Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain (1998)

Serial Experiments Lain (シリアルエクスペリメンツレイン) or lain is a sci-fi cyberpunk psychological horror anime. It was written by Chiaki J. Konaka, produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, and drawn by Yoshitoshi ABe. It a popular anime series in both Japan and North America.

The series was only created as an anime and ran from July 6th 1998 - September 28th 1998 for 13 episodes. Although the anime was short it lasted a major impact in the anime community. A video game based off of the anime was released November 26th 1998, and was only released in Japan.

The anime series was licensed in North America by Geneon on DVD, VHS, and LaserDisc. However, Geneon closed its USA division in December 2007 and the series went out-of-print as a result. However, at Anime Expo 2010, North American distributor Funimation Entertainment announced that it has licensed the series and was re-released in 2012. It was also released in Singapore by Odex.

Synopsis

Lain Iwakura appears to be an ordinary girl, with almost no experience with computers. Yet the sudden suicide of a schoolmate, and a number of strange occurrences, conspire to pull Lain into the world of the Wired, where she gradually learns that nothing is what it seems to be... not even Lain herself.

Characters

• Iwakura Lain (岩倉 玲音)

Lain is a fourteen-year-old girl who is first depicted as a shy junior high student with few friends or interests. She later grows multiple personalities, both in the physical and Wired worlds. As the anime progresses, she eventually comes to discover that she is, a sentient computer program in the form of a human body designed to sever the invisible barrier between the Wired and real worlds. In the end, Lain herself is revealed to be the divine Goddess of the Wired and that she is an omnipresent.

Voiced by Shimizu Kaori (Japanese), Bridget Hoffman (English)

• Eiri Masami (英利 政美)

The designer of Protocol Seven. While working for Tachibana Labs, he illicitly included code enabling him to control the whole protocol at will and embedded his own feelings into the seventh protocol. He was later fired and was soon found dead on a railway. He claims to have been Lain's creator.

Voiced by Hayami Sho (Japanese), Kirk Thornton (English)

• Iwakura Yasuo (岩倉 康男)

Lain's human father, a passionate man about computers, he works with Eiri Masami at Tachibana Labs. He monitors Lain's development in the Wired until she becomes more and more aware of her condition. He eventually leaves Lain, but truly did love and care about her as a father.

Voiced by Obayashi Ryusuke (Japanese), Barry Stigler (English)

• Iwakura Yasuo (岩倉 ミホ)

Lain's mother, a caring housewife. She eventually leaves Lain.

Voiced by Igarashi Rei (Japanese), Petea Burchard (English)

• Mizuki Alice (瑞城 ありす)

Lain's classmate and her only friend, Alice is kind and protective. She attempts to help Lain socialize by taking her to a nightclub. She is alsoa fearless and dedicated to her friends.

Voiced by Asada Yoko (Japanese), Emilie Brown (English)

• Iwakura Mika (岩倉 美香)

Lain's older sister, a 16-year-old student who picks on her little sister. Mika is the only normal member of Lain's family. In the series, her consciousness is seriously damaged by violent hallucinations.

Voiced by Kawasumi Ayako (Japanese), Patricia Ja Lee (English)

• Taro (タロウ)

A boy who works for the Knights to find "the one truth". He has not yet been made a member, and is unaware of their full intentions. Taro loves video games and hangs out all day at the Cyberia night-club with his friends. He asks Lain for a date with her Wired self in exchange for information.

Voiced by Takimoto Keito (Japanese), Brianne Sidall (English)

• Office Worker

A top executive from Tachibana Labs. He looks forward to the arrival of a God through the Wired, and is the man behind the Knights' mass assassination. He is aware of many hidden facts about Lain.

Voiced by Chiba Shigeru (Japanese), Richard Plantagenet (English)

• Men In Black

Two men working two murdering all the Knights.

Karl Haushofer (カール・ハウスホッファ ) Voiced by Yamazaki Takumi (Japanese), Jamieson Price (English)

Lin Shi Xi (林 随錫) Voiced by Nakata Joji (Japanese), Bob Buchholz (English)

Impact

Lain was called "weird", "bizarre", and "atypical", due mostly to the unusual science fiction themes and due philosophical / psychological context. Although it was called such things, Critics responded very positively to it and was awarded an Excellence Prize at the Japan Media Arts Festival for "its willingness to question the meaning of contemporary life" and the "extraordinarily philosophical and deep questions" it asks. Nutt saluted ABe's "crisp, clean character design" and the "perfect soundtrack" in 2005, saying that "Serial Experiments Lain might not yet be considered a true classic, but it's a fascinating evolutionary leap that helped change the future of anime." Anime Jump gave it 4.5/5, and Anime on DVD gave it A+ on all criteria for volume 1 and 2. The Asian Horror Encyclopedia calls it "an outstanding psycho-horror anime about the psychic and spiritual influence of the Internet". The Anime Essentials anthology by Gilles Poitras describes it as a "complex and somehow existential" anime that "pushed the envelope". Professor Susan J. Napier compared Serial Experiments Lain to Ghost in the Shell and Hayao Miyazaki's Spirited Away.

Video Game

On November 26, 1998, Pioneer LDC released a Serial Experiments Lain video game for the PlayStation. It was designed by Konaka and Yasuyuki. The video game was made to be a "network simulator" in which the player would navigate to explore Lain's story as a "Psycho-Stretch-Ware". The game has also been described as being as a type of graphic novel. As with the anime, the game was made to let the player "feel" Lain, and "to understand her problems, and to love her". A guidebook to the game called Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide was released the same month by MediaWorks.

Music

Opening theme

• Bôa - "Duvet"

Ending theme

• Nakaido "Chabo" Reichi - "Tooi Sakebi" (遠い叫び～エンディングテーマ～; Cry in the Distance)

Discography

Soundtracks

• [1998] Serial Experiments Lain OST
• [1998] Serial Experiments Lain: Cyberia Mix
• [1999] Lain BOOTLEG

Other

• [1999.04.28] tall snake ep

ArtBooks / Guides

• [1998] Visual Experiments Lain
• [1998] Scenario Experiments Lain
• [1998] Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide
• [1999] Omnipresence in the Wired
• [2002] Yoshitoshi ABe lain illustrations ab# rebuild an omnipresence in the Wired
• [2002] Serial Experiments Lain Ultimate Fan Guide

Awards

• [1998] Japan Media Arts Festival - Excellence Prize

References

External Links

• Official Japanese Website
• Funimation's Teaser Site
• Anime News Network Profile
• SEL Wiki
• Wikipedia: Serial Experiments Lain