The "Deus" volume of Lain improves upon the series in a number of ways. The story's presentation isn't so cryptic, and the content reaches a new level of quality by being more dynamic and emotional. The ideas presented so far begin to reveal their connections to each other, and the main story sets itself in motion. Who is this "God" in the wired? Who is Lain? Well, we still don't know, but they've given us a little more to go on at this point.

I'll tell you what Episode 8, "Rumors", is about, since you'd never guess. Or perhaps not, since there's a possibility I might spoil the surprise. Some nasty rumors are being spread about Alice, and others saying Lain is responsible. Lain must learn the truth about her "other self" in the wired, the one who seems to be doing bad things. She also learns that she has certain "powers" in the wired, and is able to do things others can't.

Huh? Count how many times you've said that word up to this point.	Most of the important characters have a single characteristic that sets them apart. This is the only one without dark eyes.

Episode 9, "Protocol", is a history lesson. It goes into the early milestones in computing technology, and the experiments which laid the ground work for global networking. The episode concludes by stating that the Internet Protocol v.6 was reaching its limits for data throughput, and introduces the man most directly responsible for the creation of the 7th version protocol. This man's introduction provides great insight into what's going on in the wired. And for the all-time cliffhanger, God appears.

Episode 10, "Love", covers more than the title might suggest. We find out all about the wired's "God", and a little more about Lain. The 'God' of the wired is such because he has worshippers, or so he says. The idea of love in this episode is explored quite differently than we'd expect. Lain begins to lose things dear to her, and must come to terms with who she is. But the more she learns, the more she seems to lose. Enraged, Lain lashes out against 'God' and his followers. It is assumed that the viewer is to understand the creator's idea of love through Lain's losses.

A thing of note in the "Deus" volume is the idea of power, and the consequences to using it. Every time Lain discovers something new about herself or the wired, more bad things seem to happen. Perhaps this is a tip o' the hat to the "ignorance is bliss" principle? The viewer is drawn to Lain more and more, as bad things continue to happen.

Extras in the "Deus" volume include an ad for a Lain Playstation game, and the ever-present conceptual drawings. Stay tuned for the breathtaking conclusion!

Video Quality: A+
Audio Quality: A+
Presentation: A-
Content: A-
Overall: A