Product Details

• Actors: Mitsuki Saiga, Megumi Toyoguchi, Kazuhiro Nakata, Akiko Hiramatsu, Kaori Nazuka
• Format: Animated, Box set, Color, Dolby, DVD, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 6
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Bandai
• DVD Release Date: October 26, 2004
• Run Time: 650 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0002VEVR0
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #37,712 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

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  Movies & TV > Animation > Characters & Series > .hack//SIGN

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
.hack//Sign is set in the world within an online game. Tsukasa, a powerful Wave Master, finds himself lost in the cyberworld, with little memory of how he got there. More significantly, he's unable to log out of the game and is apparently immune to many of its restrictions. He may be the focus of an impending crisis linked to the mysterious Key of the Twilight. As he wanders through different realms, Tsukasa meets spunky girl warrior Mimiru; earnest soldier Bear; the Crimson Knights, who maintain order in the game-world; and genially heroic Crim, a Heavy Spear wielder. Tsukasa also encounters a potent but unseen entity who promises to protect him--and does. Handsomely designed, well animated, and skillfully directed, .hack//Sign stands out as an example of how to turn a game into a series that can stand on its own merits. (Rated 13 and older: violence) --Charles Solomon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

27 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best anime ever., May 9, 2005

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

The World is a online 3-D fantasy game, where players log on and carry out quests, eithers are part of a party or on their own. For some reason, one day, a player appears who can't log out. And the mystery begins.
I loved this story. Besides a interesting plot, with tons of twists, characters who have real reasons for logging on and doing what they do, great music and good artwork, it really reminded me of when I use to role play (on and off line) in college.
The ending might be strange but remember that it does fit and also that it leaves it open because this anime is linked to the game. From what I understand, the events are nothing but a prologue - the background story to the game. Instead of a tiny booklet that they always insert into the game's case, to give it some kind of history, you have a anime that is 25 episodes long, with 26th episode as a stand alone flash-back, the 27th episode as a clip show of the important moments and the 28th episode as the final ending, the final episode set after the events in the four part video game!
But even without the game the ending still fits - after all, the anime is set in a online game. And you have to log out sometimes!

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Freakin' Sweet, October 19, 2004

By	Samson Wick "samson7point1" (Council Bluffs, IA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I can't speak to the particulars of this complete box set as I purchased the Limited Editions of the series as it was originally released - that is what this review pertains to.

As an anime fan, there were a lot of things that stood out about .hack//SIGN. The story line is typical of many anime series. The plot line has plenty of twists and turns, just as much for the sake of the overall story as the developmet of the characters. After finishing this story I felt like I knew the characters. For those who don't already know this, the setting is one of the most unique aspects of this story - it takes place almost entirely inside a MMORPG (Massively Multi-Player Online Role Playing Game) - Like Everquest or Final Fantasy XI. The sound quality was superb, as well as the video. I was quite pleased to find that it was in the 16:9 aspect ratio (Widescreen) - and it looks awesome on my HDTV! The voice acting was also top notch. If you like anime, and/or video games, you really can't go wrong with this series. If you like a good mystery and sci-fi you can't go wrong there either. If you like stories about relationships and personal triumph, well, you get the picture. It has something for everyone. Anime haters won't likely be converted by its charms, but I don't know many people who wouldn't enjoy this series.

As a closing thought, there was a lot of hype about the interrelationship of the .hack video game series for the Playstation 2. You're not going to get gameplay tips out of watching this series, nor are you really missing out if you don't go out and play the games. The plots cross each other, but they are essentially different and independent stories - the same is true of the short OVA series that was included with the PS2 games, and of the more recently released .hack//TWILIGHT. That said, they all compliment each other in small ways. There are cameo appearances by players from the other series and some of the background given in one, will reflect the events of the other. Probably the most noable instance of this is in the last "Bonus" episode of .hack//SIGN - I won't give any surprises away by telling you why:)

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent anime series, May 14, 2005

By	eau (USA) - See all my reviews

This is an excellent anime series. The Complete Collection is a digipak set of the 6 discs from the individual volumes at a lower price. It was released in late 2004 for a limited run, with a collector's pin set. Note that this Complete Collection does not include Episode 28 Unison, which is only available on disc 2 of Volume 6 Limited Edition.