Shadows...red and blue...

[Drizzten]

Ok. This has been picked at over time, but not fully fleshed out.

There are scenes in Lain where the shadows had splotches of red and blue mixed in with the black. We mainly saw them near Lain's house along the street. I'd like to know what you guys think of them...why the creators out them there, and what they might signify...since it's obviously something you don't normally see.

[Neojin]

Mind trip...really. The creators in many interviews said there are parts of the story that are just "there" to as a bit of mystery and "mind trip".

Like the Driping Power lines for example....utter mind trip.

You could see it as Lain looking into the porta to the wired of sorts, or something like that. However I feel its there to fook with ya :D

[Ghaleon]

seems to me that they were put there to show that something isn't quite right with this world and that there is more to it than you can normally see. Lain being outside of that scope seems to be able to see what could be part of the Wired, resonance or she just is more demeneted then the rest

[cloakactive]

Originally posted by Neojin
Mind trip...really. The creators in many interviews said there are parts of the story that are just "there" to as a bit of mystery and "mind trip".

Like the Driping Power lines for example....utter mind trip.

You could see it as Lain looking into the porta to the wired of sorts, or something like that. However I feel its there to fook with ya :D

O man no kidding. But I though that was more Indicative that there was something else going on in the real world. Kinda like to show that there was more interaction between the real world and the wired then what was previously thought. Does that fly with you neo? or anyone else for that matter of fact? :D

[Drizzten]

So the aberrations in the shadows were an indication that the Wired interferes with the Real World? Like data corruption?

[Killjoy]

I guess everything could be blamed on the Wired merging with the real world, but some things I think the makers of Lain just put in and figured, "Hmm, what will people think of that? Heh heh heh." Like the way the Men in Black died, or the wires melting near the train. It's easy to look far too deeply into things (like Catcher in the Rye), though it's cool to find what people come out with.

[Id0]

They wireded me out too...
I jus thought it ment there something lurking in the shadows... like something sinister is behind whas going on...

[Interfectum]

Shadows are a facsinating thing in real life too. I think the emphasis on shadows in Lain is indicative of her perception of the world. I don't think they are there just for show, nor do I think they have something specific to do with the plot. Lain sees the world in a different way than most, and trip effects are just one way of portraying this in the series.

- Interfectum

[iwakura]

One thing I keep reminding people of with this series is that the images are designed to produce an emotional effect by those who watch it. To me, the shadows are just another surrealistic component of the show.

[Merlion Emrys]

I noticed this early on as well. I tended to see it as a manifestation of the connection/bleedthrough of the Wired to the real world, and also a manifestation of Lain's ability to percieve it.

It also gave a nice sense that there was something up, with the world and with lain. It also reminded me a bit of stars..like looking into space.

[Metem]

I think the Wired-world-Blead-through idea is quite on track. I also noticed something about Lain that i think will shed some light on this. Lain's eyes are very noticiable for their uniqueness. Specifically her very contracted pupils. Now the pupil contracts when there is too much light which tells us that Lain may be accustomed or designed to see in places that are darker (ie shadows). if the Wired world can be seen through the shadows we can assume that if the light of this world were blotted out we would be able to see the Wired world. Now lain is the only character with such contracted pupils. everyone else in the same light has dialated pupils. So if the light of the world were to be blotted out most people would be unable to see the wired world as they cannot allow enough light into the eye. lain however would be able to see the Wired by dialating her pupils.

there are instances where Lain's pupils do change. iether they dialate or they appear to be eclipse by a large black circle but her pupils remain distinctly contracted. A notable case of this is in Cyberia. the first is the girl that looks like Lain reported by lain's friends and when the man shoots himself in Cyberia. in both cases she takes on a marked change in her personality to what i think is the Wired/evil Lain and her pupils dialate. The other changes in perona are usually accompanied by the large black circle eclipsing, or imposed upon her contracted pupil. This persona is the more assertive Lain that is not as vindictive as the Wired lain. it places this persona as a half-way point between the other 2 personas.

i think the crazy shadows is evidence of this running theme.

[Zugzwang]

Besides from being a neat visual effect, the shadow-blotches remind me of brain-synapses, I took a picture from a website and colourised it:

http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b247/Zugzwang-R/Tatig/brain-synapses.gif

In SE:Lain the schumann resonance (and the wired) is talked of as being the world’s oversoul or planetary mind that connects everyone. Each person is a node into this matrix, which could be viewed as an individual brain cell.

[heart havok]

Interesting thesis. Wish I had seen the photo, however, prior to its deletion.

[DraniX]

Pwned.