.hack//SIGN

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Cartoon Network (ended 2004)
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Show Summary

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In a Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game called the World, everything is just fun and games. However that is not the case with Tsukasa. He is unable to log out of the World and, unlike other players, he can feel pain. However, he also gains a Guardian with immense power. Mimiru befriends Tsukasa and is shocked to discover his condition. She and Bear try to help but Tsukasa ends up attracting the attention of the Silver Knights, the moderators of the World. After Tsukasa's Guardian struck down their second-in-command, Silver Knight, and several other players, Subaru, the leader of the Silver Knights, though hesitant at first, calls for the capture of Tsukasa. However, as they go deeper into the mystery surrounding Tsukasa's problem, things become more complicated as the problem sprouts from the very core of the World.moreless
8.8
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Episode Guide

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S 1 :  Ep 29
S 1 :  Ep 28 Aired 3/16/04
S 1 :  Ep 27 Aired 6/7/03
S 1 :  Ep 26 Aired 3/16/04
S 1 :  Ep 25 Aired 8/30/03

Cast & Crew

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Fan Reviews (55)

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  • its a complicated anime which doesn't have much fighting in it if you want more fighting go play the games.

    8.5
    "Great"
    By shadowysea07, Jun 24, 2009
    Back when toonami ruled over cartoon network it was on at 11:00 most of the time. The shows basic plot was hard to understand until after the first 7 episodes. Most of the characters were on it full time. The most confusing part was the main characters gender. At the end they finally stated that Tsukasa is a girl. The final ep shows all the characters for the game that follows the show. I loved this show and wish they'll bring it back or make it a real online game someday. Kite BlackRose and Mistral are the main characters after Mimiru Tsukasa and Subaru are gone. They first appear in the 4 part videogame .hack//infection -.hack quarentine. Now adays you can't find the discs for a good price. They now also have the new series taking place 14 years after this show. .hack/roots and a video games that followed it is called .hack//g.u. vol. 1 rebirth the character designs were decent and the va's were ptretty good. I hated how they had special character types in the anime like archers wearwolfs that wern't in the games. the games are fun but sadly i think the series is done after how poorly gu did in sales.moreless

  • The stepping stones to a dramatic project.

    10
    "Perfect"
    By Kemicle, Mar 24, 2008
    Most people who have been introduced to the wonderful world of project .Hack// have started with this series. It is wonderful to start out with, a long with being informative. If you like high-action, and no talk, this isn't the anime for you. There is very little action, so those cursed without an attention span will see no real point to this.

    But those taking the chance to see a literate anime, won't know what hit them. Project .Hack is growing, and it doesn't look like it will stop any time soon. So the more .Hack// You consume, the more this project will climb it's ranks, and become a standard in your collection. .Hack//SIGN is a sloth compared to the others, but also one of the most memorable.moreless

  • Nearly perfect in every way. A MUST-WATCH for all anime fans!

    10
    "Perfect"
    By winter123, Mar 06, 2008
    This series is based around a fictional online gaming community called "The World." It begins by showing a male character named Tsukasa seemingly birthed into The World, with no memory of how he got there. Normal players can log in and out of the game as they please, as they are merely controlling a virtual character. Tsukasa however, cannot log out, and can feel, smell, and see everything in The World as if it is reality.

    Problems arise when the controlling organization of The World, "The Crimson Knights" have evidence that he associated with an illegal character; Tsukasa however, has no memory of this, so he has to constantly be running. However, in time he makes a web of friends that protect him, including a "being" that assures Tsukasa that "as long as you walk with me, I will protect you."

    Without giving anything major away, this sequence of events eventually leads to the search for a mystical item called "The Key of the Twilight", which is supposedly the end to everyone's problems...

    The artwork in this series is simply superb. There is an extreme attention to detail. You can tell exactly what a character is feeling just by their facial expression and gestures. Often characters will have a long, detailed conversation, but just as often, they will exchange gestures as they pass by. The Directing of each episode is equally as superb. During the aforementioned conversations, which can be up to 5 minutes at a time, the view is usually from a unique angle, and often it will be for symbolic purposes- when there is tension, it will be close, but when a relationship seems to be drifting apart, it will be far away.

    The music is composed by a Japanese female-fronted band called "See-saw". It is always used appropriately, and always fits the situation. You have to hear it for yourself to believe it.

    The character development is perfect- not too fast, and not too slow. A little bit is revealed about every main character in every episode, through what they say and do, and how they handle difficult situations. The voice acting for the characters, well, I'd say just by the voices that these people are all much better actors than 99% of American actors.

    Lastly, as the main focus of this is an online game, with real players in the real world, a very gritty black and white texture is used, and if anyone speaks it's in a stylized text, like a silent movie from the 1920's. Also, for flashbacks, a different graphical filter is used. It prevents any confusion. The scenes in the "real world" are rare, but when they are used, they are to show something very important. Often they are open for interpretation, then explained shortly after with a conversation in-game.

    The series is full of twists and turns, and keeps you interested until the end. Amazingly, the ending ties right back to the beginning, and while no loose ends are left, it is completely open to interpretation. A solid 9.7/10.moreless

  • I feel like I wasted around 10 hour of my life watching this show... this anime doesnt present anything new, or at least new good stuff.

    2.6
    "Terrible"
    By Leu-kun, Oct 24, 2007
    Character design: 4.4/10
    Even if they all have a detalied design, none of them gives a shock or a highlight.

    Script/story: 2.4/10
    This anime has many issues in this side: Despite of beign based on an action/RPG game where battles are the main part of all. This anime does everything to evoid a battle scene, but they came out with a battle in the last episodes
    It has some details in how they play and everything, plus the limitations of the game.
    The real ending isnt here, but in the game (SOLD separately)
    The whole anime is more about chats among the characters.
    The progress of the main story line is very slow, developing the characters isnt a good excuse because anyones presents something interesting.
    It lacks of good twist in the story.

    Music/sound: 5.8/10
    Its good, sound effects and everything... maybe they just overused it sometimes or it just didnt fit with the scene.

    Overall:
    Anime: 3.2/10 - OVAs: 0.6 = 2.9/10
    The mixture of all this doesnt really work. For an anime with no violence despite of showing armed characters, almost no fan-service, little emotion and clich characters; is an anime which force should be based on an amazing story, but not even the story is good nor the dialogues, and the OVAs are just a pain to watch.

    I cant recommend this, if you have interesnt in this anime you should get the game and skip this torture. If you have money and time to burn, make like this anime doesnt exist, there are many other good animes out there, than this is just a waste.moreless

  • tsukasa is stuck in the world and his friends r trying to help him log out

    10
    "Perfect"
    By xXxVigil, Jun 02, 2007
    this is a fantastic anime that has a very creative style and story.never before have i seen an anime that was about people in a video game.i also thought this story was so creative because "the world" the video game was very well thought out and since i am a mmorpg player myself i could relate "the world" to the mmorpgs i play and it was very similar.also its gave a very great and deep story and very well thought out characters.i thnk everyone had a character they could relate to which is always very good for an anime.overall this is one of the best animes i have ever seen and its one of my favorites.moreless
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