Serial Experiments Lain

About Serial Experiments Lain

Looking for background on Serial Experiments Lain? This drama, mystery and psychological series by Triangle Staff (1998) starts out like this. In short: We're all connected... There is the world around us, a realm of people, tactile sensation, and culture.

Further in, there is the wired world, inside the computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences, and a culture all of its own. The day after a classmate commits suicide, Lain, a 14-year-old girl, discovers how closely the two worlds are linked when she receives an e-mail from the dead girl: I just abandoned my body. I still live here...

With drama at the core, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Lain Iwakura (Kaori Shimizu) and Masami Eiri (Shou Hayami) are two of the characters you will meet early. If you count yourself among viewers who prefer story and feelings over flashy action, put it on your list. The run is 13 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Triangle Staff is the studio behind Serial Experiments Lain, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. Because it leans on drama, character writing and emotional payoff matter more than spectacle. Viewers rate it 8.0/10, which signals strong word of mouth. Voice casting, including Kaori Shimizu as Lain Iwakura, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 1998, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.