[Categories: Specials]
Serial Experiments Lain artbook
I’m not usually into the large artbooks that are heavy on pictures but lacking in adding to the stories that inspired them; I like to read books, not merely look at the pictures. In the case of Yoshitoshi ABe I’m willing to make an exception though, because Reload an Omnipresence in Wired, like everything else he’s done, is a little bit special.
I’m not an art expert but ABe is my favourite graphical artist, bar none; the appeal that Serial Experiments Lain holds for me comes as much from his artwork as it does from the multi-layered storyline. Therefore, not only was I interested in getting hold of a compilation of images he created for the show, I was willing to go to invest the extra time and expense in the hardcover special edition.I haven’t seen the regular edition but the hardcover one is outstanding in its presentation. The book itself, with a matte black finish on the cover, comes in a card slipcase along with a small poster of the slipcase’s image. The whole book is Japanese style in fomat, i.e. right-to-left, with translucent endpapers that give an impression of either a figure of Lain in front of the background of the page beneath, or a blank background on its own when you turn the page. It’s the only book I know of that does this, but it’s a nice effect.
In terms of content it’s quite a mixture. Promo art from prior to the TV series’ airing; cover images used for domestic and internal releases of the DVDs, videos and CDs; manga format side stories (in colour!); snippets of text from the screenplay writer; and both professional and personal timelines for ABe’s career. There are no screenshots from the TV series here though: instead it’s a comprehensive folio of images associated with the Lain project that are well nigh impossible to find elsewhere. His art style is detailed but atmospheric and quite unnerving, and in this case it shows a depth and professionalism that is often lost in the rushed and simplified interpretations that come through in its animated form.
My personal favourite bonus feature is a collection of short written interviews with ABe concerning how he went through the process of creating the pictures, along with pencil drawings of the preliminary versions. It turns out he’s one of those artists who keeps hold of his rough drafts for future reference; a working practice that this book utilises to the full.
Summary
If you’re a fan of the Lain TV series, or even a collector of ABe’s stuff in general, start clearing some space on your coffee table for this book right now. Those who are looking for answers to the TV show’s story, on the other hand, will have to look elsewhere but otherwise it is a well-presented and thorough compilation of one of Japan’s brightest artistic talents. I’ve been drawn back into the world of the Wired all over again…
More pics, linked to rather than inserted into the paragraphs to save on screen loading time:
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