Rating: 
Summary: Bizarre Excellence
Review: "Navi" is the first of the 4-volume "Lain" series I've seen, and so far the only (hopefully I'll soon remedy that). Beginning with a number of Japanese schoolgirls receiving e-mails from a classmate who recently committed suicide - emails supposedly written after the suicide - "Lain" is part of the science fiction/metaphysical 'What is reality?' crossboundries genre that's materialized in recent years, and if the remaining chapters are as good as this one,it's going to contend heavily for the title of best of its kind.
Ambiguity abounds at every turn, with more paths than not leading in sinister directions, with a unique animation style whose cameras often focus ominously on the powerlines, wires, computer plug-ins and so on that are becoming so evermore omnipresent in the modern world that they've practically become invisible. "Lain" requires close attention from its viewers if one is to follow the story, much like the recent "Solaris" remake, and once I've seen the full series I'll probably rewatch the whole thing from square one. Based on this one DVD, things are very open to the individual's interpretation.
With an endearing title protagonist and some of the most unique, innovative use of colo in animated (or live-action) history, "Lain" ranks with the cream of the crop. Recommended to fans of "Solaris", "The Animatrix" and "Dark City".
Rating:
Summary: It takes some time to get into, but well worth it!
Review: My wife and I rented this and were at first thrown by the slow pace and at-first confusing style, but became enthralled by this beautifully drawn, high symbolic, and often disturbing four episodes tracking a schoolgirl named Lain.
We see Lain grow entranced with "the Wired" (evidently the Internet) after she starts receiving messages from a classmate after she committed suicide. The Wired has taken on a life of its own, and Lain's perceptions of reality change as she gets sucked into the Wired's subculture.
This series immediately begged a comparison to the Matrix, but this English dub predates the Matrix's releases by a year. I would not get too caught up with such comparisons, as this series has its own opinions on man and machine, particularly with respect to the family life, and should be viewed on its own merits.
The artwork and ideas behind this series apparently had a huge influence on Shinchiro Watanabe's "Kid's Story", a piece from the Animatrix when a boy discovers Neo and joins him in the real world by jumping off the roof of his high school. The suicide theme and several artistic motifs are quite similar between the two pieces.
Rating:
Summary: A 'must see' for any serious anime fan
Review: I purchased the first DVD mostly out of curiosity, then after watching the 1st 4 episodes, immediately went out and purchased the rest. The only thing missing is an ongoing plot that could spawn OVA's and feature films, as everything 'ends' in the last episode (no spoilers, you'll have to see what I mean, and I guarantee you'll be surprised). Since it seems to have preceded both 'The Matrix' and 'Ghost in the Shell' I expect that the writers of both would have been inspired by it directly. If you are into computers, if you are into the paranormal, or if you've ever questioned your own existence, it's a must-see. There seems to be at least some influence from 'Akira' and 'Roujin Z', especially in the last 2 episodes. No doubt this series was influential in '.hack/sign' as well.
Rating: 
Summary: The Worst Anime Ever
Review: This is absolutely the worst anime I have ever seen. The story is slow, predictable and full of the same flashbacks ad nausiun. The artwork is boring. Just awful!
Rating:
Summary: "Present Day... Present Time..."
Review: 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.
|
