THE BALTIMORE SUN August 4, 2000, Friday ,FINAL SECTION: TODAY ,1E LENGTH: 1127 words HEADLINE: Fans flock to Japanese animation convention Otakon: Annual celebration of anime rolls into convention center with speakers, costumes, video games and, of course, 20 hours a day of Japanese animation. BYLINE: J.D. Considine SOURCE: SUN STAFF BODY: Poor Lain. Where some people struggle with Internet addiction, she has the Internet addicted to her. Lain is the hero of "Serial Experiments Lain," a Japanese animated series about a junior high schoolgirl who discovers that there's a second, virtual Lain living in "the wired" (as she and her friends call the online universe). The Wired's Lain is sassy, self-confident, and unafraid to challenge authority - the polar opposite of shy, waif-like real world Lain. But although that irreverent personality has made the other Lain a hero to computer users across the net, the virtual Lain's penchant for pranks and sniggering has left the real world's Lain ostracized and doubting her own sanity. Could it be that the borders between the real world and the Wired are not as solid as people believe? Blessed with a complex, multi- layered plot and boasting a level of visual detail that makes "The Matrix" seem half-baked, the 13-episode "Serial Experiments Lain" has become one of the most talked-about titles in anime (ah-nee-may, the Japanese term for animation). Thus, it's no surprise that "Lain" would be part of the focus for Otakon 2000, the anime fan convention that opens this morning at the Baltimore Convention Center. Otakon - which takes its name from "otaku," a Japanese slang term used to describe extreme fandom - was started by a group of anime fans at the University of Pennsylvania six years ago. In addition to a half-dozen screening rooms showing anime 20 hours a day, the three-day convention has panel discussions, art workshops, costume contests, video game tournaments and more. It also features a number of guest speakers from Japan, including "Lain" creators Yasuyuki Ueda and Yoshitoshi Abe, "Sailor Moon" director Kunihiko Ikuhara, and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa, who produced such anime successes as "Ghost In the Shell," and "Neon Genesis Evangelion." Like the audience for anime itself, Otakon has grown exponentially. In 1998, when the convention was in Crystal City, Va., attendance was 2,500; last year, when it moved to the Baltimore Convention Center, it drew 4,500. By the time this year's convention concludes Sunday afternoon, the Otakon organizers expect that some 8,000-9,000 fans will have visited. Considering that many of those will be in costume - anything from samurai to school girls, robots to space pirates - the average Baltimorean might be tempted to look askance at their enthusiasm. But don't worry: The kids are all right. "You shouldn't think badly of these people walking around in costumes," says Neal Leyendecker, press coordinator for Otakon. "They're really nice people." Leyendecker adds that most Otakon attendees put the lie to stereotypes about anime fans. "It's not just for kids or mid-20s men," he says. "A lot of the older people who come are surprised at the number of older people who are there. It's a multi-generational kind of thing." Then again, that's as it should be, because anime is meant for a multi-generational audience. Although media reports in America often categorize Japanese animation as either cheesy kid stuff or nasty, adults-only fare, the truth is that anime covers a much broader spectrum. "Anime is very much like the American movie industry," says Leyendecker. "You have things that are very good for children, and you have stuff that is very much for adults. But it's not all just G and X-rated. Most of the best stuff, I would say, is equivalent to PG." That's definitely the case with "Lain," which is grown-up both in its intensity and intelligence. The central character and concept sprang from the mind of Ueda, a former Internet junkie who "used to be online for half a day at a time." Although many characters in the series are adults, Ueda decided to tell the tale through the perspective of an eighth-grade girl, Lain Iwakura. "I thought that age group was the hottest," Ueda explains via e-mail. "The way I looked at it, I saw junior high schoolers as people who had enormous potential. The school system in Japan is built around units of three years for junior high and high school , and in a way, each of those three years makes a generation. I could guess how high school kids thought, but I didn't know how junior high kids thought. So I wanted to explore that." "Lain" may take place in the world of computers, but Ueda is careful to point out that " this is not a story that's hung up on sci-fi." It doesn't glamorize technology so much as focus on the people applying it. "The computer doesn't really change reality," he says. "But those who use the computer can." Since its release on video in America, "Serial Experiments Lain" has built a large and devoted audience, and nobody appreciates that more than the members of the English rock quintet Boa. When "Lain" was being prepared for its launch on Japanese TV, the producers chose "Duvet," a song Boa had recorded for its first album, as the theme for "Lain." It became a hit in Japan, but the group remained unknown elsewhere. "Our record company was supposed to release the album in Japan and the U.K. at the same time," says Alex Caird, the band's bassist. "A month later, they were supposed to release us in Europe, and the States. But none of this ever happened. They're quite a small record company, and I believe they had some financial difficulties. If it wasn't for 'Lain,' we might never have been heard from again." Fortunately for the band, American anime fans were so smitten by the bittersweet, folk-tinged tune that they wanted to buy the album. "It's a strange case of either life imitating art, or art imitating life," says keyboardist Paul Turrell. "When 'Lain' came out in the United States, we received hundreds of e-mails through our Web site, i.am/boaweb. So we sent a note to Pioneer, who put out the video, and they e-mailed back, saying, 'Yes, we also have had a lot of people asking where they can buy the Boa album.'" Pioneer ended up signing the band, and Boa's album is due out in December. In the meantime, the group is making its first appearance outside of London this evening, at Otakon. "We were offered this gig even before we made contact with Pioneer," says Caird. "We will be doing further touring when the album is released in the U.S." Singer Jasmine Rogers adds, laughing: "This is just a one-gig tour." Sun photographer Chiaki Kawajiri contributed to this story. Otakon 2000 When: Today and tomorrow, 9 a.m. until 3 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. Where: The Baltimore Convention Center Tickets: $45 for three days; $25 Friday only; $30 Saturday only; $15 Sunday only. Call: There's no phone number for the conference; those online can visit the Web site at www.otakon.com GRAPHIC: Photo(s) 1. Tough life: Lain is the star of "Serial Experiments Lain," a Japanese animated series. 2. Accidental hit: The British band Boa got an unexpected boost when the "Lain" series featured its song, "Duvet."