A full explanation of Serial Experiments Lain (2025)

Caelidesu

This is a recap of important events in the show, for people that haven't seen it recently. ~9000 words

This is the explanation of events. ~6000 words

In a nutshell:
Lain is a girl with Dissociative Identity Disorder slowly learning to connect to others using the internet and developing a new personality through online interactions, which she eventually brings forth into the real world.

Lain is the anthropomorphic representation of the collective consciousness of pseudo-neural networks that is the internet, through which we explore how different people perceive the internet as it becomes more of a force in our day to day lives.

Now you're wondering if there's white text in any of my other posts.

Over there, I'm everywhere. I know that.

#2

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Oct 2016

46

Thank you for this!

#3

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Apr 2015

2415

I always found it hard to believe that a show like SEL has any one canon interpretation.
I was under the impression that Lain was initially the collective god-like consciousness of the Wired that was 'removed' or 'split' and uploaded into a human body in order to leave the Wired open to influence by the likes of the Knights and Eri. As the show progresses, Lain ends up re-acquainting herself with the world she was a part of, and fully merges back into it, while still retaining her body. But *shrug* like I said, I doubt it has any one canon interpretation.

#4

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Jun 2015

3466

#5

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Nov 2016

2

#6

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Apr 2015

400

just finished the show. didn't understand shit.

#7

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May 2016

147

#8

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Apr 2019

1

In another site, i comment about explanation about lain... (i make another explain)
First, i think lain is just shy girl with identity disorder...in anime, manga or game psx too...
In manga, i guess if lain is chosen by masami with he did in seven protocol...its look if masami repair her dools...
Lain has ability to connect in wired without using tools like administrator/ super user(maybe)...(gods of wired world..?)
If there another lain in wired(anime), maybe because the knight doing especially with lain or masami did it to make sure his plan works..
When at last episode(anime), we can see if nobody knowledge about lain except arisu(alice), her dad and the boy(??)...
Then i think if lain is adopted girl human(anime(i forgot the episode) and related with girl with glasses(anime) or girl with obsessed with wired but masami said that lain is just software..
At last lain is back after meet with her dad and meet arisu(i think several years after that deal with masami)...
maybe...
sorry for long explanation and my grammature...

#9

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Jun 2020

1

After watching this, I think Chisa is Lain as well, When Chisa asks Lain to come over in the Wired... Lain encountered too many things to figure so she decided to explore more, as she explores she doesn't realize that she had DID where she is not able to know what is her birthday, what is her name, what is her age and etc... When she explores the wired, as she explores more she developing new Identities where she meets Misami, She also wants to think she is the God, at the end when you look between the age gap of Arisu and Lain, Lain is still a kid and Arisu is already a teacher where Arisu is familiar with Lain but seems already forgotten her. In another section Lain stays as a kid because of her DID situation where she still confused who is she, what is she, or whatsoever... Idunno iz just according to me

#10

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Sep 2009

179

I watched this show after 10 years.. being 28 now and still Didnt get it. Damnit! I’ll be back in 10 years again I guess...

#11

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Sep 2018

1

I must say, i haven´t been this confused in quite a while. I mean, i read it was confusing so when i chose to watch it i decided to do it on a go in order to have everything fresh in my head but.... i didn´t get shit.
Am i as stupid as a bag of hammers or is this anime confusing af?

Connor_KatarnDec 2, 2020 6:41 PM

#12

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Feb 2020

585

#13

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Mar 2019

1

#14

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Oct 2020

246

Thanks for this I hardly understood anything when I watched it and I think that's what led to me giving it a lower score.

#15

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Dec 2017

43

#16

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Oct 2020

27

I think i need to grow a bit more to understand this anime. I can tell its good but im not at a level of awareness to get a grasp of what its trying to give.

#17

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Nov 2019

22

If I am not mistaken, is not lain just a software created by eiri in the wired and put into the real world with a body with a artificial family and setting. And in the end she goes back into the wired but feels aloneband returns into the normal world but removes the memories of her existence. This anime was extremely distorted but exactly because the viewer had such power ability to deduce the plot themselves is what made this anime very good.

#18

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Jul 2018

564072

Personally I don't believe lain had DID, however I do agree with you on the sentiment that being on the internet caused her to develop new personalities through online interaction. That was one one of my favorite and most impressive parts of this show to me, I've experienced the same countless times...