LAIN (layers 1-3)
(of 5)
Meet Lain. She is an ordinary schoolgirl alone in her own little world, thanks to her
alienating classmates and parents. However, her world is turned upside down when a class-
mate that commited suicide begins to contact Lain and her classmates via email. Imagine that on top of all the calculus homework you see written on the blackboards!
LAIN is written in an interesting fashion. It is not an action-packed series, with episodes depicting everyday life while other episodes contain enough happenings and information to send
your mind reeling. This style is similar to how the episodes of NEON GENESIS EVANGELION are written. Each episode builds in complexity until you are finally enmeshed in Lain's life and the virtual world that she enters. There is a lot of symbolism in the visuals of this series. Two prominent examples are the shadows and the power lines. I interpreted the shadows, which look almost blood-spattered, to symbolise Lain's dead classmate as she exists in the background contacting other classmates. The strong emphasis on power lines and wires pushes the fact that we are all connected in one way or another, but especially so when we enter the virtual realm.
The characters seems somewhat wooden in their speaking and reactions, but it fits into the series rather well because it makes everything else stand out so much more. This anime is a good psychological exercise requiring a bit of thought. Overall, I recommend LAIN very highly.
Copyright TLM 2000
