This show has a completely different feel than any of its predecessors. For those who have seen .hack//Sign, the major difference with this series is that it is a much livelier (at a faster pace of 12 episodes), playful look at “the World” and the things that go on inside it. A great deal of .hack//LoT is centered around normal game situations: special events, quests, and even caring for a grunty! Also, the main characters have a more “cutesy” appeal. This may displease franchise devotees who enjoy the cerebral, serious tone of .hack//Sign.
One issue that some viewers of .hack/LoT may find unsettling is the incestuous vibe in some of the scenes with the main characters Shugo and Rena. Anyone who has played an MMORPG before can tell you that real-life attraction vs the attraction to the look of one’s game character/avatar are very independent of each other. This alleviates what would otherwise seem to be an uncomfortable element of this show.
All in all, .hack//Legend of the Twilight is a good view. The characters have some great adventures, the plot keeps momentum besides a “let’s go to the beach” episode, plus maintains mystery and suspense throughout the series.
If you are interested in exploring the .hack universe from the beginning, but don’t know where to begin, I have included the generally accepted order:
1.) .hack//Sign (26 episodes)
2.) .hack//Intermezzo (OVA; Side story told by Mimiru)
3.) Video games: (.hack//Infection, .hack//Mutation, .hack//Outbreak, .hack//Quarantine)
4.) .hack//XXXX (Manga; Adaption of the above video games)
5.) .hack//Gift (OVA sidestory; contains video game characters and Sign charcters)
6.) .hack//Unison (OVA sidestory; contains video game characters and Sign characters)
7.) .hack//Legend of the Twilight (12 episodes; includes references to the video games)
8.) .hack//Legend of the Twilight (Manga; Adaptation of the anime)
9.) .hack//Liminality (OVA)
10.).hack//Roots (26 episodes; prequel to GU video games)
11.).hack//GU video games (Rebirth, Reminisce. Redemption)
12.).hack//GU + (Manga; Adaptation of the video games)
13.).hack//4koma (Manga; Contains characters from all the previous video games)
14.).hack// GU Returner (OVA; contains GU video game characters and Root characters)
15.).hack//GU Trilogy (Movie; Adaptation of video games I believe?)
16.).hack//Link (Manga; Takes place 3 years after GU, new characters)
17.).hack//Quantum (OVA; released by Funimation Feb. of 2012)
18.) .hack//The Movie (In Japanese theaters from Jan. 2012, not yet licensed).
