.hack // Sign

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Television series
Original title .hack // Sign
Country of production Japan
original language Japanese
year 2002
length 25 minutes
Episodes 26th
genre Science fiction , fantasy
production Daisuke Uchiyama, Kazunori Takagi, Koji Morimoto, Kuninori Egawa
music Yuki Kajiura
First broadcast April 4, 2002 on TV Tokyo
German-language
first broadcast		 June 5, 2007 on Animax
synchronization

.hack // Sign is an anime - television series from 2002 that the franchise .hack belongs. The anime was broadcast in German on June 5, 2007 by Animax .

action

In 2007 the MMORPG The World is widespread and over 20 million players meet there virtually and experience adventures together. This virtual reality serves as the setting for the anime.

When the character Tsukasa wakes up in this game, he can't remember anything, and unlike the other virtual characters, he feels this virtual world to be real. He feels pain and smells and temperature. Soon he has to find out that he cannot leave the game and that he has special skills. Because of this, he is soon followed by the "Red Knights" (Crimson Knights), the self-appointed guardians of the game. He is also seen with a cat-like character who shouldn't exist. Players who cheat / hack are usually banned from online games.

When they find him, a fight ensues and a monster appears and protects Tsukasa. The attacking red knight is not only killed in the game, but also suffers an epileptic fit as a real player belonging to this character. All players are advised to stay away from Tsukasa and the monster, with another group already forging a plan to separate Tsukasa from the monster and arrest him.

However, Tsukasa also has friends who want to help clarify the situation. Together with Mimiru , Bear and others , he sets out to find answers to his condition and a solution for him. They hear about another rumor about a cheat item , the so-called Key of the Twilight . However, the hunt for this item also calls for enemies who would like to have this for themselves and want to use it against others or the world.

While searching for the key, they come across a programmed image of the creator of the game. This tells them in a cryptic way something about the awakening of a girl who is supposed to change the world. Tsukasa knows this girl who is in a secret place that only he knows.

Characters

Tsukasa
Tsukasa ( 司 ) cannot leave the game world. At first he tries to ignore the problem and avoid contact with other players.
Mimiru
Mimiru ( ミ ミ ル ) is a young girl. She tries to identify and solve Tsukasa's problem, and her curiosity is fueled by Tsukasa's strange manner.
Subaru
Subaru ( 昴 ) holds the highest rank within the Red Knights. She is respected through her fair judgment.
Bear
Bear ( ベ ア ) is a swordsman and the oldest of the characters listed here. Tsukasa's predicament comes very close to him and he decides to do everything possible to help him.
Sora
Sora ( 楚 良 ) is a seedy figure. He likes to use his high player level to kill other players in the game.
BT
BT is just as dodgy as Sora, only that she uses less violence and cleverly forges intrigues.
aura
Aura is the sleeping girl who should be awakened.
Macha
Macha is a character that nobody knows if it is a PC or an NPC. Its cat-like appearance suggests that it is an illegal character.
Kite
Kite is the hero of the video game series that starts right after the anime. He doesn't appear in the actual anime, but can be seen in the special episode Unison .
Black Rose
Like Kite, Black Rose belongs to the .hackers (pronounced: dot hackers) and is his "companion". You can only see them in this special episode.
mistral
Mistral is also a loyal member of the .hackers. Just like Kite and Black Rose, she makes her big appearance in the video games and can only be seen in unison in the anime .
Balmung from the blue sky
Legendary among gamers for his exploits, Balmung made his first appearance in episode 21, saving Subaru.
Orca from the blue sea
Orca is Kite's best friend in the real world and as well known in the game as Balmung. He made his first appearance in .hack // Infection. The story only starts rolling through him, as he falls into a coma due to Skeith's data withdrawal, whereupon Kite receives the Book of Twilight from Aura, which Orca should have received. In the anime, it is said that he is researching a matter with Balmung, but he can only be seen in Unison when the plot is already finished.

Production and publication

The 26-part television series was produced by Bee Train in 2002 under the direction of Koichi Mashimo . The character design comes from Yoshiyuki Sadamoto , the artistic director was Yoshimi Umino. The mechanical design was created by Kenji Teraoka and Tatsuya Oka. The series aired from April 4 to September 25, 2002 on TV Tokyo in Japan. Three OVAs follow later with .hack // Intermezzo , .hack // Unison and .hack // Gift .

The anime has been translated into English, Spanish, French, and Italian, among others. In Germany, the series appeared on a total of seven DVDs from Beez Entertainment in mid-2005, distributed by Al! Ve, the collection box that could be bought with the seventh DVD also contained a figure from the series and a printed mouse pad. From June 5, 2007, the German version of Animax was broadcast. The series was republished in summer 2008, in two so-called .hack // SIGN boxes, in addition to improved image quality, the image format was changed from 4: 3 to 16: 9 and the .hack // Limality offshoot is available with Japanese voice output and German subtitles distributed on both boxes.

synchronization

role Japanese speaker ( seiyū )
Tsukasa Mitsuki Saiga
BT Akiko Hiramatsu
Sora Hiroshi Yanaka
Subaru Kaori Nazuka
Bear Kazuhiro Nakata
Mimiru Megumi Toyoguchi
Morgana Rie Tanaka
Crim Shin'ichirō Miki
Helba Yumi Toma

music

Three soundtrack CDs and a single CD were released. The title song can only be heard in full on the single CD. The texts are mostly Japanese and always contain English texts. The music in the opening credits was sung exclusively in English. There are also borrowings from the German language. So the title The hiking was sung entirely in German. The soundtrack was also released in Germany by edel media & entertainment.

The music comes from Yuki Kajiura's composer , who arranged the music for many of Bee Train's productions . The tracks were sung by various singers, including See-Saw or ROUND TABLE feat. Nino belonged. The opening title Obsession and the closing song, Yasashii Yoake , were produced by See-Saw .

reception

The fan magazine Funime describes the series as a "feast for the eyes" with "wonderful" musical accompaniment and beautiful synchronization in the original. The German synchronization is bearable. The atmospheric music is particularly emphasized.

The specialist magazine MangasZene also praised the background music, which supports the atmosphere well. The character design is "good to look at" and the animations are good, even if there is often only talk. The mysterious plot makes you want more.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Funime No. 40, p. 22 ff.
  2. ↑ MangasZene No. 11, p. 26

literature

Web links