Genre: Mystery, Philosophy, MMORPG, Character Study/Psychological
Sick of shallow fighting and basic predictable storylines? Looking for something more existential, psychological and philosophical? A series which broke momentous grounds, early depictions imagining what an MMORPG might be, of what our interactions with technology might be, and even what it means to be the self? A lot of deep themes are hit in this beautiful mystery.
The story takes place in The World, a MMORPG which dominates the market after the internet and humanity was nearly destroyed. The characters follow the disgruntled story of the character Tsukasa, who like the other members of the cast is searching for his own means of escapism. The predicament of Tsukasa, being trapt in the World, with no monitor, is met with disbelief, but slowly grasped by those initially reluctant to believe this is possible. The cast is heavily developed, giving life to each player and the depths of their psychology as they probe amongst their groups into the mystery, both of the World and the inner self. The cast comes to realise that there is more to the World than meets the eye as they, as mere players, attempt to resolve Tsukasa's situation, and this installment marches towards that resolution. This is the series that started it all, the entry point for the expansive .Hack// franchise, and for the modern mmorpg genre. The premises introduced here, and the mystery, only deepen as you dig for more answers throughout the franchise (with many deeply satisfying revelations along the way), as you come to know more and more about the true nature of the World.
*Pros* Highly-developed cast and cast interactions Sense of awe and mystery Beautiful artwork Realism Inspirational soundtrack (Thank you Kajiura Yuki) Deep plot lines and groundwork to the larger franchise Touches on deep themes in philosophy, psychology, escapism and fantasy Groundbreaking and far ahead of it's time for 2002 touching upon many taboo topics in a thoughtful and approachable way Set the stage for a wide genre of works Dark mature story
*Potential Cons* Dark mature story Not something you can half-pay attention to or play in the background Won't appeal to those who consider Bleach or fighting tournements a good story the story itself and everything that happens is important and there isn't much, or any filler Requires empathy, and openness to deeper philosophical themes Gateway piece for a wide franchise and not all media is easily available (or affordable rather)
Sick of shallow fighting and basic predictable storylines? Looking for something more existential, psychological and philosophical? A series which broke momentous grounds, early depictions imagining what an MMORPG might be, of what our interactions with technology might be, and even what it means to be the self? A lot of deep themes are hit in this beautiful mystery.
The story takes place in The World, a MMORPG which dominates the market after the internet and humanity was nearly destroyed. The characters follow the disgruntled story of the character Tsukasa, who like the other members of the cast is searching for his own means of escapism. The predicament of Tsukasa, being trapt in the World, with no monitor, is met with disbelief, but slowly grasped by those initially reluctant to believe this is possible. The cast is heavily developed, giving life to each player and the depths of their psychology as they probe amongst their groups into the mystery, both of the World and the inner self. The cast comes to realise that there is more to the World than meets the eye as they, as mere players, attempt to resolve Tsukasa's situation, and this installment marches towards that resolution. This is the series that started it all, the entry point for the expansive .Hack// franchise, and for the modern mmorpg genre. The premises introduced here, and the mystery, only deepen as you dig for more answers throughout the franchise (with many deeply satisfying revelations along the way), as you come to know more and more about the true nature of the World.
*Pros* Highly-developed cast and cast interactions Sense of awe and mystery Beautiful artwork Realism Inspirational soundtrack (Thank you Kajiura Yuki) Deep plot lines and groundwork to the larger franchise Touches on deep themes in philosophy, psychology, escapism and fantasy Groundbreaking and far ahead of it's time for 2002 touching upon many taboo topics in a thoughtful and approachable way Set the stage for a wide genre of works Dark mature story
*Potential Cons* Dark mature story Not something you can half-pay attention to or play in the background Won't appeal to those who consider Bleach or fighting tournements a good story the story itself and everything that happens is important and there isn't much, or any filler Requires empathy, and openness to deeper philosophical themes Gateway piece for a wide franchise and not all media is easily available (or affordable rather)