# Serial Experiments Lain

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Serial Experiments Lain and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 3 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** Recommended as a thoughtful 1990s anime about the psyche and where computers were heading. No recurring criticism appears in the quotes.

## Why people recommend it

- Compared with Ghost in the Shell and Akira (1 comments): "up there with ghost in the shell, akira, and serial experiments lain" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47835007))
- Explores the psyche, lost on teens (1 comments): "The broader implications about the psyche is probably lost on most teenagers" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=47848358))
- Captures 1990s view of computers (1 comments): "picks up on this 1990s vibe of where computers were going" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45821330))
- Praised as excellent (1 comments): "Serial Experiments Lain, which is excellent" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45805765))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Neon Genesis Evangelion](https://hackerapproved.com/p/neon-genesis-evangelion.md): 10 recommend
- [Mobile Suit Gundam](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mobile-suit-gundam.md): 10 recommend
- [Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans](https://hackerapproved.com/p/mobile-suit-gundam-iron-blooded-orphans.md): 9 recommend
- [Steins;Gate anime](https://hackerapproved.com/p/steins-gate.md): 8 recommend
- [Cyberpunk: Edgerunners](https://hackerapproved.com/p/cyberpunk-edgerunners.md): 6 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Serial Experiments Lain", https://hackerapproved.com/p/serial-experiments-lain/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).