Yoshitoshi Abe , also stylized as yoshitoshi ABe, is a Japanese graphic artist who works predominantly in anime and manga. He first gained fame in his work on the avant-garde anime Serial Experiments Lain. He is also responsible for the concept and character design for the series NieA_7. He is the creator of the dōjinshi Haibane Renmei, which was also adapted into an anime.
Abe in May 2007
Serial Experiments Lain is a Japanese anime television series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka and directed by Ryūtarō Nakamura. Animated by Triangle Staff and featuring original character designs by Yoshitoshi Abe, the series was broadcast for 13 episodes on TV Tokyo and its affiliates from July to September 1998. The series follows Lain Iwakura, an adolescent girl in suburban Japan, and her relation to the Wired, a global communications network similar to the internet.
First North American DVD cover, featuring Lain Iwakura
Lain's custom computer features holographic displays and liquid carbon dioxide cooling.
Abe came up with Lain's hair by imagining Lain cutting it herself and making a ponytail of what was left. This was later included in his An Omnipresence in Wired artbook.
The different personalities of Lain have their names written using different scripts.