Cult Anime series Serial Experiments Lain | RESTORE was directed by Ryutaro Nakamura and demonstrates influences embracing philosophy, computer history, cyberpunk literature, and conspiracy theory. The series was even made the subject of several academic articles.

English language anime reviewers found it to be “weird” and unusual, with generally positive reviews. Producer Ueda stated he intended Japanese and American audiences to form conflicting views on the series, but was disappointed in this regard, as the impressions turned out to be similar.

Plot:
Lain is an avant-garde anime influenced by philosophical subjects such as reality, identity, and communication. The series focuses on Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl living in suburban Japan, and her introduction to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the Internet. Lain lives with her middle-class family, which consists of her inexpressive older sister Mika, her cold mother, and her computer-obsessed father. The first ripple on the pond of Lain’s lonely life appears when she learns that girls from her school have received an e-mail from Chisa Yomoda, a schoolmate who committed suicide. When Lain receives the message at home, Chisa tells her (in real time) that she is not dead, but has just “abandoned the flesh”, and has found God in the Wired. From then on, Lain is bound to a path which will take her ever deeper into both the network and her own thoughts.

Did you know? Lain’s artificial intelligent personal assistant “NAVI” was the basis of the Siri-like guide in the Tokyo Realtime: Akihabara audio tour by White Rabbit Press

Information:
Format: Color, Limited Edition, Widescreen
Language: English
Region Code: Region A
Screen Size: 1.78:1
Number of Discs: 6
Sold by: Geneon Universal
Release Date: DVD Oct 2010
Running Time: 300 minutes

(Plot summary and information courtesy to Wikipedia)