10 Greatest Anime Openings Of All Time
4. Serial Experiments Lain
Before The Matrix rocked cinemas in 1999 and way before the likes of Facebook, Skype and scandals surrounding the NSA rocked the real world, there was Serial Experiments Lain. The Lain Iwakura character begins the series as something of an everywoman going through middle school in a Japanese suburb. Portrayed as immature, unremarkable and lacking in any real interest, Lain and everything around Lain is forever changed by the discovery of The Wired. The Wired serves as a virtual reality comprised of all human communications and networks throughout the world.
The opening is among the many to have a flock of birds pop up at some point but is otherwise devoid of most anime intro tropes. Managing to create intrigue in the show’s plot whilst remaining mysterious, the intro is strengthened by British band Boa’s pop track, Duvet. Lyrically perfect for the series as a whole, the intro is a brilliant set-up for the complex, 13 episode cyberpunk saga to come. It also functions perfectly as an ominous set-up for Lain’s new double life as a powerful presence in the digital world of The Wired.