This is a page of commentary on Lain by myself, the staff, and other people.
The producer of Lain, Yasuyuki Ueda said during an interview with Animerica that Americans would not understand Lain and that he didn't want them to. Ueda said it was based on the sensitivity and values of the Japanese people and that he wanted Americans to react to Lain.
I sort of agree with this statement, aside from one factor. I definitley agree that Lain is a cultural war on America, but not on Americans. I think that while Lain goes against most american popular culture, there are many American people who will still understand it. The reason this is true is because the culture America produces almost never represents the life, and point of veiw real people have. I should know. However, I do think that there is a certain type of person who really wouldn't get Lain at all, but you can't stereotype them as being American, or anything else.
I even have proof of this. When I showed Lain to three of my freinds, 2 of them loved it, 1 hated it. The one who hated it said that it was too random and the scenes changed to quickly. He also said it was creepy and hard to understand. This is the type of person who Ueda was talking about. If they aren't watching some hot chick, a heated argument, or a big explosion, they loose intrest. Another thing that may make Lain unpopular (especially among Americans) is that it is pure substance, and won't unnecesarily try to thrill or move you outside of an intellectual, and immotional level. Everything in Lain is granted a purpose, and a meaning, that is what spares it from the melodramatic commercialism of mainstream postmodrnist culture, and makes it an extremely personal experience. despite all this, Lain will not throw off everyone who sees it, and yet doesn't understand, because it captivates you with it's sheer bizzareness (a quality I always look for) One such type of person can be seen in this reveiw.
Another key issue in Lain is that of the existential self, and it's ultimate relation to the rest of the world. In an era when communication is a key factor in our lives, we have to wonder if it is possible to escape from the effects of this world. Every day we react to hundreds of ideas and images filtered in our mind, producing a positive, negative, or neutral reaction. Are we really only reactionalist lifeforms? If so, how can our society collectivelly susutain itsef, with no outward base. Where did it all begin?
Questioning this causes us to ask ourselves if true isolation from the collective unconsciuos would really be possible, or even worth attempting at all. The under tone of the wired, at least in my veiw, is that it is a connection to the collective unconcious, so that by entering it yiou aren't only communicating with other people, but all people, and further more with God. return to main Lain page
