.Hacks//Roots is an interesting anime, taking place in an online game known as The World R: 2, which was made by the C.C. Corporation after an accident took out the original game. The series is actually a prologue to the first of three games that would later be produced for the Playstation 2 soon after the series finished, known as /hack//G.U. which has you playing as the main character Haseo.
The series begins with Haseo, a newbie to the game and the protagonist of the series. As he was playing on his first day, he is killed by other characters known as Player Killers, an event causing him to meet Ovan. After Ovan revives him and tells Haseo that he has a “gift”, he teleports to a different part of the game. The next few episodes have Haseo trying to get information on Ovan as well as talking to a wise cleric, who is in actuality an older man.
The series keeps you wondering about the characters in it, a factor that keeps it interesting. Not to mention the dozens of mysteries to it as well, like why Ovan constantly disappears, why does Naobi (one of the antagonists of the series) wants what Ovan is searching for, and what the Key to the Twilight actually does and where is it.
Another point of interest is how the animators made the show resemble an actual MMO. This show instantly reminded me of games such as World of Warcraft or Second Life. The World R: 2, sharing similarities with both of these and acting as the primary focus of the narrative, the majority of the plot about the game itself, unlike the shows predecessor .Hacks//Legend of the Twilight. The show also integrates gamer terms to make it that much more realistic.
One thing in particular that struck a blow to production value of the show is that of one of the major plot elements, heavily relied on and making the series to similar to the anime's predecessor .Hacks// Legend of the Twilight.The main dilemma of the previous season was the main character's sister being unable to logout and her mind became stuck in the game, the sister’s body going into a comma. In this series the first few episodes have Haseo and the rest of the people that he plays with in his guild searching for the Key to the Twilight, then the remainder is about the guild breaking up and an A.I. that kills your character and makes you go into a comma. The A.I. finds Shino and kills her causing her to go into a comma, Haseo the goes out to try to find her so she can return to the real world. For what it's worth however, despite the show repeating the same dilemma the way Haseo deals with it is completely different than the previous series.
The end is also something interesting to, though I won’t spoil anything because it wouldn’t be the same otherwise. Initially the ending left me empty, feeling too much like a giant cliff hanger. Too much is left unsaid and now that PS2 and most of the games are not even sold anymore, the complete story can be hard to follow. All in all the series is interesting, and there are not that many out there that are as creative as this one, what with the story taking place in a game. If you haven’t watched it before you really should, and I also recommend it to all the gamers out there as well because the anime will leave many people wishing The World R: 2 were an actual game.
- Phantom Warrior
The series begins with Haseo, a newbie to the game and the protagonist of the series. As he was playing on his first day, he is killed by other characters known as Player Killers, an event causing him to meet Ovan. After Ovan revives him and tells Haseo that he has a “gift”, he teleports to a different part of the game. The next few episodes have Haseo trying to get information on Ovan as well as talking to a wise cleric, who is in actuality an older man.
The series keeps you wondering about the characters in it, a factor that keeps it interesting. Not to mention the dozens of mysteries to it as well, like why Ovan constantly disappears, why does Naobi (one of the antagonists of the series) wants what Ovan is searching for, and what the Key to the Twilight actually does and where is it.
Another point of interest is how the animators made the show resemble an actual MMO. This show instantly reminded me of games such as World of Warcraft or Second Life. The World R: 2, sharing similarities with both of these and acting as the primary focus of the narrative, the majority of the plot about the game itself, unlike the shows predecessor .Hacks//Legend of the Twilight. The show also integrates gamer terms to make it that much more realistic.
One thing in particular that struck a blow to production value of the show is that of one of the major plot elements, heavily relied on and making the series to similar to the anime's predecessor .Hacks// Legend of the Twilight.The main dilemma of the previous season was the main character's sister being unable to logout and her mind became stuck in the game, the sister’s body going into a comma. In this series the first few episodes have Haseo and the rest of the people that he plays with in his guild searching for the Key to the Twilight, then the remainder is about the guild breaking up and an A.I. that kills your character and makes you go into a comma. The A.I. finds Shino and kills her causing her to go into a comma, Haseo the goes out to try to find her so she can return to the real world. For what it's worth however, despite the show repeating the same dilemma the way Haseo deals with it is completely different than the previous series.
The end is also something interesting to, though I won’t spoil anything because it wouldn’t be the same otherwise. Initially the ending left me empty, feeling too much like a giant cliff hanger. Too much is left unsaid and now that PS2 and most of the games are not even sold anymore, the complete story can be hard to follow. All in all the series is interesting, and there are not that many out there that are as creative as this one, what with the story taking place in a game. If you haven’t watched it before you really should, and I also recommend it to all the gamers out there as well because the anime will leave many people wishing The World R: 2 were an actual game.
- Phantom Warrior
