.hack//SIGN

One of the best animes I have ever had the gift of watching. Character design is superb,great musical score, and the voice acting is up in line with Cowboy Bebop, Alexander(Reign the Conquerer), etc. The games are great. Hopefully it will become a long running series like the Mobile Suit Gundam series.

Willam, the copies of the game you found were probably the American versions released legally.

Well after you get past the slightly depressing scheme of things and the fact it takes awhile for anything of real excitement to happen it does turn out to be pretty good once everything kinda falls together....so all in all I would give it an 8/10 because of the usual good quality animation and voice acting ( unlike those crappy dim a dozen American cartoons).... In addition to that they had a good cast of well developed characters (Sora was my favorite)....

Anyways a little info on the actual series can simply be put as follows: it starts out when a kid is playing and basically had his conscious severed from his physical body thus being stuck in the game called the "world" and unable to logout. Then he eventually find and befriends some random people, he gets special administrative privileges from some omni-present being, they find out this omni-present being is bad and end up fighting and predictably defeating it in battle....they throw a party ...and the end

A single installment in the Project. Hack series, .Hack//Sign blends books, manga, TV anime, and OVAs to create a single, expansive story featuring characters and events that occur both simultaneously and chronologically. The review that follows is written as a stand-alone anime and from the perspective of the franchise.

Most reviews of Hack//Sign agree that the plot is uninteresting, has little action, and moves slowly. The plot revolves around character interaction and development, even though some of these statements are absolutely accurate. Through their interactions with the other members of the cast, their surroundings, and their progressive contribution to the plot, each side character's backstory is revealed to the audience. The story revolves around competing and complementary characters, propelled by enigmas.

The animation in. Hack//Sign is excellent and goes well with "The World's" fantasy setting. Each setting has a distinct emotional vibe that fits in perfectly with the show's leisurely pacing. Each location has its own theme and atmosphere that truly makes "The World" feel as large as the actual world, and its individuality helps establish the tone for the current scenario in the anime. The land is vibrantly scattered with icy wastelands, arid deserts, and tropical jungles. The real world, on the other hand, is more akin to vintage silent black-and-white movies than the virtual one.

Text appears to substitute spoken sound, creating a depressing and gloomy portrayal of the real world. In order to convey how "The World" seems to be the ideal haven from problems in real life, the contrast between the colorful virtual world and the depressing real world becomes crucial. Since each character has a unique design that fits the larger framework that "The World" establishes, the character designs are also quite well done. Though there were a few areas that felt a touch "grainy," overall, this virtual world's design is really impressive.

.Hack//Sign's distinct soundtrack and sound set it apart from other anime. While the background music inspires peace and melancholy, the opening song, Obsession, provides a trance-like atmosphere. A sense of storytelling is added by the folklore element. Scenes are set with spoken background music, such as Key of the Twilight. Though certain music might overshadow a scene, the mood is rarely ruined by it.

As a whole. There is a reason to take Hack//Sign seriously. You'll wonder if you could experience something similar after reading this tale of escape gone bad. The music effectively establishes the show's emotional tone, while the animation is captivating and inventive. I must caution you once more to avoid this show if you detest sluggish-paced television or crave action; nevertheless, if you enjoy a solid mystery in a fantastical atmosphere, then give it a shot. This is a hack// sign for you.

.hack//Sign is not boring or confusing. If you have seen Evangelion, which is created by some of the same people, you can see how the "confusion" is actually an important story device called Mystery.

As the other comments eluded to, this series is one in a multi-format anime/manga/game series. Hack sign is only the second part in the series. So the claim that the ending resolves nothing, first realize that this series was never intended to "stand alone", but to complement the other parts. Second, please refer to the other animes done by these people: Evangelion and Ghost in the Shell, both have inconclusive endings, like it or not. If you can't stand a complex plot; you prefer simple, predictable plots; then this show is not for you.

As to the boring part. The show may be slow moving, especially the episode where Mimiru waits for Tsukasa in Dun Lorielag, but if you are paying attention fully, you notice how well written the show is. It is portraying the sometimes tediousness of online gaming, but more importantly, showing how Tsukasa is living on a completely different timeframe from other players. This serves to give the viewers some insight into how Tsukasa must be feeling, and how the other "normal" players must be exerting themselves trying to befriend him. .Hack//Sign is a beautiful story. With well drawn characters and backgrounds, and well written music. The characters and dialogue are complex, as well as the story. I recommend everybody buy/watch this anime, as well as .hack//liminality and also play the games. They are all fun and each are a part in a larger puzzle. This whole series has quite an original concept. It certainly is not boring or confusing.

When I first watched this series on Cartoon Network in 2003, I only got to see the first episode and I have to say this series was amazing. I really want to collect this series, and I did. When I bought the first 2 volumes on DVD in 2004. They were the best, I know it's hard for Tsukasa to logout because there was no player to control him. I believe that Tsukasa is immortal and he cannot be defeated. Another thing I liked about the show is the music and songs. I think the best song in this series is,"The World".And of course,"The key of the Twilight" My favorite characters in this show are:Subaru,BT,and Crim. I did like the other episodes after buying the next 2 volumes on DVD, and of course the final volumes. But before watching them, I watched the other volumes over all the way through. It was really cool watching them all the way through before the new volumes. The series also features the voices of:Amanda Winn Lee,Dave Wittenberg,Donna Rawlins,Kim Mai Guest,Mary Elizabeth McGlynn,Paul Mercier,(famous for Onimusha 3),Valerie Arem,Bob Papenbrook,Brianne Siddall, Crispin Freeman, Debra Rogers,Doug Rye,Kirk Thornton,Lani Minella,Lex Lang ,Mona Marshall,Sandy Fox,and Wendee Lee. So in closing, after the series,play the video game. It's the best.