.hack//Sign

The Phantom Zone Anime Review Site.

.hack//Sign

Distributor: Bandai
Original Story: .hack Committee
Volumes: 6
Rating: 13+ (get ready for lots of angsting)
Anime Code: H

The hottest MMORPG in the year 2010 is "The World," a 100% interactive fantasy world where people become warriors, sorcerers, etc... They can trade stuff, talk with each other and go on adventures. Tsukasa is a player who uses "The World" to escape the real world (like most players). The thing is... he (or she, it isn't really shown what gender Tsukasa is until the very end) got his/her wish. Tsukasa can't log out. Someone is taking an interest in him/her, giving him/her a blob that can affect character on-line and off-line, a cat creature to pal around with, and a floating girl in a white dress to visit whenever things get too hot. But Tsukasa comes to realize that he/she needs to break out of his/her mental shell if he/she's having any hope of logging out.

Review: .hack (pronounced dot hack) is unlike anything you have ever seen before. The series is multiformat meaning the entire .hack story can be found in not just the anime series, but in the four video games for the Playstation 2 as well as other media venues. Basically, it's a big moneymaking scheme to get you to spend all your money on stuff. But it's worth it because what you get in return is an in-depth story about finding who you really are. .hack//Sign (pronounced dot hack sign) sets the stage for the video games and other .hack adventures to follow. The characters can get a little one-dimensional at times, but they're real deep and each has his or her own problems to deal with which causes them to play "The World." Since they're only out in DVD format, you don't have much of a choice. But it's worth it because they often include free stuff such as CDs, stencil boards, even a bonus DVD which... well, you probably won't understand unless you play the games as well.

Action Level: 1/5
Basically the entire series involves people standing around pondering the meaning of life. Good thing you have the music to keep you awake. There is a way cool fight scene in Vol. 6 but you probably won't get what's going on until you get the previous five.

Romance Level: 3/5
Perhaps romance is a little too strong of a word for this. Tsukasa does befriend the Axe-master and leader of the "Crimson Knights," Subaru. Other pairings include Tsukasa/Mimiru and Bear/BT. But nothing outright is shown.

Comedy Level: 2/5
As I mentioned earlier, some of the characters can be pretty one-dimensional. This often leads to comedic moments. The funniest character (I feel) is Sora. Of course, when you get a glimpse at who he really is, you'll probably start to feel sorry for him.

Adult Level: 2/5
Mild swearing but nothing more.

Drama Level: 5/5
It was a real angst-fest. Tsukasa spends the first two volumes walking around mumbling "leave me alone." I don't care how bad your life in the real world is, nobody can be that angsty without going Shakespear.

Overall Level: 4/5
Made me want to get the .hack video games. Got some of the best music too. Be careful, because you might like some episodes and hate others.