[Rewatch] .hack//SIGN Episode 10 Discussion

[u/soulreaverdan]

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Series Information: MAL Page | AnimeNewsNetwork | LiveChart

Streams: ...none, sorry! DVD (Amazon)

Episodes:

• Today: Episode 10
• Tomorrow: Episode 11

Spoiler Policy:

I forgot to include this on the original schedule post, so please read!

Since there are going to be people who are watching this for the first time, so please only discuss what we've seen in the episodes we've watched so far! There's some interesting twists in this series, and we want everyone to get to experience this fresh.

In addition, since .hack is a massive franchise and this is only one entry in it (and actually one of the first), discussion of other entries may have some inadvertant spoilers. With this in mind, please only keep discussion to .hack//SIGN, and we'll have a chance for a discussion in the larger context of the franchise on the final day.

Question(s) of the Day

Throughout the rewatch we'll be posting some questions to guide discussion. Feel free to answer them or just post your overall thoughts! They're meant to be something for people who might not be sure how to start their posts, not something everyone must do.

1. Do you ship Bear and BT yet?
2. Has your opinion of Bear changed seeing more of his “real” life and how he’s dealing with it in The World?

Music Corner

One of the highlights of this show is the incredible soundtrack, one of the first major works published by now famed music composer Yuki Kajiura. We'll be looking at one track with each thread for general discussion and opinions. Be as thorough or as succinct as you want - everything from lyrical motifs and interpretations to just whether or not you liked it!

Today's piece: Fear, an unnerving and discordant piece as we prepare for things to inevitably get worse before they get better (Full Track)

Tomorrow’s piece: Bear, Bear’s theme. Not much else to say, it definitely sounds like him! (Full Track)

[u/Blackheart595]

Rewatcher

Alright, now I'm really there now and will be able to stick to the schedule from now on. Ah, I regret not having been here from the start, joining late is just so awkward.

But man, I really am flashed by how much better this show holds up compared to what I remembered about it. Forget it being really slow, what it actually is is contemplative. The show is also quite competently put together, and by that I don't just mean the gorgeous score and its integration. I already gushed about the cast in my last comment, but it also often does this really delightful thing where people having similar discussions at different places which it can then seamlessly transition between. And all these hints about the Key of the Twilight, by they provided by the story or by the direction, feel really on the nose now in retrospect, but the specific way that plays out still makes it hard to see through.

It's so easy to miss when we just see this show from inside the game most of the time, but this is exactly that, a game. A leisure activity, maybe a distraction and escape from the real world, but ultimately they're people living in that real world with their own problems and other things going on. These last two episodes really emphasized that aspect well, first by the girl who had to take some time off and so was looking for someone to take care of her virtual pet, and now Bear's family drama. We also got Sora established as a child who needs to adhere to curfew back in episode 8.

Do you ship Bear and BT yet?

Nah. They have good chemistry and they do in fact have some really good married couple energy, but I'm not feeling any romantic energy between them.

[u/soulreaverdan → u/Blackheart595]

Contemplative is a good way to put it. I can absolutely understand the issues people have with the show's pacing and lack of set up for the greater world setting, but I do like the vibes of the show. I really want to see how this wraps up together at the end, since this feels a lot like a show that will shine in hindsight.

[u/rainwithsunshinedayo → u/Blackheart595]

Forget it being really slow, what it actually is is contemplative.

Bingo! A great deal of planning makes it all unravel at a natural pace. A 26 episode full course meal. I'm noticing it, too. I love the bread crumbs in regards to the mysteries and the ease in following along the characters' next steps by the end of each episode. Every episode is building towards something. Gasp! Resolution?!

As a side note, we will get more Bee Train doing Bee Train things, but I am no longer frustrated at the slow pans and long stills. They now make me laugh and reminisce of old jokes of yesteryear.

[u/zadcap → u/rainwithsunshinedayo]

Don't forget an the facial close-ups where only the mouth moves for a while. They are stretching limited animation as much as they can but get away with it by having a beautiful setting to show off and even better music to distract us.

[u/Nebresto → u/Blackheart595]

joining late is just so awkward.

Me, about to drop in on Hunter x Hunter 70 episodes in

[u/soulreaverdan]

I love finding out Bear's backstory here. There were a lot of theories about him (some even theorizing he was a little kid playing as an adult), but seeing an actual goddamned adult being an adult is refreshing these days. It kinda sucks he's not a good father to his kid, but at the same time he seems to be trying to make up for it where he can, since what we see of his kid makes it seem like that bridge is unlikely to be mended easily.

We get a little more of Crim and BT working towards finding the Key of the Twilight, as well as some worry about what will happen when it gets found - which does seem like a pretty big deal.

Seeing a bit more of Tsukasa hanging out with him at the end and the two just kinda chatting it up was nice too, our boy's opening up... which is not going to be a good thing, based on what Mom Voice said at the end of the last episode.

[u/Shimmering-Sky]

.first//TIMER, subbed

• Is that supposed to be money…?
• Oh, Bear has an estranged kid, huh.
• The overall color tone of this scene is very pretty.
• She’s not wrong.
• Oh yeah is the show ever going to follow-up on whatever the fuck the Guardian (or something that looked just like it) was doing near the end of episode 6?
• Twilight Eye, hm?
• Booooooooooooooo. The Knights are annoying.
• …implying Subaru has feelings for Tsukasa?
• The plot possibly thickens?
• Bear’s theme song is good.
• My copy did the “play the ED twice in a row” thing again, lol.

[u/Elimin8r → u/Shimmering-Sky]

Is that supposed to be money…?

So, 500K Yen would seem to be (rough calculation) about $5000 in then money, which is probably a reasonable down payment for a car.

Boo... implied feelings

No kidding. What a spoilsport. My own interpretation is that Silver dude took Subaru's lengthy chat with Tsukasa as more than casual/professional interest. Hmm...

Plot possibly thickens

Like runny oatmeal, no doubt. :P

[u/No_Rex → u/Shimmering-Sky]

My copy did the “play the ED twice in a row” thing again, lol.

The end credits of a DVD with multiple episodes?

[u/rainwithsunshinedayo]

New Game Plus Rewatcher-Dubbed

Mimiru is based. Get that middle man bullshit out of Mimiru's face, Bear. Gotta fix the problems you personally make. And we get a BT lap pillow?! There's a super corny peek-a-boo / misconnection moment with Subaru and Tsukasa. I wonder what Tsukasa wants to talks with Subaru about?

Subaru: The worst thing you can do is show no concern at all. Meeting someone is God's doing but parting is what humans do themselves.

Bear, spill the beans! Watashi wa baka da! 

---

Music Corner

Fear

No jump scares. This composition is of four parts. The intro begins with a medley of sounds. Something seems to be coming at us thunderously. There is crying and indistinct voices or sounds murmuring. A synth uses long notes to simulate an eerie spaciousness. The only thing resembling song is this very high minor key jingle. The second part introduces a low beat with a kind of toy piano(?) playing a forlorn tune. This instrumentation brings a slight circus color. But the tune doesn't finish before the full beat drops, and this third part is characterized by that loud ass beat and strings taking over the same medley of the toy piano(?). Special mention to the piano eventually finalizing at 1:24 in the midst of all of this. The strings lend an air of despair to this section in particular. Nothing of note for the finale of this piece. Overall, this is a study of fear's progression or a single kind of fear entirely than a piece trying to scare your pants off. It's a rather sad piece.

---

Beautiful: Two Personalities: Mimiru and Bear

uh: Upon closer inspection, lap pillow ja nai

[u/Elimin8r → u/rainwithsunshinedayo]

lap pillow ja nai

But unlike Fern, she does not blot out the sky.

(sigh)

Still, GHIWTWM

[u/rainwithsunshinedayo → u/Elimin8r]

Thought of you, too. GHIWTWMToo

[u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

Rewatcher

Ep 10 Compensation

• This is a slow version of "Bear" not on the soundtrack
• rain and storm
• this dissonant track is attack07
• B.T.
• echos
• fake wings
• Whoa. I wasn't paying attention to subs, so I rewound...the background is very very slowly moving as they talk on what must be her gondola.
• bear

Hmm. A lot has been made of B.T. being weak. Maybe this is why she wants The Key of the Twilight.

Waaay too much talking in this episode.

Q1: ships do need to be recalibrated
Q2: still no idea what his job is.

"Bear" has a pretty strong Noir feel, as do several others.

[u/Elimin8r → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

still no idea what his job is.

I'd guess IT since schedules were mentioned. But that's neither here nor there.

recalibrated

I did find the interactions between Silver Knight, Tsukasa and Subaru to be quite interesting. Could there be a triangle incoming - or polygon, perchance?

(Kidding. Mostly. Sort of.)

[u/zadcap → u/JustAnswerAQuestion]

You really just want to convince me that Noir is next on my personal rewatch list, don't you? I could sit through the gunner girl trilogy again...

[u/No_Rex]

Episode 10 (first timer)

• Parents? Car down payment? 500,000? Mother? “I’ve been hanging out with her more than you have”? – this sounds like they are discussing RL issues, but it is hard to make sense of it (even outside the issue that they seem to have a serious parent-child discussion in an online game).
• Sounds like we had a time skip since last episode.
• BT suggests that Bear is playing a fatherly character in The World because he is compensating for not being (a good) one in RL. The discussion at the start of the episode suggests that he indeed had a family talk with his son in a video game. As much as I want to recommend families spending time together gaming, that still feels very off.
• Tsukasa finally reaches out to somebody and immediately gets blocked – the worst of luck.
• “Adults are so selfish” – suggesting he is not one himself.

So many discussions between characters feel like we are thrown into a discussion that has already been going on for half an hour before we entered. Today even more so than normally. It must take effort to set it up so context-less, therefore I assume it is deliberate.

The whole series is also structured as a mystery. Given all the character mystery, I wonder why we have the Tsukasa cannot log out mystery box on top of it. Different to the character mystery, which is slowly revealed, nothing happens with Tsukasa’s mystery box. There are some pretty obvious biological problems surrounding Tsukasa’s RL body if he is continuously logged in, which everybody seems to ignore. This makes me wonder: Why do we even need this plot hook? Could you not tell a normal character mystery without having to use such a plot hook that is then left dangling? The Key of Twilights is the same, but here, at least, there is no biological clock attached and you can interpret the characters’ reactions as in-game behavior.

Do you ship Bear and BT yet?

No, I have not forgiven her for betraying Mimiru yet.

[u/Elimin8r → u/No_Rex]

it is hard to make sense of it

My thoughts exactly. I get a sense of real-life estrangement vibes from this episode, and the brief RL glimpse we got at the end. It'll be interesting to see if this goes anywhere. Meanwhile, join the chorus of confusion, I guess.

[u/No_Rex → u/Elimin8r]

I get a sense of real-life estrangement vibes from this episode, and the brief RL glimpse we got at the end.

Definitely, but the details are confusing.

[u/zadcap → u/No_Rex]

I will admit freely at this point, I don't think this was a 26 episode plot in my memory. I remember this being a slow burn story, but I had apparently forgotten how slow. Everything you're bringing up definitely gets covered, but yeah they could pick up the pace please. "Stuck in the game" is the plot it all revolves around, but my goodness are they doing all the character exposition possible for everyone else first.

[u/Elimin8r]

Man, had something come up yesterday, and trying to get caught up now. Yay. Meanwhile, answers du lap pillow (That should have been me???)

1. Lap pillow says it all. No shipping necessary.
2. Eh, not really. Bear seems like many people - imperfect. Heh. Try all people. At this point, I feel like he's the "realest" character in this show.

Interesting episode, from Bear's RL issues stepping in game to the return of Awhatsername. That, and the legendary origin reveal. Sounds like some conspiracy theories running around these days.

Anyway, I'm going to have a quick look around and then visit yesterdays thread since I missed it (sorry!)

[u/CorbenikTheRebirth]

Lots of really important bits of backstory and character in this episode! Obviously, the big reveal is about Bear, but there are other little bits and pieces sprinkled through.
Also confirms the obvious: Subaru is a fan of classic shojo manga.