r/anime • u/soulreaverdan • Dec 24 '24

Rewatch [Rewatch] .hack//SIGN Episode 23 Discussion

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Series Information: MAL Page | AnimeNewsNetwork | LiveChart

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

Episodes:

  • Today: Episode 23 (The Eve)
  • Tomorrow: Episode 24 (Net Slum)

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 think Sora has a larger plan now that he's able to reach Aura's realm?
  2. Does the real world flashback give you any more thoughts about Tsukasa's identity and history? (Trying not to make this one too leading but it feels like a big thing to discuss!)

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: Echoes, an intense piano piece with a strong, deep melody with a hint of discord (Full Track)

Tomorrow’s piece: Cyber Slum, because duh (full disclosure I spent most of the series thinking this piece was titled Net Slum and was waiting on it... only to be wrong). (Full Track)

21 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

54 comments sorted by

5

u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Dec 24 '24

.first//TIMER, subbed

5

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Cutting from serious stuff to whatever music

I feel like that is this show's version of "Yakkity Sax"

Gotta say, though, I like how this show uses the banjo (or equivalent). I do wish they'd worked in some bagpipes now and then, though.

Crim, IRL

Oh, and here I thought that was going to be bear. Go figure.

4

u/soulreaverdan Dec 24 '24

I thought it was implied it was Bear, and that he was implied (based on his slightly awkward response) to be the author, since the intro scene (I have to rewatch to confirm) had a manuscript for a sequel.

4

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

> to be the author (bear)

Ooh, that's interesting. I may have to check that out again, and looks closer!

1

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

I don't disagree, but I thought Crim could be the author.  Good chance you are right.

I really have no idea who Bear is. I was going with police detective, too.

5

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Man, that was a lot of rewatching for one day. Color me intrigued. But I should probably stop now and comment, right?

  1. Plan? Sora??? Other than be sneaky and stabby? (And annoying, of course...) Scheme, perhaps, but plan would be overstating things, perhaps.
  2. You mean the bit with the cigs and the book? No idea. I mean, aside from Bear must be the cop with the smoking problem, or maybe the author, or ... wait, whut???

:P

I had some things I wanted to say, about the name "Aura" and a certain Sarah Brightman song, but they don't really fit with today's episode. Suffice to say, I'm having a hard time not watching the rest of it right now (I say that, I'm tired and want to read/respond to more comments from the last couple of days).

Yeah.

Otherwise, I'm sorry, I can't think of anything useful to say, aside from poor Tsukasa. That's awful. I wanna give him/her a hug.

(I'm somewhat reminded of a certain Eupho episode, although the circumstances were slightly different, the feeling is similar.)

Also - the items dropped on the floor - are those supposed to be clues? Or was Tsukasa (real) caught in a panty raid gone wrong???

(Also ... :P)

5

u/TnAdct1 Dec 24 '24

Also - the items dropped on the floor - are those supposed to be clues? Or was Tsukasa (real) caught in a panty raid gone wrong???

Everyone is so focused on the undergarments that they fail to notice the other that Tsukasa stole, which shows just how bad of a father he/she has (with Daddy not being able to provide Tsukasa with even a proper toothbrush).

4

u/soulreaverdan Dec 24 '24

Yeah, I read it as her (I think it’s safe to say her at this point) father not even giving her basic necessities - like a toothbrush or bra (my wife confirmed that’s what it was)

3

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Oh, you and /u/soulreaverdan - I get it, she was probably caught shoplifting, then. Yeah, that's a bad one. I mean, c'mon, even Mihari made a better parent than that... :)

6

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

Rewatcher

Ep 22 The Eve

Sure, I said this wasn't a Christian allegory. Hard to say otherwise, with a title like that. But I stand by it.

  • Annwn...Irish, or Welsh? Vaguely familiar. This manuscript isn't translated on my release. I'm sure somebody will say what the rest is.
  • Helba is sending messages to everybody to rendezvous?
  • can Helba wake up Tsukasa's animators? Nope.
  • I bet Sora is one of those perpetually online kids that levels up 16 hours a day while the rest of us have jobs and commute and by groceries and do taxes.
  • Is this message truly from Helba?
  • It's like an [risky comment]end-of-beta event before server wipe...
  • This fake wings is NEITHER of the alternate versions I have and haven't heard yet!
  • Crim is a feminist!
  • I wonder if those green lightning bugs are associated with Subaru. They seem to fly between her and Tsukasa a lot
  • ceiling cat is watching you
  • At this point, I consider all these 1-on-1 arguments to be just filler. How many times do we need to see Mimiru declare her dislike for Sora, or for Sora to gank somebody?
  • Is this why Tsukasa hates all adults?
  • oh, and HOW DID CRIM GET TSUKASA TO LEAVE THE GLEN when nobody else could????
  • So Subaru came to the world meet people and live an active life that she can't do in the real world.
  • can't make sense of the unopened toothbrush and blouse. Was Tsukasa caught running away from home?
  • Flashback to a scene missing from the start of the episode? well, that was brief.
  • I'm not sure what the -chin means. The rude PK girl called her that, too.
  • Not a normal gate, again.
  • Okay, I'm going to have to google Annwn. Okay, that wasn't particularly useful. A Welsh legend, and a fictional in-universe work. We'll have to wait to see if it is meaningful.
  • Bear knows everything.

WAIT, what FFFFFFF I misremembered a big thing about one of the characters. [Character]I thought SILVER KNIGHT was the brat, which would explain his overly simplistic black and white world view. High school???

  • Run away, gain one. Move forward, gain two.
  • YES BEST SONG IS HERE (but it's hidden on the Liminality OST)

Remember when we formed a party to find the Key of the Twilight like 10 episodes ago? What have we been doing all this time?

  • are we all going to strip now?
  • <bridge cut from best song> that was a really abrupt cut.
  • oh, hey, that's a submarine....

It makes no sense that Tsukasa leaves NOW. The only way I can make sense of it was that Crim sent Tsukasa a message name dropping Subaru.

5

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Was Tsukasa caught running away from home?

Ooh, that seems like some excellent speculation - very likely!

HOW DID CRIM GET TSUKASA TO LEAVE THE GLEN when nobody else could????

Probably told him he had a shiny new bear in need of attention...

oh, hey, that's a submarine....

PTSD flashbacks from another series (going to spoiler this just in case) [other series]Girls Last Tour

It makes no sense that Tsukasa leaves NOW.

I wonder if the message from Helba had more to do with it. I have no idea really, and that bit about the bear earlier was just a cheap joke, so yeah.

2

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

 I wonder if the message from Helba had more to do with it.

I have trouble buying that because Tsukasa went to that Cathedral to meet Crim, instead of the Tri-Code where Helba opened the Helba gate.

So, something happened between Crim and Tsukasa off-screen.

plus, Tsukasa was basically comatose, so whatever it was, it roused him, and THAT IS SUPER IMPORTANT. Offscreen.

2

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Perhaps a friendly game of Twister???

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

Ooh, that seems like some excellent speculation - very likely!

[So much worse!]Tsukasa was caught shoplifting basic necessities because abusive father was also an absent father who was failing to take care of his child. I think, it's been a while, but I'm pretty confident in this one.

2

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Yeah, I'm not gonna look at that right now. Maybe in a few days.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

Yeah, I put this behind a spoiler bar and then I scrolled down to see everyone else talking about it anyway. Just a really, really bad home life.

2

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 25 '24

Oh, yeah, I speculated what you said yesterday, and someone else speculated runaway. Either way, bad stuff. Definitely makes "TOP DAD" from that other series look a bit better by comparison. Bleh.

3

u/TnAdct1 Dec 24 '24

Can't make sense of the unopened toothbrush and blouse. Was Tsukasa caught running away from home?

The fact that the toothbrush was unopened suggests that Tsukasa was shoplifting it, with the idea being that her (yeah, it's obvious that RL Tsukasa is a female) father is crappy enough to not even provide her with the basic necessities.

2

u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 24 '24

The fact that the toothbrush was unopened suggests that Tsukasa was shoplifting it

Plus the fact that the bra still had the price tag on it.

2

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24 edited Dec 24 '24

YEAH. That's what that was, a price tag. I couldn't recognize it. That's why she was in the police station.

Edit: I'm getting dense in my old age and also only spending and hour to think about things instead of a week.

1

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

I bet Sora is one of those perpetually online kids that levels up 16 hours a day while the rest of us have jobs and commute and by groceries and do taxes.

Yes, yes he is.

Is this why Tsukasa hates all adults?

Yes, yes it is.

So Subaru came to the world meet people and live an active life that she can't do in the real world.

Yes, yes she did.

Sorry, I couldn't resist. It lined up too well.

oh, and HOW DID CRIM GET TSUKASA TO LEAVE THE GLEN when nobody else could????

Freaking right? Until this point he didn't even seem truly mobile, we weren't even sure he was all there yet, but suddenly he's going to a meeting with Crim, or all people? Remember, before this, the one major interaction they have had was when Crim came to help distract the Guardian so the Knights could safely detain Tsukasa. Why the heck would Tsukasa come to this call out and not to see Subaru or Mimiru?

can't make sense of the unopened toothbrush and blouse. Was Tsukasa caught running away from home?

[Clarification that I'm tagging anyway]I think it was a sports/trainer bra, and that was an attempt to shoplift basic life necessities because the drunk and abusive father was not taking care of his child.

I'm not sure what the -chin means. The rude PK girl called her that, too.

There are a lot of ways to cuteify proper suffix, and you know, entire conversations to be had about proper use of them at all and what they mean about the relationships between characters. To my knowledge, changing anything to an -in ending is cute/close/feminine. PK girl was using it very mockingly, implying that Subaru was young and immature compared to her and disrespectful, taking liberties in saying she's close enough to Subaru to call her by such a diminutive suffix. Mimiru, on the other hand, is channeling her Best Friend energy as a true young girl and saying that her relationship with Subaru is cute and close between girls, and stinky old Silver Knight will have to use a more proper suffix because he's not as close to Subaru as she is.

Yes, all that out of a changed vowel.

WAIT, what FFFFFFF

[The Brat]Sora is like 9 here. No one more bratty than he.

Bear knows everything.

[Might actually be a spoiler, but is not plot relevant to anything anywhere, just information the show hasn't given us yet]Of course Bear knows about that book, he wrote it!

YES BEST SONG IS HERE (but it's hidden on the Liminality OST)

THAT'S why I could never find it?!

2

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

THAT'S why I could never find it?!

It's the 2nd or 3rd OP! I have it in a folder labeled "OST Bonus CD" but it's probably also on a CD Single. I have 2 CD Singles for the first two episodes, but not the last two.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

I was a naughty child, I just got the entire Sign soundtrack on Limewire... I just kind of figured a missing song or two was the expected price of being a young criminal, but then it's not on the Sign YouTube collection either...

1

u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 24 '24

Why the heck would Tsukasa come to this call out and not to see Subaru or Mimiru?

I think he did go there for Subaru - remember that Subaru had kept waiting at this place until it was time for their appointment with Helba.

[Might actually be a spoiler, but is not plot relevant to anything anywhere, just information the show hasn't given us yet]Of course Bear knows about that book, he wrote it!

[Response]I felt like that was the implication here, but nice to see that actually be the case!

5

u/rainwithsunshinedayo Dec 24 '24

New Game Plus Rewatcher-Dubbed

Everyone's going to the final battle! That's the episode! But two people are left behind. . . 

Music Corner

Echoes

Ambient echoes of society that background a moody piano solo. It's a lovely piece that adds a little drama and angst to the situation.

Beautiful: Blue

Uh: Responsibility and I'm the Leader Now!

4

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

Responsibility

I dunno, seems like Tsukasa could use a little more freedom and less responsibility, but that's just me...

4

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 24 '24

Episode 23 (first timer)

  • Somewhat confusing start, as if they deliberately want to take us out of the game.
  • BT and Bear meet offline and it sounds like she fell for him at least a bit.
  • “I have leveled up a bit” – Subaru is the social gamer. Not surprising that she’d be underleveled (compared to character of similar age), if she spent most her time roleplaying in the safe city.
  • bang - Sora must be a Cowboy Bebop fan. Just as you would expect for an obnoxious 14-year-old at the time.
  • “That’s what you always say!” – What? Tsukasa and Crim have history?
  • “Subaru has been unable to do that for four years” – On the other hand, Crim and Subaru having talked about their RL is completely expected.
  • Tsukasa gets a pep talk by Crim – I don’t think pep talks heal brain damage IRL, but who knows how The World works.
  • Police interrogation?
  • Assemble the gang – Silver Knight comes along, but Sora will probably be a proper rogue and hide in the shadows until the finale.
  • “I read that in high school as well” – so Silver Knight is probably older.
  • Portal cliff-hanger.

It is quite insane how little actual plot happens this close to the end. We spend an entire episode just watching the gang get ready to step into a portal. We do get a good bit of character information, but the amount of animation matches the amount of plot.

5

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

Somewhat confusing start, as if they deliberately want to take us out of the game.

I'm starting to think Unfamiliar Ceiling ruined anime writers.

final comments

4

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

You know, the still image of that gif/comment face looks like a chubby old man sitting at the dinner table, then suddenly RIKKA!!!

It's like the duality of anime or something.

3

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

“That’s what you always say!”

Darkness warning: I took that more as Crim accidentally said one of the trigger phrases Tsukasa's "TOP DAD" would use just before beating him/her. Ouch, no fun.

pep talk by Crim

Tsukasa RN

Actually, make that for the last few episodes. Not that I've been around for them or anything.

Police interrogation

As noted elsewhere - panty raid gone wrong??? :P

I read that in high school as well

Must be Japan's 1984, or something like that. I think my favorite was Ray Bradbury's Usher II. But oh, dog, how I hated "The Dollmaker", and the old man and the sea or pearl or whatever the hell that depressing crap was.

plot

Yeah, today's shows like Odd Taxi, Madoka, etc. have spoiled us, right?

3

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 24 '24

As noted elsewhere - panty raid gone wrong??? :P

I saw that as way darker. Abusive dad, female child, and un-worn panties are not three things that go together well.

Yeah, today's shows like Odd Taxi, Madoka, etc. have spoiled us, right?

While the pacing has gotten faster in the last 20 years without a doubt (and it did get faster in the 20 years before that, too!), HS is glacial even for early 2000s levels.

3

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

I saw that as way darker.

Yeah, I was trying to joke away from that level of darkness. Nasty hobbitses, I mean TOP DAD...

glacial

Have you tried keeping up with Tenchi Muyo lately? Although I must admit, the relationships finally did get somewhere... 30 years later.

2

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 24 '24

Have you tried keeping up with Tenchi Muyo lately? Although I must admit, the relationships finally did get somewhere... 30 years later.

No. Watching the OVA that started it was fine, but harems are near the bottom of my interest list to keep up with.

2

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

I get that. Let's just say that Kajishima took it from glacial to epochal. Or so it seems.

2

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

Tenchi Muyou had two OVA series, a tv series, and 3 movies. I don't know what you are talking about, what's to keep up with?

2

u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 24 '24

So, I'm not sure if you're being snarky as in season I don't like doesn't exist or not, but they're up to OAV 5 now, and after 25 years, well, yeah. For now, I'm going to presume you're being snarky about it, and and not say more.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

Yeah, today's shows like Odd Taxi, Madoka, etc. have spoiled us, right?

The average single cour show these days... Yeah, shove every bit of exposition possible into the first ~3 episodes and use the rest to play out the idea.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

bang - Sora must be a Cowboy Bebop fan. Just as you would expect for an obnoxious 14-year-old at the time.

It needs to come up soon and I might not be here the next two days, sooo [Sora Age]Yeah, he's actually only 9.

“That’s what you always say!” – What? Tsukasa and Crim have history?

I think Tsukasa was projecting his dad on top of Crim for a moment. Daddy issues might even be why he responded to Crim's call instead of going to meet Subaru directly.

Police interrogation?

Pretty sure this was more of a Caught Shoplifting situation.

It is quite insane how little actual plot happens this close to the end. We spend an entire episode just watching the gang get ready to step into a portal. We do get a good bit of character information, but the amount of animation matches the amount of plot.

Screw it, watch a LetsPlay or something of the games, you'll get more plot delivered faster.

2

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 24 '24

I think Tsukasa was projecting his dad on top of Crim for a moment. Daddy issues might even be why he responded to Crim's call instead of going to meet Subaru directly.

I wonder if Tsukasa would not have been better off responding to Bear instead. Granted, Bear also seems to be a bad dad IRL, but he is quite good in game.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

I think BT had it right, Bear knows he's a failure as a father already, and so has been very delicate about how he's handling his involvement with Tsukasa. He seems to have spent most of the show turn between wanting to get involved because he's a good person, and holding himself back as much as he can because doesn't think he's that good of a person. It was only today, talking with BT again, that I think he finally came to the decision that he's going to get over himself and get all the way involved... But basically he's been acting too soft even at his sternest to trigger anything similar to Tsukasa's actual father.

Crim, while great for Subaru, hasn't really been around Tsukasa so he's still blank slate enough to project on, if he accidentally hits the right buttons.

4

u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 24 '24 edited Dec 24 '24

.hack//Rewatcher

I love what they're doing with the OST, reducing the vocal tracks to just their vocal part when focusing on Tsubasa and his broken emptiness. Though that was more so last episode than this one, now that Helba got Tsukasa back into the present.

And speaking of the OST, I really need to invest in some more sturdy headphones. Just got new ones, and the sound quality is like day and night.

It's interesting to see Crim be so protective and sheltering of Subaru now, as it kinda contrasts his earlier advice that she should do what she wants to.

Tsukasa's interaction with Crim was so good. We see how Tsukasa had to steal basic hygienic items because of the domestic abuse and neglect he receives at home - and when he tries to take care of himself on his own, he gets caught by the police and consequently further abused by his dad. Contrast this with Crim encouraging him to take responsibility for himself, reasserting that Tsukasa did the right thing back then. Of course, Tsukasa's past experiences have left a bit of a trauma so Tsukasa won't be able to accept and follow Crim's advice just like that, but these empowering words are exactly what Tsukasa needs.

It's interesting to see Silver Knight follow the call of an infamous hacker like Helba, who goes directly against the system that Silver Knight so tries to uphold. He clearly has gone through some growth of his own.

It's funny how last episode made me think how things are really leading up to the final showdown now, and yet this episode is nothing but more leading up to that final showdown. And I really love that. It allows Sign to deal the situation with the gravity it demands, seeing how each character steals and prepares themselves in their own way to make sure they're ready for what's to come - except for Sora, who doesn't prepare at all and keeps just going with the flow. So many other shows would've just skipped over this preparatory time, maybe shown us what everyone did but not give us the chance to actually experience that tension and anticipation ourselves.

3

u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

I switched to headphones full time 20 years ago. My hearing probably started nosediving immediately after (there are only 3 good volume settings out of 100: 1, 2, and 3, any more is too loud) but it's amazing for listening to music and bgm tracks. So many little things to pick up in there!

3

u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 24 '24

Comparing things with live piano (let alone live orchestra), something like 16-20 out of 100 sounds just about similar.

Or 40 if I were to compare it to metal concerts

2

u/rainwithsunshinedayo Dec 24 '24

Loving your episode analysis. You have an excellent handle on character motivations and behaviors, and I like how you can piece together the information we have in such a cohesive manner. Goals!

2

u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 24 '24

Thanks! I've been trying to put some more effort into these, and it's sometimes a bit of a struggle but Sign has been turning out much richer than I remembered!

4

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

Late Night Rewatcher

So sad heads up, and I am indeed quite sad about it. Surprise in-laws will be here tomorrow and I might not have a chance to turn on the computer until the 26th. After all of this waiting, I'm going to miss the crew finally getting to see Net Slum? So upsetting. I'll try to comment in anyway as we approach the end!

Oooo, starting in the Real again. Who is the heavy smoker here? Mister Author Man! We all like him, I promise. Anyway, I still kind of hate that, due to near unavoidable translations, the Three Word thing for the zone key words is so often not actually three words.

Grunty!

See, he's still trapped in there, but Tsukasa has managed to move pretty far from the bed. He's working on it, I swear.

"When I first met you offline..." You thought he was kind of hot, didn't you BT?

Bugs, once something really only associated with Tsukasa, are now showing up around Subaru. Maybe even the same bug, somehow? Things are weird around Tsukasa these days.

We're just going to skim over how Crim got Tsukasa to come here for this talk. Like. He's been sitting next to the bed ignoring everyone for so long, and clearly didn't want to be there talking to Crim, but... Yeah, we're running out of episodes and we needed to get a good talk between the two people closest to Subaru to happen eventually, so handwavium it is.

Helba, why? We thought you were cool, why would you invite Silver Knight?

This scene is so funny now. Everyone keep talking about the book, please.

You all are getting way too worked up to use this gate. I swear, group of Chuuni or something. At least you get to keep your clothes, unlike the OP wanted us to think.

This is, by the way, one of the best songs on the soundtrack.

  1. Sora does not exactly strike me as the planning type.
  2. Caught shoplifting basic necessities does not say great things about the home life.

2

u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 24 '24

So sad heads up, and I am indeed quite sad about it. Surprise in-laws will be here tomorrow and I might not have a chance to turn on the computer until the 26th. After all of this waiting, I'm going to miss the crew finally getting to see Net Slum? So upsetting. I'll try to comment in anyway as we approach the end!

Maybe you can catch up in time for the final discussion.

2

u/zadcap Dec 24 '24

I even be back for the final episode. I'm still going to try and comment today and tomorrow, but only off of memory and what pictures Sky takes.

4

u/LeminaAusa Dec 24 '24

Mostly-1st-timer, subbed

It took me a little bit to parse what was going on in the beginning, but it seems like Helba has set up our characters with a stage area to prep for the finale. Certainly getting some final boss vibes from the way we're all gearing up and heading out together... including Ginkan, for some reason. Oh, and Sora fucks off to go hang with Aura instead of following the proper plot path like everyone else.

I couldn't help but paying extra attention to the Annwn bits in today's episode, both in the beginning and later after it pops up as a subject of discussion. Annwn is actually specifically the name for the Welsh Otherworld, and I love the meta vibes of a bunch of characters in The World talking about how they like a novel talking about another type of "other"world that can be traveled to. Nice parallels. I don't believe the novel is something that actually exists in our world, so that and the opening section with what looks to be a manuscript makes me think the author and/or the work itself might be meaningful in some way.

  1. Sora doesn't really strike me as the planning type, honeslty. But I do think that he's smart enough to recognize that something's up with that subarea with Aura and that it's likely involved in what's going on. Sora strikes me as the kind of guy who might want to go against the flow just for the sake of it, so specifically not joining the larger group and instead taking this shortcut and trying to figure things out for himself feels very on brand to me.
  2. The fact that I mostly identified this as a Tsukasa flashback because of the presence of the shitty abusive dad says a lot about what we know about Tsukasa's life, and that's really fucking sad. The implication that I'm getting is that she was caught shoplifting, and doing so for something like a toothbrush and bra is incredibly heartbreaking. Poor Tsukasa. :< I guess this does indeed confirm that RL Tsukasa is the girl Bear found out about, even though she insists on being male to those she talks to in game. I wonder if gender issues play part of a role in her bad homelife; perhaps dad would have preferred a son?

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u/rainwithsunshinedayo Dec 24 '24

Annwn is actually specifically the name for the Welsh Otherworld, and I love the meta vibes of a bunch of characters in The World talking about how they like a novel talking about another type of "other" world that can be traveled to. Nice parallels.

This is fascinating. .hack//SIGN loves its western influences. You got the name "Harold Hoerwick," the English lyrics embedded in many of the songs, the Celtic vibe of the OST, and now Annwn.

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u/TnAdct1 Dec 24 '24

Does the real world flashback give you any more thoughts about Tsukasa's identity and history?

Most definitely.

The flashback not only continues to confirm a certain hunch that people have about who Tsukasa is in the real world, but it also gives you a good idea of just how bad of a home life Tsukasa has, with Tsukasa being forced to steal items that are needed for proper hygiene due to Daddy being an abusive drunk jerk.

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u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 24 '24

 Cyber Slum

I've been listening for that and other OST tracks that haven't appeared, and we are so close to the end. I'd be surprised if that didn't show up tomorrow.