Worthy of being considered a classic anime

Written by Divine_Aurora on September 3, 2010 at 4:37 AM

.hack//SIGN was amazing, it accurately predicted upcoming growth in MMOs, although we aren't at the levels of technology involved yet, these games were much more primitive and not really that popular yet when it came out, yet it portrayed many aspects of their future growth accurately. It also has an engaging and compelling, complex and well written story, if one that can be a bit harder to follow for less intelligent viewers or those with less patience. It also sets the mood incredibly, with one of the best soundtracks I have ever heard. I wouldn't be surprised if I found out that it's soundtrack earned some emmy awards. The story combines mystery, suspense, sci-fi, pseudo-fantasy, psychological thriller, and various other elements in a seamless blend, and is able to be taken seriously without suspending your disbelief, even in it's occasional comedic moments.

It also has very compelling and memorable characters. I hope others enjoy it as much as I did, and I highly recommend this series to anyone who likes serious dramas, mysteries, and psychological thrillers, as well as anyone who likes MMORPGs, fantasy, or sci-fi. Unfortunately, it isn't for everyone, as it is usually rather 'show-not-tell' and lets things unfold very slowly, only telling us relevant details once or maybe twice, and only a highly intelligent viewer paying close attention to things and thinking things through will be able to properly follow the plot, regardless of the fact that it doesn't have any noticeable, or at least not gaping plot holes if you look at it in detail, and the slow pace might bother other viewers. Also, while it has some occasional moments of action, they are rarer and shorter than you might expect from a a series that takes place in an MMORPG setting and has lots of long quiet moody musical background scenes and weird dreamscape like stuff, which will drive impatient viewers nuts and disappoint action lovers. Still, it is worthy of being a classic, and worth the time and highly enjoyable to the right audience.