Customer Reviews

Serial Experiments Lain - Navi (Layers 1-4) (Geneon Signature Series)

5 star:		(121)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

At the time of this writing, I've viewed the first three of four "layers" of the first "Serial Experiment Lain, 'NAVI'". I find it gripping in that is the most innovative of Japanese anime I've thus far seen. The style reminds me of underground comics of the 60's and 70's but has a freshness of color and motion. The series clearly shows the conditions of the characters; social disconection, benign neglect in a dysfunctional family, social seperation as it is found in both American as well as Japanese schools, etc. The underlying story is of a young girl, alienated from others because of her shyness, finding a connection to what is called the "Wired". It is not yet clear as to the mechanations of her being made aware of the wired other than the E-mail she gets from a dead classmate telling her about how she only left this world for the one she's in now.

I greatly anticipate the next video release where we can continue to see the merging of "The Wired" and "The real World" unfold...

Warning! This series will be very disturbing to individuals who suffer from dysfunctional social skills. There is a risk I can see the ease of identifying with these characters could lead to emotional distress.

The best viewing is Sub-tittled for the simple fact that you get to hear the actual originally intended voice characterization.

John Sanford

Watching Lain is like conducting a siege: you have to commit to it to be successful. My wife and I watched Volumes 1 and 2 and, despite the ethereal beauty, were really considering shelving the whole thing because of the pacing. Then Volume 3 came and -- *click* -- parts started falling into place; we couldn't wait to get Volume 4 into the VCR. Yes, the story slowly unfolds, but you don't just watch Lain, you immerse yourself in it. By the end, the journey you thought you had started out on leads you to a completely unexpected destination. Surreal, thought-provoking... but requires discipline and patience.

This disc begins what is perhaps the most intriguing, creepy, and wonderfully strange television series ever created. Show an episode of Lain to five hundred different people and you'll get five hundred different interpretations of what's going on. I've talked to people who think that the character Lain is a modern Jesus, and others who think that she's the Goddess described in various pagan religions. That's how wide open this particular anime is for personal interpretation and meaning. The writers never explain anything outright, with intelligence-insulting dialogue; the significance of each bizarre little moment is entirely up to the viewer to figure out. Spend the money and get the whole series, because you'll come back to it again and again and again. Every single time I watch an episode (oops, I mean a "layer") I find out something new about the storyline, and also about myself. This is absolutely essential viewing for anyone who likes anime or just good (albeit extremely strange) sci-fi.

Lain Iwakura is a singularly unassuming 14 year old. The classic waif, surrounded by stuffed pets, and a habit of wearing bear pajamas. Suddenly inexplicable things are happening around her, culminating in her receiving an e-mail from a classmate several days after the girl committed suicide. This triggers a set of changes in Lain's life, many of them small, but ominous when taken as a whole.

Soon Lain is surfing the net with her powerful new Navi (which she barely understands) and eerie connections multiply. Lain is invited to a nightclub where another guest goes berserk and commits suicide right in front of her. Gradually, she discovers there is another Lain - her opposite - who is a master participant in the Wired, an online world where the stakes may be as high as death and transformation.

The primary plot of the series is the gradual diffusion of the boundaries between realities, and the building identity crisis with Lain at its epicenter. The story is very carefully paced, steadily turning up the sense of impending doom. As other participants in the Wired begin to die in some way related to the net. This isn't done with blazing animation, or even an excess of dialog or action. Instead, an almost minimalist style makes symbols out of everyday objects like teddy bears and telephone lines. For example, the use of space in Lain's home is almost reminiscent of Woody Allen's 'Interiors,' and depicts the same sense of distance and isolation.

Lain's world is dystopian, marked by a culture lacking even the motivation necessary to communicate effectively. In this first DVD, the viewer will often feel as baffled as Lain does, desperately reading an instruction manual that never stops to explain anything. But gradually her knowledge develops, and her personality strengthens until we are sure that something wicked comes this way.

Animation is, as I've said, minimal. Sufficient for the purposes of the series, but never allowed to become a distraction. Instead, the key element is the carefully composed graphic imagery and a well made score. This is very much an original story, and not one intended for pure entertainment. The silences in the film require thought on the part of the viewer. Even so, it is a very attractive series; one of those that stretch the boundaries of Anime is a quest for a higher esthetic vision.

clarification. Do NOT watch this alone, do NOT sit for hours watching the entire series in one weekend, and by all means do NOT forget to take breaks between layers. Why? it will take your brain and twist it, it'll play games with the shadows and all you'll be able to do is say Whoa. Do we all really want to become Keanu Reeves?

There is really nothing in this series which really needs warning except for the pure weird factor. I know plenty of hardcore sci-fi/fantasy buffs who are having a hard time getting though this thinking of all the plots to the story the first time.

All kidding aside, this is an excellent introduction to the series... and truly the whole series is excellent. I am forever indebted to that great guy who told me to look into Serial Experiments: Lain. The first of the anime genre to pull me out of my text-only Gibson dominated world.

Definitely definitely advise to all who enjoy a bit of wonder and curiosity and "Huh? Why?" But I do advise watching this with someone else, maybe they picked up on something you didn't - or worst case scenario one of you will have to get up for a minute and you'll be able to exercise your brain and reflect.

I loved every minute of it... but really shouldn't have watched them nonstop the first time alone. :)

One day while at the video store I noticed a picture of a sad little girl with a single strand of long hair. The picture was the cover of the first volume of Serial Experiments Lain (known by fans as SEL). Intrigued, I bought the Navi DVD. Those first two hours of spectacular visual art and music left me spellbound and yearning for more. Eventually, I bought the second volume and I now own all four DVDs. SEL is the story of Lain Iwakura, a quiet girl who gets sucked into the computer world known as the wired. As Lain explores her new world, she discovers more about people, the world she lives in, the meaning of life, and herself. Though the begining is somewhat slow, the SEL series is a must for any hardcore anime fan. A real treasure!

Note: SEL is rated 16 and up (though is probably appropriate for most teenagers). There are some disturbing images involving suicide and a fairly subtle masturbation scene. Some people may also be offened by the view on God and religion.

I bought this DVD only because the image on the cover was so intriguing, and I had no prior knowledge of the story whatsoever. Now that I just finished watching twice -- each time with dub and sub (both are great), I am very happy with it.

Lain is an exellent anime with a very different style. Although character design may seem overly stylized, too simple maybe, combination with computer-generated images, and effective use of sound, such as the eerie hum of electric lines, create the perfect atmosphere for its story.

I've only seen this first DVD which has 4 episodes, and I'll be honest with you, I have no idea what's going on. My advice is that if you are looking for fast action and excitement, stay away from this one. "Lain" is really slow most of the time, and will certainly test your patience.

I don't mind the slow pace at all because the visual is just wonderful, and music is great too.

One more thing -- for the first time, I got goosebumps from watching an animation. Some scenes from "Lain" can get really creepy, which is another reason I love this anime!

i can't think of enough adjectives to describe this series. from the opening sequence, with its almost creepy play of time and space, and great music, lain had me. for the rest of layer 01 i watched the images go by in an almost trancelike state.

the basic idea of this series: our world and the Wired are not separate entities. they exist in parallel, sometimes elements from one cross over to the other, and it's possible to leave this (physical) world to exist solely in the Wired. lain, a painfully shy, disconnected young girl, finds this out through an e-mail sent to her by a classmate who committed suicide.

this series does move more slowly than most anime i've seen, but each image has so much to it and it's all so bizarrely beautiful that it needs to move slowly in order for us to absorb it all. the pacing also reflects lain, who moves around in a slow deliberate daze throughout most of the first 4 layers. the almost silent scenes do a wonderful job of showing us the alienation she feels from the rest of her world. the story is mostly within lain's mind, and mostly in the images, and so excessive dialogue/action would have added nothing to the experience. the series has been compared to the x-files by other reviewers, and i agree, in the sense that the plot and pacing of the layers and general "atmosphere" is similar to that of the x-files, especially earlier episodes. there is no clear beginning and conclusion to the layers, and in the end, the viewer is left with more questions than answers. in other words, the viewer is actively involved, is thinking, during the entire series.

someone looking for an action movie with your basic beginning and end shouldn't watch this, it will be extremely frustrating. however, if you're looking for something that leaves the conclusions and thinking to the viewer, with unusual and striking imagery, and sometimes unsettling similarities to our own world, then lain is the series for you.

I received this DVD as a gift. I don't catch a lot of anime, but I have to say that this DVD has grown on me. Definitely something I'd watch over just to catch different things. Action fans beware, lain is about questions...sometimes things aren't really answered... but that's what makes this DVD really interesting.. it's a great take on how much technology influences and (de)sensetizes our lives. The dialogue is written such that we're expected to be intelligent, not some dumbed down crowd.. If you like dark moods and cyberpunk themes, get this DVD.

I will try not to ruin the series for you. I gave it four star because I know many people won't understand Lain and will dislike it. But in its genre I would give it 5 stars.

This is not an action or adventure or exciting or fun anime. It is a serious one that questions the meaning of reality and how reality can be viewed.

If you have watch the whole Evangelion series you know toward the end it become a mind trip, or if you watch Ghost in the Shell that too become mind trip, but Lain Serial Experiment is a solid mind trip.

I know I am making it sound like Lain is a bad anime, but for the few who like the anime that question reality this is the one for you. And for those that see the first DVD and said it was junk, take you time and watch the whole series.

This is an anime that you must be in the right mood to watch and have the right mind to understand what is going on.

On to the review: Lain is a school aged girl that is shy, with only one close true friend Alice. Lain become interested in computers, which is called a Navi, and "the wire" after a she receives an e-mail from a class mate that has committed suicide.

Lain explores the wire and finds out that there maybe another world out there, where one can also exist. Lain finds out that she can control one of these world which will end up changing the other. She is able to connect to all people in all world and try to destroy the border to the two worlds, but accidently hurts he friend Alice. It hard to determine what Lain thinks but she commits herself to endless loniless as much as a god would have...It is a must see

On the first time viewing the whole series you will not understand many things happening, you will need to see the series at least twice maybe more, and still many part won't make since, but that is the way the series is made, it is made for the viewer to think and think and come up with there own oppions and understandings.

p.s. if you are in a good mood and want to want to stay in don't watch Lain, and if you are in a depressed mood by no means watch this, you become suicidal ^_^