into the story. You can sense the change in voice for the ‘good’ Lain and for the ‘bad’ Lain. You can also feel the sense of disconnect Lain’s sister has, because it is well reflected in her voice and mannerisms.
.:ArtWork:.
The drawings are well made and look crisp on the screen. The detail for the background is amazing. The lighting and background do much add to the story and also do a good job of setting up the mood of the series. Some shots are very well done for example, when you see how Lain’s room is always dark and the only light is the one radiating from the computer screens. Also how Lain becomes covered with wires and her look deteriorates this all goes to show the overall state of the character. Both scenes are very well drawn and realistic.
.:Music:.
The music is appropriately chosen to be techno and slow-tuned songs. The opening song Duvet by Boa, is not the typical Jpop song placed on anime shows, but a simple and pleasant song that fits the mood of the show perfectly.
.:Screen Shots:.
Rated by Monica