Masami Eiri

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In the WiredWith LainArtwork

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“	I am you. Surely you have already been aware that another you has always existed in the Wired.	„
	~ Masmai Eiri to Lain Iwakura

“	That is not another you, it is the real you. The real world's Lain Iwakura is merely a hologram of her. You are a collection of artificial rhibosomes. You never really had a body to begin with.	„
	~ Masmai Eiri to Lain Iwakura

“	It's a lie- A lie!!! I'm omnipotent, do you hear me!? I'm the one who gave you a body in the real world, and this is the thanks I get!? You are scattered all over the Wired!!! I gave you an ego!!!	„
	~ Masmai Eiri to Lain Iwakura when she reveals to him he was merely an acting God

Background

Masami Eiri (英利 政美, Eiri Masami) served as the primary architect behind Protocol 7 and is one of the primary antagonist of Serial Experiments Lain. During his tenure at Tachibana General Laboratories, he secretly modified the protocol by inserting hidden code that granted him unrestricted control over its operations. As part of this unauthorized alteration, he also embedded his consciousness into the protocol itself. These actions eventually led to his dismissal from the company. Not long afterward, Eiri was discovered dead on a railway track in what appeared to be a suicide. He held the belief that humanity's next stage of evolution involved transcending physical existence, advocating for a future where individuals exist purely as digital consciousness within a networked environment.

ExpandThis dropdown contains the synopsis of Masami Eiri’s story. Read at your own risk as you may be spoiled otherwise!

Masami Eiri refers to himself as God, which within Serial Experiments Lain, the term "God" is broadly defined as an omnipresent being who possesses at least one follower. This more inclusive definition is applicable to Masami Eiri during the time he identifies himself as the God of the Wired. A stricter interpretation defines God as a being who is not only omnipresent, but also omniscient and omnipotent—qualities more aligned with Lain Iwakura by the conclusion of the series. On the Visual Experiments Lain website, during the section on Layer 04 titled Religion, an interview with Lain is featured. The excerpt begins when the topic of God is introduced: [...God.] --What god? [The God of Wired.] --There's a God of Wired? You believe that? [(silence)] --Answer me. [...There is if I believe there is...] --That answer isn't good enough. [...There is...a God...] --All right, fine. The God of Wired is the god of the top level of the real world hierarchy--in other words, a being that controls the entire world. Is that right? [...Who are you?] The identity of the interviewer is never explicitly confirmed, but the scene suggests it may be Eiri communicating through indirect means. This form of contact is similar to what is seen in Layer 05, where he utilizes a doll’s projection, and even the appearances of Miho and Yasuo Iwakura, to speak with and influence Lain. Lain’s response, There is if I believe there is, should not be interpreted merely as evasive. Instead, it foreshadows developments in Layer 10. In that episode, all members of the Knights of the Eastern Calculus—the followers of Eiri—take their own lives. Lain then states that Eiri can no longer be considered a god because he has no followers left. However, Eiri counters by claiming that a single follower remains: Lain herself. This reveals that Eiri’s continued divinity within the Wired hinges entirely on Lain’s belief in him. His godhood is not defined by universal authority, but rather by whether one individual, Lain, still holds faith in him. In Layer 12, Eiri reacts with hostility when confronted by Lain’s continued defiance. In an attempt to impose his will, he tries to take on a physical form, appearing as a grotesque, floating entity covered in fleshy protrusions and a prehensile tongue. However, before he can cause harm to either Lain or Alice, Lain retaliates by using telekinesis to hurl her accumulated hardware and devices at him, ultimately reducing his form to a shattered, bloodied state. Following Lain’s reset of both The Wired and the real world, Eiri is shown once more, now walking to his job at Tachibana General Laboratories. He mutters complaints under his breath and casually threatens to resign, suggesting he has been returned to a mundane existence. He also has never created Protocol Seven.

Name Meaning

The given name Masami combines the characters for "government" (政) and "beautiful" (美). Her surname, Eiri, is made up of the characters for "excellent" (英) and "benefit" (利).

Personality

• Highly Intelligent and Ambitious: Masami Eiri was a brilliant programmer who played a central role in designing Protocol 7. However, his ambition led him to secretly embed a backdoor into the system, granting himself full control over it and allowing his consciousness to persist within the protocol.

• Digital Immortality Advocate: Eiri believed that humanity’s next step in evolution was to abandon the physical form and exist purely in digital space. His worldview centered on transcending bodily limitations through technology.

• Manipulative and Obsessed: After embedding himself into Protocol 7, Eiri aimed to reshape reality via The Wired. He tried to position himself as a god-like figure, attempting to influence others—especially Lain—into adopting his ideology.

• Unhinged and Desperate: By the time he directly confronts Lain in Layer 12, Eiri has become unstable, appearing as a grotesque, distorted creature. This transformation reflects the deterioration of his mind and the desperation behind his need to assert control.

• Defeated and Forgotten: After Lain rewrites reality and The Wired, Eiri is reduced to a mundane existence. He is shown back at his old workplace, discontent and irrelevant, muttering to himself and threatening to quit, stripped of all power and influence.

Relationships

Knights of the Eastern Calculus

The Knights of the Eastern Calculus, often referred to simply as the Knights, are a pseudonymous and infamous group of skilled computer crackers active within Serial Experiments Lain. They are known for their deep involvement in The Wired and play a significant role in the series' events, as they are followers of Masami Eiri.

Throughout the story, the Knights interact with Lain Iwakura under Masami Eiri's orders, often attempting to manipulate her into becoming more involved in The Wired or even join their ranks. One of their tactics includes using Taro as a means of reaching her. The group is connected to the development and spread of several advanced technologies, such as the Psyche chip—a component that drastically enhances network performance despite being classified as a CPU. They are also suspected to have created or distributed experimental technologies like KIDS and accela.

The Knights appear to be driven by a desire to push the boundaries of human consciousness and network integration, with little regard for ethics or legality. One member, notably overweight, arrogantly proclaims himself superior to legitimate security professionals, mocking those who work to expose or stop the group.

Their downfall comes when Lain exposes their identities by releasing a membership list into The Wired. Following this, the Men in Black systematically eliminate them, or they are implied to commit suicide in response.

Lain asks Eiri why would he let his followers die, with him in response saying that he merely needs Lain to believe he's god in order to remain god.

General Information

Name: Masmi Eiri

Other Names: "God"

Origin: Serial Experiments Lain

First Appearance: Serial Experiments Lain Layer 01 (Non-Physically. Likely Masami is acting as Chisa Yomoda as when Lain later meets Chisa Yomoda she acts completely differently then she did in Layer 01), Serial Experiments Lain Layer 10 (Physically)

Company: Triangle Staff

Creator

• Created By: Yasuyuki Ueda
• Written By: Chiaki J. Konaka
• Directed By: Ryūtarō Nakamura

Actor

• Japanese Voice Actor: Shō Hayami
• English Voice Actor: Sparky Thornton
• Spanish Voice Actor: Gustavo Bonfigli

Sex: Male

Sexuality: Unknown

Pronouns: He/Him

Handedness: Likely Right-Handed

Age: 30 (Listed officially as 30 years old in the Scenario Experiments Lain book)

Time Period: Present Day, Present Time (The series repeatedly states this for the time period)

Timeline: Main Timeline (For anime), Alternate Timeline (For manga)

Homeworld: Earth (Originally and in Layer 13), The Wired (Lain was initially born in The Wired)

Residence: The Wired in her true state, Setagaya City, Tokyo, Japan in the real world

Story Role: Mad Scientist, Unreliable Narrator

Legacy: Unknown Legacy (Asides from a few people, Masami Eiri is not well known beyond his suicide)

Influence: Worldwide Legacy (Created a wireless worldwide neural network where all humans are plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol)

Language: Japanese

Ethnicity: Asian

Religion: His Own

Classification: Acting God (Lain reveals that Eiri Masami was merely an acting God who was waiting for the Wired to reach its current state, and Masami realizes there was someone that came up with the plan he laid out), Scientist

Species: Human

State of Being: Transcendent in the Wired (Eiri Masami killed himself in the real world yet lived on in the Wired, being able to have some influence on reality and being referred to as "God"), Regular at the end of the series (Lain reset the world, making it where Masami Eiri never killed himself)

Physiology: Humanoid Physiology

In-Universe Creator: Unknown

Occupation: Researcher (Both formerly and at the end of the series. Tachibana General Laboratories)

Ranking: Chief Researcher

Affiliations: Tachibana General Laboratories, Lain Iwakura, Knights of the Eastern Calculus

Enemies: Lain Iwakura

Height: Unknown

Weight: Unknown

Status: Other during the series (Eiri Masami killed himself in the real world yet lived on in the Wired, being able to have some influence on reality and being referred to as "God"). Alive at the end of the series (Lain reset the world, making it where Masami Eiri never killed himself)

Date of Death: Unknown

Alignment: Neutral Evil (Masami Eiri sees nothing wrong with the "Evil" Lain personality spreading information across the wired, information that those hold in secret from others, no matter how sensitive the information is without having any care, along with this he manipulated the events of the Knights and Tachibana General Laboratories, getting all of them killed in the process, wished to raise the collective unconscious to the conscious level, having all humans become one again essentially killing all humanity as they would all lose their physical bodies)

Threat Level: Digital Threat (Through the use of Lain Iwakura and The Wired, Masami Eiri wishes to raise the collective unconscious to the conscious level, having all humans become one again)

Potential

• Type of Potential: Limitless Potential
• Level of Potential: Limitless Potential
• Description: Within the Wired, Masami Eiri is an acting God, being completely immortal and having control over information within the Wired.
• Limitations: If he manifests a physical form outside of the Wired, he will lose his limitless potential.

Codex Statistics

Grade: S

Tier: 10-B physically. Can ignore conventional durability with his powers

Cardinality: Unknown

Dimensionality: 3-D

Power Source: Protocol Seven (Masami Eiri has his entire thoughts, history, memories, and emotions stored within it allowing him to be a being that exists specifically in the Wired and becoming essentially an acting God)

Attack Potency: Average Human level physically (Masami Eiri is a 30 year old man who worked as a computer programmer for Tachibana General Laboratories). Can ignore conventional durability with his powers (Masami Eiri is an anomalous entity in the Wired that can rule it with information)

Durability: Average Human level. Immortality makes her extremely difficult to kill (Masami Eiri has his entire thoughts, history, memories, and emotions stored within it allowing the death of his physical body to be meaningless. Eiri Masami killed himself in the real world yet lived on in the Wired, being able to have some influence on reality and being referred to as "God", showing that death has no meaning within the Wired)

Striking Strength: Average Human Class

Lifting Strength: Average Human Class

Travel Speed: Average Human Speed

Attack Speed: Average Human Speed

Reaction Speed: Average Human Reactions

Stamina: Average in his human state (Masami Eiri's possesses a standard human body in the real world), Limitless in the state of the Wired (Masami Eiri has no biological functions and thus cannot truly tire, with him only dying through manifesting a physical form in the real world)

Range: Standard Melee, Planetary through Protocol Seven (As he has control through the Wired, a wireless worldwide neural network where all humans are plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol, the Schumann Resonance is based off the idea that Earth has its own specific electromagnetic waves, between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, there is constant resonance at a frequency of 8Hz in the ELF band, giving these "Earth Brain Waves" to humanity, attempting to awaken the consciousness of the Earth itself through networking all humans), Universal within the Wired (Masami Eiri defines himself as someone who exists everywhere in the other world), reaches up to Low Multiversal through the use of Protocol Seven (Can manifest himself a body from the Wired into the real world)

Intelligence: Metagenius Intelligence (Created a wireless worldwide neural network where all humans are plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol, the Schumann Resonance is based off the idea that Earth has its own specific electromagnetic waves, between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, there is constant resonance at a frequency of 8Hz in the ELF band, giving these "Earth Brain Waves" to humanity, attempting to awaken the consciousness of the Earth itself through networking all humans)

Knowledge: Grandmaster level (Created a wireless worldwide neural network where all humans are plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol)

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Powers and Techniques

Innate AbilitiesWithin the Wired

Human Achievements (Masami Eiri is the chief researcher of Tachibana General Laboratories and created Protocol Seven along with The Wired and Lain Iwakura), Social Influencing (Through the use of Lain Iwakura, Masami Eiri made everyone believe in him as God, allowing him to become God), Hacking (a As he has created Protocol Seven, a wireless worldwide neural network where all humans are plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol), Observation (The collective unconscious is an existing concept in Serial Experiments Lain, it allowed Eiri Masami to become God as he had worshippers. Where even as long as one being still believes in him, he can stay God)

Within The Wired, Masami Eiri has access to:

Flight (Masami Eiri can naturally levitate off the ground), Intangibility (Spatial) & Invisibility (Masami Eiri cannot be seen, heard or touched by anyone in the real world, though once the boundary between the Wired and the real world is broken, he can interact with people in the real world while they cannot see him), Acausality (Causality Immunity; Even after Lain reset the world and caused herself to never exist through Eiri Masami never creating the Wired or Protocol Seven, the Wired still existed, making it where Masami Eiri himself while in the Wired would be in a similar state), Omnipresence (Masami Eiri defines himself as someone who exists everywhere in the other world), Immortality (Digital Immortality; Beings Like Eiri and Lain in the Wired have their entire thoughts, history, memories, and emotions stored within it allowing the death of their physical body to be meaningless. Life & Death Immunity; Eiri Masami killed himself in the real world yet lived on in the Wired, being able to have some influence on reality and being referred to as "God", showing that death has no meaning within the Wired), Reforming (Mid; Can manifest himself a body from the Wired into the real world), Data Manipulation & Information Manipulation (Masami Eiri is an anomalous entity in the Wired that can rule it with information).

Resistance to Space-Time Manipulation (Even after Lain reset the world and caused herself to never exist through Eiri Masami never creating the Wired or Protocol Seven, the Wired still existed, making it where Masami Eiri himself while in the Wired would be unaffected by conventional space-time abilities)

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Equipment

Protocol Seven

An Internet Protocol developed by Masami Eiri. It was later altered to enable direct connection to the Wired via the Earth's natural electromagnetic field—the Schumann Resonances—without the need for a NAVI. This function is made possible through the use of the Psyche chip, which serves as an interface between the human mind and the Wired.

The Wired

The Wired is a global communication network heavily featured in Serial Experiments Lain. Much like the internet, it allows users to interact, share information, and engage in various social activities. It is commonly described as an advanced form of communication, where people can exchange thoughts, hold conversations, and connect regardless of location. Over time, the Wired becomes deeply integrated into society, to the point that many users prioritize it over the physical world. For some, it serves as a source of meaning or connection, resembling a kind of digital belief system. However, others—particularly older generations—view it with concern, warning that complete immersion may cause users to lose touch with tangible reality.

• Protocols:
  

The Wired is structured on the IPv6 protocol, enabling users to connect and interact through digital avatars. This interaction is made possible through devices like NAVI computers, which can be enhanced with the Psyche chip—an add-on that expands user access and responsiveness within the network. The protocols that maintain the Wired’s foundation were developed by Tachibana General Laboratories. Eventually, a new protocol, IPv7, is introduced. Though originally meant to expand the Wired's capabilities, it is secretly altered by Masami Eiri to allow the uploading of human consciousness, fundamentally shifting the nature of the Wired from a communication system to a potential vessel for the human mind.

• Virtual Reality:
  

Users can immerse themselves in the Wired using advanced tools such as the Psyche chip. Once inside, they appear as digital representations or avatars, which may vary depending on personal preference or technological limitations. The environment is typically portrayed as an abstract, black void, although occasional scenes mirror real-world locations, offering a bridge between the digital and physical realms. The Wired offers a space where social boundaries are loosened, and conventional identity can be redefined. However, this immersive experience also invites questions about the nature of self, disconnection, and what is lost when individuals substitute virtual spaces for physical experience.

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Notable Techniques

Influence

Masami notes himself he only has slight influence on the real world while in the Wired, however he uses this influence to essentially reach Lain to awaken to her true nature as the proxy that will fulfill his plans of breaking the boundary information.

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Other

Standard Tactics: Masami Eiri cares only about leading Lain to her path of breaking the boundary between the Wired and the real world, which will alow him to raise the collective unconscious to the conscious level.

Weaknesses: Initially Masami Eiri could only have slight influences on the world, though this changes after Lain completely destroyed the boundary between the Wired and the real world. If he manifests himself a body in the real world, he will effectively kill himself and lose his immortality.

Trivia

• Masami Eiri is an interesting take on the mad scientist trope, while he's never directly called a scientist, he is responsible for the creation of the main digital framework that's merging with reality and he goes within his own creation, being scattered across the Wired.
  • Due to this mad scientist trope, it could be surmised that W. D. Gaster takes some inspiration from him.
• In .flow, Sabitsuki entering the alternate world from a computer rather then a bed was noted by the author to probably be drawn from Serial Experiments Lain. There is also a scientist character within .flow that could potentially be inspired by Masami Eiri.
• The name Masami means "government" (政) (masa) and "beautiful" (美) (mi).
• Masami's surname Eiri means "excellent, fine" (英) (ei) and "benefit, advantage" (利) (ri).

Themes

Serial Experiments Lain follows many different themes throughout the series, all of these themes associate and relate with Lain Iwakura herself as everything and everyone is connected with her and through Protocol Seven.

Identity

A central theme throughout the Serial Experiments Lain franchise is the exploration of Lain Iwakura's identity. Throughout the anime, Lain demonstrates multiple personalities and often appears in two places at once, implying the existence of more than one version of herself.

• To Herself:

Lain repeatedly questions her own existence with phrases like "Who am I?" and tries to reassure herself with "I am myself!" as a way to assert her identity. However, given that she is a creation of the human collective unconscious, born from the Wired, it is only natural for her to take on different forms and identities as perceived by each individual who interacts with her. A particularly striking scene in Layer 08 depicts a multitude of chattering Lain mannequins, symbolizing all the versions of Lain as seen through the eyes of other people.

• Others:

Lain will usually hear other voices asking about her. An example is in Layer 03: Psyche, where she hears voices repeatedly saying "Who is Lain?".

Death

Death is another theme throughout the Serial Experiments Lain series, a lot of the series plot kickstarts from Layer 01: "Weird" where Yomoda Chisa committing suicide and sending emails to people despite being dead. Posing the question what exactly happens when one dies with Lain asking Chisa through speaking to her NAVI why did she die. Chisa communicating through Lain's Navi notes that she never died, she just abandoned her flesh.

Lain also sees a person jump in front of a train and kill themself, with them making both a happy and horrified face.

In Layer 02: Girls Lain goes to a night club where a boy shoots two of the patrons, and after seeing Lain starts having a mental breakdown with Lain simply saying "No matter where you are, everyone is always connected." setting him off enough to kill himself.

In Layer 03: Psyche, Lain hears an old women talk about how it didn't matter if she was there or not in the real world, and when she realized that she was no longer afraid of losing her body.

Memory

Memory plays a central role in Serial Experiments Lain. Lain Iwakura demonstrates the ability to alter reality by modifying people's memories, particularly in Layer 08 and most prominently during the reset.

A well-known quote from Lain that reflects this theme is:

A memory is only a record. You just have to rewrite that record.

This concept is further emphasized in the Visual Experiments Lain entry for Layer 07: Society. Presented as a journal entry by Lain, the passage highlights the fragmented and unreliable nature of her recollections. The text, preserved with its original grammatical mistakes, reads:

Last Sunday, I went out with my family.
We went to our relative's house in Fujisawa by train. All of us together.
We left at the time I usually leave for school.
On our way to the station, my mother noticed that she forgot something,
so we went back to the house.
It was the first time we went to their house in Fujisawa--No. I was mistaken.
We've been there several times. I just forget things sometime.
Meeting my uncle and aunt. I greeted them saying "Nice to meet you" by mistake,
and they laughed at me.
I don't remember what happened while I was in the train.
But I think I was hearing my father and mother talk quietly about the medicine
all the way.
I was hearing it absent-mindedly.
Then I began to feel as if I was at school and I felt sick.
I endured it all the way through. Meeting my uncle and aunt,
I said "Hello." No, I said "Nice to meet you." Was my father and mother there?
Last Sunday, I went out alone.
I went to relative's house in Fujisawa alone.

What begins as a straightforward recollection of a family trip becomes increasingly uncertain. Lain first questions whether she had visited the house before, then feels disoriented as if she were at school rather than on a train. She misremembers how she greeted her relatives and ultimately concludes that she went alone, casting doubt on the entire account.

The ambiguity of the event illustrates how unreliable memory can distort reality and challenge the perception of truth.

In the final episode, Yasuo Iwakura alludes to Marcel Proust’s In Search of Lost Time by suggesting that he and Lain should enjoy tea with madeleines. This reference draws a connection to the novel’s exploration of voluntary and involuntary memory.

Digital World

The digital world and its impact on the adolescents is another factor to the series. Lain starts off having little knowledge about computers and the NAVI but as the series goes on she stays completely hooked to her computer.

Lain's personality becomes more open when she's within the digital world, likely in reference to how one's personality is more open and outgoing when they are speaking to others on the internet.

Communication

Communication serves as a major theme in Serial Experiments Lain, particularly within the anime. The Wired functions as a central medium of communication, leading many characters to believe that it renders in-person interaction obsolete.

At the start of the anime, game, and manga, Lain Iwakura is portrayed as deeply isolated. However, over the course of the anime, she begins to form connections—most notably with Alice Mizuki—and gradually opens up to others through the Wired. Despite Masami Eiri’s efforts to convince her that physical reality holds no value, Lain comes to understand—through Alice and her father Yasuo Iwakura—that having a physical presence and the ability to speak face-to-face remains essential.

This understanding gives deeper meaning to the series’ conclusion. The reset becomes Lain’s ultimate sacrifice, made by someone who only briefly understood what it meant to live with a body, yet chose to give that up for the sake of others.

Crosstalk

Crosstalk is the term Chiaki J. Konaka uses to describe the phenomenon where several voices overlap in conversation. It features prominently in the Serial Experiments Lain anime, first appearing in Layer 03. These scenes typically signify Lain’s presence within the Wired, reflecting moments when she conducts research or listens in on conversations.

A subtle instance of crosstalk may appear earlier in Layer 01. While riding the train, Lain hears garbled voices, even though no one nearby seems to be speaking. This suggests that Lain has an innate sensitivity to the Wired’s signals—an ability that becomes fully realized after she installs the Psyche chip in Layer 03. In the scenario notes for Layer 01, Konaka likens this moment to the early experiences of the protagonist in the 1981 film *Scanners*, who hears intrusive voices before learning to control his telepathy.

Crosstalk scenes in the anime are often paired with stylized typography.

In the game, this ability is more overt. Lain can hear voices transmitted through phone lines and electromagnetic signals, with the first clear instance occurring in Cou020. When left idle, the game sometimes shifts to audio clips of crosstalk layered over imagery of telephone poles and power lines.

Family

Family holds significant thematic weight in Serial Experiments Lain, particularly in the anime.

Lain Iwakura's interactions with her family are noticeably strained. She speaks with them in a detached, uneasy manner, and even their conversations with each other feel stilted and unnatural. This discomfort signals that her family may not be what they seem—a truth confirmed in Layer 10, when it is revealed that Lain’s family is artificial. Despite this, her "father" Yasuo Iwakura shows genuine care for her before leaving, providing one of the few moments of warmth.

The anime also briefly explores another family, the Masatsugu household, made up of Shoko Masatsugu and her son Shou. Unlike Lain’s family, they appear close, bonding over a shared interest in video games. Their story ends tragically in Layer 10, after the collapse of the Knights of the Eastern Calculus leads to Shoko's death.

Throughout the series, the idea of family is presented not as a safe haven but as another uncertain construct. This subversion reinforces the anime’s broader themes of instability in reality and the fragility of human connections.

God

In Serial Experiments Lain, the concept of God is explored through varying definitions—ranging from a being who is simply omnipresent and acknowledged by at least one believer, to a fully omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent entity. These perspectives are embodied by characters like Masami Eiri, who claims to be the God of the Wired, and Lain Iwakura, who eventually attains a godlike state herself.

A key moment regarding the idea of God is found in Visual Experiments Lain, on the Layer 04 Religion page. In an interview with Lain, she hesitantly acknowledges the existence of a God in the Wired:

[...God.] --What god? [The God of Wired.] --There's a God of Wired? You believe that? [(silence)] --Answer me. [...There is if I believe there is...] --That answer isn't good enough. [...There is...a God...] --All right, fine. The God of Wired is the god of the top level of the real world hierarchy--in other words, a being that controls the entire world. Is that right? [...Who are you?]

The interviewer is implied to be Eiri in disguise, mirroring the method he uses in Layer 05 to manipulate Lain via the likenesses of her parents and other figures.

Lain’s statement—"There is if I believe there is"—is not just avoidance, but a deeper commentary on the nature of belief within the Wired. This becomes especially significant in Layer 10, when Eiri claims he is no longer God because all his followers have died. Lain counters this, saying there is still one believer left: herself. This implies that Eiri’s divinity is entirely dependent on her belief, highlighting the subjective and constructed nature of divinity in the world of the Wired.

Misconceptions

Lain's friend being named "Arisu"

Some subs take names pronunciation of Alice's name as exactly how her name is spelled, calling her "Arisu", however this is just a Japanese-accent of saying the name "Alice" as r and l are the same in Japan.

The Wired is an Upper Layer of the Real World

This belief comes from Layer 05: Distortion where Masami Eiri in the form of Lain's mom, Miho Iwakura, explains to Lain that is is reasonable to see the Wired as an upper layer of the real world.

However Lain once having full control later in the series reveals the Wired is not an upper layer of the real world, reconfirming it to herself in Layer 13: "Ego".

Lain's effects only work under those put under Protocol Seven

This belief comes from the explanation given for how Masami Eiri created Protocol Seven, where all humans were plugged in at the unconscious level without the need for any device, encoding the Schumann Resonance Factor and inserting it into the 7th-gen Wired Protocol, however, this does not mean one that doesn't follow Schumann's Resonance Factor or isn't under Protocol Seven would be unaffected.

The Schumann Resonance is based off the idea that Earth has its own specific electromagnetic waves, between the ionosphere and the Earth's surface, there is constant resonance at a frequency of 8Hz in the ELF band, giving these "Earth Brain Waves" to humanity, attempting to awaken the consciousness of the Earth itself through networking all humans, so as long as one has any form of electromagnetic waves, they would be affected by this, though it extends even further. Lains powers allow her to turn something that did happen into something that didn't, completely destroyed the boundary between the Wired and the real world, allowing her to completely undo events that occurred, events are abstract, non-physical pieces that would not be bound by electromagnetism, yet Lain is still completely able to influence them.

Furthermore, even after Lain reset the world and caused herself to never exist, she still existed within the Wired and could later manifest into the real world despite never existing, still having full control and being able to use her powers, this should be something impossible as Eiri Masami was made to have never made her or Protocol Seven, thus it shouldn't exist.

Explanations

The following is an explanation of some of the terms in Serial Experiments Lain

ExpandTerms

Name Description Schumann Resonances The Schumann resonances are referenced in Layer 09 of Serial Experiments Lain. These are natural peaks in the Earth's electromagnetic spectrum. In the series, it's suggested that these frequencies can influence the human brain directly, enabling a connection to the Wired without the need for external hardware. This concept is tied to the operation of the Psyche chip. Masami Eiri altered Protocol 7 to enable human access to the Wired via the Schumann resonances. His actions led to his dismissal from Tachibana General Laboratories. It’s implied that Eiri, possibly through the Knights of the Eastern Calculus, helped spread the Psyche chip as part of his goal to link humanity together into a single, earthbound neural network.. Protocol Seven An Internet Protocol created by Masami Eiri. He modified it to enable direct access to the Wired through the Schumann resonances, removing the need for a NAVI device. This is achieved through the use of the Psyche chip. The Wired The Wired is a global communication network resembling the internet, widely used by the cast of Serial Experiments Lain. It exists alongside the physical world as a parallel space for digital interaction, where users can exchange thoughts, communicate, and participate in virtual experiences. "There is the world around us, a world of people, tactile sensation, and culture. There is the wired world, inside a computer, of images, personalities, virtual experiences, and a culture all of its own." Described as an advanced form of communication, the Wired has become essential to modern society. Many people treat it with extreme reverence, often prioritizing it over the real world, while some older individuals express concern over its influence and the risk of people losing their grasp on reality. The Wired primarily runs on IPv6, a protocol that allows users to manifest personalized avatars and interact more fully with the network. The Psyche chip is a NAVI accessory that unlocks these capabilities. Tachibana General Laboratories is responsible for the development of these protocols. A new version, IPv7, is introduced during the series. It was secretly altered by Masami Eiri to allow human consciousness to be uploaded into the Wired. With devices like the Psyche chip, users are able to visually project themselves into the Wired and communicate through digital personas. The Wired is usually depicted as a surreal black void, with users appearing in distorted or symbolic forms. On rare occasions, it presents as a near-exact digital replica of real-world locations. KIDS The KID System, also known as KIDS, is a psychotronic device designed to channel and amplify dormant psychic abilities in children. Developed by Professor Hodgeson for the Kensington Experiment roughly 15 years before the main events of Serial Experiments Lain, the system was dismantled after the experiment ended in failure. Hodgeson destroyed the machine and erased its blueprints, but the Knights of the Eastern Calculus later managed to recover the data. Unlike the original version, which relied on external components called Outer Receptors to gather psi energy, the Knights’ version of the system operates without them. The system plays a central role in Layer 06, where the collective psychic output of children conjures a massive projection of Lain in the sky. This event is framed by a discussion between Lain and Hodgeson, symbolizing her research into the KIDS system. According to a footnote in Scenario Experiments Lain, the Kensington Experiment was inspired by the Philadelphia Experiment. Psyche The Psyche is an enhancement chip designed to boost the capabilities of standard NAVI computers, particularly newer models. It is not commercially distributed and is thought to have originated in Taiwan, possibly through the Knights of the Eastern Calculus. With the Psyche chip installed, users can access the Wired without traditional input devices like keyboards, mice, or voice commands, enabling complete motion and range of interaction.

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