May 12, 2022
It's best to preface this review with an acknowledgement that Duvet by Boa is an astonishingly good song, and I'm so happy that Ryūtarō Nakamura chose it for this anime's opening. It helps of course that it's paired with a gorgeous opening video that perfectly captures the eerie yet mournful atmosphere of the show. Unlike most anime today though, it also manages to do this without spoiling anything!
And yet, Lain does eventually transform into the girl on the TV screen we are shown in the opening, though her transformation throughout the twelve long episodes of Serial Experiments is slow, unsure, and ultimately undermined by the
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story itself. This transformation is the core thread that constitutes one half of the narrative. It is the major change we see the titular protagonist experience not once but twice; first through LAIN of the Wired, a supernatural being that exists only in the anime's version of the Internet. Nakamura is sure to never truly explain what or who LAIN of the Wired is, instead hinting to this other 'self' that possesses or is possessed by Lain's form. The 'master', or 'original' in their relationship is arguably even less clear. Before the grand reveal, we are even shown moments when LAIN of the Wired takes control of Lain's physical body. But I think that of all the questions that can be asked about LAIN, the one thing that I can say is that LAIN of the Wired is me.
It is the "internet persona"; represented with startling accuracy by writer Chiaki Konaka, in 1998, long before the internet had any indication of supplanting itself into the very core of human culture so much as it has done today. Somehow, at this time, LAIN was already a profound commentary on the reality of individuals like Lain that come to reside on the internet: the hiding of one's real self and the masking of one's thoughts in favour of untruths of exaggerated truths, needless violence and excessive aggression. People are too comfortable saying things that they never would in real life. In a way, on the internet, we all become LAIN of the Wired. But then, if this is true, then LAIN of the Wired is synonymous with Lain, because the internet persona is synonymous with ourselves. Ourselves, that is, without fear of scopesis, or with no inhibition.
The beauty of such a premonitory image is its raw honesty. Serial Experiments: Lain says much that is clear of bias, and it was written from a perspective free of the topic it addresses. I won't presume to understand Konaka's experiences working on this show, but I do wonder if the discovery of the Internet must have played as profound a part in his life as it did for Lain.
The second half of the show explores a number of other profound themes: Lain's homosexual relationship with Alice; loneliness and the internet; parasocial relationships; it's a show that offers a lot from a critical standpoint. My opinion on these matters doesn't really matter to anyone else but me, so I'll spare anyone reading this. But I will go as far to hazard a suggestion: watch this show! If you are reading this, there is a lot that it can teach you.
In the spirit of fairness though, Serial Experiments: LAIN is not without flaws A few of the directorial decisions were questionable: I wasn't a fan of Lain's general apathy or the manner in which her makeshift parents were depicted. The former issue might be blamed on voice actress Kaori Shimizu, but it also might not be. The director decides what the final cut sounds like, after all. And the sometimes lacklustre performances do little to tarnish the show's excellent storytelling though. There is maybe a bit too much silence (the show's budget was obviously quite small), but this does serve the atmosphere for the most part. Watching Karl and Lin lingering outside of an innocent Lain's house was about as unsettling as anime gets.
Serial Experiments: Lain is an excellent social commentary on the dangers of internet personas and the future of the internet as a capsule for the human consciousness. A very strong 9/10. I'm sure anyone else would have no difficulty awarding this a 10.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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