One of Anime’s Most Legendary Sci-Fi Series Planning Special Theatrical Run in Japan With New Art
While you can’t seem to escape anime these days, as streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Crunchyroll share their fair share of anime offerings, this was once far from the case. In the 1990s, before streaming allowed Japanese series to land in the West with ease, various anime tales were often relegated to outlets such as the Syfy Channel and/or via video tapes. One such entry is Serial Experiments Lain, a surreal series from Studio Triangle Staff that helped introduce many viewers to the medium. Now, the sci-fi series is making a comeback with a limited theatrical run in Japan this fall and has something new to share with fans.
Starting next month, all thirteen episodes of Serial Experiments Lain will arrive at HUMAX Cinemas in Ikebukuro, Japan. The screenings will begin on September 2nd, with episodes one through four airing on that day, with subsequent airings of the remainder of the series arriving the following two days. On Saturday, September 5th, a much larger block of installments will arrive as Serial Experiments Lain will air episodes one through seven, with the remaining episodes arriving the following day. To help ring in this occasion, new artwork has arrived that once again brings Lain Iwakura back to the forefront following her time away from the spotlight. You can see new artwork for the franchise below to help celebrate the event.
Why The Serial Experiments Resonate
Unfortunately, you won’t be able to find Serial Experiments Lain available on the likes of Crunchyroll and/or Netflix in North America, but this doesn’t mean it’s not worth checking out. Lain’s twisted tale is a mind-bending experience that stands toe-to-toe with the likes of Ghost in the Shell, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and some of the more experimental anime that has populated the medium over the years. Luckily, the series can still be bought digitally, and considering it runs thirteen episodes, it can be considered a “quick watch.”
Ironically enough, Lain’s story wasn’t based on a previous manga and/or light novel, but was a completely original idea from both Triangle Staff, along with director Ryutaro Nakamura and writer Chiaki J. Konaka. Following the conclusion of the original anime in 1998, the franchise would return thanks to an unexpected place: the video game world. Released last year, Serial Experiments Lain: Signal arrived on PCs as a “puzzle-solving adventure game,” bringing fans back to a world that never saw a sequel series emerge.
Unfortunately, this upcoming theatrical run has not been confirmed to make its way to North America, as Japan has an ongoing trend of highlighting anime classics in theaters more than its Western counterpart. With the anime industry growing ever larger in the U.S. of A, one day seeing Lain’s story on the big screen is a possibility, though fans might need to wait for a major anniversary to see it, if at all.
