.hack//Dusk
Umm... Shouldn't all anime series have a "No U-Turn" sign built in?
Review by: M.H. "Kissin' my loveache" Torringjan
Length: 12 episodes
Genre: Fantasy/adventure/comedy/mush
Watched: 12 eps, subbed
You know, I figured that there'd be a marked difference between the .hack//Sign series and its sequel series, .hack//Dusk, but to tell the truth, I never expected it to go all oatmeal on me. That's right, the series changed from introspective and mysterious to hack and slash to... g'huh?! Not that this is necessarily a bad thing, just... well... okay, it's prety confusing.
Plot Synopsis: Four years after the Twilight incident described in the video game series (concluded in part four, for those of you keeping track), two kids, Shugo and Rena, join the online gaming community of "The World," hoping to be able to spend more time together after their parents split up. Upon logging on, they are informed that they have won a contest, which awards them with the character designs of the dot hackers, Kite and Black Rose. I personally would have preferred a life-time supply of Little Debbie snack cakes, so that I'd never have to leave my desk for the rest of my life, but I suppose they should take what they can get. However, as they begin their playing experience and get attacked by creatures of incredible strength in odd places, it becomes evident that the character designs run more than skin deep. Shugo and Rena have to use the powers of the Bracelet as the outbreak of comas begins again to solve the new mystery.
Artwork: The artwork of this series really went... chibi all of a sudden. I mean, sure, Kite was a bit of a short fry in the first place, but these guys took the shortness and changed it into cute shortness. Or cute shortness, I'm not really sure which. And with this chibification of the characters came a livening up of the colors and backgrounds. The change wasn't completely unappreciated, since it goes fairly well with the lightened attitude of the show. Besides, there's only so many times you can stare at the same pink dungeon before you say, "For chrissake, hire a third dungeon programmer!" The variety in this series of the settings was a great improvement over the past incarnations of the franchise.
Music: Yoko Kanno, it ain't. For that matter, it isn't weven Yuki Kajiura. In all honesty, this is about as far from either one as you can get. The light, airy music got subbed in for the meaningful (although somewhat repetitive) string and orchestral tracks of the first series and the game, again, to reflect a change in the mood of the series. Am I the only one who's getting tired of this "light and airy" crap? The worst part is, this series didn't even improve on the "variety" gripe that I had with the other parts of the series! As in the previous series, the same three or so tracks play in the same situations in this series over and over again. This really gets old after a while, especially when what you're listening to is bubblegum. Although the opening theme is a nice, catchy tune that I didn't mind listening to for 12 episodes straight, I will admit.
Characters: Shugo's a normal boy who got dragged into the game by his sister, Rena, dragged into being a hero by Aura, and dragged into being a putz by no one in particular. Originally he seems to be the comic relief of the series by being an inept hero a la Sailor Moon, but as the series treads on, he becomes more comfortable with his situation and the responsibilities that approach him. He's totally loyal to his sister and a little bit of a perv, which really served to endear me to him, personally. Rena, Shugo's sister, is a little bit more knowledgable in the ways of The World, although she's just a newb as 
well. She plays the oblivious girl who everyone seems to have a crush on, prompting Shugo's protective instincts towards her. Mireille is a Wavemaster who adores rare items, and seems willing to go to any length to get them. She's a hard-working team member with a cheery attitude and somewhat oblivious to the weight of the situation surroundnig the group. Orca is an expert player who's had a bit part in previous games, and suddenly shows up in this series for no raisin. And he got a makeover. Anthro fans, rejoice, Orca's made into a wolf girl! Shades of Hyper Police! Although Orca's got no clue what's going on, either, what with being in a coma through the whole Twilight incident, he... er, she is the fiercest fighter of the group and is most familiar with the workings of the game, aiding the group in times of need. Sanjuro is another familiar face from the games, and as such takes on the role of th mentor to Shugo, in order to train him in the game and advise him for his own safety. Which Shugo then proceeds to ignore. Finally, for everyone who loves the stand-offish type, you're not going to be happy with this one. Balmung of the Azure Sky, the same guy from the games, has come back as a system administrator, after receiving a promotion from the ranks of lowly player. He organizes events for the players and keeps the peace between errant denizens of the game and the players. He gets drawn back into the action when it becomes apparent that Shugo's bracelet is a sign of more dangerous things to come. Of course, as a system adnimistrator, his demeanor's completely changed from that of a stern enforcer to that of a laid-back player with lots of power.
Plot: The plot here's so much less deep than the rest of the series ever was. Not that it isn't interesting, it's just that it seems to focus more on the two main characters than it does on the situation of what's happening in The World. It basically seemed like "Well, we finished with those cookie cutter characters in the video games. Now, let's see what *these* cookie cutter 
characters with less dramatic appeal will do in a similar situation!" There's no real questions of any philosophical import in this series, just "let's do it again, just funny this time!" Now, it could be that this is your thing, and if so, feel free to watch it and revel in the shallowness of the situation.
CHICKS!! Not bad, I suppose. First, you've got Rena, who looks like a thirteen year-old weilding a large sword. Not my type, but feel free to chase after her at your own leisure. Her cheery attitude and her determination make her a pretty attractive character. Her form's a bit on the small-ish side, though. However, look at Orca, and you've found yourself a real woman-looking thing. Unfortunately, this is in all probability a male in real life, so that dims the appeal a bit. So, in conclusion, if you're a desperate furry who loves a wolf-woman-looking thing who can kick your ass, Orca's the way to go. Hotaru and Mireille are... well... can we say "statutory?" Great, I knew you could. Now, let's move along.
Overall: You know, I read the manga of this, and it really worked well, I thought. On paper, that is. The humor presented in a different medium was rather appropriate for the new incarnation of the series. However, the transition to screen was not kind to the series, what with the whole chibi-ness and whatnot. I had picked this series up without knowing what it was about, after having read the manga, and I was kind of expecting something that went along with the other anime series in mood and style. And while the proper adjustments are made to make the two match, the idea of making the change in itself is kind of off-putting. On the upside, since this series has nothing to do with the rest of the series, there's about nil in the way of spoilers for the end of the series. Overall, I'd say watch it if you really didn't care about the original series, but like the general premise. If you were kind of attached to it, though, you might remember to take the series with a grain of salt.
In a nutshell:
+ Nice artwork
+ Some familiar faces
+ Light-hearted humor
- Shallow, unimportant plot
- Annoying, repetetive soundtrack
- Lack of chickage
- Still got no deep characters.
Final grade: 5.5/10
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