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Lain is one of those almost totemically cerebral titles held up by anime fans as an example of the medium producing something 'intellectual' and thus respectable, much in the style of Ghost in the Shell.
I think this is a misnomer and somewhat of an incomplete approach to appreciating a show that in my case certainly, had a very instinctual and emotional appeal. Both GitS and Ergo Proxy found me at odds with the way they'd been promoted in that sense. For the former, it was the visceral action, the heavily sublimated emotional lives of the leads and sense of the intellectual content being embodied in the plot and characters, rather than being superimposed philosoporn as it's often accused of being, that drew me in; with Ergo Proxy design and character work were what accomplished the same task, in a more or less effortless fashion.
For Lain, then, my advice for new viewers would be to treat it as a mood piece and let the atmosphere sink into you over time rather than expend a lot of effort trying to come up with some all-encompassing mythos in which to cram all its contradictory elements... advice that would have been well heeded by the makers of the frankly odd, amateurish but enjoyable Lain fan guide which comes with an appendix for people wanting to play their own RPG of the show (!). If anyone wants to borrow my copy they'd be welcome.
It might even go as far as having a character you can connect with.
Don't worry on this score. Lain herself is at once remote and iconic and intimately identifiable-with, if you find yourself in tune with the series. And there are plenty of walk-ons who manage to convey a great deal with a minimum of characterisation.
Lain was a series I watched on rental and have been meaning to acquire permanently. Now that this thread's been revived I think I'll get round to it. |
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