Serial Experiments Lain wiki - User contributions [en]

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-22T05:02:09Z

Ain: Expanded her personality. I will do more work to improve this page later. There are still redundancies on the page that need to be resolved. For now I will mark the page as 'under construction' until further notice.

{{Infobox
|image = File:Lain.jpg
|gender = Female
|age = 14 ([[anime]]), 11-14 ([[game]])
|family = [[Iwakura Yasuo]], [[Iwakura Miho]], [[Iwakura Mika]] ([[anime]]); [[Father]], [[Mother]] ([[game]] and [[manga]])
|affiliation = [[Knights of the Eastern Calculus]], [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]
|navi = [[Children's NAVI]], [[Handheld NAVI]], [[Lain's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Layer 01]]
|featuredin = [[Anime]], [[game]], [[manga]]
|location = [[Lain's house]], [[Shibuya]]}}

'''Please pardon our appearance. This page is currently under construction.'''
--[[User:Ain|Ain]] 05:02, 22 July 2013 (UTC)

'''Iwakura Lain''' (岩倉玲音 ''Iwakura Rein'', also rendered as レイン, ｌａｉｎ or れいん) is the main protagonist of the series. She is female, 14 in the [[anime]], 11-14 in the [[game]], and of an unknown age in other works. Visually, she is characterized by her short, brown, asymmetrical hair, one lock of which is secured by a [[hairclip]]. [[Masami Eiri]], in his desire to conquer reality, uses her as a pawn.

== Personality ==
Across all the works in the ''serial experiments lain'' series, lain is portrayed as introverted, shy and quiet. Her preferences are also quite childish, and she possesses a large number of toys and other child-themed objects. She often derives comfort from these objects when she is afraid, akin to a security blanket.

When it comes to interacting with others, she often has trouble making eye contact and having fluent conversation, many exchanges with her fellow classmates involving long pauses in her speech, and often looks visibly uncomfortable when asked questions. She usually does not speak unless spoken to and appears to find both talking to strangers and being the center of attention to be intimidating. Because of this, she has very few friends. However, on the Internet, Lain feels much more comfortable around people and is able to talk to them more easily, although she does not feel close to online acquaintances.

Generally, Lain appears to be indifferent to her surroundings, but she is actually very sensitive and worried about how others perceive her. As a result, Lain appears to be very concerned with her actions and how they affect other people, being terrified of being by herself or being universally rejected by everyone.

Due to her lack of close family or friends, Lain is often very lonely and can become unhealthily attached to anyone she feels treats her nicely, to the point of obsession. As a result, she often worries even more how people who know her perceive her and is quick to doubt herself and her friends; however, when she interacts with them, she feels elated and far more optimistic. If anyone she is close to leaves her life, Lain becomes heartbroken and worries about the others that remain. She is fiercely loyal to those she cares about and tries her best to care for them, although she often worries that she is not doing a good job of doing so. Terrible things happening to people, regardless of whether they are close to her or not, seem to deeply emotionally disturb Lain, often causing her to cry.

If Lain is completely alone, she becomes desperate and afraid of her own inner faults. In order to distract herself, Lain often throws herself into a specialization that interests her, such as programming or psychology and further isolated herself. However, extended periods of solitude cause Lain to begin to lose her mind, and she eventually neglects herself and becomes extremely depressed. It is possible that being left alone too long could result in her suicide.

When Lain is afraid, she will often want comfort from others, despite rarely approaching them directly, not wanting to burden them. If she cannot get comfort from other people, she will hide behind objects she designates as security blankets, like her bear pajamas, [[NAVI]], [[Bike-chan]], or [[Progenetis]]. If she is truly terrified or overwhelmed she will have what appears to be a panic attack of some kind, curling into a ball and shaking, apparently completely immobilized.

When it comes to Lain's specialization skills, she is extremely curious and hungry for information, avidly consuming information at astonishing speeds and learning very quickly. It does not take her long to become an expert on a subject, and she shows extreme prowess in both hardware and software, as well as aspects of philosophy, psychology and sociology. She appears to be able to analyze, recall and process data very quickly, working at high speeds and often doing several things at once. Many tasks that are difficult for experts are easy for her. Despite appearing to be highly intelligent, Lain is an extremely poor student, having a difficult time paying attention in class.

Lain seems to consider herself to be abnormal and often blames herself for bad things that happen around her or the troubles of loved ones, becoming easily depressed. She also often feels isolated from society and alone, and seems to want to fit in more than anything, but her shyness and social anxiety often gets in the way. Lain is also very easily embarrassed, which further worsens her low self-esteem and shyness. She often struggles with her [[identity]] due to the circumstances around her, a struggle that often confuses and frightens her.

When Lain finally feels that she has discovered her identity, she is at peace and seems to be quietly content with herself, her previous self-doubts becoming minimal.

== Anime Biography ==

At the beginning of the anime, Lain is technologically illiterate and extremely shy. She hardly even checks her email and is visibly uncomfortable when doing so. While operating her old [[children's NAVI]], she puts on a bear hat. This, like her [[bear suit]], provides comfort to her and helps her face situations that she is intimidated by.

Lain's behaviour changes when she gets a proper [[NAVI]]. When online, she behaves much more confidently and assertively. Another Lain, commonly referred to by the fandom as "evil Lain", already exists in the Wired and, according to Lain in [[Layer 08]], acts like the part of Lain that she hates.

Lain appears to be highly intelligent and has a range of skills. The anime shows her learning extremely quickly how a NAVI functions and can even help the [[boss]] of the [[Men in Black]] repair his extremely old NAVI. Also, the [[manga]] shows some of Lain's skills in programming, as she modifies her plush dog, [[Bike-chan]], to be able to bark. In the [[game]], Lain becomes interested in psychology and is able to use that knowledge on [[Yonera Touko]], her therapist, when she becomes unstable.

She is quite distant from her [[family]] and rarely speaks at home. At school, she is similarly quiet, although she begins to hang out with [[Alice]], [[Reika]] and [[Juri]]. Of the three, only Alice seems to have any real emotional connection with her.

Lain is revealed to be the product of the human collective unconscious that took form in the Wired. This means that there is a different image of Lain in each person's mind, represented by the chattering Lain mannequins in [[Layer 08]]. This led to Lain's [[identity]] crisis that forms a major plot point in the anime.

Lain considers herself to be a being that exists only in the memories of others, so when she edits herself out during the [[reset]], it is almost a form of suicide - although the Wired itself still retains her data, there are no people who truly remember her.

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-17T05:14:11Z

Ain: /* Characters */

Released on November 26, 1998 for the PlayStation, the [[Serial Experiments Lain]] game consists mostly of pieces of information collected in a random order that allow the player to piece together [[Lain]]'s story.

There is guidebook for this game titled [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]].

==Summary==
Source: [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lainpsx.txt] written by Keisuke Shindo.

This file is hosted on 'thought experiments lain' - http://www.cjas.org/~leng/open.htm - by Lawrence Eng

>I have played Lain PS game about a month ago. I have a mixed impression.
>But, now I know there are many people who want to know about it, I'll try
>to write.
>
>
>I can't recommend this "game" to other people. especially non Japanese
>speakers. But It really has a completely another Lain story.
>
>It contains about 5 minutes anime movie and fragments of dialogue by recorded
>voice (total about 2 hours?). There is no Japanese texts. English text
>won't help
>to understand the story. You have to understand from the japanese dialogue
>without Japanese text or character animation. I know that it is hopeless
>for non
>Japanese speakers. But I think that the release of the English version is also
>hopeless.
>
>I can't say that it is a "game". I think that it is like a database
>software which
>has it's own interface. There is always Lain wearing special costume at
>the center
>of the screen. Whenever you command to Lain by Pad , Lain picks up one icon by
>animation and play the fragments of animation or dialogues of the icon.
>The story
>was recorded like radio dramas and they were chopped and dispersed randomly to
>each icons. You have to seek out the fragments and you have to think what is
>going and what it means by yourself.
>
>At first, you can see only a little data fragments. And you can't play
>the data by
>time order. As you find out more data, You'll see more about what was going in
>past.
>
>Good thing:
> -The atmosphere is similar to TV series. Very odd and complex.
> -Cool display design. Same designers as the CG scene of the TV series.
> -Many AB's artworks.
>
>Bad thing:
> -I think this is NOT a game.
> -User Interface is horrible. You'll feel frustrating by the slow response.
> -Character design of anime part is not so good compared to the TV series.
> (I think that Lain's character design in TV series is almost perfect.)
> -You have to think by yourself what is going from the fragments of the story.
> (But it was made so on purpose.)
>
>Same as the TV series:
> -Lain's producer Ueda Masayuki. Lain was originally planned to make 2
> different stories.
> -Lain's voice actress Shimizu Kaori.
> -Lain's hair style.
> -Wired space.
> -Philosophy(?).
>
>Different:
> -Character design.
> -All of other characters. (There is no Alice, Deus, Knights...)
> -Story. No connection to TV series timeline.
>
>Summary of the story <spoiler>
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>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Iwakura Lain is a 11 years old ordinary girl.
>
>Yonera Touko is a 27 years old psychiatrist.
>
>This game(?) contains Lain's personal diary, Touko's personal diary, Touko's
>council records with Lain, Touko's medical records and few others, and
>animation
>movies for about 5 minutes which was chopped to about 30 pieces.
>
>Lain visited to Touko. She had been annoyed by hallucinations. Touko began
>to councel her. When Lain was asked about her hair style, she answered.
>"It enters from right. And perhaps it goes out from left. so..."
>
>Lain became interested in psychopathology, and asked many things to Touko.
>She answered the expert knowledge about psychopathology in order to keep
>close to Lain. Lain became to like Touko.
>
>Lain entered junior high school. She had her best friend Misato. And she
>became to hook on network. She became to communicate to other people
>in the wired, and also to be able to cracking. Lain always talked to Touko
>about Misato and the net. There are also many things about them in Lain's
>diary.
>
>One day, Lain's father disappeared. No one told where he went. Lain began
>to make her own robot "father". She made an AI and his body by a machine
>connected to the computer. But the "father" doesn't have the head and the
>lower half of the body. Her "father" began to study from net.
>(Her true father was killed by someone. But it is not certain who did it.)
>
>Touko felt frustrating that she can't do enough her own study because she had
>to help her boss's own study, and because her only patient Lain looked no
>problem. She became to hate her boss. After for a while, her boss killed
>himself.
>
>3 years passed since Touko began to councel Lain.
>
>Touko thought that she has no problem now. But other patient was not assigned
>to Touko. Touko began to be impatient. At the same time, Touko knew that her
>lover Takashi married to the other woman. She became to love the other guy
>Yoshida who was a salesman in Tachibana Lab. He gave her a trial piece of
>machine for relaxation. But he also refused her.
>
>One day, Touko found out that Misato doesn't exist. But Lain denied the fact.
>Touko began to diagnose Lain again.
>
>Lain realized that the "father"'s machine body is not necessory. She
>programmed
>her father into the wired, and broke the body. And she also began to program
>herself into the wired.
>
>Touko became emotionally unstable. Lain began to worry about Touko, and
>now Lain
>has even more knowledge than Touko. So, Lain began to diagnose Touko. Touko's
>medical records became Lain's medical records. (It seems that the machine from
>Tachibana Lab. made Touko unstable on purpose.)
>
>"Close the world , Open the nExt."
>At a girder bridge, Lain met another Lain, and talked to each other.
>"It ended. It began."
>Lain put her gun out and shut herself.
>
>Lain appeared to Touko. Touko knew that she was taken in by Lain who is an
>existence
>more than human beings. Touko died.
>
>Lain "What will I need in the wired?" "Existence, will. Others are only data."
>
>Now Lain and Touko only lives in the wired and began to talk to "player".
>Lain "From now, I am always with you."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>It made me feel as if they really exists in my PlayStation. Many thinks
>that this ending
>is fearful and too hopeless (including me)...
>
>This story was not arranged by time order. I have seen all data (perhaps)
>and I
>estimated that this story is like above. It seems that there are still
>many mysteries.
>But this game(?) seems to be aimed to make us think about the story by
>ourselves
>and to have empathy for this story and Lain.
>
>I think that It is similar to what Lain's TV series aimed to. It makes us
>confusing
>the fiction with our reality. And It will also make us feel as if Lain
>really exists.
>You'll see what I mean at the end of the TV series. But it is not so
>hopeless as
>this.
==Characters==
[[Iwakura Lain]]
An apparently ordinary girl with a highly introverted nature and low self-esteem. At age 11, she begins to see and hear hallucinations, most prominently a double of herself. As a result, she sees a therapist at Tachibana General Laboratories. Lain also proves to be adept at psychology and computer science. Most of all, she is unbearably lonely.

[[Yonera Touko]]
Recently graduated from an American university, Touko serves as Lain's counselor. She is a new employee, and Lain is her very first client, establishing quite a good relationship with her.

[[Makino Shin'ichirou]]
An ordinary office worker who encounters Lain online. Impressed with her abilities, he provides news, data and computer parts for her.

[[Tomo]]
A boy in Lain's elementary school class that Lain has a crush on.

[[Kyoko]]
A girl in Lain's elementary school class that Lain is somewhat friendly with, who treats Lain like a younger sister.

[[Mayu]]
A friend of Kyoko's.

[[Kaori]]
A girl in Lain's elementary school class that tries to be friendly with everyone.

[[Father]]
Lain's father. He and Lain are very close and he treats Lain very kindly, often buying her presents. He is a businessman that occasionally needs to travel.

[[Mother]]
Lain's mother. She and Lain are on slightly less good terms, and she is a bit harder on Lain than her father. She still treats Lain very well and looks after her when she needs help. She is a housewife.

[[Misato]]
Lain's (imaginary) friend in her middle school class. Getting along extremely well, Lain and her do all sorts of things together, at least in Lain's memory. Misato is an ideal girl, able to play the violin beautifully, paint exquisitely, and is also very beautiful and elegant.

[[Harumi]]
Touko's longtime friend. She rather abruptly gets married.

[[Kanako]]
Touko's longtime friend. She's a hardworking woman trying to become a publisher.

[[Takeshi]]
Touko's boyfriend, met while studying abroad. He works at Tachibana General Laboratories alongside Touko. Their relationship is very platonic.

[[Yoshida]]
Touko's other lover. He works at an exercise equipment manufacturing company that visits Tachibana General Laboratories from time to time. He is popular with women.

[[Professor Takashima]]
Touko's boss. A well-meaning man that often dumps chores on Touko, impeding her research. Touko hates him.

[[Mr. Rabbit]]
A friend that Lain made online. He teaches her how to hack.

[[Shock Spammer]]
A malevolent user online that sends encrypted shock images to Lain's inbox.

[[Progenetis]]
Lain's father. After the disappearance of Father, Lain begins to make artificial replacements of her friends and family, starting with Father.

[[Bike-chan]]
A stuffed toy that allegedly has been Lain since her birth. Lain seems to view it as a friend.

[[The Other Self]]
A hallucination of another Lain that appears nude. She is the reason that Lain starts seeing Touko.

[[CLN-1]]
An unnamed woman that shoots her boyfriend in public.

==File System==
The game's interface is designed to be somewhat similar to a database, apparently called the "life instinct function" or "lif", which appears to be located on a server at [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. The name of the database could hint that it is serving the purpose of keeping lain alive somehow. The database is divided into two Sites: Site A and Site B. Site B is locked when the player begins the game, and can only be unlocked by finding updates hidden in the files. Each file in the site contains an invisible version number. The version of the player's in-game media player must be greater than or equal to that number in order to play the file. The media player can be updated by finding various upgrades hidden in the files.

Located within the database are several different filetypes:
*'''Lda''', standing for lain's_DIARY in game, is a collection of 237 diary entries written by Lain over the course of roughly three years. The diary was given to Lain by Touko early into the counseling sessions as a place to confide her often negative and personal feelings. Interestingly, there is an image included in the game of Touko giving Lain a physical book, but the diaries themselves have evidence to show that the diaries are electronic. It is possible that Lain writes the diaries and then records herself reading them.

*'''Tda''', or TOUKO'S_DIARY, is a collection of 92 diary entries written by Yonera Touko over the course of roughly two years.

*'''Cou''', or COUNSELING_REC. is a collection of 53 recordings of counseling sessions between Lain and Touko. While the earlier sessions had Touko acting as a counselor to Lain, in the final recordings the roles are reversed after Touko becomes unstable. Lain acts as a counselor using her wide knowledge of psychology from independent study.

*'''Dia''', or DIAGNOSIS_CLN## is a collection of 48 diagnoses by either Touko or Lain regarding their patient's behavior and actions to be taken as a result. Touko's recordings bear the designation CLN_01 (referring to Lain) and Lain's bear the designation CLN_00 (referring to Touko). The final recording is done by both.

*'''TaK''' is a series of 181 recordings of a single sentence each by either Lain or Touko, seemingly addressing the player. These sentences are often random questions. Unlike other filetypes, which are mostly presented in chronological order by level number, these files are presented in two apparently parallel chronologies, one consisting of the recordings by Lain (TaK001-TaK121) and the other by Touko (TaK122-181). There is no label for this filetype, but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls them "Talk" files.

*'''Ekm''' is a series of 6 recordings of conversations between Lain and Kyoko. The label for this filetype is "DATA of CLN01", but the Serial Experiments Lain Offical Guide calls these files "Extra Kyoko's Memory". These files only exist on Site A.

*'''Ere''', or RESEARCH_"Ky" and RESEARCH_"Ka" is a series of 10 interviews between Touko and some of Lain's classmates regarding Lain. The Serial Experiments Official Guide calls these files "Extra Research". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Eda''' or RESEARCH_"Ma" is a series of 4 counseling sessions between Makino and possibly Professor Takashima, and 1 news report. The fifth file has the designation NEWS_SHOW. The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Extra Data". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Sskn''' or SaiSei-kun is a collection of freeware upgrade apps for the game's movie playing tool. Each successive update unlocks more content. There are seven upgrades available. The designation for these files is "mT up-date App."

*'''P2-''' or POLY-TAN PARTS are pieces of a virtual bear model named Poly-tan. Collecting all parts unlocks some files, according to the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide. There are 6 in all, all of which are located on Site A.

*'''GaTE''' is a series of network applications that are needed to proceed from Site A to Site B. There are 4 in all.

*'''Dc1''', or DATA of CLN## is a series of 57 animated video files, mostly of Lain. While the numbers do go up to 058, Dc1029 is missing. Unlike the other filetypes, these files are presented in mostly random order, Site A containing the first 28 and Site B containing the latter 29. Each video file has its own name. Interestingly, the name "drive" is used twice. It is unknown who filmed these files or for what purpose, or whether there was even a cameraman at all. While some files have a distinctly handheld look to them or are clearly for the purpose of filming a counseling session, others are far more unusual; some appear to be hidden cameras, others appear to be professionally edited to show a series of events from a certain angle, and still others appear to be impossible or difficult shots, like aerial shots or shots of Lain in a bathroom mirror with no visible camera behind her. The CLN number, or client number, varies occasionally, but for most of the files is CLN01, or Lain. A few files in Site B use the designations CLN00 (Touko) or CLN-1 (a seemingly unnamed woman). The missing file, Dc1029, appears to be located between Site A and B, and its contents are located in the short manga "[[the nightmare of fabrication]]". The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Movie".

*'''Env''' or network voices? is a series of 12 files that contain nothing but static and assorted voices. The server data for all these files are corrupted. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game. All of these files are located on Site A's Level 0.

*'''Xv0''' is a collection of unused video clips. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

*'''Xa''' is a collection of miscellaneous audio. Most of these files contain Touko in an apparent state of distress, though the first and last files contain Lain's voice. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

==Connections between the game and the anime==
This game explains many elements in the [[anime]] that are taken for granted or left unexplained. It can be considered an alternate timeline to the anime, perhaps one where Lain is incarnated into a different environment.

*Lain's haircut

In the game, it is revealed that Lain cut her own hair. The longer lock of hair where she clips her [[hairclip]] is meant to prevent something that "enters from the right" from "going out through the left". Not much is known about the context of this statement (at least to the English-speaking fandom), but it has been theorised that Lain's hairstyle wards off demons or prevents her memories from disappearing.

*The chip from [[Layer 09]]

This may be the same in nature as the machine that [[Touko]] received from [[Tachibana Labs]].

*Shared [[themes]]

As part of the same franchise, both the game and the anime cover topics such as the reliability of [[memory]] and the nature of existence and [[reality]].

==Translation==
The game currently remains untranslated. There are currently two attempts to translate the game.
*'''The Serial Experiments Lain PSX Game Translation Project''' located at [http://psx.lain.pl/doku.php]
*'''ain's translations''' located at [http://ain-and-lain.tumblr.com/tagged/lain-psx-translation]

{{Media}}
[[Category:Media]]

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-17T04:53:18Z

Ain: Added Kaori's existence. I thought her name had been changed to Mayu in the final draft.

Released on November 26, 1998 for the PlayStation, the [[Serial Experiments Lain]] game consists mostly of pieces of information collected in a random order that allow the player to piece together [[Lain]]'s story.

There is guidebook for this game titled [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]].

==Summary==
Source: [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lainpsx.txt] written by Keisuke Shindo.

This file is hosted on 'thought experiments lain' - http://www.cjas.org/~leng/open.htm - by Lawrence Eng

>I have played Lain PS game about a month ago. I have a mixed impression.
>But, now I know there are many people who want to know about it, I'll try
>to write.
>
>
>I can't recommend this "game" to other people. especially non Japanese
>speakers. But It really has a completely another Lain story.
>
>It contains about 5 minutes anime movie and fragments of dialogue by recorded
>voice (total about 2 hours?). There is no Japanese texts. English text
>won't help
>to understand the story. You have to understand from the japanese dialogue
>without Japanese text or character animation. I know that it is hopeless
>for non
>Japanese speakers. But I think that the release of the English version is also
>hopeless.
>
>I can't say that it is a "game". I think that it is like a database
>software which
>has it's own interface. There is always Lain wearing special costume at
>the center
>of the screen. Whenever you command to Lain by Pad , Lain picks up one icon by
>animation and play the fragments of animation or dialogues of the icon.
>The story
>was recorded like radio dramas and they were chopped and dispersed randomly to
>each icons. You have to seek out the fragments and you have to think what is
>going and what it means by yourself.
>
>At first, you can see only a little data fragments. And you can't play
>the data by
>time order. As you find out more data, You'll see more about what was going in
>past.
>
>Good thing:
> -The atmosphere is similar to TV series. Very odd and complex.
> -Cool display design. Same designers as the CG scene of the TV series.
> -Many AB's artworks.
>
>Bad thing:
> -I think this is NOT a game.
> -User Interface is horrible. You'll feel frustrating by the slow response.
> -Character design of anime part is not so good compared to the TV series.
> (I think that Lain's character design in TV series is almost perfect.)
> -You have to think by yourself what is going from the fragments of the story.
> (But it was made so on purpose.)
>
>Same as the TV series:
> -Lain's producer Ueda Masayuki. Lain was originally planned to make 2
> different stories.
> -Lain's voice actress Shimizu Kaori.
> -Lain's hair style.
> -Wired space.
> -Philosophy(?).
>
>Different:
> -Character design.
> -All of other characters. (There is no Alice, Deus, Knights...)
> -Story. No connection to TV series timeline.
>
>Summary of the story <spoiler>
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>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Iwakura Lain is a 11 years old ordinary girl.
>
>Yonera Touko is a 27 years old psychiatrist.
>
>This game(?) contains Lain's personal diary, Touko's personal diary, Touko's
>council records with Lain, Touko's medical records and few others, and
>animation
>movies for about 5 minutes which was chopped to about 30 pieces.
>
>Lain visited to Touko. She had been annoyed by hallucinations. Touko began
>to councel her. When Lain was asked about her hair style, she answered.
>"It enters from right. And perhaps it goes out from left. so..."
>
>Lain became interested in psychopathology, and asked many things to Touko.
>She answered the expert knowledge about psychopathology in order to keep
>close to Lain. Lain became to like Touko.
>
>Lain entered junior high school. She had her best friend Misato. And she
>became to hook on network. She became to communicate to other people
>in the wired, and also to be able to cracking. Lain always talked to Touko
>about Misato and the net. There are also many things about them in Lain's
>diary.
>
>One day, Lain's father disappeared. No one told where he went. Lain began
>to make her own robot "father". She made an AI and his body by a machine
>connected to the computer. But the "father" doesn't have the head and the
>lower half of the body. Her "father" began to study from net.
>(Her true father was killed by someone. But it is not certain who did it.)
>
>Touko felt frustrating that she can't do enough her own study because she had
>to help her boss's own study, and because her only patient Lain looked no
>problem. She became to hate her boss. After for a while, her boss killed
>himself.
>
>3 years passed since Touko began to councel Lain.
>
>Touko thought that she has no problem now. But other patient was not assigned
>to Touko. Touko began to be impatient. At the same time, Touko knew that her
>lover Takashi married to the other woman. She became to love the other guy
>Yoshida who was a salesman in Tachibana Lab. He gave her a trial piece of
>machine for relaxation. But he also refused her.
>
>One day, Touko found out that Misato doesn't exist. But Lain denied the fact.
>Touko began to diagnose Lain again.
>
>Lain realized that the "father"'s machine body is not necessory. She
>programmed
>her father into the wired, and broke the body. And she also began to program
>herself into the wired.
>
>Touko became emotionally unstable. Lain began to worry about Touko, and
>now Lain
>has even more knowledge than Touko. So, Lain began to diagnose Touko. Touko's
>medical records became Lain's medical records. (It seems that the machine from
>Tachibana Lab. made Touko unstable on purpose.)
>
>"Close the world , Open the nExt."
>At a girder bridge, Lain met another Lain, and talked to each other.
>"It ended. It began."
>Lain put her gun out and shut herself.
>
>Lain appeared to Touko. Touko knew that she was taken in by Lain who is an
>existence
>more than human beings. Touko died.
>
>Lain "What will I need in the wired?" "Existence, will. Others are only data."
>
>Now Lain and Touko only lives in the wired and began to talk to "player".
>Lain "From now, I am always with you."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>It made me feel as if they really exists in my PlayStation. Many thinks
>that this ending
>is fearful and too hopeless (including me)...
>
>This story was not arranged by time order. I have seen all data (perhaps)
>and I
>estimated that this story is like above. It seems that there are still
>many mysteries.
>But this game(?) seems to be aimed to make us think about the story by
>ourselves
>and to have empathy for this story and Lain.
>
>I think that It is similar to what Lain's TV series aimed to. It makes us
>confusing
>the fiction with our reality. And It will also make us feel as if Lain
>really exists.
>You'll see what I mean at the end of the TV series. But it is not so
>hopeless as
>this.
==Characters==
[[Iwakura Lain]]

[[Yonera Touko]]

[[Makino Shin'ichirou]]

[[Tomo]]

[[Kyoko]]

[[Mayu]]

[[Kaori]]

[[Father]]

[[Mother]]

[[Misato]]

[[Harumi]]

[[Kanako]]

[[Takeshi]]

[[Yoshida]]

[[Professor Takashima]]

[[Mr. Rabbit]]

[[Shock Spammer]]

[[Progenetis]]

[[Bike-chan]]

[[The Other Self]]

[[CLN-1]]

==File System==
The game's interface is designed to be somewhat similar to a database, apparently called the "life instinct function" or "lif", which appears to be located on a server at [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. The name of the database could hint that it is serving the purpose of keeping lain alive somehow. The database is divided into two Sites: Site A and Site B. Site B is locked when the player begins the game, and can only be unlocked by finding updates hidden in the files. Each file in the site contains an invisible version number. The version of the player's in-game media player must be greater than or equal to that number in order to play the file. The media player can be updated by finding various upgrades hidden in the files.

Located within the database are several different filetypes:
*'''Lda''', standing for lain's_DIARY in game, is a collection of 237 diary entries written by Lain over the course of roughly three years. The diary was given to Lain by Touko early into the counseling sessions as a place to confide her often negative and personal feelings. Interestingly, there is an image included in the game of Touko giving Lain a physical book, but the diaries themselves have evidence to show that the diaries are electronic. It is possible that Lain writes the diaries and then records herself reading them.

*'''Tda''', or TOUKO'S_DIARY, is a collection of 92 diary entries written by Yonera Touko over the course of roughly two years.

*'''Cou''', or COUNSELING_REC. is a collection of 53 recordings of counseling sessions between Lain and Touko. While the earlier sessions had Touko acting as a counselor to Lain, in the final recordings the roles are reversed after Touko becomes unstable. Lain acts as a counselor using her wide knowledge of psychology from independent study.

*'''Dia''', or DIAGNOSIS_CLN## is a collection of 48 diagnoses by either Touko or Lain regarding their patient's behavior and actions to be taken as a result. Touko's recordings bear the designation CLN_01 (referring to Lain) and Lain's bear the designation CLN_00 (referring to Touko). The final recording is done by both.

*'''TaK''' is a series of 181 recordings of a single sentence each by either Lain or Touko, seemingly addressing the player. These sentences are often random questions. Unlike other filetypes, which are mostly presented in chronological order by level number, these files are presented in two apparently parallel chronologies, one consisting of the recordings by Lain (TaK001-TaK121) and the other by Touko (TaK122-181). There is no label for this filetype, but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls them "Talk" files.

*'''Ekm''' is a series of 6 recordings of conversations between Lain and Kyoko. The label for this filetype is "DATA of CLN01", but the Serial Experiments Lain Offical Guide calls these files "Extra Kyoko's Memory". These files only exist on Site A.

*'''Ere''', or RESEARCH_"Ky" and RESEARCH_"Ka" is a series of 10 interviews between Touko and some of Lain's classmates regarding Lain. The Serial Experiments Official Guide calls these files "Extra Research". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Eda''' or RESEARCH_"Ma" is a series of 4 counseling sessions between Makino and possibly Professor Takashima, and 1 news report. The fifth file has the designation NEWS_SHOW. The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Extra Data". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Sskn''' or SaiSei-kun is a collection of freeware upgrade apps for the game's movie playing tool. Each successive update unlocks more content. There are seven upgrades available. The designation for these files is "mT up-date App."

*'''P2-''' or POLY-TAN PARTS are pieces of a virtual bear model named Poly-tan. Collecting all parts unlocks some files, according to the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide. There are 6 in all, all of which are located on Site A.

*'''GaTE''' is a series of network applications that are needed to proceed from Site A to Site B. There are 4 in all.

*'''Dc1''', or DATA of CLN## is a series of 57 animated video files, mostly of Lain. While the numbers do go up to 058, Dc1029 is missing. Unlike the other filetypes, these files are presented in mostly random order, Site A containing the first 28 and Site B containing the latter 29. Each video file has its own name. Interestingly, the name "drive" is used twice. It is unknown who filmed these files or for what purpose, or whether there was even a cameraman at all. While some files have a distinctly handheld look to them or are clearly for the purpose of filming a counseling session, others are far more unusual; some appear to be hidden cameras, others appear to be professionally edited to show a series of events from a certain angle, and still others appear to be impossible or difficult shots, like aerial shots or shots of Lain in a bathroom mirror with no visible camera behind her. The CLN number, or client number, varies occasionally, but for most of the files is CLN01, or Lain. A few files in Site B use the designations CLN00 (Touko) or CLN-1 (a seemingly unnamed woman). The missing file, Dc1029, appears to be located between Site A and B, and its contents are located in the short manga "[[the nightmare of fabrication]]". The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Movie".

*'''Env''' or network voices? is a series of 12 files that contain nothing but static and assorted voices. The server data for all these files are corrupted. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game. All of these files are located on Site A's Level 0.

*'''Xv0''' is a collection of unused video clips. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

*'''Xa''' is a collection of miscellaneous audio. Most of these files contain Touko in an apparent state of distress, though the first and last files contain Lain's voice. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

==Connections between the game and the anime==
This game explains many elements in the [[anime]] that are taken for granted or left unexplained. It can be considered an alternate timeline to the anime, perhaps one where Lain is incarnated into a different environment.

*Lain's haircut

In the game, it is revealed that Lain cut her own hair. The longer lock of hair where she clips her [[hairclip]] is meant to prevent something that "enters from the right" from "going out through the left". Not much is known about the context of this statement (at least to the English-speaking fandom), but it has been theorised that Lain's hairstyle wards off demons or prevents her memories from disappearing.

*The chip from [[Layer 09]]

This may be the same in nature as the machine that [[Touko]] received from [[Tachibana Labs]].

*Shared [[themes]]

As part of the same franchise, both the game and the anime cover topics such as the reliability of [[memory]] and the nature of existence and [[reality]].

==Translation==
The game currently remains untranslated. There are currently two attempts to translate the game.
*'''The Serial Experiments Lain PSX Game Translation Project''' located at [http://psx.lain.pl/doku.php]
*'''ain's translations''' located at [http://ain-and-lain.tumblr.com/tagged/lain-psx-translation]

{{Media}}
[[Category:Media]]

Tomo

2013-07-16T11:05:14Z

Ain:

{{Vinfobox
|image = File:Tomo-kun.jpg
|gender = Male
|age = 11 or 12
|family = Unknown
|relationship to lain = Crush
|relationship to touko = None
|cause of disappearance = Moved away
|firstmentioned = Lda005
|location = [[Elementary School]]
}}

'''Tomo''' (トモ ''Tomo''), affectionately called '''Tomo-kun''' by [[Lain]], is a boy in Lain's class in [[Elementary school]] in the [[game]]. While he and Lain were not close, it is implied that they may have had a mutual crush on each other, although it was never requited.

== Personality ==
Not much is known about his personality, but it was stated in [[Lain's Diary]] that he and the other boys in her class were very rowdy.

== Relationship With Lain ==

Lain often seems to think about him and worries what he thinks of her, especially when she has trouble fitting in with her peers and when she is bullied. It appears she may have had a crush on him, although it seems that she was too shy to approach him. When Lain falls ill with influenza, Tomo and Lain's teacher pay her a surprise visit, much to Lain's embarrassment. However, Lain is unable to speak to Tomo, preoccupied with her teacher. The two of them exchange a handshake before parting ways.

When Lain returns to school, she discovers that Tomo has moved away before she could say goodbye to him, upsetting her. However, soon after, Lain receives a series of brief letters from him, to which she enthusiastically replies. It appears that eventually Tomo stops writing her, leaving Lain heartbroken. Her interest in him eventually fades.

== Effect on Lain's Mental Health ==
Tomo is a large source of self-doubt for Lain, and she often worries about him laughing at her and whether or not he actually cares about her. After he moves away, Lain becomes preoccupied with the fear that Tomo is not exclusively writing letters to her, but instead just the whole class as a nice gesture, and becomes obsessed with the notion of being "special" only to him, hoping that he was writing only to her and thinking about her. These fears are groundless, however; the [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]] states that Tomo was in fact writing exclusively to her and also could possibly have been interested in her as well.

After his letters stop coming, she mentions that she think school would be happier if she could have gone out with him, and wishes she could transfer to his school. She eventually gives up on the idea.

Her unrequited interest in Tomo may have been responsible for the later appearance of [[Misato]].

{{Game}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Template:Vinfobox

2013-07-16T11:04:16Z

Ain:

{| style="border:#92A3FF solid 1px; float:right; font-size:89%; margin:0.5em; width:300px;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size:120%; padding:1em;" | {{{name|{{PAGENAME}}}}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan="2" style="padding:0.5em;" | [[{{{image|Image:no-image.png}}}|{{{imagewidth|250}}}px|{{{imageheight|250}}}px]]<br/>''{{{caption| }}}''
|-
! colspan="2" | Information
|-
| style="width:30%;" | '''Gender'''
| style="width:70%;" | {{{gender|}}}
|-
| '''Age'''
| {{{age|}}}
|-
| '''Family'''
| {{{family|}}}
|-
| '''Relationship to Lain'''
| {{{relationship to lain|}}}
|-
| '''Relationship to Touko'''
| {{{relationship to touko|}}}
|-
| '''Cause of Disappearance'''
| {{{cause of disappearance|}}}
|-
| '''First Mentioned'''
| {{{firstmentioned|}}}
|-
| '''Location'''
| {{{location|}}}
|}<noinclude>

Example code for using this template:
<div style="background-color:#F9F9F9; border:#000000 dashed 1px; margin-right:50%; padding:0.5em">
<nowiki>{{Vinfobox</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|image = File:Lain.jpg</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|gender = Female</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|age = 11 to 14 </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|family = [[Mother]], [[Father]]</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|relationship to lain = N/A </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|relationship to touko = client </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|cause of disappearance = suicide</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|firstmentioned = Cou001 </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|location = [[Lain's house (game)]], [[Wired]]</nowiki><br /><nowiki>}}</nowiki></div>

Template:Vinfobox

2013-07-16T11:01:22Z

Ain:

{| style="border:#92A3FF solid 1px; float:right; font-size:89%; margin:0.5em; width:300px;"
|-
! colspan="2" style="font-size:120%; padding:1em;" | {{{name|{{PAGENAME}}}}}
|- style="text-align:center;"
| colspan="2" style="padding:0.5em;" | [[{{{image|Image:no-image.png}}}|{{{imagewidth|250}}}px|{{{imageheight|250}}}px]]<br/>''{{{caption| }}}''
|-
! colspan="2" | Information
|-
| style="width:30%;" | '''Gender'''
| style="width:70%;" | {{{gender|}}}
|-
| '''Age'''
| {{{age|}}}
|-
| '''Family'''
| {{{family|}}}
|-
| '''Relationship to Lain'''
| {{{relationship to lain|}}}
|-
| '''Relationship to Touko'''
| {{{relationship to touko|}}}
|-
| '''Cause of Disappearance'''
| {{{cause of disappearance|}}}
|-
| '''First Mentioned'''
| {{{firstmentioned|}}}
|-
| '''Location'''
| {{{location|}}}
|}<noinclude>

Example code for using this template:
<div style="background-color:#F9F9F9; border:#000000 dashed 1px; margin-right:50%; padding:0.5em">
<nowiki>{{Infobox</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|image = File:Lain.jpg</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|gender = Female</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|age = 11 to 14 </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|family = [[Mother]], [[Father]]</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|relationship to lain = N/A </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|relationship to touko = client </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|cause of disappearance = suicide</nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|firstmentioned = Cou001 </nowiki><br /><nowiki>
|location = [[Lain's house (game)]], [[Wired]]</nowiki><br /><nowiki>}}</nowiki></div>

Template:Vinfobox

2013-07-16T10:53:03Z

Ain: Attempting to make a slight adjustment to the character template for psx characters as they need to be treated differently

Tomo

2013-07-16T10:40:18Z

Ain:

{{Infobox
|image = File:Tomo-kun.jpg
|gender = Male
|age = 11 or 12 ([[game]])
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = None
|navi = Unknown
|debut = [[game]]
|featuredin = [[game]], [[manga]] (mentioned)
|location = [[Elementary school]]}}

'''Tomo''' (トモ ''Tomo''), affectionately called '''Tomo-kun''' by [[Lain]], is a boy in Lain's class in [[Elementary school]] in the [[game]]. While he and Lain were not close, it is implied that they may have had a mutual crush on each other, although it was never requited.

== Personality ==
Not much is known about his personality, but it was stated in [[Lain's Diary]] that he and the other boys in her class were very rowdy.

== Relationship With Lain ==

Lain often seems to think about him and worries what he thinks of her, especially when she has trouble fitting in with her peers and when she is bullied. It appears she may have had a crush on him, although it seems that she was too shy to approach him. When Lain falls ill with influenza, Tomo and Lain's teacher pay her a surprise visit, much to Lain's embarrassment. However, Lain is unable to speak to Tomo, preoccupied with her teacher. The two of them exchange a handshake before parting ways.

When Lain returns to school, she discovers that Tomo has moved away before she could say goodbye to him, upsetting her. However, soon after, Lain receives a series of brief letters from him, to which she enthusiastically replies. It appears that eventually Tomo stops writing her, leaving Lain heartbroken. Her interest in him eventually fades.

== Effect on Lain's Mental Health ==
Tomo is a large source of self-doubt for Lain, and she often worries about him laughing at her and whether or not he actually cares about her. After he moves away, Lain becomes preoccupied with the fear that Tomo is not exclusively writing letters to her, but instead just the whole class as a nice gesture, and becomes obsessed with the notion of being "special" only to him, hoping that he was writing only to her and thinking about her. These fears are groundless, however; the [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]] states that Tomo was in fact writing exclusively to her and also could possibly have been interested in her as well.

After his letters stop coming, she mentions that she think school would be happier if she could have gone out with him, and wishes she could transfer to his school. She eventually gives up on the idea.

Her unrequited interest in Tomo may have been responsible for the later appearance of [[Misato]].

{{Game}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Tomo

2013-07-16T10:39:16Z

Ain:

Template:GameCharacters

2013-07-16T10:37:33Z

Ain: Game needs a better template.

<div style="display:block; clear:both"></div>
<div style="background-color:#F2F2F2; border:#C0C0C0 solid 1px; margin-top:2.5em; margin-bottom:0.5em; margin-left:20%; margin-right:20%; padding:0.1337em; position:inherit; text-align:center">
<div style="background-color:#597FAE; margin-bottom:1px"><span style="color:#FFFFFF">Characters of the Serial Experiments Lain game</span></div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">Iwakura Family</div>
<div style="background-color:#D6D6FF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Iwakura Lain]] • [[Father]] • [[Mother]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">[[School]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#CCCCFF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Tomo]] • [[Mayu]] • [[Kyoko]] • [[Misato]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">[[Tachibana Laboratories]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#D6D6FF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Yonera Touko]] • [[Professor Takashima]] • [[Masami Eiri]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">[[Wired]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#CCCCFF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Makino Shin'ichirou]] • [[Mr. Rabbit]] • [[Shock spammer]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">Touko's Friends</div>
<div style="background-color:#D6D6FF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Harumi]] • [[Kanako]] • [[Takeshi]] • [[Yoshida]]</div>
<div style="background-color:#BFBFFF; float:left; margin-bottom:1px; width:22.5%">Other</div>
<div style="background-color:#CCCCFF; margin-bottom:1px">[[Progenetis]] • [[The Other Self]] • [[Bike-chan]] • [[CLN-1]]</div></div><noinclude>

[[Category:Templates]]</noinclude>

The Nightmare of Fabrication

2013-07-16T09:46:19Z

Ain: Fixed this so it was actually a summary and had some actual relation to the game.

The doujin manga of [[Serial Experiments Lain]], titled ''The Nightmare of Fabrication'', appears in the [[Omnipresence in Wired]] artbook. The manga serves as the missing "Dc1029" file from the [[game]] and appears to take place in the same continuity as the game, although there are elements of the [[anime]] as well.

==Plot Summary==
Lain is alone in her room, in desperate want of human contact. In a state of isolation relating to events from the game, Lain lists off her various prior connections, including [[Touko]] (who has been moody around Lain), her parents (who are now at this point divorced), [[Tomo]] and [[Kyoko]] (who she has cut ties with) and finally [[Misato]] (who has been exposed as imaginary).

After cutting off the collar of her toy dog, [[Bike-chan]], Lain vehemently exclaims that Misato is not imaginary, but has trouble finding evidence of her memory upon discovering art supplies she had bought with Misato are not in her room. After doubting her own memory and becoming distressed over the mounting evidence that Misato may not have been real after all, Lain begins to worry that becoming completely isolated would cause her existence to end.

To prevent this, Lain decides to modify Bike-chan, although her cutting the dog with scissors makes her feel guilty. She writes a program for a very basic artificial intelligence extremely quickly and cuts open Bike-chan to install various electrical devices, all the while shushing the dog in an almost motherly tone, trying to reassure it (and very likely, herself), that she isn't hurting it. The automation eventually causes the dog to bark and say its own name repeatedly, to Lain's delight.

It is revealed that Bike-chan's automation is a sort of field test for Lain's later plans. After completing Bike-chan by giving him mobility and the ability to talk, Lain would then make a robot of her [[Father]], Tomo, Misato, Kyoko and her [[Mother]], the latter two with adjustments to their personality so that they would treat Lain better than their counterparts. By surrounding herself with artificial friends and family, Lain feels that she can be "connected" and would prevent her loneliness and avert her fear of disappearing from isolation.

However, Bike-chan explodes, his automation failing for some reason or other, to Lain's shock and despair. After breaking down and sobbing apologies to the dog's remains, a voice calls out to her, offering to bring the dog back to life. The hazy form of [[Eiri]], claiming to be from a higher plane of existence, reassures Lain of his powers and gives her an identical stuffed dog, telling her to act as though this dog is the same as the original and telling Lain that if nobody knew that Lain had killed Bike-chan, then it never happened. Lain opposes this at first, since she would still remember the previous Bike-chan, but Eiri reassures her that she need only rewrite her own memories.

Eiri then informs Lain that she has killed Bike-chan several times before and hints that he had replaced him, calling the validity of Lain's memories into question, and also remarking that Bike-chan looked rather new for a toy that was supposedly twelve or thirteen years old, which calls into question either the time of Lain's birth or how old the dog really was. Lain begins to panic as Eiri informs her of how alone she really is and how few of her experiences she has shared with other people, causing Lain to have an apparent anxiety attack as she weakly defends the validity of her memories. Eiri comments that her perception of reality is based entirely on memory and that perception of what is and what really is are far apart, while remarking that Lain might have the ability to consolidate the two somehow and further Eiri's plans, referencing her role in the anime.

Lain abruptly awakens, finding Bike-chan on her desk and thinking that what had happened was all a dream. As she walks away from her desk after holding the dog in her arms, she discovers the bell she had cut off from the previous Bike-chan's neck on the floor. In a panic, she buries the bell and tries to repress the memory of the "dream", repeating Eiri's principle of what isn't remembered never happened, and thus in her mind erasing the dream's existence.

==Effect On Lain's Mental Health==
The incident (or series of identical incidents) implies that Lain has been involved in a cycle of denial for a long time, mainly due to her unfortunate social and home circumstances. This may also apply to her vehement denial of Misato's nonexistence, despite there being large amounts of evidence suggesting the contrary. As such, the description of her activities with Misato in [[Lain's Diary]] and her counseling sessions may also be fabricated or heavily modified by Lain, while simultaneously being only vaguely aware that the changes were made.

The incident also shows that Lain has trouble accepting her own existence and fears that total isolation will cause her to stop existing somehow. This could be taken literally, that she believes that relationships are proof of existence, or it can be taken as an implication that Lain is afraid that isolation could drive her to suicide, losing any reason to exist anymore. The latter appears to be true, as Lain eventually ends her physical life after the disappearances or deaths of the people she considers close to her.

During this incident, Eiri taunts her for not having other people around her to verify her memories and by extension her lack of friends, which could serve as a subconscious impetus towards Lain's growing obsession with creating friends for herself, particularly her father, whom Lain's relationship with was most healty, whom Eiri mentions by name, and whom Lain begins to create an automaton for first.

==Trivia==
*This is Yoshitoshi ABe's first color manga. In addition, the entire manga was completed in roughly 24 hours.
*This manga was the first major work of ''serial experiments lain'', published in AX magazine in March of 1998.
*This manga has direct continuity with the game; however, there is a possibility that an altered form of Eiri's conspiracy still exists in the universe of the PSX game, and Lain's eventual suicide leads to Eiri's success, contrasting with Lain's refusal to kill herself in the anime.

{{Media}}
[[Category:Books]]

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-16T04:10:10Z

Ain: File data dump.

Released on November 26, 1998 for the PlayStation, the [[Serial Experiments Lain]] game consists mostly of pieces of information collected in a random order that allow the player to piece together [[Lain]]'s story.

There is guidebook for this game titled [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]].

==Summary==
Source: [http://www.cjas.org/~leng/lainpsx.txt] written by Keisuke Shindo.

This file is hosted on 'thought experiments lain' - http://www.cjas.org/~leng/open.htm - by Lawrence Eng

>I have played Lain PS game about a month ago. I have a mixed impression.
>But, now I know there are many people who want to know about it, I'll try
>to write.
>
>
>I can't recommend this "game" to other people. especially non Japanese
>speakers. But It really has a completely another Lain story.
>
>It contains about 5 minutes anime movie and fragments of dialogue by recorded
>voice (total about 2 hours?). There is no Japanese texts. English text
>won't help
>to understand the story. You have to understand from the japanese dialogue
>without Japanese text or character animation. I know that it is hopeless
>for non
>Japanese speakers. But I think that the release of the English version is also
>hopeless.
>
>I can't say that it is a "game". I think that it is like a database
>software which
>has it's own interface. There is always Lain wearing special costume at
>the center
>of the screen. Whenever you command to Lain by Pad , Lain picks up one icon by
>animation and play the fragments of animation or dialogues of the icon.
>The story
>was recorded like radio dramas and they were chopped and dispersed randomly to
>each icons. You have to seek out the fragments and you have to think what is
>going and what it means by yourself.
>
>At first, you can see only a little data fragments. And you can't play
>the data by
>time order. As you find out more data, You'll see more about what was going in
>past.
>
>Good thing:
> -The atmosphere is similar to TV series. Very odd and complex.
> -Cool display design. Same designers as the CG scene of the TV series.
> -Many AB's artworks.
>
>Bad thing:
> -I think this is NOT a game.
> -User Interface is horrible. You'll feel frustrating by the slow response.
> -Character design of anime part is not so good compared to the TV series.
> (I think that Lain's character design in TV series is almost perfect.)
> -You have to think by yourself what is going from the fragments of the story.
> (But it was made so on purpose.)
>
>Same as the TV series:
> -Lain's producer Ueda Masayuki. Lain was originally planned to make 2
> different stories.
> -Lain's voice actress Shimizu Kaori.
> -Lain's hair style.
> -Wired space.
> -Philosophy(?).
>
>Different:
> -Character design.
> -All of other characters. (There is no Alice, Deus, Knights...)
> -Story. No connection to TV series timeline.
>
>Summary of the story <spoiler>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>Iwakura Lain is a 11 years old ordinary girl.
>
>Yonera Touko is a 27 years old psychiatrist.
>
>This game(?) contains Lain's personal diary, Touko's personal diary, Touko's
>council records with Lain, Touko's medical records and few others, and
>animation
>movies for about 5 minutes which was chopped to about 30 pieces.
>
>Lain visited to Touko. She had been annoyed by hallucinations. Touko began
>to councel her. When Lain was asked about her hair style, she answered.
>"It enters from right. And perhaps it goes out from left. so..."
>
>Lain became interested in psychopathology, and asked many things to Touko.
>She answered the expert knowledge about psychopathology in order to keep
>close to Lain. Lain became to like Touko.
>
>Lain entered junior high school. She had her best friend Misato. And she
>became to hook on network. She became to communicate to other people
>in the wired, and also to be able to cracking. Lain always talked to Touko
>about Misato and the net. There are also many things about them in Lain's
>diary.
>
>One day, Lain's father disappeared. No one told where he went. Lain began
>to make her own robot "father". She made an AI and his body by a machine
>connected to the computer. But the "father" doesn't have the head and the
>lower half of the body. Her "father" began to study from net.
>(Her true father was killed by someone. But it is not certain who did it.)
>
>Touko felt frustrating that she can't do enough her own study because she had
>to help her boss's own study, and because her only patient Lain looked no
>problem. She became to hate her boss. After for a while, her boss killed
>himself.
>
>3 years passed since Touko began to councel Lain.
>
>Touko thought that she has no problem now. But other patient was not assigned
>to Touko. Touko began to be impatient. At the same time, Touko knew that her
>lover Takashi married to the other woman. She became to love the other guy
>Yoshida who was a salesman in Tachibana Lab. He gave her a trial piece of
>machine for relaxation. But he also refused her.
>
>One day, Touko found out that Misato doesn't exist. But Lain denied the fact.
>Touko began to diagnose Lain again.
>
>Lain realized that the "father"'s machine body is not necessory. She
>programmed
>her father into the wired, and broke the body. And she also began to program
>herself into the wired.
>
>Touko became emotionally unstable. Lain began to worry about Touko, and
>now Lain
>has even more knowledge than Touko. So, Lain began to diagnose Touko. Touko's
>medical records became Lain's medical records. (It seems that the machine from
>Tachibana Lab. made Touko unstable on purpose.)
>
>"Close the world , Open the nExt."
>At a girder bridge, Lain met another Lain, and talked to each other.
>"It ended. It began."
>Lain put her gun out and shut herself.
>
>Lain appeared to Touko. Touko knew that she was taken in by Lain who is an
>existence
>more than human beings. Touko died.
>
>Lain "What will I need in the wired?" "Existence, will. Others are only data."
>
>Now Lain and Touko only lives in the wired and began to talk to "player".
>Lain "From now, I am always with you."
>
>----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>It made me feel as if they really exists in my PlayStation. Many thinks
>that this ending
>is fearful and too hopeless (including me)...
>
>This story was not arranged by time order. I have seen all data (perhaps)
>and I
>estimated that this story is like above. It seems that there are still
>many mysteries.
>But this game(?) seems to be aimed to make us think about the story by
>ourselves
>and to have empathy for this story and Lain.
>
>I think that It is similar to what Lain's TV series aimed to. It makes us
>confusing
>the fiction with our reality. And It will also make us feel as if Lain
>really exists.
>You'll see what I mean at the end of the TV series. But it is not so
>hopeless as
>this.
==Characters==
[[Iwakura Lain]]

[[Yonera Touko]]

[[Makino Shin'ichirou]]

[[Tomo]]

[[Kyoko]]

[[Mayu]]

[[Father]]

[[Mother]]

[[Misato]]

[[Harumi]]

[[Kanako]]

[[Takeshi]]

[[Yoshida]]

[[Professor Takashima]]

[[Progenetis]]

[[Bike-chan]]

==File System==
The game's interface is designed to be somewhat similar to a database, apparently called the "life instinct function" or "lif", which appears to be located on a server at [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]. The name of the database could hint that it is serving the purpose of keeping lain alive somehow. The database is divided into two Sites: Site A and Site B. Site B is locked when the player begins the game, and can only be unlocked by finding updates hidden in the files. Each file in the site contains an invisible version number. The version of the player's in-game media player must be greater than or equal to that number in order to play the file. The media player can be updated by finding various upgrades hidden in the files.

Located within the database are several different filetypes:
*'''Lda''', standing for lain's_DIARY in game, is a collection of 237 diary entries written by Lain over the course of roughly three years. The diary was given to Lain by Touko early into the counseling sessions as a place to confide her often negative and personal feelings. Interestingly, there is an image included in the game of Touko giving Lain a physical book, but the diaries themselves have evidence to show that the diaries are electronic. It is possible that Lain writes the diaries and then records herself reading them.

*'''Tda''', or TOUKO'S_DIARY, is a collection of 92 diary entries written by Yonera Touko over the course of roughly two years.

*'''Cou''', or COUNSELING_REC. is a collection of 53 recordings of counseling sessions between Lain and Touko. While the earlier sessions had Touko acting as a counselor to Lain, in the final recordings the roles are reversed after Touko becomes unstable. Lain acts as a counselor using her wide knowledge of psychology from independent study.

*'''Dia''', or DIAGNOSIS_CLN## is a collection of 48 diagnoses by either Touko or Lain regarding their patient's behavior and actions to be taken as a result. Touko's recordings bear the designation CLN_01 (referring to Lain) and Lain's bear the designation CLN_00 (referring to Touko). The final recording is done by both.

*'''TaK''' is a series of 181 recordings of a single sentence each by either Lain or Touko, seemingly addressing the player. These sentences are often random questions. Unlike other filetypes, which are mostly presented in chronological order by level number, these files are presented in two apparently parallel chronologies, one consisting of the recordings by Lain (TaK001-TaK121) and the other by Touko (TaK122-181). There is no label for this filetype, but the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls them "Talk" files.

*'''Ekm''' is a series of 6 recordings of conversations between Lain and Kyoko. The label for this filetype is "DATA of CLN01", but the Serial Experiments Lain Offical Guide calls these files "Extra Kyoko's Memory". These files only exist on Site A.

*'''Ere''', or RESEARCH_"Ky" is a series of 10 interviews between Touko and Kyoko regarding Lain. The Serial Experiments Official Guide calls these files "Extra Research". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Eda''' or RESEARCH_"Ma" is a series of 4 counseling sessions between Makino and possibly Professor Takashima, and 1 news report. The fifth file has the designation NEWS_SHOW. The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Extra Data". These files only exist on Site B.

*'''Sskn''' or SaiSei-kun is a collection of freeware upgrade apps for the game's movie playing tool. Each successive update unlocks more content. There are seven upgrades available. The designation for these files is "mT up-date App."

*'''P2-''' or POLY-TAN PARTS are pieces of a virtual bear model named Poly-tan. Collecting all parts unlocks some files, according to the Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide. There are 6 in all, all of which are located on Site A.

*'''GaTE''' is a series of network applications that are needed to proceed from Site A to Site B. There are 4 in all.

*'''Dc1''', or DATA of CLN## is a series of 57 animated video files, mostly of Lain. While the numbers do go up to 058, Dc1029 is missing. Unlike the other filetypes, these files are presented in mostly random order, Site A containing the first 28 and Site B containing the latter 29. Each video file has its own name. Interestingly, the name "drive" is used twice. It is unknown who filmed these files or for what purpose, or whether there was even a cameraman at all. While some files have a distinctly handheld look to them or are clearly for the purpose of filming a counseling session, others are far more unusual; some appear to be hidden cameras, others appear to be professionally edited to show a series of events from a certain angle, and still others appear to be impossible or difficult shots, like aerial shots or shots of Lain in a bathroom mirror with no visible camera behind her. The CLN number, or client number, varies occasionally, but for most of the files is CLN01, or Lain. A few files in Site B use the designations CLN00 (Touko) or CLN-1 (a seemingly unnamed woman). The missing file, Dc1029, appears to be located between Site A and B, and its contents are located in the short manga "[[the nightmare of fabrication]]". The Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide calls these files "Movie".

*'''Env''' or network voices? is a series of 12 files that contain nothing but static and assorted voices. The server data for all these files are corrupted. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game. All of these files are located on Site A's Level 0.

*'''Xv0''' is a collection of unused video clips. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

*'''Xa''' is a collection of miscellaneous audio. Most of these files contain Touko in an apparent state of distress, though the first and last files contain Lain's voice. These files are extra content and are not part of the regular game.

==Connections between the game and the anime==
This game explains many elements in the [[anime]] that are taken for granted or left unexplained. It can be considered an alternate timeline to the anime, perhaps one where Lain is incarnated into a different environment.

*Lain's haircut

In the game, it is revealed that Lain cut her own hair. The longer lock of hair where she clips her [[hairclip]] is meant to prevent something that "enters from the right" from "going out through the left". Not much is known about the context of this statement (at least to the English-speaking fandom), but it has been theorised that Lain's hairstyle wards off demons or prevents her memories from disappearing.

*The chip from [[Layer 09]]

This may be the same in nature as the machine that [[Touko]] received from [[Tachibana Labs]].

*Shared [[themes]]

As part of the same franchise, both the game and the anime cover topics such as the reliability of [[memory]] and the nature of existence and [[reality]].

==Translation==
The game currently remains untranslated. There are currently two attempts to translate the game.
*'''The Serial Experiments Lain PSX Game Translation Project''' located at [http://psx.lain.pl/doku.php]
*'''ain's translations''' located at [http://ain-and-lain.tumblr.com/tagged/lain-psx-translation]

{{Media}}
[[Category:Media]]

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-16T02:53:13Z

Ain: /* Characters */

Talk:Come to the Wired

2013-07-16T02:48:52Z

Ain: /* Japanese stuff */

==Japanese stuff==

First off: ''Nice.'' This draft looks a lot more interesting.

Thing is, 死ぬ時？ seems really, really incomplete. Based on my (limited and mostly based on anime/VNs) knowledge of Japanese, shouldn't it be something like 死ぬ時、どんな感じですか？ It would have to be longer, though. [[User:Amysteriousgal|Amysteriousgal]] 09:37, 6 July 2013 (UTC)

In the show, there was onscreen text that said 死ぬ時？・・・痛かった　（笑） It's quoting that. I assume it's an abbreviated form of 死ぬ時はどう？ It should be left as is. --[[User:Ain|Ain]] 02:48, 16 July 2013 (UTC)

==ideas from irc==

here's the ideas that ain had:

02.1910:54 < denkimusume> So you have the school play scene as mostly same
02.1911:35 < denkimusume> Then instead of going straight to Wired, we have a montage of Chisa just not fitting in, I guess?
02.1911:43 < denkimusume> This includes her going to Cyberia
02.1911:46 < denkimusume> and stuff
02.1911:54 < denkimusume> just get all that out of the way early on
02.1912:03 < denkimusume> Then we have the first Wired scene
02.1912:07 < denkimusume> where she's useful
02.1912:13 < denkimusume> and we combine that with the second
02.1912:23 < denkimusume> where they comfort her and stuff
02.1913:05 < denkimusume> Next we have her walk home with lain
02.1913:29 < denkimusume> And we take some ideas from the last walk in the empty corridor and add that into this scene
02.1913:37 < denkimusume> this scene should probably be the longest
02.1914:32 < denkimusume> We have the last Wired scene where the Knights inform her that 'God is here' and tell her about the Psyche processor
02.1915:00 < denkimusume> We can include a VERY brief reiteration of the last walk in the empty corridor, minus most of the lain stuff
02.1915:16 < denkimusume> More morbid than anything
02.1915:25 < denkimusume> Then the last scene is the Psyche processor arriving
02.1915:37 < denkimusume> Literally fuck the rooftop scene we don't need it
02.1916:31 < denkimusume> The player KNOWS what happens to her, we don't need to draw it out in its detail
02.1917:12 < denkimusume> And to be honest the scene itself as I see it written here doesn't express anything that the previous scenes don't already establish
02.1918:18 < denkimusume> If we want it to be really cool the first line of the thing could be
02.1919:36 < denkimusume> frig I can't type moon here
02.1919:43 < denkimusume> but the card
02.1920:08 < denkimusume> 'Ne, shinu toki?' (what was it like when you died?)

==music==

There's no music designed into it right now - it's probably too short to warrant many tracks anyway, and in the spirit of Lain, most of the sounds are noise.

==length==

I still have the impression that something needs to be added to this one. It seems empty. [[User:Amysteriousgal|Amysteriousgal]] 13:12, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

:Perhaps it could be a little longer, but I am liking the structure. I think ending the story at the ''"I let it all go."'' (basically leaving out the "aftermath") might have a nice, strong impact. --[[User:アラベスク|アラベスク]] 15:07, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

:: I do like the idea of that being the end. Maybe slip a mental invite to Lain earlier into the last paragraph?[[User:Bytor|Bytor]] 22:33, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

::One place I could see lengthening it is to maybe have some content as she decides to go to the Wired. I don't think she would be in a state to just jump right away, so maybe some more debating it, finding out what is involved, getting convinced? I do like what is here, and I think it will work well as a sort of intro, first story for the collection- lengthening it to much may ruin that "prelude" feel. [[User:Bytor|Bytor]] 22:20, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

:::Now that I think about it more, if anything were added, it probably should be pretty short; the way this is written (and SEL itself), is very efficient and compact when it comes to dialogue. Just enough to get rid of that "ok, why is she just killing herself?" feeling that the method of entering the Wired can give.[[User:Bytor|Bytor]] 22:22, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

::::Yeah, I'll elaborate on that a bit. May as well mention Eiri, too. [[User:Amysteriousgal|Amysteriousgal]] 11:31, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

==required viewing==

Do we maybe want to do this so that the first time you launch the VN, it does a basic options screen, then jumps straight to this VN? Then, each subsequent launch goes to the title screen. Assuming ren'py supports this, of course. [[User:Bytor|Bytor]] 22:31, 19 December 2012 (UTC)

:There's a splashscreen thing built in, so we could use that. I have no idea how to make the prologue only play the first time the game is opened, though. [[User:Amysteriousgal|Amysteriousgal]] 11:31, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

::There's probably a way to save/read a state from a file (if launched=1, skip prelude or something like that). --[[User:アラベスク|アラベスク]] 13:12, 20 December 2012 (UTC)

Come to the Wired

2013-07-03T21:07:12Z

Ain:

{{VNProject}}

== Second Draft (ain) ==
Scene 0.
''Black screen. Words, center, type in''

'''「死ぬ時？」'''
'''“What was it like when you died?”'''

''Fade out.''

Scene 1, Classroom, Day.
''Ambient hushed whispers. Image, sheet of paper with class play, in moonspeak. [Can be legitimate, like Love-Suicide at Amajima, or we could just stick text from scenario experiments lain in].''

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to do anything right.

It was only a minor role in a class play. I had one line. Just one.

But I couldn’t say it. My time came to say my line, but I couldn’t make a sound.

Everyone was staring at me. Waiting for me. The play couldn’t go on until I gave the main character his cue.

I started shaking. My heart raced.

I wanted to cry.

Why did this have to happen to me, at such a crucial moment? I just needed to say this simple line. They needed me to—

The next line came without me saying anything. They moved on somehow. The play continued without me.

They all left me behind.

''Black''

'''At that moment, I understood.'''

''Montage of scenery of Chisa highlighted alone in various scenes of her being isolated, being bullied, perhaps, sitting by herself at Cyberia, walking home alone, perhaps entering an empty house, loop until ending of text in bold below.''

'''It’s always been like this.'''

'''They don’t need me.'''

'''The world doesn’t need me.'''

''Fade to black, while still looping. After black, stop looping.''

'''Chisa:''' “I’m sorry…”

Scene 2, Bedroom, Night.
''Image, Chibi-Navi login screen. Ambient noise from computer fans.''
(「だれ？」
“Who are you?”
四方田千砂
ｃｈｉｓａ　ｙｏｍｏｄａ)

I have another life. On the Wired.

I can talk to people there. It’s easy, hiding behind a screen. I don’t get nervous. I can find people who are like me, and even make friends with them.

On the Wired, nobody knows who I am. I don’t need to stay silent, afraid of saying something wrong. There are no consequences to my mistakes. Nobody hates me there.

''Image, screen, perhaps some BBS or Futaba-based imageboard.''
(名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　７８
Anonymous
＞＞７３
すごい！乙！！
You’re so cool! Thanks!!
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．７９
Anonymous
＞＞７３
神！大きにありがとう！
You’re amazing! Thanks so much!
ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．８０
Yomoda-san
＞＞７８
＞＞７９
どういたしまして。喜んで手伝った。＾_＾
It’s nothing. I’m glad I could help. )

I was useful there.

''Image, screen, imageboard''
(ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．　３２
Yomoda-san
誰もあたしのことわからない。クラスにいる少女たちにクラッブへ連れて来られたけど、あたし、踊れらないから取り残された。
あたしの存在は惨めね。
Nobody understands me. I was taken to a club by some girls in my class, but I can’t dance, so they left me behind.
My existence is wretched, isn’t it?
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　３３
Anonymous
＞＞３２
ひどい！かまわない、ヨモ田さん！そう言った人々は友達じゃないよー
How mean! Don’t worry about it, Yomoda-san! People like that aren’t friends!
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　３４
Anonymous
＞＞３２
ワイヤードに来ればいいの。私たちはヨモ田さんがわかる！
You should come to the Wired. We understand you, Yomoda-san!
ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．　３５
Yomoda-san
＞＞３３
＞＞３４
そう？聞いてくれて本当にありがとう。
Is that so? I really appreciate you listening to me.)

They care about me there.

They want me there.

I can be myself in front of them, and I don’t need to worry about them hating me at all. I can speak my mind without freezing up or wanting to cry.

I belong there.

Scene Three, Streets, Late Afternoon.
''Image, streets, include bloody shadows. Ambient waan waan waan 50MHz hum.''

There’s a girl from another class.

Lain Iwakura.

She never talks to anyone. That means she’s quiet, like me. I think she might be lonely, too.

Like me.

I walked home with her today. We never said a word to each other, but I felt somehow connected to her.

Even though she and I never spoke, I felt comforted. It was a familiar feeling that I couldn’t place at first, but then I realized—

For some reason, being with lain felt just like being on the Wired.

''Image, lain profile view from her left, expression rather blank and forlorn.''

I feel like she belongs there too, just like me. I don’t know how, but I feel like she would be happy there.

I want to be her friend. But I can’t talk to people in a place like this.

If only she was on the Wired, we could be happy together. We could connect, and we wouldn’t have to hide or walk home in silence.

…But I’ve never seen her use a NAVI before.

I wanted to tell her, ‘Come to the Wired as soon as you can,’ but I didn’t say anything.

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to do anything right.

Scene 4, Bedroom, Night.
''Image, screen, closeup of some words on the screen. Ambient computer noises.''
(ここに神様がいるよー)

Today, I heard something interesting on the Wired.

'''God is here.'''

The Knights say that God lives in the Wired. He is omnipresent, just like the Wired. He sees everything and knows everyone. He connects all of us by being connected to all of us Himself.

He loves all of us.

…I wonder…

If he truly can love someone like me.

Someone who is useless and awkward and unable to talk to anyone.

''Image, screen, some sort of group chat client. IRC or similar chat client.''
([02:04:01] バイトル：ワイヤードへ来さえすれば神様があなたを愛する。
[02:04:44] ヨモダ：それじゃ、永遠にここにいたい。)

'''Knight:''' He will love you as long as you come to the Wired.
'''Chisa:''' I want to be here forever, then.

''Image, screen, details on the Psyche processor, maybe a close up of part of ab# layer 03''

They told me about the Psyche processor.

They said it would let me enter the Wired without needing a NAVI.

…They told me about abandoning the flesh.

''Image, screen, chat client again.''
([04:23:43] ヨモダ：本当にただ一つ方法？怖そう・・・
[04:25:01] 大正電氣娘：うん。他の方法無い。何しろ、リアル・ワルドにあなたは必要ないって言ってたね。
[04:31:23] ヨモダ：そう・・・必要ない。)

''Chisa:'' Is that really the only way? It sounds scary…
''Knight:'' Yeah. There’s no other way. You said that the real world doesn’t need you, anyway, didn’t you?
''Chisa:'' Right…it doesn’t need me.

Scene 5, Empty Corridor, Late afternoon.
''Silence''

Even knowing what I had learned last night, I went back to school as usual.

I was alone, as usual.

Waiting.

I didn’t talk to lain today, either. I just couldn’t. I was too afraid.

I’m pathetic. Here I’m nobody at all.

But there I can be somebody. I can work to my fullest potential. I can become someone worthy of God’s Love.

I belong there, in the Wired.

''Black, words, centered.''
(「あたしは――こんなところにいなくてもいいの――」)

'''Chisa:''' “I…would be better off not being in a place like this…”

Scene 6, Front hall, evening
''Image, open package with a Psyche processor nearby. Should be something like an envelope.''

It arrived today. I found it on my desk when I got home.

There was a note.
''Image, typed note.''
(早くワイヤードに来てー
待ってる。)

“Come to the Wired as soon as you can.”
“We’re waiting.”

''Fade to black''

Scene 0.2
''Slowly fade in words from before.''

'''「死ぬ時?」'''
'''“What was it like when you died?”'''

''Below, type in slowly.''

'''「痛かった（笑）」'''
'''“It hurt. Heehee.”'''

[[Category:VN]]

Come to the Wired

2013-07-03T21:05:57Z

Ain:

{{VNProject}}

== First Draft (amysteriousgal) ==

''background: Blurry anime screencaps, possibly in black and white/sepia. There's no people in this one. It should be more effective if we don't include other people beyond some chattering in the background noise.''

''Classroom, chattering''

'''Chisa:''' 'I'm sorry... I'm sorry...'

I don't know why, but I can never do anything right.

It was only a minor role in our class play. I only had one line. Just one.

...But I couldn't say it. It got to my turn and... I couldn't say anything! At all!

Everyone was staring at me. Everyone was waiting for me. The main character couldn't do anything until I gave him his cue.

I started shaking.

I wanted to cry.

I was so confused.

Why was this happening?

I think they moved on somehow. The play continued. They all left me behind.

''Black, silence''

...And then, suddenly, I understood it.

They didn't need me.

The world didn't need me.

Everything became so clear as soon as I noticed.

'''Chisa:''' 'I...'

'''Chisa:''' '...don't need to be here.'

''not fitting in scenes''

''Wired, electric hum?''

I always had another life, on the Wired.

There, I could connect to people. It's not like the real world, where I mess up such stupid things as one line in a play.

Writing is so much easier than speaking. It doesn't make me freeze in place and shiver and want to cry.

On the Wired, people listen to what I say. I don't have to seal my voice away, like I do in the real world, scared of saying something wrong and being hated.

'''Stranger:''' 'You're amazing! Thank you so much!'

'''Chisa:''' 'It's nothing, I'm glad I was able to help.'

That's why I always wanted to live on the Wired.

Maybe someday, I'll be able to.

''Street near Lain's home, electric hum?''

There's this girl in another class called Iwakura Lain.

She's quiet, like me. I think she's lonely, too.

Today, I walked home together with her.

We didn't really talk about anything, but it was nice being beside her.

She felt familiar. Maybe it's because I saw myself in her, but it seems like something else.

Oh, I get it.

Being with her feels like being on the Wired.

I wonder why.

''Classroom, chattering''

A few girls tried to make friends with me today.

I think they were in Lain's class.

They took me to this nightclub called 'Cyberia'. I'd never been there before, so I was a little scared.

'''Alice:''' 'Don't worry. It'll be fun!'

'''Reika:''' 'Are you sure? A place like Cyberia doesn't suit her at all.'

'''Alice:''' 'It's fine, I'm sure she'll be different once we get her to open up a little.'

''Cyberia, louder chattering''

In the end, I didn't really do anything there. There were so many people and it was all noisy and crowded... I wanted to run away.

How many of those people do you think were having fun?

Those girls tried to be nice. They tried to make me dance along with them, but I didn't know how. I think they gave up quite quickly.

Are they really friends if they want me to be someone I'm not?

''Wired, ?''

'''Stranger:''' 'You shouldn't make friends with people like them.'

'''Stranger:''' 'You can just stay on the Wired. You can be yourself here.'

'''Chisa:''' 'That's right. Thank you for understanding.'

Yes, that's right. I don't belong here, in the real world.

I belong on the Wired.

Just like Lain.

I don't know how, but I know that Lain belongs on the Wired.

...Even though I've never seen her use a NAVI before.

I think we would be happy in the Wired.

We would finally be able to connect. We wouldn't have to walk in silence together anymore.

''Wired, ?''

I heard something interesting on the Wired today.

Someone claiming to be in the Knights posted it.

God is here.

God lives in the Wired. He is as omnipresent as the Wired. He sees and knows everything. He connected all of us and is connected to all of us.

He loves all of us.

...I wonder if He can truly love someone like me, someone awkward and useless who is a burden to my family and has no friends.

'''Knight:''' He can.

'''Knight:''' He will love you as long as you are on the Wired.

'''Chisa:''' I want to be on the Wired forever, then.

'''Knight:''' You can. I'll show you how.

He told me about the Psyche processor and how it would let me materialise in the Wired without a NAVI.

...He told me about abandoning the flesh.

'''Chisa:''' Is that really the only way? It sounds scary.

'''Knight:''' Don't you think it's a burden having to eat and sleep? You can be free from all that.

'''Chisa:''' That's true, but...

'''Knight:''' The real world doesn't need you, anyway.

''...The real world doesn't need me, anyway.''

''Close-up on Psyche?''

The Psyche processor arrived today. I found it on my desk when I got home.

There was a letter together with it.

''Whenever you are ready. We're waiting for you.''

''Empty corridor, silence''

I'm still going to school as usual, still living as usual.

Dying is scary, after all.

I saw Lain at school today. She didn't seem to notice me.

...I want to be her friend.

I want to, but I don't know how, and I don't know if she likes me. I can only make friends on the Wired.

I want to at least talk to her.

In the real world, the only person I can talk to is myself, so I close my eyes and pretend.

''Black, silence''

'''Chisa:''' Come to the Wired as soon as you can.

'''Chisa:''' OK?

'''Chisa:''' Lain?

I open my eyes again.

''Empty corridor, silence''

I'm alone. I'm still alone. In this bitter world where I don't belong, I'm always alone.

''Shibuya at night, city noise''

I decided something today.

I decided to leave. To go to a better place.

...To abandon the flesh.

There are lots of tall buildings in Shibuya. Lots of girls walking on the streets. I'm the only one running, because unlike these people who are merely heading for the shallow chaos of places like Cyberia, I have a wonderful place to go to.

My breath is getting so heavy that it's painful. I lean against the wall, trying not to collapse. People are staring, and I silently curse my current state.

Such a useless body. So limited. So pathetic. It's nothing more than a prison to me.

Well, that's alright.

I'm going home.

To the Wired.

I'll finally, finally be free.

''Top of building, quieter city noise?''

...The street looks so far away. Maybe I'm still a little scared. Will it hurt? Will it?

No, I can't think about that now. I've decided.

This night is so beautiful. I take off my glasses so that I can't see how far it is to the ground, untie my hair to let it drift in the wind. I free myself.

For a moment, I even feel like I could fly.

Softly, I whisper into the breeze - my last words that nobody will hear.

The railing feels cold.

This might be the last time I can feel 'cold'.

This might be the last time I can see the streets of Shibuya and feel the wind in my hair.

I let it all go.

== Second Draft (ain) ==
Scene 0.
''Black screen. Words, center, type in''

'''「死ぬ時？」'''
'''“What was it like when you died?”'''

''Fade out.''

Scene 1, Classroom, Day.
''Ambient hushed whispers. Image, sheet of paper with class play, in moonspeak. [Can be legitimate, like Love-Suicide at Amajima, or we could just stick text from scenario experiments lain in].''

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to do anything right.

It was only a minor role in a class play. I had one line. Just one.

But I couldn’t say it. My time came to say my line, but I couldn’t make a sound.

Everyone was staring at me. Waiting for me. The play couldn’t go on until I gave the main character his cue.

I started shaking. My heart raced.

I wanted to cry.

Why did this have to happen to me, at such a crucial moment? I just needed to say this simple line. They needed me to—

The next line came without me saying anything. They moved on somehow. The play continued without me.

They all left me behind.

''Black''

'''At that moment, I understood.'''

''Montage of scenery of Chisa highlighted alone in various scenes of her being isolated, being bullied, perhaps, sitting by herself at Cyberia, walking home alone, perhaps entering an empty house, loop until ending of text in bold below.''

'''It’s always been like this.'''

'''They don’t need me.'''

'''The world doesn’t need me.'''

''Fade to black, while still looping. After black, stop looping.''

'''Chisa:''' “I’m sorry…”

Scene 2, Bedroom, Night.
''Image, Chibi-Navi login screen. Ambient noise from computer fans.''
(「だれ？」
“Who are you?”
四方田千砂
ｃｈｉｓａ　ｙｏｍｏｄａ)

I have another life. On the Wired.

I can talk to people there. It’s easy, hiding behind a screen. I don’t get nervous. I can find people who are like me, and even make friends with them.

On the Wired, nobody knows who I am. I don’t need to stay silent, afraid of saying something wrong. There are no consequences to my mistakes. Nobody hates me there.

''Image, screen, perhaps some BBS or Futaba-based imageboard.''
(名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　７８
Anonymous
＞＞７３
すごい！乙！！
You’re so cool! Thanks!!
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．７９
Anonymous
＞＞７３
神！大きにありがとう！
You’re amazing! Thanks so much!
ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．８０
Yomoda-san
＞＞７８
＞＞７９
どういたしまして。喜んで手伝った。＾_＾
It’s nothing. I’m glad I could help. )

I was useful there.

''Image, screen, imageboard''
(ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．　３２
Yomoda-san
誰もあたしのことわからない。クラスにいる少女たちにクラッブへ連れて来られたけど、あたし、踊れらないから取り残された。
あたしの存在は惨めね。
Nobody understands me. I was taken to a club by some girls in my class, but I can’t dance, so they left me behind.
My existence is wretched, isn’t it?
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　３３
Anonymous
＞＞３２
ひどい！かまわない、ヨモ田さん！そう言った人々は友達じゃないよー
How mean! Don’t worry about it, Yomoda-san! People like that aren’t friends!
名無しさん　Ｎｏ．　３４
Anonymous
＞＞３２
ワイヤードに来ればいいの。私たちはヨモ田さんがわかる！
You should come to the Wired. We understand you, Yomoda-san!
ヨモ田さん　Ｎｏ．　３５
Yomoda-san
＞＞３３
＞＞３４
そう？聞いてくれて本当にありがとう。
Is that so? I really appreciate you listening to me.)

They care about me there.

They want me there.

I can be myself in front of them, and I don’t need to worry about them hating me at all. I can speak my mind without freezing up or wanting to cry.

I belong there.

Scene Three, Streets, Late Afternoon.
''Image, streets, include bloody shadows. Ambient waan waan waan 50MHz hum.''

There’s a girl from another class.

Lain Iwakura.

She never talks to anyone. That means she’s quiet, like me. I think she might be lonely, too.

Like me.

I walked home with her today. We never said a word to each other, but I felt somehow connected to her.

Even though she and I never spoke, I felt comforted. It was a familiar feeling that I couldn’t place at first, but then I realized—

For some reason, being with lain felt just like being on the Wired.

''Image, lain profile view from her left, expression rather blank and forlorn.''

I feel like she belongs there too, just like me. I don’t know how, but I feel like she would be happy there.

I want to be her friend. But I can’t talk to people in a place like this.

If only she was on the Wired, we could be happy together. We could connect, and we wouldn’t have to hide or walk home in silence.

…But I’ve never seen her use a NAVI before.

I wanted to tell her, ‘Come to the Wired as soon as you can,’ but I didn’t say anything.

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to do anything right.

Scene 4, Bedroom, Night.
''Image, screen, closeup of some words on the screen. Ambient computer noises.''
(ここに神様がいるよー)

Today, I heard something interesting on the Wired.

'''God is here.'''

The Knights say that God lives in the Wired. He is omnipresent, just like the Wired. He sees everything and knows everyone. He connects all of us by being connected to all of us Himself.

He loves all of us.

…I wonder…

If he truly can love someone like me.

Someone who is useless and awkward and unable to talk to anyone.

''Image, screen, some sort of group chat client. IRC or similar chat client.''
([02:04:01] バイトル：ワイヤードへ来さえすれば神様があなたを愛する。
[02:04:44] ヨモダ：それじゃ、永遠にここにいたい。)

'''Knight:''' He will love you as long as you come to the Wired.
'''Chisa:''' I want to be here forever, then.

''Image, screen, details on the Psyche processor, maybe a close up of part of ab# layer 03''

They told me about the Psyche processor.

They said it would let me enter the Wired without needing a NAVI.

…They told me about abandoning the flesh.

''Image, screen, chat client again.''
([04:23:43] ヨモダ：本当にただ一つ方法？怖そう・・・
[04:25:01] 大正電氣娘：うん。他の方法無い。何しろ、リアル・ワルドにあなたは必要ないって言ってたね。
[04:31:23] ヨモダ：そう・・・必要ない。)

''Chisa:'' Is that really the only way? It sounds scary…
''Knight:'' Yeah. There’s no other way. You said that the real world doesn’t need you, anyway, didn’t you?
''Chisa:'' Right…it doesn’t need me.

Scene 5, Empty Corridor, Late afternoon.
''Silence''

Even knowing what I had learned last night, I went back to school as usual.

I was alone, as usual.

Waiting.

I didn’t talk to lain today, either. I just couldn’t. I was too afraid.

I’m pathetic. Here I’m nobody at all.

But there I can be somebody. I can work to my fullest potential. I can become someone worthy of God’s Love.

I belong there, in the Wired.

''Black, words, centered.''
(「あたしは――こんなところにいなくてもいいの――」)

'''Chisa:''' “I…would be better off not being in a place like this…”

Scene 6, Front hall, evening
''Image, open package with a Psyche processor nearby. Should be something like an envelope.''

It arrived today. I found it on my desk when I got home.

There was a note.
''Image, typed note.''
(早くワイヤードに来てー
待ってる。)

“Come to the Wired as soon as you can.”
“We’re waiting.”

''Fade to black''

Scene 0.2
''Slowly fade in words from before.''

'''「死ぬ時?」'''
'''“What was it like when you died?”'''

''Below, type in slowly.''

'''「痛かった（笑）」'''
'''“It hurt. Heehee.”'''

[[Category:VN]]

Come to the Wired

2013-07-03T20:59:26Z

Ain: Second draft.

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-03T17:59:44Z

Ain:

Tomo

2013-07-03T17:47:03Z

Ain: Forgot category.

{{Infobox
|image = File:Tomo-kun.jpg
|gender = Male
|age = 11 or 12 ([[game]])
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = None
|navi = Unknown
|debut = [[game]]
|featuredin = [[game]], [[manga]] (mentioned)
|location = [[Elementary school]]}}

'''Tomo'''(トモ ''Tomo''), affectionately called '''Tomo-kun''' by [[Lain]], is a boy in Lain's class in [[Elementary school]] in the [[game]]. While he and Lain were not close, it is implied that they may have had a mutual crush on each other, although it was never requited.

== Personality ==
Not much is known about his personality, but it was stated in [[Lain's Diary]] that he and the other boys in her class were very rowdy.

== Relationship With Lain ==

Lain often seems to think about him and worries what he thinks of her, especially when she has trouble fitting in with her peers and when she is bullied. It appears she may have had a crush on him, although it seems that she was too shy to approach him. When Lain falls ill with influenza, Tomo and Lain's teacher pay her a surprise visit, much to Lain's embarrassment. However, Lain is unable to speak to Tomo, preoccupied with her teacher. The two of them exchange a handshake before parting ways.

When Lain returns to school, she discovers that Tomo has moved away before she could say goodbye to him, upsetting her. However, soon after, Lain receives a series of brief letters from him, to which she enthusiastically replies. It appears that eventually Tomo stops writing her, leaving Lain heartbroken. Her interest in him eventually fades.

== Effect on Lain's Mental Health ==
Tomo is a large source of self-doubt for Lain, and she often worries about him laughing at her and whether or not he actually cares about her. After he moves away, Lain becomes preoccupied with the fear that Tomo is not exclusively writing letters to her, but instead just the whole class as a nice gesture, and becomes obsessed with the notion of being "special" only to him, hoping that he was writing only to her and thinking about her. These fears are groundless, however; the [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]] states that Tomo was in fact writing exclusively to her and also could possibly have been interested in her as well.

After his letters stop coming, she mentions that she think school would be happier if she could have gone out with him, and wishes she could transfer to his school. She eventually gives up on the idea.

Her unrequited interest in Tomo may have been responsible for the later appearance of [[Misato]].

[[Category:Characters]]

Tomo

2013-07-03T17:32:38Z

Ain: Added Tomo's bio. Thinking of making game characters that Lain knows in the above format.

{{Infobox
|image = File:Tomo-kun.jpg
|gender = Male
|age = 11 or 12 ([[game]])
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = None
|navi = Unknown
|debut = [[game]]
|featuredin = [[game]], [[manga]] (mentioned)
|location = [[Elementary school]]}}

'''Tomo'''(トモ ''Tomo''), affectionately called '''Tomo-kun''' by [[Lain]], is a boy in Lain's class in [[Elementary school]] in the [[game]]. While he and Lain were not close, it is implied that they may have had a mutual crush on each other, although it was never requited.

== Personality ==
Not much is known about his personality, but it was stated in [[Lain's Diary]] that he and the other boys in her class were very rowdy.

== Relationship With Lain ==

Lain often seems to think about him and worries what he thinks of her, especially when she has trouble fitting in with her peers and when she is bullied. It appears she may have had a crush on him, although it seems that she was too shy to approach him. When Lain falls ill with influenza, Tomo and Lain's teacher pay her a surprise visit, much to Lain's embarrassment. However, Lain is unable to speak to Tomo, preoccupied with her teacher. The two of them exchange a handshake before parting ways.

When Lain returns to school, she discovers that Tomo has moved away before she could say goodbye to him, upsetting her. However, soon after, Lain receives a series of brief letters from him, to which she enthusiastically replies. It appears that eventually Tomo stops writing her, leaving Lain heartbroken. Her interest in him eventually fades.

== Effect on Lain's Mental Health ==
Tomo is a large source of self-doubt for Lain, and she often worries about him laughing at her and whether or not he actually cares about her. After he moves away, Lain becomes preoccupied with the fear that Tomo is not exclusively writing letters to her, but instead just the whole class as a nice gesture, and becomes obsessed with the notion of being "special" only to him, hoping that he was writing only to her and thinking about her. These fears are groundless, however; the [[Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide]] states that Tomo was in fact writing exclusively to her and also could possibly have been interested in her as well.

After his letters stop coming, she mentions that she think school would be happier if she could have gone out with him, and wishes she could transfer to his school. She eventually gives up on the idea.

Her unrequited interest in Tomo may have been responsible for the later appearance of [[Misato]].

File:Tomo-kun.jpg

2013-07-03T16:58:26Z

Ain: Yoshitoshi ABe's concept sketch for Tomo-kun. Found in an omnipresence in wired's monochrome sketch gallery.

Yoshitoshi ABe's concept sketch for Tomo-kun. Found in an omnipresence in wired's monochrome sketch gallery.

Touko Yonera

2013-07-03T16:48:27Z

Ain:

{{Infobox
|image = File:Artbook_Touko.png
|gender = Female
|age = 27
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]
|navi = [[Yonera Touko's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Game]]
|featuredin = [[Game]]
|location = [[Tachibana General Laboratories]], [[Touko's Apartment]]
}}

'''Yonera Touko''' (来良柊子 ''Yonera Touko''), also romanized as '''Yonera Tohko''', is a 27-year-old psychiatrist employed by [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]' psychology department.. In the [[Serial Experiments Lain PSX game]], she is [[Iwakura Lain]]'s psychiatrist, and the lover of [[Takashi]] and, later, [[Yoshida]]. She is killed by Lain shortly before Lain's suicide and assimilation into [[the Wired]].

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-03T07:57:53Z

Ain:

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-03T07:57:26Z

Ain:

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-03T07:50:00Z

Ain:

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-03T07:48:53Z

Ain: What's a game without characters?

Serial Experiments Lain (game)

2013-07-03T07:22:35Z

Ain: Added translation links for the inquiring reader. Doesn't hurt to self-advertise, right? Please don't kill me, wiki overlords. You bet when I'm not feeling as tired that I'll add the actual plot summary, as the quote here has sequence errors.

Touko Yonera

2013-07-03T07:10:05Z

Ain:

{{Infobox
|image = File:Artbook_Touko.png
|gender = Female
|age = 27
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]
|navi = [[Yonera Touko's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Game]]
|featuredin = [[Game]]
|location = [[Tachibana General Laboratories]], [[Touko's Apartment]]
}}

'''Yonera Touko''', also romanized as '''Yonera Tohko''', is a 27-year-old psychiatrist employed by [[Tachibana General Laboratories]]' psychology department.. In the [[Serial Experiments Lain PSX game]], she is [[Iwakura Lain]]'s psychiatrist, and the lover of [[Takashi]] and, later, [[Yoshida]]. She is killed by Lain shortly before Lain's suicide and assimilation into [[the Wired]].

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Touko Yonera

2013-07-03T07:06:39Z

Ain: Edited chronology. Touko is murdered before the suicide, not after.

{{Infobox
|image = File:Artbook_Touko.png
|gender = Female
|age = 27
|family = Unknown
|affiliation = Unknown
|navi = [[Yonera Touko's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Game]]
|featuredin = [[Game]]
|location = Unknown
}}

'''Yonera Touko''', also romanized as '''Yonera Tohko''', is a 27-year-old woman. In the [[Serial Experiments Lain PSX game]], she is [[Iwakura Lain]]'s psychiatrist, and the lover of [[Takashi]] and, later, [[Yoshida]]. She is killed by Lain shortly before Lain's suicide and assimilation into [[the Wired]].

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-03T07:04:08Z

Ain:

{{Infobox
|image = File:Lain.jpg
|gender = Female
|age = 14 ([[anime]]), 11-14 ([[game]])
|family = [[Iwakura Yasuo]], [[Iwakura Miho]], [[Iwakura Mika]]
|affiliation = [[Knights of the Eastern Calculus]]
|navi = [[Children's NAVI]], [[Handheld NAVI]], [[Lain's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Layer 01]]
|featuredin = [[Anime]], [[game]], [[manga]]
|location = [[Lain's house]], [[Shibuya]]}}

'''Iwakura Lain''' {岩倉玲音 ''Iwakura Rein'') is the main protagonist of the series. She is female, 14 in the [[anime]], 11-14 in the [[game]], and of an unknown age in other works. Visually, she is characterized by her short, brown, asymmetrical hair, one lock of which is secured by a [[hairclip]]. [[Masami Eiri]], in his desire to conquer the [[Wired]], wants her as his queen.

At the beginning of the anime, Lain is technologically illiterate and extremely shy. She hardly even checks her email and is visibly uncomfortable when doing so. While operating her old [[children's NAVI]], she puts on a bear hat. This, like her [[bear suit]], provides comfort to her and helps her face situations that she is intimidated by.

Lain's behaviour changes when she gets a proper [[NAVI]]. When online, she behaves much more confidently and assertively. Another Lain, commonly referred to by the fandom as "evil Lain", already exists in the Wired and, according to Lain in [[Layer 08]], acts like the part of Lain that she hates.

Lain appears to be highly intelligent and has a range of skills. The anime shows her learning extremely quickly how a NAVI functions and can even help the [[boss]] of the [[Men in Black]] repair his extremely old NAVI. Also, the [[manga]] shows some of Lain's skills in programming, as she modifies her plush dog, [[Bike-chan]], to be able to bark. In the [[game]], Lain becomes interested in psychology and is able to use that knowledge on [[Yonera Touko]], her therapist, when she becomes unstable.

She is quite distant from her [[family]] and rarely speaks at home. At school, she is similarly quiet, although she begins to hang out with [[Alice]], [[Reika]] and [[Juri]]. Of the three, only Alice seems to have any real emotional connection with her.

Lain is revealed to be the product of the human collective unconscious that took form in the Wired. This means that there is a different image of Lain in each person's mind, represented by the chattering Lain mannequins in [[Layer 08]]. This led to Lain's [[identity]] crisis that forms a major plot point in the anime.

Lain considers herself to be a being that exists only in the memories of others, so when she edits herself out during the [[reset]], it is almost a form of suicide - although the Wired itself still retains her data, there are no people who truly remember her.

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-03T07:02:45Z

Ain:

{{Infobox
|image = File:Lain.jpg
|gender = Female
|age = 14 ([[anime]]) to 11-14 ([[game]])
|family = [[Iwakura Yasuo]], [[Iwakura Miho]], [[Iwakura Mika]]
|affiliation = [[Knights of the Eastern Calculus]]
|navi = [[Children's NAVI]], [[Handheld NAVI]], [[Lain's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Layer 01]]
|featuredin = [[Anime]], [[game]], [[manga]]
|location = [[Lain's house]], [[Shibuya]]}}

'''Iwakura Lain''' {岩倉玲音 ''Iwakura Rein'') is the main protagonist of the series. She is female, 14 in the [[anime]], 11-14 in the [[game]], and of an unknown age in other works. Visually, she is characterized by her short, brown, asymmetrical hair, one lock of which is secured by a [[hairclip]]. [[Masami Eiri]], in his desire to conquer the [[Wired]], wants her as his queen.

At the beginning of the anime, Lain is technologically illiterate and extremely shy. She hardly even checks her email and is visibly uncomfortable when doing so. While operating her old [[children's NAVI]], she puts on a bear hat. This, like her [[bear suit]], provides comfort to her and helps her face situations that she is intimidated by.

Lain's behaviour changes when she gets a proper [[NAVI]]. When online, she behaves much more confidently and assertively. Another Lain, commonly referred to by the fandom as "evil Lain", already exists in the Wired and, according to Lain in [[Layer 08]], acts like the part of Lain that she hates.

Lain appears to be highly intelligent and has a range of skills. The anime shows her learning extremely quickly how a NAVI functions and can even help the [[boss]] of the [[Men in Black]] repair his extremely old NAVI. Also, the [[manga]] shows some of Lain's skills in programming, as she modifies her plush dog, [[Bike-chan]], to be able to bark. In the [[game]], Lain becomes interested in psychology and is able to use that knowledge on [[Yonera Touko]], her therapist, when she becomes unstable.

She is quite distant from her [[family]] and rarely speaks at home. At school, she is similarly quiet, although she begins to hang out with [[Alice]], [[Reika]] and [[Juri]]. Of the three, only Alice seems to have any real emotional connection with her.

Lain is revealed to be the product of the human collective unconscious that took form in the Wired. This means that there is a different image of Lain in each person's mind, represented by the chattering Lain mannequins in [[Layer 08]]. This led to Lain's [[identity]] crisis that forms a major plot point in the anime.

Lain considers herself to be a being that exists only in the memories of others, so when she edits herself out during the [[reset]], it is almost a form of suicide - although the Wired itself still retains her data, there are no people who truly remember her.

{{Characters}}

[[Category:Characters]]

Lain Iwakura

2013-07-03T06:58:58Z

Ain: Corrected ages.

{{Infobox
|image = File:Lain.jpg
|gender = Female
|age = 14 ([[anime]]) to 11-14 ([[game]])
|family = [[Iwakura Yasuo]], [[Iwakura Miho]], [[Iwakura Mika]]
|affiliation = [[Knights of the Eastern Calculus]]
|navi = [[Children's NAVI]], [[Handheld NAVI]], [[Lain's NAVI]]
|debut = [[Layer 01]]
|featuredin = [[Anime]], [[game]], [[manga]]
|location = [[Lain's house]], [[Shibuya]]}}

'''Iwakura Lain''' {岩倉玲音 ''Iwakura Rein'') is the main protagonist of the series. She is female, 13 in the [[anime]], 14 in the [[game]], and of an unknown age in other works. Visually, she is characterized by her short, brown, asymmetrical hair, one lock of which is secured by a [[hairclip]]. [[Masami Eiri]], in his desire to conquer the [[Wired]], wants her as his queen.

At the beginning of the anime, Lain is technologically illiterate and extremely shy. She hardly even checks her email and is visibly uncomfortable when doing so. While operating her old [[children's NAVI]], she puts on a bear hat. This, like her [[bear suit]], provides comfort to her and helps her face situations that she is intimidated by.

Lain's behaviour changes when she gets a proper [[NAVI]]. When online, she behaves much more confidently and assertively. Another Lain, commonly referred to by the fandom as "evil Lain", already exists in the Wired and, according to Lain in [[Layer 08]], acts like the part of Lain that she hates.

Lain appears to be highly intelligent and has a range of skills. The anime shows her learning extremely quickly how a NAVI functions and can even help the [[boss]] of the [[Men in Black]] repair his extremely old NAVI. Also, the [[manga]] shows some of Lain's skills in programming, as she modifies her plush dog, [[Bike-chan]], to be able to bark. In the [[game]], Lain becomes interested in psychology and is able to use that knowledge on [[Yonera Touko]], her therapist, when she becomes unstable.

She is quite distant from her [[family]] and rarely speaks at home. At school, she is similarly quiet, although she begins to hang out with [[Alice]], [[Reika]] and [[Juri]]. Of the three, only Alice seems to have any real emotional connection with her.

Lain is revealed to be the product of the human collective unconscious that took form in the Wired. This means that there is a different image of Lain in each person's mind, represented by the chattering Lain mannequins in [[Layer 08]]. This led to Lain's [[identity]] crisis that forms a major plot point in the anime.

Lain considers herself to be a being that exists only in the memories of others, so when she edits herself out during the [[reset]], it is almost a form of suicide - although the Wired itself still retains her data, there are no people who truly remember her.

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[[Category:Characters]]