Loneliness, if only as representing a lack of communication, is recurrent through "Lain". Lain herself (according to Anime Jump) is "almost painfully introverted with no friends to speak of at school, a snotty, condescending sister, a strangely apathetic mother, and a father who seems to want to care but is just too damn busy to give her much of his time". Friendships turn on the first rumor; and the only insert song of the series is named "Kodoku no shigunaru", literally "signal of loneliness".