Lain is a show about... about... um... a lot of really different things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. Lain is a girl, who I think, is 13. One day, she comes into class, and a girl named Julie is crying. It seems that one of her friends committed suicide by jumping off of a building. Lain didn't know the girl too well, although they had walked home from school together once.
After hearing a lot of commotion about the new NAVI (a computer system), Lain decides she wants to check her email. You see, Lain isn't really into all of this computer junk, and she hasn't checked her email before. When she does, there is a letter in there from the girl who had killed herself. Which obviously, came as a shock to Lain. Another suicide occurs, this time from a guy who worked for a company. It may not seem important, but it really is. A strange chain of suicides occurs, mostly centered around a club called "Cyberia." People start saying that they have seen Lain, there, even though she has never been to the club before. People say they have seen her in the wired (a place you can go on a NAVI), but she's never been to the wired. How odd.
There is nudity, although most of it isn't detailed. There are a few... questionable scenes. Anyway, people swear, but that's nothing you can't handle. It's got a little more violence than your "typical" anime, and it deals with VERY depressing subjects. Some of these would be: Suicide (um.. yeah, that's a little obvious), insanity, drugs, infatuations, things people do to themselves in private and don't want other people to SEE, religion, and GOD in general... so don't watch it if you're closed-minded. I can guarantee you will not like it. If you're open-minded, you'll probably like it, but you won't UNDERSTAND it... but that's all good.
Storyline
5/5 Original, and I got most of it. However, there were some things that were brought up... and never really solved. Such as an issue dealing with aliens. I think I understand where it was coming from, but they never came straight out and said it.
Character Development
5/5 Um... it was good, but the characters were all pretty psychopathic. That's all good, too!
Plot Depth
5/5 Very deep, religious, and philisophical. Kinda like cheese. That's cool.
Music
5/5 I really like the opening and ending songs, and the ones in between were pretty good.
Sexual Content
4/5 There were people playing with themselves, and saying suggestive things. Oh well. Who cares?
Nudity
4/5 Lain is nakee in the ending video, but no detail, and there are other scattered scenes of nudity throughout the series. Only the ones at the end were questionable.
Violence/Gore
3/5 Pretty gory in some scenes. And it was rather realistically carried out. Such as one guy telling someone how to hold a heavy gun... so they could kill themselves SUCCESSFULLY!
Animation
4/5 It was really smooth, but done in an undetailed and odd style. Although the ones at the end of the series seemed to be better in quality,
Profanity
4/5 They swear.
Overall goodness
5/5 I thought it was pretty good all together; a unique and entertaining series. Don't I sound professional?
Totals: 44/50, or very good. I think this is one that is worth seeing. Or at least go mooch off of one of your otaku friends to see it (if money is a problem ^_^)
Well, Lain is lots of fun and goodness. A girl, in the very beginning, jumps off a building and dies. Oops... Well, Lain is a thirteen year old girl who, like most thirteen year olds, goes to school. NEVER!! Yeah, well, when she gets there, there's this girl named Julie crying and her two friends, Reika and Alice, and comforting her. Apparently, the girl who jumped off the building (she did that last week, and by the way, her name was Chisa) sent her an email yesterday. Lain is not too thrilled by all this. She probably doesn't care. Lain isn't the most SOCIAL person. Well, she goes home and gets on to her computer, a Navi. She's got an email too! NEVER! Well, she reads it, it tells her to gt on to the Wired and come visit Chisa, because she's so lonely.
Lain tells her mother, while dressed like a bear, that she got an email from a girl. She commited suicide last week. Her mom says nothing. Her mom never says anything. Well, she wants to get a new computer, so eventually, they get a new Navi. She befriends Alice, Reika, and Julie. They go to a club called Cyberia. Lots of bad things happen while they're there. As the series progresses, Lain begins to question whether she exists at all, who she is, and lots of other things, like aliens, God, etc. etc. Really cool ending.
Storyline
5/5 I WOULD give it a four because they throw in lots of things that never get wrapped up and finished, actually, they never get mentioned again. But I give it a five, because of all the other stuff that I did like.
Character Development
5/5 Lots of changing. Growing? SURE!!
Plot Depth
5/5 If this isn't deep, then Evangelion is a plate of cheese.
Music
5/5 It was all very modern and the opening song was Alanis-Moristte-ish. The ending was apparently sung by Les Claypool III. I know I've heard of that guy...
Sexual Content
4/5 A girl was "playing with herself."
Nudity
4/5 Some undetailed people, and a blobular shape was naked.
Violence/Gore
3/5 Some very small blood. Lain got a cut. A guy shot himself through the head, although the actual act was not seen. Some other blood and stuff. Nothin' too gory.
Animation
5/5 Was really odd, but very smooth.
Profanity
4/5 Not too much or too explicit.
Overall goodness
5/5 I liked it a lot. Very deep and interesting, although I saw some Evangelion-like and Akira-like thoughts in it, so that was cool. It had a LOT of religious comments and things of the sort, like does God exist in the Wired? Lain is pretty into that sort of thing, for good reason! There was almost NO swearing. There was some drugs, suicide, suggestive themes (words and a formless stripper), and some good-old fashioned nudity. Non-detailed, of course. Oh yes, and some.. girl doing something NAUGHTY!! Was good overall, though. I liked it a lot.
Totals: 45/50, A really good show. Get the creator of Akira, Evangelion, and Lain together. Let's see what they can do!
TOTALS PUT TOGETHER: 44.5/50 very good. We liked it, although it gets really confusing. Hey, Queen of Crying (Heather) only cried once! YAY!
***We rented this dubbed and unedited from C.J. (Comic Junction).***