So I just finished watching Serial Experiments Lain, and I'm very disappointed in the series.

First off, if you cut out all of the blank stare / distortion scenes along with the stupid "Present day, present time...AH HAHAHA" at the beginning of every episode, then you could condense the entire series into a mini-anime that's about 6 episodes long. Almost nothing happens for the first 9 episodes and I felt like I wasted my time during all of it.

Secondly, the philosophy behind the series was very Philosophy 101. The primary problem that Lain faces is the problem of identity. How do I know that I exist? Where am I? Who am I? Can humanity exist inside of information? Etc, etc. The dialogue in the series was also rather...I don't want to use the word "childish," but the script was not complex to say the least.

And finally, I dislike that instead of the plot unfolding and the audience gaining a gradual understanding of the series, the writers decided that to flat-out tell you what the entire series is about in episode 10. It's as if the writers believed that the audience were too stupid to understand, so they tell you everything that has been happening to Lain and the reason for it. Then the story escalates quickly in the next 3 episodes.

The only redeeming quality of the series, in my mind, was the beautiful, albeit trippy, artwork. I also liked the odd incorporation of distorted real world images throughout the series. That was a nice touch that added a layer of empathy for the anime.