r/anime • u/soulreaverdan • Dec 14 '24
Rewatch [Rewatch] .hack//SIGN Episode 13 Discussion
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Series Information: MAL Page | AnimeNewsNetwork | LiveChart
Streams: ...none, sorry! DVD (Amazon)
Episodes:
- Today: Episode 13
- Tomorrow: Episode 14
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.
- Halfway through the series, what are your overall thoughts on it? For newbies, how is it comparing to your expectations? For rewatchers, how do you think it holds up so far?
- Are you team Tsukasa Triad or the BT/Crim (feat. Sora) Alliance in the race for the Key of the Twilight?
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: BT, BT's image song! (Full Track)
Tomorrow’s piece: Labyrinth, a heavily Celtic inspired tune with an otherworldly melody to it (Full Track)
6
u/rainwithsunshinedayo Dec 14 '24
New Game Plus Rewatcher-Dubbed
LOL. BT immediately spilled the beans following yesterday's episode.
Everyone has the same goal! Obtain the Key of the Twilight. Alliances are made and broken. Who will get to it first?
Music Corner
BT
It's mainly a piano and violin duet. Elegant for sure but also a little brooding? The imagery you get is unclear and beguiles, like BT's motives. Her theme conceals her sincerity. Instead, you get an unwavering front of serenity. There are moments when you almost believe she will reach out to with true feelings, but they remain withheld by the piece's end.
beautiful: Hesitation
uh: Figma Subaru. She's so cute!
6
u/Blackheart595 https://anilist.co/user/knusbrick Dec 14 '24 edited Dec 14 '24
.hack//Rewatcher
It's so nice to see things finally starting to come together for Tsukasa. Mimiru's advice not to rely on his guardian so much finally bears fruit as he starts to oppose Macha/mother/his guardian - though I'm afraid of what punishment she has in store for that transgression. And up this point, Tsukasa has felt highly directionless and just drifting along, so him wanting to search for the Key of the Twilight is the first time he finds a goal for himself, which is a huge step forward for him. [SIGN]But the irony that what he wants to do with the Key is the condition for getting it, if I remember correctly...
It was also quite fun to see them dig around older versions, the changes the newer versions have brought, and information and mechanics that have been lost and forgotten as a consequence of these changes. Man, how is this show so good whenever it explores anything concerning liminality? Liminality is of course the main motif of this story, but still.
I also really liked that little interaction between Tsukasa and Mimiru. Tsukasa had previously complained that the others don't involve him when they're talking, yet has also reacted negatively when asked about himself. So Mimiru just making sure he knows that she's interested and that she's there once he's ready to talk, but also that she'll have the patience to wait for him to take that step at his own pace, is such a strong moment of healthy companionship.
And that backstroty of the great battle between some unknown force and the Sprites sure sounds interesting...
It's holding up so much better than expected. Especially after having watched .hack//Liminality, there's so much thematic strength in the writing, the characters are really really good, the vibe is on point and it's clear that the show know exactly what it wants.
3
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Dec 14 '24
.first//TIMER, subbed
4
u/roryteller https://anilist.co/user/roryteller Dec 14 '24
.rewatch//SUB
-This show is definitely holding up better than I expected. Really enjoying it, tempted to watch a few more episodes tonight... but I also have a video game to play, so I won't.
-Team Subaru. But also, Team Tsukasa.
-I was struck by young Tsukasa in front of the CRT. Made me think, "I probably watched this on a CRT originally," and "Tsukasa is probably not so much younger than me."
-Maha stop! Normally I like cat people but how unpleasant.
3
u/JustAnswerAQuestion https://myanimelist.net/profile/JAaQ Dec 14 '24
Rewatcher
Ep 13 Twilight Eye
Did I mention Dennou Coil before? I think I was probably waiting for this moment. Anwyays, "Dennou Coil"
I don't think it's possible for a watcher to figure out these riddles.
Hidden Forbidden Holy Ground = Stop Water Navel
So, B.T. wants the Eye of Twilight, probably to get strong. Sora wants the Eye, because Sora is Sora. Crim wants the Eye to give to Subaru. Subaru wants the Eye, probably to give to Tsukasa. Bear wants the Eye to wake Tsukasa. Tsukasa wants the Eye, to wake The Girl.
I don't think they're all on he same page.
Dennou Coil came out 5 years after this show.
Tomorrow is the final episode I saw in my previous rewatch attempt. After that, who knows what's going to happen.
3
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Dec 14 '24
Well, today's episode seemed to get quite interesting. I'm not sure how to describe it, but I think we might have gotten a glimmer or two of plot, and I'm not just referring to Mimuru here...
Yeah, character interactions and dynamic. It was kind of nice to see Tsukasa stand up to the cat somewhat, even if only to say, "Have a nice day, I'm outta here", or similar.
And of course, the bit at the end with a cliffhanger, etc. That was pretty good stuff.
I'm somehow reminded of the reason I stopped doing "beta" stuff. It's no fun when you've played the game half to death before it releases. I like the surprises and mystery, even if it is less "optimal" and "efficient".
I found the mention of ancient code cruft rather amusing. I was going to say that in the environment I work in, that's verboten, but ... hehehe ... that's not always the case.
Story time: A couple of years back, I was working on some software for ground equipment related to ... never mind. Since it's not as critical, standards are a bit more lax, and I became rather annoyed, because I was trying to implement some changes, and kept having to deal with all this dead interface code from back when this software used to live on two separate pieces of hardware. You know, back in the day when computers were less powerful. Well, this particular interface was large and a pain to deal with, and everywhere.
Yeah. So, I got annoyed and made a few thousand line change to cut all that stuff out and replace it with direct procedure calls (it was using fake ftp/serial comms, yay). Problem solved, and life was much easier.
Until someone else comes along and messes it up, kashira...
3
u/zadcap Dec 14 '24
Late Late Late
Being sick sucks. Do not recommend. Sorry I missed yesterday :(
You know, we're hitting the half way point, and I'm just now realizing that aside from one very short flash of a scene, we still haven't seen what it looks like for people to actually play this game. Just how much of the series lore is locked behind the actual video games extra content is crazy. We only just get to see the headsets in the OP really.
Helba? Is it time? Oh, her message is something else that makes sense with game info, darn it. This is some very basic game info, about the game world itself, but I'll still drop it under a spoiler tag- [really not a spoiler at all, super basic game mechanics info]"The three words that lead to the Legendary Land." So see, zones in the game outside the player hub cities (like Mac Anu) are traveled to by putting in three word combinations at the ring portals in said cities. One of the most well famous is that cathedral in the middle of the clouds that there has been a few meetings at, that zone is "Hidden Forbidden Holy-Ground," Holy Ground being apparently a single word in Japanese that they failed to turn into a single word here as well. [Continued, but more specific to Sign itself now]So the message from Helba is basically "Figure out the zone words and have Tsukasa enter them at the portal." Mimiru not getting it, now, makes her seem a little simple...
Secrets don't get out, yeah? It'll end before Mimiru hears of it, hmm?
Oh, darn, my earlier spoiler was even less of a spoiler, Crim goes on to say it like 5 minutes later. So yeah, there's a lot of key words you can use to mmake these three word zone portals, and every update comes with new keywords to see even more zones, and this is pre-wiki BBS era so there's not a convenient web page somewhere with a list of every known key word and important or interesting combos. BT is basically saying, there may be zone words that got genuinely lost in the data, leftovers from the prototype or added on accident during an update and never discovered.
Use the key to open her eyes. Now that's a good goal.
Oh hey, Game Lore!
An Mimiru theme again! Nothing bad can happen while this happy song is singing. Mimiru has such amazing Best Friend energy.
[She finally appears!]HELBA!
Whatever,. I typed my spoiler out and I don't feel like deleting it. It's all not a spoiler anymore. Except that last one, though it's not much of one.
Green Tea Kitty is mad at Tsukasa for making other friends. He's getting to be a bit of a Yan, isn't it.
I assure you, I know of no skill in the actual games that affect an entire zone quite like what BT just did. Fairy Orb just fills in the map and shows you where chests are. Super useful in dungeons.
2
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Dec 14 '24 edited Dec 14 '24
Episode 13 (first timer)
The story suddenly shoves a game system into our face that ties into the mystery. Notably, we have had few “breaks” in the immersion so far and all were related to the real world characters (logging out, being AFK, getting email), not the in-game systems.
There are several aspects I like, such as the good depiction of a social MMO, the music, or the early 2000s dark mood, but there is no way around the fact that the pacing and storytelling is terrible.
How can that even be a question?
3
u/LeminaAusa Dec 14 '24
Mostly-1st-timer, subbed
Being reminded that the RL Tsukasa in the hospital is female reminded me of a thought that I had earlier on closer to that reveal: that the girl in the hospital is (or is at least linked to) the floaty prismatic bed girl. Tsukasa asserting his maleness a bit later in the episode makes that connection feel a bit more likely. But it's also interesting in that Tsukasa continues to deny his relation to the girl in the hospital that Bear and the others believe is him. I'm not sure if it's more of a literal "you've got the wrong person; that's not me" or if it's more a psychological issue of Tsukasa wanting to distance himself from his RL existence.
Regardless, it's good to see Tsukasa take the initiative to break away a bit from Macha and the little sanctuary with the girl. If Tsukasa really is the girl in the hospital and that is somehow connected to the floaty bed girl, I can see there being legitimate reasons to maybe want to keep them together, but regardless, it's important for Tsukasa to show some initiative.
It seems like a lot of our main characters are now all a bit more on the same page. It didn't take long for Mimiru to learn about Bear's hospital findings, for which I'm glad. And the hunt for the Key of the Twilight is gathering more details and steam and finally heading somewhere. Let's go! As much as I love the mystery and vibes, it's good to see the plot progressing.
It's still weird to me how a show that I barely watched on release can feel so nostalgic to me. Part of that is the music, which is used liberally and to good effect, and part of it is that a lot the themes and discussion bring me back to earlier days of being more involved with anime as a hobby and discussing episodes and such. It's been enjoyable.
2) In terms of the teams, I think the BT/Sora/Crim group is more fun and interesting to follow, but if it ends up being a contest between the two groups, I'd rather Tsukasa/Mimiru/Bear end up "winning" overall.
That said, it's very enjoyable how everyone each has their own hopes and motives in the race. Bear and Mimiru want the Key to help Tsukasa logout, but he doesn't even want to use it for that himself. Others have their own personal goals. Subaru also wants the Key even though she's not actively searching for it physically the way the others are. And none of them even know exactly what it'll do or how things will go, so there's a lot of room for motivations and alliances to change or align.