1998 • TMDB 8.2 • 1 season • Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Mystery
Overview
Serial Experiments Lain is a cyberpunk mystery that predicted our online lives decades early. Quiet schoolgirl Lain Iwakura receives a strange email from a classmate who has just died — and the message claims the girl is not really gone, only abandoned her body. Drawn into the Wired, a vast virtual network, Lain discovers other versions of herself, shadowy conspiracies, and a blurring line between the real world and the digital one. Across thirteen dense, dreamlike episodes, the series asks unsettling questions about identity, memory, and connection: if everyone you know meets you online, which version of you is real? With its eerie sound design and haunting imagery, Lain remains one of the most influential anime ever made.
Creator and Main Cast
For TV Tokyo. Main cast: Kaori Shimizu as Lain Iwakura (voice), Yoko Asada as Arisu Mizuki (voice), Ayako Kawasumi as Mika Iwakura (voice), Ryusuke Ohbayashi as Yasuo Iwakura (voice), Rei Igarashi as Miho Iwakura (voice), and Sumi Mutoh as Chisa Yomoda (voice).
Seasons Snapshot
- Season 1 (1998) — 13 episodes. Premiered July 6, 1998 and ended September 28, 1998; Lain descends into the Wired and confronts the many versions of herself.
Why Watch Serial Experiments Lain?
Because it is still ahead of its time: a slow, atmospheric puzzle about the internet, identity, and loneliness that feels more relevant every year. If you like your science fiction strange, smart, and unforgettable, Lain is essential viewing.
Trailer
Watch the official trailer on YouTube: Serial Experiments Lain – Anime Classics – Available Now – Trailer
Where to Watch
Serial Experiments Lain is not currently available for streaming in the US according to JustWatch US listings checked on October 29, 2026, though it is available to buy on the Apple TV Store. Availability may change; check JustWatch US for the latest options.
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