Serial Experiments Lain (game)

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: [1] 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 [2]
• ain's translations located at [3]

Serial Experiments Lain media

Anime • Game

Books

Omnipresence in Wired • The Nightmare of Fabrication • Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide • Serial Experiments Lain Ultimate Fan Guide • Scenario Experiments Lain • Visual Experiments Lain

Music

Duvet (opening theme) • Tooi Sakebi (ending theme) • Serial Experiments Lain OST • Serial Experiments Lain: Cyberia Mix • serial experiments lain BOOTLEG • LPR-309 • Cyberia Layer 2 • Cyberia Layer:03 • Twilight