.hack//Sign | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

.hack//Sign

Anime genres mix in various orthodox and strange combinations to give rise to some great anime over the years, especially during the past decades. Among them, the combination of Game, Sci-Fi, Adventure, Mystery, Magic, and Fantasy genres doesn't seem to be too out there; it matches simple enough. These genres, when combined, generally become pretty popular and entertaining.

.hack//Sign is the spawn of such a genre combination. It is a 26 episode TV anime series that started airing on the 4th of April and went on until the 26th of September as a Spring 2002 anime. It was produced by Bandai Visual, Yomiko Advertising, Bandai, and CyberConnect2, licensed by Funimation and Bandai Entertainment, and brought to life by Studio Bee Train.

Kajiura Yuki played a notable role in the Production team, working as a Producer, Theme Song Arranger, Theme Song Lyrics Writer, Theme Song Composer, Recording Engineer, and Musician. Additionally, producers Nozaki Keiichi, Sasaki Shirou, and Uchiyama Daisuke played pivotal roles. The anime is rated PG-13 for Teenagers 13 years of age or older.

An alternative setting for this series was released as a four-episode OVA by the title .hack//Liminality, and so was a single episode OVA side story by the name .hack//Gift. Other animated versions included the three-episode OVA .hack//Quantum and .hack//The Movie: Sekai no Mukou ni.

There are a total of four animated sequel titles; .hack//Legend Of The Twilight (12 episode TV series), .hack//roots (26 episode TV series), .hack//Intermezzo (1 episode special) and .hack//Unison (1 episode Special).

The story follows the protagonist, a young Wavemaster known only by the alias of Tsukasa. He wakes up one day in an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game) titled The World, with a slight case of amnesia. He is unaware of what he had previously done before waking up.

In The World, the infamous Crimson Knights suspect Tsukasa of being a hacker due to him being seen accompanying a tweaked character in the form of a cat. He cannot log out from the game and wanders aimlessly around, looking for answers while avoiding the knights and any other players he meets along the journey.

The leader of the Crimson Knights, Subaru, along with several other players, eventually became acquainted with Tsukasa. They all set off with a common objective to investigate why he cannot log out and attempt to get to the bottom of the issue before it gets heavily out of hand. Amid his exploration of The World, he somehow stumbles upon a particular magical item that takes on the form of a “Guardian,” which promises Tsukasa protection from all harm.

Diving into a fantasy world where players can take on the role of the characters in the game is very stress relieving. .hack//Sign portrays how videogames are a form of escapism from the real world. If one chooses to stay too long in the virtual world of their choice, it's easy to lose oneself in it with no way to return to the real world left behind.

At some point, the line separating the natural world and the virtual world starts to blur. This is the central premise of the anime, which is set in The World, where the different characters find various mysteries surrounding their world.

Tsukasa is essentially a Spellcaster, with no recollection of how he got to The World and what he was doing before his collapse. While he tries to figure out what happened to him and where he was, a female Heavy Blade (essentially a sword wielder) called Mimir passes by and talks to him. But to utter her surprise, he instantly warps back to the town, leaving her behind. While in the town, he realizes that he cannot log out of The World and is trapped in this virtual world with no way of getting back to reality.

Despite the genres, .hack//Sign is not an action-packed series with countless monster battles and adventures. While these elements are included, they appear as small tracings of fighting and adventuring.

The story is naturally slow-paced and primarily focuses more on Tsukasa and the people he comes to interact with. The series has essential dark elements within it, especially where the real world is involved. The principle of escapism via games is highlighted when the characters’ real-life counterparts and their struggles are portrayed. But this is just a tiny part of the anime because its main focus is events occurring within The World. Even then, it is incredibly detailed.

Owing to the slow pacing of the series, every character in this anime gets an ample chance to develop, making them feel more realistic. The World somehow allows the characters to express themselves so well, in a way that the real world doesn’t let them.

As a result, the characters are interesting to watch and aid in delivering a deeper story. Unfortunately, this slow pace does cause some viewers to get bored and drop the show, as it makes certain scenes drag on. The ending comes about as abrupt and quick as well, clashing with its slow pace. Regardless, the overall story is pretty solid and intriguing.

The art and animation in .Hack//Sign is pretty well done and fits the fantasy themes of The World quite well. Every location and area has its own unique emotional feel that complements the show’s slow pace.

The vibe of each place helps set the tone and atmosphere for the prevailing events in the series, as each location has its own theme and setting that makes this fantasy World feel just as vast as the real world.

It includes a vast array of biomes, including tropical forests, barren deserts, and frozen wastelands that litter the land with maximum vibrancy. But this is only true for the virtual world. In contrast, the real world is portrayed similarly to old monochrome silent films.

The real world of .hack//Sign is depicted as bleak and hopeless, with text appearing to replace verbal sound. This stark and “in-your-face” contrast between the vibrant virtual world and the gloomy real world becomes pivotal in portraying how The World is seemingly the perfect escape from real life’s problems.

The character designs are very well done, too, with each of them having their own unique design, which perfectly fits the even grander design that The World blatantly sets up. This isn’t to say that there weren’t any scenes that were a bit compromised and fall short of the rest, but the overall designs of this virtual world and characters are indeed a highlight of this anime.

The music and soundtrack of .hack//Sign lets itself stand apart from other anime. The opening song is "Obsession" by See-Saw, which gives off a feeling of trance and emptiness; this fits the show’s mood.

The OSTs (Original Sound Tracks) have a feel of tranquility and melancholy, which back up the show’s visual aspects. The music also has a folklore aspect to it, making viewers feel that a story is being told to them and a narration of the current situation is being voiced. Another aspect that stands out is the OST collection with vocals in them.

One such song was “Key of the Twilight,” which is one of the best songs in the series, and it exemplifies the vibes and tones of the scenes and even the overall show. The music is not perfect all the time, though; there are some scenes where the music seems to overpower a particular event in the show. This can ruin the mood but rest assured, it won’t happen often.

Overall, it's best to pay attention to the music as it can really pull viewers into the story and set the mood just right. The ending theme song is "Yasashii Yoake" by See-Saw. It is just as good as the rest of the music.

As a final verdict, .hack//Sign is an anime that is worth a watch. It is one of the series that made early anime fans go for the Gaming genre. This story of “escapism gone wrong” will leave viewers wondering if the same thing could happen to themselves, a significant selling point of the series.

The animation is both compelling and imaginative, while the music does a superb job of setting the emotional tone of the series. But this anime is not recommended for viewers who dislike slow-paced anime without much consistent action.

But for any fan who enjoys a great mystery series within a fantasy setting, then .hack//Sign is ideal! The premise of this series is very similar to Sword Art Online and Log Horizon, so for fans who enjoy the “trapped in an MMORPG” type of anime, .hack//Sign is a superb choice that will not disappoint!