.hack//Tasogare no Udewa Densetsu
Alternate Titles: .hack//DUSK or .hack//Legend of the Twilight
By: Tatsuya Hamazaki
Director: Kouji Sawai
Genre: Action/Adventure
Rating: Pg - Mild Swearing/Violence
Length of the Anime: 12 Episodes
Year Released: 2003
Reviewing: 6 Episodes
Overall Rating: 86.25%

"The only one who can save 'The World' is you. You must continue the legend of the .hackers" - Aura


Reviewer: Anime_Girl193

Synopsis
It's been four years since the events of the .hack video game series. As a promotion to attract new players to "The World", the game creators held a contest. The prize were the character designs of the original .hackers; Kite and BlackRose. When the winners, 14-year-old twins Shugo(Kite) and Rena(BlackRose), made their first trip to "The World", they encountered a high level monster in a beginner's area. Not only that, but Shugo received the bracelet worn by Kite from a mysterious girl, Aura. Now Shugo, Rena and their new friends start their own adventure to uncover the secrets of "The World".

Story/Plot: 8
The story is very close to the .hack video game series: strange things are happening in "The World", players are falling into comas, Aura is making appearances, etc. However, .hack//DUSK has it's own unique charm in telling the story. From what I've seen so far, there isn't really much of a plot. Most of it is introducing the characters. Still, this series has something about it that makes you want to keep watching. You don't really learn too much about what's been going on in "The World" over the past 4 years. Balmung became a System Administrator, there are some new character types (Werewolf is one, but that's all I know of at this point)... and that's about all. I still have a long way to go before I finish this series though. Who knows, more mysteries may be revealed *suspenseful music plays*.

Characters: 9.5
If you haven't played the .hack video games, you may not feel as attached to some of the characters as someone who has played the games. You'll be left in the dark when it comes to some of the character’s backgrounds (like Balmung and Sanjuro). I love the characters in this series. My initial thoughts were "It'll just be the characters from the game", but there's a bunch of new ones. Some of the character designs for new characters are the same as some from the games; obviously, Shugo and Rena look exactly like Kite and BlackRose, and Mireille looks identical to Mistral. Personality-wise, however, the characters are very different than those of the video game (save Balmung and Sanjuro, who are the same). Shugo's newbie-ness is sooooo kawaii and Mireille's obsession with Shugo's bracelet makes for some adorable moments.

Art: 9
One word: KAWII! The artwork for this series is so cute. The background designs are so pretty and the detail is great. The costume designs for the players are so cool. Truthfully, I haven't seen a flaw in the artwork yet. It's done very well and it's really consistent.

Music: 8
Unlike the other .hack OSTs (which are somber and kind of sad), the music in .hack//DUSK is very upbeat and catchy. The opening theme, "New World", is adorable. Most of the background music has the same idea as the opening theme: upbeat, catchy and cute. There are the occasional mysterious or kind of creepy music for those scenes which require that kind of soundtrack, but for the most part, you get playful music that just makes you want to hug someone ^^.