Please tell me it gets better!?!?

pastorbickley · Post by **pastorbickley** » Tue Mar 04, 2003 10:47 pm

Well I have watched all of .hack//SIGN and I thought it was amazing, so I downloaded .hack//DUSK. I've watched the first episode so far and I must say that I am not impressed. For one thing it seems more like a comedy! One thing i loved about SIGN is that it was serious and really brought you into the world. Is it worth watching the other episodes or are they all as corney as the first? The other thing I noticed is the animation is much more chibby as well

What happened to the great animation of SIGN?

Tsukasa · Post by **Tsukasa** » Tue Mar 04, 2003 10:59 pm

Actually... UdeDen is also animated by the same studio who did SIGN. (BeeTrain) The anime for it is based off of the manga of the same name, which has been known to be humorous and silly at points (When Shugo gets kicked around by the level 1 monster in the anime isn't as funny as it was in the manga. n.n;;), although there -are- things that are quite different between the two.

By what I can guess to be vol 2 of the manga, they will have brought in a character named Zefy, who is kind of a change to things. Also Kamui and the Blue Knights will have appeared as well, and people are trying to figure out things happening around them.

The anime has completely diverged from the manga since the start. The main one (until ep 5) is that Shugo and Rena don't live together, and that their parents are separated. There's a bunch of stuff that happens later in the anime that's a lot more like our typical '.hack' that we've seen in other stuff, but... I'll concede to leave them out here, because they are, indeed, spoilers.

I can say this, though... the difference between SIGN and UdeDen comes from two things. 1) The chibi art style is actually fairly close to Izumi's art, which I think is adorable. 2) In SIGN, you're seeing The World from the perspective of a more serious group of people. In UdeDen, it comes across as a game to the main characters. It's nothing more than a game. Shugo fails to realize that the bracelet is NOT a rare item for quite awhile, in fact. With this in mind, Shugo and Rena take and percieve everything in The World a lot less seriously than others in the previous series have.

It's like what was said by many people in SIGN. The World has no overall goal. It is only what you make it. The game will be different for everyone who plays it. We're only seeing that statement take more meaning when you compare Dusk and SIGN together, as two different people- a kid with problems in real life and seeking a place to escape ; and a kid who's using the game to have fun with his twin sister - are playing it for two completely different reasons become tied in the same long mystery.

pastorbickley · Post by **pastorbickley** » Tue Mar 04, 2003 11:37 pm

Thanks for the info Tsukasa, I have a feeling that I won't like it nearly as much as SIGN, but I'll still watch it. I totally understand about the different points of view/ belief's about the game. I'm just a more serious person so that really attracted me in SIGN. It's too bad that they totally left from the manga; I hate it when they do that

Tsukasa · Post by **Tsukasa** » Wed Mar 05, 2003 12:17 am

I don't think the diversions are too bad. They're pretty good. It helps add to a missing feeling that was in it. Trust me. The series become a bit more serious, and it's got a bit of a bittersweet touch to it between Shugo and Rena because of their bonds as brother and sister, even if they're separated. While they've been driven worlds apart, they can still see each other via The World.

You may like it as it continues on. There's a lot of interaction between the two that's really sweet, and there's a lot more serious tone in the past few episodes now that the (evil) Blue Knights have arrived, and more events that we're familiar with from SIGN are starting to show themselves. It's a nice break, but it's going back to it's typical fair. I do think that there are going to be a lot of changes in the series' mood, though... Especially as Shugo's eyes are more and more opened to what's happened around him.

Sora · Post by **Sora** » Wed Mar 05, 2003 12:36 am

I wonder if they're going to continue with the one-lost-tooth-per-episode thing all the way to the end..

... if they do, Tsukasa, we are putting together a short spamvideo of just that o_o;;

At any rate, I enjoy Udeden just as much as //SIGN simply because I don't really try to compare the mood of the two. I liked //SIGN not because it was serious, but for the amount of thinking and speculation I could do while watching. Those series are fun to watch (It's why I loved RahXephon).

However, I don't just like one type of anime series. I love Udeden because of the characters, and the fact that yes, I can just sit back and watch and not have to think for the first few episodes. It's cute, it's funny, and it makes me laugh. That's something I enjoy just as much as a serious series ^^;

Watching //SIGN and then expecting Udeden to be exactly the same would be a mistake that can only lead to disappointment ^^;

But yes, the mood begins to change as time goes on. There's less rampant goofiness and more mystery, though there are still moments of silliness that can't be helped (and help keep the mood from being as horribly depressing as it probably could be)

Udeden and //Dusk are both aimed towards a younger audience, that can't be denied ^^;

pastorbickley · Post by **pastorbickley** » Wed Mar 05, 2003 12:46 am

I wasn't expecting them to be "the same," but I did expect it to be "similiar" if that makes sense. I think the biggest detraction was the way the characters were drawn. Like I said in my first post, they are just a little to chibby for me.

I love the fact that in SIGN there was so much to contemplate! Hehe, SIGN could be very depressing at times, but I loved the realism of it, and the way that the characters interacted. It was especially nice to watch BT plot and scheme to get the key of twilight

YashaOokami · Post by **YashaOokami** » Wed Mar 05, 2003 3:51 am

I would say that so far with .hack//Dusk it is pretty much good.Since I adore comedy animes,this one I enjoy a lot ^^;; Where I am at now,it is starting to get pretty intersting.But I like it how they have it from a different point of view just like how Tsukasa explained it with Sign and Dusk,you see the World in the different perceptives from those two main characters.I too didnt think I would like Dusk when I saw it at first[I was used to the realism and the non-chibiness from the first one,lol] But after a while,it tends to stick to yah.

Rhyste · Post by **Rhyste** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 2:59 pm

... all I knew about UdeDen... was that there'd be... A LOT OF BALMUNG. *_* While this is typically good, he has had approx. 1 bishounen moment - in which bangs blow across his face and he looks up cryptically in episode one... so... UdeDen sucks... XDD Not to mention the soundtrack... omfg... -_-

pastorbickley · Post by **pastorbickley** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 6:55 pm

Well I've watched episodes one and two, and I'm still in the same position. I'll keep watching, but only because I loved SIGN so much

MahoTheNeko · Post by **MahoTheNeko** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 8:06 pm

yeah , //Sign is better but //Dusk isnt bad it becomes good in episode 05, u should try to see more

error · Post by **error** » Thu Mar 06, 2003 9:42 pm

Episode 8 was real good.

Rhyste · Post by **Rhyste** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:09 am

Episode 8 was just flat out funny...

"SUPAR GINKAN TO TEH RESCUEZ KTHXPLZBYE~!"

Sora · Post by **Sora** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 1:55 am

*dies*

Sadly, I had a similar thought when I watched it..

We can't get much more into the specifics of that episode due to, yes, the spoilers (*sigh* yes, I know 9_9; ), however, as plot unfolds regarding that surprise (or.. not) appearance, there will be a lovely little thread in the spoiler section.

Hurrah, and stuff!

Megami Subaru · Post by **Megami Subaru** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 3:51 am

I'll have to say that I finally watched the first episode with my head on straight and I really enjoyed it.

Its just the other side of the coin. People play 'the world' different ways and shugo's way is to loose a tooth. ^_^

I can't wait to see more

MahoTheNeko · Post by **MahoTheNeko** » Fri Mar 07, 2003 9:45 pm

Ufff.. heres just relased the episode 06 in internet... i muss wait more... damn... i wanna live in USA ( Lol )