Speaking of the plot, The everyday life of people in a video game is what the series should be called, since not much exploration into the nature of being an alternate persona (Which .hack//sign addresses), political intrigue or the relationship between the supposed people of the land and the adventures is really present beyond the superficial and in some ways childish. Everything lends itself to be treated like another quest to go out and complete, which ironically works against the show in trying to build a coherent narrative.
The show also tries to act smart many times almost as if it's trying to prove that it's not a typical shounen, however everything is explained exactly when it happens for the first time in the series, which means the classic case of someone standing still and explaining what he just did in the middle of a heated battle.
What this show I do admit does well is the atmosphere and feeling of being in an MMO rpg, which despite never really having played one that in depth, they definitely did their homework. (unlike Sword Art Online) Though the more I watch of the show the more it felt like a gimmick rather than something the show was using to create an engaging narrative, with characters being quite one note due to a lack of potential within the story for any catharsis. The characters are fun enough for the style this show goes for, but are not deep or complicating in any way. They are easily defined by a few quirks and simple mentalities, which is usually there just for the sake of laughs as the anime is very easy going.
Overall, I'd say the anime does try do be more than your typical anime, but it holds itself back with what could have been done with its set up and fails to fully deliver, as it takes itself way to easy being only enjoyable for those who want there anime about MMOs to make sense, which at the very least, it achieves that.
