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

Creepy and somehow beautiful

Josh Leman | Littleton, CO United States | 04/01/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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: Be prepared for the Long Haul

Robert Aarhus | Alexandria VA | 02/29/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

"Present Day... Present Time..."

Marc Ruby? | Warren, MI USA | 04/05/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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."

Please exercise caution when viewing this...

Marc Ruby? | 05/28/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"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. :)"