Well, right off the bat I think this is definitely something
that’s in my “stuff I like” wheelhouse.
From the opening minute right through to the closing minute of this
first episode Serial Experiments Lain presents a very dream-like yet tangible
world that puts one into a defensive or neutral state while they wait for the
story to unfold. Much of what were shown
are things we are certainly able to identify but each of them is a little off or
we’re made to feel a little unsure about them in different ways. Shadowed areas are dotted with spatters of
blood (or paint). The soundtrack and
audio ambiance move back and forth between eerie or unsettling sounds and muted
human speech as it fades from relevance.
The episode opens with a collection of scenes that provide a snapshot of what looks to be a fairly typical evening in a downtown Japanese metropolis with the one exception (may not be an exception when you really think about it) of a yet unnamed girl, clearly traumatized, moving through the city. As she braces herself against the wall of an ally we see a group of girls seemingly pointing and laughing at this particular girl which gives us the impression that bullying is at least part of the trauma she’s been dealing with. As more snapshots of the downtown world flash before us we soon find the distraught girl standing atop a building looking out over the hustle and bustle.
All up until this point we’ve had no dialog or flashbacks to explain what is going on, who this girl is, why she’s distraught, and why she’s found her way to the top of a building but at no point do you feel out of the loop; with quick visuals, excellent animation, and eerie presentation we’re given just enough to be able to come up with a pretty good idea of what’s going on. As well as what’s about to happen.
As she stands atop the building words flash across the screen with “you don’t have to stay here” being the most poignant bit and when we come back to the girl there is a smile on her face. The smile is one of bliss but just as everything in this world is presented with a taste of uncomfortable uncertainty this “bliss” also feels a little off. Just as this fact crosses the girls mind and she feels that sense of bliss it appears to be enough for her to decide to take that final, fatal step.
Time, then, pushes forward and we are taken to a point in time that is a few days later and find ourselves introduced to Lain, our protagonist, who is just arriving at school. The eerie feeling continues which plays a role in maintaining a sense of consistent discomfort that is enjoyable in a strange way. Lain is moving through the world in a semi-trancelike state; she is disconnected from those around her and those around her appear to disconnect from her as well. I never got the impression that this was a deliberate, malicious attempt to ostracize Lain but a product of her Jr. High age group who are all trying to figure out themselves amidst the chaos of adolescence.
As Lain takes in the classroom atmosphere we become more and more aware of a crying classmate somewhere in the back of the classroom. What is interesting about this scene is that we are fully aware of this crying student at the very beginning of the scene but as we’re following Lain and seeing the world through her eyes we don’t really focus on it until Lain focuses on it. Then, even when Lain turns her attention to this part of the classroom the delivery of information is slow, sloppy, and delivered rather tersely by another student. This explanation happens both in a conversation Lain has with another student and through some things a different student is saying while attempting to console their crying classmate.
What we end up finding out is that the student who had been crying started to receive emails from the girl who jumped from the building in the opening after her reported death. Lain, who appears to take this information in stride, offers to reaction either way; does not dismiss the information and does not scoff at the potential of it being truth. From how Lain is presented to us this doesn’t seem out of place as Lain’s disconnection seems to have more to it as the world seems to be fading in and out of what Lain can see throughout the episode. People move from being distinguishable to being silhouettes to fading out completely while information presented to her, on a chalkboard (for instance), is only visible for a short while before it fades.
Lain is informed, before the scene changes to Lain’s home, that more than the crying student have been receiving mail from the girl who died, who’s name we learn is Chisa Yomoda, and that Lain should check to see if she’s received anything as well. After getting a glimpse of Lain’s mum (an apparent overworked and disillusioned mum), Sister (who’s a bit older and disinterested in family), and Lain’s Dad (who is shown as being only interested in family in terms of having met some social obligation), Lain turns on her home computer to find a message for Chisa waiting for her. Lain, again, takes this new information in without any hesitation and begins communicating with Chisa through email.
The episode closes when Lain is again at school and staring at a fading chalkboard when, instead of fading completely, there is a message from Chisa, potentially, asking Lain to meet her on the web.
At this point I’d like to say that Lain’s parents are especially interesting in that they appear to have very little interest in each other yet have no real ill will guiding that lack of interest.
Lain’s father is lost in a yet-to-be-explained world of computers/internet as he’s more excited about a new network (I would assume) card than he is about seeing his family. He appears to be involved in family only in terms of having seeing it as his social obligation to start one and provide for it, leaving the day-to-day managing of it to Lain’s mother. Lain’s mother is lost in what appears to be a state of emotional numbness; whether she’s numb from a life she never got to live (forced into marriage), numb from a family who is distant from her (forcing her to shut off her emotions), or numb from some other, yet unknown, trauma is all still up in the air. However, any of this uncertainty surrounding the parents is presenting in a very tantalizing way; one wants to know more but we’re going to be made to wait and see how these things unfold. Lain’s sister wasn’t given much space and the only piece I really got from her was that she’s playing out a very stereotypical older teenager mentality; emotionally distant, thinking she’s got it all figured out, and sees the family as a burden on her burgeoning social status.
Overall, the first episode has had a really strong opening and I hope, as the series continues, that the storytelling follows the same style. Information is communicated to the viewer in indirect ways that feel obvious and are, in a strange way, very clear but never feel too on-the-nose; the viewer is drawn in to paying attention but doesn’t have their hand held. I’m very interested to see what comes next and it took a great deal of willpower to avoid powering through the first disc. If you have any thoughts or comments on the episode or my review feel free to share them.
Uncensored, feminist-lens thought for this episode: “why the fuck is Lain naked and in the fetal position for the ending credits?! What?! You needed to get some industry standard sexualization in but couldn’t fit it into the story?! JFC…..I wonder why it was hard to fit in? Could it have something to do with it being completely useless and sketchy as fuck bullshit that we’re better off without? Fuck.”
Anyways, thanks for reading!
The episode opens with a collection of scenes that provide a snapshot of what looks to be a fairly typical evening in a downtown Japanese metropolis with the one exception (may not be an exception when you really think about it) of a yet unnamed girl, clearly traumatized, moving through the city. As she braces herself against the wall of an ally we see a group of girls seemingly pointing and laughing at this particular girl which gives us the impression that bullying is at least part of the trauma she’s been dealing with. As more snapshots of the downtown world flash before us we soon find the distraught girl standing atop a building looking out over the hustle and bustle.
All up until this point we’ve had no dialog or flashbacks to explain what is going on, who this girl is, why she’s distraught, and why she’s found her way to the top of a building but at no point do you feel out of the loop; with quick visuals, excellent animation, and eerie presentation we’re given just enough to be able to come up with a pretty good idea of what’s going on. As well as what’s about to happen.
As she stands atop the building words flash across the screen with “you don’t have to stay here” being the most poignant bit and when we come back to the girl there is a smile on her face. The smile is one of bliss but just as everything in this world is presented with a taste of uncomfortable uncertainty this “bliss” also feels a little off. Just as this fact crosses the girls mind and she feels that sense of bliss it appears to be enough for her to decide to take that final, fatal step.
Time, then, pushes forward and we are taken to a point in time that is a few days later and find ourselves introduced to Lain, our protagonist, who is just arriving at school. The eerie feeling continues which plays a role in maintaining a sense of consistent discomfort that is enjoyable in a strange way. Lain is moving through the world in a semi-trancelike state; she is disconnected from those around her and those around her appear to disconnect from her as well. I never got the impression that this was a deliberate, malicious attempt to ostracize Lain but a product of her Jr. High age group who are all trying to figure out themselves amidst the chaos of adolescence.
As Lain takes in the classroom atmosphere we become more and more aware of a crying classmate somewhere in the back of the classroom. What is interesting about this scene is that we are fully aware of this crying student at the very beginning of the scene but as we’re following Lain and seeing the world through her eyes we don’t really focus on it until Lain focuses on it. Then, even when Lain turns her attention to this part of the classroom the delivery of information is slow, sloppy, and delivered rather tersely by another student. This explanation happens both in a conversation Lain has with another student and through some things a different student is saying while attempting to console their crying classmate.
What we end up finding out is that the student who had been crying started to receive emails from the girl who jumped from the building in the opening after her reported death. Lain, who appears to take this information in stride, offers to reaction either way; does not dismiss the information and does not scoff at the potential of it being truth. From how Lain is presented to us this doesn’t seem out of place as Lain’s disconnection seems to have more to it as the world seems to be fading in and out of what Lain can see throughout the episode. People move from being distinguishable to being silhouettes to fading out completely while information presented to her, on a chalkboard (for instance), is only visible for a short while before it fades.
Lain is informed, before the scene changes to Lain’s home, that more than the crying student have been receiving mail from the girl who died, who’s name we learn is Chisa Yomoda, and that Lain should check to see if she’s received anything as well. After getting a glimpse of Lain’s mum (an apparent overworked and disillusioned mum), Sister (who’s a bit older and disinterested in family), and Lain’s Dad (who is shown as being only interested in family in terms of having met some social obligation), Lain turns on her home computer to find a message for Chisa waiting for her. Lain, again, takes this new information in without any hesitation and begins communicating with Chisa through email.
The episode closes when Lain is again at school and staring at a fading chalkboard when, instead of fading completely, there is a message from Chisa, potentially, asking Lain to meet her on the web.
At this point I’d like to say that Lain’s parents are especially interesting in that they appear to have very little interest in each other yet have no real ill will guiding that lack of interest.
Lain’s father is lost in a yet-to-be-explained world of computers/internet as he’s more excited about a new network (I would assume) card than he is about seeing his family. He appears to be involved in family only in terms of having seeing it as his social obligation to start one and provide for it, leaving the day-to-day managing of it to Lain’s mother. Lain’s mother is lost in what appears to be a state of emotional numbness; whether she’s numb from a life she never got to live (forced into marriage), numb from a family who is distant from her (forcing her to shut off her emotions), or numb from some other, yet unknown, trauma is all still up in the air. However, any of this uncertainty surrounding the parents is presenting in a very tantalizing way; one wants to know more but we’re going to be made to wait and see how these things unfold. Lain’s sister wasn’t given much space and the only piece I really got from her was that she’s playing out a very stereotypical older teenager mentality; emotionally distant, thinking she’s got it all figured out, and sees the family as a burden on her burgeoning social status.
Overall, the first episode has had a really strong opening and I hope, as the series continues, that the storytelling follows the same style. Information is communicated to the viewer in indirect ways that feel obvious and are, in a strange way, very clear but never feel too on-the-nose; the viewer is drawn in to paying attention but doesn’t have their hand held. I’m very interested to see what comes next and it took a great deal of willpower to avoid powering through the first disc. If you have any thoughts or comments on the episode or my review feel free to share them.
Uncensored, feminist-lens thought for this episode: “why the fuck is Lain naked and in the fetal position for the ending credits?! What?! You needed to get some industry standard sexualization in but couldn’t fit it into the story?! JFC…..I wonder why it was hard to fit in? Could it have something to do with it being completely useless and sketchy as fuck bullshit that we’re better off without? Fuck.”
Anyways, thanks for reading!
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