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Back in 2004 ADV Films ruled the anime roost in the UK. Manga Entertainment were recycling their old catalogue and Beez had only released a handful of glitch-ridden titles, leaving MVM as the only vague competitor to ADV's dominance. However, some shrewd licensing deals saw the quality and volume of MVM's output increase substantially, and the first of this new wave was the challenging Serial Experiments Lain. At the time I was shocked and excited by Lain's UK release. Here was a series completely unlike anything the UK had seen previously, a dark, thought-provoking and deeply experimental tale of the loss of identity and the effect of technology on belief and experience. The story follows the young Lain Iwakura, a sullen and quiet schoolgirl who's life is turned upside down when she receives a text message from a dead classmate. The girl says that she has not died, simply abandoned her body for the limitless world of the 'Wired', an advanced, futuristic version of the internet. Lain's curiosity draws her to the Wired but as she begins to delve deeper her life and world begin to crumble. Her online persona takes on a life of its own, and her computer grows to conquer her room and life. Everything she knows begins to change as the lines between reality and the Wired blur, and she begins to discover terrifying power in both the Wired and herself. Bemused and struggling to keep her sanity intact, Lain has to unravel the reasons behind the events she is experiencing. But with the answers lying |
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deep within the Wired, the cost of the truth could be her ever tenuous link to the real world or even her life. The release of such an unusual and mind-bending series was a very bold move for MVM, but with the market a lot weaker then than it is now Serial Experiments Lain was pretty quietly received. Now, with the likes of Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and the .hack franchise delving into the impact of technology on society, is the perfect time to bring this intriguing series to a larger audience. |
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can watch casually, and for some this will be a very big downside. It's very slow moving, dialogue heavy and can be very confusing viewing, it's challenging to watch but it approaches some heavy subjects in an innovative and intriguing way. It most certainly won't appeal to everyone, and it does sometimes seem to have too many ideas, leaving it feeling slightly disjointed in places. However, very few series come close to the level of sophistication and intelligence Serial Experiments Lain. It can be very hard to follow, it can be overly arty, but it is also unique, thought-provoking and visually stunning. You get more out of it the more you watch it, and the music is excellent too. It's a bit of a marmite anime - you either love it or hate it - but it's hard not to be impressed by the sheer boldness of its scope and style. If you want action or comedy look elsewhere, but if you want something that makes you think and challenges convention then this series is absolutely perfect. Serial Experiments Lain is superb sci-fi and one of the most startling anime series of all time, a breathtaking piece of existential drama that is incredibly rewarding for the patient viewer. Extras The extras are identical to the original release, so a number of trailers for pretty old MVM releases, galleries of conceptual art and a bizarre but pretty throwaway 'easter egg' on each disc. Ratings Feature:
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