Rating: 
Summary: From the creators of Neon Genesis
Review: I've watched A LOT of anime way before it became mainstream, so I have had a sample of all the good stuff that made it here before the crappy kids shows. Neon Genesis is a supurd anime, you can't call yourself an anime lover before you watch that, however as much as I liked that anime, I LOVE .hack//SIGN. This sotry is slower moving, you see mostly character development and none of that bloody violence that is prevolent in most anime and other media. If you love getting involved with the characters you'll love this. Every person alive can relate to at least one of the characters in .hack, it's amazing to watch it and see how their lives play out. Even better, if you like this anime enough, there are four games to play that take place 6 months after this story. They pick up where it left off and solve the riddles that are left unsolved at the end of this series. Now I have to say that to be an true anime fan you have to have watched 2 series, Neon Genesis Evangelion and of course, .hack//SIGN! ^_^ \/
Rating:
Summary: Best Anime Ever?
Review: Possibly. The amazing colour that goes into everything creates a fantasy world. The characters are as different and variated as in reality. And the music. Ah, the music. Not enough can be said about the music to express the unhindering awe I have of it. All in all, everything is simply perfect.I'll admit, the first time I rented the first DVD, I got so lost in the voices, colours and music I didn't pay much attention to the plot. The plot is very complex and confusing at times, since while there isn't a lot of action, there is a lot of talking and theor[ies] and to remember it all is hard. However, once you start to weed out the important aspects the series is really amazing. The character relationships and grow of the characters is really something to look at. Overall, if you're into fast paced anime, I'll agree, this probably isn't the anime for you.However, I have found it extremely enjoyable and would recommend it to those with a lot of paitence.
Rating: 
Summary: The story deepens.
Review: SIGN continues as Tsukasa's situation is further explored and we get character studies of Mimiru and Bear - two of the three people, along with Subaru, who will ultimately be closest to him throughout his ordeal. As this volume begins, a distraught Mimiru - who of course has no way of knowing yet that Subaru means Tsukasa no harm - is desperate enough to ask Sora to help break him out. This he does in outrageous fashion, though not without a run in with Subaru's friend Crim. Considering that Sora's game strategy offends Crim's sense of chivalry and Sora is more than a little annoyed at being fought to a draw, it's pretty much loathing at first sight for the two - beginning a rivalry that will continue through the penultimate episode of the series. Tsukasa, meanwhile, bolts and runs. Thus begins Mimiru's highly amusing subplot as, while waiting to see if Tsukasa reaches out to her again, she's used and abused by a newbie named A-20 who she tries to help. To add insult to injury, much to her dismay she also seems to have become Sora's new best buddy - and can't simply brush him off because he's started to feed her accurate information from a hacker named Helba that might eventually help Tsukasa. Fans who do like Sora - and there are more than a few - will likely point to these episodes when asked why. His strange sense of humour can be infectious, and while he obviously knows that his best chance of finding Tsukasa is probably by sticking to her like a bad penny, he gets more chatty with Mimiru than he really has to, at one point even more or less revealing what kind of person he is in the real world - something that you may have already guessed. Meanwhile, B.T. is mildly worried about Bear, who's in an uncharacteristic depression that seems to run deeper than some disturbing suspicions he has about Tsukasa's real identity. We get a look into his personal life that gives us a sense of why he's so affected by Tsukasa's plight and why one of his preferred gaming partners is a young girl who has to be less than half his age. By the end of the volume, Mimiru and Bear's efforts have results. They've reached out to Tsukasa, and spurred by a miserable day he hesitantly responds. They can now begin the task of trying to help him in earnest, and the story is truly underway.
Rating:
Summary: Best Ever
Review: Story The premise for SIGN is simple, but strange. Tsukasa, one of the protagonists wakes up inside an MMORPG (Online Game) called "The World" and is unable to log out or see the computer around him. We find out shortly later that Tsukasa is in a hospital with a coma. He soon discovers that he has several strange powers, including an unwieldy Guardian with the power to kill players at their computers, access to a secret world with three of its own residents and several unstopable monsters which he cannot control but started appearing as he did. The whole SIGN series focuses around his relationships and the quest to free him and discover why he is trapped in the game to start with. Characters Tsukasa is the main character in .hack//SIGN, in The World he has white hair, a staff and is male. Saying anything about him in real life would give too much away. Tsukasa starts out very shy and wanting only to be alone, but later in the series becomes more confident and decides to find his way back to the real world. Mimiru is the first character that Tsukasa meets and is a cheery, soward wealding girl. She and Tsukasa grow on each other throughout the series but never can be said to really like each other. Bear often travels with Mimiru and is an older guy and the father figure to most of the characters. He does a good deal of planning and helps out in tight spots. Subaru is a female axe wielder and the head of the Scarlet Knights. She is rather quiet but very persistant. Later in the series, when the Scarlet Knights dissolve she becomes more and more and more interested in Tsukasa. They eventually become good freinds. Kilm/Krim/Clim/Kurimu (depends on who you ask) is a suppoting charachter who is very skilled at spear battle. He has a rivalry going on with... Sora. Sora is a cocky 4th grader guy who is surprisingly good at wielding his arm-blades. He can get very annoying to everyone around him. He recieves some poetic justice in the last episode relating to... Mom, also known as "The Voice" is one of the inhabitants of both the sky of Tsukasa's secret world and in her own world. Her goal seems to be keeping Tsukasa in The World and imposing her will upon its inhabitants. Tsukasa trusts her early on, but in a major breaking down, she looses that trust. 'Mom''s main assistant is the cat-sorceror Maho. Maho is a strange character seeming to both work for and rebel against 'Mom' at the same time. He only speeks to Tukasa and Mom. Not even the audience can hear him. He usually speeks to Tsukasa next to the bed of the sleeping... Aura, Aura is a strange girl floating over a bed with a bear in Tsukasa's private world. She is comprised only of shades of white and has a light aura around her. She either is or is associated with the Key of the Twilight, a mythical item with immense powers. Waking her up will supposedly release power enough to both free Tsukasa and destroy the voice. Aura is the daughter of... ...Helba, who is a male character trapped in his own upside-down (literally) world sitting on a throne. He was one of the creators of the world and often offers advice on awakeing his daughter and restoring peace in The World. Despite this, he remains a rather minor figure in the plot. Music and Animation The music is easily THE BEST compilation ever to grace an Anime or a CD. It is a fusion of Jazz, Pop, Trance and Rave. It is very well fitted to the anime and the songs that do have lyrics (excepting the intro) tend to make sense with the story. My favorite is the Aura theme (not actually played with Aura though, just called that) and the battle techno theme. The animation is standard modern animation style with no blatant computer effects. It looks nice but is not to noteworthy. Overall Overall .hack//SIGN is a great anime series with a deep plot, exceptional character development and a truely amazing OST. I would reccomend it to anyone looking for an anime that is more than just fighting and fan service.
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Story: 5/5
Characters: 6/5
Music: 6/5
Animation: 5/5
Overall: 5.7/5 ...
Rating:
Summary: Best Ever
Review: Story The premise for SIGN is simple, but strange. Tsukasa, one of the protagonists wakes up inside an MMORPG (Online Game) called "The World" and is unable to log out or see the computer around him. We find out shortly later that Tsukasa is in a hospital with a coma. He soon discovers that he has several strange powers, including an unwieldy Guardian with the power to kill players at their computers, access to a secret world with three of its own residents and several unstopable monsters which he cannot control but started appearing as he did. The whole SIGN series focuses around his relationships and the quest to free him and discover why he is trapped in the game to start with. Characters Tsukasa is the main character in .hack//SIGN, in The World he has white hair, a staff and is male. Saying anything about him in real life would give too much away. Tsukasa starts out very shy and wanting only to be alone, but later in the series becomes more confident and decides to find his way back to the real world. Mimiru is the first character that Tsukasa meets and is a cheery, soward wealding girl. She and Tsukasa grow on each other throughout the series but never can be said to really like each other. Bear often travels with Mimiru and is an older guy and the father figure to most of the characters. He does a good deal of planning and helps out in tight spots. Subaru is a female axe wielder and the head of the Scarlet Knights. She is rather quiet but very persistant. Later in the series, when the Scarlet Knights dissolve she becomes more and more and more interested in Tsukasa. They eventually become good freinds. Kilm/Krim/Clim/Kurimu (depends on who you ask) is a suppoting charachter who is very skilled at spear battle. He has a rivalry going on with... Sora. Sora is a cocky 4th grader guy who is surprisingly good at wielding his arm-blades. He can get very annoying to everyone around him. He recieves some poetic justice in the last episode relating to... Mom, also known as "The Voice" is one of the inhabitants of both the sky of Tsukasa's secret world and in her own world. Her goal seems to be keeping Tsukasa in The World and imposing her will upon its inhabitants. Tsukasa trusts her early on, but in a major breaking down, she looses that trust. 'Mom''s main assistant is the cat-sorceror Maho. Maho is a strange character seeming to both work for and rebel against 'Mom' at the same time. He only speeks to Tukasa and Mom. Not even the audience can hear him. He usually speeks to Tsukasa next to the bed of the sleeping... Aura, Aura is a strange girl floating over a bed with a bear in Tsukasa's private world. She is comprised only of shades of white and has a light aura around her. She either is or is associated with the Key of the Twilight, a mythical item with immense powers. Waking her up will supposedly release power enough to both free Tsukasa and destroy the voice. Aura is the daughter of... ...Helba, who is a male character trapped in his own upside-down (literally) world sitting on a throne. He was one of the creators of the world and often offers advice on awakeing his daughter and restoring peace in The World. Despite this, he remains a rather minor figure in the plot. Music and Animation The music is easily THE BEST compilation ever to grace an Anime or a CD. It is a fusion of Jazz, Pop, Trance and Rave. It is very well fitted to the anime and the songs that do have lyrics (excepting the intro) tend to make sense with the story. My favorite is the Aura theme (not actually played with Aura though, just called that) and the battle techno theme. The animation is standard modern animation style with no blatant computer effects. It looks nice but is not to noteworthy. Overall Overall .hack//SIGN is a great anime series with a deep plot, exceptional character development and a truely amazing OST. I would reccomend it to anyone looking for an anime that is more than just fighting and fan service.
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Story: 5/5
Characters: 6/5
Music: 6/5
Animation: 5/5
Overall: 5.7/5
Rating:
Summary: Resolve and slow down...
Review: The second DVD of .hack//SIGN continues the same level of quality as the first. After the first episode, which resolves the cliff hanger of the first DVD, the remaining 3 episodes are rather slow but do continue the story. Everyone seems to break up; Mimiru wants to abandon Tsukasa and go back to dungeon dwelling, Tsukasa hides in his realm with the floating girl and cat, Sora disappears, and the rest of the crew muddle. However, they each find reasons of various motivation to rejoin around the enigma of Tsukasa to solve the puzzle of 'The World'. We also begin to see quick scenes of Mimiru and Bear walking about in the real world (Mimiru is a school girl and Bear is a suited salary man). From the dialogue we can also gather BT wants to seduce Kurim in the real world, but like Silver Knight, is infatuated with the gentile Subaru. They are 'nice' episodes, but not exciting. Perhaps the worst critique aside from slow story is lack o excitement through direction. Although caught in a video game attended by 20-some million people, filled with numerous possibilities for monsters, treasures and mazes; 'The World' looks like a rather unpopulated fantasy prairie with little else to do then walk around or talk to other folks who need to get a life and get off their computers instead of talk to each other dressed as fantasy adventurers. And .hack//SIGN uses this fantasy prairie for A LOT of walking and talking, and in times where there is fighting/dungeon trolling, there is relatively little action or fantasy displayed. I am hooked, despite these problems, and want to know what happens next. The CD that comes with the special package is a huge mangle of incidental music oddly placed about the series. No opening song, though. A 'nice' extra for a 'nice' DVD but nothing to flip over.
Rating:
Summary: The mystery deepens...
Review: The second installment of .hack//sign continues to deepen the mysteries surrounding Tsukasa and his involvement in "The World". More debates arise behind the existance of the Key of Twilight and secret alliances are formed as players try to out do each other in the search.
You will either love it or hate it. The entire "World" is based off of a online fantasy role playing world in which people who play the game from their PC's can wander the "World" and interact with others who are playing (having played many RPG's I can relate to the World). 99% of the anime takes place in the "World" and the art style used in the anime is consistant with that concept.
Tsukasa is different from the other players in the fact that he is trapped inside the game and isn't bound to the same rules and limitations that all the other players are. The other characters in the game all seem to be after him for reasons that may be obvious or obscure, but Tsukasa only wants to left alone.
The pace is intentionaly slow. Which I don't consider bad in the way that it has been done. The players have a mystery to figure out and problems (with-in themselves and between each other)that need to be addressed. I wouldn't call this a action series even though there is action. This series addresses concepts, ideas, and personal issues through the characters interaction with each other. Its a journey of discovery that can't be forced but has to be realized. In this sense I think the slow pacing works well. The soundtrack that comes with this DVD has a lot of great music. I would have to say that the quality of the music in the animation and on the soundtrack are among the best aspects of the show. Most of it is slow, with a sense of mystery and wonder that is reflected throughout the series.
Rating:
Summary: The Saga Continues
Review: The storyline continues to develop and suck you in more and more. I really feel sorry for Tsukasa. A must have.
Rating:
Summary: The Saga Continues
Review: The storyline continues to develop and suck you in more and more. I really feel sorry for Tsukasa. A must have.
Rating:
Summary: excellent series
Review: this whole series i know is gonna be great. i was crying because of what is happening to tsukasa it also has its funny parts too. like the gruntys they are soo funny.this series is so neat cause you can read about it in the manga you can play it on PS2 you can listen to the soundtrack you can almost be completely surrounded by it everywhere you go i love this series. and for anyone who wants to know. the game is EXCELLENT!!!!!!!!!!all of the .Hack//Sign merchandise is!!!!!!!!!
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