.hack//SIGN is part of the ".hack Project", which encompasses a TV series, games, and OAVs, but this page only covers the 26-episode series. The story takes place almost entirely in The World, which is a MMPRPG (massively multi-player online role playing game) played by approximately 20 million people. The story centers around Tsukasa, a character who, unlike the rest of the player characters, doesn't ever log out. In fact, he is unable to log out. He also has been given an unknown monster as a guardian, is able to move around The World outside the rules of the game, and communicates with an illegal non-player character called Maha. He's a mystery, even to himself, and he draws many other characters to him, some (Bear and Mimiru) trying to help him, some (Subaru and Ginkan) trying to protect the game from what is manipulating him, and some (Sora and BT) trying to use him because they believe he can lead them to the mysterious "Key of the Twilight", a fabled artifact of great power.
The story unfolds with a more leisurely pace than is common for most anime. It's not a save-the-world quest of heroes and war, but rather the unraveling of a mystery by ordinary folks trying to save a single person, Tsukasa, and also to save the fantastical virtual universe in which he's trapped. The series is intriguing and ultimately absorbing, with well-developed, likeable characters, and it's set in a colorful, whimsical world ~ the few times you're taken to the real world, the scenes are done in black and white, like Kansas in The Wizard of Oz. The art is good, especially in the use of color and in the imaginative landscapes of The World. Moreover, besides being a satisfying story in itself, it raises many questions about the nature of RPG games and why different people play them.
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Main Characters:
Tsukasa ~ a young boy unable to log out of The World, and possessing powers that transcend the normal game parameters. He's under the influence of a mysterious voice, and his fate is tied up with that of a floating, sleeping girl, Aura.
Voice: Japanese: Mitsuki Saiga, English: Brianne Siddal
Mimiru ~ a friendly teenaged girl who senses, somehow, that Tsukasa needs help. Despite his initial hostility toward her, she persists, and she becomes a very good friend to him as well as the heart of the group around him.
Voice: Japanese: Megumi Toyoguchi, English: Amanda Winn Lee
Bear ~ the wise "old man" of the group, an experienced RPG player who enjoys helping newcomers. Tsukasa's problem concerns him, and he not only helps unravel the mystery, but also investigates what is happening to Tsukasa's body in the real world.
Voice: Japanese: Kazuhiro Nakata, English: Paul Mercier
BT ~ an ambitious and somewhat selfish character, experienced in The World, BT is brought into Tsukasa's problem because she believes he knows something about a mysterious artifact of power known as "The Key of the Twilight."
Voice: Japanese: Akiko Hiramatsu, English: Donna Rawlins
Subaru ~ a gentle young woman in a position of authority in The World, and founder of "the Crimson Knights" (who act as a kind of police force), she tries to contain and control Tsukasa, but eventually bonds with him and gets drawn deeply into the mystery surrounding him.
Voice: Japanese: Kaori Nazuka, English: Kim Mai Guest
Sora ~ a dangerously mischievous character who doesn't hesitate to "kill" other player characters. Ruthless and unscrupulous, he is also after "The Key of the Twilight."
Voice: Japanese: Hiroshi Yanaka, English: Dave Wittenberg
Ginkan, aka the Silver Knight ~ current head of the Crimson Knights, Ginkan is devoted to Subaru, but his determination to end the chaos that follows Tsukasa causes him to far overstep his authority.
Voice: Japanese: Isshin Chiba, English: Doug Rye
Krim ~ once the leader of the Crimson Knights, he's a bold, brash, but goodhearted warrior who left when the responsibility weighed too heavily on him. But he proves a faithful companion and useful warrior to the group around Tsukasa.
Voice: Japanese: Shinichiro Miki, English: Lex Lang
Other Characters
Maha ~ a catlike character whom apparently only Tsukasa can hear, she is a part of the mystery around Tsukasa and helps manipulate him.
Morgana ~ never seen, but merely a disembodied voice, she is holding Tsukasa in The World for her own reasons.
Voice: Japanese: Rie Tanaka, English: Valerie Arem
Aura ~ the floating, sleeping girl who is at the very heart of the mystery.
Helba ~ a legendary female hacker who helps the group and is vital to the ultimate success of the group.
Balmung ~ another legend, this one a warrior, he only appears once, but at a key moment to help the group.
Harold Hyuek ~ the "father" of Aura, he gives the group important clues to the mystery.
A20 ~ a new player who briefly tags along with Mimiru on a couple of adventures.
Voice: Japanese: Atsuko Enomoto, English: Sandy Fox
The Puchigusos ~ cute little beasts that can be raised and tamed by player characters to use as transportation.
Voice: Japanese: Mitsuyo Kondo
Favorite links:.hack//DEFRAGMENTED ~ the most comprehensive site on the series that I've found. Warning: it has excellent episode guides which, however, contain major spoilers!
The Anime: Hopes and Dreams Message Board has a forum just for .hack fans
~ Kat
~ Pokejedservo
Favorite images:
~ Kat
Fan art:
.hack//SIGN by Nicole Hersey
Various animated characters by themidnightpony
This page created by Kat
