I give up on this anime, 6 episodes in. I totally get why someone might like it but it just isn't all that good for me

Texhnolyze is the best out of the three though. And if you're implying it's hard to get somehow; I don't understand how a narrative portrayed so conventionally could be hard to follow.

OP, your criticisms are kind of bad. SEL is an experiment in the medium of televised anime as well as a presentation of some trans-humanist and Buddhist ideas. Mostly it's about human connection and perception. You don't watch it just for the symbolism (which you aren't giving enough credit) but also the amazing atmosphere and music. If you don't like it fine but it isn't bad whatsoever.

The plot about god of the wired and trans-humanism stuff is just surface level window dressing while the episodes are mostly about the consequences of the information age socially and psychologically.

I think you're approaching it the wrong way.. I do think it's obtuse too, but I did enjoy it. I don't think that it's a crucial thing for any kind of art really, as long as it makes you feel something it still went somewhere. Most directors do things because they sound cool, or just take references they like and mix them together, thinking they were trying to be intellectuals and DEEP is a bit unfair in my opinion, kind of projecting. It's okay if you don't like it, I just always thought the "it's pretentious/trying to be DEEP argument weird.

Honestly, I liked Lain mostly for the aesthetic. The plot is interesting but there's too much mumbo jumbo to make it relevant. I honestly this kind of chopped up narrative to make it look more complex than it is.

because its an entry level show and people who have seen like 10 anime have usually seen it and since they dont have much anime to talk about and theyve probably just watched it for the 1st time in the last year so of course they enjoy their lain threads. They dont have much else to talk about

lol