.hack//Sign

.Hack//Sign is a single part in the Project .Hack franchise, one that combines novels, manga, TV anime and OVA's to form one grand narrative with characters and events happening not only chronologically, but simultaneously as well. The review below is written from the franchise point of view, and as an standalone anime.

The general consensus of Hack//Sign is that the story's boring, there is almost no action and it doesn't make fast progress. While some of these points are quite true, the story is one of character development and interaction. The viewer learn more about every side character through their interaction with the rest of the ... cast, their surroundings and gradually helps move the plot. The plot is one of clashing and matching personalities, driven by mysteries.

.Hack//Sign, The story:
+ It's detailed
- It does feel slow at times

Then, we have the art, fun scenery's and great character designs do give you the feel of an online game world that was actually thought out (see the games .hack//IMOQ and .hack//Frägment). The animation however, is quite sloppy and the characters themselves aren't drawn very detailed.

+ The art does create the illusion of an actual MMORPG
+ Great and original character designs

Then we have the Sound, if there was an option to give it more then a ten out of ten, then I would choose it. The compositions by Yuki Kajiura, are in my opinion, what lifts the anime up from a meagre 7 to a 10. With an enormous array of songs and tunes, Yuki adds depth to the art and the story, giving it time when the characters need time and hypes the viewer when it's going down.

+ Yuki Kajiura's music is truly a work of art

The characters of .Hack//Sign are gamers, and thus some try to act online like someone they aren't. Some take their offline situations into the game and some try to forget them instead.
Complex emotions and double personalities are just some of the things you can find here.

+ Character actually have character progress without it being important to the main storyline

To the many people who play them, video games, can be a form of escapism from the real world. What could be more stress relieving than diving into a fantasy world where you assume the role of the character in the game? It sounds very tempting but if one should stay too long in the virtual world you could lose yourself in it with no way to return to the real world. In the worst case scenario you may forget which world is real and which is fake.

That is the premise of .Hack//Sign. .Hack//Sign is a part of the .Hack series which surrounds the ... MMORPG called “The World” and the different characters who find the mysteries surrounding this virtual land.

.Hack//Sign follows the story of Tsukasa, a Wavemaster (Spell caster) in “The World”, who suddenly wakes up in a dark dungeon with no recollection of how he got there and what he was doing prior to his collapse. While trying to gather his bearings a female Heavy Blade (sword wielder) by the name of Mimiru passes by and strikes a conversation with him. To her surprise Tsukasa instantly warps back to the town leaving her behind. It’s while he is in town that Tsukasa realizes that he can’t log out of “The World”. He is trapped in the virtual world with no way to get back to reality.

If your thinking this will be an action packed show with monster fighting and adventuring you would be mostly wrong. While there is small tidbits of fighting and adventuring this show is very slow paced and mostly revolves around Tsukasa and the people he interacts with. .Hack//Sign also has noticeable dark elements to it especially when the real world is involved. The idea of escapism is really brought out when you see the character’s real life counterparts and the struggles they go through. But that is just a small part as Sign is mostly set in “The World”.

Due to the slow pacing every character in this show has a chance to develop and feel more realistic. “The World” allows characters to express themselves in a way that the real world doesn’t allow. The result of this is that characters are intriguing to watch and thus provide a deep story. However this slow pace does cause most people to drop the show, as the pacing may be a little too slow and sometimes it feels that some scenes drag on. Another problem is the ending which is very abrupt and quick. I won’t spoil anything but let’s just say there is a reason why this is a part of a series of Anime shows and games. Overall the story is solid and enticing.

The animation in .Hack//Sign is a very well done and fits the fantasy setting of “The World”. Every location has its own emotional feel that lends itself well to the slow pace of the show. The uniqueness of each area helps set the tone for the current situation in the Anime, as each area has its own theme and setting that really makes “The World” feel as big as the real world. Tropical forests, barren deserts and frozen wastelands litter the land with vibrancy. While this is true for the virtual world, the real world on the other hand resembles old black and white silent films.

The real world is depicted as bleak and hopeless as text show up to replace verbal sound. This contrast between the vibrant virtual world and bleak real world becomes very important in portraying how “The World” seems to be a perfect escape from real life issues. The character designs are also very well done, since each character has their own design which fit the grander design that “The World” sets up. There are some parts that were a little bit grainy as I would call yet overall the design of this virtual world is truly something to appreciate.

The music and overall sound in .Hack//Sign is where it really sets itself apart from other anime. The opening song Obsession gives off a feeling of trance and emptiness that really fits the mood of .Hack//Sign while the background music has a sense of tranquility and sadness that backs up the visual aspect of the show. The music also has a folklore aspect in a sense that it makes you feel like it’s telling a story or possibly narrating the situation your currently watching. One big plus is the background music with vocals in them. Key of the Twilight is one of the best songs in the soundtrack and really exemplifies how music is able to set the tone of a scene and possibly the show. However there are some points where the music overpowers a certain scene in the show which can ruin the mood but it rarely happens. So my advice is to pay attention the music as it can really pull you into the story and set the mood.

Overall .Hack//Sign is something that shouldn’t be overlooked. The story of escapism gone wrong will leave you wondering if this could happen to you. The animation is compelling and imaginative while the music really sets the emotional tone of the show. I must warn you again that if you hate slow paced shows or want some action then steer clear of this show but for those who want a good mystery with a fantasy setting then.Hack// Sign is for you.

Overview:

Before SAO, before Log Horizon, there was .hack//Sign. This was the anime that started the "trapped in an MMORPG" craze in anime. Although it is far superior in quality to SAO and Log Horizon, it somehow has an average rating almost 2 full points lower. Allow me to explain why this is a great injustice!

Story and characters: 7/10

The story will no doubt seem familiar at this point, because so many series have ripped off .hack. After a computer virus devastates the internet, a new web system is created and shortly after a massive MMORPG using virtual reality is born as the brain child of a ... German computer genius with mysterious motives. A player called Tsukasa finds himself trapped in this fantasy MMORPG and is unable to logout, but is not aware why or even who he is in the real world. This is only a problem for Tsukasa and no other players are effected by this. What makes .Hack unique is that Tsukasa dying in the game world doesn't mean he will die in the real world. Instead, he just respawns and is still trapped, like an eternal purgatory. Tsukasa must discover the mystery of why he is trapped and find out more about this MMORPG and why it was created. The pacing in this series is slow, so it will take a while to get good. However, I appreciate that this series unlike SAO or Log Horizon focuses mostly on character development and psychological drama rather than pointless action and fanservice. Afterall, duel wielding eventually gets a little stale. "Jesus Christ SAO! Duel Wielding isn't THAT cool, tone it down guys!" - John Woo

art: 6/10

The character designs are good, but the animation is sometimes lacking. Most of the time, people are standing around talking and this isn't exactly going to blow you away with its visuals. Hack was made by a small animation studio called Beeline best known for "hits" like Noir and Spider Riders for Kids WB. Yes, there is an anime called Spider Riders, and it is just as bad as it sounds!

Soundtrack: 10/10

Hack is probably most well known for its outstanding sound track that features a new song in every episode. At one point the OST fetched outlandishly high prices on E-bay, but I am not sure what it is worth today. It is still an excellent sound track and comes highly recommended.

Entertainment: 7/10

Yes, I will admit that it can be a bit slow at times. That doesn't mean it is a bad series. The drama and character development make this one worth watching.

Overall: 7/10

This anime does have some issues with animation, pacing, and a few minor flaws. However, it is a LOT better than SAO or Log Horizon! Don't be a n00b! If you watch 1 trapped in an MMORPG anime, make bloody well sure it is this one!

.hack//SIGN is perhaps not exactly what you may think it is, but I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. It has hardly any action, contrary to what it may seem like, and the main focus of this story is on the characters. But it is done in such an appealing way that I personally found myself not wanting to sleep until I found out how it ended. I'll warn you: .hack//SIGN isn't flashy and exciting; but it does have some fantastic qualities to make up for that fact. So let's break this down.

STORY:
.hack//SIGN is about a virtual reality MMORPG ( Massive Multi-player Online Role Playing Game ... ) called "The World." In The World, players determine what class they would like to become, and then set out to play the game however they see fit. Some play in parties, while others choose to play solo. In this game, we meet several interesting and amusing characters - all who are playing the game differently, but whose paths fatefully cross at one point or another. But most notably of these characters, we meet Tsukasa: the ever troubled protagonist of this story. Tsukasa is met with a problem never before seen in The World: he can not log out. Stuck in the game, he is forced to face the fact that he might not even want to return to reality; but the many people whom he encounters during his stay in the game seem to be determined to figure out the mystery surrounding him, and return him safely to the real world.

Now...the story moves slow. Like I've said, there are not any flashy battles nor explosions, and what little action there is is very mundane...So, do not watch //SIGN expecting to be wowed by action scenes. That being said, there are some things that are left unexplained...but all those unexplained things CAN be explained if you read the manga. So, if you like the series and you find yourself wanting to know more about just what in the heck happened, then check out the manga or the novel of the same title.

Alright. The true heart of this story is in the characters. So let's move on.

CHARACTERS:
.hack//SIGN consists of enticing characters; each with their own stand out qualities, motives, pasts, and subsequently, problems. In fact, I must say that every character in //SIGN is extremely interesting - I found myself relating to many of them in different aspects of their personalities, and in how they handled situations...which is a very welcome feeling, as many times, characters in anime seem to be a bit far fetched as to how they deal with certain occurrences.

The character development is suburb; mainly because the characters are the main focal point of the entire story. So much time is spent delving into their hearts, feelings, and minds that one can not help but get attached.

ART:
Its got its quirks and problems, but all around, the animators did a good job. The animators made The World a beautiful place, while also a tad bit frightening in some areas. But I'm not too good at reviewing art, so I'll end this portion here and you can decide for yourself.

MUSIC:
Excuse me while I squee with joy. *ahem* This is one of my favorite soundtracks. Yuki Kajiura at her finest. Every track fits The World to a T; and one can't help but feel like they're inside the game in some parts. Aside from the perfect fit of the songs, they are also emotional, exciting, and just plain fun.

If you decide in the end that you do not want to watch .hack//SIGN, at least go listen to the soundtrack; it is pure enjoyment.

OVERALL:
I loved this series. I'd watch it again in a heartbeat. To me, its only downfalls were that there could have been a little more action, but it wasn't necessary to the story, and that they should have explained more in the anime. But aside from these things, my enjoyment of this series was very high. I recommend you at least give it a shot. You never know until you try! I did, and I am not in the least bit disappointed. And even if you do not find yourself a fan of the story...engage yourself in its soundtrack!

I came into .Hack//Sign with mixed reviews and no knowledge of the characters or the plot / setting. I was pretty skeptical because a couple of my really good friends said it was very boring. Then again I had friends that said it was amazing. With that being said, i just had to see for myself.

Right off the bat I need to address one HUGE CON of this anime. The use of flashbacks and how many episodes they used. The large majority of .hack//sign was used having flashbacks. But not even stuff that we haven't seen yet. There was one scene (that was several ... minutes long) that was played AT LEAST 10 times in the series. Not to mention for a WHOLE episode they did a review of everything that had happened thus far. When you are dealing with an anime that is only 26 episodes long there is no need to do a 20 minute recap of everything that happened in the first 14 episodes! I can understand if you are on episode 150 and want to recap what has happened, because a lot of information can be forgot... but not in 14 episodes.

It is my personal opinion that this anime could have been finished in 12 episodes. There were moments when the anime was boring as all Hell. Where I wanted to just say "screw it" and go to the next anime or skip that episode. There is tons of pointless information that could have been left out or scenes that were just not necessary. But in the end, within a couple episodes it had my attention again.

Now for some Pros. There was many times in the series where I was very into the series. For example the Grunty scene where Su Casa was searching for the purple berries. It was very emotional and kept me on the edge of my seat. I did find myself yelling at the characters from time to time, At how stupid they were or in anticipation of what would happen next.

There were many characters that I connected with. For example Sora. Sora was by far one of the greatest characters on the anime. His use of humor and whatnot was unparalleled.

In the end the anime was good. It had its cons and pros. But evened out the anime was good. even Though it was good, the chances of me watching it again are not too high.

I recommend watching it at least once and come with your own conclusion.

OVERALL: 8 / 10
Rewatch value: Low

Have you played online games where the social component is important? And did you have the feeling that you will live your life in this game, find your love, ignoring the conventions of the game? If yes, then .hack//Sign will seem very close and familiar to you.

This is the story of people who want to believe that the game is more than just a game. And literally, story lives on this faith. The characters here are not just invented images. First of all, these are people who control their avatars. At any moment they can leave the game, and for them it will cease ... to matter. And their actions should be regarded from the position that they are trying to abstract from reality, but not get out of it. They don't feel the pain, or the warmth of their close player - but they want to believe it.

However, the composition of this anime is more complex than I described above. After all, there is the main character of this anime - Tsukasa.

Tsukasa doesn't know how he got into this world of the game. The mystery of its origin will hold until the very end. Unlike the players, he feels pain and warmth. However, this feature makes him the loneliest person in this world of illusions. The closest thing that can be cited as an example is LIMBO. And throughout history, he will face a choice - to close himself off from everyone remaining in the twilight world, or to try to return to reality?

Perhaps the period of indeterminacy in the characters is the most boring, but at the same time the most interesting moment of the narrative. After all, as they move forward, their worldview will change.

It is because of the process of character development in such an unusual composition that I think this anime is a damn masterpiece. Perhaps not one anime of this genre has not revealed this so plausibly, at the same time presenting itself as a techno-fantasy fairy tale. And if the director was faced with the task of revealing the social element of online games, then he coped with his task COMPLETELY.

This is one of the most underrated anime I've ever watched. But there is a reason for this - it is very boring. Seriously, in some episodes nothing happens except the characters' dialogues (sometimes with themselves), but at the same time it is... Quite naturally. After all, this story is not meant to entertain you. This story happens naturally. For example, "mushishi" a boring narrative did not prevent you from getting audience love, which suggests that sometimes you can get pleasure from watching only when you overpower yourself. Try to think about what this anime is trying to convey to you.
And then, perhaps, you will come out on your own special wave, "connection" with this story. Yes, even in anime there is catharsis!

But in the end I want to say that you should not be afraid of this catharsis. Entering this twilight, you will probably get the most unusual experience that you have ever received.

In early 2004, 3 1/2 years before my foray into anime, I bought a PS2 game called .hack//Infection. I didn't particularly enjoy the game that much, and it became lost behind the newer games that came and were added to my ever-growing video game collection.

Fast forward to November 2007, and I stumble across .hack//SIGN while flicking through the channels one night. I decided to watch it, and I became immediately hooked.

One of the strong points of the .hack video game was the story, and the story to SIGN was also brilliantly written. I also loved the art and the characters were a lovable motley crew, ... of sorts.

The music fitted in well with the atmosphere of the series. The celtic influence was notable in both scenery and music.

A lot of people say this dragged on, "They've all got weapons, but there's no fighting." Ah, well. So what? I didn't care. I'm never one to care about the pace of a telly programme, film or video game etc.

I really enjoyed the series, and it pulled me in further into the world of anime.

And, because of the series, Infection was pulled out from behind the newer games, and played once again. (And was completed this time around.)

I think this is one of the best Animes, amongst many others. .hack//SIGN intrigued me, and actually made me wonder. Not to mention the occasional chill sent down my spine. While it may be confusing it beats most clichéd RPG-Based Animes and Fantasy base Anime out there. The cliff hangers leave you waiting and wanting more. Even though it doesn't have so much action in it I think it is great. Beats the crap out of Pokemon, and Final Fantasy. What I love about this is it's so mysterious, and dark, and unpredictable. Unlike with Final Fantasy, Zelda, Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and so on. The music ... is great to. The acting was great, the best I have ever seen. This is one of the bests in my opinion. In Fact .hack//SIGN is the first Anime I have seen, that was actually dark. With the many surprises in there, I have never been the same. There are many great characters in this series, some goofy, others serious, and just plain lovable. Tsukasa is a highly emotional enigma. Subaru is a personal fav. of mine. She's sweet, and cute. And they didn't try to hard to make them funny, or make their jokes funny. "Tsukasa, let's play red light green light!" -Sora. That was the best gag I have ever heard. David Whittenburg did wonders for Sora. And the Chrimson Knights. And A-20 is an adorable character

Very wonderful animation by Bee-Train along Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, Minako Shiba, Satoshi Oshawa and others. They have tone, to their bodies, and the EFX are wonderful. There is some cell shading, but it's light, and doesn't stick out like a sore thumb.

Wonderful songs by Yuki Kajiura (FLCL, Fiction, Boogie Pop, NOIR, MADLAX) wonderful blend of Ambiance, and Orchestral sound. And mix of pop, and classical, makes it just right. I have two sound tracks to the show, and one to the game. And it's just wonderful. The songs are memorable, and greatly composed. Music is very important to me, and Yuki pulled it off nicely.

Great voicing. Brianne Siddal, Amanda Win Lee, Kim Guest, and many others, including the man Dave Whitenburg (WHR, Speed Racer, Digimon 03) as the malevolent, yet goofy "Sora" My favorite Quote from Sora "Tsukasa! Let's play red light green light!" And Valiery Arem as "The Voice" Morgannah. "I need you, as much as you need me. As long as we walk together, I shall protect you." Kim Guest, plays the sweet Subaru, and she brings her out very nicely.

Who would have thought up such a novel of a story? It is brilliant. It's so mysterious, and not predictable. Full of dialog yes, but still. Fighting isn't everything. There comes a point when fighting gets ridiculous, and takes away from the story. And it's told across this show, the games, and Manga books. Truly the largest story I have seen in an Anime. (Not counting Pokemon)

Like I said, seeing .hack For the first time was chilling. When you are watching light comical Pokemon all the time, plus G® Rated Cartoons and you see something with that strong of thematic elements, you get chills. During one episode, when Aura, stabs Tsukasa, and who can forget, wasn't expecting that. And who can forget, "Data Drain." This was a rare treat for me, because I hadn't (and still don't) seen that strong of Thematic Elements in Cartoons before. .hack is truly my Gate-Way Anime, to much better Anime.

This is one of my favorite shows because it didn't go overboard with Violence, but it remained dark, and just unknown. It really bugs me when people give this show poor reviews. If it were just another type of it's Genre, fine. But I see this as a rather unique show. Not by it's Genre, by everything else. Stuff I had never seen before, prior to this. Imagine my reaction to Mimiru ;) Plus when they give it a low score just because it's full of dialog. Not everything has to be violent to be good! I hate it when Violence is so extreme, that I can't bare to watch it. (Inuyasha, Read or Die Wolf's Rain Cowboy Bebop) Because it's just distracting. Violence doesn't make for good story telling. But you don't see me giving those 0's or lower than 7, because of that. I gave Read or Die, a 8/10 over all. I can understand if you have ADHD, and you can't sit through it. Fine that's fact, doesn't mean you have to give it a low score. .hack//SIGN is more on thematic elements than combat, and more on mystery, than action. You want action, play the .hack GAMES, or watch something else You'll get your action. One of the best Anime I have ever seen.

I'm going to be honest. This is a masterpiece and you need to see it. Ignore the score it has and watch it. It needs way more love for how compelling it is

First off let's start with the opening. The opening intro is incredibly well done and alluring. One of the best anime openings of the 2000s.

The characters? There aren't many but they're heavily developed as the story unfolds and they all have a story to tell.

The setting is an MMORPG called The World where a young boy named Tsubasa is suddenly teleported to. He didn't go there willingly and he has no ... idea HOW he got there nor he can he log out.

The beauty of .hack//Sign isn't the world itself but the story. See, the MMORPG isn't the plot. It's a backdrop.

The MMORPG they're in is purely used as the setting for the story. It's about the characters whose stories are as human as they can be.

The characters all suffer from real world issues. They all play the MMORPG to escape their lonely or troubled lives just like most people. They want a distraction.

If you're expecting a heavy action based MMORPG anime like Sword Art Online, this isn't that.

This is PURELY a drama. It's a mystery drama. There is no grinding for higher levels or trying to become stronger.

It's purely a drama/mystery set within an MMORPG setting.

There's about 4 characters in the entire show with minor NPCs and other PCs who only appear 1 or 2 episodes showing up.

These 4 characters are heavily developed thoughout the show and the bond they form is truly something, you learn about their life outside the MMO and who they actually are + their troubles (i.e alcoholism)

I can't really compare this show to another because it's just that deep.

There's genuinely moments that make you question what is going on.

There are moments that may trigger you if you have PTSD from abuse.

There are VERY dark moments involving or relating to suicide/self harm.

This is not a cute Shonen type anime. This is not an anime where everybody is happy.

This is a real life anime set within an MMO setting.

I will reiterate what I said earlier..the MMO IS NOT PART OF THE PLOT.

It's purely the backdrop for the events that unfold.

I highly highly highly recommend this anime purely because it's got an incredible score (as in music), a very very well developed cast of characters and the animation is very crisp even today.

And there's a plot twist you wouldn't ever expect.

The entire anime is about Tsubasa and finding out who he is and why he is in The World. But it's also about real world problems impacting the lives of those around him.

It isn't supernatural. It isn't for kids. It's a very deep and incredibly well crafted anime.

Tsubasa doesn't have super powers. He isn't the hero of the story. He is merely another player.

The story doesn't have a hero. Just like real life.

If you like realistic heavy drama anime that will leave you questioning what is going on and wanting more then I highly recommend it.

It's one of those late night adult swim Seinen type shows.

Just remember if you decide to watch it..Tsubasa isn't the hero. And nobody is coming to save him.

Generally, depending on the person, .hack//sign can be either extremely boring and a drag, or the best mix of story/sound/character that they have seen. Personally, it qualifies as one of my most favorite animes. When i first ventured into it, I wasn't expecting much. After all, the games for ps2 sucked. Soon, I found the character development and color of Tsubasa and her peers to be interesting. True, at times, the droning music and dull colors may make people fall asleep, but this tone is what characterizes .hack. It is meant to be in a dark environment, making it ... unique.

In my youth, I watched .hack//Sign and understood little of it. I've rewatched it recently and found that a lot of the themes, namely about growing up and coming out of one's shell, are spot on. Sign remains my favorite in the series, primarily because other entries are more adventure plots whereas this one is much more about character interactions and an overarching mystery about how to help Tsukasa.

Most criticisms of Sign that you'll hear are valid; It's slow, the characters can be pretty insufferable from time to time, and its success has caused spiritual successors or follow-ups that one might like better. The score ... is really quite good, though I could see where over 26 episodes, one might get tired of hearing the same music cues. Further, in spite of the brilliant watercolor backgrounds and hand-drawn nature of the show, I'd not defend Sign as being visually dynamic or particularly exciting artistically.

Where Sign stands out is in drawing you in to its world (helpfully enough called 'The World') and its conflict. The music work and backgrounds are a start, being in and of themselves works of art that can stand alone. The characters interactions and bonds are vital and develop organically in ways that make sense given the individuals' psyches and goals. Leads towards fixing what's wrong in The World normally take an episode or longer to mature, so when the party does strap on their adventuring boots for a plot-relevant dungeon romp, the payoff seems greater.

There's a lot of good character work here, with Tsukasa being so divisive and annoying because he is the up-his-own-ass woe-is-me Shinji Ikari that perhaps we all had a phase of being. Everyone in the show is vulnerable, though those vulnerabilities are what drive them towards their noble (or sometimes ignoble) ends. Dropping hints on each character's trauma takes place at a pace that might be seen as too slow, but at least avoids the trap of seeming like a rushed exposition dump.

There are some flaws here that can't simply be handwaved as a matter of taste, hence why I don't think it's a masterpiece and or that anyone who objects to it is a philistine. There's some filler and fluff to pad out the methodical pace the show wants to go at, characters will swap loyalties readily to the point it can be hard to track what characters are working towards, dialog can sometimes be more accurately described as a whirlpool than a back and forth towards a point, and elements of the plot that are played up as really important may not get a commensurate amount of screentime.

All that said, Sign is a work that speaks to me a lot. It is without doubt a bit of bias on my part that its flaws are ones I more readily accept and its virtues and potential are things I normally thirst for in anime, making for a perfect storm where such an obviously imperfect show can be so dear to me. Give it a watch yourself; even if you're not sucked in by it, its shadow stretches long across the MMO anime genre, making it as much a cultural piece as a show in and of itself.

Ah, .hack//SIGN. I might not be finished with it yet, but I am enjoying this series sooo much. It is my top priority right now, along with Sukisho and Majin Tantei Nougami Neuro, to watch this, I just love it that much.

Story (9): This is basically about a video game called The World and the characters that play this game. It's focused around Tsukasa, a male character that can't log out of the game. There are some things that have happened in the beginning that I still don't understand, but it's things that I can overlook. I find the story to be quite original, because ... I haven't seen anything like this yet. The first four episodes, I thought, 'Yeah, this is alright, I guess.' Thankfully I ordered the next four episodes of it, because that was when it caught me. The whole thing just makes me wonder what's going to happen next.

Art (8): Hmmm... I've seen some points in the anime where the art just gets kind of ugly. Don't get me wrong, it's got good art, but it's not the greatest that I've seen.

Sound (9): I refuse to watch dubbed when subbed is an option, so I can't tell you much about the dubbed, but the subbed voices are, in my opinion, phenomenal. The voices fit perfectly with the characters. But there's one voice that I can't stand sometimes: Bear. I like the voice, but sometimes it gets annoying.

Character (9): Oh, how I love some of these characters... I'm a pretty big Tsukasa fan, because he just, in one word, pwns. XD Sora is one of my favorite characters, too, because he's just so funny at times! He's a jerk in a happy-go-lucky kind of way. (He makes me think of Sakamochi from Battle Royale at points.) All of these characters, with the acception of one: Subaru. I really don't like her. I don't really know why... There actually is some character development! It's amazing! You never see character development anymore...

Enjoyment (9): This keeps my attention pretty well. There are some boring parts mixed in there with a bunch of talking with Subaru. But that usually stops pretty soon and goes back to the interesting stuff. I really do enjoy this anime.

Overall (9): I could quite possibly give this a ten, but I don't feel like I would be being honest. I will very rarely give a ten. So a nine is a big compliment, along with the fact I'm actually reviewing. .hack//SIGN is a great anime, but I feel like you will either love it or hate it. I happen to love it. It's interesting and actually surprises me at some points.

So go watch it. Right now. ^-^

.hack//Sign is a solid 7/10 for fans of slower, thought-provoking anime. Set in an MMORPG, it follows Tsukasa, who’s stuck in the game with no way out. The show nails its mysterious vibe with a beautiful soundtrack by Yuki Kajiura and cool world design, though the animation feels a bit dated now.

Where the show shines is in its deep dive into themes like identity and loneliness. It’s more about character drama and conversations than flashy action, so if you’re into fast-paced shows, it might feel slow. But if you like exploring complex characters and psychological themes, this one's worth a watch.

First off this is an odd show in the sense that it's set in an MMORPG but there are next to no action scenes; this show, understandably, gets a lot of flak for this reason. Most go in expecting World of Warcraft:The Animation and come out with a bad taste in their mouths, a simple synopsis read would've saved them the trouble of watching the whole thing expecting and then giving it an undeserved bad rap even though the show delivers on all the promises it makes.


Storywise .hack//SIGN isn't spectacular it follows the adventures of Tsukasa, a Wavemaster who is unable to log out ... of the World MMO, gets caught up in a huge scandal that comes to involve nearly every character in the World.

The art wasn't the best, in my opinion of course, the design just rubbed me the wrong way at times the characters seem flat and have an odd "fish-eyed" look about them, Tsukasa in particular seems to look in different directions at times.

The music is beautiful, simple as that. I don't know what more to say.

To me the characters are the shows main draw they all receive their fair share of development and through the course of the show it steadily paints a picture of who the players are behind their characters. Intricate details help give them depth and make them as human as possible. Personal favorites are Crim and Sora, the former which deserved much more screentime and the latter whom, despite his annoying manner, the reason for which is explained, you can't help but love whenever he appears. Despite all the enjoyable characters there are some who I despise and shall remain nameless...Subaru.

I thoroughly enjoyed this show, yes it has it's lowpoints where everything seems to creep to a halt, but then there are the highpoints which are amazing. Scenes that evoke powerful emotions, scenes that would make this series a masterpiece (if it weren't for the series shortcomings.)

Overall 7/10 you won't be disappointed if you know what you're getting yourself into.

Before I get deep into things, I'd like to say that this show isn't for everyone, and if you're not willing to listen to prolonged dialogue this one isn't for you.

The show centers around a character under the name of Tsukasa who plays the role of a Wavemaster in the MMORPG labeled as "The World." He finds himself in a dungeon without any memories of who he is, or what he's done. During his journey he comes across many different friends and allies, along with some powerful enemies.

Alright, as for the story. I was always into the whole dark feel of the show. It really ... wants you to understand that the people controlling the characters in-game also deal with their own personal problems outside of the internet. One of the most noteworthy in the series was one of the characters suffering from a handicap using The World as a way to overcome their inability to walk. Later in the series, characters try to build relationships with each other outside of the game.

My biggest beef with the story is that much of it is unexplained in the show, but delivered in the series of games. Lots of plot holes can be found within them and it leaves me a bit unsatisfied now that I 'need' to order the games just to know everything "The World" has to offer me.

The art was "alright." Some sequences where the show dealt with computer special effects were really slick, but the character animation was a bit chunky. The fight scenes usually involved the characters exchanging glances lecturing each other each exchange of blades. The scenery of the show were really nice on the eyes, allowing you to get in touch with the environments.

The music of this show is absolutely astounding. It's a mix of trance and Celtic music, really giving the feel for the show. My personal favorite is "Key of the Twilight" which really stands for the show entirely.

Overall, I thought this show was a treasure. The pace isn't for everyone, but to me it seemed perfect. The music, characters and story really made this one shine bright. There's a lot of mixed reviews out there, check it out yourself and make your own decision.

If you go into .hack//SIGN expecting an epic action/adventure, a deep mystery, or to enjoy an escapist fantasy, you're going to be disappointed. SIGN is a character study, and deeply introspective. It's not about videogames; it's about people who play videogames, and why.

What makes it interesting is that the characters are roleplaying. What you see is not what is actually happening in the game (a common critique), but what they are collectively imagining is happening. The catalyst for the story is an encounter with a problem that supersedes the game, yet exists almost entirely within it. Slowly, over the course of the series, you ... get a glimpse at the people behind the avatars. They shed the skin of stereotypical anime characters, existing within a bright color palette and strict archetypes, and become ordinary humans.

Despite the cast spanning the gamut - from school kids to struggling single parents to CEO's, they are deeply relatable to the average viewer. Everyone has a reason to escape, to want to become someone else; and it's only when confronted with someone significantly more disturbed than themselves that they can look inward and face their own demons. This show is about a group of disparate people coming together to save someone, and in the processes, saving themselves.

The pacing is, at times, unbearably slow - the bulk of the show is the characters having conversations with each other. The conversations are highly revealing if you're paying attention, but otherwise do not push the overarching "plot" forward. The soundtrack and world design is gorgeous and otherworldly, but it's only a stage. "The World", the videogame, is not what this piece is about. It's about the characters. If you can't accept that, you'll absolutely hate this show. If can, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Before we begin here, I want to say that I went into the anime with slight bias as I have played all 7 of the .hack games and have been an established fan before watching any of the anime.

.hack//Sign is a pretty alright anime; nothing ground breaking in any sense of the word, but fun to watch if you understand its source material. While I will say it lacks a lot of action for being about someone trapped in an MMO, it really doesn't need that much action. All it really does it set the stage and give background information to the first game ... of the .hack series, .hack//infection.

The story was pretty good, a little rushed around the end but coherent and at times kind of tense.

Art is dated by a bit but some of the background environments looked well made and its by no mean ugly.

Sound was kinda eh, no music from the show stuck to memory, but i remember i didn't hate it.

Characters aren't as fleshed out as they should be. If the show lacks action and features mostly talking, then it needs compelling characters to truly sell the show. What we got were Blackrose and Orca rip-offs and a few calls to the original game series and Tsukasa was ok i guess. It kind of felt like these characters were just shells of better characters.

Gets a 7. Not bad, but by no means great.

Well, you have to admit the animation is good, the sound is awesome I love the music. The only draw back was the fighting, where was it. Also I have questions about some of the people you meet like... Sora, what 7 year old is really this good at games so complex and parents let him stay up so late? xD BUT the Love between the main chars awwww <3 hehe I like that =P but over all a 8 this is the average of the scores as of the way it should be not a random number.

Well I almost don't know what to say about .hack//Sign, there was so much I loved about this show and then so much that made me want to claw out my eyes. Lets just dive into this.

STORY:
.hack//Sign takes place in a virtual reality MMORPG called "The World". Players in the world have different classes and play styles that they choose from and play. They all can play the game differently. We focus in on a player named Tsukasa who is trapped in The World, unable to log out. Tsukasa doesn't know why this is happening and neither does anyone else. The story progresses as Tsukasa ... meets other players who all become interested and worried about why Tsukasa can't login. They embark on and EPIC journey to find out the mystery behind this... they don't seem to be in any rush what so ever because they seem to like sitting around talking....

This has to be one of the WORST paced stories I have ever seen in anything ever. I get that the writers wanted to make the story and places feel real but this anime could have easily been around 14 episodes long, but it is dragged out way to much. It had such a great and interesting premise, but it just lacked any since of urgency. There were times were I could have easily just dropped the show but....

CHARACTERS:
The characters in .hack//Sign are very very well done and flushed out. Despite the horrible pacing of the shows story I didn't drop the show because the characters are just so good. They are all very real, I've played MMORPGs before and I would have to say I have encountered basically someone who is like each and every character in .hack//Sign in a MMORPG. I found myself very attached to the characters because the way they interacted with each other felt very real. They all have their own reasons for wanting to help Tsukasa, and most of them felt very believable.

SOUND:
Yuki Kajiura... that is all. What an absolutely beautiful soundtrack! It made the moods of the show feel more passionate. It gave The World a feel of mystery, fantasy and scale. If I go on anymore I'll be rambling. I watched the English dub of the show (shut up you Elitest and Weeaboos) and I have to say I was fairly impressed. Brianne Siddall did an suburb job in portraying Tsukasa and Paul Mercier smooth fatherly voice was a perfect fit for Bear. Every time Mimiru talked I thought that Rei Ayanami was on crack LAWL (share same VA) A solid performance from all the English voice actors. Oh and I'm sure all the Japanese VA's made reading the subtitles just "grand" For as much talking as this show has you owe it to your eyes to watch .hack//Sign in English plus it was a good dub.

ART:
The art in .hack//Sign was kinda meh. They made the world look nice, but nothing really stood out to me as WOW THAT LOOKS AWESOME. Same thing on the animation side, since they don't move much it was hard to really judge the animation quality, but for the few times there were "action scenes" it looked almost out of place. Not much else to say, it works but nothing really to brag or complain about.

ENDING:
I just had to put this in don't worry there are no spoilers. The ending of .hack//Sign ranks as the all time worst ending to any anime that I have ever watched. It just sucked and offered no closure at all. The story was just building up and up and up and the it ended in kind of a "LAWL NOPE CTRL ALT DEL" fashion.... I don't care if it's a lead into the games THE ENDING IS PARAMOUNT!! So yea that pissed me off. Don't get me started on the filler OVAs, an anime should be able to stand on its own without having to have OVAs or movies fill in the holes.

OVERALL:
Despite my hatred for the ending and the pacing of the show .hack//Sign was actually rather enjoyable. The story does pick up in the last 6 episodes and there is enough interesting aspects of the show to consider watching it. The music is great, the voice actor spot on and it is easy to relate to the characters. I enjoyed .hack//Sign but honestly to someone who wants something fast paced and action heavy (I.e SAO people who want to see more of SAO like stuff) I would pass on .hack//Sign. It's a great watch for someone who is wanting really a character drama and for those people, you will enjoy .hack//Sign.

Lay back and chill because this series will get you thinking. Well keep this review short, sweet, spoiler free. This review includes both OVA's .hack//Intermezzo(Eps.27), .hack//Unison(Eps.28)

Story) 9
+ Parallels between two worlds
+ Keeps the viewer wondering
+ Deep emotional journey
+ Ties together nicely ( w/ OVA's )
+ Questions "Real World" v.s "The World" (game world) struggle
- Babies the viewer with "a" unnecessary episode

... Art) 8
+ Unique environments
+ Generally favored towards darker tones
+ Semi-fluid animation
- Animations showing its age

Sound / Music / VA) 10
+ OP & ED set that "otherworldly" feeling
+ Music flows relatively harmoniously with setting the tone
+ (Japanese) VA's fit their roles beautifully with each character
+ Nice array of different audio pieces (e.i. grunts, clashing swords, portals)

Characters / Character Development) 9
+ Each character has a "mask". One gets only glimpses of the characters "true" self
+ Deep and thoughtful
+ Motivations for being in "The World" varies
+ Backgrounds behind each character are interesting/enticing
+ Mature development that unfolds evenly
- Continuous mystery might leave some feeling lost

Personal Enjoyment) 9
(Behind the scenes - After dropping this series years ago due to irregular scheduling of the show due to TV Station complications and my (strange) dislike in the animation I resumed what was left years ago. Faint memory of the first 5 - 10 episodes was all that was started with, the only piece of story that stuck with me throughout the years was this is a "realistic" MMORPG and someone named Tsukasa.)

As a newcomer to the series with no knowledge of the manga/games I found this series fantastic! Combining real world complications (e.i. jobs, responsibilities) with virtual moral values (e.i. Player Killing A.K.A. PK) adds quite the layering to the series. The characters add to the spectrum of who are "You" in "The World" each bringing a different flavor and seeing where the viewer himself/herself might align brings in a personal tie in more like an RPG which is a rarity. The episodes are all crucial with just a few being reminders and are packed with character and story driven content that is spaced perfectly with what they had to work with and kept me thinking how will these characters cope with this mysterious bugged out world?

Overall) 9.1 / 10
Be gentle, you might find more to the Anime/Series than initially thought. This series as a whole does an excellent job using what was given to them and created unique, solid characters/music/story that quickly captures your heart and brings you along for the irregular ride. .hack//Sign overall is a mysterious collage of friendship with deep, passionate undertones at the end of it all.
MuchLove&Peace.