"Lain is an avant-garde anime influenced by philosophical subjects such as reality, identity, and communication. The series focuses on Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl living in suburban Japan, and her introduction to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the Internet. Lain lives with her middle-class family, which consists of her inexpressive older sister Mika, her cold mother, and her computer-obsessed father. The first ripple on the pond of Lain's lonely life appears when she learns that girls from her school have received an e-mail from Chisa Yomoda, a schoolmate who committed suicide. When Lain receives the message at home, Chisa tells her (in real time) that she is not dead, but has just "abandoned the flesh", and has found God in the Wired. From then on, Lain is bound to a path which will take her ever deeper into both the network and her own thoughts." - wikipeda

has anybody else seen this? this is hands down one of the most fantastic animes I've ever watched. it's a little slow and since it came out in '98 it is a bit dated but it's easily one of my favorites.

Marathoned this a long time back, and instantly fell in love with it. The pure symbolism and references inside it boggled the mind, and practically begged me to rewatch it at least three or four more times in the following weeks.

Found a couple of really quality AMVs for this on youtube later on, but I can't stress just how much I enjoy this series - It also built a major niche cult fandom that shares a similar passion for it.

Gotta' be a Lainite.

I was actually really surprised to see there was no thread for it here. This is one of the few animes I've ever liked enough to go out and buy(got that fancy blu-ray/dvd combo with the artbook) and it was $70 well spent

seriously if you want a deep, intelligent anime then Lain is the way to go

This series was amazing. I loved it so much that I actually have all of it on DVD, one of the few series' I can say that for. It's quite rare here in Australia, so it actually took me some time to track down. Wish we had a blu-ray version too, that would be awesome.

It was one of the most unique anime series' that I've yet seen. The only thing it could be compared to even a little would be Eva, with which it shares some few themes, and it has a vaguely similar feel, but other than that, completely different. I need to rewatch this show. Maybe this weekend. Aww, fuck it. I'll watch it tonight.

Haha I have seen it.And after all my years as an Otaku, this anime still is in the top 10 for me.

It is really interesting though, that the things that this anime say are nothing more than facts.

As the anime says Protocol 7 is none other than the Protocol of the internet which allows the human body to connect wit the internet.

The more interesting part is that Protocol 6 (which we are currently in, known and as IPv6)is said to end this year.Between 2012 and 2013.Serial Experiments Lain is not placed in a far away future as it seems.And watching Dennou Coil as well which has similarities with the above show the revolution of this state of the Internet has begun even with Google Glasses.

For the fans of this show I suggest Dennou Coil as well as Texhnolyze since it is from the same creators as the Serial Experiments Lain show.

I am really glad to see that people actually know it even though it is a retro anime.

I haven't watched it yet, but plan to soon. I hope it's as great as everyone says. I also have to watch Texholyze.

Oh my, I need to rewatch it. I watched it a few years ago, but I completely missed the entire point of the anime. Haha, wow. I hope I'll appreciate it more than when I watched it when I was more... annoying, 'le~!

This anime was my childhood.

I couldnt watch this.
don't get me wrong, it sounds utterly amazing, but when you live in this day and age, and you trip on acid as much as I do, you don't need more things to make you question your already confounded reality.