The Anime Colony online chat with Ueda and ABe
A typed chat held two days after the Otakon panel. Ueda says the bear pajamas were animator Kishida's idea: at first he thought them childish against the serious tone, but accepted Nakamura's explanation that the bear works as a wall when Lain talks to her family. ABe says Ueda asked for a design that was not symmetrical, which led to the hair, and Ueda adds the unexplained reason: the long lock is meant to stop evil spirits and bad luck from entering through her ear. ABe names Kenji Tsuruta and Yukinobu Hoshino as line influences. Ueda again declines to explain the cultural-war remark in a few lines, saying there is no warfare in the work itself, only a wish to go against normal rules. He says the plan took two years and production about eight months. Ueda chose Duvet simply because the music was good and the translated lyrics felt right, and later learned Jasmine Rodgers is half Japanese; ABe was moved hearing Boa live at Otakon. Both describe themselves as 'hetare', a kind of shared imperfection. ABe says he designed the NAVIs and Lain's computers himself, as machines he wanted to use, and owned seven computers. In the loose part afterwards Ueda rules out a Lain movie without saying never, and ABe says he has never seen the English dub.
- Kishida proposed the bear suit; Nakamura explained it as Lain's wall
- Ueda asked for asymmetry; the hair lock wards off spirits through the ear
- ABe cites Kenji Tsuruta and Yukinobu Hoshino
- Planning took about two years, production about eight months
- Duvet was picked for its sound and lyrics; Jasmine Rodgers is half Japanese
- ABe designed the NAVIs as computers he himself wanted
- No Lain movie planned, though not ruled out forever
Sources: lawmune.net