Review Statistics

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536

Comments

2

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Plot Synopsis

Lain seems like your typical schoolgirl, but she is anything but that. One day one of her classmates, Chisa Yomoda, commits suicide. All of Lain's classmates say that they got a phony email from her, and Lain decides to check it out. The email says that Chisa is not really gone, but has merely left her body and left for the Wired, a place which is similar to the internet. "I am gone in body but not in mind" she writes. Lain does not believe that the email is a prank, so she decides to investigate. Soon she is not sure of what is real and what isn't, so with the help of a special Psycho chip mysteriously found in her locker, Lain decides to take action as more and more people are leaving their bodies for the Wired. (Synopsis by: Daos)

Story & Characters

Lain may seem like your typical schoolgirl, quiet, shy, but she is anything but that. One day one of her classmaes commits suicide. In normal circumstances, it would have been normal for her to be gone from the world and be never heard from again, except that Lain gets an email from her saying she is alright and is not truly dead. "I am gone in body, but not in mind."
Then again, what is normal? As the lines between reality and the Wired start to blur, Lain realises that something about this must be done. "We are all connected..somehow."
I have always loved futuristic type anime, and this is no exception. Although it is more for the adult audience, I began to understand the plot more towards the end. Why do some adult anime have kids as main characters? >w< Anyway, Lain seemed to be very serious to entertain adult minds, and the plot itself is great.
Some parts were a bit confusing, but maybe I would have understood more if I was older. Some examples would be the time when Lain saw something bad happen in Cyberia, and she just stood there staring. Her friends also didn't seem to notice anything wrong with her, but were only intent on getting out.
Lain's parents were also somewhat ignorant as to what their child was doing, but Lain herself should have confronted them about some of the things she saw! That part annoyed me, because that was like withholding information about a murder from the police.

Rating

8 (good)

Art

It seems that some of the best art is for adult anime, this anime is no exception. The artwork is beautiful, and the people seem very well drawn. The eyes were not super large either, and I actually saw *gasp* teeth! Usually anime likes to have those big (or tiny) white smiles, and maybe this one did too.
The other proportions for body parts were more accurate as well. No square jaws, huge eyes (both already mentioned), or big heads here! Maybe that makes it less anime-like, it really depends on you and what your anime tastes are.
One of the things I did not like about the art was that every time the show came on after the opening credits, you saw the same scene with cars and people walking every single time. Honestly, could you not have drawn something different there, or perhaps cut to the chase? I think the whole point of that was the thoughts of Lain or whoever was thinking them, but it is still no excuse.
There was a weird episode where a news report came on about a guy who made something, the chip maybe? I don't really remember. For some reason the animators decided to use real life faces and stick them in the show. They also gave it an old quality feeling, which was weird.

Rating

9 (very good)

Sound

I absolutely love the opening credits song! <3 I'm not sure if Boa or not sang it, because it said (Polystar) after her name for the performance. The end credits song is ok too, but I wasn't as interested in it as I was in 'Duvet'.
Lain herself did not speak much, at least not in the beginning. She also reminded me of Chii, only Chii couldn't say much but Lain could. I was also glad to see that as the show progressed, Lain began to talk more and also became more open. Her friend Arisu also reminded me of a friend of Fuugo's in Strawberry eggs not only by the things they said, but by their looks. Lain also reminded me of Fuugo herself, there was something on common with the two of them.
Back to the sound, the background music in Cyberia was cool, I like that fresh beat. Other than that I don't recall much music, but some broadcaster did talk about he news which related to the show.

Rating

7 (above average)

Presentation

Lain may look like the type to pushover, but she has extraordinary power. She also might look like an average quiet character, but she is more smarter and softer.
The anime itself was great and I highly enjoyed watching it. I can't say this is the anime for everyone, but the creators did manage to get some different feeling about the show. If you're into sci-fi, great anime, and mystery this is the show for you! You could also somewhat call it horror, and not because Lain just stood by while it was happening in the earlier episodes.
There was also another weird scene when her sister went nuts, or the fact that Lain's dad bought her a lot of technology and her room became wired. Even my parents wouldn't let me get that much, let alone stay up so late on the Wired!
Unlike Kare Kano who tried to go for the funny look and killed it, this anime managed to combine a lot of different things into it at once. They also *did not over do-it*, so it left you with a pleasant feeling.
The ending was sad in a way (at least I think so), and I think that you can make a whole new show entirely based on the last scene. I'm tempted to say something, but I won't give away any spoilers will I? ^_~
"We are all connected..somehow."

Rating

8 (good)

Final Verdict

8.00 (good)

Reviewed by daos, 2y 47wk ago