Serial Experiments Lain Official Guide/Q&A
This is the translation page for the Q&A section of the guide to the game. It doesn't make any earth-shattering revelations, but it might be useful to a Lain fan who is trying to play through the game. The same can be said for the entire guide, to be honest.
This is a free translation by fans, for fans. If you notice errors, feel free to edit it. Please don't use it in a scanlation or for making money somehow.
I'll add sub headers as I get each answer translated. Italicized text indicates a tl note.
Q's are all done, A's coming soon, maybe.
Everything from here on is translation, unless it is italicized.
A guide to the mysteries of "lain" for the especially inquisitive player
This Q&A, divided into "game system part" and "game story part," attempts to explain things you might be unclear about once you've played the game. Though the "game story part" does not offer solutions to the mysteries interspersed throughout the story, the utmost has been done to provide something that can be taken as an interpretive example. In addition, there are supplementary notes on relevant data that may be beneficial to refer to.
Game system part
Q: Why can't I play back this data block?
Q: Why won't the number of data blocks increase?
Q: I saw the ending but I don't really understand the story.
Game story part
Q: Why did Kyouko become estranged with Lain?
Q: Are Lain and her family related by blood?
Q: Where did Lain's father go off to?
Q: How good is Lain's visual acuity?
Q: What triggered Lain's internal transformation?
Q: Why does Lain wear only her left sidelock long?
A: Upon encountering Lain for the first time, the first thing that one is likely to notice is her distinctive hairstyle. Lain's hairstyle is mostly short, but for some reason she allows only her left sidelock to remain long. It's not especially popular at school, nor is it a manifestation of Lain's fashion sense. When Touko casually asked her about it during a counseling session, Lain responded saying that it was in order to prevent herself from hearing the mysterious voices. According to Lain, auditory hallucinations seem to enter the left ear and exit from the right ear. Whether or not this actually did anything to make the auditory hallucinations go away is questionable, but it's not so different from when you or I carry around a charm for traffic safety. The sense of security that can be derived from things like this is likely much more important than their effectiveness.
Note: Lain's exact words in the file are much more vague than this Q&A's explanation, which never quotes her directly. She only says, "it goes in from the left, so maybe, it exits from the right," without specifying a subject (hallucinations) or an object (ears). This has been a source of confusion among the few western fans who are familiar with the game, and even some Japanese fans, as evidenced by this nico thread. Touko chooses not to take this peculiarity as evidence of mental illness, equating the hairstyle with a protective charm; see Wikipedia:Omamori.
Q: Just who exactly is this "Mr Rabbit" character?
Q: Did Misato not really exist after all?
Q: What is the reason for the extraordinary evolution speed of the "father" Lain made?
Q: Why are data related to Lain so incomprehensible?
Q: What caused the malfunction of "RML"?
Q: What kind of facility is "Tachibana General Laboratories"?
Q: Why did Yoshida and Takeshi drift away from Touko?
Q: Why did Professor Takashima have to commit suicide?
Q: Why did the high school girl(s) attempt suicide?
Q: What was that "other me" that appeared in Lain's hallucinations?
Q: What is the meaning of the corpse that was discarded in the street?
Q: What is the secret of the man in the sub-audio insert cuts?
"Sub-audio insert cut" is the term used in the guide for the audio files that play automatically when the player idles without touching the controller for a while.
Q: Is there a Site C in the game?
