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Kayay
19-10-2001, 10:01 PM
Interesting. I just watched DVD 1 last night. I read plenty of reviews prior to watching the series, so I had an idea of what I was getting myself into. However, my mental state afterwards could be compared to that achieved by watching Teletubbies and listening to I Am the Walrus repeatedly for two hours. :lol: I’m not saying I didn’t like LAIN; its just that I was left in a surreal, thoughtful state afterwards. LAIN messes with your mind.

That being said, I wanted to ask a few questions:

1. What are the written messages that appear frequently throughout the series (the ones with the psychedelic backgrounds). Sometimes I seem like a specific character’s thoughts, sometimes they appear to be thoughts of the dead girl, and other times they seem like random bits of information from some third, unknown party. What are they, and what is their purpose?
2. Does Accela play any role outside of that one shooting at cyberia? One opinion I read was that it was, in effect, a means of connecting to the wired, while the series so far only explains it as a “drug” of sorts that stimulates the brain to release chemicals that yadda yadda yadda yadda…
3. How did that Phantoma playing guy kill people without a gun, and was there any deeper relevance to its connection to the children's tag game? those were bodies weren't they? Was “Lain” actually watching this somehow?

Anyhoo, here are some miscellaneous thoughts you may comment on is you feel inclined to do so:

A girl who is self admittedly not good with computers is suddenly able to modify a top of the line Navi? So Lain is an inherent computer techno whiz. In-teresting. Hmmm, if my folks had bought me a top ‘o the line computer, they’d be far from pleased to see me tearing it apart. ? :lol:
LAIN reminds me of the Matrix so far. Having watched the first four eps and read the back of the other DVDs, and considering the shadow people, weird stuff Lain sees, and the disembodied voice in her head, my first guess would be that Lain’s world is not really the “real” world. That’s why it reminds me of the Matrix. I’m pr’olly wrong. Of course, it is a common enough theme to several sci-fi books and movies (names of which I cannot remember right now..blame it on old age) dealing with dreams vs. reality vs. wired vs. etc., and ask things such as:
What is truly real? Is that a reflection of you in the puddle or are you the reflection. If a tree falls on a forest ranger and no one is there to hear it, does he make a sound? :lol:

One more question:
4. What were some other first thoughts and theories you had after watching the first few eps?

Yes, this will be on the test.

Drizzten
19-10-2001, 10:23 PM
Nooo! I hate tests! :lol:
Says Kayay:
1. What are the written messages that appear frequently throughout the series (the ones with the psychedelic backgrounds).
Those bits are dialogue from one character to another, obviously. But knowing who the speaker is can be tough. Some scenes are easy to decide, such as when Chisa replied to a question, "It really hurts!! : )" when asked what it felt like to die. Others aren't so easy. I won't go any further unless you've seen the whole anime. :P

2. Does Accela play any role outside of that one shooting at cyberia?
I'll be honest and say that I don't think it does. I saw it as a dim-witted attempt to get high and try to feel what the Knights felt like. Personal opinion.

3. How did that Phantoma playing guy kill people without a gun, and was there any deeper relevance to its connection to the children's tag game?
Some people say that when the mind (conscious/personality/ego) dies, the body will follow. My take on it was that the game is so deceptively real and immersive that when you lose to a player intent on really killing you, the effect of the fear will either push you over the edge and you'll kill yourself, or your body simply shuts down. Unless I am wrong, you don't see (in the real world) the actual wounds inflicted upon any of the players.

A girl who is self admittedly not good with computers is suddenly able to modify a top of the line Navi? So Lain is an inherent computer techno whiz.
I's say it's her calling in life. ;)

4. What were some other first thoughts and theories you had after watching the first few eps?
SOMEDAY, I am going to find a connection with those damn red- and blue-splotched shadows near Lain's house!!! *shakes fist*

Kayay
20-10-2001, 01:37 AM
Originally posted by Drizzten
SOMEDAY, I am going to find a connection with those damn red- and blue-splotched shadows near Lain's house!!! *shakes fist*

Its that damn insane pop artist again. I hate that guy. :D

iwakura
20-10-2001, 12:36 PM
re: funky shadows

I think the shimmering shadows might represent the breakdown of the barriers between the physical world and the virtual world of the wired.

They also help convey the mood of the series.

heart havok
21-10-2001, 08:15 AM
Originally quoted by Kayay
1. What are the written messages that appear frequently throughout the series (the ones with the psychedelic backgrounds).
agree with Drizz.

Originally quoted by Kayay
2. Does Accela play any role outside of that one shooting at cyberia?
i believe Accela is just noting how addicting the Wired is... the speEd of brain wave and information processing and the such... the drug is a chemically-dependant way of reaching the speEd of the Wired {nearly, rather}.. and people are trying to reach this speEd of processing. i also believe it to be an example of the human being trying to advance oneself.

Originally quoted by Kayay
3. How did that Phantoma playing guy kill people without a gun, and was there any deeper relevance to its connection to the children's tag game?
agreed.. basically.

Originally quoted by Kayay
A girl who is self admittedly not good with computers is suddenly able to modify a top of the line Navi? So Lain is an inherent computer techno whiz.
modesty. Lain was either being modest, or had never given computers a real chance to find if she had the 'nack' for it or not. i believe the later.

Originally quoted by Kayay
4. What were some other first thoughts and theories you had after watching the first few eps?
that i was definitely going to love this series.

other than that, i was so into it and had so many ideas running thru my mind... there was never one single thought running thru my mind other than the above stated.

preferably... watch the rest of the series before asking questions.