In essence, the Lain anime is a series about understanding human connection, which can only come by understanding the self.

The show is weaponizing techno-futurism and philosophical discussions to explore the essence of how humans connect with one another and how technology plays a rapidly changing role in this fundamental aspect of humanity. The show depicts the battle between the internal and external through the lens of technology by showing Lain slowly disregard the real world for greater immersion into Wired (a sort of immersive internet), where she is heralded as a myth and a god. Further tossed into the mix is how technology intersects with our lives and how the influence of technology can change our relationship with the world around us. Entering the Wired, and Lain’s Pastįor those who have seen the anime, the core component of the series is the intersections between the real world and the online world, and how our personalities are split between the internal and external self, personified through these two versions of Lain that exist in these realities. It’s an interesting play, even if the game has more than its fair share of problems. The fact that these broader aspects of the multimedia project have been overlooked is unsurprising, considering the manga was short and Japan-only and the Serial Experiments Lain PS1 game sold low numbers upon its release, making it a rare commodity today.Īnd yet this is somewhat of a disappointing outcome, since this game does a great job in expanding upon Lain as a character and the ideas of the show, as it tackles mental health, our reliance on external coping mechanisms, and where we root our sense of self in the age of computers. Meanwhile, the content of the show, which at the time could be interpreted as a warning against the growing digital intrusion in our lives, feels more like a prophecy and a way to re-examine our fraught relationship with the internet and the way it influences our lives today.

Yet the other elements of what was once a Serial Experiments Lain multimedia project featuring a one-shot manga, a PS1 game, and music have been forgotten to the sands of time. For Serial Experiments Lain, time has lifted the anime to cult classic status within the medium that’s still remembered through pop-up shops, online Club Cyberia music broadcasts and more. It’s sometimes interesting to note how time can often change our understanding of certain cultural touchstones.

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