Rating: 
Summary: Good stuff
Review: .hack//SIGN was a little confusing anime but it was really good. Hey it was some good stuff and it's worth the buy.
Rating:
Summary: Slow. Original. Relaxing. Excellent. Addicting.
Review: A friend told me to watch .Hack because I love online roleplaying games and enjoy anime style art which pretty much sums .Hack up. You watch characters in a roleplaying fantasy game interact with a mysterous new character Tsukasa who can't logout. It's a slow, and relaxing, beautifully drawn anime without the normal violence, adult stuff, and heavy action that you usually expect however, be warned that if you NEED action, you most likely will not enjoy this. It has a very nice soundtrack and the DVD offers you the option of watching the shows in English, Japanese, or just music with no words. It is a very very slow moving plot..but somehow that's alright with me even though im not a soap-opera person. Somehow the slowness and beautiful drawings grabbed my attention..it's a show about character development and a mystery inside the game...i love it and recommend it to people with a love for anime artwork!
Rating:
Summary: Very much in the tradition of Tron and The Matrix...
Review: All I can say is this series made me not want to avoid anime. I am currently taking a break from Cowboy Bebop, for personal and financial reasons, and even tried to avoid this series.But thanks to Newtype USA, and other things... I was sucked into the series. Some may have given it a bad review, but it just shows that they are only suited for quick-paced series. And they are also not meant for games like EverQuest and Dark Ages of Camelot. .hack//SIGN is just one part of an entire story. It just covers one of the mysteries inside The World. This series happens sometime before .hack//Infection, which is why they say you can spot Tsukasa in that PS2 series. .hack, all 4 parts of the PS2 game series, and .hack//Liminality go during the same time. The OVA series (Liminality) happens in the real world. And then there is the yet-to-be-published manga series... .hack//SIGN belongs with other series, in this genre. This includes Disney's Tron, and the three Matrix movies. I do not recommend this series to everybody. Especially those who are not too patient to enjoy the developing plot. But all-in-all,it is very enjoyable. Not perfect, but enjoyable. Plus... I recommend it for those who are into philosophy. There is some video game philosophy. Like when Bear says he wonders what happens to the world he was playing in, when he would reset the game. And those who like the fact that it's about fictional people playing as fictional characters. So watch the series on Toonami first. And after you do, go rent Tron... and compare the two. So until then, ja-na!
Rating:
Summary: Hurry up, get yours now!
Review: Alright, this limited edition set comes with alot of stuff. I'm going to split it up. The box: Unlike any anime boxset ever. It's in a weird, 3 dimensional haxagon shape. It has art of characters an 3 of the sides, and the logo on the other 3 sides, so that however you turn it, you can see some charcters and the logo. This box is something that connot be described in words, though, to be honest. The T shirt: Well, this is a pretty nice little shirt. On the front, you have the .hack//SIGN logo. On the back is Mimiru, with Tsukasa in the background. Very nice. My only problem with it is, though, is that the size is XL. Much too big for me, but I wear it to bed or around the house. The soundtrack: Simply beautifull. I have been listening to it non stop since I got it. Some of the best anime music around, the only anime music I enjoy more is in Cowboy Bebop. I can't wait for more .hack//SIGN music in the upcoming limited edition sets. The postcards and stickers: Well, you have stickers of Tsukasa, Mimiru, bear, BT, and a Crimson Knight. I don't know what I will do with them, but I'm sure I'll find something. The postcards are very nice looking, I'll probably never use them, though. The .hack//INFECTION PS2 game demo: If you haven't played the game, this is a good way to find out whether you want it or not. The game takes place after the anime is over, so you might want to wait untill you see all of the anime. The Grunty plush toy: Well, it's very cute! A bit small, but very cute. It looks great sitting next to my .hack//SIGN box. And finally, what you've been waiting for... ...The DVD!: It all takes place in an online game called "The World". It is an MMORPG, or massive multiplayer online role playing game. It stars a player called Tsukasa, a Wavemaster. For some reason, he is unable to "logout", or quit, "The World". He is stuck inside the game. He meets some interesting players, like Mimiru, a energetic girl with a big sword, Bear, a nice old man who is pretty smart (also has a big sword), BT, another wavemaster, but a girl, Subaru, the leader of the Crimson Knights, and the Crimson Knights, who try to stop cheaters and other people doing illegal things in "The World". The audio and video quality are wonderful, and the anamorphic widescreen is quite nice. So, that's it. Buy it now, it says limited edition for a reason. And the Amazon.com price is great, definately worth it. I hope this review has helped anyone who is undecided on whether to buy this or not.
Rating: 
Summary: not too good the only...
Review: And so it starts. WARNING: if you are a fan of action, or hate long, LONG, periods of talking, STAY FAR AWAY. Since this isn't a problem for me, I enjoyed this emmensely. This is my first anime, and I'm on the last disc. It starts off great, but is very confusing. Things start to make sense around the fourth disc. I recommend it to any fan of MMORPGs, since it takes place in one.
Rating: 
Summary: The Saga Begins
Review: And so it starts. WARNING: if you are a fan of action, or hate long, LONG, periods of talking, STAY FAR AWAY. Since this isn't a problem for me, I enjoyed this emmensely. This is my first anime, and I'm on the last disc. It starts off great, but is very confusing. Things start to make sense around the fourth disc. I recommend it to any fan of MMORPGs, since it takes place in one.
Rating: 
Summary: Could be so much better!
Review: At first glance, this anime looks like a very solid show and a great buy. However, once you start watching you'll realize that it's not as great as you think. The combination of a confusing plot and a lack of character development are it's main problems. It's not saved by the artwork or voice talent, either-these were equally unastounding. After continual watching, I almost fell asleep because I was so tired of staring at the screen waiting for someone to talk or move- it's like they didn't have enough content, so they were forced to insert several excruciating awkward silences. It's really too bad- the premise was so interesting, and the show fails in the end. Not a good anime- check out Neon Genesis Evangelion, Trigun, Cowboy Bebop, Outlaw Star, or one of the other greats, instead. Some people might give in to the gimmick and buy the PS2 video game that mirrors the storyline- don't, I fell for this too and the gameplay is mediocre compared to other good RPG games.
Rating:
Summary: .remarkable//new series
Review: Because of the way the parts of the '.hack' package are being released, I am not sure if this is a series of episodes based on video games, or vice versa. A rather ingenious marketing ploy will probably have many of us buying '.hack' releases for some time to come. Fortunately, from what I have seen the producers have spared little expense in creating a quality product. Therefore, other than the amount we will be out of pocket, there is very little to complain about. The episodes start out with the appearance of Tsukasa, a wave master (whatever that is) in the virtual game universe called 'The World.' Tsukasa is different from ordinary players. He remembers little of the past, seems unbound by The World's game rules, has a monster as a defense system, and is haunted by a cat figure that the powers to be consider an illegal avatar. It is the last that puts him at odds with Lady Subaru and the Crimson Knights (player/sysops), and for that matter with almost everyone else. Oh, lest I forget, Tsukasa cannot log off. There is a wide breadth of characters, from nasties like BT and Sora, to more sympathetic player. In the latter camp the two most interesting are Bear, a shamanic figure and Mimiru, a swordswoman who develops an interest in Tsukasa. Our hero is an ambivalent character, possessing a bit too much attitude for his own good. Especially when he is attracting attention as a source of trouble and mystery. Rumor has it that a special item hidden in the game world has been discovered, and many think that the wave master has it. As a production, '.hack' is beautiful. The designers have created a genuinely lovely dungeons and dragons world. And than peopled it with the interesting and attractive characters created by Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, spooky monsters, and the usual assortment of lovable geeks. Music by Yuki Kajiura is equal to the setting, making this the beginning of a story that promises to fascinate and delight repeatedly. A winner for sure. Absolutely try to get the Limited Edition Boxed Set, which comes complete with t-shirt, critter, and a sample disk of the game release.
Rating:
Summary: Cute and cheap!
Review: Even if the DVD will never be as the original Japanese one, I think it rocks. The box is very pretty and so are all the things inside it, for the price it has it's VERY cheap, I saw it elsewhere in $...! So it's a must buy and since just 15,000 are available, it will be very rare to find it later!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome packaging, slow story
Review: First, I'll admit, .hack//SIGN is getting some of the best limited edition treatment I've ever seen. This box and its load of extras is sure to be highly coveted by anime fans and DVD collectors. In particular, I think the soundtrack is a great extra, as .hack has excellent music. Now the bad news... Unfortunately, these episodes failed to hook me on the series. I haven't seen the whole series yet, so I don't know if the pace of the story improves later on; but right now it seems a bit tedious. It's also possible that the series is a little less accessible to people who don't play online RPG games. I've ventured into online RPGs only briefly, and found the format not to my liking. Though I've heard from people who do play them regularly, that the interactions in .hack//SIGN are fairly typical of that genre. So far, the series seems heavy on the dialogue, and the characters spend a lot of time wandering around the game world conversing, theorizing, spreading rumors, etc... It's obvious that some pains are being taken to set up a mystery that will (hopefully) define the plot as the series progresses. Though, unfortunately, it currently lacks the sense of intrigue that makes mystery so exciting. On the positive note, I agree with everyone who praised the character design and animation quality. It is excellent, and it makes .hack good entertainment, even if it's not the most accessible story. If you're weighing whether or not to purchase this series, I'll admit, it is tempting--especially for the limited edition extras. However, not knowing how well it develops, there are enough caveats here that you may want to spend your anime budget elswhere. Personally, I would recommend Serial Experiments Lain, if you want something computer/internet themed; or Berserk if you want serious fantasy with strong intrigue.
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