Serial Experiments Lain

Serial Experiments Lain Is an anime series created by Yoshitoshi Abe about a young girl named Lain Iwakura.

Table of contents

1 Summary
2 Publications
3 Related

Summary

The series takes place in suburban Japan. It (mostly) follows a young girl named Lain Iwakura through her transition from normal schoolgirl to omnipresent being on the internet and collective unconsciousness.

Serial Experements Lain raises questions about god, the collective unconscious, the internet, and many other themes common in cyberpunk literature.

The series is a good example of how anime can require a lot of thinking to enjoy. It raises two new questions for each one it answers. At the end you're left with several possible explanations to choose from, or you can formulate your own.

Publications

The series ran for 13 episodes of one half hour each, between July 6 and September 28, 1998.

There are several art books available.

Omnipresence In The Wired - hardbound, is 128 pages, 96 color (A possible binary reference) with Japanese text. It features a chapter for each layer (episode) and concept sketches. It also features a short color manga titled "The Nightmare of Fabrication". It was published in 1998 by Triangle Staff/SR-12W/Pioneer LDC. (ISBN 4-789713431)
Visual Experements Lain - paperback, is 80 full-color pages with Japanese text. It has details on the creation, design, and storyline of the series. It was published in 1998 by Triangle Staff/Pioneer LDC. (ISBN 4-789713423)

The series also has several soundtracks and a video game.

Refrences made by the series:

Elf Band
The 1940s paper As We May Think by Vannevar Bush.
Douglas Engelbart
Alice In Wonderland