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The original was posted on /r/anime by /u/soulreaverdan on 2024-11-05 07:49:59+00:00.

Inspired by some recent discussions (and having not watched it myself in a while), I thought it might be fun to dust off my Rewatch Host hat and see if there’s some interesting in doing a rewatch of the seminal .hack//SIGN

Tsukasa (foreground) and Subaru (background)

What Is .hack//Sign?

Series Information: MAL Page | AnimeNewsNetwork | LiveChart

Part of a large multimedia franchise, the .hack series as a whole focuses on the video game known as The World, first released after a global computer virus called Pluto’s Kiss destroyed the internet as we know it, going dark for almost two years before free access was restored, and The World being one of the major online spaces in the second generation of the net. The story of how The World impacts those who play it and the massive sprawling effects the game and its technology have on the real world is a huge part of the series - though not one that is particularly relevant to the show we’re going to be watching.

.hack//SIGN aired in 2002 and featured as a prequel to the quadrilogy of games for the PlayStation One.

The story of .hack//SIGN focuses on Tsukasa, a Wavemaster player in The World who discovers one day when attempting to log out of the game… that he no longer can. Trapped in the game world, though not particularly upset over it, he begins exploring hidden and unknown areas of The World, eventually discovering a mysterious comatose girl named Aura and a mysterious voice named Morganna.

The series follows Tsukasa as he interacts with a growing cast of characters - the Heavy Blade Mimiru, the Blade Master Bear, Axe(wo)man Subaru, among others both ally and enemy - who either want to help Tsukasa and try to find more information about his situation, or think he’s a malicious hacker and want to him to be contained where he cannot do any further damage to The World.

Why Should You Watch It?

One of the things about .hack//SIGN that feels unique among many series is that the pacing is relatively slow. Despite the stakes of being trapped in the game and the risks of what’s happening to his real body, Tsukasa’s attitude is generally one of apathy and disinterest, hiding a deeper complexity and deep-seated issues.

Though the stand out for the series is without a doubt the music. .hack//SIGN was one of the earliest works of famed music composer Yuki Kajiura, and arguably the one that really put her on the map, with haunting melodies and ethereal music that pulls you into the world, to the point where some DVD releases of the series have an option to turn off the voices and just let you listen to the music and ambience.

The OP, Obsession, is a standout piece that gives you a feel of the music style of the series.

The pacing and music combined make watching .hack//SIGN a truly interesting and unique experience, the tension and drama of the series laid out among a both eerie and calming atmosphere, mixing tension and peace all at once as Tsukasa is pulled further into events beyond his control, and the answers to his identity slowly come to light.

A Note About The Story (Very Very Light Conceptual Spoilers)

Being part of a mixed media franchise and the series serving as a prequel to the games makes the story arcs and plot of .hack//SIGN something of a complicated matter. Please note that while I am not spoiling any specific details of the ending, I will still spoiler tag a small note that I feel does make for a more enjoyable experience, but if you want to go in completely blind, that’s fine too. Again, no actual plot spoilers, just a general conceptual note about the shows plot and ending. [.hack//SIGN]While the story of Tsukasa and most of his allies does come to a conclusion with the series, the larger plot of what’s happening to The World and the larger setting mostly do not, and are left for the game series and its protagonists to pick up on. I feel that knowing what to expect from the ending helps to give a bit of focus on what to enjoy and follow from the series, and can make it feel less conflicting at the end.

Where Can You Watch It?

So… this is the biggest hurdle when it comes to this rewatch. With the shuffles and CrunchyRoll and Funimation and others, there’s currently no legal streaming options for the series. The DVDs are available for relatively cheap on Amazon and others (running around ~$30-40), and if there’s enough interest I’ll schedule the start date for enough of a gap for people to order or track down the series in whatever form you want to view it in.

Rewatch Format

The series is 26 episodes long, so a simple daily rate of one episode a day and a final series recap would make sense for the overall structure. The start date would likely be towards the end of November, but if there’s any specific concerns over the start date with relation to holidays, pushing it to the start of December is certainly an option as well.

The format would be largely discussion based, with a few questions (probably 2-3), and given the nature of the importance of music to the series, I’ll be doing my best to spotlight one track from the soundtracks (which are available on music streaming platforms), though there will be a few we don’t get to since there are 40 songs across two OSTs, and only 26 episodes. If there’s anyone else familiar with the series that would like to suggest or help plan out the music selection in advance, that’d be great.

I’m hoping we have enough interest to make this a chance for anyone interested in watching this for the first time or the fifth time to dive back into The World, especially since the “trapped in a video game” genre has grown exponentially since this show first debuted.