.Hack: //Legend of the Twilight, Vol. 1 (Paperback)

by Tatsuya Hamazaki (Author), Rei Idumi (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Old-fashioned role-playing games experience a renaissance on the World Wide Web. Twins Rena and Shugo are two middle school students who enter "The World" as level one game characters. When Shugo's character dies he is transported to another level where he is entrusted to bear the Twilight Bracelet by the mysterious Aura. Shugo must find out who Aura is and why she gave him this powerful weapon to protect his sister from the peculiar characters in "The World."

From the Publisher
.hack is a highly successfull franchise that has spawned numerous manga, video games and anime features! 100% Authentic Manga Format. Anime Also available. As seen on Cartoon Network. Story by TATSUYA HAMAZAKI.

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Product Details

• Reading level: Young Adult
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: TokyoPop (September 9, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591824141
• ISBN-13: 978-1591824145
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (30 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #583,356 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The Missing Piece, September 17, 2003

By	Marc Ruby™ "The Noh Hare™" (Warren, MI USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 10 REVIEWER)

Few .hack fans in the US are aware that the missing piece of the .hack universe is a manga series that has been available in Japan, but until now has not been translated into English. I've impatiently awaited their appearance and snapped this up as soon as I saw it was available.

The series is set after the events in the game. Shugo and Rena, a pair of 14-year-old novices to The World win limited edition avatars - the 'dot hacker' set that Blackrose and Kite made famous. No sooner do they start adventuring than it becomes clear that these are more than costumes. Then a visit from Aura provides Shugo with Kite's bracelet, and they quickly draw the attention of other familiar players. These include Balmung, Helga, and even Orca. All wondering if history is trying to repeat itself.

Gradually, the pair make new friends and start playing in the virtual world. This first volume serves more to build the settings than to detail any hair-raising adventures. Most of their experiences seem to arise out of the interference of Balmung, who is now a system administrator. They are being tested to find out if they are more than simple players - a strange fate seems to dog their steps. But for now, the mood is mostly silly.

To be honest, I found the manga a bit disappointing. Both the TV series and the OVA set are fairly intelligent stories - as much about the players and both their lives as they are about gaming in a virtual fantasy. The game itself is fairly straightforward, suitable for a wide range of ages. The manga, however, seem tuned to the younger end of the spectrum. The characters are depicted more as children than young adults. Their behavior is in much the same vain.

It is probably unfair to expect all the parts of .hack to be written for the same audience, but the manga are shallower than I would have ever expected. Of course, the prevailing mood can change at any time, but so far the most dramatic moments seem to arise out of Shugu's defenses of Rena's virtual honor. And his outrage when she isn't all that thrilled with his efforts.

Still, if you are a .hack junky you are going to want to have this. And it is neither expensive or offensive. Just another piece of .trivia .

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars its ok., November 10, 2005

A Kid's Review

I got no. 1,2,3 from the library.And on the front it says national best seller now yould you say that this manga dosent deserve that title.i mean like in every 30 pages they have a picture of rien or raien or how ever you spell her name!!naked with like a sword or hands covering her(>>>) O_O.and if its not her its some other girl.its a good fantasy and has good art though.
if you like hack try zatch bell or naruto!!!! ^_^

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Welcome to the World!, June 11, 2005

By	Michael Valdivielso (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

Shugo and Rena just won a contest that lets them play as two legendary players, Kite and Black Rose, and now they're ready to take on the world. But when strange things start to happen, as in a high level monster attacking low level players, the administrators know something is going on. Now the real adventure will begin.
The first volume is kind of slow, mostly dealing with the players and their interaction. So far the story seems driven by the characters, with suggestions that there are things happening in the background. A mystery is about to unfold but not in this volume - this starts dealing with the characters first - building the foundation of the future story.