Symbolism in .hack//SIGN

jamuko · Post by **jamuko** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 10:38 pm

Hello, sorry about being a newbie... don't PK me! ^^;; Anyway, my friends and I were talking about a couple of things we noticed when we were watching //SIGN, and I thought I'd share and see if anyone agrees, disagrees, or has noticed more. I've only seen the first eight episodes so far, so it doesn't have any spoilers. Anyway, on with things...

First of all is the bug thing from the first episode. Has anyone else noticed the symbolism in it? There is a little beetle-like bug that is around Tsukasa a few times throughout the episode. Just while they are having conversations, the bug lands near him and starts walking... and he keeps stopping it. It turns around the other way, and he stops it again. Then, near the end of the episode, he kills it. We were thinking that the bug represents his hope of getting out of The World and returning to reality, since his interactions with the bug seem to correspond.

The second thing I'm not so sure about, but it probably means -something-. In one of the first few episodes (sorry, I forgot which one), Tsukasa feeds a baby Puchiguso something and it grows up... you probably remember that part. It says something weird about how it didn't want to grow up and that there is no use for an old animal like it to be around anymore, and flies away. I guess I haven't seen enough of the series yet to see what this is pointing at, but I think it is foreshadowing of some kind...

Sorry about writing kind of a lot, but it has been on my mind... ^^;; I'd like to hear your opinions on this. Thank nyu! ^-^

LimeyBrit · Post by **LimeyBrit** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 11:09 pm

jamuko wrote:...the bug thing...

You don't actually see the bug getting squished, though it would have to have scuttled off pretty fast to avoid that fate!

Anyway, that symbolism works for me. I also think that the determined stab of his staff that probably finished the bug, was both an indication of his frame of mind in finding some direction & also a hint that Tsukasa may have been led into following a potentially destructive path!

(I'm trying to be careful not include spoilers - we'd need to move to the Serious discussion forum for that)

Asmaria · Post by **Asmaria** » Mon Feb 24, 2003 11:21 pm

I can't remember right now what I thought the first time I saw the bug stuff happen in the first episode - I'm brainfried, 3 hours of sleep. ^^ But I do know that the reason the puchiguso flew away, is because you can only raise one of each kind of puchiguso, or something like that. There was no need to have two adults on that server, of the same kind. Because of that, it left. The actual game won't let you either. ^^;

Rhyste · Post by **Rhyste** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:39 am

My interpretation of the golden bug is that he shoves the bug off, because he doesn't care, and he's been walked over all his life. Later, however, after he's acquired "power," (aka: The Guardian), he squishes it because he feels he has the power to get rid of all of his problems.

MahoTheNeko · Post by **MahoTheNeko** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 12:49 am

Oh God, bugs are bugs, killing bugs is a good hobby .... good interpretation?

Sora · Post by **Sora** » Tue Feb 25, 2003 4:28 pm

>Oh God, bugs are bugs, killing bugs is a good hobby .... good interpretation?

Not to me, actually ^_^ The creators of the series have shown themselves to be just oozing with symbolism and mystery and deeper meanings in the .hack project. Something as noticable as the bug is extremely likely to have some symbolism like what has been mentioned.

It's possible they were like Ikuhara and just wanted a silly looking bug in there, but... you never know.

<||8D

Ruby Red Rose · Post by **Ruby Red Rose** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 8:16 am

Another point about the bug...it's pretty obvious that Tsukasa has been 'hacked' - hence his inability to log out. So...(pun alert!)...Tsukasa is bugged.

Also, the bug might indicate Tsukasa's desire to return to the real world - you'll note at the end he kills it. I think that he not only CAN'T he log out, he doesn't want to. He's a real excapist, imo. I believe in the first episode he says "I don't want to go back to that shitty world."

When he kills the bug, it is symbolic of his opinion that being unable to log out isn't a bug...it's a feature!

OzzyNelson · Post by **OzzyNelson** » Wed Feb 26, 2003 8:26 am

Okay, all this is just making me even more anxious to get my hands on Sign, can't wait till next Tuesday!!!!!

Serge · Post by **Serge** » Wed Mar 12, 2003 6:04 pm

That bug is seen many times throughout the series by both Tsukasa and Subaru. I think that it symbolizes their connection to each other because at the very end it comes back.

Asmaria · Post by **Asmaria** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 1:39 am

But the bug returns in the UdeDen series. o.o; Personally, I think it's spying on them.

MahoTheNeko · Post by **MahoTheNeko** » Thu Mar 13, 2003 1:44 am

hmm.. spying like in the Dragon Ball series? WIERD! no... i think the idea of the connection with subaru is the best idea

Ruby Red Rose · Post by **Ruby Red Rose** » Mon Mar 17, 2003 6:59 am

Klim wrote:That bug is seen many times throughout the series by both Tsukasa and Subaru. I think that it symbolizes their connection to each other because at the very end it comes back.

The bug symbolizing Tsukasa's connection to Subaru doesn't makes sense to me. It shows up in the very first episode, before he even meets Subaru!

Or do you mean that it symbolizes Tsukasa's connection to his RL self? That makes much more sense, imo...

My reason for thinking this is because he kills it in the first episode when he decides that he doesn't want to return to the real world. And when it reappears, it is when he again has hope, and wants to log out - he stops trying to hide from his problems, etc.

Black Lotus · Post by **Black Lotus** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 4:53 pm

I think the bug might be evern bigger than Tsukasa because we also see it in the next series with Shugo. Also are those little glowing things bugs as well?

Rye · Post by **Rye** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 5:39 pm

Well, its not just the bug that can be symbolizim, the staff itself is shown as what he reaches out to at the beginning of the episode, and inplace of it was the visor at the end of the episode. So I thought the staff was his grip on this new reality, and the bug was that confused feeling...Or, something...I havent finished the series, so I still dunno.

I had more thoughts about the other symbolizim, but I tried explaining it to my Dad yesterday and he lost...very lost. So I dont kow how da explain it too well..ah well.

Aaah..poo.

Gandalf · Post by **Gandalf** » Wed Apr 09, 2003 8:07 pm

Well *maybe* the authors were just telling us to love nature and be mindful of our actions and that sort of stuff. I mean The World does have some beautiful scenaries and such in it, so maybe it's all related to tree-hugging

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Symbolism in .hack//SIGN

Symbolism in .hack//SIGN

Re: Symbolism in .hack//SIGN

okay