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.
