I have started watching the series almost a year ago. In fact I have watched first 2 DVDs and had to stop. I really liked the series at that time, but it was too much of just about everything… suspense, horror, confusion, technology, physiology. So, I decided to take a break from the story. After all, a wise Russian man from the golden era said something like “If you have a fountain then shut it off. Even the fountain needs a rest.” It took me almost a year to come back to the final 2 DVDs.

I was stunned by Serial Experiments Lain a year ago. I have not changed my high opinion of the series since that time. However, this is definitely not the show for the mainstream public accustomed to standard Hollywood stories. It is not for people with short attention span or religious nuts who cannot even imagine an alternative.

The concepts presented in the series are not knew or groundbreaking. The fact that Serial Experiments Lain immerses its viewers in those concepts is what makes the series so good. Like any good story the series takes its time to prepare the viewer in its own way. The story definitely starts from the disk 1. Depending on your point of view you may think it is a slow series, but some may find it very intense.

The visuals are not absolutely stunning by the standards of  today, but are very good nevertheless. The images and the soundtrack play a big role. All image sequences are quite intuitive, but they certainly gain another level of clarity and meaning by the end of the story.

This is an incredibly complicated story that uses symbolism and philosophy. It is the one that surpasses expectations, leaves you speechless, confused and completely engrossed in the storyline.

…but it is not for everyone… It is not easy, not a comedy, not a love story, not an action. There is simply no standard definition for the story and that is what makes it great.

I gave it 5 stars on Netflix and it is not something I do lightly.

If you like considering alternative points of view you may enjoy Serial Experiments Lain show. It is perhaps too original to the point of getting me lost and confused and don’t forget about weird. Should I say bizarre?

I have not finished watching the series, so I can’t really review it yet.

If you install SSRS during the rest of SQL Server 2005 installation it will get configured automatically and without problems.

If you don’t install SSRS at the same time as SQL Server, then you will have to run Reporting Services Configuration utility. It has been observed that setting up reporting services after the fact is very likely to generate errors and more trouble than one would anticipate.