Serial Experiments Lain - Vol. 1 Details

[Highly rated reviewer]

Confusing at first but worth watching through

It does seem very odd at first but if this is enough to deter you then you're only letting yourself down. The story progresses slowly during the first volume, getting you to know the characters and their relationship with Lain.

Most of the story leaves you wanting to know more but it finally falls into place by the end of the series, this is done cleverly without cliffhangers, and makes you feel like you're along with Lain for the ride, trying to understand what's happing just as she is.

The animation is different, seemingly bland and emphasising things that others wouldn't normally notice. I believe this is because it's showing you the world as Lain sees it, which I can understand because I see the world in a similar way, noticing the small things that others overlook and being more distracted by the electricity pylons rather than the sky beyond them.

Overall I consider this a fantastic anime but you need to go beyond the first volume to see the true majesty of it.

An interesting spin on an overdone subject

Stories dealing with the overlap between cyber-reality and the 'real' world may have been done to death, especially in the anime genre; but SE:L is offbeat enough to hold the interest of those who don't demand explicit violent or titillating content in every anime they see.

The likeable main character is the introverted Lain, who both comes out of her shell and is alienated from her teenage peers by the strange events that befall her. Whether it's e-mails from the dead, sinister MIB-wannabes, time-accelerated junkies or a kid's game of Tag that turns lethal, Lain is always sympathetic and watchable. And she has very cute pyjamas :) !