remind me tomorrow
remind me next week
never remind me

Subscribe to the ANN Newsletter • Wake up every Sunday to a curated list of ANN's most interesting posts of the week. read more

Serial Experiments Lain: Loving the Wired and the Weird

by Matthew Roe, Jul 24th 2020

In his debut on Anime News Network's YouTube channel, Criticlysm's Matthew Roe looks back on the techno-punk anime cornerstone Serial Experiments Lain and how its themes are just as relevant over 20 years later.

discuss this in the forum (16 posts) |

Feature homepage / archives

review

Café Terrace and Its Goddesses Season 2 Anime Series Review

Oct 8, 12:00 anime

In a genre that so commonly relies on asking, “Will they or won't they?” CTG makes no secret that they will—they all will. ― On paper, there's nothing terribly unique about The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses (henceforth CTG) that sets it apart from the bajillions of other ecchi harem anime. It may be set in a café, but it's still one guy and several girls breasting boobily. In many ways, CTG is very ...

newtype

Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Interview with Director Shotaro Kitamura

Oct 8, 09:00 anime

Director Kitamura shares his impressions of Makeine's heroines, creating the anime's summer atmosphere, and more. ― Illustrated by Yuuko Hariba Background by Shingo Kanai (Kusanagi) Finished by Ayaka Murakami Composite by Yuko Shigeie Which girl captured your heart this summer? Let's take a look back at the heroines who colored the summer with their unique “kawaii” style!　 We asked the director what...

feature

200 comments

The Fall 2024 Anime Preview Guide

Oct 7, 11:31

200 comments

anime

Romance takes a dark turn in Yakuza Fiance! Also check our reviews for Tower of God: Workshop Battle, Puniru is a Kawaii Slime, MF Ghost, TsumaSho, Ranma ½, Bleach, BLUE LOCK, DAN DA DAN, and more! ― Welcome to Anime News Network's Fall 2024 Anime Preview Guide! Here's how it goes: our team of critics writes up their impressions instantly, to be posted here as they go along. Each critic will cover a...

game review

9 comments

Metaphor: ReFantazio Game Review

Oct 7, 10:00

9 comments

games

By building upon and reflecting on everything that Atlus' veteran developers have learned over the past twenty-five years, Metaphor: ReFantazio doesn't just stand tall and proud beside its forebears—it may very well surpass them. ― After bringing Atlus some of its greatest accolades and global impact ever with the release of Persona 5 in 2016, legendary Shin Megami Tensei and Persona director Katsura...

game review

11 comments

Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO Game Review

Oct 7, 10:00

11 comments

games

After seventeen years, we finally have the long-awaited fourth installment in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series. One thing remains true after all these years: if it ain't broke, don't fix it! ― It's here, guys! After seventeen years, we finally have the long-awaited fourth installment in the Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi series. Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO is one of the most hyped-up gam...

interview

2 comments

Creating a Multi-Volume Rom-Com Manga from a One-Shot

Oct 7, 10:00

2 comments

manga

According to series creator Yūki Kanamaru, More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers was originally only supposed to be three chapters long! ― More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers certainly caught me by surprise when it aired back in 2022. Within its unique premise is a story about love and looking past our preconceptions about each other. At Anime Expo 2024, Anime News Network sat down and s...

review

11 comments

Dungeon People Anime Series Review

Oct 6, 12:00

11 comments

anime

Dungeon People is a cute, cozy mash-up of the fantasy and workplace comedy genres that mostly succeeds at what it sets out to do. ― Dungeon People is a cute, cozy mash-up of the fantasy and workplace comedy genres that mostly succeeds at what it sets out to do. While not as relentlessly creative or compelling as this year's earlier Delicious in Dungeon, Dungeon People maintains a pleasant, gently ent...

news

14 comments

The Elusive Samurai Anime Gets 2nd Season

Oct 6, 11:00

14 comments

anime

1st Season's final episode aired in Japan on September 28 ― This year's 45th issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shonen Jump magazine revealed on Monday that the television anime of Yūsei Matsui's The Elusive Samurai (Nigejōzu no Wakagimi) manga will get a second season. The anime's first season premiered on July 6 on the Tokyo MX, BS11, Tochigi TV, and Gunma TV channels. Crunchyroll streamed the anime as it ...

news

17 comments

Hideaki Anno, Khara Produce New Yamato Anime Film Project

Oct 6, 09:40

17 comments

anime

Yamato 2199's Yutaka Izubuchi also working on new project ― Anime director Hideaki Anno announced after the 50th anniversary screening for Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto's Space Battleship Yamato anime on Sunday that he and his studio Khara are producing a Yamato project with new anime footage. Anno said that Khara received license approvals from Yamato's rights holders Voyager Holdings and ...

news

15 comments

Oshi no Ko Anime Gets 3rd Season, Reveals More Cast

Oct 6, 07:48

15 comments

anime

Mamoru Miyano, Hina Kino joins 2nd season cast ― Kadokawa announced on Sunday that the television anime of Aka Akasaka and Mengo Yokoyari's Oshi no Ko manga will get a third season and revealed a special visual and video announcement. The anime's staff also revealed two new cast members on Sunday: Mamoru Miyano as Hikaru Kamiki Hina Kino as Tsukuyomi The anime's second season premiered on July 3 on T...

news

17 comments

Mission: Yozakura Family Anime Gets 2nd Season

Oct 6, 04:50

17 comments

anime

Anime's 27th, final episode aired on Sunday ― The official X/Twitter account for the anime of Hitsuji Gondaira's Mission: Yozakura Family (Yozakura-san Chi no Daisakusen) manga revealed on Sunday that the anime will get a second season, and is streaming an announcement video. The anime's 27th and final episode aired on Sunday. The anime premiered in Japan on April 7 on MBS, TBS, and 26 of their affil...

review

7 comments

Tonbo! Season 1 Anime Series Review

Oct 5, 12:00

7 comments

anime

While Tonbo! isn’t an outright terrible show, it fails at making golf feel exciting and giving the audience much outside of that, both of which make for one of the dullest sports anime I’ve ever sat through. ― There are two things that I should probably mention here. The first is that I'm not much of a sports guy. I don't dislike sports per se, and I enjoy watching football and basketball games on oc...

news

26 comments

Gushing Over Magical Girls TV Anime Gets 2nd Season

Oct 5, 09:12

26 comments

anime

Announced at Saturday event for anime ― An event for the television anime of Akihiro Ononaka's Gushing Over Magical Girls (Mahō Shōjo ni Akogarete) manga announced with a teaser on Saturday that production on a second season has been green-lit. J-Novel Club licensed the manga, and it describes the story: Hi, I'm Hiiragi Utena. I'm a normal magical-girl-loving middle school girl—or at least I was, but...

column

81 comments

This Week in Games - Tilting at Windmills Instead of Dragons

Oct 4, 13:09

81 comments

games

Jean-Karlo levels with the audience about supposed Dragon Quest censorship, catches up on Tokyo Game Show announcements, and celebrates Monolith's 25th anniversary. ― Welcome back, folks! I had a great time at Portland Retro Game Expo last week. We had a weird bit where someone triggered the fire alarm, and we had to wait outside for a few minutes, but it was a great time overall. I got to meet some ...