Moor_Child Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Hi all! ReTarr here! (Duh!) Sorry, so anyway... My Dad and I are lookin to order some new anime. So far we've gotten The Trigun box set, but while he was lookin at that he read about Serial Experiments and wondered if it was any good. So we were both wondering if anyone here at the OB has seen it/thinks its any good. That kinda stuff. I personally think we should start getting X, but he's the one with the money. :p So we'd appreciate some opinions! Thanks! Later, ReTarr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I haven't seen the entirety of Lain, but I own the box set of a series (Boogiepop Phantom) which is often compared to it, so I suppose I'm more or less qualified to offer my two cents. Serial Experiments Lain is a very slow-paced and incredibly complex show. From what I've watched, its animation appears to be fairly competent. Lain's character designs are interesting by way of their realism and simplicity. As with Boogiepop Phantom, its music is also a strong draw. Basically, if you don't like anime that forces you to think, Lain is [i]not[/i] the show for you. It's surreal, twisted, and, as I mentioned, extremely thought-provoking. If you prefer slick action and angsty bishounen, X-TV (not the godawful movie) may be a better bet. However, I do recommend both Lain and Boogiepop--they're excellent shows, but they're just not for everyone. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moor_Child Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 Boogiepop Phantom? I've heard of it. What's that about? Why is it often compaired to Serial Experiments? (I hope that's not considered off topic.) Anyway, thanks for the two cents Dagger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Boogiepop Phantom is a really violent and depressing 12-episode show. In spite of (or perhaps because of) those qualities, it's definitely among the best anime I've ever seen. Each episode features a different main character and tells a different part of the overarching story. Not only are there flashbacks galore, but certain episodes take place completely out of order, and you really, really have think before everything starts to make sense. Once you begin to figure it out, BP can be a very enjoyable show. However, it's one of those "love it or hate it" series, so it might be something of a risky buy. Serial Experiments Lain is compared to Boogiepop because they're both confusing, creepy, complicated, and dark, and can take several viewings to understand. Lain and BP are also in that they make very good use of background music and sound effects. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I don't feel Boogiepop and Lain are all that comparable in terms of their end results. The main likeness between the two is reliance on weirdness and psychological aspects. After that, there really isn't anything all that complex about Boogiepop other than its vagueness, in my opinion. Lain on the other hand is just complex. There's plenty of explanation for it all, but it's presented to you in such a quick way that it can be hard to digest it all at once. I think it's totally worth owning, whereas I can't see watching Boogiepop ever again after the first or second viewing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Boogiepop's basic plot is fairly straightforward--it's the way that it's presented which can create some difficulty. The show isn't actually terribly vague; all of the characters' stories intersect quite nicely, but understanding [i]how[/i] they're related is where things get a little complicated, partially because of the large cast of characters, but also because many important points are implied rather than stated outright (for example, the fact that [spoiler]Manticore is a copy of Echos, who later re-animated Manaka[/spoiler]). I also enjoy watching Boogiepop because of its unique visual style--but you should probably go with Semjaza's advice, since he's seen all of Lain, and I haven't yet had the chance to do so. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wiccansamurai Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 I liked Lain far better than Boogiepop Phantom. I had that figured out too easily. Lain, I watched like five times before I understood it at all. It's plot was so deep and it was very thought provoking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 [QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Dagger IX1 [/i][B]but you should probably go with Semjaza's advice, since he's seen all of Lain, and I haven't yet had the chance to do so. ~Dagger~ [/B][/QUOTE] How much of Lain have you been able to see? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dagger Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 I rented "Navi" last summer, so I've seen the first four episodes. I'll admit that I found the slow pace a little frustrating at first, but some of the show's imagery really stuck with me ([spoiler]especially in the scene where Chisa--at least I think that's her name--jumps off her apartment building, just about everything that takes place in Cyberia, and Lain's wire/computer-cluttered room[/spoiler]). Although I was too lazy to track down or buy the remaining three DVDs, it was my interest in Lain that inspired me to buy the Boogiepop box set, since I'd read reviews which said that they were comparable, and also because it was much cheaper than Lain's. I would have put the Lain box set on my Christmas list, but I doubt that my parents would have felt inclined to spend $107 on a thirteen-episode show. ^__^;; I honestly don't recall too many details about Serial Experiments Lain (for some weird reason, I do remember Lain's bear pajamas....). I should probably get off my lazy *** and find some way to see the rest of the show; I really like anime that makes me think, and since I was far from repelled by the first few episodes, I don't see why I wouldn't end up liking it. ~Dagger~ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Yes, you should get off your lazy *** and see the rest of the show :D Especially if you bothered with the Boogiepop set. You're missing out on the best stuff. The stuff that will probably totally screw your mind over. It's what makes Lain so enjoyable heh. It is expensive though. I slowly bought all four DVDs over a long time span. The set wasn't even out at the time. So it didn't seem to expensive in retrospect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Avalon Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 [color=violet]I liked Serial Experiments Lain. It was a bit confusing at first, but I watched each episode twice and understood it. When Tech TV started airing it, I would stay up just to watch it. I enjoyed the plot twists and turns...but it confused many people. So yeah, I'm buying the box set on nextdayanime.com. It's cheaper there than anywhere I've been that selled it. Less than $30...[/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Semjaza Posted December 10, 2003 Share Posted December 10, 2003 It's cheap there because it's a bootleg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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