Head to head
Serial Experiments Lain vs Sword Art Online
Side by side on community score, how it's rated, audience size and how long each takes to watch. Data from Kitsu, refreshed daily.
The short version
- Serial Experiments Lain is rated higher by the community: 8.01 vs 7.36.
- Sword Art Online is more widely watched, with 3.5× the members.
- Serial Experiments Lain is the quicker watch, 4h 36m shorter.
- Fans favorite Serial Experiments Lain more often (3.3% vs 2.4% of members).
- They share Science Fiction.
| Serial Experiments Lain | Sword Art Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Community score | 8.01higher | 7.36 |
| Rank by score | #825better | #3,240 |
| Members | 55,156 | 194,172more |
| Favorited by | 3.3%more | 2.4% |
| Time to watch | 4h 59mshorter | 9h 35m |
| Episodes | 13 | 25 |
| Format | TV Series | TV Series |
| Aired | 1998 | 2012 |
| Status | Finished | Finished |
| Studio | – | – |
| Age rating | R | PG |
How each is rated
Share of ratings at each star level · 9★–10★: 46% vs 36%
- Serial Experiments Lain
- Sword Art Online
0%15%30%
1★2★3★4★5★6★7★8★9★10★
Show as table
| Serial Experiments Lain | Sword Art Online | |
|---|---|---|
| 1★ | 1% | 3% |
| 2★ | 1% | 2% |
| 3★ | 1% | 2% |
| 4★ | 3% | 8% |
| 5★ | 3% | 6% |
| 6★ | 7% | 9% |
| 7★ | 17% | 20% |
| 8★ | 21% | 13% |
| 9★ | 19% | 9% |
| 10★ | 27% | 27% |
Time to watch
Episodes × episode length, openings included
Show as table
| Item | Runtime |
|---|---|
| Serial Experiments Lain | 4h 59m |
| Sword Art Online | 9h 35m |
Only Serial Experiments Lain
Shared genres
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Serial Experiments Lain vs Sword Art Online FAQ
Is Serial Experiments Lain better than Sword Art Online?
By community score, Serial Experiments Lain is ahead (8.01 vs 7.36). Both are science fiction, so taste decides the rest.
Which is longer, Serial Experiments Lain or Sword Art Online?
Sword Art Online is longer: 9h 35m against 4h 59m.
Which is more popular?
Sword Art Online has more members on Kitsu (194,172 vs 55,156).
If I liked Serial Experiments Lain, will I like Sword Art Online?
Probably, if it was the science fiction side you enjoyed.