Serial Experiments Lain
Shares rank 5 of 8 anime series by recommenders
Recommended as a thoughtful 1990s anime about the psyche and where computers were heading. No recurring criticism appears in the quotes.
Recommended as a thoughtful 1990s anime about the psyche and where computers were heading. No recurring criticism appears in the quotes.
6 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 6
- criticize it
- 0
- approval share
- 100%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 6 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- Nobody criticizes itNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Compared with Ghost in the Shell and Akira
“up there with ghost in the shell, akira, and serial experiments lain”
Comment from 20 Apr 2026 in “M 7.4 earthquake – 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan” Explores the psyche, lost on teens
“The broader implications about the psyche is probably lost on most teenagers”
Comment from 21 Apr 2026 in “M 7.4 earthquake – 100 km ENE of Miyako, Japan” Captures 1990s view of computers
“picks up on this 1990s vibe of where computers were going”
Comment from 5 Nov 2025 in “The Hacker’s Manifesto (1986)” Praised as excellent
“Serial Experiments Lain, which is excellent”
Comment from 3 Nov 2025 in “No Socials November”
Other anime series people recommend
The four most recommended other anime series, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Neon Genesis Evangelion | 10 | 6 | 63% | 6 | — | — |
| Mobile Suit Gundam | 10 | 0 | 100% | 2 | — | — |
| Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans | 9 | 0 | 100% | 1 | — | — |
| Steins;Gate anime | 8 | 1 | 89% | 2 | — | — |
| Serial Experiments LainThis page | 6 | 0 | 100% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
4 of the 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“The broader implications about the psyche is probably lost on most teenagers”
“up there with ghost in the shell, akira, and serial experiments lain”
“picks up on this 1990s vibe of where computers were going”
“Serial Experiments Lain, which is excellent”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.