.hack//SIGN - Terminus (Vol. 6) (Limited Edition)

.hack//SIGN - Terminus (Vol. 6) (Limited Edition)

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DVD Reviews of .hack//SIGN - Terminus (Vol. 6) (Limited Edition)

DVD Review: The oddly ill arranged 'end' to a multi-media series...
Summary: 5 Stars

.hack//SIGN creates major ripples in people participating in the WORLD (on-line game) as they try to understand the enigma of Tsukasa, who appears to be a comatose player caught in the game. While the actual workings of this phenomena (the comas) isnt explained in the series, or the game, or game OVAs, it is explained in the final series/installment called .hack//Twilight's Bracelt being released soon by Bandai. And once explained, it still doesn't make much sense; assuming the personality in the game is AI, how does Tsukasa regain the computer's memories outside the game when awakened? With headsets, it doesn't play that there is a psychic bond since this universe is about straightforward technology and AI, and not about mysticism. Aside from that, the story works well. A great amount of care in writing and drawing draws detail to words and expressions instead of battles/terror/sex/adventure, and it succeeds brilliantly on that level. This is one of the few anime where you feel words count and people are actually talking to each other, and relating in the myriad emotional ways they do in real life with body language, expression, subtext and so on. THE WORLD is merely a mask for the player (the end credits portray this) as the body is a mask for the mind and will of a person; the parallels are nice. The biggest pity was not seeing the poeple outside the game more, but that wasnt the story and would have hurt the impact of the final scenes which sum up the series- people reaching for each other but never QUITE connecting.

The games go beyond this series as Aura is awake and fleeing from Skieth and the vengeful mother who wants her dead. While the game spends most of your time wandering levels fighting monsters, it has tidbits of story thrown in to progress the entire experience above a mere game and into a saga. The game also explains the fate or further experiences of the characters from SIGN. Sora's dilemma is resolved in the 3rd game. While you don't get to play with any of the SIGN characters until the end of the 4th game, you will meet some of the SIGN characters and get weapons from them as you succeed at levels where the story progresses. I believe you see all the characters at some point, as well as seeing ghosts of them spouting lines from the series in the root towns.

It is sad to see the series end, despite the two extra episodes. It would be great to continue this well written, tho under animated, series. For the blood/sex/death/action/mecha crowd, this series was probably frustrating and obnoxious because the subtlety needs the viewer to attempt a connection with the anime. SIGN was not an anime that lashes out with splendor and mayhem, but pays off in a different way.